EXHIBIT
2.1
EXECUTION COPY
AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF MERGER
among
TU HOLDINGS, INC.,
TU MERGER, INC.
and
MERISEL, INC.
Dated
as of March 28, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PAGE
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ARTICLE I
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THE MERGER
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2
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Section
1.1.
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The
Merger
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2
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Section
1.2.
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Closing
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2
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Section
1.3.
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Effective
Time
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2
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Section
1.4.
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Effects
of the Merger
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2
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Section
1.5.
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Certificate
of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving
Corporation
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3
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Section
1.6.
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Directors
and Officers of the Surviving Corporation
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3
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Section
1.7.
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Effect
on Capital Stock
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3
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Section
1.8.
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Exchange
of Certificates
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4
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Section
1.9.
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Equity
Awards
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7
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Section
1.10.
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Convertible
Preferred Stock
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7
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ARTICLE II
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REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
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7
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Section
2.1.
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Qualification;
Organization, Subsidiaries, etc
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8
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Section
2.2.
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Capitalization
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9
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Section
2.3.
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Corporate
Authority Relative to This Agreement; No
Violation
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10
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Section
2.4.
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SEC
Reports and Financial Statements
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11
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Section
2.5.
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No
Undisclosed Liabilities
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13
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Section
2.6.
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Absence
of Certain Changes or Events
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13
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Section
2.7.
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Compliance
with Law; Permits
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14
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Section
2.8.
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Material
Contracts
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15
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Section
2.9.
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Environmental
Laws and Regulations
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17
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Section
2.10.
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Employee
Benefit Plans
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17
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Section
2.11.
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Labor
Matters
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19
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Section
2.12.
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Investigations;
Litigation
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20
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Section
2.13.
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Tax
Matters
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21
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Section
2.14.
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Intellectual
Property
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22
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Section
2.15.
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Real
Property
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23
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Section
2.16.
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Assets;
Personal Property
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24
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Section
2.17.
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Customers
and Suppliers
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24
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Section
2.18.
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Key
Salespersons
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24
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Section
2.19.
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Information
in Proxy Statement
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25
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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Section
2.20.
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Insurance
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25
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Section
2.21.
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Required
Vote of the Company Stockholders
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25
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Section
2.22.
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Affiliate
Transactions
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25
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Section
2.23.
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Finders
or Brokers
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25
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Section
2.24.
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Opinion
of Financial Advisors
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26
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Section
2.25.
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State
Anti-Takeover Statutes
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26
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Section
2.26.
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Additional
Payments; Other Matters
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26
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Section
2.27.
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Outstanding
Net Debt
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27
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Section
2.28.
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Transaction
Expenses
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27
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Section
2.29.
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No
Additional Representations
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27
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ARTICLE III
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REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER
SUB
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27
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Section
3.1.
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Qualification;
Organization, Subsidiaries, etc
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27
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Section
3.2.
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Corporate
Authority Relative to This Agreement; No
Violation
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28
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Section
3.3.
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Investigations;
Litigation
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29
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Section
3.4.
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Financing
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29
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Section
3.5.
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Commitment
Agreement
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29
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Section
3.6.
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Capitalization
of Merger Sub; No Prior Activities
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29
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Section
3.7.
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Information
in Proxy Statement
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29
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Section
3.8.
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Finders
or Brokers
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29
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Section
3.9.
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Lack
of Ownership of Company Common Stock
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30
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Section
3.10.
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Solvency
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30
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Section
3.11.
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No
Additional Representations
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30
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Section
3.12.
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Acknowledgement
Regarding Company Representations
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30
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ARTICLE IV
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ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS
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31
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Section
4.1.
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Conduct
of Business by the Company and Parent
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31
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Section
4.2.
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Access
to Information; Confidentiality
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34
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Section
4.3.
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No
Solicitation of Transactions
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34
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Section
4.4.
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Company
Board Recommendation
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36
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Section
4.5.
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Proxy
Statement
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37
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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PAGE
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Section
4.6.
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Company
Meeting
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37
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Section
4.7.
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Employee
Matters
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38
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Section
4.8.
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Reasonable
Best Efforts to Complete
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39
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Section
4.9.
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Takeover
Statute
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40
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Section
4.10.
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Section
16 Matters
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40
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Section
4.11.
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Certain
Notices
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40
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Section
4.12.
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Public
Announcements
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41
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Section
4.13.
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Indemnification
and Insurance
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41
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Section
4.14.
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Debt
Payoff Letters
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43
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Section
4.15.
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Cooperation
with Financing
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43
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Section
4.16.
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Cooperation
on Letters of Credit
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43
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Section
4.17.
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Obligations
of Merger Sub
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44
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Section
4.18.
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Adoption
of Agreement by Merger Sub
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44
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ARTICLE V
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CONDITIONS TO THE MERGER
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44
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Section
5.1.
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Conditions
to Each Party’s Obligation to Effect the
Merger
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44
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Section
5.2.
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Conditions
to Obligation of the Company to Effect the Merger
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44
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Section
5.3.
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Conditions
to Obligations of Parent and Merger Sub to Effect the
Merger
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45
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Section
5.4.
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Frustration
of Closing Conditions
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46
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ARTICLE VI
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TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER
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46
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Section
6.1.
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Termination
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46
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Section
6.2.
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Notice
of Termination; Effect of Termination
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48
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Section
6.3.
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Termination
Fees; Limitation of Liability
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48
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Section
6.4.
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Procedure
for Termination
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49
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ARTICLE VII
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MISCELLANEOUS
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50
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Section
7.1.
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No
Survival of Representations and Warranties
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50
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Section
7.2.
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Expenses
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50
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Section
7.3.
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Notices
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50
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Section
7.4.
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Amendments
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51
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
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PAGE
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Section
7.6.
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Assignment;
Binding Effect
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52
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Section
7.7.
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Entire
Agreement; No Third-Party Beneficiaries
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52
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Section
7.8.
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Severability
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52
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Section
7.9.
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Governing
Law
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52
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Section
7.10.
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Jurisdiction;
Enforcement
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52
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Section
7.11.
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Waiver
of Jury Trial
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53
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Section
7.12.
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Headings
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53
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Section
7.13.
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Interpretation
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53
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Section
7.14.
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Required
Approvals of the Special Committee
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54
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Section
7.15.
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Counterparts;
Effectiveness
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54
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Section
7.16.
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Definitions
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54
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EXHIBITS
Exhibit
A – Form of Voting, Support and Redemption
Agreement
Exhibit
B – Form of Certificate of Incorporation of the
Surviving Corporation
Exhibit
C – Form of Commitment Agreement
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER , dated as of March 28,
2008 (the “ Agreement
”), among TU
HOLDINGS, INC. , a Delaware corporation (“
Parent
”), TU
MERGER, INC. , a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly
owned subsidiary of Parent (“ Merger Sub
”), and MERISEL, INC. , a
Delaware corporation (the “ Company
”). Each of Parent, Merger Sub and the Company is
referred to herein as a “ Party ”
and together they are referred to herein as “ Parties
”).
