AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

Exhibit 2.1

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

by and among

THE GREAT ATLANTIC & PACIFIC TEA COMPANY, INC.

and

SAND MERGER CORP.

and

PATHMARK STORES, INC.

Dated as of March 4, 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

          THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER is made and entered into and effective as of March 4, 2007, by and among THE GREAT ATLANTIC & PACIFIC TEA COMPANY, INC., a Maryland corporation (" Parent "), SAND MERGER CORP., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent (" Merger Sub "), and PATHMARK STORES, INC., a Delaware corporation (the " Company "). Capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings given to such terms in Article I.

RECITALS

          WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of each of Parent, Merger Sub and the Company has approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company (the " Merger ") upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, whereby, among other things, each issued and outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the " Company Common Stock ") not owned by Parent, Merger Sub or the Company will be converted into the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration;

          WHEREAS, simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) Parent and Yucaipa are entering into the Yucaipa Voting Agreement, the Yucaipa Stockholder Agreement and the Yucaipa Warrant Agreement and (ii) the Company and Tengelmann are entering into the Tengelmann Voting Agreement; and

          WHEREAS, Parent, Merger Sub and the Company desire to make certain representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in connection with the Merger and also to prescribe various conditions to the Merger.

          NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the adequacy and receipt of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

          SECTION 1.1 Definitions . For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings assigned to them in this Section 1.1:

          " 13D Group " means any group of Persons formed for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of Voting Stock of another Person that would be required under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act (as in effect on, and based on legal interpretations thereof existing on, the date hereof), to file a statement on Schedule 13D with the SEC as a "person" within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act if such group beneficially owned Voting Stock representing more than 5% of any class of Voting Stock of such other Person then outstanding.

          " 2000 Warrant Agreement " means the Warrant Agreement dated as of September 19, 2000 between the Company and ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, LLC.

          " 2000 Warrants " means the warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the 2000 Warrant Agreement.

          " 2005 Warrant Agreement " means the Warrant Agreement dated as of June 9, 2005 among the Company, Yucaipa and the other parties thereto.

          " 2005 Warrants " means the warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the 2005 Warrant Agreement.

          " Action " means any action, cause of action, claim, prosecution, investigation, suit, litigation, grievance, arbitration or other proceeding, whether civil, criminal or administrative, at Law or in equity, by or before any Governmental Entity.

          " 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 " means this Agreement and Plan of Merger, as the same may be amended or supplemented.

          " Allocated Amount " for each Facility specified in Section 1.1(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter or Section 1.1(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter means the amount set forth next to such Facility in Section 1.1(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter or Section 1.1(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, as the case may be.

          " Ancillary Agreements " means the Tengelmann Voting Agreement, the Yucaipa Stockholder Agreement, the Yucaipa Voting Agreement and the Yucaipa Warrant Agreement.

          " Antitrust Law " means the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, as amended, the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended, the HSR Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914, as amended, and all other applicable competition, merger control, antitrust, trade regulation or similar transnational, national, federal or state, domestic or foreign Laws, and other Laws and administrative and judicial doctrines that are designed or intended to prohibit, restrict or regulate actions having the purpose or effect of monopolization or restraint of trade or lessening of competition through merger or acquisition.

          " Antitrust Termination Determination " means that the Board of Directors of Parent shall have determined in good faith, after consultation with its outside counsel, that it is reasonably likely that Parent, Merger Sub and/or the Company (in the aggregate) would be required to divest, sell, transfer and/or otherwise dispose of stores, businesses or other assets of Parent and/or the Company or of any of their Subsidiaries with aggregated Allocated Amounts in excess of the Threshold Amount in order to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

          " Business Day " means any day, other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which the banks or national securities exchanges located in New York, New York shall be authorized or required by Law to close.

          " Charter " means the Parent’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended.

          " Company Budgets " means, collectively, the Pathmark Stores, Inc. 2007 Annual Operating Plan, the Pathmark Stores, Inc. 2007 Capital Plan and the Pathmark Stores, Inc. 2008 and 2009 Long Range Plan, in each case as set forth in Section 1.1 (b) of the Company Disclosure Letter.

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          " Company Credit Agreement " means the Credit Agreement dated as of October 1, 2004 among the Company, as borrower, Banc of America Securities LLC, as arranger, Fleet Retail Group, Inc., as administrative agent and collateral agent, GMAC Commercial Finance LLC and General Electric Capital Corporation, as co-documentation agents, the CIT Group/Business Credit, Inc., as syndication agent, and the other agents and lenders parties thereto (including any guarantees, collateral documents, instruments and agreements executed in connection therewith, and any amendments, supplements or modifications thereto not prohibited by Section 6.1(d)).

          " Company Disclosure Letter " means the disclosure letter of the Company referred to in Article IV.

          " Company Material Adverse Effect " means any change, event or circumstance that, individually or in the aggregate with all other changes, events and circumstances, has a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise), assets or liabilities of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than any change, event or circumstance arising out of: (i) general economic, legal, regulatory or political conditions in the United States of America or geographic regions in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate, except to the extent that the Company or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (ii) conditions generally affecting the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate, except to the extent that the Company or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (iii) the announcement or pendency of the Merger or the entry into this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements; (iv) any decrease in the market price of the Company Common Stock in and of itself (but not any change, event or circumstance that may be underlying such decrease to the extent that such change, event or circumstance would otherwise constitute a Company Material Adverse Effect); (v) any changes in the securities markets generally, except to the extent that the Company or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (vi) the commencement or escalation of a war or armed hostilities or the occurrence of acts of terrorism or sabotage, except to the extent that the Company or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (vii) earthquakes, hurricanes or other natural disasters, except to the extent that the Company or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (viii) compliance with the requirements of changes in Law or GAAP or any interpretation thereof; (ix) (A) proposing, negotiating, committing to or effecting, by consent decree, hold separate order or otherwise, the sale, transfer, divestiture or disposition of stores, businesses or other assets arising from the parties’ compliance with their obligations under Section 6.6, (B) otherwise taking or committing to take actions that limit or would limit Parent’s, Merger Sub’s or its Subsidiaries’ (including, after the Effective Time, the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ as Subsidiaries of Parent) freedom of action with respect to, or their ability to retain, one or more of their respective stores, businesses, product lines or assets arising from the parties’ compliance with their obligations under Section 6.6, or (C) the application of Antitrust Laws (including any Action or Judgment arising under Antitrust Laws) to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements; or (x) (A) as a result of the Company’s entry into, and as permitted by, this Agreement, the payment of any amounts due to, or the provision of any other benefits (including benefits relating to acceleration of stock options) to, any officers or employees under the employment contracts, non-competition agreements, employee benefit plans, severance arrangements or other arrangements set forth in Section 1.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter (except to the extent that payments under such contracts, agreements, plans or arrangements solely for retention exceed the estimated retention payments set forth in Section 1.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter) or (B) the incurrence by the Company of out-of-pocket fees and expenses (including legal, accounting, investment banking and other fees and expenses) in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (except to the extent that fees and expenses for legal, accounting and other exceed the estimated amount, or with respect to investment banking and financial advisory fees the specified amount, set forth in Section 1.1(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter).

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          " Company Plans " means all employee benefit plans (as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (" ERISA ")) and all bonus, incentive, stock option, stock purchase, restricted stock, phantom stock or other stock-based compensation, deferred compensation, medical, life insurance, disability, fringe benefit, supplemental executive retirement, severance or other benefit plans, programs, policies, practices, trusts or arrangements, and all employment, termination, severance, change in control, compensation or other Contracts or agreements, to which the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates is a party, or which are sponsored, maintained or contributed to by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates or as to which the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates has any liability and any material Contracts, arrangements, agreements, policies, practices or understandings between the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates and any current or former employee, director or consultant of the Company or of any of its Subsidiaries, including any Contracts, arrangements or understandings relating to a change in control of the Company; provided , however , that the term "Company Plans" shall exclude any plan that is a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

          " Company Proposal " means any inquiry, proposal or offer from any Third Party or 13D Group relating to (i) any direct or indirect acquisition or purchase, in a single transaction or a series of transactions, of (A) 20% or more (based on the fair market value thereof, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company) of the assets (including capital stock of the Subsidiaries of the Company) of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (other than sales of inventory in the ordinary course and other than inquiries, proposals and offers to acquire or purchase assets in connection with the parties’ obligations under Section 6.6(e)), or (B) 20% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company Common Stock; (ii) any tender offer or exchange offer that, if consummated, would result in any Third Party or 13D Group owning, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of the outstanding shares of the Company Common Stock; or (iii) any merger, consolidation, business combination, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, binding share exchange or similar transaction involving the Company pursuant to which any Third Party (or the shareholders of any Third Party) or 13D Group would own, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of any class of equity securities of the Company or of the surviving entity in a merger or the resulting direct or indirect parent of the Company or such surviving entity, other than, in each case, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

          " Company SEC Reports " means the forms and reports filed by the Company with the SEC since January 31, 2004.

