ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT (the
“Agreement”) made this 16th day of July 2009, by and
between Pierrel Research USA Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation
(“Buyer”), and Encorium Group, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (“Seller”).
WHEREAS, Seller, among other
things, is engaged in the business of providing clinical research
services in the United States (the “US Business”);
WHEREAS, Buyer desires to purchase
from Seller, and Seller desires to sell to Buyer, upon the terms
and conditions set forth herein, certain assets of Seller that
relate to the US Business;
WHEREAS, pursuant to this
Agreement, Buyer will acquire certain assets of Seller’s U.S.
line of business for approximately $2,584,000 consideration,
consisting of $80,000 in cash at closing and the assumption of
approximately $2,503,000 of liabilities, calculated pursuant to the
Schedule attached hereto as Exhibit “A” (the
“Transaction”);
WHEREAS, at closing of the
Transaction, Buyer will enter into a lease with Seller’s
current landlord, Glenhardie Partners, LP, reducing Seller’s
potential liability for termination of the lease of Seller’s
company headquarters in Wayne, Pennsylvania from $3,352,000 to
$235,000;
WHEREAS, in the event Seller
winds-down U.S. operations, instead of selling to Buyer, Seller
would have approximately $1,835,000 in net liabilities, plus some
or all of the remaining lease payments on the Wayne, PA facility
which approximate $3,352,000; and
WHEREAS, Buyer has agreed to
employ 38 of Seller’s current U.S. employees and assume
Seller’s benefit plans for the benefit of those
employees;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration
of the mutual representations, warranties, covenants and agreements
hereinafter set forth, the parties, intending to be legally bound,
hereby agree as follows:
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1.
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Sale and Purchase of Assets .
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(a) At the Closing (as defined herein), Seller
shall sell, transfer, assign and
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deliver to Buyer, and Buyer shall purchase, assume and accept
from Seller, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, all
right, title and interest in and to all of the assets, properties
and rights of Seller relating to the US Business (collectively, the
“Assets”), including without limitation the
following:
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(i) the sponsor contracts, agreements
and commitments set forth on Schedule 1(a)(i) hereto (the
“Sponsor Contracts”);
(ii) the vendor contracts, agreements
and commitments set forth on Schedule 1(a)(ii) hereto;
(iii) the non-disclosure and other
contracts, agreements and commitments relating to the US Business
set forth on Schedule 1(a)(iii) hereto;
(iv) all existing records and data
relating to the Sponsor Contracts and the underlying studies
relating thereto;
(v) the outstanding proposals or
solicitations to enter into work as set forth on Schedule
1(a)(v) hereto (the “Proposed Contracts”);
(vi) other than the Seller’s
standard operating procedures (“SOPs”), all policies
and procedures with respect to the US Business, as set forth on
Schedule 1(a)(vi) ;
(vii) the computer hardware owned by
Seller, and computer programs and software owned or licensed by the
Seller, relating to the US Business all as set forth on Schedule
1(a)(vii) ;
(viii) all contracts, agreements and
commitments by which Seller leases equipment relating to the US
Business, as set forth on Schedule 1(a)(viii) ;
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(ix)
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all office furniture owned by Seller and used
in the US Business;
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(x)
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all current assets as set forth on Schedule
1(a)(x) hereto;
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(xi)
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any trademarks, tradenames and other
intellectual property set
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forth on Schedule 1(a)(xi) ; and
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(xii) any goodwill of the US Business.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Assets shall not include any
SOPs, accounts receivable, cash or any other assets, properties or
rights of Seller listed on Exhibit “B” hereto.
2. Assumption of Liabilities. At the Closing, Buyer will
assume the Assumed
Liabilities (as defined herein). With the exception of those
obligations that are Assumed Liabilities, Buyer shall not assume
and shall in no event be liable for any other debts, liabilities or
obligations of Seller, including without limitation the accounts
payable that are being retained by Seller (collectively, the
“Retained Liabilities”). Seller alone, and not Buyer,
shall continue to be fully liable and responsible for all of the
Retained Liabilities. As used herein, "Assumed Liabilities" shall
mean: (a) the liabilities and obligations of Seller arising after
the Closing under the contracts, agreements and commitments set
forth on Schedule 2(a) hereto (individually referred to
herein as an “Assumed Contract” and collectively
referred to herein as the "Assumed Contracts"); and (b) any
liabilities and obligations relating to continuation coverage under
the
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Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), for Transferred
Employees and those employees listed on Schedule 2(b) .