WHEREAS , the Parties intend that Merger Sub will be merged
with and into the Company (the “ Merger
”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Parent in accordance with the General Corporation Law
of the State of Delaware (the “ DGCL
”);
WHEREAS , a Special Committee of independent directors of
the Company (the “ Special
Committee ”) has (i) determined that this Agreement
and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, are
advisable and fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company
and its stockholders, (ii) approved and declared advisable this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the
Merger, and resolved to recommend to the Board of Directors of the
Company (the “ Company Board
”) that it approve and declare advisable this Agreement and
the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, (iii)
resolved to recommend that the holders of Company Common Stock
adopt this Agreement and (iv) directed that this Agreement be
submitted to the Company Board for its approval and recommendation
that the holders of Company Common Stock adopt this
Agreement;
WHEREAS , the Company Board (following the recommendation of
the Special Committee) has unanimously (i) determined that this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the
Merger, are advisable and fair to, and in the best interests of,
the Company and its stockholders, (ii) approved this Agreement and
the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, (iii)
directed that this Agreement be submitted to the holders of Company
Common Stock for their adoption and (iv) resolved to recommend that
the holders of Company Common Stock adopt this
Agreement;
WHEREAS , (i) the Board of Directors of Parent has
unanimously approved this Agreement, (ii) the Board of Directors of
Merger Sub has unanimously approved and declared advisable this
Agreement and (iii) Parent, as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub,
will adopt this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby,
including the Merger, promptly after the execution hereof in
accordance with the terms hereof;
WHEREAS , as a condition and inducement to Parent’s
and Merger Sub’s willingness to enter into this Agreement,
simultaneously with the execution of this Agreement, a certain
stockholder of the Company is entering into a voting, support and
redemption agreement with Parent and the Company substantially in
the form of Exhibit A
attached hereto (the “ Support
Agreement ”); and
WHEREAS , the Company, Parent and Merger Sub each desire to
make certain representations, warranties, covenants and agreements
in connection with the Merger and also to prescribe certain
conditions to the Merger, as set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the premises, and of
the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained
herein, the Parties agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
THE MERGER
Section
1.1.
The Merger . At the Effective Time, upon the
terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement,
and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL,
Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company, whereupon the
separate corporate existence of Merger Sub shall cease and the
Company shall continue as the surviving corporation of the Merger
(the “ Surviving
Corporation ”) and a wholly owned subsidiary of
Parent.
Section
1.2.
Closing . The closing of the Merger (the “
Closing
”) shall take place on a day that is a Business Day at the
offices of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, 767 Fifth Avenue, New
York, New York at 10:00 a.m., local time, on a date to be
specified by the Parties, which shall be no later than the third
Business Day after the satisfaction or waiver (to the extent
permitted by applicable Law) of the conditions set forth in
ARTICLE
V (other than those conditions that by their nature are to
be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or
waiver of such conditions), or at such other place, date and time
as the Company and Parent may agree in writing. The date
on which the Closing shall occur is referred to herein as the
“ Closing Date
”.
Section
1.3.
Effective Time . Subject to the provisions of
this Agreement, at the Closing, the Company will cause a
certificate of merger (the “ Certificate of
Merger ”) to be executed, acknowledged and filed with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with
Section 251 of the DGCL. The Merger will become
effective at such time as the Certificate of Merger has been duly
filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or at
such later date or time as may be agreed by the Company and Merger
Sub in writing and specified in the Certificate of Merger in
accordance with the DGCL (the effective time of the Merger being
hereinafter referred to as the “ Effective Time
”).
Section
1.4.
Effects of the Merger . The effects of the Merger
shall be as provided in this Agreement and in the applicable
provisions of the DGCL. Without limiting the generality
of the foregoing, at the Effective Time, all the property, rights,
privileges, powers and franchises of the Company and Merger Sub
shall vest in the Surviving Corporation, and all debts, liabilities
and duties of the Company and Merger Sub shall become the debts,
liabilities and duties of the Surviving Corporation, all as
provided under the DGCL and the other applicable Laws of the State
of Delaware. At and after the Effective Time, the
officers and directors of the Surviving Corporation shall be
authorized to execute and deliver, in the name and on behalf of the
Company or Merger Sub, any deeds, bills of sale, assignments or
assurances and to take and do, in the name and on behalf of the
Company or Merger Sub, any other actions and things to vest,
perfect or confirm of record or otherwise in the Surviving
Corporation any and all right, title and interest in, to and under
any of the rights, properties or assets of the
Company.
Section
1.5.
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving
Corporation .
(a)
The
certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation shall be
amended at the Effective Time to read in the form attached hereto
as Exhibit B ,
until thereafter amended in accordance with the provisions thereof
and the provisions of this Agreement and applicable Law, in each
case consistent with the obligations set forth in Section 4.13
.
(b)
The
bylaws of Merger Sub as in effect at the Effective Time shall be
the bylaws of the Surviving Corporation until thereafter amended in
accordance with the provisions thereof and the provisions of this
Agreement and applicable Law, in each case consistent with the
obligations set forth in Section 4.13
.
Section
1.6.
Directors and Officers of the Surviving Corporation
. Subject to applicable Law, the directors of Merger Sub
immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the initial
directors of the Surviving Corporation, each to hold office in
accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the
Surviving Corporation. The officers of the Company
immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the initial
officers of the Surviving Corporation, to hold office until their
respective successors have been duly elected or appointed and
qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal in
accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the
Surviving Corporation.
Section
1.7.
Effect on Capital Stock . At the Effective Time,
by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of the
Company, Merger Sub or the holders of any securities of the Company
or Merger Sub:
(a)
Conversion
of Company Common Stock. Subject to Section 1.7(b)
and Section 1.7(d)
, each issued and outstanding share of common stock, par value
$0.01 per share, of the Company (“ Company Common
Stock ”) outstanding immediately prior to the
Effective Time (for the avoidance of doubt, including each
Restricted Share in accordance with and subject to the terms of
Section
1.9 ), other than any Cancelled Shares and any Dissenting
Shares, shall thereupon be converted automatically into and shall
thereafter represent the right to receive the Merger Consideration,
without any interest thereon. All shares of Company
Common Stock that have been converted into the right to receive the
Merger Consideration as provided by this Section 1.7(a)
shall be automatically cancelled and shall cease to exist, and the
holders of certificates which immediately prior to the Effective
Time represented such shares of Company Common Stock shall cease to
have any rights with respect to such shares of Company Common Stock
other than the right to receive the Merger
Consideration.
(b)
Parent and Merger Sub-Owned Shares . Each share
of Company Common Stock that is owned, directly or indirectly, by
Parent or Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time or
held by the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time (the
“ Cancelled
Shares ”) shall, by virtue of the Merger and without
any action on the part of the holder thereof, be cancelled and
retired and shall cease to exist, and no consideration shall be
delivered in exchange therefor.
(c)
Conversion of Merger Sub Common Stock . At the
Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on
the part of the holder thereof, each share of common stock, par
value $0.001 per share, of Merger Sub issued and outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into and
become one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of
common stock, par value $0.001 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. From and after the Effective Time, all
certificates representing the common stock of Merger Sub shall be
deemed for all purposes to represent the number of shares of common
stock of the Surviving Corporation into which they were converted
in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence.
(d)
Dissenting Shares .
(i)
Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, no shares of
Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to
the Effective Time the holder of which (A) has not voted in favor
of the Merger, (B) has demanded its rights to appraisal in
accordance with Section 262 of the DGCL, and (C) has not
effectively withdrawn or lost its rights to appraisal (the “
Dissenting
Shares ”) shall be converted into or represent a right
to receive the Merger Consideration pursuant to Section 1.7(a)
. By virtue of the Merger, all Dissenting Shares shall
be cancelled and shall cease to exist and shall represent only
those rights provided under the DGCL. From and after the
Effective Time, a holder of Dissenting Shares shall not be entitled
to exercise any of the voting rights or other rights of a member or
equity owner of the Surviving Corporation.
(ii)
Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Section 1.7(d)
, if any holder of shares of Company Common Stock who demands
appraisal rights shall effectively withdraw or lose (through
failure to perfect or otherwise) the right to dissent or its rights
of appraisal, then, as of the later of the Effective Time and the
occurrence of such event, such holder’s shares of Company
Common Stock shall no longer be Dissenting Shares and shall
automatically be converted into and represent only the right to
receive Merger Consideration, without any interest
thereon.
