UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 


 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  October 1, 2018 (September 28, 2018)

 

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact name of each registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

001-36507

 

20-8738320

(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)

 

(Commission
File Numbers)

 

(IRS Employer
Identification Nos.)

 

150 Peabody Place, Memphis, Tennessee  

 

38103  

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

(901) 597-1400

(Each registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 


 

 

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

 

 

 



 

Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On September 28, 2018, in connection with the previously announced separation of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.’s (the “Company”) American Home Shield business (the “Separation”) through the distribution of approximately 80.2% of the outstanding common stock of frontdoor, inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Frontdoor”), to the Company’s stockholders (the “Distribution”), the Company entered into several agreements with Frontdoor that govern the relationship of the parties following the Distribution, including the following:

 

·                   a Separation and Distribution Agreement;

 

·                   a Transition Services Agreement;

 

·                   a Tax Matters Agreement;

 

·                   an Employee Matters Agreement; and

 

·                   a Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement.

 

Separation and Distribution Agreement

 

Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities

 

The Separation and Distribution Agreement identifies the assets to be transferred, the liabilities to be assumed and the contracts to be assigned to each of Frontdoor and the Company as part of the Separation, and provides for when and how these transfers, assumptions and assignments will occur.  In particular, the Separation and Distribution Agreement provides, among other things, which:

 

·                   assets (whether tangible or intangible) primarily related to, or included on the balance sheet of, the American Home Shield business, which are referred to as the “Frontdoor Assets,” will be transferred to Frontdoor, generally including:

 

·                   equity interests in certain subsidiaries of the Company that hold assets primarily related to the American Home Shield business;

 

·                   customer, distribution, supply and vendor contracts (or portions thereof) to the extent they relate to the American Home Shield business;

 

·                   certain third-party vendor contracts for services primarily related to the American Home Shield business;

 

·                   rights to technology, software and intellectual property primarily related to the American Home Shield business;

 

·                   exclusive rights to information exclusively related to our business and nonexclusive rights to information related to the American Home Shield business;

 

·                   rights and assets expressly allocated to us pursuant to the terms of the Separation and Distribution Agreement or certain other agreements entered into in connection with the Separation;

 

·                   permits used in the American Home Shield business; and

 

·                   other assets that are included in the Frontdoor pro forma balance sheet;

 

·                   liabilities primarily related to, or included on the balance sheet of, the American Home Shield business, which are referred to as the “Frontdoor Liabilities,” will be retained by or transferred to Frontdoor; and

 

·                   all of the assets and liabilities (including whether accrued, contingent, or otherwise) other than the Frontdoor Assets and Frontdoor Liabilities (such assets and liabilities, other than the Frontdoor Assets and the Frontdoor Liabilities, referred to as the “ServiceMaster Assets” and “ServiceMaster Liabilities,” respectively) will be retained by or transferred to the Company.

 

Except as expressly set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any ancillary agreement, neither Frontdoor nor the Company makes any representation or warranty as to (1) the assets, business or liabilities transferred or assumed as part of the Separation, (2) any approvals or notifications required in connection with the transfers, (3) the value of or the freedom from any security interests of any of the assets transferred, (4) the absence or presence of any defenses or right of setoff or freedom from counterclaim with respect to any claim or other asset of either Frontdoor or the Company, or (5) the legal sufficiency of any

 

2



 

assignment, document or instrument delivered to convey title to any asset or thing of value to be transferred in connection with the Separation.  All assets were transferred on an “as is,” “where is” basis, and the respective transferees will bear the economic and legal risks that any conveyance will prove to be insufficient to vest in the transferee good and marketable title, free and clear of all security interests, and that any necessary consents or governmental approvals are not obtained or that any requirements of laws, agreements, security interests or judgments are not complied with.

 

The Separation and Distribution Agreement provides that, in the event that the transfer or assignment of certain assets and liabilities to Frontdoor or the Company, as applicable, does not occur prior to the Separation, then until such assets or liabilities are able to be transferred or assigned, Frontdoor or the Company, as applicable, will hold such assets on behalf and for the benefit of the other party and will pay, perform, and discharge such liabilities, for which the other party will reimburse Frontdoor or the Company, as applicable, for all commercially reasonable payments made in connection with the performance and discharge of such liabilities.

 

Claims

 

In general, each party to the Separation and Distribution Agreement will assume liability for all pending, threatened and unasserted legal matters related to its own business or its assumed or retained liabilities and will indemnify the other party for any liability to the extent arising out of or resulting from such assumed or retained legal matters.

 

Releases

 

The Separation and Distribution Agreement provides that Frontdoor and its affiliates will release and discharge the Company and its affiliates from all liabilities assumed by Frontdoor as part of the Separation, from all acts and events occurring or failing to occur, and all conditions existing, on or before the Distribution Date relating to Frontdoor’s business, and from all liabilities existing or arising in connection with the implementation of the Separation, except as expressly set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.  The Company and its affiliates will release and discharge Frontdoor and its affiliates from all liabilities retained by the Company and its affiliates as part of the Separation and from all liabilities existing or arising in connection with the implementation of the Separation, except as expressly set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

These releases will not extend to obligations or liabilities under any agreements between the parties that remain in effect following the Separation, which agreements include, but are not limited to, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Transition Services Agreement, the Tax Matters Agreement, the Employee Matters Agreement, and certain other agreements, including the transfer documents in connection with the Separation.

 

Indemnification

 

In the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Frontdoor agreed to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, each of its affiliates and each of their respective directors, officers and employees, from and against all liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from:

 

·                   the Frontdoor Liabilities;

 

·                   the failure of Frontdoor or any other person to pay, perform or otherwise promptly discharge any of the Frontdoor Liabilities, in accordance with their respective terms, whether prior to, at or after the Distribution;

 

·                   except to the extent relating to a ServiceMaster Liability, any guarantee, indemnification or contribution obligation for Frontdoor’s benefit by the Company that survives the Distribution;

 

·                   any breach by Frontdoor of the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any of the ancillary agreements; and

 

·                   any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of material fact in the registration statement of which this information statement forms a part, or in this information statement (as amended or supplemented), other than any such statements or omissions directly relating to information regarding the Company, provided to us by the Company, for inclusion therein.

 

3



 

In the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Company agreed to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Frontdoor, each of its affiliates and each of their respective directors, officers and employees from and against all liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from:

 

·                   the ServiceMaster Liabilities;

 

·                   the failure of the Company or any other person to pay, perform, or otherwise promptly discharge any of the ServiceMaster Liabilities, in accordance with their respective terms whether prior to, at, or after the Distribution;

 

·                   except to the extent relating to a Frontdoor Liability, any guarantee, indemnification or contribution obligation for the benefit of the Company by Frontdoor that survives the Distribution;

 

·                   any breach by the Company of the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any of the ancillary agreements; and

 

·                   any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of a material fact directly relating to information regarding the Company, provided to Frontdoor by the Company, for inclusion in the registration statement of which this information statement forms a part, or in this information statement (as amended or supplemented).

 

The Separation and Distribution Agreement also establishes procedures with respect to claims subject to indemnification and related matters.

 

Insurance

 

The Separation and Distribution Agreement provides for the allocation between the parties of rights and obligations under existing insurance policies with respect to occurrences prior to the Distribution Date and sets forth procedures for the administration of insured claims and addresses certain other insurance matters.

 

Further Assurances

 

In addition to the actions specifically provided for in the Separation and Distribution Agreement, except as otherwise set forth therein or in any ancillary agreement, both Frontdoor and the Company agree in the Separation and Distribution Agreement to use reasonable best efforts, prior to, on and after the Distribution Date, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable under applicable laws, regulations and agreements to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement and the ancillary agreements.

 

Dispute Resolution

 

The Separation and Distribution Agreement contains provisions that govern, except as otherwise provided in any ancillary agreement, the resolution of disputes, controversies or claims that may arise between the Company and Frontdoor related to the Separation or Distribution.  These provisions contemplate that efforts will be made to resolve disputes, controversies and claims by elevation of the matter to executives of the Company and Frontdoor.  If such efforts are not successful, either Frontdoor or the Company may submit the dispute, controversy or claim to binding arbitration, subject to the provisions of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Expenses

 

Except as expressly set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement or in any ancillary agreement, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the Separation and Distribution, including costs and expenses relating to legal and tax counsel, financial advisors and accounting advisory work related to the Separation and Distribution, will be paid by the party incurring such cost and expense.

 

Other Matters

 

Other matters governed by the Separation and Distribution Agreement include access to financial and other information, confidentiality, access to and provision of records and treatment of outstanding guarantees and similar credit support.

 

4



 

Termination

 

The Separation and Distribution Agreement provides that it may be terminated, and the Separation and Distribution may be modified or abandoned, at any time prior to the Distribution Date in the sole discretion of the Company without the approval of any person, including Frontdoor stockholders or the Company’s stockholders.  In the event of a termination of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, no party, nor any of its directors, officers, or employees, will have any liability of any kind to the other party or any other person.  After the Distribution Date, the Separation and Distribution Agreement may not be terminated, except by an agreement in writing signed by both the Company and Frontdoor.

 

Transition Services Agreement

 

Pursuant to the Transition Services Agreement, the Company and Frontdoor will provide certain services to one another, on an interim, transitional basis.  The services to be provided include certain information technology services, finance and accounting services and human resource and employee benefits services.  The agreed-upon charges for such services are generally intended to allow the providing company to recover all costs and expenses of providing such services.

 

The Transition Services Agreement will terminate on the expiration of the term of the last service provided under it, which will generally be no later than December 31, 2019.

 

Subject to certain exceptions in the case of willful misconduct or fraud, the liability of the Company and Frontdoor under the transition services agreement for the services they provide will be limited to a specified maximum amount.  The Transition Services Agreement also provides that neither company shall be liable to the other for any indirect, exemplary, incidental, consequential, remote, speculative, punitive or similar damages.

 

Tax Matters Agreement

 

The Tax Matters Agreement governs the respective rights of the Company and Frontdoor, responsibilities and obligations after the Distribution with respect to taxes (including taxes arising in the ordinary course of business and taxes, if any, incurred as a result of any failure of the Distribution and certain related transactions to qualify as tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes), tax attributes, the preparation and filing of tax returns, tax elections, the control of audits and other tax proceedings and assistance and cooperation in respect of tax matters.

 

The Tax Matters Agreement also imposes certain restrictions on Frontdoor and its subsidiaries (including, among others, restrictions on share issuances, business combinations, sales of assets and similar transactions) designed to preserve the tax-free status of the Distribution and certain related transactions.  The Tax Matters Agreement provides special rules that allocate tax liabilities in the event the Distribution, together with certain related transactions, is not tax-free.  In general, under the Tax Matters Agreement, each party is expected to be responsible for any taxes imposed on the Company or Frontdoor that arise from the failure of the Distribution, together with certain related transactions, to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) and certain other relevant provisions of the Code, to the extent that the failure to so qualify is attributable to actions, events or transactions relating to such party’s respective stock, assets or business, or a breach of the relevant representations or covenants made by that party in the Tax Matters Agreement.  However, if such failure was the result of any acquisition of our shares or assets, or of any of Frontdoor’s representations, statements or undertakings being incorrect, incomplete or breached, Frontdoor generally will be responsible for all taxes imposed as a result of such acquisition or breach.

 

Notwithstanding receipt by the Company of the IRS private letter ruling and the opinion(s) of tax advisors, the IRS could assert that the Distribution or certain related transactions do not qualify for tax-free treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes.  If the IRS were successful in taking this position, Frontdoor, the Company, and the Company’s stockholders could be subject to significant U.S. federal income tax liability.  In addition, certain events that may or may not be within the control of the Company or Frontdoor could cause the Distribution and certain related transactions to not qualify for tax-free treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes.  Depending on the circumstances, Frontdoor may be required to indemnify the Company for taxes and certain related amounts resulting from the Distribution and certain related transactions not qualifying as tax-free.

 

Employee Matters Agreement

 

The Employee Matters Agreement allocates liabilities and responsibilities relating to employment matters, employee compensation and benefits plans and programs and other related matters.  The Employee Matters Agreement governs certain compensation and employee benefit obligations with respect to the current and former employees and non-employee directors of each company.