          " Company Stock Plans " means the Amended and Restated 2000 Employee Equity Plan, the Amended and Restated 2000 Non-Employee Directors’ Equity Plan, the Stock Option Award Agreements between the Company and John Standley and Kenneth Martindale, and the Restricted Stock Award Agreements between the Company and John Standley and Kenneth Martindale.

          " Confidentiality Agreement " means the letter agreement between the Company and Parent dated December 20, 2006.

          " Contract " means any contract, agreement, commitment, lease, purchase order, license, mortgage, indenture, note, bond, concession agreement, franchise agreement or other instrument, including all amendments thereto.

          " Copyrights " means all rights in a work of authorship and all copyrights (including all registrations and applications to register the same).

          " Electronic Data Room " means the DataSite electronic data room maintained by the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agree-

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ments and to which Parent and Merger Sub have been given access, as such data room was constituted immediately prior to the execution of this Agreement.

          " Encumbrance " means any lien, encumbrance, security interest, pledge, mortgage, hypothecation, charge, restriction on transfer of title, adverse claim, title retention agreement of any nature or kind, or other encumbrance, except for any restrictions arising under any applicable securities Laws.

          " Environment " means ambient air, indoor air, surface water, groundwater and surface and subsurface strata and natural resources such as wetlands, flora and fauna.

          " Environmental Law " means any Law and the common law relating to (i) pollution or the protection of the Environment, (ii) the protection of human health and safety as it pertains to Hazardous Materials, or (iii) the generation, handling, use, presence, treatment, transport, storage, disposal or Release of any Hazardous Materials.

          " ERISA Affiliate " means any trade or business, whether or not incorporated, which together with the Company or Parent, as applicable, would be deemed a "single employer" within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c) or (m) of the Code or Section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA.

          " Exchange Act " means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

          " Executive Officer " means any individual who would be required to be identified as a "named executive officer" in any proxy statement filed by the Company with the SEC.

          " Existing Notes " means the Company’s 8¾% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2012 outstanding on the date hereof.

          " Existing Stockholders’ Agreement " means the Amended and Restated Stockholders’ Agreement dated as of November 30, 2005 among the Company and Yucaipa.

          " Facilities " means any store, office, plant or warehouse owned or leased by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries and/or by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

          " GAAP " means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in effect from time to time.

          " Governmental Entity " means any domestic or foreign, transnational, national, federal, state, municipal or local government, or any other domestic or foreign governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, or any agency, board, department, commission, court, tribunal or instrumentality thereof.

          " Hazardous Materials " means any pollutant, contaminant, waste, chemical, compound, substance or material, including any petroleum or petroleum product or by-product, asbestos-containing material, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, or mold, regulated under any Environmental Law.

          " HSR Act " means the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

          " Indebtedness " means, with respect to any Person, without duplication: (i) (A) indebtedness for borrowed money, (B) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or

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similar instruments, (C) all obligations of such Person under interest rate or currency hedging transactions (valued at the termination value thereof), (D) all letters of credit issued for the account of such Person and (E) obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of real property or personal property, which obligations are required to be classified as capital leases in accordance with GAAP; (ii) indebtedness for borrowed money of any other Person guaranteed, directly or indirectly, in any manner by such Person; and (iii) indebtedness of the type described in clause (i) above secured by any Encumbrance upon property owned by such Person, even though such Person has not in any manner become liable for the payment of such indebtedness; provided , however , that Indebtedness shall not be deemed to include (A) any accounts payable or trade payables incurred in the ordinary course of business of such Person, or (B) any intercompany indebtedness between any Person and any wholly owned Subsidiary of such Person or between any wholly owned Subsidiaries of such Person.

          " Initiation Date " means the date the Joint Proxy Statement is first mailed to the Company’s stockholders and Parent’s stockholders.

          " Intellectual Property " means all Trademarks, Patents, Copyrights, Trade Secrets, service marks, service mark rights, computer programs, moral rights and the benefits of any waivers of moral rights and any other proprietary intellectual property rights.

          " Judgment " means any applicable judgment, order or decree of any Governmental Entity.

          " Labor Laws " means any applicable Law relating to employment standards, employee rights, health and safety, labor relations, workplace safety and insurance and/or pay equity.

          " Law " means any applicable statute, code, rule, regulation, ordinance, Judgment, or other pronouncement of any Governmental Entity having the effect of law.

          " Marketing Period " means the first period of 20 consecutive calendar days after the Initiation Date (i) throughout and at the end of which (A) Parent and its financing sources shall have the Required Information and (B) nothing has occurred and no condition exists that would cause any of the conditions set forth in Sections 7.1(b), 7.1(d), 7.2(a) and 7.2(b) to fail to be satisfied assuming the Closing were to be scheduled for any time during such 20-consecutive-calendar-day period, and (ii) at the end of which the other conditions set forth in Sections 7.1 and 7.2 shall be satisfied (other than those conditions that by their terms are to be satisfied at the Closing); provided that (v) the Marketing Period shall end no earlier than five Business Days after the later to occur of (A) the date the Company Stockholder Approval is obtained and (B) the date the Parent Stockholder Approval is obtained; (w) the Marketing Period shall end on any earlier date that is the date on which the Financing is consummated; (x) for purposes of calculating such 20-consecutive-calendar-day period, the periods from and including August 17 through and including September 3, 2007 and from and including December 21, 2007 through and including January 1, 2008 shall not be counted or taken into account; (y) the Marketing Period shall not be deemed to have commenced if, prior to the completion of the Marketing Period, (A) the Company’s independent registered accounting firm shall have withdrawn its audit opinion with respect to any financial statements contained in the Required Information, in which case the Marketing Period will not be deemed to commence, at the earliest, unless and until a new unqualified audit opinion is issued with respect to the consolidated financial statements for the applicable periods by the Company’s independent registered accounting firm or another independent registered accounting firm reasonably acceptable to Parent, (B) the Company shall have publicly announced any intention to restate any of its financial information, in which case the Marketing Period will not be deemed to commence, at the earliest, unless and until such restatement has been completed and the Company SEC Reports have been amended or the Company has announced that it has concluded that no restatement shall be required in accordance with GAAP or (C) the Company shall have failed to file any Form 10-K or Form 10-Q with the SEC by the date required under

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the Exchange Act, in which case the Marketing Period will not be deemed to commence, at the earliest, unless and until all such reports have been filed; and (z) if the financial statements included in the Required Information that is available to Parent on the first day of any such 20-consecutive-calendar-day period would not be sufficiently current on any day during such 20-consecutive-calendar-day period to permit (i) if the Financing is being effected pursuant to a public offering, a registration statement using such financial statements to be declared effective by the SEC on the last day of the 20-consecutive-calendar-day period or (ii) the Company’s independent registered accounting firm to issue a customary comfort letter to purchasers (in accordance with its normal practices and procedures) on the last day of the 20-consecutive-calendar-day period, then a new 20-consecutive-calendar-day period shall commence upon Parent receiving updated Required Information that would be sufficiently current to permit the actions described in (i) if applicable, and (ii) on the last day of such 20-consecutive-calendar-day period.

          " NYSE " means the New York Stock Exchange.

          " Parent Common Stock " means the common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of Parent.

          " Parent Disclosure Letter " means the disclosure letter of Parent and Merger Sub referred to in Article V.

          " Parent Material Adverse Effect " means any change, event or circumstance that, individually or in the aggregate with all other changes, events and circumstances, has a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise), assets or liabilities of Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than any change, event or circumstance arising out of: (i) general economic, legal, regulatory or political conditions in the United States of America or geographic regions in which Parent and its Subsidiaries operate, except to the extent that Parent or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (ii) conditions generally affecting the industries in which Parent and its Subsidiaries operate, except to the extent that Parent or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (iii) the announcement or pendency of the Merger or the entry into this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements; (iv) any decrease in the market price of the Parent Common Stock in and of itself (but not any change, event or circumstance that may be underlying such decrease to the extent that such change, event or circumstance would otherwise constitute a Parent Material Adverse Effect); (v) any changes in the securities markets generally, except to the extent that Parent or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (vi) the commencement or escalation of a war or armed hostilities or the occurrence of acts of terrorism or sabotage, except to the extent that Parent or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (vii) earthquakes, hurricanes or other natural disasters, except to the extent that Parent or its Subsidiaries are disproportionately affected thereby; (viii) compliance with the requirements of changes in Law or GAAP or any interpretation thereof; (ix) sales of Facilities (or agreements or plans to sell Facilities) that arise from the parties’ compliance with their obligations under Section 6.6; or (x) any Action brought by any Governmental Entity under any Antitrust Law relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements.

