Exhibit 2.1
EXECUTION COPY
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF
MERGER
DATED AS OF NOVEMBER 13,
2006
AMONG
GOLF GALAXY, INC.
YANKEES ACQUISITION
CORP.
AND
DICK’S SPORTING GOODS,
INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. NAME OF SURVIVING CORPORATION,
ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, BYLAWS
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2
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1.1 Name of Surviving
Corporation
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2
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1.2 Articles of
Incorporation
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2
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1.3 Bylaws; Directors
and Officers
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2
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1.4 Effective
Time
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2
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1.5
Closing
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3
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1.6 Effects of the
Merger
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3
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2. COMPANY ACTIONS AND
SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL
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3
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2.1 Company
Approval
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3
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2.2 Company
Shareholders’ Meeting
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4
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3. STATUS AND CONVERSION
OF SECURITIES
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6
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3.1 Conversion of
Company Common Stock
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6
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3.2 Exchange of Share
Certificates
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6
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3.3 Company Stock
Options, Warrants and Other Stock Plans
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8
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3.4 Dissenters and
Appraisal Rights
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11
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4. REPRESENTATIONS,
WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS
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11
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4.1 Representations,
Warranties and Agreements of the Company
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12
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4.2 Representations,
Warranties and Agreements of Parent
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30
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4.3 Representations
and Warranties of Subsidiary
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32
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5. COVENANTS
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32
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5.1 Covenants of the
Company
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33
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5.2 Covenants of
Parent
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39
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5.3 Covenants of
Subsidiary
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42
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6. CONDITIONS TO
CLOSING; ABANDONMENT AND TERMINATION
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42
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6.1 Conditions to the
Company’s Closing and Its Right to Abandon
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42
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6.2 Conditions to
Parent’s and Subsidiary’s Closing and Right of Parent
and Subsidiary to Abandon
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43
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7.
TERMINATION
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44
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7.1
Terms
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44
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7.2 Effect of
Termination
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46
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i
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8. TERMINATION FEE AND
EXPENSES
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46
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8.1 Termination
Fee
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46
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8.2 Costs and
Expenses
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47
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9.
MISCELLANEOUS
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47
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9.1 Certification of
the Company’s Shareholder Votes, etc
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47
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9.2 Termination of
Covenants, Representations and Warranties
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47
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9.3 Execution in
Counterparts
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48
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9.4 Waivers and
Amendments
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48
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9.5
Confidentiality
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48
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9.6
Notices
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48
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9.7 Entire Agreement;
No Third Party Beneficiaries; Rights of Ownership
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49
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9.8 Governing
Law
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49
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9.9 No Remedy in
Certain Circumstances
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49
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9.10
Publicity
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50
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Exhibit
A
Voting Agreement
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ii
GLOSSARY OF DEFINED
TERMS
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Acquisition Agreement
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Section 5.1.8(c)
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Agreement
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Recitals
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Articles of Merger
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Section 1.4
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Assumed Options
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Section 3.3.1
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Assumed Warrants
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Section 3.3.4(b)
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August 26, 2006 Balance
Sheet
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Section 4.1.2
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CERCLA
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Section 4.1.21(b)
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Certificate
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Section 3.2.2
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Closing
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Section 1.5
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Closing Date
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Section 1.5
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Code
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Section 4.1.14
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Company
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Recitals
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Company Benefit Plans
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Section 4.1.13(a)
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Company Board
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Section 2.1
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Company Common Stock
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Recitals
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Company Disclosure Letter
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Section 4.1
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Company Employees
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Section 5.2.3(a)
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Company ERISA Affiliate
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Section 4.1.13(e)
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Company Financial Advisor
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Section 2.1
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Company Improvements
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Section 4.1.17(g)
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Company IT Systems
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Section 4.1.19(b)
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Company Leased Real
Property
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Section 4.1.17(b)
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Company Leases
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Section 4.1.17(b)
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Company Licensed Intellectual
Property
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Section 4.1.22(b)
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Company Material Adverse
Effect
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Section 4.1.2
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Company Material Breach
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Section 7.1(e)
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Company Option Plans
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Recitals
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Company Outstanding
Shares
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Section 3.2.1
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Company Owned Intellectual
Property
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Section 4.1.22(b)
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Company Owned Real
Property
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Section 4.1.17(a)
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Company Owned Registered
Intellectual Property
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Section 4.1.22(b)
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Company Owned Software
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Section 4.1.22(c)
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Company Permits
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Section 4.1.8(a)
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Company Preferred Stock
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Recitals
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Company Real Property
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Section 4.1.17(c)
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Company Real Property
Permits
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Section 4.1.17(h)
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Company SEC Reports
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Section 4.1.2
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Constituent Corporations
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Recitals
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Conversion Fraction
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Section 3.3.2(a)
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Dissenting Shares
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Section 3.4
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Effective Time
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Section 1.4
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Environment
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Section 4.1.21(d)
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Environmental Laws
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Section 4.1.21(a)
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ERISA
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Section 4.1.13(a)
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Exchange Act
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Section 2.2.3
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Exchange Fund
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Section 3.2.1
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Excluded Person
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Section 5.1.8(a)
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Financial Statements
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Section 4.1.2
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Form S-1
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Section 4.1.7
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Four Wall Cash
Contribution
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Section 4.1.18
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GAAP
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Section 4.1.2
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Governmental Entity
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Section 4.1.6
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Hazardous Materials
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Section 4.1.21(a)
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HSR Act
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Section 4.1.6
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Indemnified Parties
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Section 5.2.2(a)
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Intellectual Property
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Section 4.1.22(b)
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In-The-Money Options
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Section 3.3.1
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Law
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Section 4.1.25(a)
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Material Adverse Effect
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Section 4.1.2
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Material Contract
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Section 4.1.24
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MBCA
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Recitals
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MBCA Dissenters’
Rights
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Section 2.2.1
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Merger
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Recitals
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Merger Consideration
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Section 3.1.3
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NASDAQ
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Section 2.2.3
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NLRB
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Section 4.1.16
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Operating Expenses
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Section 4.1.18
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Out-of-The-Money Options
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Section 3.3.1
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Parent
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Recitals
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Parent Common Stock
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Section 3.3.1
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Parent Material Adverse
Effect
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Section 4.1.2
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Parent Material Breach
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Section 7.1(g)
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Paying Agent
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Section 3.2.1
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Person
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Section 3.2.2
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Prospects
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Section 4.1.2
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Proxy Statement
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Section 2.2.1
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Release
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Section 4.1.21(d)
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Representatives
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Section 5.1.8 (a)
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Sarbanes-Oxley Act
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Section 4.1.8(b)
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SEC
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Section 2.2.1
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Securities Act
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Section 4.1.2
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Solicitation Period End
Date
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Section 5.1.8(a)
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Special Shareholders
Meeting
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Section 2.2.2
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Stock Options
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Section 3.3.1
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Subsidiary
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Recitals
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Subsidiary Common Stock
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Recitals
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Superior Proposal
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Section 5.1.8(d)
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Surviving Corporation
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Recitals
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Surviving Corporation Common
Stock
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Section 3.1.1
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Takeover Laws
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Section 2.1
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Takeover Proposal
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Section 5.1.8(e)
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Taxes
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Section 4.1.14
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Tax Return
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Section 4.1.14
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Termination Fee
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Section 8.1(a)
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Voting Agreement
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Recitals
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Warrants
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Section 3.3.4
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AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF
MERGER
THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
(this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of November 13,
2006, by and among Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the “ Parent ”),
Yankees Acquisition Corp., a Minnesota corporation and wholly-owned
subsidiary of Parent (the “ Subsidiary ”), and
Golf Galaxy, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (the “
Company ” and where the context requires, the
“Company” means the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries) (the Subsidiary and the Company sometimes being
referred to hereinafter as the “ Constituent
Corporations ”).