 

5



 

The Employee Matters Agreement provides that, unless otherwise specified, the Company will be responsible for liabilities associated with employees who will be employed by the Company following the Separation, former employees whose last employment was with the ServiceMaster businesses, and Frontdoor will be responsible for liabilities associated with employees who will be employed by Frontdoor following the Separation and former employees whose last employment was with Frontdoor’s businesses.

 

The Employee Matters Agreement will provide for the conversion of the outstanding awards granted under the Company’s equity compensation programs into adjusted awards relating to shares of the Company and/or Frontdoor common stock.  The adjusted awards generally are subject to substantially the same terms, vesting conditions, post-termination exercise rules and other restrictions that applied to the original ServiceMaster award immediately before the Separation.

 

Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement

 

Pursuant to the Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement, Frontdoor agrees that, upon the request of the Company, Frontdoor will use its reasonable best efforts to effect the registration under applicable federal and state securities laws of any shares of Frontdoor common stock retained by the Company.  In addition, the Company will agree to vote any shares of Frontdoor common stock that it retains immediately after the Separation in proportion to the votes cast by our other stockholders.  In connection with such agreement, the Company will grant Frontdoor a proxy to vote its shares of Frontdoor common stock in such proportion.  This proxy, however, will be automatically revoked as to any particular share upon any sale or transfer of such share from the Company to a person other than the Company, and neither the voting agreement nor proxy will limit or prohibit any such sale or transfer.

 

The foregoing description of certain terms of these agreements does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to the full text of these agreements, which are attached hereto as Exhibits 2.1, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4, respectively, each of which is incorporated by reference into this Item 1.01.

 

Item 2.01. Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

 

On October 1, 2018, the Company completed the Distribution and the Separation of Frontdoor from the Company. Frontdoor is now an independent public company trading under the symbol “FTDR” on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The Distribution was made to the Company’s stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 14, 2018 (the “Record Date”), and such stockholders received one share of Frontdoor common stock for every two shares of Company common stock held as of close of business on the Record Date.

 

On October 1, 2018, the Company issued a press release announcing the completion of the Distribution.  A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

 

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

In connection with the Distribution, Peter L. Cella, Richard P. Fox and William C. Cobb resigned as directors of the Company, effective as of immediately prior to the Distribution, to serve as directors of Frontdoor.  Effective as of the Distribution, the Board of Directors of the Company decreased its size from ten directors to seven directors.

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description of Exhibit

2.1

 

Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2018, by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. and frontdoor, inc.

 

 

 

10.1

 

Transition Services Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2018, by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. and frontdoor, inc.

 

 

 

10.2

 

Tax Matters Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2018, by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. and frontdoor, inc.

 

6



 

10.3

 

Employee Matters Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2018, by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. and frontdoor, inc.

 

 

 

10.4

 

Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2018, by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. and frontdoor, inc.

 

 

 

99.1

 

Press release of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc., issued October 1, 2018

 

SIGNATURE

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

Dated: October 1, 2018

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Anthony D. Dilucente

 

 

Name:

Anthony D. Dilucente

 

 

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

7


Exhibit 2.1

 

SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

BY AND BETWEEN

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

AND

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

Page

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

2

 

 

ARTICLE II THE SEPARATION

13

 

 

2.1

 

Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities

13

2.2

 

SpinCo Assets; Parent Assets

15

2.3

 

SpinCo Liabilities; Parent Liabilities

17

2.4

 

Approvals and Notifications

19

2.5

 

Novation of Liabilities

22

2.6

 

Release of Guarantees

23

2.7

 

Termination of Agreements

24

2.8

 

Treatment of Shared Contracts

25

2.9

 

Bank Accounts; Cash Balances

26

2.10

 

Ancillary Agreements

27

2.11

 

Disclaimer of Representations and Warranties

27

2.12

 

SpinCo Financing Arrangements; SpinCo Debt Incurrence

28

2.13

 

Financial Information Certifications

28

2.14

 

Post-Distribution Statement

29

2.15

 

Final Adjustment Amount

30

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE III THE DISTRIBUTION

30

 

 

3.1

 

Sole and Absolute Discretion; Cooperation

30

3.2

 

Actions Prior to the Distribution

31

3.3

 

Conditions to the Distribution

32

3.4

 

The Distribution

34

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION

35

 

 

4.1

 

Release of Pre-Distribution Claims

35

4.2

 

Indemnification by SpinCo

37

4.3

 

Indemnification by Parent

38

4.4

 

Indemnification Obligations Net of Insurance Proceeds and Other Amounts

39

4.5

 

Procedures for Indemnification of Third-Party Claims

39

4.6

 

Additional Matters

41

4.7

 

Right of Contribution

43

4.8

 

Covenant Not to Sue

44

4.9

 

Remedies Cumulative

44

4.10

 

Survival of Indemnities

44

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE V CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS

44

 

 

5.1

 

Insurance Matters

44

5.2

 

Late Payments

47

5.3

 

Inducement

47

 

i



 

5.4

 

Post-Effective Time Conduct

47

5.5

 

Corporate Names; Trademarks

47

5.6

 

Non-Solicitation

48

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY

49

 

 

6.1

 

Agreement for Exchange of Information

49

6.2

 

Ownership of Information

50

6.3

 

Compensation for Providing Information

50

6.4

 

Record Retention

51

6.5

 

Limitations of Liability

51

6.6

 

Other Agreements Providing for Exchange of Information

52

6.7

 

Production of Witnesses; Records; Cooperation

52

6.8

 

Privileged Matters

53

6.9

 

Confidentiality

55

6.10

 

Protective Arrangements

57

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII DISPUTE RESOLUTION

57

 

 

7.1

 

Good Faith Officer Negotiation

57

7.2

 

General Counsel Negotiation

57

7.3

 

CEO Negotiation

58

7.4

 

Arbitration

58

7.5

 

Litigation and Unilateral Commencement of Arbitration

59

7.6

 

Conduct During Dispute Resolution Process

59

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VIII FURTHER ASSURANCES AND ADDITIONAL COVENANTS

59

 

 

8.1

 

Further Assurances

59

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IX TERMINATION

60

 

 

9.1

 

Termination

61

9.2

 

Effect of Termination

61

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS

61

 

 

10.1

 

Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power

61

10.2

 

Governing Law

62

10.3

 

Assignability

62

10.4

 

Third-Party Beneficiaries

62

10.5

 

Notices

62

10.6

 

Severability

64

10.7

 

Force Majeure

64

10.8

 

No Set-Off

64

10.9

 

Expenses

64

10.10

 

Headings

65

10.11

 

Survival of Covenants

65

10.12

 

Waivers of Default

65

10.13

 

Specific Performance

65

10.14

 

Amendments

65

10.15

 

Interpretation

65

 

ii



 

10.16

 

Limitations of Liability

66

10.17

 

Performance

66

10.18

 

Mutual Drafting

66

 

iii



 

SCHEDULES

 

Schedule 1.1

Parent Software

Schedule 1.2

Parent Technology

Schedule 1.3

SpinCo Discontinued or Divested Businesses

Schedule 1.4

SpinCo Cash Amount

Schedule 1.5

SpinCo Contracts

Schedule 1.6

SpinCo Indemnified Liabilities

Schedule 1.7

SpinCo Intellectual Property

Schedule 1.8

SpinCo Software

Schedule 1.9

SpinCo Technology

Schedule 1.10

Transferred Entities

Schedule 2.1(a)

Plan of Reorganization

Schedule 2.2(a)(x)

SpinCo Assets

Schedule 2.2(b)(iii)

Parent Intellectual Property

Schedule 2.2(b)(vi)

Parent Assets

Schedule 2.3(a)

SpinCo Liabilities

Schedule 2.3(b)

Parent Liabilities

Schedule 2.5(a)

Novation of SpinCo Liabilities

Schedule 2.7(b)(ii)

Intercompany Agreements

Schedule 2.8

Shared Contracts

Schedule 4.3(e)

Specified Parent Information

Schedule 10.9

Allocation of Certain Costs and Expenses

 

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of frontdoor, inc.

 

 

Exhibit B

Amended and Restated Bylaws of frontdoor, inc.

 

iv



 

SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

This SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT, dated as of September 28, 2018 (this “ Agreement ”), is by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Parent ”), and frontdoor, inc., a Delaware corporation (“ SpinCo ”).  Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in Article I .

 

R E C I T A L S

 

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent (the “ Parent Board ”) has determined that it is in the best interests of Parent and its stockholders to create a new publicly traded company that shall operate the SpinCo Business;

 

WHEREAS, in furtherance of the foregoing, the Parent Board has determined that it is appropriate and desirable to separate the SpinCo Business from the Parent Business (the “ Separation ”) and, following the Separation, make a distribution, on a pro rata basis, to holders of Parent Shares on the Record Date of at least 80.1 percent (80.1%) of the outstanding SpinCo Shares (the “ Distribution ”);

 

WHEREAS, SpinCo has been incorporated solely for these purposes and has not engaged in activities, except in connection with the Separation and the Distribution;

 

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Contribution and the Distribution, taken together, are intended to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code, and this Agreement is intended to be, and is hereby adopted as, a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-2(g);

 

WHEREAS, SpinCo and Parent have prepared, and SpinCo has filed with the SEC, the Form 10, which includes the Information Statement, and which sets forth disclosures concerning SpinCo, the Separation and the Distribution;

 

WHEREAS, each of Parent and SpinCo has determined that it is appropriate and desirable to set forth the principal corporate transactions required to effect the Separation and the Distribution and certain other agreements that will govern certain matters relating to the Separation and the Distribution and the relationship of Parent, SpinCo and the members of their respective Groups following the Distribution; and

 

WHEREAS, the Parties acknowledge that this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements represent the integrated agreement of Parent and SpinCo relating to the Separation and the Distribution, are being entered into together, and would not have been entered into independently.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 



 

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

 

For the purpose of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

Action ” shall mean any demand, action, claim, dispute, suit, countersuit, arbitration, inquiry, subpoena, proceeding or investigation of any nature (whether criminal, civil, legislative, administrative, regulatory, prosecutorial or otherwise) by or before any federal, state, local, foreign or international Governmental Authority or any arbitration or mediation tribunal.

 

Adjustment Amount ” shall mean an amount (which may be negative) equal to (a) all of SpinCo’s cash and cash equivalents as of the Effective Time minus (b) the SpinCo Cash Amount.

 

Affiliate ” shall mean, when used with respect to a specified Person, a Person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such specified Person.  For the purpose of this definition, “ control ” (including, with correlative meanings, “ controlled by ” and “ under common control with ”), when used with respect to any specified Person shall mean 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, agreement, obligation, indenture, instrument, lease, promise, arrangement, release, warranty, commitment, undertaking or otherwise.  It is expressly agreed that, prior to, at and after the Effective Time, solely for purposes of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, (a) no member of the SpinCo Group shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of any member of the Parent Group and (b) no member of the Parent Group shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of any member of the SpinCo Group.

 

Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Ancillary Agreements ” shall mean all agreements (other than this Agreement) entered into by the Parties or the members of their respective Groups (but only agreements as to which no Third Party is a party) in connection with the Separation, the Distribution or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Transition Services Agreement, the Tax Matters Agreement, the Employee Matters Agreement, any sublease agreements and the Transfer Documents.

 

Approvals or Notifications ” shall mean any consents, waivers, approvals, permits or authorizations to be obtained from, notices, registrations or reports to be submitted to, or other filings to be made with, any Third Party, including any Governmental Authority.

 

Arbitration Request ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.4(a) .

 

Assets ” shall mean, with respect to any Person, the assets, properties, claims and rights (including goodwill) of such Person, wherever located (including in the possession of vendors or other Third Parties or elsewhere), of every kind, character and description, whether real, personal or mixed, tangible, intangible or contingent, in each case whether or not recorded or reflected or required to be recorded or reflected on the books and records or financial

 

2



 

statements of such Person, including rights and benefits pursuant to any contract, license, permit, indenture, note, bond, mortgage, agreement, concession, franchise, instrument, undertaking, commitment, understanding or other arrangement.