          " Parent Plans " means all employee benefit plans (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) and all bonus, incentive, stock option, stock purchase, restricted stock, phantom stock or other stock-based compensation, deferred compensation, medical, life insurance, disability, fringe benefit, supplemental executive retirement, severance or other benefit plans, programs, policies, practices, trusts or arrangements, and all employment, termination, severance, change in control, compensation or other Contracts or agreements, to which Parent or any of its ERISA Affiliates is a party, or which are sponsored, maintained or contributed to by Parent or any of its ERISA Affiliates or as to which Parent or any of its ERISA Affiliates has any liability and any material Contracts, arrangements, agreements, policies, practices or understandings between Parent or any of its ERISA Affiliates and any current or former employee, director or consultant of Parent or of any of its Subsidiaries, including any Contracts, arrange-

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ments or understandings relating to a change in control of Parent; provided , however , that the term "Parent Plans" shall exclude any plan that is a multiemployer plan as defined in Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

          " Parent SEC Reports " means the forms, reports and documents (including all exhibits) filed by Parent with the SEC since February 28, 2004.

          " Patents " means all patents, patent rights and patent applications, including divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, reissues, re-examinations, and all extensions thereof.

          " Permits " means, collectively, all applicable consents, approvals, permits, orders, authorizations, licenses and registrations from Governmental Entities.

          " Permitted Encumbrance " means: (i) mechanics’, carriers’, workers’, repairers’, materialmen’s, warehousemen’s, construction and other Encumbrances arising or incurred in the ordinary course of business and not yet due and payable or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; (ii) Encumbrances for Taxes, utilities and other governmental charges that, in each case, are not yet due or payable, are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or may thereafter be paid without giving rise to any material penalty or material additional cost or liability; (iii) matters of record or registered Encumbrances affecting title to any owned or leased real property of a Person and its Subsidiaries; (iv) requirements and restrictions of zoning, building and other applicable Laws and municipal by-laws, and development, site plan, subdivision or other agreements with municipalities that do not individually or in the aggregate materially and adversely affect the use of the owned or leased Real Property of a Person and its Subsidiaries affected thereby as currently used in the business of such Person and its Subsidiaries; (v) statutory Encumbrances of landlords for amounts not yet due and payable; (vi) Encumbrances arising under conditional sales Contracts and equipment leases with third parties entered into in the ordinary course of business generally consistent with past practice; (vii) defects, irregularities or imperfections of title and other Encumbrances which, individually or in the aggregate, do not materially impair the continued use (in a manner generally consistent with current use in the business of the Person and its Subsidiaries) of the asset or property to which they relate; and (viii) (A) with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries, Encumbrances arising under the Company Credit Agreement and (B) with respect to Parent and its Subsidiaries, Encumbrances arising under any credit agreement existing as of the date hereof.

          " Person " means an association, a corporation, an individual, a partnership, a limited partnership, a limited liability company, an unlimited liability company, a trust or any other entity or organization, including a Governmental Entity.

          " Preemptive Rights Charter Amendment " means an amendment to the preemptive right of stockholders of Parent set forth in Article 7 of Parent’s Charter, which amendment specifically exempts the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements from the application of Article 7 but otherwise does not alter such preemptive rights; provided that no such amendment shall be necessary if Article 7 has been previously eliminated from Parent’s Charter.

          " Registered Intellectual Property " means all (i) registered trademarks and service marks and applications therefor, (ii) registered copyrights and applications therefor, (iii) issued patents and patent applications and (iv) domain names, in each case, that are owned by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and are material to the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

          " Release " means any spilling, leaking, pumping, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, migrating, dumping or disposing of Hazardous Materials (including the aban-

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donment or discarding of barrels, containers or other closed receptacles containing Hazardous Materials) into or through the Environment or into or out of any real property, including the movement of Hazardous Materials through or in the air, soil, surface water, groundwater or property.

          " Representatives " means the directors, officers, employees, agents, investment bankers, financing sources (with respect to Parent and Merger Sub only), attorneys, accountants and advisors of either Parent and Merger Sub, on the one hand, or the Company, on the other hand, as the context requires. Yucaipa and its controlled and controlling Affiliates shall be deemed to be Representatives of the Company, and Tengelmann and its controlled and controlling Affiliates shall be deemed to be Representatives of Parent and Merger Sub.

          " SEC " means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

          " Securities Act " means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

          " SOX " means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

          " Subsidiary " of any Person means, on any date, any Person (i) the accounts of which would be consolidated with and into those of the applicable Person in such Person’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP or (ii) of which (A) securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or (B) more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests, as of such date, are owned, controlled or held by the applicable Person or one or more Subsidiaries of such Person.

          " Superior Proposal " means any bona fide Company Proposal ( provided that the applicable percentages in the definition of "Company Proposal" shall be 50% as opposed to 20%) which the Board of Directors of the Company determines in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisors and outside counsel) (i) is reasonably likely to be consummated taking into the account the Third Party or 13D Group making such Company Proposal and all financial, legal, regulatory and other aspects of such Company Proposal and (ii) would, if consummated, reasonably be expected to result in a transaction that is more favorable to the stockholders of the Company than the Merger, taking into account all financial, legal, regulatory and other aspects of such Company Proposal and of this Agreement.

          " Tax " means any foreign, federal, state or local income, sales and use, excise, franchise, real and personal property, gross receipt, capital stock, production, business and occupation, disability, estimated, employment, payroll, severance or withholding tax or other tax, duty, fee, impost, levy, assessment or charge imposed by any taxing authority, and any interest or penalties and other additions to tax related thereto.

          " Tax Returns " means any return, report, declaration, information return or other document required to be filed with any Tax authority with respect to Taxes, including any amendments thereof.

          " Tengelmann " means Tengelmann Warenhandelsgesellschaft KG.

          " Tengelmann Voting Agreement " means the Stockholder Voting Agreement between the Company and Tengelmann dated as of the date of this Agreement.

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          " Third Party " means any Person other than Parent, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates.

          " Threshold Amount " means $36.0 million.

          " Trade Secrets " means all proprietary, confidential information, formulas, processes, data, know-how, devices or compilations of information used in a business that confer a competitive advantage over those in similar businesses who do not possess them or know how to use them.

          " Trademarks " means all trademarks, trademark rights, trade names, trade name rights, brands, logos, trade dress, business names and Internet domain names, together with the goodwill associated with any of the foregoing, all registrations and applications for registration of the foregoing.

          " Trading Day " means (i) for so long as Parent Common Stock is listed or admitted for trading on the NYSE or another national securities exchange, a day on which the NYSE or such other national securities exchange is open for business and trading in Parent Common Stock is not suspended or restricted or (ii) if Parent Common Stock ceases to be so listed, any day other than a Saturday or Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by Law or executive order to close.

          " Transfer Taxes " means any sales, use, stock transfer, real property transfer, real property gains, stamp, documentary or similar taxes together with any interest or other additions to tax related thereto.

          " Voting Stock " of any Person means securities having the right to vote generally in any election of directors or comparable governing Persons of such Person or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for any securities having such right.

          " Yucaipa " means, collectively, Yucaipa Corporate Initiatives Fund I, L.P., Yucaipa American Alliance Fund I, L.P. and Yucaipa American Alliance (Parallel) Fund I, L.P.

          " Yucaipa Stockholder Agreement " means the Yucaipa Stockholder Agreement between Parent and Yucaipa dated as of the date of this Agreement and effective as of the Effective Time.

          " Yucaipa Voting Agreement " means the Stockholder Voting Agreement between Parent and Yucaipa dated as of the date of this Agreement.

          " Yucaipa Warrant Agreement " means the Amended and Restated Warrant Agreement between Parent and Yucaipa dated as of the date of this Agreement and effective as of the Effective Time.

          SECTION 1.2 Additional Definitions . For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings assigned to them in the identified Section:

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ARTICLE II

THE MERGER

          SECTION 2.1 The Merger . Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, and in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the " DGCL "), Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company at the Effective Time. At the Effective Time, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub shall cease, and the Company shall continue as the surviving corporation in the Merger (the " Surviving Corporation ") and shall succeed to and assume all the rights and obligations of Merger Sub in accordance with the DGCL. The Merger otherwise shall have the effects set forth in Section 3.1 and in the DGCL.