RECITALS:
1.
The Boards of Directors of each of Parent, Subsidiary and the
Company have resolved and approved that Subsidiary be merged with
and into the Company (the Company, in its capacity as the surviving
corporation, is sometimes referred to herein as the “
Surviving Corporation ”) under and pursuant to the
Minnesota Business Corporation Act (“ MBCA
”);
2.
The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 40,000,000
shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the “
Company Common Stock ”), of which 11,125,511 shares
are issued and outstanding and no shares are held in the treasury
of the Company and 10,000,000 shares of convertible preferred
stock, par value $1.00 per share (collectively, the “
Company Preferred Stock ”), of which no shares are
issued and outstanding;
3.
Section 1 of the Company Disclosure Letter (as hereinafter
defined) lists, as of the date hereof as to each Stock Option (as
hereinafter defined), the holder of the Stock Option, date of
grant, exercise price and number of shares subject thereto granted
pursuant to the Company’s 1996 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan and 2004 Stock Incentive Plan (collectively, the “
Company Option Plans ”);
4.
The authorized capital stock of Subsidiary consists of (i) 1,000
shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “
Subsidiary Common Stock ”), of which 1,000 shares are
issued and outstanding and owned by Parent;
5.
The Parent, as sole holder of all of the Subsidiary Common Stock,
has approved the Merger (as hereinafter defined) of the Constituent
Corporations upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth
and has approved this Agreement;
6.
The Merger of the Constituent Corporations is permitted pursuant to
the MBCA; and
7.
Immediately prior to the execution
of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to
Parent’s and Subsidiary’s willingness to enter into
this Agreement, Parent and Subsidiary are simultaneously entering
into a shareholder voting agreement substantially in the form set
forth in Exhibit A hereto (the “ Voting
Agreement ”) with certain holders of shares of Company
Common Stock, pursuant to which (i) such shareholders are, among
other things,
agreeing to vote all of such
shareholders’ shares of Company Common Stock in favor of the
Merger upon the terms and conditions specified therein, and (ii)
such shareholders are agreeing to certain restrictive
covenants.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the premises and the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants
herein contained, the parties hereto hereby agree that the Company
and Subsidiary shall be, at the Effective Time (as hereinafter
defined), merged in accordance with the MBCA (hereinafter called
the “ Merger ”) into a single corporation
existing under the laws of the State of Minnesota, whereby the
Company, one of the Constituent Corporations, shall be the
Surviving Corporation, and the parties hereto adopt and agree to
the following agreements, terms and conditions relating to the
Merger and the mode of carrying the same into effect.
1.
NAME OF SURVIVING
CORPORATION, ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, BYLAWS.
1.1
Name of Surviving
Corporation .
The name of the Surviving
Corporation from and after the Effective Time shall be “Golf
Galaxy, Inc.”
1.2
Articles of
Incorporation .
The Articles of Incorporation of the
Subsidiary as in effect on the date hereof shall from and after the
Effective Time be and continue to be the Articles of Incorporation
of the Surviving Corporation until changed or amended as provided
by law.
1.3
Bylaws; Directors and
Officers .
Without any further action by the
Company and Subsidiary, the Bylaws of the Subsidiary, as in effect
immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall from and after the
Effective Time be and continue to be the Bylaws of the Surviving
Corporation until amended as provided therein. The directors
of Subsidiary at the Effective Time and the officers of the Company
shall at the Effective Time, from and after the Effective Time, be
the initial directors and officers of the Surviving Corporation
until their successors shall have been duly elected or appointed
and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal
in accordance with the Surviving Corporation’s Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws.
1.4
Effective Time
.
Subject to the provisions of this
Agreement, Parent, Subsidiary and the Company shall cause the
Merger to be consummated by filing articles of merger in accordance
with Section 302A.615 of the MBCA (the “ Articles of
Merger ”) on the Closing Date (as defined in Section
1.5). The Merger shall become effective immediately upon such
filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota, which
date and time are herein referred to as the “ Effective
Time .”
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1.5
Closing .
Subject to the provisions of this
Agreement, the closing of the Merger (the “ Closing
”) shall occur at the offices of Robins, Kaplan, Miller &
Ciresi L.L.P., 2800 LaSalle Plaza, 800 LaSalle Avenue, Minneapolis,
MN 55402 or at such other location as is mutually agreed to by the
parties hereto. The Closing shall occur at a time and date
(the “ Closing Date ”) to be specified by
Parent, which shall be no later than the fifth business day
following satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in
Article 6, which date in no event shall be prior to February 6,
2007, unless another time or date is agreed to in writing by the
parties hereto.
1.6
Effects of the Merger
.
The Merger shall have the effects
set forth in Section 302A.641 of the MBCA. Without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the
Effective Time, the separate existence of the Subsidiary shall
cease, and the Subsidiary shall be merged with and into the Company
which, as the Surviving Corporation, shall possess all the rights,
privileges, powers and franchises of a public as well as of a
private nature, and be subject to all the restrictions,
disabilities and duties of each of the Constituent Corporations;
and all rights, privileges, powers and franchises of each of the
Constituent Corporations, and all property, real, personal and
mixed, and all debts due to either of the Constituent Corporations
on whatever account, as well as for stock subscriptions and all
other things in action or belonging to each of such Constituent
Corporations, shall be vested in the Surviving Corporation; and all
property, rights, privileges, powers and franchises, and all and
every other interest shall be thereafter as effectively the
property of the Surviving Corporation as they were of the
Constituent Corporations, and the title to any real estate vested
by deed or otherwise, under the laws of Minnesota or any other
jurisdiction, in any of the Constituent Corporations, shall not
revert or be in any way impaired; but all rights of creditors and
all liens upon any property of any of the Constituent Corporations
shall be preserved unimpaired, and all debts, liabilities and
duties of the Constituent Corporations shall be assumed by and
thenceforth attach to the Surviving Corporation and may be enforced
against it to the same extent as if said debts, liabilities and
duties had been incurred or contracted by it. At any time, or
from time to time, after the Effective Time, the last acting
officers of the Company, or the corresponding officers of the
Surviving Corporation, may, in the name of the Company, execute and
deliver all such proper deeds, assignments, and other instruments
and take or cause to be taken all such further or other action as
the Surviving Corporation may deem necessary or desirable in order
to vest, perfect, or confirm in the Surviving Corporation title to
and possession of all of the Company’s property, rights,
privileges, powers, franchises, immunities, and interests and
otherwise to carry out the purposes of this Agreement.
