Exhibit 2.1
COTY B.V.
COTY CANADA INC.
COTY S.A.S.
COTY INC.
COTY US LLC
- AND -
ASCENDIA BRANDS CO., INC.
ASCENDIA BRANDS, INC.
LANDER INTANGIBLES CORPORATION
_____________________________________
ASSET PURCHASE
AGREEMENT
_____________________________________
January 17,
2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
|
|
Section 1.1
|
Definitions
|
1
|
|
ARTICLE II PURCHASE AND SALE OF
ASSETS
|
11
|
|
|
Section 2.1
|
Sale and Purchase of the Brand Assets
|
11
|
|
|
Section 2.2
|
Brand Assets
|
12
|
|
|
Section 2.3
|
Excluded Assets
|
13
|
|
|
Section 2.4
|
Retained Liabilities
|
14
|
|
ARTICLE III PURCHASE PRICE
|
16
|
|
|
Section 3.1
|
Purchase Price
|
16
|
|
|
Section 3.3
|
Inventory Adjustment.
|
17
|
|
|
Section 3.4
|
Adjustments for Discrepancies in
Reserves.
|
17
|
|
|
Section 3.5
|
Additional Purchase Price.
|
18
|
|
|
Section 3.6
|
Tax Allocations
|
20
|
|
ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE
SELLERS
|
20
|
|
|
Section 4.1
|
Corporate Existence and Power
|
20
|
|
|
Section 4.2
|
Corporate Authorization
|
20
|
|
|
Section 4.3
|
Governmental Authorization
|
21
|
|
|
Section 4.4
|
Non–Contravention
|
21
|
|
|
Section 4.5
|
Brand Financial Statements
|
21
|
|
|
Section 4.6
|
Absence of Certain Changes
|
22
|
|
|
Section 4.7
|
Litigation
|
22
|
|
|
Section 4.9
|
Brand Inventory
|
22
|
|
|
Section 4.10
|
Title to Properties; Leases
|
22
|
|
|
Section 4.11
|
Compliance with Laws; Government
Approvals.
|
22
|
|
|
Section 4.12
|
Brand Intellectual Property
|
23
|
|
|
Section 4.13
|
Environmental Matters.
|
24
|
|
|
Section 4.14
|
Contracts
|
25
|
|
|
Section 4.15
|
Product Liability Claims
|
25
|
|
|
Section 4.16
|
Suppliers and Customers
|
25
|
|
|
Section 4.17
|
Customer Accommodations
|
25
|
|
|
Section 4.18
|
Operation of the Brands
|
26
|
|
|
Section 4.19
|
Insurance
|
26
|
|
|
Section 4.20
|
Finders and Investment Bankers
|
26
|
i
|
|
Section 4.21
|
Accuracy of Statements
|
26
|
|
|
Section 4.22
|
Sufficiency of Assets
|
26
|
|
|
Section 4.23
|
Adequacy of Reserves
|
26
|
|
|
Section 4.24
|
Value of the Brand Inventory and Raw
Materials
|
27
|
|
|
Section 4.25
|
Investment Representation.
|
27
|
|
|
Section 4.26
|
No Other Representations
|
27
|
|
|
Section 4.27
|
Seller Reliance
|
28
|
|
ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE
PURCHASERS
|
28
|
|
|
Section 5.1
|
Corporate Existence and Power
|
28
|
|
|
Section 5.2
|
Corporate Authorization
|
29
|
|
|
Section 5.3
|
Governmental Authorization
|
29
|
|
|
Section 5.4
|
Non–Contravention
|
29
|
|
|
Section 5.6
|
Financial Condition
|
30
|
|
|
Section 5.7
|
Absence of Certain Changes
|
30
|
|
|
Section 5.8
|
Litigation
|
30
|
|
|
Section 5.10
|
Title to Properties; Leases
|
30
|
|
|
Section 5.11
|
Compliance with Laws; Government
Approvals.
|
30
|
|
|
Section 5.13
|
Environmental Matters.
|
31
|
|
|
Section 5.14
|
Insurance
|
31
|
|
|
Section 5.15
|
Accuracy of Statements
|
31
|
|
|
Section 5.16
|
Securities and Exchange Commission
Filings
|
31
|
|
|
Section 5.17
|
Finders and Investment Bankers
|
32
|
|
|
Section 5.18
|
Capitalization.
|
32
|
|
|
Section 5.19
|
No Other Representations
|
32
|
|
|
Section 5.20
|
Purchaser Reliance
|
33
|
|
|
Section 6.1
|
Confidentiality
|
33
|
|
|
Section 6.3
|
Further Assurances; Filings; Commercially
Reasonable Best Efforts; Nonassignable Assets; Retained Accounts
Receivable.
|
35
|
|
|
Section 6.4
|
Books and Records
|
38
|
|
|
Section 6.5
|
Sales, Use and Transfer Taxes and
Fees
|
38
|
|
|
Section 6.6
|
Actions With Respect to the Brands and the Brand
Assets Prior to the Closing Date
|
39
|
|
|
Section 6.7
|
Assignment Agreements
|
40
|
|
|
Section 6.8
|
Transition Services Agreement
|
40
|
|
|
Section 6.9
|
Manufacturing Agreement
|
40
|
|
|
Section 6.10
|
Indemnification.
|
40
|
|
|
Section 6.11
|
Indemnification Procedures.
|
42
|
ii
|
|
Section 6.12
|
Prorations
|
43
|
|
|
Section 6.13
|
Covenant Not to Compete
|
43
|
|
|
Section 6.14
|
Insurance Proceeds
|
44
|
|
|
Section 6.15
|
Employees
|
44
|
|
|
Section 6.16
|
Insurance
|
44
|
|
|
Section 6.17
|
Asset Acquisition
|
44
|
|
|
Section 6.18
|
Reimbursement
|
44
|
|
|
Section 6.19
|
Non-Use of Certain Domain Names
|
45
|
|
|
Section 7.1
|
Closing Date and Place
|
45
|
|
|
Section 7.2
|
Purchasers’ Conditions to
Closing
|
45
|
|
|
Section 7.3
|
Sellers’ Conditions to Closing
|
46
|
|
|
Section 7.4
|
The Sellers’ Closing
Obligations
|
47
|
|
|
Section 7.5
|
The Purchasers’ Closing
Obligations
|
48
|
|
|
Section 7.6
|
Termination
|
49
|
|
|
Section 7.7
|
Effect of Termination
|
49
|
|
ARTICLE VIII MISCELLANEOUS
|
50
|
|
|
Section 8.1
|
Trademarks and Patents.
|
50
|
|
|
Section 8.2
|
GOVERNING LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER
OF JURY TRIAL.
|
50
|
|
|
Section 8.3
|
Resolution of Disputes
|
51
|
|
|
Section 8.4
|
Entire Agreement; Construction.
|
52
|
|
|
Section 8.5
|
Interpretation
|
52
|
|
|
Section 8.8
|
Counterparts; Telecopier
|
53
|
|
|
Section 8.11
|
Remedies; Specific Performance
|
54
|
|
|
Section 8.12
|
Guaranty of the Purchaser Guarantor
|
54
|
iii
Schedules
|
Schedule 2.2(c)
|
-
|
Brand Permits
|
|
Schedule 2.2(i)
|
-
|
Brand Tangible Property
|
|
Schedule 2.3(k)
|
-
|
Excluded Intellectual Property
|
|
Schedule 4.3
|
-
|
Governmental Authorizations
|
|
Schedule 4.5
|
-
|
Brand Financial Statements
|
|
Schedule 4.11(c)
|
-
|
Scientific Data Files
|
|
Schedule 4.12
|
-
|
Brand Intellectual Property
|
|
Schedule 4.13
|
-
|
Environmental Disclosure
|
|
Schedule 4.14
|
-
|
Brand Contracts
|
|
Schedule 4.16
|
-
|
Customers
|
|
Schedule 4.17
|
-
|
Customer Accommodations
|
|
Schedule 4.19
|
-
|
Insurance Policies
|
|
Schedule 4.20
|
-
|
Finders and Investment Bankers
|
|
Schedule 5.4
|
-
|
Non-Contravention
|
|
Schedule 5.8
|
-
|
Litigation Disclosure
|
|
Schedule 5.10
|
-
|
Purchaser Permitted Liens
|
|
Schedule 5.11
|
-
|
Compliance with Laws
|
|
Schedule 5.13
|
-
|
Environmental Disclosure
|
|
Schedule 5.14
|
-
|
Insurance Policies
|
|
Schedule 5.16
|
-
|
Securities and Exchange Commission
Filings
|
|
Schedule 5.17
|
-
|
Finders and Investment Bankers
|
|
Schedule 6.6
|
-
|
Actions with Respect to the Brands and Brand
Assets
|
iv
Exhibits
|
Exhibit A
|
-
|
Form of Assignment and Assumption
Agreement
|
|
Exhibit B
|
-
|
Form of Transition Services Agreement
|
|
Exhibit C
|
-
|
Form of Manufacturing Agreement
|
|
Exhibit D
|
-
|
Form of Trademark Assignment
|
|
Exhibit E
|
-
|
Form of Patent Assignment
|
|
Exhibit F
|
-
|
Form of Assignment of Calgon License
|
|
Exhibit G
|
-
|
Form of Patent and Technology License
|
|
Exhibit H
|
-
|
Product & Customer Data Template
|
|
Exhibit I
|
-
|
Form of Registration Rights Agreement
|
|
Exhibit J
|
-
|
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
|
v
ASSET PURCHASE
AGREEMENT
This Asset Purchase Agreement (the
“ Agreement ”) is made as of this 17th day of
January, 2007 by and among COTY B.V., a Dutch besloten vennootschap with
offices at Oudeweg 147, 2031 CC Haarlem, The Netherlands
(hereinafter “ Coty BV ”); COTY
CANADA INC., a Canadian corporation with offices at
1255 Trans-Canada Highway, Suite 200, Dorval HP9 2V4, Quebec,
Canada (hereinafter “ Coty Canada ”);
COTY S.A.S., a French
société par actions simplifiée with offices
at 14/16 Rue de Miromesnil, 75008 Paris, France (hereinafter
“ Coty SA ”); COTY INC., a Delaware corporation with offices at 2
Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016 (hereinafter “ Coty
”); COTY US
LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company with offices at 2 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016
(hereinafter “ Coty US ”, and together with Coty
BV, Coty Canada, Coty SA and Coty, collectively the “
Sellers ” and individually a “ Seller
”); ASCENDIA BRANDS CO., INC.
