Exhibit 10.3
UNOFFICIAL ENGLISH
TRANSLATION
Dated January 29,
2009
Cooperative Joint Venture
Contract
of
Guangzhou AWA Wine Co.
Ltd.
CONTENTS
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1.
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GENERAL
PRINCIPLES
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1
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2.
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PARTIES TO
THE CONTRACT
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1
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1
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3.
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ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMPANY
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2
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3.1 Basic
Information of the Company
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2
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3.2 Compliance
with PRC Laws
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2
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2
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4.
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PURPOSE,
SCOPE AND SCALE OF BUSINESS
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3
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3
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3
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3
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5.
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REGISTERED
CAPITAL AND TOTAL INVESTMENT AMOUNT
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3
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5.1 Registered
Capital and Total Investment Amount
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3
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5.2 Payment
of Contribution Amount
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3
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3
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5.4 Shareholding
Percentage of Each Party
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4
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6.
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USE OF THE
CONTRIBUTION AMOUNT
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4
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7.
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TRANSFER OF
EQUITY INTERESTS
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4
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7.1 Restrictions
on Transfer
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4
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7.2 Right
of First Refusal
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4
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7.3 Pre-emptive
Right upon Capital Increase of the Company
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5
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7.4 Put
Option upon Breach
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7
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8.
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7
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9.
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BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
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7
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9.1 Formation
of the Board of Directors
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7
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9.2 Composition
of the Board of Directors
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7
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9.3 Powers
of the Board of Directors
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8
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9.4 Convening
of the Board Meetings
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9
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10.
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OPERATION
AND MANAGEMENT BODY
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9
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10.1 Operation
and Management Body
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9
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10.2
Responsibilities of the General
Manager
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10
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10.3 Senior
Management Personnel
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11
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11.
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LABOR
MANAGEMENT
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11
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11.1 Administrative
Management
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11
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11.2 Remuneration
and Benefit
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11
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11.3 Agreements
Relating to Labor Management
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12
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12
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12
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12.
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REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
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12
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12.1 Each
party represents and warrants to the other party as at the
execution date of this Contract that :
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12
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12.2 The
Chinese Equity Interest Holders represent and warrant that
:
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13
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12.3 Regal
Life represents and warrants that :
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13
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13.
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LIMITED
LIABILITY
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14
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14.
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FINANCIAL
AFFAIRS
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14
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14
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14.2 Financial
Accounting System
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15
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14.3 Financial
Management System
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15
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15.
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INSURANCE
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15
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16.
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TERM OF
JOINT VENTURE
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16
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16
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16
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17.
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PROFIT
DISTRIBUTION
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16
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16
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16
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18.
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TERMINATION
AND DISSOLUTION
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16
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19.
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LIQUIDATION
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17
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19.1 Liquidation
Committee
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17
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19.2 Duties
and Powers of the Liquidation Committee
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17
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19.3 Distribution
of Liquidated Assets
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17
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20.
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CONFIDENTIALITY
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18
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21.
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SUPPLEMENT
AND AMENDMENT
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18
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21.2 Status
of this Contract
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18
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22.
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LIABILITY
FOR BREACH
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19
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22.1 Liabilities
for Breach of Obligation of Capital Contribution
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19
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22.2 Liabilities
for Breach of Obligation of Disclosure
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19
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19
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20
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23.
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FORCE
MAJEURE
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20
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24.
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APPLICABLE
LAW AND SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES
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24.2 Settlement
of Disputes
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20
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25.
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MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
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21
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21
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21
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21
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21
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23
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THIS
COOPERATIVE JOINT VENTURE CONTRACT (this “Contract”) is entered into on
January 29, 2009
BETWEEN
Representative
of Chinese Equity Interest Holders: Mr. Nie Weifeng, whose address
is Room 510, Tower C, No 88 Wenchang Road South, Liwan District,
Guangzhou. Guangdong Province, China
Guangzhou AWA
WineCo., Ltd. (“ Company ”), a company
incorporated and existing under the laws of the PRC and having its
legal address at Suite 510 Block C No 88 Wenchan South Rd Liwan
District, Guangzhou Guangdong, China.