(iii)
The
Company shall give Parent (A) prompt notice of any written demands
for appraisal rights of any shares of Company Common Stock,
withdrawals of such demands, and any other instruments served
pursuant to the DGCL and received by the Company which relate to
any such demand for appraisal rights and (B) the opportunity to
participate in and direct all negotiations and proceedings with
respect to demands for appraisal rights under the
DGCL. Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall
not, except with the prior written consent of Parent, voluntarily
make any payment with respect to any demands for appraisal rights
or offer to settle or settle any such demands.
Section
1.8.
Exchange of Certificates .
(a)
Paying Agent . At the Effective Time, Parent
shall deposit, or shall cause to be deposited, with a bank or trust
company that is organized and doing business under the Laws of the
United States or any state thereof, and has a combined capital and
surplus of at least $500 million, that shall be appointed prior to
the Closing Date to act as a paying agent hereunder and approved in
advance by the Company in writing (and pursuant to an agreement in
form and substance reasonably acceptable to Parent and the Company)
(the “ Paying Agent
”), in trust for the benefit of holders of the shares of
Company Common Stock (other than the Restricted Shares, which shall
be governed by Section 1.9(b)
) and the Company Stock Options, cash in U.S. dollars sufficient to
pay (i) the amount owing for all of the shares of Company
Common Stock converted pursuant to Section 1.7(a)
(other than the Restricted Shares, which shall be governed by
Section
1.9(b) ) and (ii) the Option Consideration payable
pursuant to Section 1.9(a)
(such cash referred to in subsections (a)(i) and (a)(ii) being
hereinafter referred to as the “ Exchange Fund
”).
(b)
Payment Procedures .
(i)
As
soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time and in any
event not later than the third Business Day following the Effective
Time, the Paying Agent shall mail (x) to each holder of record
of shares of Company Common Stock whose shares of Company Common
Stock were converted into the right to receive the Merger
Consideration pursuant to Section 1.7 ,
other than the Restricted Shares, for which the payment procedures
shall be as described in Section 1.9(b)
, (A) a letter of transmittal (which shall specify that
delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to
Certificates shall pass, only upon delivery of Certificates (or
effective affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) or Book-Entry Shares
to the Paying Agent and shall be in such form and have such other
provisions as Parent and the Company may mutually agree), and
(B) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of
Certificates (or effective affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) or
Book-Entry Shares in exchange for the Merger Consideration, as
applicable, and (y) to each holder of a Company Stock Option,
a check in an amount due and payable to such holder pursuant to
Section
1.9 of this Agreement in respect of such Company Stock
Option.
(ii)
Upon
surrender of the certificates that immediately prior to the
Effective Time represented shares of Company Common Stock (“
Certificates
”) (or effective affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) or
non-certificated shares of Company Common Stock represented by
book-entry (“ Book-Entry
Shares ”) to the Paying Agent together with such
letter of transmittal, duly completed and validly executed in
accordance with the instructions thereto, and such other documents
as may customarily be required by the Paying Agent, the holder of
such Certificates or Book-Entry Shares shall be entitled to receive
in exchange therefor a check in an amount equal to the product of
(x) the number of shares of Company Common Stock represented by
such holder’s properly surrendered Certificates (or effective
affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) or Book-Entry Shares multiplied
by (y) the Merger Consideration. No interest will be
paid or accrued on any amount payable upon due surrender of
Certificates or Book-Entry Shares. In the event of a
transfer of ownership of shares of Company Common Stock that is not
registered in the transfer records of the Company, a check for any
cash to be paid upon due surrender of the Certificate may be paid
to such a transferee if the Certificate formerly representing such
shares of Company Common Stock is presented to the Paying Agent,
accompanied by all documents required to evidence and effect such
transfer and to evidence that any applicable stock transfer Taxes
have been paid or are not applicable.
(iii)
The
Paying Agent shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the
consideration otherwise payable under this Agreement to any holder
of shares of Company Common Stock or Company Stock Options, such
amounts as are required to be withheld or deducted under the United
States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “
Code ”)
or any provision of United States state or local Tax Law or any
foreign Tax Law with respect to the making of such
payment. To the extent that amounts are so withheld or
deducted and paid over to the applicable Governmental Entity, such
withheld or deducted amounts shall be treated for all purposes of
this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of the shares of
Company Common Stock or Company Stock Options, in respect of which
such deduction and withholding were made.
(c)
Closing of Transfer Books . At the Effective
Time, the stock transfer books of the Company shall be closed, and
there shall be no further registration of transfers on the stock
transfer books of the Surviving Corporation of the shares of
Company Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to the
Effective Time. If, after the Effective Time,
Certificates are presented to the Surviving Corporation or Parent
for transfer, they shall be cancelled and exchanged for a check in
the proper amount pursuant to this ARTICLE I
.
(d)
Termination of Exchange Fund . Any portion of the
Exchange Fund (including the proceeds of any investments thereof)
that remains undistributed to the former holders of shares of
Company Common Stock for six months after the Effective Time shall
be delivered to the Surviving Corporation upon demand, and any
former holders of shares of Company Common Stock who have not
surrendered their shares of Company Common Stock in accordance with
this Section 1.8
shall thereafter look only to the Surviving Corporation for payment
of their claim for the Merger Consideration without any interest
thereon, upon due surrender of their shares.
(e)
No Liability . Notwithstanding anything herein to
the contrary, none of the Company, Parent, Merger Sub, the
Surviving Corporation, the Paying Agent or any other person shall
be liable to any former holder of shares of Company Common Stock
for any amount properly delivered to a public official pursuant to
any applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar
Law.
(f)
Investment of Exchange Fund . The Paying Agent
shall invest all cash included in the Exchange Fund as reasonably
directed by Parent; provided ,
however , that
any investment of such cash shall be limited to direct short-term
obligations of, or short-term obligations fully guaranteed as to
principal and interest by, the United States
government. Any interest and other income resulting from
such investments shall be paid to the Surviving Corporation
pursuant to Section 1.8(d)
.
(g)
Lost Certificates . In the case of any
Certificate that has 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
Paying Agent or Parent, the posting by such person of a bond in
customary amount as indemnity against any claim that may be made
against it with respect to such Certificate, the Paying Agent will
issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate a
check in the amount of the number of shares of Company Common Stock
as applicable, represented by such lost, stolen or destroyed
Certificate multiplied by the Merger Consideration.
Section
1.9.
Equity Awards .
(a)
Effective
as of the Effective Time, each option to purchase shares of Company
Common Stock, including options granted under the Company Stock
Plans (each, a “ Company Stock
Option ”), whether vested or unvested, that is
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, as of
the Effective Time, be cancelled in exchange for the right to
receive an amount in cash in U.S. dollars equal to the product of
(x) the total number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to
such Company Stock Option and (y) the excess, if any, of the
amount of the Merger Consideration over the exercise price per
share of Company Common Stock subject to such Company Stock Option,
with the aggregate amount of such payment rounded to the nearest
cent (the aggregate amount of such cash hereinafter referred to as
the “ Option
Consideration ”) less such amounts as are required to
be withheld or deducted under the Code or any provision of United
States state or local Tax Law or any foreign Tax Law with respect
to the making of such payment. For the avoidance of
doubt, any Company Stock Option with a per-share exercise price
that equals or exceeds the amount of the Merger Consideration shall
be cancelled and no payment shall be made in respect
thereof.