(hereinafter “ Ascendia ”), a New Jersey
corporation with offices at 100 American Metro Boulevard, Suite
108, Hamilton, NJ 06819; LANDER INTANGIBLES CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation with offices at 1011
Centre Road, Suite 202, Wilmington, DE 19805 (hereinafter “
Lander ” and together with Ascendia collectively the
“ Purchasers ” and individually a “
Purchaser ”); and Ascendia Brands, Inc., a Delaware
corporation with offices at 100 American Metro Boulevard, Suite
108, Hamilton, NJ 06819 (hereinafter the “ Purchaser
Guarantor ”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS the Sellers own or are the
licensees of the Calgon ® and the Healing
Garden ® brands in the United States, Canada
and (in the case of the Healing Garden ) the additional
jurisdictions specified in Schedule 4.12 to this Agreement
(hereinafter the “ Brands ”);
WHEREAS Lander desires to acquire
from the Sellers the trademarks, formulae and other intellectual
property related to the Brands and Ascendia desires to acquire from
the Sellers certain other brand-related assets, all as more fully
described herein; and
WHEREAS the Sellers desire to sell
the Brands and such brand-related assets to the Purchasers, all
upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this
Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the mutual covenants herein set forth, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
|
|
Section 1.1
|
Definitions .
|
(a)
As used in this Agreement, and
unless the context requires a different meaning, the following
terms have the meanings indicated:
1
“ Accountants ”
has the meaning specified in Section 3.3(b).” Additional
Purchase Price ” has the meaning specified in Section
3.5(a).
“ Affiliate ”
means with respect to a specified Person, another Person that
directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries,
controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with,
such specified Person.
“ Agreement ”
means this agreement, including all Exhibits and Schedules hereto,
as from time to time amended.
“ Asserted Liability
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.11(a).
“ Assignment and Assumption
Agreement ” means an agreement, substantially in the form
of Exhibit A , pursuant to which the rights and obligations
of the Sellers under the Brand Contracts, other than Brand
Contracts that constitute Nonassignable Assets, are assigned to,
and assumed by, Purchasers.
“ Base Price ”
has the meaning specified in Section 3.1.
“ Brand Assets ”
has the meaning specified in Section 2.2.
“ Benckiser ”
means, in the context of the Calgon License, Reckitt Benckiser
N.V., its predecessors in interest, and its legal or permitted
successors or assignees.
“ Brand Financial
Statements ” means the unaudited statements of income of
each of the Brands for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2004, 2005
and 2006 and the four months ended October 31, 2006, as set forth
in Schedule 4.5 .
“ Brand Contracts
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.2(d).
“ Brand Intellectual
Property ” has the meaning specified in Section
4.12(a).
“ Brand Inventory
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.2(b).
“ Brand Material Adverse
Effect ” means any event, change, occurrence,
circumstance or development which has had or, to the Knowledge of
the Sellers, would have a material adverse effect on the condition
(financial or otherwise) of the Brands or the Brand Assets, or the
results of operations of the Brands, taken as a whole, or that
materially adversely affects the ability of the Sellers to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the
other Transaction Documents or materially impairs or delays the
Sellers’ ability to perform their obligations hereunder and
thereunder; provided, however , that a Brand Material
Adverse Effect shall not include any event, change, occurrence,
circumstance or development resulting from: (a) any changes
that generally affect the health and beauty care industry;
(b) any changes in general economic, financial, political,
market or regulatory conditions; (c) an outbreak or escalation
of war, armed hostilities, acts of terrorism, political instability
or other
2
national or international calamity,
crisis or emergency, or any governmental or other response or
reaction to any of the foregoing, in each case, whether occurring
within or outside the United States; (d) any changes or
effects, including any disruption of customer, supplier or other
similar relationships, arising out of, or attributable to, the
public announcement or pendency of this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement; or (e) any changes
arising out of, or attributable to, a breach of this Agreement by
any Purchaser.
“ Brand Permits ”
has the meaning specified in Section 2.2(c).
“ Brand Product ”
means any product (determined on an SKU basis) sold under any of
the trademarks set forth in Schedule 4.12 , including
Obsolete Inventory, but not including any raw materials, packaging
or work-in-progress.
“ Brand Tangible
Property ” has the meaning specified in Section
2.2(i).
“ Brands ” has
the meaning specified in the recitals to the Agreement.
“ Business Day ”
means any day other than a day upon which banks in the City of New
York, NY are permitted or required to close.
“Calgon
Corporation” means
the licensor to Benckiser of the right to sublicense the Calgon
License.
“ Calgon License
” means, collectively, (a) the License Agreement for
“Calgon” Trademarks dated April 29, 1977 concerning the
United States between Merck & Co., Inc., as licensor, and
Beecham, Inc., as licensee, (b) the License Agreement for
“Calgon” and “Calgonite” Trademarks dated
April 29, 1977 concerning Canada between a predecessor to Calgon
Corporation, as licensor, and Beecham, Inc., as licensee, (c) the
Trademark License Agreement effective as of July 1, 1997 between
Benckiser, as sublicensor, and Coty, as sublicensee, each as
assigned and/or amended to the date hereof pursuant to which Coty
acquired certain rights to the Calgon name and mark in the United
States and Canada, and (d) the Amendment to License Agreement for
“Calgon” Trademarks between Calgon Corporation and Coty
US dated as of December 22, 1997.
“ Cash Amount ”
has the meaning specified in Section 3.5(a).
“ Claimant ” has
the meaning specified in Section 8.3(b).
“ Claims Notice ”
has the meaning specified in Section 6.11(a).
“ Closing ” has
the meaning specified in Section 7.1.
“ Closing Date ”
has the meaning specified in Section 7.1.
“ Closing Inventory
Value ” has the meaning specified in Section
3.3(a).
3
“ Closing Payment
” has the meaning specified in Section 3.2(b).
“ Code ” means
the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and
the regulations issued thereunder.
“ Commitment Fee
” has the meaning specified in Section 3.2(a).
“ Competing Product
Line ” has the meaning specified in Section
6.13.
“ Confidential Material
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.1(a).
“ Consent and Amendment
Agreement ” means the Consent and Amendment Agreement (i)
to be entered into among Calgon Corporation, Benckiser, Coty US,
Coty, Coty Canada, the Purchasers and the Purchaser Guarantor and
all other parties in the chain of succession of licensors and
sublicensors under the Calgon License (or their
successors-in-interest to the extent documentation of such
succession is provided to Purchasers) and (ii) otherwise to be in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Purchasers and
the Purchaser Guarantor.
“ Contract ”
means any oral or written license agreement, lease, franchise,
contract, agreement, commitment or other binding arrangement
(including any amendments, modifications, extensions or
replacements thereof) used in and related primarily to the Brands,
which, for the avoidance of doubt, excludes all Contracts related
to software.
“ Deduction ” has
the meaning specified in Section 6.18.
“ Disclosure Schedule
” means, as applicable, (a) a written document prepared
by the Sellers and delivered to the Purchasers on the date of this
Agreement containing certain information about the Sellers, the
Brands and the Brand Assets, or (b) a written document
prepared by the Purchasers and delivered to the Sellers on the date
of this Agreement containing certain information about the
Purchasers. References in this Agreement to individual
“Schedules” shall mean references to individual
sections of the applicable Disclosure Schedule.
“ Earn-Out Note ”
has the meaning specified in Section 3.5(d).
“ Earn-Out Period
” has the meaning specified in Section 3.5(a).
“ Environmental Laws
” means, without limitation, the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C.
§ 9601 et seq., the Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C. § 11001 et
seq., the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42. U.S.C.
§ 6901 et seq., the Toxic Substances Control Act,
15 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq ., the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, 7 U.S.C.
§ 136 et seq., the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C.
§ 7401 et seq., the Clean Water Act (Federal Water
Pollution Control Act), 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq., the
Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.,
the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, 49 U.S.C.
§ 1801 et seq., as any of the above statutes have been or
may be amended from time to time, all rules and
regulations
4
promulgated pursuant to any of the
above statutes, and any other foreign, federal, state or local law,
statute, ordinance, rule or regulation governing Environmental
Matters, as the same have been or may be amended from time to time,
and all applicable judicial and administrative decisions, orders,
and decrees relating to Environmental Matters.
“ Environmental Matter
” means any matter arising out of, relating to, or resulting
from pollution or protection of the environment.
“ Exchange Act ”
means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“ Excluded Assets
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3.
“ Excluded Intellectual
Property ” has the meaning specified in Section
2.3(k).
“ Excluded Inventory
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(j).
“ Expiration Date
” has the meaning specified in Section 8.7.
“Final
Calculation” has
the meaning specified in Section 3.5(b).
“ Financing Documents
” means the definitive documentation pursuant to which the
Purchaser Guarantor obtains the financing required to make the
Closing Payment.
“ Foreign Inventory
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(j).
“ Formulations ”
means the current written formulations used by the applicable
Sellers in manufacturing products under the Brands and the prior
formulations in the records of the Sellers (to the extent
available) for each Brand.
“ GAAP ” means
the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States
as defined by controlling pronouncements of the Financial
Accounting Standards Board, as from time to time supplemented and
amended.
“ Governmental
Authority ” means any domestic, foreign, international,
national, federal, state, provincial or local governmental,
regulatory or administrative authority, agency, commission, court,
tribunal, arbitral body or self-regulated entity.
“ Healing Garden
Revenues ” has the meaning specified in Section
3.5(a).
“ Indemnifying Party
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.11(a).
“ Indemnified Parties
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.10(b).
“ Indemnity Cap ”
has the meaning specified in Section 6.10(d).
“ Indemnity Threshold
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.10(d).
5
“ Inventory Reserve
” means and includes any and all reserves maintained by
Sellers as of the Closing Date for Obsolete Inventory.
“ Inventory Value
” means the aggregate book value of all Brand Inventory
recorded on Sellers’ books as of the Closing Date, but not
including any Raw Materials, reduced (to the extent not already
reflected in the book value) by the aggregate amounts of the
Returns Reserve and the Inventory Reserve.
“ Knowledge ”
means (i) with respect to the Sellers, the actual knowledge of
the employees of the Sellers listed on Schedule
1.1 following reasonable inquiry in the context of such
employees’ day-to-day responsibilities and not specifically
for the purpose hereof and (ii) with respect to the
Purchasers, the actual knowledge of the employees of the Purchasers
and Purchaser Guarantor listed on Schedule 1.1
following reasonable inquiry in the context of such
employees’ day-to-day responsibilities and not specifically
for the purpose hereof.
“ Lien ” and
“ Liens ” means any lien, claim, encumbrance,
preference, right or security interest.
“ Lock Up Agreement
” has the meaning specified in Section 3.2(d).
“ Losses ” mean
any claims, actions, proceedings, losses, liabilities, damages,
costs and expenses including, without limitation, reasonable fees
and expenses of counsel incurred by the applicable Indemnified
Party in any claim, action or proceeding.
“ Manufacturing
Agreement ” means the contract manufacturing agreement
substantially in the form of Exhibit C , pursuant to which
Coty US will manufacture Brand Products for the Purchasers
following Closing.
“ Nonassignable Assets
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.3(c).
“ Note ” has the
meaning specified in Section 3.2(e).
“ Obsolete Inventory
” means any and all items of Brand Inventory classified by
Sellers as of the Closing Date as slow-moving, obsolete or
unsaleable, for which a balance sheet reserve or allowance has been
taken or made.
“ Obsolete Inventory
Value ” means the aggregate book value of any Obsolete
Inventory as of the Closing Date, reduced to the extent applicable
by the Inventory Reserve.
“ Order ” means
any order, judgment, injunction, award, decree or writ handed down
or imposed by any Governmental Authority.
“ Parent Guaranty
” has the meaning specified in Section 8.12.
“ Patent and Technology
License ” has the meaning specified in Section
7.4(g).