2.
COMPANY ACTIONS
AND SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL
2.1
Company Approval
.
The Company hereby represents and
warrants that the Board of Directors of the Company (the “
Company Board ”), at a meeting duly called and held,
has (i) unanimously approved and adopted the “plan of
merger” (as such term is used in Section 302A.611 of the
MBCA) contained in this Agreement, (ii) determined that this
Agreement and the transactions
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contemplated hereby, including the
Merger, taken together, are at a price and on terms that are
advisable and fair to and in the best interests of the Company and
its shareholders, (iii) resolved (subject to
Section 5.1.8 hereof) to recommend that holders of Company
Common Stock adopt and approve this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby, including the Merger, (iv) irrevocably
taken all necessary steps to cause Section 302A.673 of the MBCA to
be inapplicable to Parent and Subsidiary and to the Merger and the
acquisition of Company Common Stock pursuant to the Merger and (v)
resolved to elect, to the extent of the Board’s power and
authority and to the extent permitted by law, not to be subject to
any other “moratorium”, “control share
acquisition”, “business combination”, “fair
price” or other form of anti-takeover laws and regulations
(collectively, “ Takeover Laws ”) of any
jurisdiction that may purport to be applicable to this
Agreement. Piper Jaffray & Co., independent financial
advisor to the Board of Directors of the Company (the “
Company Financial Advisor ”), has advised the
Company’s Board of Directors that, in its opinion, the Merger
Consideration to be paid in the Merger to the Company’s
shareholders is fair, from a financial point of view, to such
shareholders.
2.2
Company Shareholders’
Meeting .
2.2.1
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company,
acting through the Company Board, shall as promptly as practicable
following the date of this Agreement, prepare and file with the SEC
a preliminary proxy statement (such proxy statement, as amended and
supplemented, the “ Proxy Statement ”) relating
to the Merger and this Agreement and use its reasonable best
efforts to (x) obtain and furnish the information required to be
included by applicable federal securities laws (and the rules and
regulations thereunder) in the Proxy Statement and, after
consultation with Parent, Subsidiary and their counsel, to respond
promptly to any comments received from the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) with respect
to the preliminary Proxy Statement and promptly cause to be mailed
to the Company’s shareholders a definitive Proxy Statement, a
copy of this Agreement or a summary thereof and a copy of Sections
302A.471 and 302A.473 of the MBCA (relating to dissenters’
rights) (the “ MBCA Dissenters’ Rights ”)
and (y) obtain the necessary approval by its shareholders of this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the
Merger.
2.2.2
The Company, acting through its Board of Directors, as promptly as
practicable following the SEC’s review, if any, of the
preliminary Proxy Statement, shall duly call a special meeting of
its shareholders (the “ Special Shareholders Meeting
”) to be held in accordance with the MBCA at the earliest
practicable date, upon due notice thereof to its shareholders, to
consider and vote upon, among other matters, the adoption and
approval of this Agreement and the Merger. The Board of
Directors will recommend the adoption and approval of this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the
Merger, and will use its reasonable best efforts, consistent with
its fiduciary duties, to solicit the requisite vote of the
Company’s shareholders to adopt and approve this Agreement
and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger,
pursuant to the Proxy Statement.
2.2.3
The Company, Parent and Subsidiary shall cooperate with each other
in the Company’s preparation of its Proxy Statement.
Parent, Subsidiary and their counsel shall be given a reasonable
opportunity to review and comment upon the Proxy Statement (and
shall
4
provide any
comments thereon as soon as practicable, but in no event later than
five (5) business days after being asked to comment) prior to the
applicable filing thereof with the SEC. The Company shall use
its reasonable best efforts to cause the Proxy Statement to comply
as to form in all material respects with the applicable
requirements of (i) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(including the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the
“ Exchange Act ”) and (ii) the rules and
regulations of the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“ NASDAQ
”). The Company shall provide Parent, Subsidiary and
their counsel with copies of any written comments or other material
communications the Company or its counsel receives from time to
time from the SEC or its staff with respect to the Proxy Statement
promptly after receipt of such comments or other material
communications, and with copies of any written responses to and
telephonic notification of any material verbal responses received
from the SEC or its staff by the Company or its counsel with
respect to the Proxy Statement. Each of Parent and the
Company agrees to correct any information provided by it for use in
the Proxy Statement which, to the Company’s knowledge (in the
case of information provided by the Company) or to Parent’s
knowledge (in the case of information provided by Parent), shall
have become false or misleading in any material respect. The
Company shall use its reasonable best efforts, after consultation
with Parent, to resolve all SEC comments with respect to the Proxy
Statement as promptly as practicable after receipt thereof.
If at any time prior to the adoption and approval of this Agreement
by the Company’s shareholders there shall occur any event
that is required to be set forth in an amendment or supplement to
the Proxy Statement, the Company shall promptly prepare and file
with the SEC such amendment or supplement. The Company shall
not mail the Proxy Statement, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, without reasonable advance consultation with Parent,
Subsidiary and their counsel.
2.2.4
The Company agrees that the information relating to the Company and
its subsidiaries contained in the Proxy Statement, or in any other
document filed in connection with this Agreement or the Merger with
any other Governmental Entity (as hereinafter defined) (to the
extent such information was provided by the Company for inclusion
therein), at the respective times that the applicable document is
filed with the SEC or such other Governmental Entity and first
published, sent or given to shareholders of the Company and, in
addition, in the case of the Proxy Statement, at the date it or any
amendment or supplement thereto is mailed to the Company’s
shareholders and at the time of the Special Shareholders Meeting,
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading.
2.2.5
Parent shall provide the Company with the information concerning
Parent and Subsidiary required to be included in the Proxy
Statement. Parent agrees that the information relating to
Parent and Subsidiary contained in the Proxy Statement, or in any
other document filed in connection with this Agreement or the
Merger with any other Governmental Entity (to the extent such
information was provided by Parent or Subsidiary for inclusion
therein), at the respective times that the applicable document is
filed with the SEC or such other Governmental Entity and first
published, sent or given to shareholders of the Company and, in
addition, in the case of the Proxy Statement, at the date it or any
amendment or supplement thereto is mailed to the Company’s
shareholders and at the time of the Special Shareholders Meeting,
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact
5
necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading.
2.2.6
Parent and Subsidiary shall, at the Special Shareholders Meeting,
vote, or cause to be voted, all shares of Company Common Stock
owned by, or with respect to which the vote is otherwise controlled
by, any of Parent, Subsidiary and any other affiliate of Parent in
favor of the adoption and approval of this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger.
3.
STATUS AND
CONVERSION OF SECURITIES
The manner of converting the shares
of the capital stock of the Constituent Corporations and
outstanding options and warrants to purchase shares of Company
Common Stock and the amount of consideration which the holders of
such securities are to receive in exchange for such securities are
as follows:
3.1
Conversion of Company Common Stock .
