Exhibit
10.12
MEMBERSHIP UNITS PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This MEMBERSHIP UNITS PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “
Agreement ”) is entered into as of June 13, 2008
(the “ Effective Date ”), by and between
LinkedIn Corporation, a Delaware corporation formerly known as
LinkedIn, Ltd. (the “ Company ”), and Reid
Hoffman, an individual (“ Hoffman ”).
WHEREAS, Hoffman owns 50% of the outstanding membership units of
Degrees of Connection LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
(“ Degrees LLC ”), pursuant to the Limited
Liability Company Operating Agreement of Degrees of Connection LLC
made as of September 22, 2003 (the “ Degrees LLC
Operating Agreement ”);
WHEREAS, Degrees LLC is the sole owner of U.S. Patent
No. 6,175,831 (the “ Six Degrees Patent ”)
and certain related technology and intellectual property rights
(collectively, the “ Six Degrees Rights ”),
including, without limitation, certain copyrights and trade secret
know how;
WHEREAS, the Company and Hoffman previously entered into that
certain Patent Purchase Agreement (the “ Prior
Agreement ”), to provide the Company with an option to
purchase all of Hoffman’ s right, title and interest in and
to Degrees LLC (the “ Interests ”), including,
without limitation, all of his membership units in Degrees LLC, on
the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, the Company desires to purchase from Hoffman, and Hoffman
desires to sell to the Company, the Interests.
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt
and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties
hereto hereby agree as follows:
1. Termination
of Prior Agreement . The Prior Agreement is hereby
superseded and shall have no further force or effect.
2. Sale and
Purchase of Interests . Upon the execution and
delivery of this Agreement (the “ Closing ”),
Hoffman (i) shall and hereby does sell, transfer, assign,
convey and deliver to the Company all of the Interests, free and
clear of any mortgage, pledge, hypothecation, rights of others,
claim, security interest, encumbrance, title defect, title
retention agreement, voting trust agreement, interest, option,
lien, charge or similar restrictions or limitations, including,
without limitation, any restriction on the right to vote, sell or
otherwise dispose of any of the Interests (collectively, “
Liens ”), and (ii) shall deliver, or cause to be
delivered, to the Company the following items:
(A) all instruments, if any,
evidencing any of the Interests;
(B) an Assignment Separate From
Certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A ,
duly executed in blank by Hoffman, together with any other
documents that are necessary to transfer to the Company good and
valid title to all Interests and any necessary transfer tax stamps
affixed or accompanied by evidence that all transfer taxes have
been paid;
(C) a Consent of Spouse, in the
form attached hereto as Exhibit B , duly executed by
his spouse; and
(D) an Agreement and Consent to
Admit New Member, in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit C , duly executed by Hoffman, Tribe Networks,
Inc. (“ Tribe Networks ”) and Degrees LLC.
At the Closing, the Company shall (i) purchase, acquire,
assume and accept all of the Interests, free and clear of all Liens
and (ii) pay Hoffman an amount equal to $ $628,159.07 (the
“ Purchase Price ”), which consists of
(A) $350,000, which the parties agree is the amount of
Hoffman’s capital contribution to Degrees LLC,
(B) $50,000, which the parties agree is a good faith estimate
of the amount of expenses incurred by Hoffman in forming Degrees
LLC, and (C) $228,159.07, which the parties agree is 10%
interest, compounded annually, on the amounts in clauses
(A) and (B) from the date of formation of Degrees LLC
(i.e., September 22, 2003) through the date hereof.
3.
Representations and Warranties of Hoffman .
Hoffman hereby represents and warrants to the Company as
follows:
(a)
Interests . The Interests constitute
Hoffman’s entire ownership and membership interests (whether
record, beneficial or otherwise) in Degrees LLC, and the Interests
represent exactly 50% of the outstanding units of Degrees LLC.
Hoffman has good and marketable title to all of the Interests, free
and clear of all Liens. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, no individual (other than Hoffman) or entity has any
beneficial interest in or a right to acquire or vote any of the
Interests otherwise than pursuant to this Agreement. The Interests
are free and clear of all Liens. At the Closing, the Company will
acquire good and valid title to all of the Interests, free and
clear of all Liens. Hoffman has never sold, assigned or otherwise
transferred any of the Interests to any individual or entity.
