SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTDistribution Agreement |
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Search Distribution Agreement by:
Exhibit 10.1
SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
by and among
IAC/INTERACTIVECORP,
HSN, INC.,
INTERVAL LEISURE GROUP, INC.,
TICKETMASTER
and
TREE.COM, INC.
DATED AS OF AUGUST 20, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I |
INTERPRETATION |
2 |
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1.01. |
Definitions |
2 |
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1.02. |
Schedules |
19 |
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1.03. |
Effective Time; Suspension |
20 |
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ARTICLE II |
THE SEPARATION |
20 |
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2.01. |
Separation |
20 |
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2.02. |
Implementation |
21 |
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2.03. |
Transfer of Spun Assets; Assumption of Spun Liabilities |
21 |
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2.04. |
TM Assets |
21 |
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2.05. |
Interval Assets |
22 |
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2.06. |
HSN Assets |
23 |
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2.07. |
Tree Assets |
24 |
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2.08. |
Deferred Spun Assets |
25 |
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2.09. |
Excluded Assets |
25 |
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2.10. |
Liabilities |
25 |
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2.11. |
Third Party Consents and Government Approvals |
27 |
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2.12. |
Preservation of Agreements |
27 |
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2.13. |
Ancillary Agreements |
27 |
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2.14. |
Resignations |
28 |
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2.15. |
Cooperation |
28 |
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2.16. |
Intercompany Accounts Among Groups |
28 |
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2.17. |
Disclaimer of Representations and Warranties |
28 |
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ARTICLE III |
DEFERRED SEPARATION TRANSACTIONS |
29 |
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3.01. |
Deferred Transfer Assets |
29 |
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3.02. |
Unreleased Liabilities |
30 |
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3.03. |
No Additional Consideration |
30 |
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ARTICLE IV |
COVENANTS |
31 |
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4.01. |
General Covenants |
31 |
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4.02. |
Covenants of the Spincos |
31 |
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4.03. |
Spinco Common Stock Escrow Accounts |
32 |
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4.04. |
Cash Balance True-Ups |
33 |
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4.05. |
Non-Solicitation |
35 |
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ARTICLE V |
THE DISTRIBUTION |
35 |
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5.01. |
Conditions to the Distribution |
35 |
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5.02. |
Distribution of Spinco Common Stock |
36 |
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5.03. |
Fractional Shares |
37 |
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5.04. |
Actions in Connection with the Distributions |
37 |
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5.05 |
Treatment of Integrated Warrant |
38 |
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ARTICLE VI |
MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION |
39 |
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6.01. |
Release of Pre-Distribution Claims |
39 |
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6.02. |
Indemnification by Spincos |
43 |
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6.03. |
Indemnification by IAC |
43 |
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6.04. |
Procedures for Indemnification of Third Party Claims |
44 |
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6.05. |
Procedures for Indemnification of Direct Claims |
46 |
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6.06. |
Adjustments to Liabilities |
46 |
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6.07. |
Payments |
47 |
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6.08. |
Contribution |
47 |
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6.09. |
Remedies Cumulative |
47 |
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6.10. |
Survival of Indemnities |
47 |
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6.11. |
Shared Liabilities |
47 |
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ARTICLE VII |
INSURANCE |
48 |
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7.01. |
Insurance Matters |
48 |
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ARTICLE VIII |
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY |
49 |
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8.01. |
Agreement for Exchange of Information; Archives |
49 |
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8.02. |
Ownership of Information |
50 |
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8.03. |
Compensation for Providing Information |
51 |
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8.04. |
Record Retention |
51 |
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8.05. |
Other Agreements Providing for Exchange of Information |
51 |
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8.06. |
Production of Witnesses; Records; Cooperation |
51 |
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8.07. |
Confidentiality |
52 |
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8.08. |
Protective Arrangements |
53 |
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8.09. |
Disclosure of Third Party Information |
53 |
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ARTICLE IX |
DISPUTE RESOLUTION |
54 |
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9.01. |
Interpretation; Agreement to Resolve Disputes |
54 |
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9.02. |
Dispute Resolution; Mediation |