6
“ Patent Assignment
” means a patent assignment by the Sellers, in favor of
Lander, substantially in the form of Exhibit E , for each
country in which patents or pending patent applications that are
Brand Intellectual Property are owned by any of the Sellers,
listing each such patent and patent application owned by such
Seller with a description of each such patent or patent application
by subject matter and the patent or patent application
number.
“ Person ” means
any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated
or unincorporated association, joint venture, joint stock company,
limited liability company, Governmental Authority or other entity
of any kind, and shall include any successor (by merger or
otherwise) to such entity.
“ Processing
Instructions ” means the current written processing
instructions used by the applicable Seller in manufacturing Brand
Products and the prior written processing instructions in the
records of the Sellers (to the extent available) for each Brand
Product, as set forth in Schedule 4.11(c) .
“ Product and Customer
Data ” means the information specified in Exhibit
H .
“Purchase
Orders” has the
meaning specified in Section 2.2(e).
“ Purchase Price
” has the meaning specified in Section 3.1.
“ Purchaser ” and
“ Purchasers ” have the meanings specified in
the Preamble to the Agreement.
“ Purchaser Financial
Statements ” means the audited consolidated financial
statements of the Purchaser Guarantor for the fiscal year ended
February 28, 2006 and the unaudited consolidated financial
statements of the Purchaser Guarantor for the fiscal quarters ended
May 27, 2006 and August 26, 2006.
“ Purchaser Guarantor
” has the meaning specified in the Preamble to the
Agreement.
“ Purchaser Indemnified
Parties ” has the meaning specified in Section
6.10(a).
“ Purchaser Material
Adverse Effect ” means any event, change, occurrence,
circumstance or development which has had or, to the Knowledge of
the Purchasers, would have a material adverse effect on the
condition (financial or otherwise), business, assets or results of
operations of the Purchasers and their Subsidiaries, taken as a
whole, or that materially adversely affects the ability of the
Purchasers to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents or materially impairs
or delays the Purchasers’ ability to perform their
obligations hereunder and thereunder; provided, however,
that a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect shall not include any
event, change, occurrence, circumstance or development resulting
from: (a) any changes that generally affect the industries in
which the Purchasers operate; (b) any changes in general
economic, financial, political, market or
7
regulatory conditions; (c) an
outbreak or escalation of war, armed hostilities, acts of
terrorism, political instability or other national or international
calamity, crisis or emergency, or any governmental or other
response or reaction to any of the foregoing, in each case, whether
occurring within or outside the United States; (d) any changes
or effects, including any disruption of customer, supplier or other
similar relationships arising out of, or attributable to, the
public announcement or pendency of this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement; or (e) any
changes arising out of, or attributable to, a breach of this
Agreement by the Sellers.
“ Purchaser Obligations
” has the meaning specified in Section 8.12.
“ Purchaser Permitted
Liens ” means and includes (i) Liens for Taxes not yet
due and payable or being contested in good faith; (ii) Liens
imposed by law arising in the ordinary course of business such as
materialmen’s, mechanics’, warehousemen’s and
other like Liens; (iii) Liens under worker’s
compensation, unemployment insurance, social security or similar
legislation; (iv) cash security securing letters of credit; (v)
purchase money Liens; (vi) Liens with respect to real estate,
easements, rights of way, restrictions, encroachments and other
minor defects or irregularities in title, in each case which do not
interfere in any material respect with the ordinary conduct of the
business of the Purchasers; (vii) Liens solely on any cash earnest
money deposits made by the Purchaser in connection with any letter
of intent or purchase agreement for an acquisition; (ix) purported
Liens evidenced by the filing of precautionary UCC financing
statements relating to operating leases of personal property
entered into in the ordinary course of business; (x) Liens in favor
of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to
secure payments of customs duties in connection with the
importation of goods; (xi) any zoning or similar law or right
reserved to or vested in any Governmental Authority to control or
regulate the use of any real property; (xii) licenses of patents,
trademarks and other intellectual property rights granted by the
Purchasers in the ordinary course of business and not interfering
in any material respect with the ordinary conduct of the business
of the Purchasers; (xiii) Liens that are replacements of Liens
permitted under the other clauses of this definition
“Permitted Liens” to the extent that the original debt
is extended, renewed, refinanced or replaced and so long as the
replacement Liens only encumber those assets that secured the
extended, renewed, refinanced or replaced debt; (xiv) Liens
securing capital lease obligations and (xv) Liens as set forth on
Schedule 5.10.
“ Raw Materials ”
has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(j).
“ Raw Materials Inventory
Value ” has the meaning specified in Section
2.3(j).
“ Raw Materials Inventory
Value Certification ” shall mean a statement, to be
certified by an officer of Coty and delivered to Purchasers at
Closing, setting forth the amount of the Raw Materials Inventory
Value as of the Closing Date.
“ Records Holder
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.4.
“ Registration Rights
Agreement ” has the meaning specified in Section
3.2(d).
8
“ Representatives
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.1(d).
“ Requesting Party
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.4.
“ Requirement of Law
” means, as to any Person, any law, statute, treaty, rule,
regulation, right, privilege, qualification, license, franchise or
determination of an arbitrator or a court or other Governmental
Authority or stock exchange, in each case applicable or binding
upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or
any of its property is subject or pertaining to any or all of the
transactions contemplated or referred to herein.
“ Respondent ”
has the meaning specified in Section 8.3(b).
“ Reserve Certification
” shall mean a statement, to be certified by an officer of
Coty and delivered to Purchasers at Closing, setting forth the
amount of the Returns Reserve and the Inventory Reserve as of the
Closing Date.
“ Restricted Parties
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.13.
“ Restricted Period
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.13.
“ Restrictions ”
has the meaning specified in Section 6.13.
“ Retained Accounts
Receivable ” has the meaning specified in Section
2.3(b).
“ Retained Liabilities
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.4.
“ Retention Claim
” has the meaning specified in Section 6.10(a).
“ Returns Amount
” has the meaning specified in Section 3.4(a).
“ Returns Reserve
” means and includes any and all reserves maintained by
Sellers in respect of estimated returned Brand Products shipped
prior to the Closing Date, but not including any allowances
provided or taken as an offset, discount or deduction against
purchase price by customers.
“ Rule 11-01(d) ”
has the meaning specified in Section 6.17.
“ Scientific Data Files
” means all files, data and information in the Sellers’
possession, in all media, relating to consumer testing, clinical
trials and the like (whether or not filed with or reviewed by the
Federal Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission
or any other Governmental Authority) that are or have been used or
relied on by the Sellers to support or justify any advertising and
label claims with respect to the safety, efficacy or other
characteristics of any Brand Products sold by Sellers within the
twelve (12) month period prior to Closing.
“ SEC Reports ”
has the meaning specified in Section 5.16.
9
“ Securities Act
” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“ Seller Indemnified
Parties ” has the meaning specified in Section
6.10(b).
“ Seller Permitted
Liens ” mean and includes (i) Liens for Taxes not
yet due and payable or being contested in good faith, or
(ii) Liens to be released as of the Closing Date.
“ SKU ” means
stock keeping unit.
“ Solvent ”
means, as to any Person at any date of determination, that
(a) the fair saleable value of its assets (measured on a going
concern basis) is greater than the amount of its liabilities
(including disputed, contingent and unliquidated liabilities) as
such value is established and liabilities evaluated for purposes of
Section 101(32)(A) of the Federal Bankruptcy Reform Act of
1978 (11 U.S.C. §101, et seq.), as amended and in effect
from time to time and the regulations issued from time to time
thereunder and, in the alternative, for purposes of the Uniform
Fraudulent Transfer Act, (b) the present fair saleable value
of its assets is not less than the amount that will be required to
pay the probable liability on its debts as they become absolute and
matured, (c) it is able to realize upon its assets and pay its
debts and other liabilities (including disputed, contingent and
unliquidated liabilities) as they mature in the normal course of
business, (d) it does not intend to, and does not believe that
it will, incur debts or liabilities beyond its ability to pay as
such debts and liabilities mature and (e) it is not engaged in
business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in business
or a transaction, for which its property would constitute
unreasonably small capital and, in addition, with respect to any
Person organized or formed in a jurisdiction other than the United
States, “Solvent” shall have such meaning provided for
in the bankruptcy or similar law in the jurisdiction of such
Person’s organization or formation. The amount of disputed,
contingent and unliquidated liabilities at any time shall be
computed as the amount that, in light of all the facts and
circumstances existing at the time, represents the amount that can
reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured
liability.
“ Specifications
” means the current written raw materials, manufacturing,
packaging, labeling and quality assurance specifications used by
the applicable Seller in producing products under the Brands and
the prior raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, labeling and
quality assurance specifications in the records of the Sellers (to
the extent available) for each Brand, as set forth in Schedule
4.11(c) .
“ Subsidiary ”
means, as of the relevant date of determination, with respect to
any Person, each Person as to which such Person directly or
indirectly owns beneficially or of record or has the power to vote
or control, fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting securities of
such entity or of any class of equity interests of such Person the
holders of which are ordinarily entitled to vote for the election
of the members of the board of directors or other persons
performing similar functions.
10
“ Taxes ” means
and includes all federal, state, local and foreign income,
property, sales, excise and other taxes, customs duties, tariffs or
governmental charges of any nature whatsoever.
“ Tax Returns ”
means all returns and reports required to be supplied to a tax
authority relating to Taxes.
“ Termination Date
” has the meaning specified in Section 7.1.
“ Territory ”
means the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and each other country
where the applicable Brands have been marketed during any of the
three (3) years ended on the Closing Date.
“ Trade Secrets ”
means the Formulations, the Processing Instructions, the
Specifications and any research records, processes, procedures,
manufacturing formulae, recipes, databases, technical know-how,
confidential business information, designs, plans, inventions
(whether patentable and whether reduced to practice), invention
disclosures and trade secrets related to each Brand.
“ Transaction Documents
” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Note, the Earn-Out
Notes (if any), the Transition Services Agreement, the
Manufacturing Agreement, the Assignment and Assumption Agreements
and each bill of sale and assignment and transfer document
delivered pursuant to this Agreement.
“ Transition Services
Agreement ” has the meaning specified in Section
6.8.
“ UPC Codes ”
means the universal product codes used to identify the Brand
Products prior to the Closing Date, to the extent such codes
include the Sellers’ proprietary manufacturer’s
codes.
“ U.S. Gross Revenues
” has the meaning specified in Section 3.5(e).
“ Written-Off Inventory
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.3(j).
ARTICLE II
PURCHASE AND SALE OF
ASSETS
Section 2.1
Sale and Purchase of the Brand
Assets . Upon the terms
and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at
Closing: (i) the Sellers shall convey, assign, deliver and transfer
to Lander all of the Sellers’ right, title and interest in
and to the Brand Intellectual Property; and (ii) the Sellers shall
convey, assign, deliver and transfer to Ascendia, all of the
Sellers’ right, interest and title in and to the Brand Assets
other than the Brand Intellectual Property, in each case free and
clear of all Liens.