(b) Degrees
LLC . Tribe Networks is the sole owner of all of
the outstanding units of Degrees LLC that are not owned by Hoffman.
Degrees LLC does not have any subsidiaries. The Degrees LLC
Operating Agreement is the operating agreement of Degrees LLC and
has not been amended.
(c) Authority;
Validity and Enforceability . Hoffman has the
capacity to execute, deliver and perform his obligations under this
Agreement. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by
Hoffman and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by
the Company, represents the legal, valid and binding obligation of
Hoffman, enforceable against him in accordance with their
respective terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance and
other laws, rules and regulations and principles of equity
affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally. Other
than such actions as are expressly required by this Agreement, no
further action on the part of Hoffman or any other person is or
will be required in order to transfer and assign all of the
Interests to the Company.
(d) No
Conflict . Neither the execution and delivery of
this Agreement by Hoffman, nor the performance by Hoffinan of his
obligations hereunder: (i) will violate, conflict
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with or result in a
breach of any applicable law or duty, including without limitation,
tort duties; (ii) infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise
violate any proprietary interest of any third party, including,
without limitation, intellectual property interests; or
(iii) breach or terminate any contractual right or interest of
any third party, or give any individual or entity any additional
rights or compensation under, or the right to terminate or
accelerate, or constitute (with notice or lapse of time, or both) a
default under the terms of any note, deed, lease, indenture,
security agreement, mortgage, commitment, contract, covenant,
agreement, license or other instrument or oral understanding to
which Hoffman is a party or by which Hoffman is bound.
(e) Consents
. No consent, approval or authorization of any
individual or entity is required in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance by Hoffman of this Agreement or any
instrument required to be delivered by Hoffman at the Closing or
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or
thereby.
(f) Capital
Accounts . Hoffman has made all capital
contributions required by Degrees LLC to be made by him prior to
the date of this Agreement, including, without limitation, his
share of the required initial capital contribution to Degrees LLC
in the sum of $350,000.
(g) Six Degrees
Patent . Degrees LLC is the sole owner of the Six
Degrees Patent. Except for the non-exclusive licenses granted by
Degrees LLC to the Company and to Tribe Networks, no Person (other
than Degrees LLC) has any license or other rights with respect to
the Six Degrees Patent.
4.
Representations and Warranties of the Company .
The Company hereby represents and warrants to Hoffman as
follows:
(a)
Authority . The Company is duly organized,
validly existing, and in good standing under the law of every
jurisdiction in which it conducts business. All necessary actions
have been taken to authorize the Company to execute this Agreement
and perform the Company’s obligations hereunder. The
Company’s authorization, execution, delivery and performance
of this Agreement do no conflict with or violate any law applicable
to the Company or any other agreement or arrangement to which the
Company is a party or by which the Company or its assets are
bound.
(b)
Investment . The Company is acquiring the
Interests for the Company’s own account, not as a nominee or
agent, for investment purposes only and not with a view to or for
the resale or distribution thereof, and has no agreement or
arrangement or plan of any kind with any person to sell, transfer
or pledge to any person any part of the Interests.
(c)
Knowledge . The Company has sufficient knowledge
and experience in financial and business matters to be capable of
evaluating the merits and risks of its investment in Degrees LLC,
is able to bear the economic risks of the Company’s
investment and participation in Degrees LLC, and is financially
able to hold the Interests for an indefinite period of time and to
suffer a complete loss of such investment. The Company has acquired
all information it has requested about Degrees LLC and considers
necessary to reach an informed and knowledgeable decision to
acquire the Interests.
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(d) Restrictions
on Transfer . The Company understands that the
Interests have not been registered under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended or any state securities laws, and under such laws,
may not be resold or transferred by the Company without appropriate
registration or the availability of an exemption from such
requirements.
5.