3.1.1
Subsidiary . Each share of Subsidiary Common Stock
issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time
shall be converted into and become one validly issued, fully paid
and non-assessable share of voting common stock, par value $0.01
per share, of the Surviving Corporation (which newly issued shares
will be owned by Parent) (the “ Surviving Corporation
Common Stock ”).
3.1.2
Cancellation of Parent-Owned Stock . Each share of
Company Common Stock that is owned by Parent, Subsidiary or any
other subsidiary of Parent shall automatically be canceled and
shall cease to be outstanding, and no cash or other consideration
shall be delivered in exchange therefor.
3.1.3
Conversion of Company Common Stock . Subject to
Section 3.4, each issued and outstanding share of Company Common
Stock (other than shares of Company Common Stock to be canceled in
accordance with Section 3.1.2) shall be converted into the right to
receive $18.82 in cash, without interest (the “ Merger
Consideration ”). As of the Effective Time, all
such shares of Company Common Stock shall no longer be outstanding
and shall automatically be canceled, and each holder of any such
shares of Company Common Stock shall cease to have any rights with
respect thereto, except the right to receive the Merger
Consideration upon the surrender of a certificate representing such
shares of Company Common Stock in accordance with the provisions of
this Article 3, or the right, if so demanded as set forth under
Section 3.4 of this Agreement, to receive payment from the Company
of the “fair value” of such Company Common Stock as
determined in accordance with the MBCA.
3.2
Exchange of Share
Certificates .
3.2.1
Paying Agent . Prior to the Closing, Parent shall
designate a paying agent reasonably acceptable to the Company to
act as paying agent (the “ Paying Agent ”) for
the payment of the Merger Consideration. Prior to the
Closing, Parent shall cause Subsidiary to deposit with the Paying
Agent, for the benefit of the holders of Certificates, cash equal
to the
6
product of (A)
the number of shares of Company Common Stock outstanding (and not
to be canceled pursuant to Section 3.1.2) as of immediately prior
to the Effective Time (the “ Company Outstanding
Shares ”) multiplied by (B) the Merger
Consideration. The deposit made by Subsidiary pursuant to
this Section 3.2.1 is hereinafter referred to as the “
Exchange Fund .” The Paying Agent shall cause
the Exchange Fund to be (i) held for the benefit of the holders of
Company Common Stock and (ii) applied promptly to making the
payments provided for in Section 3.1.3. The Exchange Fund
shall not be used for any purpose that is not expressly provided
for in this Agreement. If the Paying Agent invests the
Exchange Fund, the Paying Agent shall only invest the Exchange Fund
in obligations of or guaranteed by the United States of America and
backed by the full faith and credit of the United States of
America. Earnings from such investments shall be the sole and
exclusive property of Parent and no part of such earnings shall
accrue to the benefit of the holders of shares of Company Common
Stock.
3.2.2
Exchange Procedures . As soon as reasonably
practicable after the Effective Time, Surviving Corporation shall
cause the Paying Agent to mail to each holder of record immediately
prior to the Effective Time of a certificate formerly representing
shares of Company Common Stock (a “ Certificate
”) (i) a letter of transmittal specifying that delivery of
the Certificates shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to
the Certificates shall pass, only upon proper delivery of the
Certificates (or affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) to the Paying
Agent, such letter of transmittal to be in customary form and have
such other provisions as Parent may reasonably specify and (ii)
instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the Certificates
in exchange for the Merger Consideration (such instructions shall
include instructions for the payment of the Merger Consideration to
a Person other than the Person in whose name the surrendered
Certificate is registered on the transfer books of the Company,
subject to the receipt of appropriate documentation for such
transfer). Upon surrender to the Paying Agent of a
Certificate (or evidence of loss in lieu thereof) for cancellation
together with such letter of transmittal, duly completed and
validly executed, and such other documents as may reasonably be
requested by the Paying Agent, the holder of such Certificate shall
be entitled to receive in exchange therefor the Merger
Consideration that such holder is entitled to receive pursuant to
this Article 3, and the Certificate so surrendered shall forthwith
be canceled; provided that in no event will a holder of a
Certificate be entitled to receive the Merger Consideration if the
Merger Consideration was already paid with respect to the shares of
Company Common Stock underlying such Certificate in connection with
an affidavit of loss. No interest will be paid or accrued on
any amount payable upon due surrender of the Certificates. In
the event of a transfer of ownership of Company Common Stock that
is not registered in the transfer records of the Company, payment
may be issued to such a transferee if the Certificate formerly
representing such Company Common Stock is presented to the Paying
Agent, accompanied by all documents required to evidence and effect
such transfer, and the Person requesting such issuance pays any
transfer or other taxes required by reason of such payment to a
Person other than the registered holder of such Certificate or
establishes to the satisfaction of Parent and the Company that such
tax has been paid or is not applicable.
For the purposes of this Agreement,
the term “ Person ” shall mean any individual,
corporation (including not-for-profit corporations), general or
limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture,
estate, trust, association, organization, Governmental Entity or
other entity or group (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the
Exchange Act).
7
3.2.3
Transfers . After the Effective Time, there shall be
no registration of transfers on the stock transfer books of the
Company of shares of Company Common Stock that were
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time. If,
after the Effective Time, Certificates are presented to Parent or
the Surviving Corporation, they shall be canceled and exchanged for
the Merger Consideration deliverable in respect thereof in
accordance with the procedures set forth in Section
3.2.2.
3.2.4
Termination of Exchange Fund; No Liability . Any
portion of the Exchange Fund relating to the Merger Consideration
that remains unclaimed by the former shareholders of the Company
one year after the Effective Time shall be returned to
Parent. Any former shareholders of the Company who have not
theretofore complied with this Article 3 shall thereafter look only
to Parent for payment of the Merger Consideration upon due
surrender of their Certificates (or affidavits of loss in lieu
thereof), without any interest thereon. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, none of Parent, Subsidiary, the Surviving Corporation,
the Paying Agent or any other Person shall be liable to any former
holder of Company Common Stock for any amount properly delivered to
a public official pursuant to applicable abandoned property,
escheat or similar laws. If any Certificates shall not have
been surrendered as of the date immediately prior to the date that
such unclaimed funds would otherwise become subject to any
abandoned property, escheat or similar law, unclaimed funds payable
with respect to such Certificates shall, to the extent permitted by
applicable law, become the property of the Surviving Corporation,
free and clear of all claims or interest of any Person previously
entitled thereto.
3.2.5
Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates . In the event
that any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed,
upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the Person claiming
such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and, if required
by Parent, the posting by such Person of a bond reasonably
satisfactory to Parent as indemnity against any claim that may be
made against it with respect to such Certificate, the Paying Agent
will issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed
Certificate the Merger Consideration upon due delivery of such
affidavit pursuant to this Agreement.