(b)
(i) Effective
as of the Effective Time, each award of a share of Company Common
Stock granted under the 1997 Plan that is unvested immediately
prior to the Effective Time (the “ Restricted
Shares ”) shall, as of the Effective Time, subject to
Section
1.9(b)(ii) , be cancelled in exchange for the right to
receive the Merger Consideration in accordance with the provisions
of Section 1.7(a)
, less such amounts as are required to be withheld or deducted
under the Code or any provision of United States state or local Tax
Law or any foreign Tax Law with respect to the making of such
payment.
(ii)
With
respect to each Restricted Share, the right to receive the Merger
Consideration shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the
1997 Plan and the applicable Award Agreement that evidences such
award, including any escrow, forfeiture and payment provisions
thereunder.
(c)
Prior
to the Effective Time, the Company shall take all necessary and
appropriate action (including obtaining any required consents) to
effectuate the transactions contemplated by this Section 1.9
.
Section
1.10.
Convertible Preferred Stock . On the Closing
Date, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause
all the outstanding shares of the Company Convertible Preferred
Stock to be redeemed in consideration for the payment of the
Redemption Amount.
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
Except
as disclosed (i) in the Company SEC Documents that were
publicly available on or prior to the date of this Agreement
(other than disclosures in “Risk Factors” sections
thereof and any other disclosures that are predictive or
forward looking in nature) or (ii) in the disclosure schedule
of even date herewith delivered by the Company to Parent
immediately prior to the execution of this Agreement (the
“ Company
Disclosure Schedule ”), the Company represents
and warrants to Parent and Merger Sub as follows:
Section
2.1.
Qualification; Organization, Subsidiaries, etc.
(a)
Each
of the Company and its Subsidiaries is a legal entity duly
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of
its respective jurisdiction of organization and has all requisite
corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate
its properties and assets and to carry on its business as presently
conducted. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is
duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign
corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction where the
ownership, leasing or operation of its assets or properties or
conduct of its business requires such qualification and good
standing, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good
standing, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a
Company Material Adverse Effect. The Company has made
available to Parent prior to the date of this Agreement a true and
complete copy of the Company’s certificate of incorporation
(the “ Company
Charter ”) and the Company’s bylaws (the “
Company
Bylaws ”), each as amended through the date of this
Agreement. The Company Charter, the Company Bylaws and
the certificate of incorporation and bylaws (or equivalent
organizational documents) of each of the Company’s
Subsidiaries (the “ Subsidiary Governance
Documents ”) are in full force and
effect. None of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is in violation of any provision of the Company Charter, the
Company Bylaws or the Subsidiary Governance Documents.
(b)
Section 2.1(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule lists each
Subsidiary of the Company and its jurisdiction of
organization. All the outstanding shares of capital
stock or other ownership interests of each Subsidiary of the
Company have been validly issued and are fully paid and
nonassessable and are owned by the Company or by another Subsidiary
of the Company, free and clear of all Liens. Except for
its interests in the Subsidiaries of the Company set forth in
Section
2.1(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company does
not own, directly or indirectly, any capital stock, membership
interest, partnership interest, joint venture interest or other
equity interest in any person.
(c)
As
used in this Agreement, any reference to any fact, circumstance,
event, change, effect or occurrence having a “ Company Material
Adverse Effect ” means any fact, circumstance, event,
change, effect or occurrence (each, an “ Effect
”) that, individually or in the aggregate with all other
Effects, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a material
adverse effect on the assets, liabilities, business, results of
operations or financial condition of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided ,
however , that
in no event shall any of the following Effects, alone or in
combination, be deemed to constitute, or be taken into account, in
determining whether there is a Company Material Adverse Effect:
(A) any change in general economic, business, financial,
credit or market conditions; (B) any action taken by the
Company that is expressly permitted or required by this Agreement;
(C) any occurrence generally affecting the graphics and visual
communications services industries or other industries in which the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries operate in the United States;
(D) any change in GAAP or applicable Law or the interpretation
thereof; (E) any act of terrorism, war (whether or not declared),
national disaster or any national or international calamity
affecting the United States; (F) any change in the price or trading
volume of the Company Common Stock in and of itself (provided that
the underlying causes of such change may be taken into account in
determining whether there is a Company Material Adverse Effect); or
(G) any effect resulting from the announcement of this
Agreement; or (H) any action taken at the written request of Parent
or any of its affiliates or mutually agreed to in writing by the
parties to this Agreement that, if taken without the written
consent of Parent, would have been prohibited by the terms of this
Agreement; except , in
the case of the foregoing clauses (A), (C), (D) or (E), to the
extent such Effect has a disproportionate impact on the Company and
its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, relative to the other
participants in the industries in which they operate.
Section
2.2.
Capitalization .
(a)
The
authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 30,000,000
shares of Company Common Stock and 1,000,000 shares of preferred
stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share, (“
Company
Preferred Stock ”, and collectively with the Company
Common Stock, “ Company Capital
Stock ”). As of March 27, 2008, (i)
8,452,723 shares of Company Common Stock were issued and 8,033,943
shares of Company Common Stock (including 439,758 Restricted
Shares) were outstanding, (ii) 418,780 shares of Company Common
Stock were held in treasury, (iii) 300,000 Company Stock Options
were outstanding, the holders and exercise prices of which are set
forth in Section 2.2(a)
of the Company Disclosure Schedule, (iv) 300,000 shares of Company
Common Stock were reserved for issuance upon the exercise of stock
options held by employees or directors of the Company pursuant to
the employee and director stock plans of the Company (the “
Company
Stock Plans ”) and (v) 267,595 shares of Company
Preferred Stock, all of which were shares of convertible preferred
stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“
Company
Convertible Preferred Stock ”), were issued or
outstanding, and related thereto, 5,352 shares of Company
Convertible Preferred Stock were reserved for issuance in respect
of accrued dividends on such shares of Company Convertible
Preferred Stock, and 1,559,697 shares of Company Common Stock were
reserved for issuance upon the conversion of such shares of Company
Convertible Preferred Stock. All outstanding shares of
Company Capital Stock and all shares of Company Capital Stock
reserved for issuance as noted in clauses (iv) and (v) when issued
in accordance with the respective terms thereof, are or will be
duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and
free of pre-emptive rights, rights of first refusal or any similar
rights. All Restricted Shares were issued pursuant to
the Company’s 1997 Stock Award and Incentive Plan (the
“ 1997 Plan
”) and the form of the Award Agreement thereunder, copies of
which are attached to Section 2.2(a)
of the Company Disclosure Schedule.
(b)
Except
as set forth in subsection (a) above, as of the date of this
Agreement, (i) the Company does not have any shares of its capital
stock issued or outstanding other than shares of Company Common
Stock that have become outstanding after March 27, 2008, but were
reserved for issuance as set forth in subsection (a) above, and
(ii) there are no outstanding subscriptions, options, warrants,
calls, convertible securities or other similar rights, agreements
or commitments relating to the issuance of capital stock to
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party obligating
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to (A) issue, transfer
or sell any shares of capital stock or other equity interests of
the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or securities
convertible into or exchangeable for such shares or equity
interests, (B) grant, extend or enter into any such
subscription, option, warrant, call, convertible securities or
other similar right, agreement or arrangement, (C) redeem or
otherwise acquire any such shares of capital stock or other equity
interests, or (D) provide a material amount of funds to, or
make any material investment (in the form of a loan, capital
contribution or otherwise) in, any Subsidiary.
(c)
Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has outstanding preferred
stock, bonds, debentures, notes or other obligations, the holders
of which have the right to vote (or which are convertible into or
exercisable for securities having the right to vote) with the
holders of the Company Common Stock on any matter in connection
with the Merger and the transactions contemplated
hereby.
(d)
Pursuant
to the terms of the Support Agreement and notwithstanding anything
to the contrary set forth in the terms of the Company Convertible
Preferred Stock, at the Effective Time, the Company Convertible
Preferred Stock shall be redeemed in exchange for the payment of an
amount set forth in the Support Agreement (the “ Redemption
Amount ”).