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties confirm and agree that
Seller alone, and not Buyer, shall be fully liable and responsible
for any liabilities or obligations caused by any breach by Seller
or any other person prior to the Closing under any of the Assumed
Contracts, including without limitation liabilities or obligations
arising out of Seller’s failure to perform any Assumed
Contract in accordance with its terms prior to the Closing.
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3.
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Purchase Price; Allocation .
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(a) Purchase Price . The
“Purchase Price”, which has been agreed by Buyer in
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reliance, in material part, on the representations and
warranties of Seller in Sections 5(c)(i) and 5(c)(ii), shall be
$80,000. At the Closing, the Purchase Price shall be payable by
Buyer to Seller by company check or by wire transfer of immediately
available funds.
(b) Allocation of Purchase
Price . After the Closing Buyer and Seller shall agree on the
proportion of the purchase price to be allocated to each of the
Assets purchased pursuant to this Agreement. Such allocation shall
be binding on the parties and all income tax or other information
returns, including Internal Revenue Service Form 8594, shall be
filed by Buyer and Seller in a manner consistent with such
allocation.
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4.
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Employment Issues .
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(a) Buyer shall offer employment on an
"at-will" basis at initial rates of salary
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and terms of bonus eligibility that are substantially similar,
in the aggregate, to the rates of salary and terms of bonus
eligibility provided by the Seller immediately prior to the Closing
to the employees listed on Schedule 4(a) (the
“Employees”), and the Seller shall use its commercially
reasonable efforts to assist the Buyer in hiring such Employees.
Following the Closing Date, Buyer shall have full responsibility
arising from or relating to the employment of Employees who accept
Buyer's offer of employment and actually commence employment with
the Buyer immediately following the Closing Date (the
“Transferred Employees”) upon such terms. Seller shall
have full responsibility for all liabilities and obligations,
relating to employees of Seller who are not Employees and Employees
who do not become Transferred Employees.
(b) Buyer agrees that, with
respect to all its employee benefit plans (as defined in Section
3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended (“ERISA)) for which a Transferred Employee is
eligible and participates, service with Seller shall be counted as
service with Buyer for purposes of determining any period of
eligibility to participate or to vest in benefits under the
Buyer’s employee benefit plans, but no service credit will be
given if such credit would result in a duplication of benefits.
(c) Seller shall have full
responsibility for all liabilities and obligations relating to
continuation coverage under COBRA for an Employee who does not
become a Transferred Employee and any employee of Seller who is not
an Employee; provided that Seller shall have no responsibility for
continuation coverage under COBRA for any employee listed on
Schedule 2(b) . Buyer shall have full responsibility
for all liabilities and obligations relating to
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continuation coverage under COBRA for any
and all Transferred Employees and employees listed on Schedule
2(b) .
(d) No provision of this Paragraph
4(d) shall be deemed to create any rights, remedies or benefits
with respect to any third parties (including Employees and
Transferred Employees). Each Transferred Employee’s
employment with Buyer may be terminated by such Transferred
Employee or by Buyer at will at any time and without cause, and
Buyer reserves the right to amend, modify or discontinue any rate
of compensation or employee benefit plan or arrangement at any time
or from time to time in Buyer’s sole discretion.
5. Representations and
Warranties of Seller . As a material inducement to Buyer to
enter into this Agreement and to close the transactions
contemplated hereunder, Seller makes the following representations
and warranties to Buyer:
(a) Status and Authority .
Seller is a corporation duly organized and validly existing under
the laws of the State of Delaware, and is qualified to engage in
the US Business in all the jurisdictions in which such
qualification is necessary. Seller has the power and authority to
own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on the US
Business as it is now being conducted. Seller has the full legal
right and power required to execute and deliver this Agreement and
any and all assignments, bills of sale, agreements, documents or
instruments to be executed and/or delivered in connection herewith
(collectively, the “Purchase Documents”) and to perform
its obligations hereunder and thereunder.