3.2.6
Withholding Rights . Each of Parent, the Paying Agent
and the Surviving Corporation shall be entitled to deduct and
withhold from the consideration otherwise payable to any Person
pursuant to this Article 3 such amounts as it is required to deduct
and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under
provision of any United States federal, state or local, or
non-United States tax law. If Parent, the Paying Agent or the
Surviving Corporation, as the case may be, so withholds amounts,
then such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of
this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of the Company
Common Stock in respect of which Parent, Paying Agent or the
Surviving Corporation, as the case may be, made such deduction and
withholding.
3.3
Company Stock Options, Warrants
and Other Stock Plans .
3.3.1
Election Regarding Treatment of Stock Options . Each
Stock Option granted under the Company Option Plans that is
outstanding and unexpired immediately prior to the Effective Time,
whether or not then vested or exercisable, with respect to which
the Merger
8
Consideration
equals or does not exceed the exercise price per share of Company
Common Stock for such Stock Option (“ Out-of-The-Money
Options ”) shall be, effective as of immediately prior to
the Effective Time, automatically converted into an option to
purchase shares of Parent’s Common Stock, par value $.01 per
share (“ Parent Common Stock ”) in accordance
with Section 3.3.2 below. At least twenty (20) days prior to
the Closing Date, the Company shall notify each holder of options
to purchase Company Common Stock that is outstanding under the
Company Option Plans as of the Effective Date, whether or not then
vested or exercisable, with respect to which the Merger
Consideration exceeds the exercise price per share of Company
Common Stock (“ In-The-Money Options ”) (the
Out-of-The Money Options together with the In-The-Money Options,
collectively being the “ Stock Options ”) of
their right to elect to convert their outstanding In-The-Money
Options into options to purchase shares of Parent Common Stock in
accordance with Section 3.3.2 below or, if vested, cash in
accordance with Section 3.3.3 below. Each such holder may so
elect by notifying the Company in writing no later than five (5)
business days prior to the Closing Date. The failure by any
holder of vested In-The-Money Options to provide such notice shall
be deemed an election to convert such Stock Option in accordance
with Section 3.3.2 below. All Out-Of-The Money Options, all
outstanding unvested In-The-Money Options and/or outstanding vested
In-The-Money Options with respect to which proper notice to convert
under this Section 3.3.1 has been made or no notice has been made
will be “ Assumed Options ” and each will be
converted into options to purchase Parent Common Stock in
accordance with Section 3.3.2 below.
3.3.2
Assumption of Stock Options . Subject to applicable
Law, Parent and the Company shall take such actions, including
(with respect to the Company) any necessary amendment of the Stock
Options and the Company Option Plans to permit Parent to assume,
and Parent shall assume, at the Effective Time, each Company Option
Plan and each of the Assumed Options and substitute shares of
Parent Common Stock for the Company Common Stock purchasable under
each such assumed Stock Option, which assumption and substitution
shall be effected as follows (such actions by the Company shall be
done in accordance with the Company Option Plans and stock option
agreements under which the grants have been made, including but not
limited to the authorization in Sections 9 thereof (and in
compliance in all respects with Sections 7 thereof) and the Company
shall obtain any other documentation from any holder of the option
required as a result of the Assumed Option under the Company Option
Plans and stock option agreements under which such grants have been
made):
(a)
the number of shares of Parent Common Stock purchasable under the
Assumed Option shall be equal to 0.386 (the “ Conversion
Fraction ”) times the number of shares of Company Common
Stock underlying the Assumed Option (with any fractional amount
rounded to the next lowest full share);
(b)
the per share exercise price of such Assumed Option shall be an
amount (with fractional amounts rounded to the next highest cent)
equal to the per share exercise price of the Stock Option being
assumed divided by the Conversion Fraction; and
(c)
any other provisions of each Assumed Option shall remain in effect
(including acceleration of exercisability resulting from applicable
employment or retention agreements);
9
provided, that in the event of any
recapitalization, stock split, split-up, combination, exchange of
shares or other reclassification in respect of Parent’s
outstanding shares of capital stock following the date hereof,
there shall be an equitable adjustment with respect
hereto.
3.3.3
Conversion of In-The-Money Options . Each outstanding
vested In-The-Money Option that will not be treated as an Assumed
Option subject to Section 3.3.2 above shall, effective as of
immediately prior to the Effective Time, be cancelled in exchange
for a single lump sum cash payment equal to the product of (1) the
number of Company Common Shares for which such vested In-The-Money
Option could be exercised as of the Effective Time, and (2) the
excess of the Merger Consideration over the exercise price per
share of such vested In-The-Money Option (subject to any applicable
withholding taxes).
3.3.4
Assumption or Conversion of Warrants . At least twenty
(20) days prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall notify each
holder of warrants exercisable for or other rights to acquire
Company Common Stock (collectively, the “ Warrants
”) of such holder’s right to elect to convert their
Warrants into warrants to purchase shares of Parent Common Stock or
cash. Each holder of Warrants may elect to convert such
holder’s outstanding Warrants into warrants to purchase
shares of Parent Common Stock or cash by notifying the Company in
writing no later than ten (10) days prior to the Closing
Date. The failure by any holder to provide such notice shall
be deemed an election to convert such Warrants into cash pursuant
to Section 3.3.4(a) below.
(a)
Each Warrant that the holder thereof has not elected to convert
into a warrant to purchase shares of Parent Common Stock, and with
respect to which the Merger Consideration exceeds the exercise
price per share of Company Common Stock shall, effective as of
immediately prior to the Effective Time, be cancelled in exchange
for a single lump sum cash payment equal to the product of
(1) the number of Company Common Shares subject to such
Warrant and (2) the excess of the Merger Consideration over
the exercise price per share of such Warrant (subject to any
applicable withholding taxes). Parent shall, prior to the
Closing Date, deliver a written instrument to each holder of
Warrants who will receive cash in accordance with this Section
3.3.4(a) assuming, on behalf of itself and the Surviving
Corporation, the obligation to pay to such holders pursuant to this
Section 3.3.4(a).
(b)
Parent, the Company and the Warrant holders shall take such
actions, including (with respect to the Company and the Warrant
holders) any necessary amendment of the Warrants to permit Parent
to assume, and Parent shall assume, at the Effective Time, each
Warrant that is not surrendered for cash payment pursuant to
Section 3.3.4(a) above (the “ Assumed Warrants
”), and substitute shares of Parent Common Stock for the
Company Common Stock purchasable under each Assumed Warrant, which
assumption and substitution shall be effected as
follows:
(i)
the number of shares of Parent Common Stock purchasable under the
Assumed Warrant shall be equal to the Conversion Fraction times the
number of shares of Company Common Stock underlying the Assumed
Warrant (with any fractional amount rounded to the next lowest full
share);
10
(ii)
the per share exercise price of the Assumed Warrant shall be an
amount (with fractional amounts rounded to the next highest cent)
equal to the per share exercise price of the Warrant being assumed
divided by the Conversion Fraction; and
(iii)
subject to applicable law and the Parent’s existing
contractual commitments, any other provisions of each Assumed
Warrant shall remain in effect.