 

CEO Negotiation Request ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.3 .

 

Code ” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Contribution ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement.

 

Customer Information ” shall mean, with respect to any business, all information relating to customers of such business, including names, addresses and transaction data (including merchandise or service purchased, purchase price paid, purchase location (such as particular branch or online), date and time of day of purchase, adjustments and related information and means of payment).

 

Debt Exchange ” shall mean the exchange that Parent intends to effect, prior to the Effective Time, of (a) the SpinCo Debt for, and in satisfaction and discharge of, (b) certain indebtedness of Parent (or an entity disregarded as separate from Parent for U.S. federal income tax purposes).

 

Deductibles ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(b) .

 

Delayed Parent Asset ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(h) .

 

Delayed Parent Liability ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(h) .

 

Delayed SpinCo Asset ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(c) .

 

Delayed SpinCo Liability ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.4(c) .

 

Disclosure Document ” shall mean any registration statement (including the Form 10) filed with the SEC by or on behalf of any Party or any member of its Group, and also includes any information statement (including the Information Statement), prospectus, offering memorandum, offering circular, periodic report or similar disclosure document, whether or not filed with the SEC or any other Governmental Authority, in each case that describes the Separation or the Distribution or the SpinCo Group or primarily relates to the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

Dispute ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 .

 

Distribution ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Distribution Agent ” shall mean the trust company or bank duly appointed by Parent to act as distribution agent, transfer agent and registrar for the SpinCo Shares in connection with the Distribution.

 

3



 

Distribution Date ” shall mean 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on October 1, 2018, which is the date of the consummation of the Distribution, which shall be determined by the Parent Board in its sole and absolute discretion.

 

Distribution Ratio ” shall mean a number equal to 0.5.

 

e-mail ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10.5 .

 

Effective Time ” shall mean 12:01 a.m., New York City time, on the Distribution Date.

 

Employee Matters Agreement ” shall mean the Employee Matters Agreement to be entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo or the members of their respective Groups in connection with the Separation, the Distribution or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

Environmental Law ” shall mean any Law relating to pollution, protection or restoration of or prevention of harm to the environment or natural resources, including the use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, Release or discharge of Hazardous Materials or the protection of or prevention of harm to human health and safety.

 

Environmental Liabilities ” shall mean all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from any Hazardous Materials, Environmental Law or contract or agreement relating to environmental, health or safety matters (including all removal, remediation or cleanup costs, investigatory costs, response costs, natural resources damages, property damages, personal injury damages, costs of compliance with any product take-back requirements or with any settlement, judgment or other determination of Liability and indemnity, contribution or similar obligations) and all costs and expenses, interest, fines, penalties or other monetary sanctions in connection therewith.

 

Exchange Act ” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Final Adjustment Amount ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(e) .

 

Final Post-Distribution Statement ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(e) .

 

Force Majeure ” shall mean, with respect to a Party, an event beyond the reasonable control of such Party (or any Person acting on its behalf), which event (a) does not arise or result from the fault or negligence of such Party (or any Person acting on its behalf) and (b) by its nature would not reasonably have been foreseen by such Party (or such Person), or, if it would reasonably have been foreseen, was unavoidable, and includes acts of God, acts of civil or military authority, embargoes, epidemics, war, riots, insurrections, fires, explosions, earthquakes, floods, unusually severe weather conditions, labor problems or unavailability of parts, or, in the case of computer systems, any significant and prolonged failure in electrical or air conditioning equipment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the receipt by a Party of an unsolicited takeover

 

4



 

offer or other acquisition proposal, even if unforeseen or unavoidable, and such Party’s response thereto shall not be deemed an event of Force Majeure.

 

Form 10 ” shall mean the registration statement on Form 10 filed by SpinCo with the SEC to effect the registration of SpinCo Shares pursuant to the Exchange Act in connection with the Distribution, as such registration statement may be amended or supplemented from time to time prior to the Distribution.

 

General Counsel Negotiation Request ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.2 .

 

Governmental Approvals ” shall mean any Approvals or Notifications to be made to, or obtained from, any Governmental Authority.

 

Governmental Authority ” shall mean any nation or government, any territory, state, municipality or other political subdivision thereof, and any entity, body, agency, commission, department, board, bureau, court, tribunal or other instrumentality, whether federal, state, local, domestic, foreign or multinational, exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory, administrative or other similar functions of, or pertaining to, a government and any executive official thereof.

 

Group ” shall mean either the SpinCo Group or the Parent Group, as the context requires.

 

Hazardous Materials ” shall mean any chemical, material, substance, waste, pollutant, emission, discharge, release or contaminant that could result in Liability under, or that is prohibited, limited or regulated by or pursuant to, any Environmental Law, and any natural or artificial substance (whether solid, liquid or gas, noise, ion, vapor or electromagnetic) that could cause harm to human health or the environment, including petroleum, petroleum products and byproducts, asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, electronic, medical or infectious wastes, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, radioactive substances, chlorofluorocarbons and all other ozone-depleting substances.

 

Indemnifying Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a) .

 

Indemnitee ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a) .

 

Indemnity Payment ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a) .

 

Independent Accounting Firm ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(d) .

 

Information ” shall mean information, whether or not patentable or copyrightable, in written, oral, electronic or other tangible or intangible forms, stored in any medium, including studies, reports, records, books, contracts, instruments, surveys, discoveries, ideas, concepts, know-how, techniques, designs, specifications, drawings, blueprints, artwork, design, research and development files, diagrams, models, prototypes, samples, flow charts, data, computer data, disks, diskettes, tapes, computer programs or other software, marketing plans, Customer

 

5



 

Information, cost information, sales and pricing data, customer prospect lists, supplier records and vendor data, correspondence and lists, product literature, communications by or to attorneys (including attorney-client privileged communications), memoranda and other materials prepared by attorneys or under their direction (including attorney work product), and other technical, financial, employee or business information or data; provided that “Information” shall not include Intellectual Property.

 

Information Statement ” shall mean the information statement to be made available to the holders of Parent Shares in connection with the Distribution, as such information statement may be amended or supplemented from time to time prior to the Distribution.

 

Initial Post-Distribution Statement ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(a) .

 

Insurance Proceeds ” shall mean those monies:

 

(a)                                  received by an insured from an insurance carrier; or

 

(b)                                  paid by an insurance carrier on behalf of the insured;

 

in any such case net of any applicable premium adjustments (including reserves and retrospectively rated premium adjustments) and net of any costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof; provided that in each case Insurance Proceeds shall not include any monies received or paid from an insurance carrier that is an Affiliate of either Parent or SpinCo.

 

Intellectual Property ” shall mean all of the following whether arising under the Laws of the United States or of any foreign or multinational jurisdiction:  any (a) Marks or other trademarks, service marks, trade names and trade dress, Internet domain names, accounts or “handles” with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or similar social media platforms, and the goodwill associated with any and all of the foregoing and symbolized thereby, (b) copyrights, (c) rights in Software and Internet websites, (d) registrations and applications to register or renew the registration of any of the foregoing, (e) patents and patent applications, including all reissues, divisions, renewals, extensions, provisionals, continuations and continuations-in-part thereof, (f) confidential and proprietary information, including trade secrets, invention disclosures, processes and know-how and any rights therein and thereto and (g) other intellectual property rights.

 

IRS ” shall mean the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

 

JAMS Comprehensive Rules ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.4 .

 

JAMS Streamlined Rules ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.4 .

 

Law ” shall mean any national, supranational, federal, state, territorial, provincial, local or similar law (including common law), statute, code, order, ordinance, rule, regulation, treaty (including any income tax treaty), license, permit, authorization, approval, consent, decree, injunction, binding judicial or administrative interpretation or other requirement, in each case enacted, promulgated, issued or entered by a Governmental Authority.

 

6



 

Liabilities ” shall mean all debts, guarantees, assurances, commitments, liabilities, responsibilities, Losses, remediation, deficiencies, damages, fines, penalties, settlements, sanctions, costs, expenses, interest and obligations of any nature or kind, whether accrued or fixed, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, accrued or not accrued, asserted or unasserted, liquidated or unliquidated, foreseen or unforeseen, known or unknown, reserved or unreserved, or determined or determinable, including those arising under any Law, claim (including any Third-Party Claim), demand, Action, or order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, stipulation, determination or award entered by or with any Governmental Authority or arbitration tribunal, and those arising under any contract, agreement, obligation, indenture, instrument, lease, promise, arrangement, release, warranty, commitment or undertaking, or any fines, damages or equitable relief that is imposed, in each case, including all costs and expenses relating thereto.

 

Linked ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.9(a) .

 

Losses ” shall mean actual losses (including any diminution in value), costs, damages, penalties and expenses (including legal and accounting fees and expenses and costs of investigation and litigation), whether or not involving a Third-Party Claim.

 

Marks ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5 .

 

Materials ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5 .

 

Notice of Disagreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(b) .

 

NYSE ” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange.

 

Officer Negotiation Request ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 .

 

Parent ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Parent Accounts ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.9(a) .

 

Parent Assets ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(b) .

 

Parent Board ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Parent Business ” shall mean all businesses, operations and activities (whether or not such businesses, operations or activities are or have been terminated, divested or discontinued) conducted at any time prior to the Effective Time by either Party or any member of its Group, other than the SpinCo Business.

 

Parent Group ” shall mean Parent and each Person that is a Subsidiary of Parent (other than SpinCo and any other member of the SpinCo Group).

 

Parent Indemnitees ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.2 .

 

Parent Liabilities ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(b) .

 

7



 

Parent Policies ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(b) .

 

Parent Shares ” shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Parent.

 

Parent Software ” shall mean all Software, other than SpinCo Software, owned or licensed by either Party or any member of its Group as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, and shall include the Software set forth on Schedule 1.1 .

 

Parent Technology ” shall mean all Technology, other than SpinCo Technology, owned or licensed by either Party or any member of its Group as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, and shall include the Technology set forth on Schedule 1.2 .

 

Parties ” shall mean the parties to this Agreement.

 

Permits ” shall mean any permits, approvals, authorizations, consents, licenses or certificates issued by any Governmental Authority.

 

Person ” shall mean an individual, a general or limited partnership, a corporation, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization, a limited liability entity, any other entity and any Governmental Authority.

 

Plan of Reorganization ” shall mean the plan and structure set forth on Schedule 2.1(a) .

 

Policies ” shall mean insurance policies, reinsurance policies and insurance contracts of any kind, including property, excess and umbrella, commercial general liability, director and officer liability, fiduciary liability, cyber technology, professional liability, libel liability, employment practices liability, automobile, aircraft, marine, workers’ compensation and employers’ liability, employee dishonesty/crime/fidelity, foreign, bonds and self-insurance and captive insurance company arrangements, together with the rights, benefits, privileges and obligations thereunder.

 

Pre-Deconsolidation Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement.

 

Prime Rate ” shall mean the rate that Bloomberg displays as “Prime Rate by Country United States” or “Prime Rate by Country US-BB Comp” at  http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/PRIME:IND or on a Bloomberg terminal at PRIMBB Index.

 

Privileged Information ” shall mean any information, in written, oral, electronic or other tangible or intangible forms, including any communications by or to attorneys (including attorney-client privileged communications), memoranda and other materials prepared by attorneys or under their direction (including attorney work product), as to which a Party or any member of its Group would be entitled to assert or have asserted a privilege or other protection, including the attorney-client and attorney work product privileges.

 

8



 

Record Date ” shall mean the close of business on September 14, 2018, which is the date to be determined by the Parent Board as the record date for determining holders of Parent Shares entitled to receive SpinCo Shares pursuant to the Distribution.

 

Record Holders ” shall mean the holders of record of Parent Shares as of the Record Date.

 

Release ” shall mean any release, spill, emission, discharge, leaking, pumping, pouring, dumping, injection, deposit, disposal, dispersal, leaching or migration of Hazardous Materials into the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater and surface or subsurface strata).

 

Retention Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.4(b) .

 

Representatives ” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any of such Person’s directors, officers, employees, agents, consultants, advisors, accountants, attorneys or other representatives.