(e)
Except
for the Support Agreement, there are no voting trusts or other
agreements or understandings to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party with respect to the voting of the capital
stock or other equity interest of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries.
Section
2.3.
Corporate Authority Relative to This Agreement; No Violation
.
(a)
The
Company has requisite corporate power and authority to enter into
this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby subject, in the case of the consummation of the Merger, to
receipt of the Company Stockholder Approval. The
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of
the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly and validly
authorized by the Company Board (after the recommendation of the
Special Committee) and, except with respect to the Merger
for the Company Stockholder Approval, no other corporate
proceedings on the part of the Company are necessary to authorize
the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby. This Agreement has been duly and validly
executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming this Agreement
has been duly executed and delivered by Parent and Merger Sub,
constitutes the valid and binding agreement of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms,
except that (i) such enforcement may be subject to applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar
Laws, now or hereafter in effect, relating to creditors’
rights generally and (ii) equitable remedies of specific
performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may
be subject to equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court
before which any proceeding therefore may be brought (the “
Bankruptcy and Equity
Exception ”).
(b)
The
Company Board has unanimously (i) determined that this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the
Merger, are advisable and fair to, and in the best interests of,
the Company and its stockholders, (ii) adopted and declared
advisable this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby,
including the Merger, (iii) directed that this Agreement be
submitted to the Company’s stockholders for their approval
and (iv) resolved to recommend that the Company’s
stockholders adopt this Agreement (collectively, the “
Recommendation
”).
(c)
Other
than in connection with or in compliance with (i) the DGCL and
(ii) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“ Exchange Act
”) or any applicable state securities or “blue
sky” Laws (collectively, the “ Company
Approvals ”), and subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of Parent and Merger Sub in
Section
3.9 , no authorization, consent or approval of, or filing
with, any United States or foreign federal, state or local
governmental or regulatory agency, commission, court, body, entity
or authority (each, a “ Governmental
Entity ”) is necessary, under applicable Law, for the
consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement, except for such authorizations, consents, approvals
or filings that, if not obtained or made, would not have,
individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse
Effect.
(d)
The
execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement does not,
and, except as described in Section 2.3(c)
or set forth on Section 2.3(d)
of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby and compliance by the Company with
the provisions of this Agreement will not (i) result in any
material violation of, or material 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 material
obligation or to the loss of a material benefit under any loan,
guarantee of indebtedness or credit agreement, note, bond,
mortgage, indenture, lease, sublease or similar arrangement,
agreement, contract, instrument, permit, concession, franchise,
right or license binding upon the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or to which any of them is a party or result in the
creation of any liens, claims, mortgages, encumbrances, pledges,
security interests, equities or charges of any kind (each, a
“ Lien ”),
other than any such Lien (A) for Taxes or governmental
assessments, charges or claims of payment not yet due or being
contested in good faith or for which adequate accruals or reserves
have been established, (B) which is a carriers’,
warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s,
repairmen’s or other similar lien arising in the ordinary
course of business, (C) which is disclosed on the most recent
consolidated balance sheet of the Company or notes thereto or
securing liabilities reflected on such balance sheet) or (D) which
was incurred in the ordinary course of business since the date of
the most recent consolidated balance sheet of the Company (each of
the foregoing, a “ Permitted Lien
”), upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) conflict with or result in any
violation of any provision of the Company Charter or the Company
Bylaws or any Subsidiary Government Document or (iii) conflict
with or violate, in any material respect, any applicable Laws that
are material to the Company and its Subsidiaries.
Section
2.4.
SEC Reports and Financial Statements .
(a)
Except
as set forth on Section 2.4 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, the Company has filed or furnished
(as applicable) all reports, forms, schedules, statements,
certifications and other documents required to be filed or
furnished with or to the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “ SEC ”)
from January 1, 2006 (the “ Company SEC
Documents ”). As of their respective dates,
or, if amended, as of the date of the last such amendment, the
Company SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the
applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the “ Securities Act
”), and the Exchange Act at the time they were filed (or, if
amended at the time of such amendment), as the case may be, and the
applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and none
of the Company SEC Documents contained any untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. Except for the Company’s Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2007, the Form 8-K filed on March 28,
2007 and the schedules, statements, certifications and other
documents related thereto, the Company has not filed any reports,
forms, schedules, statements, certifications and other documents
with the SEC in the two Business Days immediately preceding the
date of this Agreement.
(b)
The
consolidated financial statements (including all related notes and
schedules) of the Company included in the Company SEC Documents (i)
fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial
position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, as at
the respective dates thereof, and the consolidated results of their
operations and their consolidated cash flows for the respective
periods then ended (subject, in the case of the unaudited
statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments and to any other
adjustments described therein, including the notes thereto) and
(ii) were prepared in conformity with United States generally
accepted accounting principles (“ GAAP ”)
(except, in the case of the unaudited statements, as permitted by
the SEC) applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved
(except as may be indicated therein or in the notes
thereto).
(c)
The
Company has made available to Parent true, correct and complete
copies of the consolidated financial statements for the month of
January of 2008, and such consolidated financial statements (i)
fairly present the consolidated financial position of the Company
and its consolidated Subsidiaries, as at the respective dates
thereof, and the consolidated results of their operations and their
consolidated cash flows for the respective periods then ended
(subject, in the case of the unaudited statements, to normal
year-end audit adjustments and to any other adjustments described
therein, including the notes thereto) and (ii) were prepared in
conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis during the
periods involved (except as may be indicated therein or in the
notes thereto).
(d)
The
Company SEC Documents include all certificates required to be
included therein pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes
Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder (“ SOX ”),
and the internal control report and attestation of the
Company’s outside auditors required by Section 404 of
SOX. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company has
implemented and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) to ensure that
material information relating to the Company, including its
consolidated Subsidiaries, is made known to the chief executive
officer and the chief financial officer of the Company by others
within those entities. The Company’s principal
executive officer and principal financial officer have no knowledge
of any fraud that involves management or other employees who have a
significant role in the Company’s internal controls over
financial reporting. The Company has not identified any
material weaknesses in the design or operation of its internal
controls over financial reporting.
(e)
The
Company has made available to Parent true, correct and complete
copies of all material written correspondence between the SEC, on
the one hand, and the Company and any Subsidiary of the Company, on
the other hand, since December 1, 2006. As of the date
of this Agreement, there are no outstanding or unresolved comments
in comment letters received from the SEC staff with respect to the
Company SEC Documents. To the knowledge of the Company,
none of the Company SEC Documents is the subject of ongoing SEC
review or outstanding SEC comment.
Section
2.5.
No Undisclosed Liabilities . Except (a) as
reflected or reserved against in the Company’s consolidated
balance sheets (or the notes thereto) included in the Company SEC
Documents that were publicly available on or prior to the date of
this Agreement, (b) as permitted or contemplated by this
Agreement, (c) for liabilities and obligations incurred in the
ordinary course of business since December 31, 2007, (d) for
liabilities or obligations which have been discharged or paid in
full in the ordinary course of business and (f) as set forth on
Section
2.5 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, as of the date of
this Agreement, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the
Company has any liabilities or obligations of any nature, whether
or not accrued, contingent or otherwise, that would be required by
GAAP to be reflected on a consolidated balance sheet of the Company
and its Subsidiaries (or in the notes thereto).
Section
2.6.