(c)
Following the date of this Agreement, but as a condition precedent
to Parent assuming the Assumed Warrants, the Company will solicit
from each holder of an Assumed Warrant confirmation that such
holder is an “accredited investor,” as defined in Rule
501 promulgated under the Securities Act. Should any such
holder not qualify as an “accredited investor”, Parent
and such holder will take commercially reasonable actions so that
the conversion of the Assumed Warrant complies with applicable
Law.
3.4
Dissenters and Appraisal
Rights .
Notwithstanding any provision of
this Agreement to the contrary, each outstanding share of Company
Common Stock (other than shares of Company Common Stock to be
canceled in accordance with Section 3.1.2), the holder of which has
demanded and perfected such holder’s right to dissent from
the Merger and to be paid the fair value of such shares in
accordance with Sections 302A.471 and 302A.473 of the MBCA and, as
of the Effective Time, has not effectively withdrawn or lost such
dissenters’ rights (“ Dissenting Shares
”), shall not be converted into or represent a right to
receive the Merger Consideration, but the holder thereof shall be
entitled only to such rights as are granted by the MBCA.
Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation to make all payments
to holders of shares of Company Common Stock with respect to such
demands in accordance with the MBCA. The Company shall give
Parent (i) prompt written notice of any notice of intent to
demand fair value for any shares of Company Common Stock,
withdrawals of such notices, and any other instruments served
pursuant to the MBCA and received by the Company, and (ii) the
opportunity to conduct jointly all negotiations and proceedings
with respect to demands for fair value for shares of Company Common
Stock under the MBCA. The Company shall not, except with the
prior written consent of Parent or as otherwise required by Law,
voluntarily make any payment with respect to any demands for fair
value for shares of Company Common Stock or offer to settle or
settle any such demands.
4.
REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS
4.1
Representations, Warranties and
Agreements of the Company .
Except as set forth in the
disclosure letter dated the date hereof and delivered to Parent
prior to the execution of this Agreement (the “ Company
Disclosure Letter ”), Company represents and warrants to
each of Parent and Subsidiary as follows:
4.1.1
Organization, Good Standing, Capitalization .
(a)
The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and
in good standing under the laws of the State of Minnesota with all
requisite corporate power and authority to own, operate and lease
its properties, to carry on its business as now being
11
conducted, to
enter into this Agreement and, subject to the approval of the
Company’s shareholders in accordance with the MBCA, to
perform its obligations hereunder. The authorized and issued
capital stock of the Company as of the date hereof is as set forth
in the recitals of this Agreement; all capital stock of the Company
listed therein as authorized has been duly authorized, and all
capital stock of the Company listed therein as issued and
outstanding has been validly issued and is fully paid and
non-assessable, with no personal liability attaching to the
ownership thereof. As of the date hereof, there are no
outstanding rights, preemptive rights, stocks appreciation rights,
redemption rights, repurchase rights, arrangements, options,
warrants, conversion rights or agreements for the purchase or
acquisition from, or the sale or issuance by, the Company of any
shares of its capital stock of any class other than (a) Stock
Options to purchase 1,299,103 shares of the Company’s Common
Stock under the Company Option Plans, and (b) Warrants to purchase
150,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock at an exercise
price of $17.94 per share.
(b)
Each of the Company’s subsidiaries is a corporation duly
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of
its respective state of incorporation with all corporate power and
authority to own, operate and lease its properties and to carry on
its business as now being conducted. All of the issued and
outstanding shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the
Company are held (directly or indirectly) by the Company, and all
such shares have been validly issued and are fully paid and
non-assessable, with no personal liability attaching to the
ownership thereof. There are no outstanding rights,
preemptive rights, stocks appreciation rights, redemption rights,
repurchase rights, arrangements, options, warrants, conversion
rights or agreements for the purchase or acquisition from, or the
sale or issuance by, any subsidiary of the Company of any of its
capital stock. Throughout this Agreement, the term
“subsidiary” of any person means any other person of
which (i) such person or any subsidiary thereof is a general
partner, (ii) such person and/or one or more of its
subsidiaries holds voting power to elect a majority of the Board of
Directors or other body performing similar functions or
(iii) such person, directly or indirectly, owns or controls
50% or more of the stock or other equity interests of such other
person.
4.1.2
SEC Filings; Financial Statements . The Company has
timely filed all forms, reports, statements and documents required
to be filed with the SEC since July 29, 2005 (collectively, the
“ Company SEC Reports ”), each of which has
complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements
of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “
Securities Act ”) or the Exchange Act, and the rules
and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to the
Company SEC Reports, each as in effect on the date so filed.
The Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the
three fiscal years ended February 25, 2006, February 26, 2005 and
February 28, 2004 and the Company’s consolidated balance
sheets as of February 25, 2006 and February 26, 2005 and the
related notes to all of said financial statements and the
Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the six
months ended August 26, 2006 and the Company’s consolidated
balance sheet as of August 26, 2006 (the “ August 26, 2006
Balance Sheet ”) (in every case as presented in the
Company SEC Reports, collectively, the ” Financial
Statements ”), all of which have been heretofore made
available to Parent, are presented accordance with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles (“ GAAP ”)
applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered except
as specifically referred to in such financial statements. The
Company SEC Reports, including any financial statements
or
12
schedules
included in the Company SEC Reports, at the time filed (and,
in the case of registration statements and proxy statements, on the
dates of effectiveness and the dates of mailing, respectively, and,
in the case of any Company SEC Report amended or superseded by
a filing prior to the date of this Agreement, then on the date of
such amending or superseding filing) (i) did not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading, and (ii) complied in all
material respects with the applicable requirements of the Exchange
Act and the Securities Act, as the case may be. The financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included in the
Company SEC Reports (i) have been prepared from, and are
in accordance with, the books and records of the Company and
its subsidiaries, (ii) at the time filed (and, in the
case of registration statements and proxy statements, on the dates
of effectiveness and the dates of mailing, respectively, and, in
the case of any Company SEC Report amended or superseded by a
filing prior to the date of this Agreement, then on the date of
such amending or superseding filing) complied as to form in all
material respects with applicable accounting requirements and with
the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect
thereto, and (iii) fairly present in all material
respects (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal,
recurring audit adjustments) the consolidated financial position of
the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as at the dates
thereof and the consolidated results of their operations and cash
flows (and changes in financial position, if any) for the periods
then ended. The Company has received no written or oral
communication from the Company’s independent auditors
identifying any significant weakness or deficiency in its internal
controls. There have been no communications from its
independent auditors regarding any disagreement with the
Company’s accounting or financial reporting practices.
There are no liabilities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
of any kind whatsoever, whether or not accrued and whether or not
contingent or absolute, other than (i) liabilities disclosed in the
Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of August 26, 2006,
(ii) liabilities arising since August 26, 2006 under or pursuant to
the terms of the Company Benefit Plans and Material Contracts in
existence prior to the date hereof, (iii) liabilities incurred on
behalf of the Company in connection with this Agreement and the
contemplated Merger, (iv) liabilities incurred in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice since August 26,
2006, and (v) liabilities which would not reasonably be expected to
have a Company Material Adverse Effect.