11
Section 2.2
Brand Assets
. The term “ Brands
Assets “ means and includes the following:
(a)
Intellectual Property
. All of the Sellers’ right,
title and interest in and to the Brand Intellectual Property, as
listed on Schedule 4.12, and all goodwill relating
thereto;
(b)
Inventory . All inventory of Brand Products as of the
Closing Date, including Obsolete Inventory, but not including the
Excluded Inventory (collectively, the “ Brand
Inventory ”).
(c)
Permits . All governmental permits, licenses and
authorizations held by the Sellers used primarily in connection
with or relating primarily to the Brands, as listed on Schedule
2.2(c) , to the extent the same may be assigned or transferred
to the Purchasers (collectively, the “ Brand Permits
”);
(d)
Contracts . All of the Sellers’ rights and
obligations post the Closing Date (to the extent the same are
permitted to be transferred or assigned to the Purchasers) under,
and the benefits of, the Brand Contracts, as listed in Schedule
4.14 (collectively, the “ Brand Contracts
”);
(e)
Orders . All of the Sellers’ rights and
obligations post the Closing Date (to the extent the same are
assignable or transferable to the Purchasers) under all purchase
orders and commitments for the purchase of Brand Products that have
not been shipped as of the Closing Date (collectively, the “
Purchase Orders ”);
(f)
Promotional Materials
. All product-specific literature,
advertising materials, creative materials, studies, reports,
surveys and promotional materials that are primarily used in the
marketing and sale of, or relate primarily to, the Brands or the
Brand Products or the Scientific Data Files;
(g)
Customer Lists
. A list or lists of all customers
who purchased Brand Products from the Sellers during the two year
period ended September 30, 2006 (including customers with open
purchase orders);
(h)
Books and Records
. All books, files and records of
the Sellers (including all computer diskettes, CD-ROMs, tapes and
other media-storing devices) primarily relating to the Brands,
including without limitation the Product and Customer Data;
provided, however , that to the extent any of such books,
files or records also relate to any assets of the Sellers other
than Brand Assets, the Sellers may deliver to Ascendia at Closing
appropriately redacted copies (but not originals) of such books,
files and records; and
(i)
Personal Property
. All molds, dies, tools, plates
and other tangible property used exclusively in connection with the
Brands, wherever located, as listed on Schedule
2.2(i) (collectively, the “ Brand Tangible
Property ”), provided that , except in the
case
12
of the items of Brand Tangible
Property identified with an asterisk on Schedule 2.2(i) ,
Ascendia shall take delivery of such items upon termination of the
Manufacturing Agreement (notwithstanding that legal title to such
items shall pass to Ascendia at Closing); and
(j)
Accounts Receivable
. Any accounts receivable or other
rights to payments representing amounts due in respect of Brand
Products shipped to any customer after the Closing Date, and the
benefit of all security for such accounts, rights to payment of
notes, and any claim, remedy or other right related to any of the
foregoing.
Section 2.3
Excluded Assets
. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, the Brand Assets do not include any of
the following, whether or not used in, or relating to, the Brands
(collectively the “ Excluded Assets
”):
|
|
(a)
|
Cash and Cash Equivalents
. Any cash or cash
equivalents;
|
(b)
Accounts Receivable
. Any accounts receivable or other
rights to payment, including, without limitation, trade accounts
receivable representing amounts due in respect of Brand Products
shipped to any customer on or before the close of business on the
day preceding the Closing Date, and all other accounts or notes
receivable of any Seller, and the benefit of all security for such
accounts, rights to payment or notes, and any claim, remedy or
other right related to any of the foregoing (collectively, the
“ Retained Accounts Receivable ”);
(c)
Real Property
. The land and leaseholds, and other
estates in the real property currently used in connection with the
Brands and all appurtenances thereto and all easements, privileges,
rights-of-way and other rights pertaining to or accruing to the
benefit of such real property and buildings, warehouses, and
fixtures and improvements thereon;
(d)
Machinery and
Equipment . All machinery
and equipment of the Sellers, including without limitation the
machinery and equipment used in manufacturing the Brand Products,
other than the Brand Tangible Property;
(e)
Corporate Records
. (i) All corporate seals,
corporate minute books, stock ledgers and other corporate books and
records of the Sellers, (ii) all books and records of the
Sellers relating to Taxes imposed with respect to the Brands and
the Brand Assets, and (iii) all original books and records
that would otherwise constitute Brand Assets but for the fact that
a Seller is required to retain such original books and records
pursuant to any Requirements of Law (in which case copies of such
books and records shall be included in the Brand
Assets);
(f)
Supplier Payments
. All settlement payments received
or expected by the Sellers for claims by the Sellers against any of
their suppliers to the extent arising prior to the Closing Date and
rebate payments arising under rebate programs with suppliers to the
extent earned prior to the Closing Date;
13
(g)
Retained Liabilities; Claims
Against Third Parties .
Any property, right or asset relating to a Retained Liability,
including, without limitation, rights against third
parties;
(h)
Insurance . All of the Sellers’ insurance plans and
policies and all rights and claims thereunder;
(i)
Excluded Documents
. All books, records, files and
documents (including computer diskettes, CD-ROMs, tapes and other
media storing devices) relating to an Excluded Asset or a Retained
Liability; provided, however, that to the extent any of such books,
records, files and documents are also material to the Brand Assets,
the Sellers shall deliver to Ascendia at Closing appropriately
redacted copies (but not originals) of such books, records, files
and documents.
(j)
Excluded Inventory
. (A) All inventory of Brand
Products located outside the United States and Canada as of the
Closing Date (“ Foreign Inventory ”), which
Foreign Inventory may be disposed of outside the United States and
Canada within the Sellers’ sole discretion, for their own
account and at their sole expense, (B) all Obsolete Inventory that
has been designated for destruction by the Sellers as of the
Closing Date or against which a reserve of 100 percent has been
recorded (“ Written-Off Inventory ”), and (C)
all inventory of raw materials, components, packaging and work in
progress of or relating to the Brands and the Brand Products
(“ Raw Materials ”, and together with Foreign
Inventory and Written-Off Inventory, collectively, the “
Excluded Inventory ”), provided that the value
of the Raw Materials as of the Closing Date (the “ Raw
Materials Inventory Value ”) shall be applied as a credit
against the amounts due by the Purchasers pursuant to the
Manufacturing Agreement;
(k)
Excluded Intellectual
Property . Subject to
Section 8.1(b), the intellectual property listed on Schedule
2.3(k) (the “ Excluded Intellectual Property
”); and
(l)
UPC Codes . Subject to Section 8.1(b), the UPC
Codes.
Section 2.4
Retained Liabilities
. Subject to Section 2.5, and
except for obligations under the Brand Contracts, Brand Permits and
Purchase Orders that arise after the Closing (other than
post-Closing obligations that result from or relate to any breach,
default, act or omission by the Sellers on or prior to the Closing
which shall remain Retained Liabilities), the Sellers shall retain,
and pay and perform when due, and shall jointly and severally
indemnify and hold harmless the Purchasers from and against, and
the Purchasers shall in no event assume, nor shall they be liable
for, any obligations or liabilities of any Seller (such obligations
and liabilities, the “ Retained Liabilities ”).
For avoidance of doubt, the Retained Liabilities shall include,
without limitation, the following:
|
|
(a)
|
any indebtedness of any Seller;
|
14
(b)
any liability or obligation for
Taxes of any Seller, including with respect to the Brand Assets,
for any period, or any portion of any period, ending prior to the
Closing Date;
(c)
any liability or obligation relating
to or arising out of the Excluded Assets;
(d)
any liability or obligation of any
Seller (whether express or implied, fixed or contingent, known or
unknown) existing or arising out of acts or omissions of the
Sellers occurring prior to the Closing Date;
(e)
any liabilities or obligations of
any Seller existing or arising prior to Closing or arising out of
or resulting from any event or occurrence occurring prior to
Closing which results in a liability or obligation after the
Closing, in each case, under Environmental Laws or for violation of
any Requirement of Law;
(f)
any liability or obligation of any
Seller under any contractual arrangement with an
Affiliate;
(g)
any product liability claims
relating to Brand Products bearing a manufacturing date code prior
to the Closing Date or as provided in the Manufacturing Agreement
bearing a manufacturing date code on or after the Closing
Date;
(h)
any liability or obligation for
refunds, credits, allowances or other financial accommodations to
customers attributable to Brand Products shipped prior to the
Closing Date (other than relating to returns of the Brand Products
shipped prior to the Closing Date);
(i)
any liability or obligation relating
to or arising from the alleged infringement of the intellectual
property rights of a third party, including but not limited to
Applied Interact, its subsidiaries or assigns and any third party
responsible in any way for the administration or operation of
online sweepstakes, arising from any Seller’s conduct or use
of online sweepstakes with respect to any of the Brands, including
the continuation of such sweepstakes by Purchasers following the
Closing Date until their respective published termination dates;
and
(j)
any liability arising under or in
respect of Brand Contracts as a result of any breach thereof,
default thereunder or act or omission of Sellers that occurred
prior to the Closing Date.
Section 2.5
Returns . Subject to Sections 2.4(g), 3.3 and 3.4,
returns of any Brand Products on or after the Closing Date shall be
deemed to be related to the operation of the Brands after the
Closing Date, regardless of the date upon which such Brand Products
were manufactured or sold.
15
ARTICLE III
PURCHASE PRICE
Section 3.1
Purchase Price
. The purchase price of the Brand
Assets shall be One Hundred and Twenty-Five Million Dollars
($125,000,000) (the “ Base Price ”) reduced by
the amount of the Returns Reserve, increased or decreased as
provided in Sections 3.3 and 3.4 (as so adjusted, the “
Purchase Price ”) and increased by the amount of any
Additional Purchase Price payable pursuant to Section
3.5.
|
|
Section 3.2
|
Payment . The Purchase Price shall be paid as
follows:
|
(a)
Upon signing of this Agreement, the
Purchasers shall pay to Coty for the account of the Sellers as
their respective interests may appear, a commitment fee of Two
Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) (the “
Commitment Fee ”), provided that (i) in the event the
Closing has not occurred by 11:59 PM EST on January 31, 2007, and
(ii) the Sellers have as of such date satisfied all closing
conditions to be satisfied by them (including without limitation
the delivery of the Consent and Amendment Agreement signed by all
necessary parties other than the Purchasers), then the Commitment
Fee shall be increased in amount to One Million Dollars
($1,000,000) in the aggregate and the Purchasers shall pay the
balance thereof to Coty for the account of the Purchasers in
immediately available funds on or before February 1, 2007. The
Commitment Fee shall be credited against the Closing Payment
pursuant to Section 3.2(b) or, in the event the Closing has not
occurred by the Termination Date, retained by Sellers or refunded
to Purchasers as provided in Section 7.7.
(b)
At Closing, the Purchasers shall pay
Coty in immediately available US funds, for the account of the
Sellers as their respective interests may appear, the sum of
Ninety-Five Million Dollars ($95,000,000) (the “ Closing
Payment ”). The Commitment Fee shall be credited to and
applied against the Closing Payment and the net amount shall be
paid by bank wire transfer, in immediately available funds, to such
account as Coty shall, not less than two (2) Business Days prior to
Closing, designate in writing to Ascendia.