 

Resolution Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(c) .

 

Restricted Employees ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.6(a) .

 

Review Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(b) .

 

SEC ” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Security Interest ” shall mean any mortgage, security interest, pledge, lien, charge, claim, option, right to acquire, voting or other restriction, right-of-way, covenant, condition, easement, encroachment, restriction on transfer, or other encumbrance of any nature whatsoever.

 

Separation ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Shared Contract ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(a) .

 

Software ” shall mean any and all (a) computer programs, including any and all software implementation of algorithms, models and methodologies, whether in source code, object code, human readable form or other form, (b) databases and compilations, including any and all data and collections of data, whether machine readable or otherwise, (c) descriptions, flow charts and other work products used to design, plan, organize and develop any of the foregoing, (d) screens, user interfaces, report formats, firmware, development tools, templates, menus, buttons and icons and (e) documentation, including user manuals and other training documentation, relating to any of the foregoing.

 

SpinCo ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

SpinCo Accounts ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.9(a) .

 

9



 

SpinCo Assets ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(a) .

 

SpinCo Balance Sheet ” shall mean the pro forma combined balance sheet of the SpinCo Business, including any notes and subledgers thereto, as of June 30, 2018, as presented in the Information Statement made available to the Record Holders.

 

SpinCo Business ” shall mean (a) the business, operations and activities of the “American Home Shield” segment of Parent conducted at any time prior to the Effective Time by either Party or any of their current or former Subsidiaries and (b) any terminated, divested or discontinued businesses, operations and activities that, at the time of termination, divestiture or discontinuation, primarily related to the business, operations or activities described in clause (a) as then conducted, including those set forth on Schedule 1.3 , excluding, in the case of each of clauses (a) and (b), the business, operations and activities primarily related to the Parent Assets.

 

SpinCo Bylaws ” shall mean the Amended and Restated Bylaws of SpinCo, substantially in the form of Exhibit B .

 

SpinCo Cash Amount ” shall mean a cash amount calculated in accordance with Schedule 1.4 .

 

SpinCo Certificate of Incorporation ” shall mean the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of SpinCo, substantially in the form of Exhibit A .

 

SpinCo Contracts ” shall mean the following contracts and agreements to which either Party or any member of its Group is a party or by which it or any member of its Group or any of their respective Assets is bound, whether or not in writing ( provided that SpinCo Contracts shall not include (a) any contract or agreement that is contemplated to be retained by Parent or any member of the Parent Group from and after the Effective Time pursuant to any provision of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement or (b) any contract or agreement that would constitute SpinCo Software or SpinCo Technology):

 

(i)                                      (x) any customer, distribution, supply or vendor contract or agreement with a Third Party entered into prior to the Effective Time primarily related to the SpinCo Business and (y) with respect to any customer, distribution, supply or vendor contract or agreement with a Third Party entered into prior to the Effective Time that relates to the SpinCo Business but is not primarily related to the SpinCo Business, that portion of any such customer, distribution, supply or vendor contract or agreement that relates to the SpinCo Business;

 

(ii)                                   (x) any license agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time primarily related to the SpinCo Business and (y) with respect to any license agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time that relates to the SpinCo Business but is not primarily related to the SpinCo Business, that portion of any such license agreement that relates to the SpinCo Business;

 

(iii)                                any guarantee, indemnity, representation, covenant, warranty or other Liability of either Party or any member of its Group in respect of any other SpinCo Contract, any SpinCo Liability or the SpinCo Business;

 

10



 

(iv)                               any contract or agreement that is entered into pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements to be assigned to SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group;

 

(v)                                  any interest rate, currency, commodity or other swap, collar, cap or other hedging or similar agreements or arrangements primarily related to the SpinCo Business;

 

(vi)                               any credit agreement, indenture, note or other financing agreement or instrument entered into by SpinCo and/or any member of the SpinCo Group in connection with the Separation, including any SpinCo Financing Arrangements;

 

(vii)                            any contract or agreement entered into in the name of, or expressly on behalf of, any division, business unit or member of the SpinCo Group;

 

(viii)                         any other contract or agreement not otherwise set forth herein and primarily related to the SpinCo Business or SpinCo Assets;

 

(ix)                               any employment, change of control, retention, consulting, indemnification, termination, severance or other similar agreements with any SpinCo Group Employee or consultants of the SpinCo Group that are in effect as of the Effective Time; and

 

(x)                                  any contracts, agreements or settlements set forth on Schedule 1.5 , including the right to recover any amounts under such contracts, agreements or settlements.

 

SpinCo Designees ” shall mean any and all entities (including corporations, general or limited partnerships, trusts, joint ventures, unincorporated organizations, limited liability entities or other entities) designated by Parent that will be members of the SpinCo Group as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

SpinCo Financing Arrangements ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.12(a) .

 

SpinCo Group ” shall mean (a) prior to the Effective Time, SpinCo and each Person that will be a Subsidiary of SpinCo as of immediately after the Effective Time, including the Transferred Entities, even if, prior to the Effective Time, such Person is not a Subsidiary of SpinCo; and (b) on and after the Effective Time, SpinCo and each Person that is a Subsidiary of SpinCo.

 

SpinCo Group Employee ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Employee Matters Agreement.

 

SpinCo Indemnified Liability ” shall mean those Liabilities set forth on Schedule 1.6 .

 

SpinCo Indemnitees ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.3 .

 

11



 

SpinCo Intellectual Property ” shall mean all Intellectual Property owned by, licensed by or to, or sublicensed by or to either Party or any member of its Group as of the Effective Time primarily used or primarily held for use in the SpinCo Business, and all Intellectual Property set forth on Schedule 1.7 .

 

SpinCo IP/IT ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(a)(vi) .

 

SpinCo Liabilities ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.3(a) .

 

SpinCo Permits ” shall mean all Permits owned or licensed by either Party or any member of its Group primarily used or held for use in the SpinCo Business as of the Effective Time.

 

SpinCo Shares ” shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of SpinCo.

 

SpinCo Software ” shall mean all Software owned or licensed by either Party or member of its Group primarily used or primarily held for use in the SpinCo Business as of the Effective Time, including Software set forth on Schedule 1.8 , but excluding Software set forth on Schedule 1.1 .

 

SpinCo Technology ” shall mean all Technology owned or licensed by either Party or any member of its Group primarily used or primarily held for use in the SpinCo Business as of the Effective Time, including Technology set forth on Schedule 1.9 , but excluding Technology set forth on Schedule 1.2 .

 

Straddle Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.13 .

 

Subsidiary ” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, joint venture or partnership of which such Person (a) beneficially owns, either directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent (50%) of (i) the total combined voting power of all classes of voting securities, (ii) the total combined equity interests or (iii) the capital or profit interests, in the case of a partnership, or (b) otherwise has the power to vote, either directly or indirectly, sufficient securities to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar governing body.

 

Tangible Information ” shall mean information that is contained in written, electronic or other tangible forms.

 

Tax ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement.

 

Tax Authority ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement.

 

Tax Contests ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement.

 

Tax Matters Agreement ” shall mean the Tax Matters Agreement to be entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo or any members of their respective Groups in connection

 

12



 

with the Separation, the Distribution or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

Tax Records ” shall mean any Tax Returns, Tax Return workpapers, documentation relating to any Tax Contests, and any other books of account or records (whether or not in written, electronic or other tangible or intangible forms and whether or not stored on electronic or any other medium) required to be maintained under the Code or other applicable Tax Laws or under any record retention agreement with any Tax Authority.

 

Tax Return ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement.

 

Technology ” shall mean all technology, hardware, computers, servers, workstations, routers, hubs, switches, data communication lines, network and telecommunications equipment, Internet-related information technology infrastructure, and other information technology equipment, in each case, other than Software.

 

Third Party ” shall mean any Person other than the Parties or any members of their respective Groups.

 

Third-Party Claim ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.5(a) .

 

Transfer Documents ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(b) .

 

Transferred Entities ” shall mean the entities set forth on Schedule 1.10 .

 

Transition Services Agreement ” shall mean the Transition Services Agreement to be entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo or any members of their respective Groups in connection with the Separation, the Distribution or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

Unreleased Parent Liability ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(b)(ii) .

 

Unreleased SpinCo Liability ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(a)(ii) .

 

ARTICLE II
THE SEPARATION

 

2.1                                Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities .

 

(a)                                  On or prior to the Effective Time, but in any case prior to the Distribution, in accordance with the Plan of Reorganization:

 

(i)                                      Transfer and Assignment of SpinCo Assets .  Parent shall, and shall cause the applicable members of its Group to, contribute, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to SpinCo, or the applicable SpinCo Designees, and SpinCo or such SpinCo Designees shall accept from Parent and the applicable members of the Parent Group, all

 

13



 

of Parent’s and such Parent Group member’s respective direct or indirect right, title and interest in and to all of the SpinCo Assets (it being understood that if any SpinCo Asset shall be held by a Transferred Entity or a wholly owned Subsidiary of a Transferred Entity, such SpinCo Asset may be assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered to SpinCo as a result of the transfer of all of the equity interests in such Transferred Entity from Parent or the applicable members of the Parent Group to SpinCo or the applicable SpinCo Designee);

 

(ii)                                   Acceptance and Assumption of SpinCo Liabilities .  SpinCo and the applicable SpinCo Designees shall accept, assume and agree faithfully to perform, discharge and fulfill all the SpinCo Liabilities in accordance with their respective terms.  SpinCo and such SpinCo Designees shall be responsible for all SpinCo Liabilities, regardless of when or where such SpinCo Liabilities arose or arise, or whether the facts on which they are based occurred prior to or subsequent to the Effective Time, regardless of where or against whom such SpinCo Liabilities are asserted or determined (including any SpinCo Liabilities arising out of claims made by Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group) or whether asserted or determined prior to the date hereof, and regardless of whether arising from or alleged to arise from negligence, recklessness, violation of Law, fraud or misrepresentation by any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates;

 

(iii)                                Transfer and Assignment of Parent Assets .  Parent and SpinCo shall cause SpinCo and the SpinCo Designees to contribute, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Parent or certain members of the Parent Group designated by Parent, and Parent or such other members of the Parent Group shall accept from SpinCo and the SpinCo Designees, all of SpinCo’s and such SpinCo Designees’ respective direct or indirect right, title and interest in and to all Parent Assets held by SpinCo or a SpinCo Designee; and

 

(iv)                               Acceptance and Assumption of Parent Liabilities .  Parent and certain of members of the Parent Group designated by Parent shall accept and assume and agree faithfully to perform, discharge and fulfill all of the Parent Liabilities held by SpinCo or any SpinCo Designee and Parent and the applicable members of the Parent Group shall be responsible for all Parent Liabilities in accordance with their respective terms, regardless of when or where such Parent Liabilities arose or arise, whether the facts on which they are based occurred prior to or subsequent to the Effective Time, where or against whom such Parent Liabilities are asserted or determined (including any such Parent Liabilities arising out of claims made by Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group) or whether asserted or determined prior to the date hereof, and regardless of whether arising from or alleged to arise from negligence, recklessness, violation of Law, fraud or misrepresentation by any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates.

 

14



 

(b)                                  Transfer Documents .  In furtherance of the contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance and delivery of the Assets and the assumption of the Liabilities in accordance with Section  2.1(a) , (i) each Party shall execute and deliver, and shall cause the applicable members of its Group to execute and deliver, to the other Party, such bills of sale, quitclaim deeds, stock powers, certificates of title, assignments of contracts and other instruments of transfer, conveyance and assignment as and to the extent necessary to evidence the transfer, conveyance and assignment of all of such Party’s and the applicable members of its Group’s right, title and interest in and to such Assets to the other Party and the applicable members of its Group in accordance with Section  2.1(a) , and (ii) each Party shall execute and deliver, and shall cause the applicable members of its Group to execute and deliver, to the other Party, such assumptions of contracts and other instruments of assumption as and to the extent necessary to evidence the valid and effective assumption of the Liabilities by such Party and the applicable members of its Group in accordance with Section  2.1(a) .  All of the foregoing documents contemplated by this Section 2.1(b)  shall be referred to collectively herein as the “ Transfer Documents .”