54 |
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9.03. |
Arbitration |
55 |
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9.04. |
Costs |
56 |
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9.05. |
Continuity of Service and Performance |
56 |
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ARTICLE X |
FURTHER ASSURANCES |
56 |
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10.01 |
Further Assurances |
56 |
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ARTICLE XI |
CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS |
57 |
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11.01. |
Auditors and Audits; Annual and Quarterly Financial Statements and Accounting |
57 |
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ARTICLE XII |
SOLE DISCRETION OF IAC; TERMINATION |
59 |
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12.01. |
Sole Discretion of IAC |
59 |
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12.02. |
Termination |
59 |
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ARTICLE XIII |
MISCELLANEOUS |
60 |
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13.01. |
Limitation of Liability |
60 |
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13.02. |
Counterparts |
60 |
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13.03. |
Entire Agreement |
60 |
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13.04. |
Construction |
60 |
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13.05. |
Signatures |
61 |
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13.06. |
Assignability |
61 |
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13.07. |
Third Party Beneficiaries |
61 |
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13.08. |
Payment Terms |
62 |
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13.09. |
Governing Law |
62 |
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13.10. |
Notices |
62 |
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13.11. |
Severability |
63 |
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13.12. |
Publicity |
63 |
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13.13. |
Survival of Covenants |
64 |
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13.14. |
Waivers of Default; Conflicts |
64 |
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13.15. |
Amendments |
64 |
iii
SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
This SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT, dated as of AUGUST 20, 2008, is entered into by and among IAC/InterActiveCorp, a Delaware corporation (“ IAC ”), HSN, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of IAC (“ HSN Spinco ”), Interval Leisure Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of IAC (“ Interval Spinco ”), Ticketmaster, a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of IAC (“ TM Spinco ”), and Tree.com, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of IAC (“ Tree Spinco ”; together with TM Spinco, Interval Spinco and HSN Spinco, the “ Spincos ”; the Spincos and IAC, collectively, the “ Separate-cos ” or “ Parties ”).
RECITALS :
WHEREAS, IAC, acting through its direct and indirect Subsidiaries, currently conducts a number of businesses, including (i) the Ticketing Business (as defined herein), (ii) the Vacations Business (as defined herein), (iii) the Retailing Business (as defined herein), (iv) the Lending and Real Estate Business (as defined herein) (together with the Ticketing Business, the Vacations Business and the Retailing Business, the “ Spun Businesses ”) and (v) the Remaining Business (as defined herein);
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of IAC (the “ IAC Board ”) has determined that it is appropriate, desirable and in the best interests of IAC and its stockholders to separate IAC into five publicly-traded companies (the “ Separation ”): (i) TM Spinco, which following the Separation will own and conduct, directly or indirectly, the Ticketing Business, (ii) Interval Spinco, which following the Separation will own and conduct, directly or indirectly, the Vacations Business, (iii) HSN Spinco, which following the Separation will own and conduct, directly or indirectly, the Retailing Business, (iv) Tree Spinco, which following the Separation will own and conduct, directly or indirectly, the Lending and Real Estate Business, and (v) IAC, which following the Separation will own and conduct, directly or indirectly, the Remaining Business;
WHEREAS, following the merger on August 8, 2008 of a wholly owned subsidiary of IAC with and into IAC, the outstanding shares of capital stock of IAC consist solely of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of IAC (“ IAC Common Stock ”) and Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of IAC (“ IAC Class B Common Stock ”);
WHEREAS, in order to effect the Separation, the IAC Board has determined that it is appropriate, desirable and in the best interests of IAC and its stockholders: (i) for IAC and its Subsidiaries to enter into a series of transactions as set forth in the Transactions Memorandum dated of even date herewith (the “ Transactions Memo ”) as a result of which one or more members of each Group (as defined herein) will, collectively, own all of such Group’s Corresponding Assets (as defined herein) and assume (or retain) all of such Group’s Corresponding Liabilities (as defined herein); and, thereafter (ii) for IAC to distribute to the holders of IAC Common Stock and the holders of IAC Class B Common Stock (in each case without consideration being paid by such stockholders), on a pro rata basis, all of the issued and
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outstanding shares of Spinco Common Stock (as defined herein) of each Spinco;
WHEREAS, each of the Separate-cos has determined that it is necessary and desirable, on or prior to the Effective Time (as defined herein), to allocate and transfer to the applicable Group those Assets, and to allocate and assign to the applicable Group responsibility for those Liabilities, in respect of the activities of the Corresponding Businesses (as defined herein) of such Group;
WHEREAS, it is the intention of the Parties that each of the Distributions (as defined herein) qualify as a transaction that is generally tax free for United States federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and/or 368(a)(1)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”);