(c)
In the event Section 3.3(c) is
applicable, either the Sellers or the Purchasers, as the case may
be, shall pay to the other the amount determined in accordance with
Section 3.
(d)
On the thirtieth (30 th )
day following the Closing Date, (i) the Purchaser Guarantor shall
issue to Coty a number of shares of the common stock, par value
$0.001 per share of the Parent Guarantor (“ Ascendia
Brands Common Stoc k”), determined by dividing Ten
Million Dollars ($10,000,000) by the higher of (x) a factor equal
to ninety five percent (95%) of the average closing price of
Ascendia Brands Common Stock on the thirty (30) trading days
immediately following the issuance date of the first public
announcement of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
hereby and (y) $1.00; provided , however , that the
minimum number of shares of Ascendia Brands Common Stock to be
issued pursuant to this Section 3.2(d) shall be five million
(5,000,000) and (ii) the Parent Guarantor and Coty
16
shall execute and deliver a
registration rights agreement (the “ Registration Rights
Agreement ”) and a lock-up agreement (the “
Lock-Up Agreement ”) with respect to such shares of
Ascendia Brands Common Stock, such agreements to be substantially
in the forms of Exhibit I and Exhibit J ,
respectively.
(e)
$20,000,000 of the Purchase Price
shall be evidenced by, and paid in accordance with the terms of, a
promissory note, substantially in the form of Exhibit K (the
“ Note ”).
|
|
Section 3.3
|
Inventory Adjustment .
|
(a)
As soon as practicable after
Closing, but in any event not later than thirty (30) days
thereafter, the parties shall jointly conduct a physical count (or
a cycle count if so agreed by the parties and acceptable to the
Purchasers’ auditors) of the Brand Inventory. Based upon such
physical count (or cycle count, as the case may be) and the Reserve
Certification furnished by the Sellers at Closing pursuant to
Section 7.4(m), the parties shall calculate the net book value of
the Brand Inventory (the “ Closing Inventory Value
”). Each party shall make available to the other party upon
request copies of the work papers used in its
calculations.
(b)
In the event of any difference in
the parties’ calculations of the Closing Inventory Value, the
parties shall attempt in good faith to reconcile such differences.
If such differences remain unreconciled after ten (10) days, the
parties shall submit a statement of all unresolved differences
together with copies of their respective calculations and work
papers, to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (the “
Accountants ”) for a binding and nonappealable
determination of the Closing Inventory Value to be rendered within
thirty (30) days after such submission. All fees of the Accountants
incurred in this capacity shall be billed to and shared equally by
the Sellers and the Purchasers.
(c)
For purposes of determining the
Purchase Price, if the Inventory Value differs by more than five
percent (5%) from the Closing Inventory Value, the Base Price shall
be (i) decreased, if the Inventory Value exceeds the Closing
Inventory Value, by the full amount of such excess, or (ii)
increased, if the Closing Inventory Value exceeds the Inventory
Value, by the full amount of such excess. Any Base Price purchase
price adjustment required under Section 3.3 shall be paid in cash
to the appropriate recipient within ten (10) Business Days after
the amount of the payment is determined. Such payment shall be
accompanied by interest from the Closing Date calculated at 5
percent per annum.
|
|
Section 3.4
|
Adjustments for Discrepancies in
Reserves .
|
(a)
Promptly following the date that is
six months after the Closing Date, the parties shall calculate the
aggregate payments made by Purchasers with respect to Brand
Products shipped prior to the Closing Date and returned to any
Seller or Purchaser on or after the Closing Date, net of the
aggregate proceeds of any sale, liquidation or other disposition of
such returned Brand Products or the net book value of any Brand
Products returned to
17
inventory, in each case, after such
return, but not including any amounts borne by the Sellers for
their own account (the “ Returns Amount ”). If
the Returns Amount exceeds by more than fifteen percent (15%) the
Returns Reserve certified in the Reserve Certification, Coty shall
pay the amount in excess of such percentage to Ascendia. If the
Returns Reserve certified in the Reserve Certification exceeds by
more than fifteen percent (15%) the Returns Amount, Ascendia shall
pay the amount in excess of such percentage to Coty. Any payment by
either party hereunder shall not exceed One Million Dollars
($1,000,000).
(b)
The parties shall seek in good faith
to agree upon the calculations referred to in Section 3.4(a) within
ten (10) Business Days of the date specified in Section 3.4(a). In
the event the parties are unable to reach agreement on either or
both calculations, the disputed calculation(s) shall be referred to
the Accountants for resolution in accordance with the procedure set
forth in Section 3.3(b) hereof.
(c)
It is stipulated and agreed between
the parties that any adjustment made pursuant to Section 3.4(a)
shall be treated as a purchase price adjustment.
|
|
Section 3.5
|
Additional Purchase Price
.
|
(a)
In the event that, during the period
commencing July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2009 (the “
Earn-Out Period ”), the aggregate U.S. Gross Revenues
derived by Sellers from the sale of Brand Products marketed under
the Healing Garden brand (the “ Healing Garden
Revenues ”) exceed Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000),
the Purchasers shall pay to Coty, for the account of the Sellers,
as additional consideration for the purchase and sale of the
Healing Garden brand and brand-related assets (i) a cash
amount, equal to the lesser of (w) fifty percent (50%) of the
amount by which Healing Garden Revenues exceed Fifty Million
Dollars ($50,000,000) and (x) Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000),
plus the lesser of (y) twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount by
which Healing Garden Revenues exceed Seventy Million Dollars
($70,000,000) and (z) Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) (the
“ Cash Amount ”), and (ii) an additional amount
equal to the lesser of (x) twenty five percent (25%) of the amount
by which Healing Garden Revenues exceed Fifty Million Dollars
($50,000,000) and (y) Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000), which
shall be paid by increasing the principal amount of the Note then
outstanding or, at Purchasers’ option, through the issuance
of an additional promissory note on terms and conditions identical
in all respects (except as to principal amount and issue date) to
the Note (the “ In-Kind Amount ” and, together
with the Cash Amount, the “ Additional Purchase Price
”).
(b)
Not later than twenty (20) Business
Days following the end of each quarter during the Earn-Out Period,
commencing with the quarter ending September 30, 2007, Ascendia
shall provide to Coty a calculation, certified by the Chief
Financial Officer of Ascendia, setting forth, in reasonable detail,
the Healing Garden Revenues for such quarter consistent with the
methodology used to calculate the Additional Purchase Price. Not
later than twenty (20) Business Days following the termination of
the Earn-Out Period, Ascendia shall provide a calculation,
certified by the Chief Financial Officer of Ascendia, setting
forth, in reasonable detail, the Healing Garden Revenues during the
Earn-Out Period, the Cash Amount,
18
if any, and the In-Kind Amount, if
any (the “ Final Calculation ”). If Coty
disputes any of the amounts so certified by the Chief Financial
Officer of Ascendia pursuant to this Section 3.5(b) (notice of such
dispute to be furnished in writing not more than five (5) Business
Days after receipt by Coty of Ascendia’s calculation), the
provisions set forth in Section 3.3(b) shall apply, mutatis
mutandis . For purposes of determining the validity of
Ascendia’s calculations, Ascendia shall make available to
Coty and/or the Accountants copies of such sales orders, invoices,
shipping documents and accounting records as Coty shall reasonably
request. Any materials provided by Ascendia shall be treated by
Sellers and their Representatives as Confidential Information of
the Purchasers and Purchaser Guarantor for purposes of Section
6.1.
(c)
Any Cash Amount due pursuant to this
Section 3.5 shall be paid in immediately available funds not less
than five (5) Business Days following the date of delivery of the
Final Calculation, to such bank account as Coty, on behalf of the
Sellers, shall have designated in writing, provided that if
a dispute arises with respect to the amount of the Cash Amount due,
the amounts not in dispute shall be paid within five (5) Business
Days following the date of delivery of the Final Calculation and
the balance, if any, paid within five (5) Business Days following
resolution of such dispute; provided, however, that interest shall
accrue on the Cash Amount at the rate provided in the Note or the
Earn-Out Note from and including the date of the termination of the
Earn-Out Period to and excluding the date paid.
(d)
Any In-Kind Amount due pursuant to
this Section 3.5 shall, at Purchasers’ option, either (i) be
added to the principal balance of the Note then outstanding, in
which event such In-Kind Amount shall be payable in accordance with
the terms of the Note and shall be subject to the conditions
thereof, and Ascendia shall execute and deliver such amendment or
other document as may be necessary to give effect to such increase
in principal amount, or (ii) Ascendia shall execute and deliver an
additional promissory note, with a principal amount equal to the
In-Kind Amount (an “ Earn-Out Note ”). An
Earn-Out Note shall have terms and conditions identical in all
respects (except as to principal amount and issuance date) to the
Note. Any Note amendment or Earn-Out Note shall be delivered to
Coty, for the account of the Sellers, not later than five (5)
Business Days following the date of delivery of the Final
Calculation or, in the event of any dispute, within five (5)
Business Days of the settlement of such dispute, provided
that in any event interest on the In-Kind Amount pursuant to
the Note amendment or the Earn-Out Note shall accrue from and
including the date of the termination of the Earn-Out
Period.
(e)
For purposes of this Section 3.5,
the term “ U.S. Gross Revenues ” shall mean
gross revenues, derived by Sellers from sales to customers located
in the United States; provided, however, that (i) with respect to
SKUs existing as of the Closing Date, gross revenues shall be
determined based upon the documented prices in effect for each such
customer immediately prior to the Closing Date (or if no
customer-specific price was in effect, at the Seller’s
standard list price), and regardless of the actual price at which
such Products are sold following the Closing, and (ii) with respect
to SKUs introduced following the Closing, gross revenues shall be
determined in accordance with GAAP.
19
(f)
Notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, in the event that any Cash Amount or
In-Kind Amount is due to Coty for the account of the Sellers, as
between the Purchasers and Purchaser Guarantor, on the one hand,
and the Sellers, on the other hand, the right of Coty to receive
such payment shall be absolute and unconditional.
Section 3.6
Tax Allocations
. The Purchase Price shall be
allocated among the Brand Assets assigned, transferred and conveyed
at Closing and (to the extent applicable) the covenants set forth
in Section 6.13 in the manner to be determined by the
Purchasers and approved by the Sellers (such approval not to be
unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). The Sellers and the
Purchasers agree to use the allocations determined pursuant to this
Section 3.6 for all tax purposes, including without
limitation, those matters subject to Section 1060 of the Code,
unless otherwise required pursuant to a change in law or final
determination in appropriate proceedings.
ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF
THE SELLERS
Each of the Sellers represents and
warrants to the Purchasers that the following are and will be true
and correct, unless a contrary date is specified, as of the date
hereof and as of the Closing Date:
Section 4.1
Corporate Existence and
Power . Each of the
Sellers is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction indicated in the
Preamble to this Agreement, and has all requisite corporate power
or limited liability company power, as the case may be, and
authority to own, lease, and operate its properties, and to conduct
its business substantially in the manner now conducted by such
Seller, except where the failure to do so would not have,
individually or in the aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse Effect.