          SECTION 2.2 The Closing . The closing of the Merger (the " Closing ") will take place at 10:00 a.m. on a date to be specified by the parties which shall be no later than the second Business Day after satisfaction or, to the extent permitted by Law, waiver of the conditions set forth in Article VII (other than those conditions that by their terms are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of those conditions), at the offices of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, 80 Pine Street, New York, New York 10005, unless another date or place is agreed to in writing by the parties hereto; provided , however , that, if the Marketing Period has not ended at the time of the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article VII (excluding conditions that cannot be satisfied until the Closing but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of such conditions at the Closing), the Closing shall occur on the earlier of (a) a date during the Marketing Period specified by Parent on no less than two Business Days’ notice to the Company and (b) the final day of the Marketing Period (subject in each case to the satisfaction or waiver of all the conditions set forth in Article VII as of the date determined pursuant to this proviso); provided , further , that this Agreement may be terminated pursuant to and in accordance with Section 8.1 hereof, regardless of whether the final day of the Marketing Period shall have occurred before such termination. The date upon which the Closing shall occur is referred to herein as the " Closing Date ."

          SECTION 2.3 Effective Time . Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, on the Closing Date or as soon as practicable thereafter the Company, Parent and Merger Sub shall file the certificate of merger (the " Certificate of Merger ") executed in accordance with the relevant provisions of the DGCL, and shall make all other filings or recordings required under the DGCL. The Merger shall become effective at such time as the Certificate of Merger is duly filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware, if filed on the Closing Date or at such other time as Parent, Merger Sub and the Company shall agree and shall specify in the Certificate of Merger (the time the Merger becomes effective, being referred to herein as the " Effective Time ").

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          SECTION 2.4 Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws . At the Effective Time,

•       (a) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter changed or amended as provided therein or by applicable Law; and

        (b) the By-Laws of the Company as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the By-Laws of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter changed or amended as provided by the Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation, such By-Laws or applicable Law.

          SECTION 2.5 New Director of Parent . At the Effective Time, the individual named in Section 2.5 of the Company Disclosure Letter shall be appointed to the Board of Directors of Parent (which Board shall, if necessary, be increased in size in connection with such appointment) to hold office, subject to the applicable provisions of the Charter and By-Laws of Parent, until such director’s death, resignation or removal or until such director’s successor is duly elected and qualified, as the case may be; provided , however , if such individual is employed by or a director of a competitor of Parent as of the Effective Time, then such individual shall not be appointed to the Board of Directors of Parent and instead one independent director serving on the Board of Directors of the Company as of the date of this Agreement, nominated by the Board of Directors of the Company (other than any Representative of Yucaipa or any nominee designated by Yucaipa or any of its Representatives) and determined by the independent directors of the Board of Directors of Parent to be independent within the meaning of Parent’s Corporate Governance Guidelines (as located on the date of this Agreement at Parent’s website), shall be appointed to the Board of Directors of Parent to hold office, subject to the applicable provisions of the Charter and By-Laws of Parent, until such director’s death, resignation or removal or until such director’s successor is duly elected and qualified, as the case may be.

          SECTION 2.6 Directors . Immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall cause the members of the Company’s Board of Directors to resign from their positions as such. The directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the directors of the Surviving Corporation, each of such directors to hold office, subject to the applicable provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Surviving Corporation, until such director’s death, resignation or removal or until such director’s successor is duly elected and qualified, as the case may be.

          SECTION 2.7 Officers . The officers of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the officers of the Surviving Corporation, each of such officers to hold office, subject to the applicable provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Surviving Corporation, until such officer’s death, resignation or removal or until such officer’s successor is duly elected and qualified, as the case may be.

ARTICLE III

EFFECT OF THE MERGER ON THE CAPITAL STOCK OF THE CONSTITUENT CORPORATIONS

          SECTION 3.1 Effect on Capital Stock . At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of the holder of any shares of Company Common Stock or any shares of capital stock of Merger Sub:

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          (a) Common Stock of Merger Sub . Each issued and outstanding share of common stock of Merger Sub shall be converted into and become one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Surviving Corporation with the same rights, powers and privileges as the shares so converted and shall constitute the only outstanding shares of capital stock of the Surviving Corporation.

          (b) Cancellation of Treasury Stock . Each share of Company Common Stock owned by the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, Parent or any Subsidiary of Parent shall automatically be canceled and retired and shall cease to exist and no payment shall be made with respect thereto.

          (c) Conversion of Company Common Stock . Except as otherwise provided in Sections 3.1(d) and 3.2(d) and other than shares to be canceled in accordance with Section 3.1(b), each share of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into the right to receive without interest 0.12963 of a validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of Parent Common Stock (the " Per Share Stock Consideration ") and $9.00 in cash (the " Per Share Cash Consideration " and, together with the Per Share Stock Consideration and any cash paid in lieu of fractional shares of Parent Common Stock as contemplated by Section 3.2(d), the " Per Share Merger Consideration "; the aggregate Per Share Cash Consideration and the aggregate Per Share Stock Consideration into which all shares of Company Common Stock may be converted pursuant to this Section 3.1 is referred to herein as the " Aggregate Merger Consideration "). At the Effective Time, all shares of Company Common Stock converted into the Per Share Merger Consideration pursuant to this Article III shall automatically be canceled, cease to exist and no longer be outstanding, and each holder of a certificate that immediately prior to the Effective Time represented any such shares of Company Common Stock shall cease to have any rights with respect thereto, except the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration upon the surrender of such certificate in accordance with Section 3.2(b) and in each case without interest.

          (d) Dissenters’ Rights . Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, shares of Company Common Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time and that are held by any Person who is entitled to demand and properly demands appraisal of such shares pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL (the " Dissenters’ Rights Statute ") who did not vote in favor of the Merger or consent thereto in writing and who complies in all other respects with the Dissenters’ Rights Statute (such shares, " Dissent Shares ") shall not be converted into the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration as provided in Section 3.1(c), but the holders of Dissent Shares shall instead be entitled to receive payment of the fair value of such Dissent Shares in accordance with the Dissenters’ Rights Statute; provided , however , that if any such holder shall fail to perfect or otherwise shall validly waive, withdraw or lose the right to receive payment of the fair value of such Dissent Shares under the Dissenters’ Rights Statute, then the right of such holder to be paid the fair value of such holder’s Dissent Shares shall cease and such Dissent Shares shall be deemed to have been converted at the Effective Time into, and to have become exchangeable solely for, the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration, without interest, as provided in Section 3.1(c). At the Effective Time, all Dissent Shares shall automatically be canceled, cease to exist and no longer be outstanding, and each holder of a certificate that immediately prior to the Effective Time represented any Dissent Shares shall cease to have any rights with respect thereto, except the right to receive either payment of the fair value of such Dissent Shares in accordance with the Dissenters’ Rights Statute or the Per Share Merger Consideration, as the case may be, upon the surrender of such certificate in accordance with Section 3.2(b) (without interest). The Company shall give prompt notice to Parent of any written demands and any other instruments served pursuant to the Dissenters’ Rights Statute received by

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• the Company relating to rights of appraisal under the Dissenters’ Rights Statute, and Parent shall have the right to control all negotiations and proceedings with respect to such demands. Except with the prior written consent of Parent, the Company shall not make any payment with respect to, or offer to settle or settle, any such demands or agree to do any of the foregoing. Each holder of Dissent Shares who becomes entitled to payment for such shares pursuant to the Dissenters’ Rights Statute shall receive payment therefor from the Surviving Corporation in accordance with the Dissenters’ Rights Statute.

          SECTION 3.2 Payment to Company Stockholders .

          (a) The Company shall appoint American Stock Transfer and Trust Company to be the Company’s exchange agent (the " Exchange Agent ") for the purpose of exchanging the Per Share Merger Consideration for certificates formerly representing Company Common Stock. Immediately prior to the Effective Time, Parent shall deposit with the Exchange Agent cash and Parent Common Stock in an amount equal to the Aggregate Merger Consideration to be paid in respect of all shares of Company Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Merger and authorize the Exchange Agent to issue shares of Parent Common Stock upon the exchange of certificates formerly representing Company Common Stock therefor. Promptly after the Effective Time, Parent shall send, or shall cause the Exchange Agent to send, to each holder of Company Common Stock immediately prior to the Effective Time a letter of transmittal and instructions (which shall specify that the delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title shall pass, only upon proper delivery of the certificates formerly representing Company Common Stock to the Exchange Agent) for use in such exchange.

          (b) Each holder of shares of Company Common Stock that have been converted into the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender to the Exchange Agent of a certificate formerly representing Company Common Stock, together with a properly completed letter of transmittal, the Per Share Merger Consideration, without interest, payable for each share of Company Common Stock formerly represented by such certificate. Until so surrendered or transferred, as the case may be, each such certificate shall represent after the Effective Time for all purposes only the right to receive such Per Share Merger Consideration.