(b) Due Authorization; Validity
of Agreement . The execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement and the Purchase Documents have been duly authorized by
Seller and by all other necessary corporate action (no
authorization or approval by Seller’s stockholders being
required). This Agreement and the Purchase Documents have been duly
executed and delivered and constitute the valid and binding
obligations of Seller, enforceable against Seller in accordance
with their respective terms, except as the enforceability hereof or
thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium and
other similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and by
general principles of equity.
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(c)
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Financial Statement; Accounts
Receivable .
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(i) Seller has heretofore delivered to Buyer
an unaudited balance sheet
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of the US Business as at June 30, 2009 (the “June Balance
Sheet”), a copy of which is attached hereto as Schedule
5(c)(i) . Such balance sheet has been prepared in accordance
with United States generally accepted accounting principles
(“GAAP”) and fairly presents in all material respects
the financial position of the US Business as of the date thereof.
Since the date of the June Balance Sheet there has been no material
adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, of the US
Business, as shown on such balance sheet, other than changes
occurring in the ordinary course of business, none of which has
materially adversely affected the Assets or the US Business.
(ii) Since June 30, 2009 (the date
as of which the Purchase Price was determined), (a) the US Business
has been conducted in the ordinary course of business, consistent
with past practices, and (b) Seller has not issued any invoices or
bills in connection
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with any Sponsor Contracts. The backlog
relating to the Sponsor Contracts as of June 30, 2009 was
$10,502,191, which is also the sum of the backlog and the
work-in-progress relating to the Sponsor Contracts as of the date
hereof, in both cases inclusive of the agreed adjustment noted on
Exhibit “A”.
(iii) Seller accounts for revenues
related to the long-term contracts of the US Business using the
proportional performance method. All costs and estimated earnings
in excess of related billings in Seller’s financial records,
including in the June Balance Sheet, have been calculated in good
faith by Seller consistent with past practice. Seller has
undertaken a review of progress toward completion of all
in-progress contracts and has accordingly determined the
“percentage complete” of such contracts on a reasonable
basis as reflected in Seller’s financial records, including
in the June Balance Sheet.
(d) Title to Assets; Asset
Sufficiency . Except as set forth on Schedule 5(d)(1) ,
Seller has, and hereby conveys to Buyer, good, valid and marketable
title to all the Assets, free and clear of all liens, mortgages,
pledges, security interests, restrictions, prior assignments,
encumbrances and claims of every kind or character. Except as set
forth on Schedule 5(d)(2) , the assets, properties and
rights included in the Assets are all of the assets, properties and
rights necessary to conduct the US Business as it is currently
conducted. The Seller is not a party to any contract, agreement or
commitment which materially adversely affects or materially
restricts or, so far as the Seller can now foresee, may materially
adversely affect or materially restrict, the US Business or the
Assets.
(e) Intellectual Property .
Schedule 1(a)(xi) contains a complete and accurate list of
the trademarks, tradenames, logos, service marks, copyrights,
patents, pending patent applications, domain names, computer
programs and computer software and the like and other items
commonly known as intellectual property used solely in connection
with the US Business (the “IP”). No claim has been
asserted against Seller involving any conflict or claim of conflict
of its IP with the IP of others, and Seller has no knowledge of any
basis for any such claim or conflict. To the knowledge of Seller,
(i) Seller is the sole and exclusive owner of the IP and possesses
all IP required for the conduct of the US Business, (ii) no process
used by Seller in connection with the US Business infringes upon
any IP of any other party and no other party infringes upon the IP
of Seller, and (iii) no other entity or person has any direct or
indirect claim on the IP or Seller Technical Information.