Each of the Sellers is duly qualified to do business as a foreign
corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the
character of the property owned or leased by it or the nature of
the activities undertaken by it makes such qualification necessary,
except where the failure to be so qualified would not have,
individually or in the aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 4.2
Corporate
Authorization . Each of
the Sellers has all necessary corporate power and authority to
enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to
which it is a party and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereunder and thereunder. The execution, delivery and performance
of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to be
executed and delivered by the Sellers and the consummation by the
Sellers of the transactions contemplated hereunder and thereunder
have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate
action on the part of the Sellers. This Agreement has been and the
other Transaction Documents have been or will be, as applicable,
duly executed and delivered by the Sellers and, assuming the due
authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Purchasers,
constitute, or will constitute, as applicable, legal, valid and
binding agreements of the Sellers.
20
Section 4.3
Governmental Authorization
. The execution, delivery and
performance by each Seller of this Agreement and the other
Transaction Documents to which such Seller is a party and the
consummation by the Sellers of the transactions contemplated hereby
and thereby do not require any consent, approval, compliance,
exemption, authorization or permit of or other action by, or filing
with, any Governmental Authority, other than such requirements
which have already been completed or as set forth in
Schedule 4.3 , filings and approvals which are
not required prior to the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement (all of which are listed on
Schedule 4.3 and will be obtained in a timely manner
following the Closing) or where the failure of any such consent,
approval, compliance, exemption, authorization or permit to be
obtained, action to be taken or filing to be made would not have,
individually or in the aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 4.4
Non–Contravention . The execution, delivery and performance by the
Sellers of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby do not and will not (a) contravene or conflict with or
result in any violation or breach of any provision of the
certificate of incorporation or bylaws or equivalent organizational
documents of any of the Sellers, or the equivalent organizational
documents of any of their Subsidiaries, (b) assuming
compliance with the matters referred to in Section 4.3,
contravene or conflict with or result in a violation or breach of
any provision of any Requirement of Law or Order binding upon or
applicable to any of the Sellers, (c) assuming compliance with
the representations, warranties and covenants of the Purchasers by
the Purchasers, require any consent or other action by any Person,
or (d) violate, conflict with or (with due notice or lapse of time
or both) constitute a default under or give rise to a right of
termination, cancellation, or acceleration of any material right or
obligation or loss of any material benefit or material adverse
modification of the effect (including an increase in the price paid
by, or cost to, any of the Sellers) of, any provision of any
Contract, agreement or other instrument to which any of the Sellers
is a party or that is binding upon any of the Sellers, which in
each case, is included in the Brand Assets, or any license,
franchise, permit or other similar authorization held by any of the
Sellers and included in the Brand Assets, or (e) result in the
creation or imposition any Liens (other than Seller Permitted
Liens) on any of the Brand Assets, or that would not have,
individually or in the aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 4.5
Brand Financial Statements
. The Brand Financial Statements
attached as Schedule 4.5 are true and correct in all
material respects and were prepared from the books and records of
the Sellers in a manner consistent with the Sellers’ internal
accounting practices. The Brand Financial Statements fairly present
the product contribution of the Brands to the operating income of
the Sellers for the dates and periods indicated. All financial
information relating to sales, cost of goods sold, inventories and
variable operating costs associated with the Brands contained in
the Brand Financial Statements has been prepared in accordance with
GAAP applied consistently with Sellers’ prior practices, and
such information is true and correct in all material
respects.
21
Section 4.6
Absence of Certain Changes
. Since December 25, 2005, the
Sellers have operated the Brands, in all material respects, in the
ordinary course consistent with past practices, and there has not
been, individually or in the aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 4.7
Litigation . There is no action, suit, counterclaim,
investigation or proceeding (whether judicial, arbitral,
administrative or other) pending or, to the Sellers’
Knowledge, threatened against the Brands that would, if adversely
determined, have, individually or in the aggregate, a Brand
Material Adverse Effect, nor is there any Order of any court or
arbitrator or any Governmental Authority outstanding against or
relating to the Brands that would have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse Effect.
Section 4.8
Taxes . Except to the extent that failure to do so
would not have a Brand Material Adverse Effect, each of the Sellers
has timely filed all Tax Returns and reports relating solely to the
Brands required to be filed by it, the due date for which
(including any extensions with respect thereto) occurred prior to
the Closing Date, and has paid all Taxes as shown to be owed on
such returns and reports. There are no Liens for Taxes upon the
Brand Assets, except for statutory Liens for current Taxes not yet
due.
Section 4.9
Brand Inventory . The Brand Inventory (excluding Obsolete
Inventory) is of a quality and quantity usable and salable in the
ordinary course of business, meets applicable manufacturing
specifications and labeling requirements and is free of defects in
workmanship and materials. As of the Closing Date, the quantities
of each SKU of Brand Inventory are reasonable in the present
circumstances of the Brands in the ordinary course of the
Sellers’ business.
Section 4.10
Title to Properties; Leases
. Each of the Sellers has good and
marketable title to, or in the case of leased property and assets,
valid leasehold interests in, all of its tangible personal
properties and assets used or held for use by the Brands and
comprising part of the Brand Assets, and such properties and assets
are free and clear of any Liens, except for Seller Permitted
Liens.
|
|
Section 4.11
|
Compliance with Laws; Government
Approvals .
|
(a)
The Sellers are in compliance with
any Requirement of Law, Order, permit, license or other
governmental authorization or approval applicable to the Brands or
by which any of their respective properties, assets or operations
of the Brands are bound or affected, except for failures to comply
or violations that would not have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse Effect. Since January 1,
2000, the Sellers, in the manufacture and sale of the Brands, have
not violated any applicable Requirement of Law, Order, permit,
license or other governmental authorization or approval, except for
violations that, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a
Brand Material Adverse Effect.
22
(b)
The Sellers hold all Orders and all
consents, permits, licenses, variances, exemptions and approvals
from Governmental Authorities that are material to the operation of
the Brands, including, without limitation, the Brand Permits. The
Sellers are in compliance with the terms of such consents, permits,
licenses, variances, exemptions, Orders and approvals, except where
the failure so to comply would not have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse Effect.
(c)
The Sellers have delivered to the
Purchasers copies of the Scientific Data Files listed on
Schedule 4.11(c) . To the Knowledge of the
Sellers, the information contained in the Scientific Data Files
(i) is complete in all material respects and
(ii) accurately represents the results of all consumer
testing, clinical trials and the like performed by or on behalf of
the Sellers with respect to the Brands since January 1,
2005.
Section 4.12
Brand Intellectual
Property . (a)
Schedule 4.12 is a true and complete
list of the Brand Intellectual Property showing the Sellers’
right, title and interest in and to (i) all issued patents, patent
applications (provisional or final and including any and all
continuations-in-part), registered trademarks, trademark
applications, domain names, registered copyrights and copyright
applications relating primarily to the Brands, the Brand Products
and/or any of the Brand Assets, (ii) all unregistered trade names,
trademarks, fragrances created for the Sellers by third parties,
and data (including docket data in hard copy and electronic form,
to the extent reasonably available) used by the Sellers and the
Sellers’ counsel to track ownership and maintenance of the
Sellers’ trademarks and service marks for the Brands and
other proprietary information primarily relating to the Brands,
(iii) the Calgon License, (iv) all permits, grants and
licenses or other rights running to or from the Sellers relating to
any of the foregoing, and (v) all Brand-specific telephone
numbers (collectively, with all unregistered copyrights, Trade
Secrets and product formulae relating to the Brands, the
“Brand Intellectual Property”).
(b)
The Sellers own, or are licensed or
otherwise possess the right to use, the Brand Intellectual Property
and the Trade Secrets, technology, computer software programs or
applications and all other intangible proprietary information or
material required for the conduct of the Brands as currently
conducted, except as would not individually or in the aggregate
have a Brand Material Adverse Effect. The rights of the Sellers to
the Brand Intellectual Property are free and clear of all Liens,
except for Seller Permitted Liens, and (i) no action, suit,
proceeding, hearing, investigation, charge, complaint, claim or
demand is pending or, to the Knowledge of any Seller, threatened in
writing, which challenges the validity, legality, enforceability,
use or ownership of the Brand Intellectual Property, and
(ii) during the period of ownership or use by the Sellers of
the Brand Intellectual Property, no action, suit, proceeding,
hearing, investigation, charge, complaint, claim or demand has been
instituted involving the Brand Intellectual Property, in each case
of clauses (i) and (ii) above, that has had or is
reasonably likely to have a Brand Material Adverse
Effect.
(c)
All trademarks listed in Schedule
4.12 as “active” for the United States, Canada, the
Czech Republic and Italy have been in use on the goods identified
in the application and/or registration and have been sold in the
country in which the trademark has been applied for or is
registered within the past three years and all said
“active” trademarks are valid and subsisting on the
register of the country of application or registration in the name
of Sellers.
23
(d)
The use of the Brand Intellectual
Property by the Sellers does not conflict with, infringe upon,
violate or interfere with or constitute an appropriation of any
patent, trademark, service mark, computer program, copyright, Trade
Secret or any other intellectual property right or proprietary
right of any other Person (except as are not individually or in the
aggregate reasonably likely to have a Brand Material Adverse
Effect), and no Person is infringing upon the Brand Intellectual
Property. None of the Sellers or their Affiliates has received
written notice of any claim or allegation that any of the Sellers
or their Affiliates, in their ownership or use of the Brands, is
infringing upon any copyrights, patents, trademarks, service marks,
trade names, computer programs, Trade Secrets or any other
intellectual property rights or proprietary rights of any other
Person, except that Coty has taken a nontransferable license from
Applied Interact in response to a claim that Coty’s use of
online sweepstakes, undertaken for purposes of promoting the
Brands, infringed one or more patents owned by Applied
Interact.
(e)
Coty is the named sublicensee under
the Calgon License that is to be assigned to Purchasers under this
Agreement. Sellers are not in default and have not received a
notice of default under the Calgon License and are unaware of any
other license to the mark “Calgon” being given by
Benckiser in the United States and/or Canada for health and beauty
aids for domestic use, nor do the Sellers have knowledge of any
plan or intention by Benckiser to offer any additional license to
the mark “Calgon” in the United States and/or Canada.
The Calgon License is assignable by Coty to Purchasers, and Sellers
will deliver to Purchasers, at Closing (i) the Assignment of Calgon
License substantially in the form of Exhibit G executed by
all parties thereto; and (ii) the Consent and Amendment Agreement
executed by the parties thereto.
|
|
Section 4.13
|
Environmental Matters .
|
|
|
(a)
|
Except as disclosed on Schedule
4.13 :
|
(i)
The Sellers have complied with and
are in compliance with all Environmental Laws applicable to the
Brands, except for such instances of noncompliance that would not
have, individually or in the aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse
Effect;
(ii)
The Sellers hold and have held all
Brand Permits required pursuant to Environmental Laws in connection
with the Brands and are and have been in compliance with such Brand
Permits, except for the failure to hold such Brand Permits and such
instances of noncompliance that would not have, individually or in
the aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse Effect; and
(iii)
There is no action, suit, claim, investigation
or proceeding (whether judicial, arbitral, administrative or other)
pending or, to the Seller’ Knowledge, threatened against the
Brands pursuant to Environmental Laws that would have, individually
or in the aggregate, a Brand Material Adverse Effect.