          (c) If any portion of the applicable Per Share Merger Consideration is to be paid to a Person other than the Person in whose name the surrendered certificate formerly representing Company Common Stock is registered, it shall be a condition to such payment that (i) either such certificate shall be properly endorsed or shall otherwise be in proper form for transfer and (ii) the Person requesting such payment shall pay to the Exchange Agent any Transfer Taxes or other Taxes required as a result of such payment to a Person other than the registered holder of such certificate or establish to the satisfaction of the Exchange Agent that such Tax has been paid or is not payable.

          (d) No fractional shares of Parent Common Stock shall be issued in the Merger, and fractional share interests of Parent Common Stock shall not entitle the owner thereof to vote or to any rights of a holder of Parent Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 3.2(d), the fractional shares of Parent Common Stock of a single record holder shall be determined after aggregating all certificates and shares of such holder and calculations shall be rounded to five decimal places. Each holder who would otherwise be entitled to receive fractional shares of Parent Common Stock but for this Section 3.2(d) shall be entitled to receive, in lieu thereof, an amount in cash equal to the product of (i) the number of such fractional shares of Parent Common Stock held by such holder and (ii) (A) the Per Share Cash Consideration plus (B) (x) the Per Share Stock Consideration multiplied by (y) the closing price of the Parent Common Stock on the NYSE (regular way) on the Trading Day immediately prior to the Effective Time.

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          (e) After the Effective Time, there shall be no further registration of transfers of shares of Company Common Stock or of certificates formerly representing shares of Company Common Stock. If, after the Effective Time, certificates formerly representing Company Common Stock are presented to the Surviving Corporation, they shall be canceled and exchanged for the Per Share Merger Consideration provided for, and in accordance with the procedures set forth, in this Article III.

          (f) Any portion of the Aggregate Merger Consideration deposited with the Exchange Agent pursuant to Section 3.2(a) (and any interest or other income earned thereon) that remains unclaimed by the holders of Company Common Stock 180 days after the Effective Time shall be returned to Parent, upon demand, and any such holder who has not exchanged certificates formerly representing Company Common Stock for the Per Share Merger Consideration in accordance with this Section 3.2 prior to that time shall thereafter look only to Parent and the Surviving Corporation for payment of the Per Share Merger Consideration in respect of such certificates formerly representing Company Common Stock without any interest thereon, but such holders shall have no greater rights against Parent and the Surviving Corporation with respect thereto than are accorded to general creditors of Parent and the Surviving Corporation under applicable Law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent, the Surviving Corporation and the Exchange Agent shall not be liable to any holder of certificates formerly representing Company Common Stock for any amount paid to a public official pursuant to applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar Laws. If any certificates formerly representing Company Common Stock have not been surrendered prior to the date five years after the Effective Time (or immediately prior to such earlier date on which any Per Share Merger Consideration or any dividends or distributions with respect to Parent Common Stock as contemplated by Section 3.2(h) in respect of such certificate would otherwise escheat to or become the property of any Governmental Entity), any such shares, cash, dividends or distributions in respect of such certificate shall, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, become the property of the Surviving Corporation, free and clear of all claims or interests of any Person previously entitled thereto.

          (g) Parent and/or the Exchange Agent shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable to any holder of shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement such amounts as may be required to be deducted and withheld with respect to the making of such payment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the " Code "), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or under any provision of state, local or foreign Tax Law. To the extent that amounts are so withheld and paid over to the appropriate taxing authority by Parent and/or the Exchange Agent, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of Company Common Stock in respect of which such deduction and withholding were made.

          (h) No dividends or other distributions with respect to Parent Common Stock with a record date after the Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any certificate formerly representing Company Common Stock with respect to the shares of Parent Common Stock issuable upon surrender thereof until the surrender of such certificate in accordance with this Article III. Subject to applicable Law, following surrender of any such certificate, there shall be paid to the holder of the certificate representing whole shares of Parent Common Stock issued in exchange therefor, without interest, (i) at the time of such surrender, the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the Effective Time theretofore paid with respect to such whole shares of Parent Common Stock and (ii) at the appropriate payment date, the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the Effective Time but prior to such surrender, and a payment date subsequent to such surrender, payable with respect to such whole shares of Parent Common Stock.

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          SECTION 3.3 Treatment of Options, Restricted Stock, Other Equity Awards and Warrants .

          (a) The Board of Directors of the Company has adopted or will adopt prior to the Effective Time resolutions, and the Company has taken and/or shall take, as applicable, all actions, necessary prior to the Effective Time to effect the following:

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• Ratio, provided that such exercise price shall be rounded up or down to the nearest cent. The " Option Exchange Ratio " means the quotient of (x) the Company Closing Price, and (y) $27.00;

          (b) At the Effective Time, with no further action on the part of the Company or any holder of Company Common Stock, Parent shall (i) issue the warrants provided for in the Yucaipa Warrant Agreement in exchange for the 2005 Warrants on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, and (ii) assume the obligations of the Company under the 2000 Warrants, such that after such assumption the holders of such assumed warrants shall have the right to purchase Parent Common Stock on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the 2000 Warrants and the 2000 Warrant Agreement.

          (c) Parent shall be entitled to (or cause the Company to) deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise payable to any party pursuant to this Section 3.3 such amounts as may be required to be deducted and withheld with respect to such payment under the Code and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or under any provision of state, local or foreign Tax Law. To the extent that amounts are so withheld and paid over to the appropriate taxing authority by Parent (or the Company), such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the party in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made.

          SECTION 3.4 Adjustments .

          (a) If, during the period between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, any change in the outstanding Company Common Stock shall occur (other than pursuant to the exercise of stock options or warrants or upon the vesting of restricted units, in each case, that are outstanding on the date hereof and pursuant to their terms in existence on the date hereof) by reason of any reclassification, recapitalization, stock split or reverse stock split of Company Common Stock, or stock dividend thereon with a record date during such period, the Per Share Merger Consideration shall be appropriately adjusted.

          (b) If, during the period between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, any change in the outstanding Parent Common Stock shall occur (other than pursuant to the exercise of stock options or warrants or upon the vesting of restricted units, in each case, that are outstanding on the date hereof and pursuant to their terms in existence on the date hereof) by reason of any reclassification, recapitalization, stock split or reverse stock split of Parent Common Stock, or stock dividend thereon with a record date during such period, the Per Share Merger Consideration shall be appropriately adjusted.

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          SECTION 3.5 Lost Certificates . If any certificate formerly representing Company Common Stock 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 the Surviving Corporation, the posting by such Person of a bond, in such reasonable amount as the Surviving Corporation may direct, as indemnity against any claim that may be made against it with respect to such certificate, the Exchange Agent shall pay, in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, the Per Share Merger Consideration to be paid in respect of Company Common Stock represented by such certificate, as contemplated by this Article III.

ARTICLE IV

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

          Prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company has delivered to Parent and Merger Sub the Company Disclosure Letter, with numbering corresponding to the Sections or subsections of this Article IV. Any exception, qualification or limitation described in any provision, section or subsection of the Company Disclosure Letter with respect to a particular representation or warranty contained in this Article IV shall be deemed to be an exception, qualification or limitation with respect to any other representation or warranty contained in this Article IV to the extent that its relationship thereto is reasonably apparent on its face. Subject to the exceptions and qualifications set forth in the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company represents and warrants to Parent and Merger Sub as follows:

          SECTION 4.1 Corporate Status . Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of its governing jurisdiction and each (a) has all requisite corporate or other power and authority to carry on its business as it is now being conducted and (b) is duly qualified to do business in each of the jurisdictions in which the ownership, operation or leasing of its assets or the conduct of its business requires it to be so qualified, except where the failure to be so qualified has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

          SECTION 4.2 Authorization; Noncontravention .

          (a) Authorization . (i) The Company has all necessary power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party, to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The Board of Directors of the Company, at a meeting duly called and held on the date hereof at which all directors of the Company were present, duly and unanimously adopted resolutions (A) adopting and declaring advisable this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements to which the Company is a party and the Merger and other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and therein; (B) taking all actions necessary or advisable to ensure that this Agreement and the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby satisfy the requirements of the Existing Stockholders’ Agreement; (C) declaring that it is in the best interests of the stockholders of the Company that the Company enter into this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements and consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and therein; (D) directing that the adoption of this Agreement be submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders of the Company; (E) recommending that the stockholders of the Company adopt this Agreement; and (F) taking all actions necessary or advisable to ensure that this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not cause to be applicable to the Company or Parent any "fair price," "moratorium," "control share acquisition" or other similar anti-takeover statute or regulation enacted under state or federal Laws including to ensure that Section

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203 of the DGCL does not apply to this Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby.