 

(c)                                   Misallocations .  In the event that at any time or from time to time (whether prior to, at or after the Effective Time), one Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) shall receive or otherwise possess any Asset that is allocated to the other Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) pursuant to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, such Party shall promptly transfer, or cause to be transferred, such Asset to the Party so entitled thereto (or to any member of such Party’s Group), and such Party (or member of such Party’s Group) so entitled thereto shall accept such Asset.  Prior to any such transfer, the Person receiving or possessing such Asset shall hold such Asset in trust for such other Person.  In the event that at any time or from time to time (whether prior to, at or after the Effective Time), one Party hereto (or any member of such Party’s Group) shall receive or otherwise assume any Liability that is allocated to the other Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) pursuant to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, such other Party shall promptly assume, or cause to be assumed, such Liability and agree to faithfully perform such Liability in accordance with this Agreement.

 

(d)                                  Waiver of Bulk-Sale and Bulk-Transfer Laws .  To the extent permissible under applicable Law, SpinCo hereby waives compliance by each and every member of the Parent Group with the requirements and provisions of any “bulk-sale” or “bulk-transfer” Laws of any jurisdiction that may otherwise be applicable with respect to the transfer or sale of any or all of the SpinCo Assets to any member of the SpinCo Group.  To the extent permissible under applicable Law, Parent hereby waives compliance by each and every member of the SpinCo Group with the requirements and provisions of any “bulk-sale” or “bulk-transfer” Laws of any jurisdiction that may otherwise be applicable with respect to the transfer or sale of any or all of the Parent Assets to any member of the Parent Group.

 

2.2                                SpinCo Assets ; Parent Assets .

 

(a)                                  SpinCo Assets .  For purposes of this Agreement, “ SpinCo Assets ” shall mean:

 

15



 

(i)                                      all issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity interests of the Transferred Entities that are owned by either Party or any members of its Group as of the Effective Time;

 

(ii)                                   all Assets of either Party or any members of its Group included or reflected as assets of the SpinCo Group on the SpinCo Balance Sheet, subject to any dispositions of such Assets subsequent to the date of the SpinCo Balance Sheet; provided that the amounts set forth on the SpinCo Balance Sheet with respect to any Assets shall not be treated as minimum amounts or limitations on the amount of such Assets that are included in the definition of SpinCo Assets pursuant to this clause (ii);

 

(iii)                                all Assets of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time that are of a nature or type that would have resulted in such Assets being included as Assets of SpinCo or members of the SpinCo Group on a pro forma combined balance sheet of the SpinCo Group or any notes or subledgers thereto as of the Effective Time (were such balance sheet, notes and subledgers to be prepared on a basis consistent with the determination of the Assets included on the SpinCo Balance Sheet), it being understood that (x) the SpinCo Balance Sheet shall be used to determine the types of, and methodologies used to determine, those Assets that are included in the definition of SpinCo Assets pursuant to this clause (iii); and (y) the amounts set forth on the SpinCo Balance Sheet with respect to any Assets shall not be treated as minimum amounts or limitations on the amount of such Assets that are included in the definition of SpinCo Assets pursuant to this clause (iii);

 

(iv)                               all Assets of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time that are expressly provided by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement as Assets to be transferred to SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group;

 

(v)                                  all SpinCo Contracts as of the Effective Time and all rights, interests or claims of either Party or any of the members of its Group thereunder as of the Effective Time;

 

(vi)                               all SpinCo Intellectual Property, SpinCo Software and SpinCo Technology as of the Effective Time and all rights, interests or claims of either Party or any of the members of its Group thereunder as of the Effective Time (collectively, the “ SpinCo IP/IT ”);

 

(vii)                            all SpinCo Permits as of the Effective Time and all rights, interests or claims of either Party or any of the members of its Group thereunder as of the Effective Time;

 

(viii)                         all Assets of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time that are primarily related to the SpinCo Business;

 

(ix)                               all rights, interests and claims of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time with respect to Information primarily

 

16



 

related to the SpinCo Assets, the SpinCo Liabilities, the SpinCo Business or the Transferred Entities and, subject to the provisions of the applicable Ancillary Agreements, a non-exclusive right to all Information that is related to, but not primarily related to, the SpinCo Assets, the SpinCo Liabilities, the SpinCo Business or the Transferred Entities;

 

(x)                                  the SpinCo Cash Amount; and

 

(xi)                               any and all Assets set forth on Schedule 2.2(a)(xi) .

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the SpinCo Assets shall not in any event include any Asset referred to in clauses (i) through (vi) of Section 2.2(b) .

 

(b)                                  Parent Assets .  For the purposes of this Agreement, “ Parent Assets ” shall mean all Assets of either Party or the members of its Group as of the Effective Time, other than the SpinCo Assets, it being understood that, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Parent Assets shall include:

 

(i)                                      all Assets that are expressly contemplated by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement (or the Schedules hereto or thereto) as Assets to be retained by Parent or any other member of the Parent Group;

 

(ii)                                   all contracts and agreements of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time (other than the SpinCo Contracts);

 

(iii)                                (x) the Intellectual Property set forth on Schedule 2.2(b)(iii) , and (y) all Intellectual Property, Software and Technology of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time (other than, in the case of this clause (y), the SpinCo IP/IT);

 

(iv)                               all Permits of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time (other than the SpinCo Permits);

 

(v)                                  all cash and cash equivalents of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time (other than the SpinCo Cash Amount); and

 

(vi)                               any and all Assets set forth on Schedule 2.2(b)(vi) .

 

2.3                                SpinCo Liabilities ; Parent Liabilities .

 

(a)                                  SpinCo Liabilities .  For the purposes of this Agreement, “ SpinCo Liabilities ” shall mean the following Liabilities of either Party or any of the members of its Group:

 

(i)                                      all Liabilities included or reflected as liabilities or obligations of SpinCo or the members of the SpinCo Group on the SpinCo Balance Sheet, subject to any discharge of such Liabilities subsequent to the date of the SpinCo Balance Sheet; provided that the amounts set forth on the SpinCo Balance Sheet with respect to any

 

17



 

Liabilities shall not be treated as minimum amounts or limitations on the amount of such Liabilities that are included in the definition of SpinCo Liabilities pursuant to this clause (i);

 

(ii)                                   all Liabilities as of the Effective Time that are of a nature or type that would have resulted in such Liabilities being included or reflected as liabilities or obligations of SpinCo or the members of the SpinCo Group on a pro forma combined balance sheet of the SpinCo Group or any notes or subledgers thereto as of the Effective Time (were such balance sheet, notes and subledgers to be prepared on a basis consistent with the determination of the Liabilities included on the SpinCo Balance Sheet), it being understood that (x) the SpinCo Balance Sheet shall be used to determine the types of, and methodologies used to determine, those Liabilities that are included in the definition of SpinCo Liabilities pursuant to this clause (ii); and (y) the amounts set forth on the SpinCo Balance Sheet with respect to any Liabilities shall not be treated as minimum amounts or limitations on the amount of such Liabilities that are included in the definition of SpinCo Liabilities pursuant to this clause (ii);

 

(iii)                                all Liabilities, including any Environmental Liabilities, relating to, arising out of or resulting from the actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time (whether or not such Liabilities cease being contingent, mature, become known, are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time), in each case to the extent that such Liabilities relate to, arise out of or result from the SpinCo Business or a SpinCo Asset;

 

(iv)                               any and all Liabilities that are expressly provided by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement (or the Schedules hereto or thereto) as Liabilities to be assumed by SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group, and all agreements, obligations and Liabilities of any member of the SpinCo Group under this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements;

 

(v)                                  all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from the SpinCo Contracts, the SpinCo Intellectual Property, the SpinCo Software, the SpinCo Technology, the SpinCo Permits or the SpinCo Financing Arrangements;

 

(vi)                               any and all Liabilities set forth on Schedule 2.3(a) ; and

 

(vii)                            all Liabilities arising out of claims made by any Third Party (including Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, stockholders, employees and agents) against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from the SpinCo Business or the SpinCo Assets or the other business, operations, activities or Liabilities of SpinCo referred to in clauses (i) through (vi) above;

 

provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Parties agree that the Liabilities set forth on Schedule 2.3(b)  and any Liabilities of any member of the Parent Group pursuant to the Ancillary Agreements shall not be SpinCo Liabilities but instead shall be Parent Liabilities.

 

18



 

(b)           Parent Liabilities .  For the purposes of this Agreement, “ Parent Liabilities ” shall mean (i) all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time (whether or not such Liabilities cease being contingent, mature, become known, are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time) of any member of the Parent Group and, prior to the Effective Time, any member of the SpinCo Group, in each case that are not SpinCo Liabilities, including any and all Liabilities set forth on Schedule 2.3(b) ; and (ii) all Liabilities arising out of claims made by any Third Party (including Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, stockholders, employees and agents) against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from the Parent Business or the Parent Assets.

 

2.4          Approvals and Notifications .

 

(a)           Approvals and Notifications for SpinCo Assets and Liabilities .  To the extent that the transfer or assignment of any SpinCo Asset, the assumption of any SpinCo Liability, the Separation, or the Distribution requires any Approvals or Notifications, the Parties shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to obtain or make such Approvals or Notifications as soon as reasonably practicable; provided , however , that, except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements or as otherwise agreed between Parent and SpinCo, neither Parent nor SpinCo shall be obligated to contribute capital or pay any consideration in any form (including providing any letter of credit, guaranty or other financial accommodation) to any Person in order to obtain or make such Approvals or Notifications.

 

(b)           Delayed SpinCo Transfers .  If and to the extent that the valid, complete and perfected transfer or assignment to the SpinCo Group of any SpinCo Asset or assumption by the SpinCo Group of any SpinCo Liability in connection with the Separation or the Distribution would be a violation of applicable Law or require any Approvals or Notifications that have not been obtained or made by the Effective Time then, unless the Parties shall otherwise mutually determine, the transfer or assignment to the SpinCo Group of such SpinCo Assets or the assumption by the SpinCo Group of such SpinCo Liabilities, as the case may be, shall be automatically deemed deferred and any such purported transfer, assignment or assumption shall be null and void until such time as all legal impediments are removed or such Approvals or Notifications have been obtained or made.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any such SpinCo Assets or SpinCo Liabilities shall continue to constitute SpinCo Assets and SpinCo Liabilities for all other purposes of this Agreement.

 

(c)           Treatment of Delayed SpinCo Assets and Delayed SpinCo Liabilities .  If any transfer or assignment of any SpinCo Asset (or a portion thereof) or any assumption of any SpinCo Liability (or a portion thereof) intended to be transferred, assigned or assumed hereunder, as the case may be, is not consummated on or prior to the Effective Time, whether as a result of the provisions of Section 2.4(b)  or for any other reason (any such SpinCo Asset (or a portion thereof), a “ Delayed SpinCo Asset ” and any such SpinCo Liability (or a portion thereof), a “ Delayed SpinCo Liability ”), then, insofar as reasonably possible and subject to applicable Law, the member of the Parent Group retaining such Delayed SpinCo Asset or such Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, shall thereafter hold such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed

 

19



 

SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, for the use and benefit of the member of the SpinCo Group entitled thereto (at the expense of the member of the SpinCo Group entitled thereto).  In addition, the member of the Parent Group retaining such Delayed SpinCo Asset or such Delayed SpinCo Liability shall, insofar as reasonably possible and to the extent permitted by applicable Law, treat such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability in the ordinary course of business in accordance with SpinCo Group past practice and take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the member of the SpinCo Group to whom such Delayed SpinCo Asset is to be transferred or assigned, or which will assume such Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, in order to place such member of the SpinCo Group in a substantially similar position as if such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability had been transferred, assigned or assumed as contemplated hereby and so that all the benefits and burdens relating to such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, including use, risk of loss, potential for gain, and dominion, control and command over such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, and all costs and expenses related thereto, shall inure from and after the Effective Time to the SpinCo Group.