(f) Contracts . Schedule
2(a) (Assumed Contracts) sets forth all contracts, agreements
and commitments of Seller with respect to the US Business. The
Assumed Contracts are in full force and effect and are valid,
binding and enforceable against Seller and all other parties
thereto in accordance with their respective terms. Seller and all
other parties to the Assumed Contracts have performed all
obligations required to be performed to date thereunder and in
accordance with the terms thereof and neither Seller or, to the
knowledge of Seller, any such other party is in default or in
arrears under the terms thereof, and no condition exists or event
has occurred which, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or
both, would constitute a default thereunder. Except as set forth on
Schedule 5(f) , the execution of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not, with
or without the giving of notice, the lapse of time, or both, result
in an impairment or termination of, or result in a breach
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of any of the terms or provisions of, or
constitute a default under, or conflict with, any Assumed
Contract.
(g) Labor Relations . With
respect to its operation of the US Business, Seller has complied in
all material respects with all laws relating to the employment of
labor as they relate to its employees, including any provisions
thereof relating to wages, hours and the payment of social
security, unemployment compensation and similar taxes, and the
Seller is not liable for any arrears of wages or any taxes or
penalties for the failure to comply with any of the foregoing. The
transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in a
“plant closing” or “mass layoff” within the
meaning of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
(“WARN”) or any state statute or local ordinance
requiring advance notification to employees of possible loss of
employment.
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(h) Employee Benefit Plans .
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(i) Buyer has been furnished a
true, correct and complete copy of, and Schedule 5(h)(i)
attached hereto sets forth a complete list of, employee benefit
plans and other arrangements, obligations, or practices to provide
benefits, other than salary, as compensation for services rendered
to Employees (within the meaning of section 3(3) of ERISA), which
Employees participate in or are eligible to participate in, that is
maintained or sponsored by the Seller or to which the Seller
contributes or for which the Seller otherwise has or may have any
liability, contingent or otherwise, either directly or as a result
of an ERISA Affiliate (as defined below) (collectively, the
“Benefit Plans”). Except for the Benefit Plans
disclosed on Schedule 5(h)(i) , the Seller does not
have any liability with respect to any other benefit plan or
arrangement. The term “ERISA Affiliate” shall mean any
person that together with the Seller is or was at any time treated
as a single employer under section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) or section 4001 of
ERISA and any general partnership of which the Seller is or has
been a general partner. For purposes of this Section 5(h), the term
“Seller” includes any ERISA Affiliate.
(ii) With respect to each Benefit
Plan, the Seller has furnished to the Buyer true and complete
copies of (a) the most recent annual and/or actuarial reports
relating to such Benefit Plans, with a copy of current plan
documents and summary plan descriptions (whether or not required to
be furnished under ERISA), (b) the most recent determination
letters issued by the Internal Revenue Service with respect to such
Benefit Plans, (c) with respect to any welfare plan which is funded
through a trust, a letter of exemption from taxation (under Section
501(c)(9) of the Code) issued by the Internal Revenue Service, and
(d) all other material documents that relate to the Benefit
Plans.
(iii) Except as disclosed on
Schedule 5(h)(iii) , there are no Benefit Plans that provide
to Employees (a) any pension benefit that is unfunded or unrecorded
on the financial statements of Seller or (b) any pension or other
benefit payable after termination of employment, except as
otherwise required by Section 601 of ERISA.
(iv) Except as set forth on
Schedule 5(h)(iv) , with respect to each Benefit Plan: (a)
each Benefit Plan has been maintained, operated, administered and
enforced materially in accordance with its terms and is in all
material respects in compliance with all
DB1/63152084.9
applicable laws (including Section 4980B
of the Code and Sections 601 through 608 of ERISA), including, but
not limited to, all reporting, disclosure, funding and fiduciary
requirements, (b) Seller is not in default under any Benefit Plan,
(c) there are no disputes, actions, suits or claims pending (other
than routine claims for benefits) or to the knowledge of Seller
threatened against any Benefit Plan or any administrator or
fiduciary, and (d) to the knowledge of Seller no condition exists
with respect to any Benefit Plan that could have an adverse effect
on, or result in liability to, the Buyer or create any lien upon
the Assets.
(v) With respect to each funded
Benefit Plan for which an annual report, including schedules, is
required to be filed under ERISA or the Code, liabilities do not
exceed assets and no material adverse change has occurred with
respect to the financial matters covered by the latest annual
report since the date thereof. There has been no adverse change in
the tax qualified status of any Benefit Plan designed to be tax
qualified since the date of the most recent favorable determination
letter.