Regal Life
Concepts, Inc. (“Regal Life”), a company incorporated
and existing under the laws of the PRC and having its legal address
at F/10, Tower B, City Center of Shanghai, No.100, Zunyi Road,
Changning District, Shanghai; and
THE PARTIES
AGREE as
follows:
The Parties
hereto have through friendly negotiations on the basis of mutual
benefits, in order to utilize the parties’ specialities and
advantages and to expand the AWA chain store operation to create
better social and economic benefits, and pursuant to the Agreement
on Capital Increase and Equity Subscription dated hereof (the
“ Subscription Agreement ”),
agreed that Regal Life will subscribe to the proposed increased
capital of the Company in the amount of USD 500,000 (RMB
3,400,000). Upon completion of such capital increase,
Regal Life will hold 26% of equity interests in the Company (the
“ Acquired Equity Interests
”). The projected total investment is USD 1
million. Therefore, the parties hereto have entered into
this Contract through friendly negotiations on the basis of mutual
benefits.
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Name: Regal
Life Concepts Inc., a corporation duly organized and
existing
under the
laws of Nevada,
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Legal Address:
3723 E. Maffeo Road, Phoenix, Arizona, 85050, United
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Legal
Representative: Eric Wildstein
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Representative
of the Chinese Equity Interest Holders
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Name: Mr.
Weifeng Nie
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Address: Room
510, Tower C, No 88 Wenchang Road South,
Liwan District,
Guangzhou. Guangdong Province, China
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ID
No.: 44010319631022061X
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Name: Guangzhou AWA Wine Co.,
Ltd.
Legal Address:
Suite 510 Block C No 88 Wenchan South Rd Liwan District,
Guangzhou
Guangdong, China.
Legal
Representative: Mr. Nie Weifeng
Registration
no.: 4401032005422
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ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMPANY
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Basic
Information of the Company
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The Chinese
Equity Interest Holders and Regal Life agree that the Company will
be restructured into a Sino-foreign cooperative joint venture as
follows subject to the Company’s agreement to Regal
Life’s investment into the Company pursuant to the
terms and conditions hereof:
Chinese name of
the Company: 广州市澳中酒
业有限公司
English name of
the Company:. Guangzhou AWA WineCo., Ltd.
Legal Address
of the Company: Suite 510 Block C No 88 Wenchan South Rd Liwan
District, Guangzhou Guangdong, China.
Organizational
Form of the Company: limited liability company
The Company is
a Chinese legal person that carries out all its business activities
in compliance with, and under the governing and protection of the
laws, regulations, rules and other regulatory documents of the
PRC.
Each party
shall be liable to the Company up to its capital contribution and
shall share profits and bear risks and losses of the Company on pro
rata basis specified herein.
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PURPOSE,
SCOPE AND SCALE OF BUSINESS
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The purpose of
the Company’s business operation is to strengthen economic
cooperation and technical exchange and adopt advanced and
appropriate scientific management approach with a view of promoting
China’s economic development and generating satisfactory
return for each investor to the Company.
The business
scope of the Company includes, among other things, distribution of
imported wine and related products and services though national
chain stores and other networks in China and exportation of Chinese
drinks and low-alcoholic liquor products.
The expected
business scale of the Company: annual turnover of RMB10,000,000
after its establishment.
The business
scale of the Company can be expanded and adjusted based on the
market need and other conditions favourable to the
Company.
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REGISTERED
CAPITAL AND TOTAL INVESTMENT AMOUNT
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Registered
Capital and Total Investment Amount
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The original
registered capital of the Company is RMB 500,000 (roughly
equal to USD 73,529). Regal Life will subscribe to an
increase capital of the Company in the amount of USD 500,000
(roughly equal to RMB 3,400,000 (the “
Contribution Amount ”). The
Contribution Amount shall be invested in two installments. The
First Installment Investment of USD 200,000 shall be remitted to a
Company designated account in Hong Kong pursuant to the
parties’ duly executed Loan Agreement, and the
Second Installment Investment of USD 300,000 shall be
capitalized in accordance with Section 5.2 herein. Upon
completion of the capital increase, the registered capital of the
Company will increase to RMB 3,900,000 (approximately USD
573,529). The projected total investment amount is
approximately USD 5,000,000 (approximately RMB
34,000,000).
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Payment of
Contribution Amount
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Regal Life will
subscribe to the increased capital of the Company in the amount of
USD 500,000 (approximately RMB 3,400,000). After
such subscription of capital increase of the Company is approved by
competent approval authority, the Company is issued an Approval
Certificate for Establishment of Sino-foreign Cooperative joint
venture, and subject to the satisfaction of all the conditions
precedent to the closing under the Subscription Agreement, the
Company shall remit the First Installment Investment into the
Company’s capital verification account and Regal Life shall
pay the Second Installment Investment to the Company in
accordance with the Subscription Agreement.