          (ii) The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and no other corporate proceedings on the part of the Company or vote of holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Company is necessary to authorize this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, other than the adoption of this Agreement by an affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock entitled to vote thereon at the Company Stockholders Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof (" Company Stockholder Approval "). This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by Parent and Merger Sub) constitutes, and each Ancillary Agreement to which the Company is a party, when executed and delivered by the Company (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto), will constitute, a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at Law).

          (b) No Conflict . The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party do not, and the consummation of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and compliance with the provisions of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party will not, conflict with, or result in any violation of, or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or to the loss of a benefit under, or result in the amendment of any term or provision of or the creation of any Encumbrance upon any of the assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under (other than any such Encumbrance created because of any action taken by Parent or Merger Sub), any provision of (i) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, the Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company or the comparable organizational documents of any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) subject to the filings and other matters referred to in the immediately following sentence, (A) any Contract to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of its or their respective assets are bound or (B) any Law or Judgment, in each case applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or its or their respective assets, other than, in the case of this clause (ii), any such conflicts, violations, defaults, rights, losses, amendments or Encumbrances that (x) have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or (y) would not materially impair the Company’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party or consummate the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby. No Permit, order or authorization of, or registration, declaration or filing with, or notice to, any Governmental Entity is required to be obtained or made by or with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company or any of the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party or the consummation by the Company of the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party, except for (I) the filing of a premerger notification and report form by the Company and the termination or expiration of any waiting periods under the HSR Act, (II) the filing with the SEC of (x) the Joint Proxy Statement and (y) such reports or other applicable filings under the Exchange Act, the Securities Act, state securities Laws or "blue sky" laws as may be required in connection with this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, (III) the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and of appropriate documents with the relevant authorities of other jurisdictions in which the Company or

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any of its Subsidiaries is qualified to do business, (IV) any filings required under the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ Global Market, and (V) such Permits, orders or authorizations of or registrations, declarations or filings with and notices the failure of which to be obtained or made (x) has not and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or (y) would not materially impair the Company’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements or consummate the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

          SECTION 4.3 Capital Structure .

          (a) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 100,000,000 shares of Company Common Stock, of which 52,228,998 shares are issued and outstanding as of February 26, 2007 and of which 491,218 shares have been granted under the Company Stock Plans and are subject to transfer restrictions and/or forfeiture back to the Company, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, of which no shares are issued and outstanding as of the date hereof. As of February 26, 2007, there are 7,085,067 shares of Company Common Stock subject to outstanding options to acquire shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to the Company Stock Plans and 520,175 shares of Company Common Stock deliverable pursuant to outstanding restricted stock units under the Company Stock Plans. As of February 26, 2007, there are 5,294,118 shares of Company Common Stock reserved for issuance or delivery upon exercise of the 2000 Warrants and 25,106,350 shares of Company Common Stock reserved for issuance or delivery upon the exercise of the 2005 Warrants. Each outstanding share of Company Common Stock is duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. There are no bonds, debentures, notes or other debt securities having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which holders of the Company Common Stock may vote (" Voting Debt ") of the Company. Except as set forth above or as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements and the Existing Stockholders’ Agreement, as of February 26, 2007, there are no (i) outstanding obligations, options, warrants, convertible securities, exchangeable securities, securities or rights that are linked to the value of the Company Common Stock or other rights, agreements or commitments relating to the capital stock of the Company or obligating the Company to issue or sell or otherwise transfer shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of capital stock of the Company or any Voting Debt of the Company, (ii) outstanding obligations of the Company to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire shares of capital stock of the Company or (iii) voting trusts, stockholder agreements, proxies or other agreements or understandings in effect with respect to the voting or transfer of shares of capital stock of the Company (but only to the Company’s knowledge with respect to any such agreements to which the Company is not a party).

          (b) Section 4.3(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth as of the date hereof a list of all Subsidiaries of the Company, including each such Subsidiary’s name, its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, where it is qualified to do business as a foreign corporation or organization and the percentage of its outstanding capital stock or equity interests owned by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company (as applicable). The shares of outstanding capital stock or equity interests of the Subsidiaries of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and are held of record and beneficially owned by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company (as applicable), free and clear of any Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances. There is no Voting Debt of any Subsidiary of the Company. There are no (i) outstanding obligations, options, warrants, convertible securities, exchangeable securities, securities or rights that are linked to the value of the Company Common Stock, or other rights, agreements or commitments, in each case, relating to the capital stock of the Subsidiaries of the Company or obligating the Company or its Subsidiaries to issue or sell or otherwise transfer shares of the capital stock of the Subsidiaries of the Company or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of capital stock of the Subsidiaries of the Company or any Voting Debt of any Subsidiary of the Company, (ii) outstanding obligations of the Subsidiaries of the Company to repurchase, redeem or

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otherwise acquire shares of their respective capital stock or (iii) voting trusts, stockholder agreements, proxies or other agreements or understandings in effect with respect to the voting or transfer of shares of capital stock of the Subsidiaries of the Company (but only to the Company’s knowledge with respect to any such agreements to which the Company is not a party).

          (c) Other than the Subsidiaries of the Company, there are no Persons in which any of the Company or its Subsidiaries owns any equity, membership, partnership, joint venture or other similar interest.

          SECTION 4.4 Real Property .

          (a) Section 4.4(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of all real property owned by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof (collectively, the " Owned Real Property "). The Company or one of its Subsidiaries has good and marketable title in fee simple, free and clear of Encumbrances (other than Permitted Encumbrances), to the Owned Real Property. As of the date hereof, with respect to each such parcel of Owned Real Property: (i) other than Company Tenant Leases set forth in Section 4.4(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter, there are no leases, subleases, licenses, concessions or other agreements, written or oral, granting any Person the right of use or occupancy of, or the right to consent to the use or occupancy of, any portion of such parcel; (ii) other than Company Tenant Leases set forth in Section 4.4(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter there are no outstanding rights of first refusal, rights of first offer or options to purchase such parcel or any interest therein; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received written notice of any pending condemnation proceedings.

          (b) Section 4.4(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list as of the date hereof of (x) all leases or subleases (the " Company Leases ") pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries holds a leasehold or subleasehold estate or other right to use or occupy any interest in real property and (y) existing leases, subleases, licenses or other occupancy agreements to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party as landlord or lessor thereunder or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound as landlord or lessor thereunder, and all amendments, modifications, extensions and supplements thereto (each, a " Company Tenant Lease "). Each Company Lease and Company Tenant Lease (i) constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company or the Subsidiary of the Company party thereto; (ii) assuming such Company Lease is a legal, valid and binding obligation of, and enforceable against, the other parties thereto, is enforceable against the Company or the Subsidiary of the Company party thereto, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights in general and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity); and (iii) to the Company’s knowledge is a valid and binding obligation of the other parties thereto, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights in general and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity), and except, with respect to clauses (i) through (iii) above, as has not had or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except as have not had or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) none of the Company or its Subsidiaries is in breach or default under any Company Lease and (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, none of the landlords or sublandlords under any Company Lease is in material breach or default of its obligations under such Company Lease. Except as has not had a Company Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries enjoy peaceful and undisturbed possession under each Company Lease. Copies of all Company Leases and all Company Tenant Leases, together with any amendments thereto, have heretofore been made available to Parent in the Electronic Data Room.

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          (c) With respect to the Owned Real Property, the Company Leases and the Company Tenant Leases (collectively, the " Real Property "), the Real Property and the buildings and other improvements, fixtures, equipment and other property attached, situated or appurtenant thereto are in good operating condition and repair, subject to normal wear and tear and normal industry practice with respect to maintenance, except as has not or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except as have not had or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) the present use of the Real Property does not violate any restrictive covenant, municipal by-law or other Law or agreement that in any way restricts, prevents or interferes in any material respect with the continued use of the Real Property for which it is used in the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof, other than Permitted Encumbrances; (ii) no condemnation, eminent domain or similar proceeding exists or is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened with respect to or that could affect any Real Property; and (iii) all Real Property is supplied with utilities and other services necessary for the operation thereof generally consistent with past practices and consistent with the contemplated operation thereof.

          SECTION 4.5 Intellectual Property .

          (a) Section 4.5(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of all Registered Intellectual Property owned by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof.

          (b) The Company and its Subsidiaries own, or are validly licensed or otherwise have the right to use, all Intellectual Property that is necessary for the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except as has not had or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have not entered into any license agreement with any Third Party with respect to the Registered Intellectual Property set forth in Section 4.5(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter.