Acquisition of Six Degrees Patent . If the
Company, directly or indirectly, acquires sole ownership of the Six
Degrees Patent (whether by purchase of all other membership units
of Degrees LLC or otherwise), then:
(i) in the event
the Company and/or its affiliates sell the Six Degrees Patent to
any individual or entity (other than the Company or any of its
affiliates) as a discrete, stand alone asset sold separately from
other assets or businesses of the Company and/or its affiliates,
the Company shall, within thirty (30) days after receiving any
cash payment arising from such sale, pay to Hoffman an amount of
cash equal to the product of (A) 0.80 and (B) (x) the
aggregate sales price for the Six Degrees Patent in such sale,
minus (y) the Purchase Price, minus (z) the
aggregate amount paid or payable by the Company and/or its
affiliates to acquire sole ownership of the Six Degrees Patent
(other than the Purchase Price);
(ii) in the event the Company
and/or its affiliates sell the Six Degrees Patent to any individual
or entity (other than the Company or any of its affiliates) with
other assets or businesses of the Company and/or its affiliates,
otherwise than pursuant to a Change of Control Transaction (as
defined below), (A) prior to such sale, the Company and
Hoffman shall mutually agree on the portion of the aggregate sales
price in such sale that is attributable to only the Six Degrees
Patent and (B) the Company shall, within thirty (30) days
after receiving any cash payment arising from such sale, pay to
Hoffman an amount of cash equal to the product of (A) 0.80 and
(B) (x) the portion of the aggregate sales price in such sale
that the Company and Hoffman mutually agreed is attributable to
only the Six Degrees Patent, minus (y) the Purchase
Price, minus (z) the aggregate amount paid or payable
by the Company and/or its affiliates to acquire sole ownership of
the Six Degrees Patent (other than the Purchase Price); and
(iii) in the event the Company
and/or its affiliates grants any rights with respect to the Six
Degrees Patent to any individual or entity (other than the Company
or any of its affiliates), otherwise than pursuant to a Change of
Control Transaction (as defined below) or to the sale of the Six
Degrees Patent, the Company shall, or shall cause its applicable
affiliates to, promptly thereafter grant such rights to Hoffman on
terms no less favorable to Hoffman in the aggregate as the terms
given to such other individual or entity with respect to such
rights.
The provisions contained in this Section 5 shall terminate and
have no further force or effect upon the consummation of a Change
of Control Transaction. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
“ Change of Control Transaction ” means the
acquisition of the Company (whether by merger or otherwise) or the
sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.
6. Further
Assurances . Subsequent to the execution and
delivery of this Agreement and without any additional
consideration, each party hereto, at the written request of the
other party hereto, will execute and deliver any further legal
instruments, and take all such other actions, which are or may
become reasonably necessary or helpful to effectuate the purposes
of this Agreement.
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7. Governing
Law . This Agreement and the relationship between
the parties hereto shall be governed by and construed and enforced
in accordance with the laws of the State of California without
regard to its principles of conflicts of law.
8. Entire
Agreement . This Agreement constitutes and contains
the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with
respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any and all
prior and contemporaneous negotiations, correspondences,
agreements, understandings, duties or obligations between the
parties respecting the subject matter hereof.
9.
Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in
two or more counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original,
but all of which together will constitute one and the same
instrument. The exchange of a fully executed Agreement (in
counterparts or otherwise) by facsimile or by electronic delivery
in PDF format shall be sufficient to bind the parties to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement.
10. Severability .
In the event that any provision of this Agreement, or
the application thereof, becomes or is declared by a court of
competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the
remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect
and shall be interpreted so as reasonably to effect the intent of
the parties hereto. The parties hereto shall use their reasonable
best efforts to replace such void or unenforceable provision of
this Agreement with a valid and enforceable provision that shall
achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other
purposes of such void or unenforceable provision.
11. Specific Performance
. The parties hereto hereby acknowledge and agree that
irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the
provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with
their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly
agreed that each of the parties hereto, in addition to any other
available rights or remedies, shall be entitled to an injunction or
injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce
specifically the terms and provisions hereof in any court of the
United States or any state having jurisdiction, and each party
hereto hereby expressly waives the defense that a remedy in damages
will be adequate.
12. Assignment;
Successors . The rights and obligations of Hoffman
under this Agreement may not be assigned or delegated, in whole or
in part, by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior
written consent of the Company. Subject to the immediately
preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to
the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their
respective successors and assigns.
13. Amendment; Waiver .
No term or provision of this Agreement may be amended
or waived except in writing signed by the party against whom
enforcement of such amendment or waiver is sought.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Membership
Units Purchase Agreement as of the date set forth above.
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COMPANY:
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LINKEDIN CORPORATION
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