Absence of Certain Changes or Events . From
December 31, 2007 through the date of this Agreement:
(a)
except
as contemplated by this Agreement, the businesses of the Company
and its Subsidiaries have been conducted, in all material respects,
in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice;
(b)
there
has not been any event, development or state of circumstances that
has had, individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material
Adverse Effect;
(c)
except
as set forth in Section 2.6 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, there has not been any
declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other
distribution (whether in cash, stock or property) with respect to
any Company Capital Stock or any repurchase for value by the
Company of any Company Capital Stock;
(d)
there
has not been any split, combination or reclassification of any
Company Capital Stock or any issuance or the authorization of any
issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in
substitution for shares of Company Capital Stock;
(e)
except
as set forth in Section 2.6 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, there has not
been any sale, lease (as lessor), assignment, license, failure to
maintain or other disposition of any material properties or assets,
except in the ordinary course of business;
(f)
there
have not been any amendments to or changes in the Company Charter,
Company Bylaws or Subsidiary Governance Documents;
(g)
there
has not been any change in accounting methods, principles or
practices by the Company or any Subsidiary materially affecting the
consolidated assets, liabilities or results of operations of the
Company, except insofar as may have been required by a change in
GAAP;
(h)
to
the knowledge of the Company, there have not been any claims,
charges or grievances filed with any Governmental Entity by any
individual, or asserted or threatened by any individual,
Governmental Entity or any workers’ representative
organization, bargaining unit or union regarding any unfair labor
practice, claim of wrongful discharge or other unlawful employment
or labor practice or action with respect to the Company or any
Subsidiary;
(i)
except
as required pursuant to any existing contract set forth in
Section
2.8 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, in the ordinary
course of business, or set forth in Section 2.6 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, there has not been any increase in
or other change to the salary, bonus or other compensation payable
or to become payable by the Company to any of its officers,
directors, employees or advisors, any execution of or amendment to
any Employee Agreement, or any declaration, payment or commitment
or obligation of any kind for the payment (whether in cash or
equity) by the Company of a severance payment, change in control
payment, termination payment, bonus or other additional salary or
compensation (including any equity-based compensation) to any such
person;
(j)
except
as set forth in Section 2.6 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has commenced, settled or, to
the knowledge of the Company, been named a party to any lawsuit,
and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received
written notice of any threat of any lawsuit or proceeding or other
investigation against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or
relating to any of their businesses, properties or
assets;
(k)
except
as set forth in Section 2.6 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, there has not
been any issuance, grant, delivery, sale or purchase, or contract
or agreement to issue, grant, deliver, sell or purchase, by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any shares of Company Common
Stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or
exchangeable for, shares of Company Common Stock, or any
subscriptions, warrants, options, rights or securities to acquire
any of the foregoing;
(l)
except
as set forth in Section 2.6 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, there has not
been any grant by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any
severance, change-in-control or termination pay (in cash or
otherwise) to any employee, including any officer;
(m)
to
the knowledge of the Company, there has not been any material
damage to, destruction or loss of any material asset of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries (whether or not covered by
insurance);
(n)
there
has not been any revaluation by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries of any of its assets, including the writing off of any
notes or accounts receivable other than in the ordinary course of
business; and
(o)
there
has not been any authorization, commitment or agreement to take,
any of the foregoing actions.
Section
2.7.
Compliance with Law; Permits .
(a)
The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries are in compliance with and are
not in default under or in violation of any applicable federal,
state, local, municipal, foreign or other law, statute,
constitution, principle of common law, resolution, ordinance, code,
edict, rule, regulation, ruling, judgment, order, injunction,
decree or agency requirement issued, promulgated, implemented or
otherwise put into effect by or under the authority of any
Governmental Entity (collectively, “ Laws ”
and each, a “ Law ”),
except where such non-compliance, default or violation would not be
material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole. Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Section
2.7 , no representation or warranty shall be deemed to be
made in this Section 2.7 in
respect of the matters referenced in Section 2.4 ,
Section
2.5 or Section 2.6 or
in respect of environmental matters (which are addressed
exclusively in Section 2.9 ),
employee benefits matters (which are addressed exclusively in
Section
2.10 ), labor matters (which are addressed exclusively in
Section
2.11 ), tax matters (which are addressed exclusively in
Section
2.13 ) or intellectual property matters (which are addressed
exclusively in Section 2.14
).
(b)
The
Company and its Subsidiaries are in possession of all franchises,
grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, variances,
exceptions, consents, certificates, approvals and orders of any
Governmental Entity necessary for the Company and its Subsidiaries
to own, lease and operate their properties and assets or to carry
on their businesses as they are now being conducted (the “
Company
Permits ”). The Company and each of its
Subsidiaries are in compliance, in all material respects, with and
are not in default under or in violation, in all material respects,
of any Company Permit. All Company Permits are in full
force and effect, except where the failure to be in full force and
effect would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Company
Material Adverse Effect. No suspension or cancellation
of any of the Company Permits is pending or, to the knowledge of
the Company, threatened, except where such suspension or
cancellation, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a
Company Material Adverse Effect.
Section
2.8.
Material Contracts .
(a)
Except
for this Agreement, the Company Benefit Plans or as filed with the
SEC, Section 2.8(a)
of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a correct and complete
list of each contract (whether written or oral) to which the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of
them is bound which (all contracts of the type described in this
Section
2.8 being referred to herein as “ Company Material
Contracts ”):
(i)
contains
outstanding obligations in excess of two hundred fifty thousand
dollars $250,000) in any twelve (12)-month period or is otherwise
material (as such term is defined in Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation
S-K under the Securities Act) to the business of the Company and
its Subsidiaries taken as a whole as currently conducted that
cannot be terminated without penalty upon sixty (60) days’
prior written notice;
(ii)
contains
covenants limiting, in any material respect, the freedom of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries to engage in any line of
business or to provide any products or services generally or in any
market segment or in any geographic area, or to compete with any
Person or restricting, in any material respect, the ability of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries to acquire equity securities of
any Person;
(iii)
provides
that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has (A) incurred, or
may incur, any indebtedness for borrowed money or (B) given any
guarantee in respect of indebtedness for borrowed
money;
(iv)
provides
for a joint venture or partnership (without regard to legal
form);
(v)
is
a standby letter of credit, performance or payment bond, or surety
bond of any nature;
(vi)
relates
to an acquisition, divestiture, merger or similar
transaction;
(vii)
obligates
the Company to make any capital commitment or expenditure
(including pursuant to any joint venture) in excess of
$250,000;
(viii)
is
a contract with any Material Customer or Material
Supplier;
(ix)
is
an agreement under which the Company or any Subsidiary of the
Company (A) grants to a third party any licenses or covenants not
to sue or (B) is granted by a third party any licenses or covenants
not to sue, in each case with respect to any Intellectual Property
material to the Company or its Subsidiaries;
(x)
is
a contract, agreement or commitment with any employee, individual
consultant, contractor, or salesperson of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries that (a) provides for annual compensation in excess of
$50,000, (b) is not terminable at-will or (c) includes any
obligation to provide severance benefits, termination pay (in cash,
equity or otherwise), indemnification or advance notice of
termination of the employment or consulting
relationship;
(xi)
is
an agreement or plan, including any stock option plan, stock
appreciation rights plan or stock purchase plan, any of the
benefits of which will be increased, or the vesting of benefits of
which will be accelerated, by the occurrence of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the value of any of
the benefits of which will be calculated on the basis of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(xii)
restricts
or prohibits, in any material respect, the Company or any
Subsidiary from hiring or soliciting for hire any individual to
perform employment or consulting services for the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries; and
(xiii)
was
entered into after January 1, 2005 and provides for the settlement
or release of any litigation or dispute involving the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries that is material to the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, individually or in the aggregate.