Within ten (10)
business days of the payment in full by Regal Life of the
Contribution Amount to the Company pursuant to Section 5.2 above,
the Company shall appoint a Chinese certified public accountant to
verify such Contribution Amount paid and to issue a capital
verification report.
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Shareholding
Percentage of Each Party
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Each party
acknowledges that after Regal Life pays in full the Contribution
Amount to the Company pursuant to Section 5.2 above, the equity
interests of the Company entitled to each party hereto will be as
follows: all Chinese Equity Interest Holders will hold 74 % in
total, Regal Life will hold 26%.
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USE OF THE
CONTRIBUTION AMOUNT
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The Chinese
Equity Interest Holders, Regal Life and the Company agree that the
Company shall use all of the Contribution Amount for the business
operation of the Company.
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TRANSFER OF
EQUITY INTERESTS
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Neither the Chinese Shareholder nor Regal Life
shall assign, sell, pledge nor otherwise transfer or dispose of any
portion or all of its equity interests in the Company unless in
compliance with Sections 7.1.2, 7.1.3, 7.2, 7.3, and
7.4 hereof.
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Regal Life may
transfer Acquired Equity Interests to any affiliates it controls
and Regal Life shall unconditionally warrant that Regal
Life’s obligations under this Contract will be performed by
the transferee.
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Regal Life may
transfer Acquired Equity Interests to any third party that has
acquired all or substantially all of the business from Regal Life
with respect to the import of wine and export of Chinese drink
and low-alcoholic liquor products in the territory of
China.
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Other than the
transfer stipulated in Section 7.1.2 and Section 7.1.3, if any
Chinese Shareholder or Regal Life (the “ Transferring
Party ”) proposes to transfer any portion or all of
its equity interests in the Company (the “ Transferred
Equity Interests ”) to any individual or entity, the
Chinese Equity Interest Holders (in the case of a transfer by Regal
Life) or Regal Life (in the case of a transfer by any Chinese
Shareholder) (in each case, the “ Non-transferring
Party ”) shall have the right of first refusal (the
“ Right of First Refusal ” ) to
purchase part or all of the equity interests proposed to be
transferred under the same terms and conditions. The Transferring
Party shall send a written notice (the “ Transfer
Notice ”) to the Company and other parties, informing
the number of equity interests proposed to be transferred, the
proposed transfer price, the proposed payment conditions and the
name and address of the proposed transferee and disclosing the true
transaction terms. And if the proposed transferee is a corporation,
the Transfer Notice shall also disclose, among others, the
shareholder(s) (or investor(s) or owner(s)) and the ultimate
shareholder (controller) of such corporation. Any proposed transfer
of equity interests under the Right of First Refusal must be
settled in the form of cash instead of any other
forms. To avoid misunderstanding, only Regal Life (other
than any other Chinese Equity Interest Holders) shall have the
Right of First Refusal in the case of a share transfer by a Chinese
Shareholder.
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A
Non-transferring Party shall notify the Transferring Party and the
Company in writing to elect to execute its Right of First Refusal
(the “ Election Notice ”) for purchasing
any or all of the Transferred Equity Interests stated in the
Transfer Notice at the same price and by the same payment term as
indicated thereof (the “ Election Notice
”), within thirty (30) days after its receipt of the Transfer
Notice (the “ Refusal Period
”). If the Non-transferring Party fails to give
any Election Notice to the Transferring Party within the Refusal
Period, such Non-transferring Party shall be deemed to have waived
its Right of First Refusal. In the event that Regal Life proposes a
transfer of its equity interests, the Chinese Equity Interest
Holders shall decide on how to allocate the equity interests
proposed to be transferred among themselves within the Refusal
Period, and Regal Life shall not be obligated to transfer any
equity interests until all the Chinese Equity Interest Holders
proposing to exercise their Rights of First Refusal deliver a joint
notice to Regal Life regarding their decision (“ Joint
Election Notice ”). In the event that no Joint
Election Notice is delivered by the Non-transferring Party to Regal
Life within the Refusal Period, relevant Non-transferring Party
shall be deemed to have waived its Right of First
Refusal.
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Upon delivery
of an Election Notice or, when applicable, a Joint Election Notice,
the parties shall prepare and compile appropriate share transfer
documents and submit all required applications and notices to
competent government authorities. The Transferring Party
shall make relevant representations and warranties to purchaser(s)
as follows: (a) the Transferring Party has a clean title to the
Transferred Equity Interest, free from all security interest, and
(b) the Transferring Party has valid authority to engage in such
transaction in relation to the Transferred Equity
Interests. The purchase and transfer pursuant to a Right
of First Refusal shall take place within ten (10) business days
after receipt of all necessary governmental approvals for such
transfer.