WHEREAS, in connection with the Distributions, each of HSN Spinco and/or its Subsidiaries, Interval Spinco and/or its Subsidiaries and TM Spinco and/or its Subsidiaries will, subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, enter into separate credit facilities and/or issue new debt securities, all or a portion of the cash proceeds of borrowings under which shall be distributed to IAC;
WHEREAS, (a) IAC has entered into an agreement with certain holders of its 7% Senior Notes due 2013 (the “ IAC Notes ”) providing for, among other things, (i) IAC to exchange (the “ Exchange ”) new 9.5% Senior Notes due 2016 of Interval Acquisition Corp. (as defined herein) that it will receive from Interval Acquisition Corp. as set forth in the Transactions Memorandum (the “ Interval Senior Notes ”) and (ii) the simultaneous closing of the Exchange and the cash tender offer being made by IAC for any and all of the outstanding IAC Notes (the “ IAC Notes Tender Offer ”) and (b) it is intended that the issuance of the Interval Senior Notes to IAC and the Exchange, together with the IAC Notes Tender Offer, are in connection with the Interval Distribution and are intended to give rise to a succession event (with Interval as the sole successor to IAC) for credit derivatives purposes; and
WHEREAS, the Parties wish to set forth in this Agreement the terms on which, and the conditions subject to which, they intend to implement the measures described above.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, covenants and other provisions set forth in this Agreement, the Parties hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
INTERPRETATION
1.01. Definitions . The capitalized words and expressions and variations thereof used in this Agreement or in its schedules, unless a clearly inconsistent meaning is required under the context, shall have the meanings set forth below:
“ 2008 Internal Control Audit and Management Assessments ” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.01(b).
“ AAA ” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.03.
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“ Accounts Receivable ” means in respect of any Person, (a) all trade accounts and notes receivable and other rights to payment from customers and all security for such accounts or rights to payment, including all trade accounts receivable representing amounts receivable in respect of goods shipped or products sold or otherwise disposed of or services rendered to customers, (b) all other accounts and notes receivable and all security for such accounts or notes, and (c) any claim, remedy or other right relating to any of the foregoing.
“ Action ” means any demand, action, suit, countersuit, arbitration, inquiry, proceeding or investigation by any Person or any Governmental Authority or before any Governmental Authority or any arbitration or mediation tribunal.
“ Affiliate ” of any Person means any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such first Person as of the date on which or at any time during the period for when such determination is being made. For purposes of this definition, “ Control ” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or other interests, by contract or otherwise, and the terms “ Controlling ” and “ Controlled ” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
“ Agent ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.02(b).
“ Agreement ” means this Separation and Distribution Agreement, including all of the Schedules hereto.
“ Ancillary Agreements ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.13.
“ Applicable Law ” means any applicable law, statute, rule or regulation of any Governmental Authority or any outstanding order, judgment, injunction, ruling or decree by any Governmental Authority.
“ Appurtenances ” means, in respect of any Land, all privileges, rights, easements, servitudes, hereditaments and appurtenances and similar interests belonging to or for the benefit of such Land, including all easements and servitudes appurtenant to and for the benefit of any Land (a “ Dominant Parcel ”) for, and as the primary means of, access between, the Dominant Parcel and a public way, or for any other use upon which lawful use of the Dominant Parcel for the purposes for which it is presently being used is dependent, and all rights existing in and to any streets, alleys, passages and other rights-of-way included therein or adjacent thereto.
“ Asset-Related Claims ” means, in respect of any Asset, all claims of the owner against Third Parties relating to such Asset, whether choate or inchoate, known or unknown, absolute or contingent, disclosed or non-disclosed.
“ Assets ” means assets, properties and rights (including goodwill), wherever located (including in the possession of owners or Third Parties or elsewhere), whether real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, in each case whether or not recorded or reflected or required to be recorded or reflected on the books and records or financial statements of a Person, including the following:
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(a) |
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Real Property; |
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(b) |
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Tangible Personal Property; |
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(c) |
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Inventories; |
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(d) |
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Accounts Receivable; |
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(e) |
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Contractual Assets; |
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(f) |
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Governmental Authorizations; |
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(g) |
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Business Records; |
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(h) |
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Intangible Property Rights; |
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(i) |
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Insurance Benefits; |
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(j) |
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Asset-Related Claims; and |
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(k) |
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