(b)
Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company is in breach of or
default under the terms of any Company Material Contract in any
material respect. To the knowledge of the Company, no
other party to any Company Material Contract is in breach of, or
default under, the terms of any Company Material Contract in any
material respect. Each Company Material Contract is a
valid and binding obligation of the Company or the Subsidiary of
the Company which is party thereto and, to the knowledge of the
Company, of each other party thereto, and is in full force and
effect, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity
Exception.
(c)
The
Company has filed with the SEC each contract required to be filed
by the Company as a “material contract” pursuant to
Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act or
disclosed by the Company on a Current Report on Form
8-K.
Section
2.9.
Environmental Laws and Regulations .
(a)
Except
as set forth on Section 2.9 of
the Company Disclosure Schedule, (i) the Company and each of its
Subsidiaries is in compliance, in all material respects, with all
applicable Environmental Laws; (ii) the Company and each of its
Subsidiaries possess and are in compliance, in all material
respects, with all Company Permits required pursuant to
Environmental Laws; (iii) none of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries has received any written claim or notice of violation
from any Governmental Entity alleging that the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries is in material violation of, or liable under, any
Environmental Law that is otherwise unresolved; and (iv) there are
no Actions pending (or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened) against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and
there are no Orders of, or before, any Governmental Entity which
are binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, in each
case, relating to Environmental Laws, except, in each case, as
would not be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as
a whole. This Section 2.9
sets forth the sole representation and warranty of the Company
relating to environmental, health and safety matters, including
those relating to Environmental Laws.
(b)
As
used herein, “ Environmental
Law ” means any Law relating to (i) human health
or safety as related to environmental protection or the protection
or pollution of the environment (including air, water vapor,
surface water, groundwater, drinking water supply, surface land or
subsurface land) or (ii) the exposure to, or the use, storage,
recycling, treatment, generation, transportation, processing,
handling, labeling, production, release or disposal of Hazardous
Substances, in each case as in effect at the date of this
Agreement.
(c)
As
used herein, “ Hazardous
Substance ” means any substance, material or waste
that is regulated, classified or otherwise characterized under, or
pursuant to, an Environmental Law as “hazardous,”
“toxic,” a “pollutant”, a
“contaminant” or a “regulated
substance.”
Section
2.10.
Employee Benefit Plans .
(a)
Section 2.10(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets
forth a true and complete list of each “employee benefit
plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (“ ERISA
”)), and each employment, severance, consulting or similar
contract, plan, arrangement or policy and each other material
employee benefit, pension, profit-sharing, savings, deferred
compensation, bonus, incentive stock option, and welfare plan and
program, whether or not subject to ERISA, of the Company or its
Subsidiaries or any person that, together with the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries, is treated as a single employer under Section
414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code (an “ ERISA
Affiliate ”) for the benefit of current or former
employees, directors, or consultants of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (the “ Company Benefit
Plans ”).
(b)
The
Company has made available to Parent true and complete copies of
each of the Company Benefit Plans and related documents, including
(i) each writing constituting a part of such Company Benefit Plan
(or in the case of an unwritten Company Benefit Plan, a written
description thereof), including all amendments thereto and trust
documents (if applicable), (ii) the three most recent Annual
Reports (Form 5500 Series) and accompanying schedules, if any, and
(iii) the most recent determination letter from the IRS (if
applicable) for such Company Benefit Plan. Each of the
Company Benefit Plans that is intended to be qualified under
Section 401(a) of the Code and each trust established in connection
with any such Company Benefit Plan that is intended to be exempt
from federal income taxation under Section 501(a) of the Code has
received a favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue
Service (the “ IRS ”)
and the Company is not aware of any reason why any such
determination letter should be revoked or not be
reissued.
(c)
(i) Each
of the Company Benefit Plans has been operated and administered in
all material respects in accordance with its terms and the
requirements of applicable Laws, including ERISA and the Code, (ii)
no “prohibited transaction” within the meaning of
Section 4975 of the Code or Sections 406 or 407 of ERISA and not
otherwise exempt under Section 408 of ERISA that would result in
material liability has occurred with respect to any Company Benefit
Plan, (iii) there are no actions pending, or, to the knowledge of
the Company, threatened or anticipated (other than routine claims
for benefits in the ordinary course) by, on behalf of or against
any of the Company Benefit Plans which could reasonably be expected
to result in any material liability to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries and (iv) no administrative investigation, audit or
other administrative proceeding by any Governmental Entity with
respect to a Company Benefit Plan is pending, in progress, or, to
the knowledge of the Company, threatened with respect to any
Company Benefit Plan. In all material respects, all
contributions (including all employer contributions and employee
salary reduction contributions) required to have been made under
any Company Benefit Plan to any funds or trusts established
thereunder or in connection therewith have been timely made by the
due date thereof.
(d)
Neither
the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate has, at
any time within the last six years, maintained, contributed to, or
had any obligation to contribute to, or has any liability (fixed or
contingent) with respect to, any plan described in Section 413 of
the Code, subject to Section 302 or Title IV of ERISA or to the
funding requirements of Section 412 of the Code including any plan
which constituted a “multiemployer plan” as defined in
Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA or a plan maintained in
connection with any trust described in Section 501(c)(9) of the
Code.
(e)
Except
as set forth on Section
2.10(e) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the consummation
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not, alone
or in combination with another event, (i) entitle any current or
former employee, consultant, director, or officer of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries to severance pay, unemployment compensation
or any other payment, except as expressly provided in this
Agreement or under applicable Law, (ii) accelerate the time of
payment or vesting, or increase the amount of compensation due any
such employee, consultant, director or officer or result in any
payment or funding of compensation or benefits under any of the
Company Benefit Plans, except as expressly provided in this
Agreement, or (iii) give rise to the payment of any amount that
would not be deductible pursuant to Section 280G or Section 162(m)
of the Code.
(f)
Except
as disclosed in Section
2.10(f) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, each Company
Benefit Plan that is a “nonqualified deferred compensation
plan” (as defined for purposes of Section 409A(d)(1) of the
Code) has been operated since January 1, 2005 in good faith
compliance with Section 409A of the Code and all applicable IRS
guidance promulgated thereunder.
Section
2.11.
Labor Matters .
(a)
Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to, or bound by,
any collective bargaining agreement, contract or other agreement or
understanding with a labor union or labor
organization. There are no labor unions or other or
other organizations that have filed a petition with the National
Labor Relations Board or any other government entity since January
1, 2005 seeking certification as the collective bargaining
representative of any employee of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries. Since January 1, 2005, there has not
been, and there is not pending or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened, any (i) strike, lockout, slowdown, picketing or work
stoppage with respect to any current or former employee of the
Company or any Subsidiary or (ii) unfair labor practice charge,
grievance or complaint filed or pending against the Company or any
of the Subsidiaries. To the knowledge of the Company,
there are no organizational efforts with respect to the formation
of a collective bargaining unit presently being made or threatened
involving employees of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries.
(b)
Section 2.11(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule contains
a true and correct list of each employee of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (the “ Business
Employees ”) and, for each such Business Employee,
Section
2.11(b) of the Company Disclosure Schedule identifies the
following information: (i) employer; (ii) job title;
(iii) job location; (iv) date of hire; (v) amount of current base
salary or hourly rate of pay (as applicable); (vi) target incentive
compensation for 2007 (commission and/or bonus, as applicable);
(vii) total compensation received in 2006; (viii) any other special
compensation or perquisites (e.g. automobile allowance); (ix)
status as exempt or non-exempt from applicable overtime Laws; (x)
accrued but unused vacation or paid time off; and (xi) whether such
person is on a leave of absence and, if so, the type of leave of
absence and the expected date of return from such leave of
absence.
(c)
There
are no claims pending or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened, before any Governmental Entity or arbitral forum
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries asserting any breach
of contract, tort, or violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the
Equal Pay Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and
Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, ERISA or any other
similar federal, state or local employment Law.