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In the event
that all Non-transferring Parties give their consent for the
proposed transfer or no Party executes its Right of First Refusal
upon expiry of Refusal Period, the Transferring Party shall within
ninety (90) days thereafter sign an unconditional and binding
agreement on the proposed transfer of the Transferred Equity
Interests at a price not lower and under the terms and conditions
not less favourable than those specified in the Transfer Notice
(subject to availability of necessary governmental
approval). In the event that the Transferring Party has
not entered into any unconditional and binding agreement on the
proposed transfer of the Transferred Equity Interests within such
ninety (90) days, the Transferring Party shall not thereafter
transfer any equity interests proposed to be transferred without
re-performing the obligations to be performed by the Transferring
Party under Section 7.2 hereof.
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Pre-emptive
Right upon Capital Increase of the Company
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In the event
that the Company wishes to sell its newly increased equity
interests to any person or entity for any reasons, the Company
shall first offer the Chinese Equity Interest Holders and Regal
Life the opportunity to purchase such newly increased equity
interests. The Company shall notify the Chinese Equity
Interest Holders and Regal Life in writing of the Company’s
plan to increase its registered capital, including the percentage
of the newly increased equity interests and the proposed sale price
per share. The Chinese Equity Interest Holders and Regal
Life shall notify the Company whether or not they choose to
purchase such newly increased equity interests within twenty (20)
business days after being notified.
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If the Chinese
Equity Interest Holders and Regal Life choose to purchase the newly
increased equity interests, the Company shall prepare share
purchase agreement(s) based on the percentage of the newly
increased equity interests as agreed between the Chinese Equity
Interest Holders and Regal Life and shall submit all required
applications and notices to competent government
authorities. The sale and purchase of the newly
increased equity interests shall take place within ten (10)
business days after the receipt of all necessary governmental
approvals for such transaction.
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In the event
that any of the Chinese Equity Interest Holders and Regal Life
decides neither to purchase the newly increased equity interests
nor to give a written reply of its decision to purchase within
twenty (20) business days, the party deciding to purchase the newly
increased equity interests shall have the pre-emptive right to
purchase the non-subscribed portion of the newly increased equity
interests by notifying the Company thereof within twenty (20)
business days thereafter, and such party’s percentage of
shareholding in the Company shall be adjusted based on the then
valuation of Company determined by the Chinese Equity Interest
Holders and Regal Life.
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Within forty
(40) business days after the Company delivers the notice as
specified in Section 7.4.1, if the number of the newly increased
equity interests that the Chinese Equity Interest Holders and Regal
Life desire to subscribe to is fewer than that the Company desires
to sell, the Company may issue and sell the non-subscribed newly
increased equity interests at the price and upon terms and
conditions not less favourable than offered to the Chinese Equity
Interest Holders and Regal Life, provided that the Company shall
enter into an unconditional and binding agreement within ninety
(90) days for the transfer of the newly increased equity interests
at the price and upon terms and conditions not less favourable than
those indicated in the notice under the above Section 7.4.1
(subject to availability of necessary governmental
approvals). In the event that the Company has not
entered into such unconditional and binding agreement within such
ninety (90)-day period, the Company shall not thereafter sell the
non-subscribed newly increased equity interests without
re-performing the obligations to be performed by the Company under
Section 7.4 hereof.
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When the
Company issues any new equity interests, the Chinese Equity
Interest Holders and Regal Life shall provide necessary and prompt
assistance and cooperation as requested by the Company’s
board of directors, including without limitation provision of
relevant legal documents and execution of board
resolutions.
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In the event
that the Company or any Chinese Shareholder commits a material
breach of this Contract, the Subscription Agreement or
the Loan Agreement among Regal Life, the Company and the Chinese
Equity Interest Holders, Regal Life shall have the right to require
the Company to repurchase the Acquired Equity Interests from Regal
Life. Such repurchase shall occur within thirty (30)
days after Regal Life notifies the Company in writing of such
material breach.
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Any repurchase
under this Section 7.4 shall be made at a price equal to the
original purchase price (namely USD 500,000) for the Acquired
Equity Interests, plus a premium of five percent (5%) of the
original purchase price per annum since the date of acquisition by
Regal Life of the Acquired Equity Interests (prorated for any
partial year on the basis of a 365-day year). The Company and the
Chinese Equity Interest Holders shall take all necessary actions to
obtain all then required governmental approvals.