 

(d)           Transfer of Delayed SpinCo Assets and Delayed SpinCo Liabilities .  If and when the Approvals or Notifications, the absence of which caused the deferral of transfer or assignment of any Delayed SpinCo Asset or the deferral of assumption of any Delayed SpinCo Liability pursuant to Section 2.4(b) , are obtained or made, and, if and when any other legal impediments for the transfer or assignment of any Delayed SpinCo Asset or the assumption of any Delayed SpinCo Liability have been removed, the transfer or assignment of the applicable Delayed SpinCo Asset or the assumption of the applicable Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, shall be effected in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and/or the applicable Ancillary Agreement.

 

(e)           Costs for Delayed SpinCo Assets and Delayed SpinCo Liabilities .  Any member of the Parent Group retaining a Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability due to the deferral of the transfer or assignment of such Delayed SpinCo Asset or the deferral of the assumption of such Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, shall not be obligated, in connection with the foregoing, to expend any money, unless the necessary funds are advanced (or otherwise made available) by SpinCo or the member of the SpinCo Group entitled to the Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, other than reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, attorneys’ fees and recording or similar fees, all of which shall be promptly reimbursed by SpinCo or the member of the SpinCo Group entitled to such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability; provided , however , that the Parent Group shall not knowingly allow the loss or diminution in value of any Delayed SpinCo Asset without first providing the SpinCo Group commercially reasonable notice of such potential loss or diminution in value and affording the SpinCo Group commercially reasonable opportunity to take action to prevent such loss or diminution in value.

 

(f)            Approvals and Notifications for Parent Assets .  To the extent that the transfer or assignment of any Parent Asset, the assumption of any Parent Liability, the Separation or the Distribution requires any Approvals or Notifications, the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain or make such Approvals or Notifications as soon as reasonably practicable; provided , however , that, except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement

 

20



 

or any of the Ancillary Agreements or as otherwise agreed between Parent and SpinCo, neither Parent nor SpinCo shall be obligated to contribute capital or pay any consideration in any form (including providing any letter of credit, guaranty or other financial accommodation) to any Person in order to obtain or make such Approvals or Notifications.

 

(g)           Delayed Parent Transfers .  If and to the extent that the valid, complete and perfected transfer or assignment to the Parent Group of any Parent Asset or assumption by the Parent Group of any Parent Liability in connection with the Separation or the Distribution would be a violation of applicable Law or require any Approval or Notification that has not been obtained or made by the Effective Time then, unless the Parties mutually shall otherwise determine, the transfer or assignment to the Parent Group of such Parent Assets or the assumption by the Parent Group of such Parent Liabilities, as the case may be, shall be automatically deemed deferred and any such purported transfer, assignment or assumption shall be null and void until such time as all legal impediments are removed or such Approval or Notification has been obtained or made.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any such Parent Assets or Parent Liabilities shall continue to constitute Parent Assets and Parent Liabilities for all other purposes of this Agreement.

 

(h)           Treatment of Delayed Parent Assets and Delayed Parent Liabilities .  If any transfer or assignment of any Parent Asset (or a portion thereof) or any assumption of any Parent Liability (or a portion thereof) intended to be transferred, assigned or assumed hereunder, as the case may be, is not consummated on or prior to the Effective Time whether as a result of the provisions of Section 2.4(g)  or for any other reason (any such Parent Asset (or a portion thereof), a “ Delayed Parent Asset ” and any such Parent Liability (or a portion thereof), a “ Delayed Parent Liability ”), then, insofar as reasonably possible and subject to applicable Law, the member of the SpinCo Group retaining such Delayed Parent Asset or such Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, shall thereafter hold such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, for the use and benefit of the member of the Parent Group entitled thereto (at the expense of the member of the Parent Group entitled thereto).  In addition, the member of the SpinCo Group retaining such Delayed Parent Asset or such Delayed Parent Liability shall, insofar as reasonably possible and to the extent permitted by applicable Law, treat such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability in the ordinary course of business in accordance with Parent Group past practice and take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the member of the Parent Group to which such Delayed Parent Asset is to be transferred or assigned, or which will assume such Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, in order to place such member of the Parent Group in a substantially similar position as if such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability had been transferred, assigned or assumed and so that all the benefits and burdens relating to such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, including use, risk of loss, potential for gain, and dominion, control and command over such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, and all costs and expenses related thereto, shall inure from and after the Effective Time to the Parent Group.

 

(i)            Transfer of Delayed Parent Assets and Delayed Parent Liabilities .  If and when the Approvals or Notifications, the absence of which caused the deferral of transfer or assignment of any Delayed Parent Asset or the deferral of assumption of any Delayed Parent Liability pursuant to Section 2.4(g) , are obtained or made, and, if and when any other legal

 

21



 

impediments for the transfer or assignment of any Delayed Parent Asset or the assumption of any Delayed Parent Liability have been removed, the transfer or assignment of the applicable Delayed Parent Asset or the assumption of the applicable Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, shall be effected in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and/or the applicable Ancillary Agreement.

 

(j)            Costs for Delayed Parent Assets and Delayed Parent Liabilities .  Any member of the SpinCo Group retaining a Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability due to the deferral of the transfer or assignment of such Delayed Parent Asset or the deferral of the assumption of such Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, shall not be obligated, in connection with the foregoing, to expend any money, unless the necessary funds are advanced (or otherwise made available) by Parent or the member of the Parent Group entitled to the Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability, other than reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, attorneys’ fees and recording or similar fees, all of which shall be promptly reimbursed by Parent or the member of the Parent Group entitled to such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability; provided , however , that the SpinCo Group shall not knowingly allow the loss or diminution in value of any Delayed Parent Asset without first providing the Parent Group commercially reasonable notice of such potential loss or diminution in value and affording the Parent Group commercially reasonable opportunity to take action to prevent such loss or diminution in value.

 

2.5          Novation of Liabilities .

 

(a)           Novation of SpinCo Liabilities.

 

(i)            Except as set forth in Schedule 2.5(a) , each of Parent and SpinCo, at the request of the other, shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain, or to cause to be obtained, as soon as reasonably practicable, any consent, substitution, approval or amendment required to novate or assign all SpinCo Liabilities and obtain in writing the unconditional release of each member of the Parent Group that is a party to any such arrangements, so that, in any such case, the members of the SpinCo Group shall be solely responsible for such SpinCo Liabilities; provided , however , that, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements, neither Parent nor SpinCo shall be obligated to contribute any capital or pay any consideration in any form (including providing any letter of credit, guaranty or other financial accommodation) to any Third Party from whom any such consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release is requested.

 

(ii)           If Parent or SpinCo is unable to obtain, or to cause to be obtained, any such required consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release and the applicable member of the Parent Group continues to be bound by such agreement, lease, license or other obligation or Liability (each, an “ Unreleased SpinCo Liability ”), SpinCo shall, to the extent not prohibited by Law, as indemnitor, guarantor, agent or subcontractor for such member of the Parent Group, as the case may be, ( x) pay, perform and discharge fully all the obligations or other Liabilities of such member of the Parent Group that constitute Unreleased SpinCo Liabilities from and after the Effective Time and (y) use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such payment, performance or

 

22



 

discharge prior to any demand for such payment, performance or discharge is permitted to be made by the obligee thereunder on any member of the Parent Group.  If and when any such consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release shall be obtained or the Unreleased SpinCo Liabilities shall otherwise become assignable or able to be novated, Parent shall promptly assign, or cause to be assigned, and SpinCo or the applicable SpinCo Group member shall assume, such Unreleased SpinCo Liabilities without exchange of further consideration.

 

(b)           Novation of Parent Liabilities.

 

(i)            Each of Parent and SpinCo, at the request of the other, shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain, or to cause to be obtained, as soon as reasonably practicable, any consent, substitution, approval or amendment required to novate or assign all Parent Liabilities and obtain in writing the unconditional release of each member of the SpinCo Group that is a party to any such arrangements, so that, in any such case, the members of the Parent Group shall be solely responsible for such Parent Liabilities; provided , however , that, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements, neither Parent nor SpinCo shall be obligated to contribute any capital or pay any consideration in any form (including providing any letter of credit, guaranty or other financial accommodation) to any Third Party from whom any such consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release is requested.

 

(ii)           If Parent or SpinCo is unable to obtain, or to cause to be obtained, any such required consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release and the applicable member of the SpinCo Group continues to be bound by such agreement, lease, license or other obligation or Liability (each, an “ Unreleased Parent Liability ”), Parent shall, to the extent not prohibited by Law, as indemnitor, guarantor, agent or subcontractor for such member of the SpinCo Group, as the case may be, (x) pay, perform and discharge fully all the obligations or other Liabilities of such member of the SpinCo Group that constitute Unreleased Parent Liabilities from and after the Effective Time and (y) use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such payment, performance or discharge prior to any demand for such payment, performance or discharge is permitted to be made by the obligee thereunder on any member of the SpinCo Group.  If and when any such consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release shall be obtained or the Unreleased Parent Liabilities shall otherwise become assignable or able to be novated, SpinCo shall promptly assign, or cause to be assigned, and Parent or the applicable Parent Group member shall assume, such Unreleased Parent Liabilities without exchange of further consideration.

 

2.6          Release of Guarantees .  In furtherance of, and not in limitation of, the obligations set forth in Section 2.5 :

 

(a)           On or prior to the Effective Time or as soon as practicable thereafter, each of Parent and SpinCo shall, at the request of the other Party and with the reasonable cooperation of such other Party and the applicable member(s) of such other Party’s Group, use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) have any member(s) of the Parent Group removed as guarantor of or

 

23



 

obligor for any SpinCo Liability to the extent that such guarantee or obligation relates to SpinCo Liabilities, including the removal of any Security Interest on or in any Parent Asset that may serve as collateral or security for any such SpinCo Liability; and (ii) have any member(s) of the SpinCo Group removed as guarantor of or obligor for any Parent Liability to the extent that such guarantee or obligation relates to Parent Liabilities, including the removal of any Security Interest on or in any SpinCo Asset that may serve as collateral or security for any such Parent Liability.

 

(b)           To the extent required to obtain a release from a guarantee of:

 

(i)            any member of the Parent Group, SpinCo shall execute a guarantee agreement in the form of the existing guarantee or such other form as is agreed to by the relevant parties to such guarantee agreement, which agreement shall include the removal of any Security Interest on or in any Parent Asset that may serve as collateral or security for any SpinCo Liability, except to the extent that such existing guarantee contains representations, covenants or other terms or provisions either (x) with which SpinCo would be reasonably unable to comply or (y) which SpinCo would not reasonably be able to avoid breaching; and

 

(ii)           any member of the SpinCo Group, Parent shall execute a guarantee agreement in the form of the existing guarantee or such other form as is agreed to by the relevant parties to such guarantee agreement, which agreement shall include the removal of any Security Interest on or in any SpinCo Asset that may serve as collateral or security for any Parent Liability, except to the extent that such existing guarantee contains representations, covenants or other terms or provisions either (x) with which Parent would be reasonably unable to comply or (y) which Parent would not reasonably be able to avoid breaching.

 

(c)           If Parent or SpinCo is unable to obtain, or to cause to be obtained, any such required removal or release as set forth in clauses (a) and (b) of this Section 2.6 , (i) the Party or the relevant member of its Group that has assumed the Liability with respect to such guarantee shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the guarantor or obligor against or from any Liability arising from or relating thereto in accordance with the provisions of Article IV and shall, as agent or subcontractor for such guarantor or obligor, pay, perform and discharge fully all the obligations or other Liabilities of such guarantor or obligor thereunder; and (ii) each of Parent and SpinCo, on behalf of itself and the other members of their respective Groups, agree not to renew or extend the term of, increase any obligations under, or transfer to a Third Party, any loan, guarantee, lease, contract or other obligation for which the other Party or a member of its Group is or may be liable, unless all obligations of such other Party and the members of such other Party’s Group with respect thereto are thereupon terminated by documentation satisfactory in form and substance to such other Party.