(d)
Since
January 1, 2005, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
has effectuated (i) a “plant closing” (as defined in
the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (the “
WARN
Act ”) (or any similar state, local or foreign law))
affecting any site of employment or one or more facilities or
operating units within any site of employment or facility of the
Company or any Subsidiary or (ii) a “mass layoff” (as
defined in the WARN Act (or any similar state, local or foreign
law)) affecting any site of employment or facility of the Company
or any of the Subsidiaries.
(e)
Except
as set forth in Section
2.11(e) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, since January 1,
2005, the Company and each of the Subsidiaries has complied in all
material respects with all Laws relating to the hiring of employees
and the employment of labor, including provisions thereof relating
to the calculation and payment of wages, hours, classification as
exempt or non-exempt from applicable minimum wage and overtime
Laws, equal opportunity, employment discrimination, harassment, and
retaliation, disability rights or benefits, employee leave issues,
immigration, occupational safety and health, collective bargaining
and the payment of social security and other Taxes.
(f)
In
all material respects, the Company and each of the Subsidiaries
currently, and since January 1, 2005, has completed and maintain in
its files Form I-9s with respect to each of its
employees. Since January 1, 2005, neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice from any
Governmental Entity that any of its employees has a name or social
security number that does not match the name or social security
number maintained by any Governmental Entity.
(g)
The
Company and each of the Subsidiaries has no material liability for
(i) any arrears of wages, severance pay or any penalty
relating thereto for failure to comply with withholding and
reporting all material amounts required by applicable Law or by
agreement to be withheld and reported with respect to wages,
salaries and other payments or (ii) with respect to any
misclassification of any person as (A) an independent contractor
rather than as an employee or (B) an employee exempt from state or
federal minimum wage or overtime Laws.
(h)
Except
as set forth in Section
2.11(h) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to any contract, agreement,
or arrangement with any employee or independent contractor
receiving in excess of $50,000 of annual compensation from the
Company or any Subsidiary that (i) restricts the right of the
Company or any Subsidiary to terminate such person’s
employment or consulting relationship without cause or without a
specified notice period, or (ii) obligates the Company or any
Subsidiary to pay severance equivalent to more than two
weeks’ of such person’s base compensation or to provide
vesting acceleration on shares, stock options, or other securities
of the Company or any Subsidiary upon either a termination of such
person’s employment or consulting relationship with the
Company or any Subsidiary, or upon a change in control of the
Company or any Subsidiary.
(i)
To
the knowledge of the Company, no officer, key employee, or group of
employees of the Company or any Subsidiary has as of the date
hereof given notice or indicated any intent to terminate their
employment before the Closing Date or as a result of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
Section
2.12.
Investigations; Litigation . Except as set
disclosed on Section 2.12
of the Company Disclosure Schedule, as of the date of this
Agreement, (a) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no
investigation, inquiry or review pending or threatened by any
Governmental Entity with respect to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries and (b)(i) there are no material Actions pending (or,
to the knowledge of the Company, threatened) against or affecting
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective
properties, at law or in equity, and (ii) there are no Orders of,
or before, any Governmental Entity against or affecting the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective
properties.
Section
2.13.
Tax Matters .
(a)
Except
as disclosed on Section 2.13 of the Company Disclosure Schedule,
(i) the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have prepared and
timely filed (taking into account any extension of time within
which to file) all income Tax Returns and other material Tax
Returns required to be filed by any of them as of the date of this
Agreement and all such tax returns are true, correct and complete
in all material respects, (ii) the Company and each of its
Subsidiaries have paid all Taxes required to be paid by it (whether
or not shown on any Tax Return), except Taxes which have not yet
accrued or otherwise become due or that are being contested in good
faith by appropriate proceedings, (iii) as of the date of this
Agreement there are not pending or, threatened in writing, any
audits, examinations, investigations, claims, disputes, actions or
other proceedings in respect of Taxes against the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries and since January 1, 2003 no claim for the
assessment or collection of any Taxes has been asserted in writing
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that has not been
settled with all amounts due having been paid, (iv) no officer
responsible for Tax matters of the Company has personal knowledge
that any authority will propose or assess any additional material
Taxes with respect to the Company or any Subsidiary (other than
Taxes incurred in the ordinary course on income accruing after the
date hereof), (v) neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries
are presently the beneficiary of any extension of time within which
to file any Tax Return, (vi) no written claim, or written notice of
claim, has been made since January 1, 2003, by an authority in a
jurisdiction where the Company or any of the Subsidiaries do not
file Tax Returns, and no officer responsible for Tax matters of the
Company has personal knowledge that the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries is or may be subject to taxation by an authority in a
jurisdiction where the Company or any of the Subsidiaries do not
file Tax Returns, (vii) there are no liens for Taxes (other than
Permitted Liens) upon any of the assets of the Company or any of
the Subsidiaries, (viii) the Company and each of the Subsidiaries
have delivered to Parent true, correct and complete copies of all
Tax Returns, ruling requests, private letter rulings, closing
agreements, settlement agreements, tax opinions, examination
reports and statements of deficiencies filed or received since
January 1, 2003, (ix) neither the Company nor any of the
Subsidiaries have waived any statute of limitations in respect of
material Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to
any material Tax payment, assessment, deficiency or collection, (x)
since January 1, 2003, neither the Company nor any of the
Subsidiaries has been a member of an affiliated group of
corporations within the meaning of Section 1504(a) of the Code
filing a consolidated federal income Tax Return nor does the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries have any liability for Taxes of
any other Person under Treasury Regulations § 1.1502-6 (or any
similar provision of foreign, state or local Law), other than the
consolidated group of which the Company is currently the parent
corporation, (xi) the Company has not been a United States real
property holding corporation within the meaning of Section
897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in
Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code, (xii) neither the Company nor
any of the Subsidiaries is a party to any Tax allocation, indemnity
or sharing arrangement (other than agreements among the Company and
any of its Subsidiaries and other than customary Tax
indemnifications contained in credit or other commercial agreements
the primary purpose of which does not relate to Taxes), (xiii) the
Company and each of the Subsidiaries has disclosed to the IRS all
positions taken on their federal income Tax Returns which could
give rise to a substantial understatement of Tax under Section 6662
of the Code and the Company and each of the Subsidiaries have not
engaged in any transaction that could give rise to a disclosure
obligation as a “listed transaction” under Section 6011
of the Code and Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder during
the four (4) year period ending on the date hereof, (xiv) neither
the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has any material income or
gain reportable for a taxable period ending after the Closing Date
but attributable to (A) a transaction occurring in, or (B) a change
in accounting method made for, a taxable period beginning prior to
the Closing Date which resulted in a deferred reporting of material
income or gain from such transactions, a timing difference in the
reporting of material income or gain between Tax and GAAP
accounting methods or from such change in accounting method, (xv)
neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has distributed
stock of another entity, and have not had its stock distributed by
another entity, in a transaction that was purported or intended to
be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 or 361 of the Code,
and (xvi) neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries are
currently subject to a limitation pursuant to Section 382 or 383 of
the Code or similar provisions of state, local or foreign law,
other than with respect to the “ownership change”
(within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code or a similar concept
under the relevant state, local or foreign law) which occurred in
1997.
(b)
As
used in this Agreement, (i) “ Tax ” or
“ Taxes ”
means (A) any and all United States or foreign, federal, state,
local or other taxes of any kind (together with any and all
interest, penalties, additions to tax and additional amounts
imposed with respect thereto) imposed by any Governmental Entity,
including taxes on or with respect to income, franchises, windfall
or other profits, gross receipts, property, sales, use,
escheat,
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