24
Section 4.14
Contracts . Schedule 4.14 contains a true and complete list of all
material contracts, written or unwritten, pertaining primarily or
exclusively to the Brands and including (to the extent relating to
the Brands, and whether or not pertaining primarily or exclusively
thereto) any and all sales agreements, returns policies and other
terms of trade with respect to the five (5) largest customers
(based on gross sales revenues) of each of the Brands for the year
ended June 30, 2006 (collectively, the “ Brand
Contracts ”), and identifies in each case whether any
third party consent is required for the assignment to the
Purchasers of Sellers’ rights under such Brand Contract. The
Sellers have delivered to the Purchasers true and complete copies
of all written Brand Contracts, and true and complete summaries of
the terms of any unwritten Brand Contracts. Each Brand Contract
specified in Schedule 4.14 is a valid and binding obligation
of the Seller(s) named therein and is in full force and effect. To
the Knowledge of the Sellers, the Sellers have performed all
material obligations required to be performed by them under the
Brand Contracts and are not (with or without the lapse of time or
the giving of notice, or both) in breach or default of any payment
obligation thereunder or in breach or default in any other material
respect thereunder. To the Sellers’ Knowledge, no other party
to any of the Brand Contracts is in material default thereunder. No
Contract, other than the Brand Contracts, is material to the
continued distribution and sale of the entire line of Brand
Products as currently distributed and sold by Sellers.
Section 4.15
Product Liability Claims . Since January 1, 2000 there has been no
payments for any product liability claims (a) to the Knowledge of
the Sellers exceeding $5,000 per claim or (b) aggregating claims,
on a per Brand basis, exceeding $100,000 per year, and there are no
such product liability claims (whether or not covered by the
Sellers’ insurance) pending, or to the Sellers’
Knowledge, threatened, relating to any Brand or Brand Products in
excess of such amounts. There have been no product recalls arising
out of sales of the Brand Products in the past three (3) years and,
to the Knowledge of the Sellers, no product recall is threatened or
reasonably likely to occur.
Section 4.16
Suppliers and Customers . Schedule 4.16 lists
the twenty-five (25) largest customers (based on gross sales
revenues) of each of the Brands for the two years ended June 30,
2005 and June 30, 2006. To the Sellers’ Knowledge, except as
set forth on Schedule 4.16 : (i) no Person listed on
Schedule 4.16 has cancelled or
threatened in writing to cancel or otherwise terminate, or to the
Sellers’ Knowledge, intends to cancel or otherwise terminate
a material portion of its purchases of Brand Products, and
(ii) no such Person has during the last twelve (12) months
decreased materially or threatened in writing materially to
decrease its purchases, or has informed in writing the Sellers or
any of their respective agents or brokers of its intention to
modify materially its relationship with respect to the Brands or
its usage or purchase of Brand Products.
Section 4.17
Customer Accommodations . Except as listed on Schedule 4.14 or
Schedule 4.17 , there are no material special programs with
the ten (10) largest customers listed on Schedule 4.16 of
the Brand Products (including without limitation off-invoice
allowances, co-op advertising allowances, advertising commitments,
coupons and account specific programs). All expenses for all
material customer accommodations (including all items enumerated on
Schedule 4.14 and Schedule 4.17 ) have been accounted
for in the Brand Financial Statements in a manner consistent with
the Sellers’ internal accounting practices.
25
Section 4.18
Operation of the Brands . Since June 30, 2005, the Sellers have not:
(a) waived any material right under any Brand Contract;
(b) materially changed any of their business policies or
practices, including, without limitation, advertising, marketing,
pricing, purchasing, production, personnel, sales, returns, budget
or product acquisition policies; (c) terminated, failed to
renew or received, any written threat (that was not subsequently
withdrawn) to terminate or fail to renew, any Brand Contract;
(d) made any material capital expenditures (or series of
related capital expenditures) with respect to the Brands outside
the ordinary course of business; or (e) granted any license or
sublicense of any rights under or with respect to any Brand
Intellectual Property.
Section 4.19
Insurance . Each of the Sellers is covered by insurance in
scope and amount customary and reasonable for the operation of the
Brands. Schedule 4.19 lists all product
liability and advertising liability coverage in effect for the
Sellers. The Sellers have delivered to the Purchasers a true and
complete certificate describing the coverage listed on Schedule
4.19 .
Section 4.20
Finders and Investment Bankers
. Except as set forth on
Schedule 4.20, there is no investment banker,
broker, finder or other intermediary that has been retained by or
is authorized to act on behalf of the Sellers who might be entitled
to any fee or commission in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction
Documents.
Section 4.21
Accuracy of Statements . The representations and warranties of the
Sellers contained in this Agreement, taken together and as modified
by the Schedules, do not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact and do not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to
make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading.
Section 4.22
Sufficiency of Assets . The Brand Assets, taken as a whole, together
with the machinery and equipment referred to in Section 2.3(d),
constitute substantially all of the property and assets, real,
personal and mixed, tangible and intangible, presently used by the
Sellers with respect to the Brands and the Brand Assets, if taken
together with the machinery and equipment referred to in Section
2.3(d), would be adequate to continue the entire line of products
or brands with respect to “the healing garden” and
“Calgon” brands as currently conducted by the
Sellers.
Section 4.23
Adequacy of Reserves . The Returns Reserve included in the Reserve
Certification is adequate and reasonable in the circumstances, and
the amount thereof has been determined in good faith in accordance
with the Sellers’ past accounting practices and historical
and projected performance. The amounts certified in the Reserve
Certification will, as of the Closing Date, reflect the good faith
estimate of the Sellers with respect to the Returns
Amount.
26
Section 4.24
Value of the Brand Inventory and Raw
Materials . The value of
the Brand Inventory and the Raw Materials, as of the Closing Date,
will be consistent with historical levels for such time of year,
taking into account prevailing market conditions.
|
|
Section 4.25
|
Investment Representation
.
|
(a)
In accordance with the provisions of
the Lock-Up Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement, Coty
is acquiring the shares of Ascendia Brands Common Stock payable
hereunder for investment for its own account and not with a view
to, or for sale or other disposition in connection with, any
distribution of all or any part thereof. In receiving such shares,
it is not offering or selling, and will not offer and sell, for the
Purchaser Guarantor in connection with any distribution of such
shares, and it does not have any contract, undertaking, agreement
or arrangement with any Person for the distribution of such shares
and will not participate in any undertaking or in any underwriting
of such an undertaking except in compliance with applicable
law.
(b)
Coty has been afforded access to
information about the Purchaser Guarantor and the Purchaser
Guarantor’s financial position, results of operations,
business, property and management sufficient to enable it to
evaluate an investment in the shares of Ascendia Brands Common
Stock payable hereunder, and has had the opportunity to ask
questions of and has received satisfactory answers from the
Purchaser Guarantor concerning the foregoing matters.
(c)
Coty acknowledges that the
certificates representing the shares of Ascendia Brands Common
Stock to be issued hereunder will bear a restrictive legend
substantially similar to the following:
“The Shares represented by
this certificate have not been registered under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any jurisdiction
within the United States, and may not be offered, sold or otherwise
transferred, pledged or hypothecated unless and until such shares
are registered under such Act or an opinion of counsel reasonably
satisfactory to Ascendia Brands, Inc. is obtained to the effect
that such registration is not required. The Shares represented by
this certificate are further subject to the terms of that certain
Lock-Up Agreement dated as of January ___, 2007 between the
certificate holder and Ascendia Brands, Inc., a copy of which may
be obtained from Ascendia Brands, Inc.”
(d)
Neither Coty nor its Affiliates (i)
owns any shares of Ascendia Brands Common Stock, and (ii) other
than the Ascendia Brands Common Stock issuable to Coty pursuant to
Section 3.2(d) or upon conversion of the Note or the Earn-Out Note,
if applicable, has any right or option to acquire any such
shares.
Section 4.26
No Other Representations . Except as specifically set forth in this
Article IV, the Sellers have not made, and the Purchasers
agree they have not relied upon, any other representations or
warranties, expressed or implied.
27
Section 4.27
Seller Reliance . The Sellers acknowledge that they and their
representatives have been permitted reasonable access to the books
and records, facilities, equipment, Tax Returns, Contracts,
insurance policies (or summaries thereof) and other properties and
assets of the Purchasers and the Purchaser Guarantor that they and
their representatives have requested to see or review, and that
they and their representatives have had a reasonable opportunity to
meet with the officers and employees of the Purchasers and the
Purchaser Guarantor to discuss the business and financial condition
of the Purchasers and the Purchaser Guarantor. The Sellers
acknowledge that, upon the Closing or on the thirtieth (30) day
following the Closing Date, as the case may be, Coty shall acquire
the Note and any Ascendia Brands Common Stock issued to Coty or
issuable upon conversion of the Note or the Earn-Out Note, if
applicable, without any representation or warranty, except as
otherwise expressly represented or warranted or expressly agreed to
in this Agreement; provided, however , that nothing in this
Section 4.27 is intended to limit or modify the
representations and warranties contained in Article V and the
Sellers’ right to rely thereon. The Sellers acknowledge that,
except for the representations and warranties contained in
Article V and the Schedules referred to therein, none of the
Purchasers, the Purchaser Guarantor or any other Person has made,
and the Sellers have not relied on any other express or implied
representation or warranty by or on behalf of the Purchasers, the
Purchase Guarantor or any other Person and that none of the
Purchasers, the Purchaser Guarantor or any other Person, directly
or indirectly, has made, and the Sellers have not relied on, any
representation or warranty regarding the pro forma financial
information, financial projections, budgets, projections,
estimates, and/or other forward-looking statements of the
Purchasers or the Purchaser Guarantor, and the Sellers will make no
claim with respect thereto.
ARTICLE V
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
OF
THE PURCHASERS
Each of the Purchasers (it being
agreed that, for the purposes of this Article V, the Purchaser
Guarantor is deemed to be a Purchaser) represents and warrants to
the Sellers that the following are and will be true and correct,
unless a contrary date is specified, as of the date hereof and as
of the Closing Date:
Section 5.1
Corporate Existence and
Power . Each of the
Purchasers is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction specified in the
Preamble to this Agreement, and has all requisite corporate power
and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry
on its business substantially as now conducted, except where the
failure to do so would not have, individually or in the aggregate,
a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect. Each of the Purchasers is duly
qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good
standing in each jurisdiction wherein the character of the property
owned or leased by it or the nature of the activities undertaken by
it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to
be so qualified would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a
Purchaser Material Adverse Effect.
28
Section 5.2
Corporate
Authorization . Each of
the Purchasers has all necessary corporate power and authority to
enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to
which it is a party and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereunder and thereunder. The execution, delivery and performance
of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to be
executed and delivered by the Purchasers party thereto and the
consummation by the Purchasers of the transactions contemplated
hereunder and thereunder have been duly and validly authorized by
all necessary corporate action on the part of the Purchasers. This
Agreement has been and the other Transaction Documents have been,
or will be, as applicable, duly executed and delivered by the
Purchasers party thereto and, assuming the due authorization,
execution and delivery hereof by the Sellers, constitute, or will
constitute, as applicable, legal, valid and binding agreements of
the Purchasers.