(vi) Neither Seller nor any other
person, including any fiduciary, has engaged in any nonexempt
"Prohibited Transaction" (as defined in Section 4975 of the Code or
Section 406 of ERISA), which could subject any of the Benefit Plans
(or their trusts), Seller or any person whom Seller has an
obligation to indemnify, to any material tax or penalty imposed
under the Section 4975 of the Code or Section 502(i) of ERISA.
(vii) Except as set forth on
Schedule 5(h)(vii) , neither the execution and delivery of
this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions
contemplated herein (either alone or upon the occurrence of any
additional or subsequent events) will terminate or modify, or give
a third party a right to terminate or modify, the provisions or
terms of any Benefit Plan or constitute a triggering event under
any Benefit Plan that will result in any payment (including golden
parachute payments, severance payments or other similar payments),
acceleration in vesting or material increase in benefits to any
Employees of the Seller.
(viii) Each Benefit Plan that is
an employee welfare benefit plan under Section 3(1) of ERISA is
funded through an insurance company contract and is not a "Welfare
Benefit Fund" within the meaning of Section 419 of the Code.
(ix) Neither the Seller nor any
ERISA Affiliate has at any time maintained, sponsored, contributed
to or been required to contribute to, or had any liability with
respect to (a) any plan under which more than one employer makes
contributions (within the meaning of Section 4063 of ERISA), (b)
any employee benefit plan subject to Section 302 of ERISA, section
412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, and (c) any multi-employer
plan within the meaning of section 3(37) of ERISA.
(x) All contributions as well as
obligations of the Seller under any Benefit Plan which are due for
any period ending on or before the Closing Date have been
contributed by the Seller to the Benefit Plans and all amounts
withheld from Employee paychecks for contribution to a Benefit Plan
have been properly contributed to the applicable Benefit Plan.
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(xi) No
Employee is employed or subject to taxation outside of the United
States. The Seller does not sponsor, maintain or contribute to, and
has never sponsored, maintained or contributed to, or had any
liability with respect to any employee benefit plan for the benefit
Employees outside of the United States.
(xii) As of the Closing Date, the
Buyer does not, and shall not, either directly or indirectly, have
any obligation or liability, as a matter of law or otherwise, with
respect to any Benefit Plan that was sponsored or maintained by the
Seller or to which the Seller contributes or for which the Seller
had, or may have, any liability, contingent or otherwise, either
directly or indirectly through an ERISA Affiliate.
(i) Litigation . Except as
set forth on Schedule 5(i) , (i) Seller is not a party to
and, to the knowledge of Seller, Seller has not been threatened
with, any suit, action, arbitration, administrative or other
proceeding, either at law or in equity, or governmental
investigation by or before any court, governmental department,
commission, board, agency or instrumentality, domestic or foreign,
relating to the US Business, (ii) there is no judgment, decree,
award or order outstanding against Seller relating to the US
Business, and Seller is not contemplating the institution of any
suit, action, arbitration or administrative or other proceeding
relating to the US Business, and (iii) Seller has no knowledge of
any accident, injury or event relating to the US Business that may
result in a claim for damages against Seller. Seller has delivered
to Buyer copies of all “audit letters” prepared by its
counsel in the past three years in connection with the preparation
of Seller’s audited financial statements.
(j) Compliance with Law and
Regulations . Seller is in material compliance with all
requirements of law, federal, state and local, and all requirements
of all governmental bodies or agencies having jurisdiction over it,
relating to the US Business or the use of the Assets (including,
without limitation, any laws relating to the protection of the
environment or health and safety), and, without limiting the
foregoing, Seller has paid all monies to obtain, has obtained and
now holds all material licenses, permits, certificates, and
authorizations needed or required for the conduct of the US
Business and the use of the Assets. Seller has properly filed all
material reports and other documents required to be filed with any
federal, state, local and foreign government or subdivision or
agency thereof relating to the US Business. Since January 1, 2006,
Seller has not received any notice from any federal, state or
munic