          (c) (i) The business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted (including the use of the Intellectual Property) does not infringe, misappropriate, conflict with or otherwise violate any Person’s Intellectual Property and there is no such claim pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against any of the Company or its Subsidiaries, except where such infringement, misappropriation, conflict, violation or claim has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

          (ii) To the Company’s knowledge, and except as has not had or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, no Person is infringing, misappropriating, conflicting with or otherwise violating any material Intellectual Property owned by any of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and no such claims are pending or threatened against any Person by any of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

          (iii) All Intellectual Property owned by the Company or its Subsidiaries is owned free and clear of all Encumbrances (other than licenses to Persons entered into in the ordinary course of business generally consistent with past practice of the Company and its Subsidiaries), except for Permitted Encumbrances or where such Encumbrances have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

          SECTION 4.6 Environmental Matters .

          (a) The Company and its Subsidiaries have obtained all Permits that are required under any Environmental Law for the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently being conducted and their current use and operation of the Real Property, and all such Permits are

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in full force and effect, other than any failure to obtain or maintain such Permits in full force and effect which has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

          (b) The Company and its Subsidiaries have operated and are operating the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and the Real Property and other assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with Environmental Laws, other than any non-compliance which in the aggregate has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

          (c) The Company has made available to Parent copies of all material environmental assessments, audits and studies that are in the Company’s possession or control showing the presence of any Hazardous Material at any Real Property or any property formerly owned, operated, leased or used by any of the Company and its Subsidiaries or their predecessors in interest, or relating to compliance by any of them with or liability of any of them under any Environmental Law.

          (d) Except as has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) there has been no Release of any Hazardous Materials by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries at, on, under or from the Real Property or any other location, and (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has disposed of, arranged for treatment or disposal of, or arranged for the transportation for treatment or disposal of, any Hazardous Materials at any Third Party location.

          (e) (i) None of the Company or its Subsidiaries has received any written notice, demand letter, claim or order alleging a violation of, or liability under, any Environmental Law and (ii) none of the Company or its Subsidiaries is party to any pending Action, decree or injunction alleging liability under or violation of any Environmental Law, except in each case that, if adversely determined against the Company, would not have or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

          (f) Except for any matters disclosed in the materials referred to in Section 4.6(c), there has been no Release of Hazardous Materials at, on, under or from the Real Property, and the Real Property has not been used for the deposit of Hazardous Materials, except in each case as has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

          (g) Except as has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, there are no storage tanks, sumps or other similar vessels, asbestos-containing materials or polychlorinated biphenyls located on, at or under any Real Property or at, on or in any structures, Facilities or equipment at the Real Property.

          SECTION 4.7 Legal Proceedings . There are no Actions pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in writing (and, in either case, not withdrawn) against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which if adversely determined, would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. There are no Actions pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in writing (and, in either case, not withdrawn) against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which would materially impair the Company’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party or challenge the validity or enforceability of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement or seek to enjoin or prohibit consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby. None of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any Judgment which has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect or would materially impair the Company’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party or consummate the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

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          SECTION 4.8 Taxes .

          (a) Except as has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have timely filed with the appropriate taxing authority all material Tax Returns required to be filed, taking into account valid extensions; (ii) all such Tax Returns are complete and accurate in all material respects; (iii) all Taxes due and owing by the Company and each of its Subsidiaries (whether or not shown on any Tax Return) have been paid; and (iv) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been informed in writing by a Governmental Entity in a jurisdiction where the Company or any of its Subsidiaries does not file Tax Returns that it is or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.

          (b) The unpaid Taxes of the Company and its Subsidiaries did not, as of the dates of the financial statements contained in the most recent Company SEC Reports filed with the SEC prior to the date of this Agreement, exceed by a material amount the reserve for Tax liability (excluding any reserve for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax income) included in the balance sheets contained in such financial statements. Since the date of the financial statements contained in the most recent Company SEC Reports filed with the SEC prior to the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any material liability for Taxes outside the ordinary course of business or otherwise inconsistent with past custom and past practice of the Company and its Subsidiaries in filing their Tax Returns.

          (c) As of the date hereof, no deficiencies for Taxes against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in excess of $100,000 individually or $1,000,000 in the aggregate have been claimed or assessed in writing by a Governmental Entity that have not been settled or resolved. There are no currently ongoing, pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened audits, assessments or other Actions for or relating to any liability in respect of Taxes of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Company has made available to Parent or its representatives complete and accurate copies of all federal income and material state, local and foreign income, franchise and sales and use Tax Returns of each of the Company and its Subsidiaries and their predecessors for the years ended on or after February 2, 2002 and complete and accurate copies of all examination reports and statements of deficiencies assessed against or agreed to by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any predecessors since February 2, 2002 with respect to any material Tax. Other than any waivers or extensions granted in the ordinary course of business after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Effective Time, neither the Company, its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective predecessors has waived any statute of limitations in respect of Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to a Tax assessment or deficiency (other than as a result of a valid extension of time to file a Tax Return).

          (d) There are no Encumbrances for Taxes on any assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than Encumbrances in respect of property taxes not yet due and payable.

          (e) Other than customary gross up, tax escalation or similar provisions in financing and commercial Contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business, there are no Tax sharing agreements or similar arrangements (including indemnity arrangements) with respect to or involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries other than agreements solely between the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, and, after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be bound by any such Tax sharing agreements or similar arrangements or have any liability thereunder.

          (f) Since December 31, 2000, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been a member of any affiliated group filing a consolidated federal income Tax Return other than a group the common parent of which is the Company. Except pursuant to customary gross up, tax escalation or similar provisions in financing and commercial Contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business,

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neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any actual or potential liability for the Taxes of any Person (other than Taxes of the Company and its Subsidiaries) under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state or local Law), as a transferee or successor, by Contract, or otherwise.

          (g) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have timely withheld and paid all material Taxes required to have been withheld and paid in connection with amounts paid or owing to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, stockholder or other Third Party.

          (h) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has distributed the stock of any corporation in a transaction satisfying the requirements of Section 355 of the Code since December 31, 2003, and neither the stock of the Company nor the stock of any of its Subsidiaries has been distributed in a transaction satisfying the requirements of Section 355 of the Code since December 31, 2003.

          (i) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered into any transaction identified as a "listed transaction" for purposes of Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).

          (j) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will be required to include any material item of income in, or exclude any material item of deduction from, taxable income for any taxable period or portion thereof ending after the Closing Date as a result of any (i) change in method of accounting for a taxable period beginning on or prior to the Closing Date under Section 481(c) of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law) or (ii) agreement with a taxing authority relating to Taxes.

          (k) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has made an election under Section 341(f) of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law).

          (l) None of the assets of the Company (a) is "tax-exempt use property" (as defined in Section 168(h)(1) of the Code), (b) may be treated as owned by any other Person pursuant to Section 168(f)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (as in effect immediately prior to the enactment of the Tax Reform Act of 1986), (c) is property used predominantly outside the United States within the meaning of proposed Treasury Regulations Section 1.168-2(g)(5) or (d) is "tax exempt" and financed property within the meaning of Section 168(g)(5) of the Code.

          (m) As of the date hereof, there is no outstanding power of attorney (other than powers of attorney authorizing employees of the Company to act on behalf of the Company for so long as they remain employees of the Company) with respect to any Tax matter of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

          SECTION 4.9 Labor . Section 4.9 of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth, as of the date hereof, all Collective Bargaining Agreements. " Collective Bargaining Agreement " means any collective bargaining agreement or any other labor-related agreement with any labor union or labor organization to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party. No Collective Bargaining Agreement currently is being negotiated except for Collective Bargaining Agreements that expire in 2007. None of the Company or its Subsidiaries has any obligation to inform and/or consult with any employees or their representatives in respect of the transactions contemplated hereby under the terms of any Collective Bargaining Agreement. None of the Company or its Subsidiaries is in breach of any Collective Bargaining Agreement other than any such breach that has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except as has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, since January 31, 2004, there has not been any work stoppage, slowdown, lockout, employee strike or, to the Company’s knowledge, labor union organizing activ-

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ity involving any of the Company or its Subsidiaries and, to the Company’s knowledge, none of the foregoing or any labor dispute or Action that has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, has been threatened. The Company and its Subsidiaries are operating the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries in compliance with all Labor Laws other than non-compliance which has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. As of the date hereof, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no ongoing union certification drives or pending proceedings for certifying a union with respect to employees of any of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

          SECTION 4.10 Employee Benefit Plans .

          (a) (i) Section 4.10(a)(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists the Company Plans.