Section 5.3
Governmental Authorization
. The execution, delivery and
performance by each Purchaser of this Agreement and the other
Transaction Documents to which such Purchaser is a party and the
consummation by the Purchasers of the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby do not require any consent, approval,
compliance, exemption, authorization or permit of or other action
by, or filing with, any Governmental Authority, other than such
requirements which have already been completed, filings and
approvals which are not required prior to the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other
Transaction Documents to which such Purchaser is a party and which
will be timely obtained following the Closing or where the failure
of any such consent, approval, compliance, exemption, authorization
or permit to be obtained, action to be taken or filing to be made
would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Purchaser
Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.4
Non–Contravention . The execution, delivery and performance by the
Purchasers of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents
and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby do not and will not (a) contravene or conflict with or
result in any violation or breach of any provision of the
certificate of incorporation or the equivalent organizational
documents of any of the Purchasers, (b) assuming compliance
with the matters referred to in Section 5.3, contravene,
conflict with or result in a violation or breach of any Requirement
of Law or any Order, (c) assuming compliance with the
representations, warranties and covenants of the Sellers by the
Sellers, require any consent or other action by any Person, (d)
violate, conflict with or (with due notice or lapse of time or
both) constitute a default under, or give rise to a right of
termination, cancellation, modification or acceleration of any
material right or obligation under, any agreement or other
instrument to which any Purchaser is a party or that is binding
upon any Purchaser; provided, however, that payments pursuant to
Section 3.5 may be restricted by the terms of the Senior Debt (as
defined in the Note), or any license, franchise, permit or other
similar authorization held by any Purchaser or (e) give rise
to the creation or imposition of any Liens (other than the
Purchaser Permitted Liens) on any asset of any Purchaser, except
with respect to clauses (b), (c) and (d) above, as set
forth in Schedule 5.4 or that would not have,
individually or in the aggregate, a Purchaser Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 5.5
Financing . As of the Closing, the Purchasers shall have
sufficient funds to pay the Closing Payment, in full in cash at the
Closing, and all other amounts payable by the Purchasers at the
Closing under this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents,
together with all fees and expenses of the Purchasers associated
with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and will
have sufficient funds to pay any and all amounts due under the Note
when the same shall fall due.
29
Section 5.6
Financial Condition
. The Purchasers have delivered to
the Sellers true and correct copies of the Purchaser Financial
Statements. The Purchaser Financial Statements have been prepared
in accordance with GAAP and present fairly in all material respects
the combined or consolidated financial condition (as applicable) of
the applicable entities, as the case may be, as of the dates
thereof, and the combined or consolidated results of operations (as
applicable) of the applicable entities for the period then
ended.
Section 5.7
Absence of Certain Changes
. Since August 26, 2006, each of the
Purchasers has operated its business, in all material respects, in
the ordinary course consistent with past practices, and there has
not been, individually or in the aggregate, a Purchaser Material
Adverse Effect.
Section 5.8
Litigation . Except as disclosed in Schedule
5.8 , there is no action, suit, counterclaim, litigation
(including derivative actions), arbitration proceeding,
governmental investigation or proceeding pending or, to any
Purchaser’s Knowledge, threatened against any Purchaser or
any of their Subsidiaries which, if adversely determined, would,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Purchaser Material Adverse
Effect.
Section 5.9
Taxes . Except to the extent that failure to do so
would not have a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect, the Purchasers
have timely filed all Tax Returns and reports required to be filed
by them and have paid all Taxes as shown to be owed on such returns
and reports. There are no Liens for Taxes on any assets of the
Purchasers, except for statutory Liens for current Taxes not yet
due.
Section 5.10
Title to Properties; Leases
. Each of the Purchasers and its
Subsidiaries has good and marketable title to, or in the case of
leased property and assets, valid leasehold interests in, all of
its real and tangible personal properties and assets used or held
for use in the conduct of its business, and such properties and
assets are free and clear of any Liens, except Purchaser Permitted
Liens.
|
|
Section 5.11
|
Compliance with Laws; Government
Approvals .
|
(a)
Each of the Purchasers is in
compliance with any Requirement of Law, Order, permit, license or
other governmental authorization or approval applicable to its
business or by which any of its properties, assets or operations of
its business are bound or affected, except for failures to comply
or violations that would not have, individually or in the
aggregate, a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth
on Schedule 5.11 and in the SEC Reports, since
May 20, 2005, each of the Purchasers, in the operation of its
business, has not violated any applicable Requirement of Law,
Order, permit, license or other governmental authorization or
approval, except for violations which, individually or in the
aggregate, would not have a Purchaser Material Adverse
Effect.
30
(b)
Each of the Purchasers holds all Orders and all
consents, permits, licenses, variances, exemptions and approvals
from Governmental Authorities that are material to the operation of
its business. Each of the Purchasers is in compliance with the
terms of such consents, permits, licenses, variances, exemptions,
orders and approvals, except where the failure to so comply would
not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Purchaser Material
Adverse Effect.
Section 5.12
Solvency . On and as of the Closing Date, and after
giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby and by the
other Transaction Documents and the Financing Documents, each of
the Purchasers and Purchaser Guarantor will be Solvent.
|
|
Section 5.13
|
Environmental Matters .
|
|
|
(a)
|
Except as disclosed on Schedule
5.13 :
|
(i)
Each of the Purchasers has complied
with and is in compliance with all Environmental Laws applicable to
its business, except for such instances of noncompliance that would
not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Purchaser Material
Adverse Effect;
(ii)
Each of the Purchasers holds and has
held all permits required pursuant to Environmental Laws in
connection with its business and is and has been in compliance with
such permits, except for the failure to hold such permits and such
instances of noncompliance that would not have, individually or in
the aggregate, a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect; and
(iii)
There is no action, suit, claim, investigation
or proceeding (whether judicial, arbitral, administrative or other)
pending or, to each Purchaser’s Knowledge threatened against
it pursuant to Environmental Laws that would have, individually or
in the aggregate, a Purchaser Material Adverse Effect.
Section 5.14
Insurance . Each of the Purchasers is covered by insurance
in scope and amount customary and reasonable for the conduct of its
business. Schedule 5.14 lists the product
liability and advertising liability coverage in effect for each
Purchaser. The Purchasers have delivered to the Sellers a true and
complete Certificate describing the coverage listed on Schedule
5.14 .
Section 5.15
Accuracy of Statements . The representations and warranties of the
Purchasers contained in this Agreement, taken together and as
modified by the Schedules, do not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact and do not omit to state a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading.
Section 5.16
Securities and Exchange Commission
Filings . Except as set
forth in Schedule 5.16 , the Purchaser Guarantor has filed
all forms, reports, schedules, statements and other documents
(including all exhibits, annexes, supplements and amendments to
such documents) required to be filed by it under the Exchange Act
and the Securities Act of 1933 since May 20, 2005 (such documents
shall be referred to herein as, the “SEC Reports”).
The
31
SEC Reports, including any financial
statements or schedules included or incorporated therein by
reference, at the time they were filed, (i) except as specified in
Schedule 5.16 , complied in all material respects with the
requirements of the Exchange Act or the Securities Act or both, as
the case may be, applicable to those SEC Reports, and (ii) except
as set forth in Schedule 5.16, did not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to make the statements made in those SEC Reports, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading; provided, however, that if any such filing was amended
or superseded by a subsequent filing of an SEC Report, statements
made in the earlier SEC Report shall be deemed superseded by such
subsequent filing and the statements made in such subsequent SEC
Report shall control for purposes hereof.
Section 5.17
Finders and Investment Bankers
. Except as set forth in
Schedule 5.17 , there is no investment banker,
broker, finder or other intermediary which has been retained by or
is authorized to act on behalf of any Purchaser or any of their
Subsidiaries who might be entitled to any fee or commission in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and
the other Transaction Documents.
|
|
Section 5.18
|
Capitalization .
|
(a)
As of January 9, 2007, the
authorized capital stock of Purchaser Guarantor consists of (i)
225,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of
which 11,744,056 shares were issued and outstanding, (ii) 2553.6746
shares of Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value
$0.001 per share, of which 2347.7745 shares were issued and
outstanding, (iii) 300 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred
Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which 300 shares were issued
and outstanding, and (iv) 30 shares of Series B-1 Convertible
Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which 30 shares
were issued and outstanding. All such issued and outstanding shares
have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.
(b)
The shares of Ascendia Brands Common
Stock to be issued pursuant to Section 3.2(d) hereof, when issued
and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will
be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
(c)
Subject to the terms and conditions
of the Senior Debt (as defined in the Note), the payment of the
Additional Purchase Price, if any, is and will be permitted, and
there are and will be no other restrictions on such
payment.
Section 5.19
No Other
Representations . Except
as specifically set forth in this Article V, the Purchasers
have not made, and the Sellers agree that they have not relied
upon, any other representations or warranties, whether expressed or
implied.
32
Section 5.20
Purchaser Reliance . The Purchasers acknowledge that they and their
representatives have been permitted reasonable access to the books
and records, facilities, equipment, Tax Returns, Contracts,
insurance policies (or summaries thereof) and other properties and
assets of the Sellers that they and their representatives have
requested to see or review, and that they and their representatives
have had a reasonable opportunity to meet with the officers and
employees of the Sellers to discuss the Brand Assets. The
Purchasers acknowledge that, upon the Closing, Ascendia and Lander
shall acquire the Brand Assets without any representation or
warranty as to merchantability or fitness for any particular
purpose, in an “as is” condition and on a “where
is” basis, except as otherwise expressly represented or
warranted or expressly agreed to in this Agreement; provided,
however , that nothing in this Section 5.20 is intended to
limit or modify the representations and warranties contained in
Article IV and the Purchasers’ right to rely thereon.
The Purchasers acknowledge that, except for the representations and
warranties contained in Article IV and the Schedules referred
to therein, neither the Sellers nor any other Person has made, and
the Purchasers have not relied on, any other express or implied
representation or warranty by or on behalf of the Sellers and that
neither the Seller nor any other Person, directly or indirectly,
has made, and the Purchasers have not relied on, any representation
or warranty regarding the pro forma financial information,
financial projections, budgets, projections, estimates, and/or
other forward-looking statements of the Sellers, and the Purchasers
will make no claim with respect thereto.
ARTICLE VI
COVENANTS
Section 6.1
Confidentiality
. (a) “Confidential
Material” means all information (whether written, oral, in
computer-format, whether gathered by inspection or observation and
whether disclosed prior to or after the date of this Agreement)
which is proprietary to the Purchasers or Sellers, as the case may
be, or proprietary to others and entrusted to the Purchasers or
Sellers, as the case may be, whether or not trade secrets,
including but not limited to information relating to business plans
and to business as conducted or anticipated to be conducted and
relating to past, current or anticipated products or services;
financial statements; operating and strategic plans, projections or
forecasts of financial results; technical notebook records; patent
applications; machine, equipment, process and product designs
including any drawings and descriptions thereof; unwritten
knowledge and “know-how”; operating instructions;
training manuals; company computer programs and print-outs;
production and development processes and costs thereof; raw
material costs; selling costs; delivery costs; production
schedules; customer lists; customer buying and other
customer-related recor