For purposes of this Agreement, a
“ Material Adverse Effect ” means (A) in the
case of the Company (a “ Company Material Adverse
Effect ”), any effect (other than an effect directly or
indirectly resulting from or attributable to (i) changes
attributable to conditions affecting the retail industry and/or the
golf industry generally, (ii) changes in general economic
conditions, (iii) changes attributable to the announcement or
pendency of the Merger, (iv) any action approved in writing by
Parent, (v) any increase or decrease in the trading price or
trading volume of the Company Common Stock, (vi) commencement of a
new war or material escalation of current wars, armed hostilities
or terrorism directly or indirectly involving the United States, or
(vii) the departure of employees of the Company) that is both
material and adverse to the financial condition, results of
operations, business or prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as whole, or would materially impair the
ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement and (B) in the case of Parent (a
13
“ Parent Material Adverse
Effect ”), any effect (other than an effect directly or
indirectly resulting from or attributable to (i) changes
attributable to conditions affecting the retail industry and/or the
golf industry generally, (ii) changes in general economic
conditions, (iii) changes attributable to the announcement or
pendency of the Merger, (iv) any action approved in writing by the
Company, (v) any increase or decrease in the trading price or
trading volume of the Parent’s common stock, or (vi)
commencement of a new war or material escalation of current wars,
armed hostilities or terrorism directly or indirectly involving the
United States) that is both material and adverse to the financial
condition, results of operations, business or prospects of Parent
and its subsidiaries taken as whole, or would materially impair the
ability of Parent to consummate the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement.
4.1.3
Absence of Changes; No Material Change . Since August
26, 2006, and except as specifically contemplated by this Agreement
or as disclosed or reflected in the Company’s reports on Form
8-K as filed after August 26, 2006, the Company has conducted its
business in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice, has not entered into or amended any credit or loan
agreement or other long-term debt agreement and has not entered
into or amended any material contract as defined under Item 601 of
Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC. Since August 26, 2006
through the date of this Agreement, no event has occurred which
would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect.
4.1.4
Authority Relative to this Agreement, etc . The
Company has taken all necessary corporate action to approve this
Agreement and the Merger and the performance of its obligations
hereunder, except for the requisite shareholder approval. The
Company Financial Advisor has delivered to the Board of Directors
of the Company its written opinion, dated the date of this
Agreement, that, as of such date and based on and subject to the
assumptions, qualifications and limitations contained therein, the
Merger Consideration is fair, from a financial point of view, to
the shareholders of the Company. It is agreed and understood that
such opinion is for the benefit of the Company’s Board of
Directors and may not be relied on by Parent or Subsidiary.
The Company has made available to Parent a true and complete copy
of the engagement agreement dated April 10, 2006 between the
Company and the Company Financial Advisor and the Company has made
available, or promptly after the execution of this Agreement the
Company will make available, to Parent a copy of the written
opinion of the Company Financial Advisor. The engagement
agreement remains in full force and effect as of the date hereof
and has not been amended or otherwise modified.
4.1.5
Compliance with Other Instruments, etc . Subject to
requisite Company shareholder approval, except for the consents
referred to in Section 4.1.6, neither the execution nor delivery of
this Agreement by the Company nor the Company’s consummation
of the Merger and other transactions contemplated hereby will
require consent under, conflict with, result in any violation of,
or constitute a default under, (i) the Amended and Restated
Articles of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws of the
Company, as the same may be amended and restated, (ii) any
Material Contract (as defined below), or (iii) any judgment,
decree, order or material law or regulation of any governmental
agency or authority in the United States by which the Company or
any of its subsidiaries is bound, except with respect to clauses
(ii) and (iii) above, where the conflicts, violations or defaults,
individually or in the aggregate, are not material to the
Company.
14
4.1.6
Governmental and other Consents, etc . Subject to
requisite Company shareholder approval and any required filings
with the U.S. Department of Justice or the Federal Trade
Commission, including any necessary approvals under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (the “ HSR Act ”), no
material consent, approval or authorization of, or designation,
declaration or filing with, any court, tribunal, administrative
agency or commission or other governmental or regulatory agency or
authority or other public persons or entities in the United States
or a foreign country (a “ Governmental Entity ”)
on the part of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is required
in connection with the execution or delivery by the Company of this
Agreement or the consummation by the Company of the transactions
contemplated hereby, other than (i) filings in the State of
Minnesota in accordance with the MBCA and (ii) filings with
the SEC and NASDAQ.
4.1.7
No Misleading Statements . The Company’s
Registration Statement on Form S-1, No. 333-125007 (the “
Form S-1 ”) (including, but not limited to, any
financial statements or schedules included or incorporated by
reference therein) did not contain when filed any untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact
required to be stated or incorporated by reference therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
4.1.8
Compliance with Applicable Law; Permits .
(a)
The Company and its subsidiaries hold all permits, licenses,
variances, exemptions, orders and approvals of all Governmental
Entities necessary for the lawful conduct of their respective
businesses (the “ Company Permits ”), except for
failures to hold such Company Permits which, individually or in the
aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are
in compliance with the terms of the Company Permits, except where
any such failure to comply would not reasonably be expected to have
a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the
Company SEC Reports, the businesses of the Company and its
subsidiaries are not being conducted in violation of any law,
ordinance or regulation of any Governmental Entity, except for
possible violations which, individually or in the aggregate, would
not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect. As of the date of this Agreement, no investigation or
review by any Governmental Entity with respect to the Company or
its subsidiaries is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened, nor has any Governmental Entity indicated in writing an
intention to conduct the same, other than, in each case, those the
outcome of which would not reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect.
For the purposes of this Agreement,
“knowledge” or “known” means, with respect
to any matter in question, the actual knowledge of such matter by
(x) any officer of the Company that is listed on Section 4.1.8 of
the Company Disclosure Letter in the case of the Company or (y) the
current executive officers (as defined in Rule 3b-7 of the Exchange
Act) of the Parent, in the case of the Parent. Any such individual
will be deemed to have actual knowledge of a particular fact,
circumstance, event or other matter if (i) such fact,
circumstance, event or other matter is reflected in one or more
documents (whether written or electronic, including e-mails sent to
or by such individual) in, or that have been in, such
individual’s possession, including personal files
of
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such individual; or (ii) such
fact, circumstance, event or other matter is reflected in one or
more documents (whether written or electronic) contained in books
and records of the Company (in the case of knowledge of the
Company) or Parent (in the case of knowledge of Parent) that would
reasonably be expected to be reviewed by an individual who has the
duties and responsibilities of such individual in the customary
performance of such duties and responsibilities.
(b)
The Company and each of its officers and directors are in
compliance with, and since July 29, 2005 have complied, in all
material respects, with (A) the applicable provisions of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the related rules and regulations
promulgated under such Act (the “ Sarbanes-Oxley Act
”) or the Exchange Act and (B) the applicable listing and
corporate governance rules and regulations of NASDAQ. Each
Company SEC Report that was required to be accompanied by the
certifications required to be filed or submitted by the
Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial
officer pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was accompanied by such
certification and, at the time of filing or submission of each such
certification, to the knowledge of the Company, such certification
was true and accurate and complied with the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act.