 

2.7          Termination of Agreements .

 

(a)           Except as set forth in Section 2.7(b) , in furtherance of the releases and other provisions of Section 4.1 , SpinCo and each member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, and Parent and each member of the Parent Group, on the other hand, hereby terminate any and

 

24



 

all agreements, arrangements, commitments or understandings, whether or not in writing, between or among SpinCo and/or any member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, and Parent and/or any member of the Parent Group, on the other hand, effective as of the Effective Time.  No such terminated agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding (including any provision thereof which purports to survive termination) shall be of any further force or effect after the Effective Time.  Each Party shall, at the reasonable request of the other Party, take, or cause to be taken, such other actions as may be necessary to effect the foregoing.

 

(b)           The provisions of Section 2.7(a)  shall not apply to any of the following agreements, arrangements, commitments or understandings (or to any of the provisions thereof):  (i) this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements (and each other agreement or instrument expressly contemplated by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement to be entered into by any of the Parties or any of the members of their respective Groups or to be continued from and after the Effective Time); (ii) any agreements, arrangements, commitments or understandings listed or described on Schedule 2.7(b)(ii) ; (iii) any agreements, arrangements, commitments or understandings to which any Third Party is a party thereto; (iv) any intercompany accounts payable or accounts receivable accrued as of the Effective Time that are reflected in the books and records of the Parties or otherwise documented in writing in accordance with past practices, which shall be settled in the manner contemplated by Section 2.7(c) ; (v) any agreements, arrangements, commitments or understandings to which any non-wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent or SpinCo, as the case may be, is a party (it being understood that directors’ qualifying shares or similar interests will be disregarded for purposes of determining whether a Subsidiary is wholly owned); and (vi) any Shared Contracts.

 

(c)           All of the intercompany accounts receivable and accounts payable between any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, and any member of the SpinCo Group, on the other hand, outstanding as of the Effective Time shall, as promptly as practicable after the Effective Time, be repaid, settled or otherwise eliminated by means of cash payments, a dividend, capital contribution, a combination of the foregoing, or otherwise as determined by Parent in its sole and absolute discretion.

 

2.8          Treatment of Shared Contracts .

 

(a)           Subject to applicable Law and without limiting the generality of the obligations set forth in Section 2.1 , unless the Parties otherwise agree or the benefits of any contract, agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding described in this Section 2.8 are expressly conveyed to the applicable Party pursuant to this Agreement or an Ancillary Agreement, any contract or agreement, a portion of which is a SpinCo Contract, but the remainder of which is a Parent Asset (any such contract or agreement, including those set forth on Schedule 2.8 , a “ Shared Contract ”), shall be assigned in relevant part to the applicable member(s) of the applicable Group, if so assignable, or appropriately amended prior to, on or after the Effective Time, so that each Party or the member of its Group shall, as of the Effective Time, (i) be entitled to the rights and benefits, (ii) assume the related portion of any Liabilities, inuring to its respective businesses and (iii) take any actions set forth on Schedule 2.8 with respect to such Shared Contract; provided , however , that (x) in no event shall any member of any Group be required to assign (or amend) any Shared Contract in its entirety or to assign a portion of any Shared Contract that is not assignable (or cannot be amended) by its terms (including any

 

25



 

terms imposing consents or conditions on an assignment where such consents or conditions have not been obtained or fulfilled) and (y) if any Shared Contract cannot be so partially assigned by its terms or otherwise, or cannot be amended or if such assignment or amendment would impair the benefit the parties thereto derive from such Shared Contract, then the Parties shall, and shall cause each of the members of their respective Groups to, take such other reasonable and permissible actions (including by providing prompt notice to the other Party with respect to any relevant claim of Liability or other relevant matters arising in connection with a Shared Contract so as to allow such other Party the ability to exercise any applicable rights under such Shared Contract) to cause a member of the SpinCo Group or the Parent Group, as the case may be, to receive the rights and benefits of that portion of each Shared Contract that relates to the SpinCo Business or the Parent Business, as the case may be (in each case, to the extent so related), as if such Shared Contract had been assigned to a member of the applicable Group (or amended to allow a member of the applicable Group to exercise applicable rights under such Shared Contract) pursuant to this Section 2.8 , and to bear the burden of the corresponding Liabilities (including any Liabilities that may arise by reason of such arrangement), as if such Liabilities had been assumed by a member of the applicable Group pursuant to this Section 2.8 .

 

(b)           Each of Parent and SpinCo shall, and shall cause the members of its Group to, (i) treat for all Tax purposes the portion of each Shared Contract inuring to its respective businesses as an Asset owned by, and/or a Liability of, as applicable, such Party, or the members of its Group, as applicable, not later than the Effective Time, and (ii) neither report nor take any Tax position (on a Tax Return or otherwise) inconsistent with such treatment (unless required by applicable Law).

 

(c)           Nothing in this Section 2.8 shall require any member of any Group to make any non- de minimis payment (except to the extent advanced, assumed or agreed in advance to be reimbursed by any member of the other Group), incur any non- de minimis obligation or grant any non- de minimis concession for the benefit of any member of any other Group in order to effect any transaction contemplated by this Section 2.8 .

 

2.9          Bank Accounts; Cash Balances .

 

(a)           Each Party agrees to take, or cause the members of its Group to take, at the Effective Time (or such earlier time as the Parties may agree), all actions necessary to amend all contracts or agreements governing each bank and brokerage account owned by SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group (collectively, the “ SpinCo Accounts ”) and all contracts or agreements governing each bank or brokerage account owned by Parent or any other member of the Parent Group (collectively, the “ Parent Accounts ”) so that each such SpinCo Account and Parent Account, if currently Linked (whether by automatic withdrawal, automatic deposit or any other authorization to transfer funds from or to, hereinafter “ L inked ”) to any Parent Account or SpinCo Account, respectively, is de-Linked from such Parent Account or SpinCo Account, respectively.

 

(b)           It is intended that, following consummation of the actions contemplated by Section 2.9(a) , there will be in place a cash management process pursuant to which the SpinCo Accounts will be managed and funds collected will be transferred into one (1) or more accounts maintained by SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group.

 

26



 

(c)           It is intended that, following consummation of the actions contemplated by Section 2.9(a) , there will continue to be in place a cash management process pursuant to which the Parent Accounts will be managed and funds collected will be transferred into one (1) or more accounts maintained by Parent or a member of the Parent Group.

 

(d)           With respect to any outstanding checks issued or payments initiated by Parent, SpinCo, or any of the members of their respective Groups prior to the Effective Time, such outstanding checks and payments shall be honored following the Effective Time by the Person or Group owning the account on which the check is drawn or from which the payment was initiated, respectively.

 

(e)           As between Parent and SpinCo (and the members of their respective Groups) , all payments made and reimbursements received after the Effective Time by either Party (or member of its Group) that relate to a business, Asset or Liability of the other Party (or member of its Group), shall be held by such Party in trust for the use and benefit of the Party entitled thereto and, promptly following receipt by such Party of any such payment or reimbursement, such Party shall pay over, or shall cause the applicable member of its Group to pay over to the other Party, the amount of such payment or reimbursement without right of set-off.

 

2.10        Ancillary Agreements .  Effective on or prior to the Effective Time, each of Parent and SpinCo will, or will cause the applicable members of their Groups to, execute and deliver all Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party.

 

2.11        Disclaimer of Representations and Warranties .  EACH OF PARENT (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND EACH MEMBER OF THE PARENT GROUP) AND SPINCO (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND EACH MEMBER OF THE SPINCO GROUP) UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES THAT, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN OR IN ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT, NO PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER AGREEMENT OR DOCUMENT CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT OR OTHERWISE, IS REPRESENTING OR WARRANTING IN ANY WAY AS TO:  (A) THE ASSETS, BUSINESSES OR LIABILITIES TRANSFERRED OR ASSUMED AS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY, (B) ANY CONSENTS OR APPROVALS REQUIRED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, (C) THE VALUE OR FREEDOM FROM ANY SECURITY INTERESTS OF, OR ANY OTHER MATTER CONCERNING, ANY ASSETS OF SUCH PARTY, (D) THE ABSENCE OF ANY DEFENSES OR RIGHT OF SET-OFF OR FREEDOM FROM COUNTERCLAIM WITH RESPECT TO ANY CLAIM OR OTHER ASSET, INCLUDING ANY ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, OF ANY PARTY, OR (E) AS TO THE LEGAL SUFFICIENCY OF ANY ASSIGNMENT, DOCUMENT OR INSTRUMENT DELIVERED HEREUNDER TO CONVEY TITLE TO ANY ASSET OR THING OF VALUE UPON THE EXECUTION, DELIVERY AND FILING HEREOF OR THEREOF.  EXCEPT AS MAY EXPRESSLY BE SET FORTH HEREIN OR IN ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT, ALL SUCH ASSETS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED ON AN “AS IS,” “WHERE IS” BASIS (AND, IN THE CASE OF ANY REAL PROPERTY, BY MEANS OF A QUITCLAIM OR SIMILAR FORM OF DEED OR CONVEYANCE) AND THE RESPECTIVE TRANSFEREES SHALL BEAR THE ECONOMIC AND LEGAL RISKS

 

27



 

THAT (I) ANY CONVEYANCE WILL PROVE TO BE INSUFFICIENT TO VEST IN THE TRANSFEREE GOOD AND MARKETABLE TITLE, FREE AND CLEAR OF ANY SECURITY INTEREST, AND (II) ANY NECESSARY APPROVALS OR NOTIFICATIONS ARE NOT OBTAINED OR MADE OR THAT ANY REQUIREMENTS OF LAWS OR JUDGMENTS ARE NOT COMPLIED WITH.

 

2.12        SpinCo Financing Arrangements; SpinCo Debt Incurrence .

 

(a)           Prior to the Effective Time, and in accordance with the Plan of Reorganization, SpinCo and/or other members of the SpinCo Group will enter into one or more financing arrangements and agreements (the “ SpinCo Financing Arrangements ”).  Pursuant to the SpinCo Financing Arrangements, SpinCo shall issue senior notes to Parent (or an entity disregarded as separate from Parent for U.S. federal income tax purposes) and incur term loan debt from Parent (or an entity disregarded as separate from Parent for U.S. federal income tax purposes) in partial consideration for the transfer of the SpinCo Assets to SpinCo (collectively, the “ SpinCo Debt ”).

 

(b)           The Parties agree that SpinCo or another member of the SpinCo Group, as the case may be, and not Parent or any member of the Parent Group, are and shall be responsible for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the SpinCo Financing Arrangements.

 

(c)           Prior the Effective Time, Parent and SpinCo shall cooperate in the preparation of all materials as may be necessary or advisable to execute the SpinCo Financing Arrangements.

 

2.13        Financial Information Certifications .  Parent’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting (as each is contemplated by the Exchange Act) are currently applicable to SpinCo as its Subsidiary.  In order to enable the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of SpinCo to make the certifications required of them under Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 following the Distribution in respect of any quarterly or annual fiscal period of SpinCo that begins on or prior to the Distribution Date in respect of which financial statements are not included in the Form 10 (a “ Straddle Period ”), upon twenty (20) Business Days’ advance written request by SpinCo, Parent shall provide SpinCo with one (1) or more certifications with respect to such disclosure controls and procedures and the effectiveness thereof and whether there were any changes in the internal controls over financial reporting that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect the internal control over financing reporting, which certification(s) shall (x) be with respect to the applicable Straddle Period (it being understood that no certification need be provided with respect to any period or portion of any period after the Distribution Date) and (y) be in substantially the same form as those that had been provided by officers or employees of Parent in similar certifications delivered prior to the Distribution Date, with such changes thereto as Parent may reasonably determine.  Such certification(s) shall be provided by Parent (and not by any officer or employee in their individual capacity).

 

28



 

2.14                         Post-Distribution Statement .

 

(a)                                  As promptly as practicable, but in any event no later than fifteen (15) Business Days after the Effective Time, SpinCo shall deliver to Parent a written notice setting forth its good faith calculation of the SpinCo Cash Amount and the Adjustment Amount, along with a summary showing in reasonable detail SpinCo’s calculation of each component thereof (the “ Initial Post-Distribution Statement ”).