          (ii) Section 4.10(a)(ii) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists each "multiemployer plan" (as defined in Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA) which is or has been contributed to by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates at any time during the six-year period ending on the date of this Agreement or as to which the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates has any direct or indirect liability (the " Company Multiemployer Plans ").

          (iii) All Company Plans are in writing and the Company has made available to Parent in the Electronic Data Room true, correct and complete copies of (A) such Company Plans and, to the extent in the Company’s possession, each Company Multiemployer Plan, (B) the most recent annual report (Form 5500) filed with the Internal Revenue Service (the " IRS "), if any, with respect to each Company Plan and, to the extent in the Company’s possession, each Company Multiemployer Plan, (C) the most recent summary plan description for each Company Plan and, to the extent in the Company’s possession, each Company Multiemployer Plan for which a summary plan description is available or is required by applicable Law, (D) the most recent actuarial report or valuation, if any, relating to each Company Plan and, to the extent in the Company’s possession, each Company Multiemployer Plan, and (E) the most recent determination letter, if any, issued by the IRS with respect to each Company Plan and, to the extent in the Company’s possession, each Company Multiemployer Plan that is intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code. With respect to each Company Multiemployer Plan, the Company has made a reasonable effort to obtain the documents listed in clauses (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E) of the preceding sentence.

          (b) Each Company Plan and, to the Company’s knowledge, each Company Multiemployer Plan has been operated and administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms and the terms of all Collective Bargaining Agreements or any other labor-related agreements with any labor union or labor organization applicable to employees of Company or any of its Subsidiaries and the requirements of all applicable Laws, including ERISA and the Code. As of the date hereof, no Action is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened with respect to any Company Plan (other than claims for benefits in the ordinary course) that would result in any material liability to the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, no fact or event exists that would give rise to any such Action. As of the date hereof, to the Company’s knowledge, (i) no Action is pending or threatened with respect to any Company Multiemployer Plan (other than claims for benefits in the ordinary course) that would result in any material liability to the Company and (ii) no fact or event exists that would give rise to any such Action.

          (c) Each Company Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has timely received a favorable determination letter from the IRS which has not been revoked (or in either case the Company has timely applied for same or will do so) and each trust established in connection with any Company Plan which is intended to be exempt from federal income taxation under Section

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501(a) of the Code has received a determination letter from the IRS which has not been revoked that it is so exempt, and, to the Company’s knowledge, no fact or event has occurred since the date of such determination letter or letters from the IRS that would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the qualified status of any such Company Plan or the exempt status of any such trust. To the Company’s knowledge, each Company Multiemployer Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified.

          (d) With respect to any Company Plan which is subject to Part 3 of Subtitle B of Title I or to Title IV of ERISA (a " Company Title IV Plan "): (i) there is no lien under Section 412(n) of the Code by reason of an accumulated funding deficiency, whether or not waived, under Section 412 of the Code; (ii) no liability (other than liability for premiums) to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (" PBGC ") has been incurred and all premiums required to be paid to the PBGC have been paid by or on behalf of such Company Title IV Plan; (iii) the assets of each Company Title IV Plan equal or exceed the benefit liabilities of such Company Title IV Plan determined on a termination basis; and (iv) as of the date hereof, the Company has received no actual notice from the PBGC that an event or condition exists which (A) would constitute grounds for termination of such Company Title IV Plan by the PBGC or (B) has caused a partial termination of such Company Title IV Plan.

          (e) No withdrawal liability has been incurred under Title IV of ERISA by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates with respect to any Company Multiemployer Plan, and no such liability would be incurred if the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates were to withdraw from any Company Multiemployer Plan in a complete or partial withdrawal. The Company has not agreed with any Person to be responsible for any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to any multiemployer plan within the meaning of Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA.

          (f) All contributions to the Company Plans and, to the Company’s knowledge, the Company Multiemployer Plans required to be made by applicable Law or the terms of the applicable Company Plan have been timely made.

          (g) Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in material liability, neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates, and to the Company’s knowledge no other Person, has engaged in any transaction or acted or failed to act in any manner that would subject the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates to any liability for breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA.

          (h) Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in material liability, neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates and, to the Company’s knowledge, no other Person has engaged in any transaction in violation of Section 406(a) or (b) of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code for which no exemption exists under Section 408 of ERISA or Section 4975(c) or (d) of the Code.

          (i) None of the Company Plans or Company Multiemployer Plans provides medical, health or life insurance or any other welfare-type benefits for current or future retired or terminated employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries or their spouses or dependents (other than in accordance with Part 6 of Title I of ERISA or Code Section 4980B).

          (j) To the Company’s knowledge, all of the Company Plans (including such Plans of its Subsidiaries) that are nonqualified deferred compensation plans subject to Section 409A of the Code have been operated in compliance with Section 409A of the Code or applicable transition relief.

          (k) Except as listed in Section 4.10(k) of the Company Disclosure Letter, the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Ancillary Agreements (either alone or in conjunction with any other event) (including a termination of employment on or following the Effective Time) will not entitle any

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current or former employee, officer or director of or individual providing consulting services to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any amount of compensation or benefits (whether in cash or property) or increase the amount thereof or trigger or accelerate the time of payment, vesting or funding thereof.

          (l) No amount, increase, trigger or acceleration referred to in Section 4.10(k) (whether or not disclosed in Section 4.10(k) of the Company Disclosure Letter) would (i) be characterized as an "excess parachute payment" (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code) or (ii) not be deductible under Section 162(a)(1) or 404 of the Code.

          (m) As of the date hereof, (i) all of the Stock Options were issued with an exercise price no less than the fair market value of the underlying stock at the actual date of grant or the Business Day immediately preceding the actual date of grant, and (ii) no shares of restricted Company Common Stock provide for a deferral opportunity beyond vesting.

          (n) Section 4.10(n) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth each of the supplemental retirement and excess benefit plans and agreements (and all amendments thereto) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, listing all persons participating in each such plan or agreement and stating the benefits accrued under each such plan or agreement by each such person. The Company has provided to Parent a true, correct and complete copy of each such plan or agreement (and all amendments thereto).

          SECTION 4.11 Compliance with Laws . Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is operating its business in compliance with all applicable Laws (including any zoning or building ordinance, code or approval), except to the extent any non-compliance with such Laws has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. All Permits required to conduct the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted have been obtained by one or more of the Company or its Subsidiaries and all such Permits are in full force and effect and the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries is being operated in compliance therewith, except for such Permits the failure of which to possess or be in full force and effect or to be complied with has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect (except that this sentence shall not apply to any Permits which are covered by Section 4.6 or 4.9).

          SECTION 4.12 Company Contracts .

          (a) Section 4.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter identifies Contracts in effect as of the date of this Agreement to which any of the Company or its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them is otherwise expressly bound, in the categories listed below (collectively, the " Company Contracts "):

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          (b) Except as have not had or would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) each Company Contract, assuming such Company Contract is a legal, valid and binding obligation of and enforceable against the other parties thereto in accordance with its terms, constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company or the Subsidiary of the Company party thereto and is enforceable against the Company or such Subsidiary, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights in general and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity), (ii) each Company Contract, to the Company’s knowledge, is a valid, binding and enforceable obligation of the other parties thereto, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights in general and subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) and (iii) none of the Company or its Subsidiaries and, to the Company’s knowledge, no other party to a Company Contract is in breach or default under (nor does there exist any condition which upon the passage of time or the giving of notice would cause such a breach or default under) any Company Contract.

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          SECTION 4.13 Company SEC Reports and Company Financial Statements .

          (a) The Company has timely filed all forms, reports and documents (including all exhibits) required to be filed by it with the SEC since January 31, 2004. The Company SEC Reports (i) were prepared in all material respects in accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, as the case may be, and (ii) did not at the time they were filed (and, in the case of a registration statement, as of its effective date) 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 made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No Subsidiary of the Company is a registrant with the SEC.

          (b) Each of the consolidated financial statements (including, in each case, any notes thereto) contained in the Company SEC Reports complied as to form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto, was prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods indicated (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto or, in the case of unaudited statements, as permitted by Form 10-Q of the SEC) and fairly presented in all material respects the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as at the respective dates thereof and for the respective periods indicated therein, except as otherwise noted therein (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to immaterial normal year-end adjustments).

          (c) Except as set forth on or reserved against in the consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of January 28, 2006 included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended January 28, 2006, including the notes thereto, none of the Company or any of its consolidated Subsidiaries has any liabilities or obligations of any nature (whether accrued, absolute, contingent or otherwise), except for liabilities or obligations (i) incurred since January 28, 2006 in the ordinary course of business generally consistent with past practice; (ii) that have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect; (iii) set forth on or reserved against in the consolidated balance sheet (including the notes thereto) of the Compa