4.1.9
Vote Required . The affirmative vote of the holders of
a majority of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock is the
only vote of the holders of any class or series of the
Company’s capital stock necessary to approve this Agreement
and the transactions contemplated hereby.
4.1.10
No Broker . 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 the
Company other than the Company Financial Advisor.
4.1.11
Litigation . There is not now pending, and to the
knowledge of the Company there is not threatened, nor to the
knowledge of the Company is there any reasonable basis (as defined
below) for, any litigation, action, suit or proceeding to which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is or will be a party in or
before or by any court or governmental or regulatory agency or
body, except for any litigation, action, suit or proceeding
(whether instituted, pending or threatened) involving claims which
in the aggregate would not reasonably be expected to have a Company
Material Adverse Effect. In addition, there is no judgment, decree,
injunction, rule or order of any court, governmental department,
commission, board, bureau, agency, instrumentality or arbitrator
outstanding against the Company or any of its subsidiaries which
would be reasonably expected to have a Company Material Adverse
Effect. For purpose of this Section 4.1.11, Section 4.1.16
and Section 4.1.22, “reasonable basis” means the
existence of any set of factual circumstances from which a
reasonable person would conclude that a claim, suit, investigation
or similar proceeding that is recognized under currently applicable
United States Law could properly be asserted or
commenced.
4.1.12
Changes in Capitalization . Since August 26, 2006, the
Company has not made any changes in the equity interest of the
Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock including, without
limitation, distributions to shareholders, issuances, exchanges or
cancellations of Company Common Stock, grants of options with
respect to Company Common
16
Stock under
existing stock option plans of the Company or adoption of new stock
options plans of the Company.
4.1.13
Employee Benefit Plans .
(a)
Section 4.1.13 of the Company Disclosure Letter lists (i) all
deferred compensation, pension, profit-sharing and retirement
plans, and all bonus, welfare, severance policies and programs and
other “employee benefit plans” (as defined in Section
3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended (“ ERISA ”)), fringe benefit or stock
option, stock ownership, stock appreciation, phantom stock or
equity (or equity-based) plans, including individual contracts,
severance agreements, employee agreements, consulting agreements
with individuals which either involve payment of in excess of
$50,000 per year or are not terminable by the Company on 30
days’ notice or less without the payment of amounts in
consideration of termination and (ii) all change of control
programs, agreements or arrangements, or employee retention
agreements, providing the same or similar benefits, whether or not
written, participated in or maintained by the Company or with
respect to which contributions are made or obligations assumed by
the Company in respect of the Company (including health, life
insurance and other benefit plans maintained for former employees
or retirees). Such plans or other arrangements are collectively
referred to herein as “ Company Benefit Plans .”
Copies of all Company Benefit Plans and related documents,
including those setting out the Company’s personnel policies
and procedures, and including any insurance contracts, trust
agreements or other arrangements under which benefits are provided,
as currently in effect, and descriptions of any such plan which are
not written have been made available for inspection by Parent. The
Company has also made available for inspection by Parent a copy of
the summary plan description, if any, for each Company Benefit
Plan, as well as copies of any other summaries or descriptions of
any such Company Benefit Plans which have been provided to
employees or other beneficiaries since January 1, 2001.
(b)
Each Company Benefit Plan is in compliance with, and has been
administered in all material respects consistent with, the
presently applicable material provisions of ERISA, the Code and
state law, including but not limited to the satisfaction of all
applicable reporting and disclosure requirements under the Code,
ERISA, state law and to the extent applicable, the requirements of
the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, the
Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, and the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended. The Company
has made all payments to, or in respect of, all Company Benefit
Plans as required by the terms of each such plan and no past
service funding liability exists thereunder. The Company has filed
or caused to be filed with the Internal Revenue Service annual
reports on Form 5500 for each Company Benefit Plan attributable to
them for all years and periods for which such reports were required
and within the time period required by ERISA and the Code, and
copies of such reports filed since January 1, 2001 have been made
available for inspection by Parent.
(c)
No “prohibited transaction,” as defined in Section 406
of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred in respect of
any such Company Benefit Plan, and no civil or criminal action
brought pursuant to Part 5 of Title I or ERISA is pending or, to
the
17
knowledge of the
Company, is threatened in writing or orally against any fiduciary
of any such plan.
(d)
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a letter for each employee
pension benefit plan, as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA, listed
in Section 4.1.13 of the Company Disclosure Letter, determining
that such plan is a qualified plan under Section 401(a) of the Code
and is exempt from United States federal income tax under Section
501(a) of the Code, and the Company has no knowledge of any
occurrence since the date of any such determination letter which
has adversely affected such qualification. The Company does not
maintain a plan or arrangement intended to qualify under Section
501(c)(9) of the Code.
(e)
Neither the Company nor any entity that is treated as a single
employer with the Company pursuant to Section 414(b), (c), (m) or
(o) of the Code (“ Company ERISA Affiliate
”) currently maintains, contributes to or has any liability
with respect to any employee benefit plan that is subject to Title
IV of ERISA, nor has previously maintained or contributed to any
such plan that has resulted in any liability or potential liability
for the Company under said Title IV.
(f)
The Company does not maintain any Company Benefit Plan that
provides post-retirement medical benefits (other than benefits
which are required by Law), post-employment benefits, death
benefits or other post-retirement welfare benefits. With respect to
any “welfare benefit plan” of the Company (as defined
in Section 3(1) of ERISA) that is self-insured, the aggregate
amount of all claims made pursuant to any such plan that have not
yet been paid is set forth in the Company Disclosure Letter,
together with each individual claim which could result in an
uninsured liability in excess of $150,000 per participant or
covered dependent.
(g)
Neither the Company nor any Company ERISA Affiliate maintains, nor
has contributed since January 1, 2001 to any multiemployer plan
within the meaning of Sections 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA. No
such employer currently has any liability to make withdrawal
liability payments to any multiemployer plan. There is no pending
dispute between any such employer and any multiemployer plan
concerning payment of contributions or payment of withdrawal
liability payments.
(h)
All Company Benefit Plans have been operated and administered in
accordance with their respective terms in all material respects and
no inconsistent representation or interpretation has been made to
any plan participant.
(i)
No Company Benefit Plan maintained by the Company covers or
otherwise benefits any individuals other than current or former
employees of the Company and its subsidiaries (and their dependents
and beneficiaries).
(j)
Each Company Benefit Plan may be amended and terminated in
accordance with its terms, and, each such plan provides for the
unrestricted right of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company
(as applicable) to amend or terminate such Plan.
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(k)
The Company and its subsidiaries have no material liability for,
under, with respect to or otherwise in connection with any employee
benefit plan, which liability arises under ERISA or the Code, by
virtue of the Company or any subsidiary being aggregated, with any
other person that is a Company ERISA Affiliate, in a controlled
group or affiliated service group for purposes of ERISA or the
Code.
(l)
Neither the
execution and delive
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