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For the
avoidance of doubt, Regal Life’s exercising the put option
right pursuant to this Section shall not affect Regal Life’s
right, pursuant to Section 22.2 hereof, to require the Chinese
Equity Interest Holders to indemnify Regal Life and hold Regal Life
harmless.
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Formation of
the Board of Directors
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The Company
shall form a new board of directors on the date of issuance of the
business license for foreign-invested enterprise.
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Composition
of the Board of Directors
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The board of
directors shall be composed of five (5) directors, three (3) of
which shall be jointly appointed by the Chinese Equity Interest
Holders, and two (2) of which shall be appointed by Regal
Life. Remuneration of, and expenses of attending the
board meetings incurred by each director shall be decided by the
board of directors and reimbursed by the Company.
In the event
that Regal Life’s ownership of the Company increases, the
board of directors shall increase the number of Regal
Life-appointed directors from time to time, approximately in
proportion to Regal Life’s increasing percentage of ownership
of the Company. If any Regal Life-nominated director
dies, resigns or is removed from the board of directors, Regal Life
shall have the exclusive right to appoint a replacement
director. Each Chinese Shareholder agrees to vote for
Regal Life’s nominee(s) at any election of
directors. The Chinese Equity Interest Holders may not
vote to remove director(s) nominated by Regal Life from the board
of directors without Regal Life’s written consent.
The chairman of
the board of directors shall be jointly appointed by the Chinese
Equity Interest Holders. The articles of association of
the Company shall provides that the chairman will be the legal
representative of the Company, and that if the chairman is unable
to perform his or her duties for any reasons, a director elected by
other directors from those appointed by the Chinese Equity Interest
Holders shall perform the duties of the chairman on behalf of the
chairman. Regal Life shall appoint the chairman of the board of
directors upon completion of the projected USD 1 million
investment.
Each of the
directors and the chairman shall serve a term of office of three
(3) years and can serve consecutive terms if
reappointed.
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Powers of
the Board of Directors
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The board of
directors shall be the highest authority of the Company. The board
of directors shall decide on all significant matters of the Company
and determine all the policies and business guidelines of the
Company.
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Resolutions on
the following matters shall be unanimously approved by all the
directors attending the board meetings:
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amendments of
the articles of association of the Company;
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termination and
dissolution of the Company;
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increase and
reduction of the Company’s registered capital;
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merger and
division of the Company.
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Resolutions on
other matters than those in Section 9.3.2 shall be adopted by more
than half of the affirmative votes of the directors attending the
board meetings.
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Notwithstanding
the provisions of Section 9.3.3, resolutions on the following
matters of the Company and its subsidiaries cannot be adopted
unless approved by the director(s) appointed by Regal
Life:
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issuance or
distribution of any dividend to the Company’s Equity Interest
Holders, whether in the form of cash or other assets, in excess of
fifty percent (50%) of the net profits of the Company during the
current year;
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incurring any
borrowing or debt which makes the debt-to-asset ratio of the
Company exceeding 80%;
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creation of any
security interest over the assets of the Company (except for the
security interest for the borrowing in compliance with Section
9.3.4(b));
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any change in
the Company’s registered capital;
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issuance of any
new stock option or creation of any stock option plan;
and
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any increase in
the total compensation of any responsible person or senior manager
(including general manager, deputy general managers, directors and
other officers having similar powers and their higher-ups) of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries by 50% more than that of the
previous fiscal year in any single year.
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Convening of
the Board Meetings
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The board of
directors shall convene at least a meeting each
quarter. The first board meeting shall be convened
within one month after the issuance of the Company’s business
license as foreign-invested enterprise. The board meetings shall be
called and presided over by the chairman. As requested by more than
one thirds (1/3) of the directors, the chairman shall call an
interim meeting. A notice shall be given to all the directors ten
(10) days prior to the convening of any board meeting. Upon
unanimous approval of all the directors, the convening of any board
meeting may not be subject to the time restriction mentioned
above.
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Any board
meeting shall be convened at the office of the Company or other
places unanimously approved by all the directors or via phone. The
Company will make appropriate arrangement so that the directors can
attend all the teleconferences.
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Quorum shall be
present at any board meeting. More than two thirds (2/3) of all the
directors constitutes the quorum of the board meeting. If any
director is unable to attend the board meeting in person or via
phone for some reason, he/she may issue an
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