 

(b)                                  Parent shall notify SpinCo in writing within fifteen (15) Business Days following Parent’s receipt of the Initial Post-Distribution Statement (the “ Review Period ”), if Parent objects to any matter set forth in the Initial Post-Distribution Statement, which notice shall describe the basis for such objection (the “ Notice of Disagreement ”); provided that the Parties shall be deemed to have agreed upon all items and amounts that are not so disputed by Parent in the Notice of Disagreement. If no Notice of Disagreement is received by SpinCo prior to the expiration of the Review Period, then the Initial Post-Distribution Statement shall be deemed to have been accepted by the Parties and shall become final and binding upon the Parties.

 

(c)                                   During the thirty (30) days immediately following the delivery of a Notice of Disagreement (the “ Resolution Period ”), the Parties shall seek in good faith to resolve any differences that they may have with respect to the matters specified in the Notice of Disagreement.

 

(d)                                  Dispute Resolution.

 

(i)                                      If, at the end of the Resolution Period, the Parties have been unable to resolve any differences that they may have with respect to the matters specified in the Notice of Disagreement, the Parties shall each promptly submit all matters that remain in dispute with respect to the Notice of Disagreement (along with a copy of the Initial Post-Distribution Statement marked to indicate those line items that are not in dispute) to KPMG LLP or, if that firm declines to act as provided in this Section  2.14(d)  or it is determined that such accounting firm would not be considered “independent” under applicable professional standards, another nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants, selected promptly by and mutually reasonably acceptable to the Parties (the “ Independent Accounting Firm ”). The Independent Accounting Firm shall be instructed to make, within thirty (30) days after its selection pursuant to the preceding sentence, a final determination in accordance with this Agreement, binding on the Parties, of the appropriate amount of each of the line items in the Initial Post-Distribution Statement which remain in dispute as indicated in the Notice of Disagreement which the Parties have submitted to the Independent Accounting Firm, and to promptly notify the Parties in writing of its determination. With respect to each amount in dispute, the Independent Accounting Firm’s determination, if not in accordance with the position of either of the Parties, shall not be in excess of the higher, nor less than the lower, of the amounts advocated by Parent in the Notice of Disagreement or by SpinCo in the Initial Post-Distribution Statement with respect to such disputed amount. For the avoidance of doubt, no Party may introduce any additional claims to the Independent Accounting Firm to the extent that such Party did not originally raise them in the Initial Post-Distribution Statement or the Notice of Disagreement, as the case may be.

 

29



 

(ii)                                   During the review by the Independent Accounting Firm, the Parties will each provide the Independent Accounting Firm with such access to their respective books, records, accountants, audit work papers and relevant employees as may be reasonably required by the Independent Accounting Firm to fulfill its obligations under this Section  2.14 ; provided , however , that nothing contained in this Section  2.14 shall require the Parties or any of their respective Affiliates to disclose any attorney-client privileged information to the extent that disclosure thereof might result in the loss of attorney-client privilege.

 

(iii)                                All fees and expenses relating to the work, if any, to be performed by the Independent Accounting Firm shall be split equally between Parent and SpinCo.

 

(e)                                   The statement of the SpinCo Cash Amount and the Adjustment Amount that is final and binding on the Parties, as determined either through agreement of the Parties pursuant to Section 2.14(b)  or Section 2.14(c)  or through the action of the Independent Accounting Firm pursuant to Section 2.14(d) , is referred to as the “Final Post-Distribution Statement” and the Adjustment Amount set forth therein as the “Final Adjustment Amount.”

 

2.15                         Final Adjustment Amount .  If the Final Adjustment Amount:

 

(a)                                  is a positive amount, then SpinCo, or a member of the SpinCo Group, shall pay by wire transfer of immediately available funds to Parent, or a member of the Parent Group designated in writing by Parent, the amount of the Final Adjustment Amount, within five (5) Business Days after the Final Post-Distribution Statement becomes final and binding, together with interest thereon at the prime lending rate prevailing at such time, as published in The Wall Street Journal, from the Effective Time until the date of payment; or

 

(b)                                  is a negative amount, then Parent, or a member of the Parent Group, shall pay by wire transfer of immediately available funds to SpinCo, or a member of the SpinCo Group designated in writing by SpinCo, the amount of the Final Adjustment Amount, within five (5) Business Days after the Final Post-Distribution Statement becomes final and binding, together with interest thereon at the prime lending rate prevailing at such time, as published in The Wall Street Journal, from the Distribution Effective Time until the date of payment.

 

ARTICLE III
THE DISTRIBUTION

 

3.1                                Sole and Absolute Discretion; Cooperation .

 

(a)                                  Parent shall, in its sole and absolute discretion, determine the terms of the Distribution, including the form, structure and terms of any transaction(s) and/or offering(s) to effect the Distribution and the timing and conditions to the consummation of the Distribution.  In addition, Parent may, at any time and from time to time until the consummation of the Distribution, modify or change the terms of the Distribution, including by accelerating or delaying the timing of the consummation of all or part of the Distribution.  Nothing shall in any way limit Parent’s right to terminate this Agreement or the Distribution as set forth in Article IX or alter the consequences of any such termination from those specified in Article IX .

 

30



 

(b)                                  SpinCo shall cooperate with Parent to accomplish the Distribution and shall, at Parent’s direction, promptly take any and all actions necessary or desirable to effect the Distribution, including in respect of the registration under the Exchange Act of SpinCo Shares on the Form 10.  Parent shall select any investment bank or manager in connection with the Distribution, as well as any financial printer, solicitation and/or exchange agent and financial, legal, accounting and other advisors for Parent.  SpinCo and Parent, as the case may be, will provide to the Distribution Agent any information required in order to complete the Distribution.

 

3.2                                Actions Prior to the Distribution .  Prior to the Effective Time and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Parties shall take, or cause to be taken, the following actions in connection with the Distribution:

 

(a)                                  Notice to NYSE .  Parent shall, to the extent possible, give the NYSE not less than ten (10) days’ advance notice of the Record Date in compliance with Rule 10b-17 under the Exchange Act.

 

(b)                                  SpinCo Certificate of Incorporation and SpinCo Bylaws .  On or prior to the Distribution Date, Parent and SpinCo shall take all necessary actions so that, as of the Effective Time, the SpinCo Certificate of Incorporation and the SpinCo Bylaws shall become the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of SpinCo, respectively.

 

(c)                                   SpinCo Directors and Officers .  On or prior to the Distribution Date, Parent and SpinCo shall take all necessary actions so that as of the Effective Time:  (i) the directors and executive officers of SpinCo shall be those set forth in the Information Statement made available to the Record Holders prior to the Distribution Date, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties; (ii) each individual referred to in clause (i) shall have resigned from his or her position, if any, as a member of the Parent Board and/or as an executive officer of Parent; and (iii) SpinCo shall have such other officers as SpinCo shall appoint.

 

(d)                                  Nasdaq Global Select Market Listing .  SpinCo shall prepare and file, and shall use its best efforts to have approved, an application for the listing of the SpinCo Shares to be distributed in the Distribution on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (the “ NASDAQ ”), subject to official notice of distribution.

 

(e)                                   Securities Law Matters .  SpinCo shall file any amendments or supplements to the Form 10 as may be necessary or advisable in order to cause the Form 10 to become and remain effective as required by the SEC or federal, state or other applicable securities Laws.  Parent and SpinCo shall cooperate in preparing, filing with the SEC and causing to become effective registration statements or amendments thereof that are required to reflect the establishment of, or amendments to, any employee benefit and other plans necessary or advisable in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements.  Parent and SpinCo will prepare, and SpinCo will, to the extent required under applicable Law, file with the SEC any such documentation and any requisite no-action letters that Parent determines are necessary or desirable to effectuate the Distribution, and Parent and SpinCo shall each use its reasonable best efforts to obtain all necessary approvals from the SEC with respect thereto as soon as practicable.  Parent and SpinCo shall take all such action as

 

31



 

may be necessary or appropriate under the securities or blue sky Laws of the United States (and any comparable Laws under any foreign jurisdiction) in connection with the Distribution.

 

(f)                                    Availability of Information Statement .  Parent shall, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the Form 10 is declared effective under the Exchange Act and the Parent Board has approved the Distribution, cause the Information Statement to be made available to the Record Holders.

 

(g)                                   The Distribution Agent .  Parent shall enter into a distribution agent agreement with the Distribution Agent or otherwise provide instructions to the Distribution Agent regarding the Distribution.

 

(h)                                  Stock-Based Employee Benefit Plans .  Parent and SpinCo shall take all actions as may be necessary to approve the grants of adjusted equity awards by Parent (in respect of Parent Shares) and SpinCo (in respect of SpinCo Shares) in connection with the Distribution in order to satisfy the requirements of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

 

3.3                                Conditions to the Distribution .

 

(a)                                  The consummation of the Distribution will be subject to the satisfaction, or waiver by Parent in its sole and absolute discretion, of the following conditions:

 

(i)                                      The SEC shall have declared effective the Form 10; no order suspending the effectiveness of the Form 10 shall be in effect; and no proceedings for such purposes shall have been instituted or threatened by the SEC;

 

(ii)                                   The Information Statement shall have been made available to the Record Holders;

 

(iii)                                Parent shall have received a private letter ruling from the IRS, satisfactory to the Parent Board, regarding certain U.S. federal income tax matters;

 

(iv)                               Parent shall have received one or more opinions from its tax advisors, in each case satisfactory to the Parent Board, regarding the qualification of the Contribution and the Distribution, taken together, as a transaction described in Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code;

 

(v)                            An independent appraisal firm acceptable to Parent shall have delivered one (1) or more opinions to the Parent Board confirming the solvency and financial viability of Parent prior to the Distribution and of Parent and SpinCo after consummation of the Distribution, and such opinions shall be acceptable to Parent in form and substance in Parent’s sole discretion and such opinions shall not have been withdrawn or rescinded;

 

(vi)                               The transfer of the SpinCo Assets (other than any Delayed SpinCo Asset) and SpinCo Liabilities (other than any Delayed SpinCo Liability) contemplated to be transferred from Parent (or the applicable members of its Group) to SpinCo on or prior to the Distribution shall have occurred as contemplated by Section 2.1 , and the transfer of

 

32



 

the Parent Assets (other than any Delayed Parent Asset) and Parent Liabilities (other than any Delayed Parent Liability) contemplated to be transferred from SpinCo to Parent (or the applicable members of its Group) on or prior to the Distribution Date shall have occurred as contemplated by Section 2.1 , in each case pursuant to the Plan of Reorganization;

 

(vii)                            The actions and filings necessary or appropriate under applicable U.S. federal, U.S. state or other securities Laws or blue sky Laws and the rules and regulations thereunder shall have been taken or made, and, where applicable, have become effective or been accepted by the applicable Governmental Authority;

 

(viii)                         The actions and filings necessary or appropriate with respect to applicable state insurance and residential service contract regulators, including in California, Florida and Texas, shall have been taken or made, and, where applicable, have become effective or been accepted by the applicable Governmental Authority;

 

(ix)                               Each of the Ancillary Agreements shall have been duly executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto;

 

(x)                                  No order, injunction or decree issued by any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction or other legal restraint or prohibition preventing the consummation of the Separation, the Distribution or any of the transactions related thereto shall be pending or in effect;

 

(xi)                               The SpinCo Shares to be distributed to the Parent stockholders in the Distribution shall have been accepted for listing on the NASDAQ, subject to official notice of distribution;

 

(xii)                            SpinCo and/or other members of the SpinCo Group shall have consummated, as applicable, the SpinCo Financing Arrangements.  SpinCo shall have issued and incurred the SpinCo Debt on terms satisfactory to Parent in its sole and absolute discretion.  Parent shall be satisfied in its sole and absolute discretion that, as of the Effective Time, it shall have no Liability whatsoever under the SpinCo Financing Arrangements;

 

(xiii)                         The Debt Exchange shall have been consummated in a manner satisfactory to Parent in its sole and absolute discretion; and

 

(xiv)                        No other events or developments shall exist or shall have occurred that, in the judgment of the Parent Board, in its sole and absolute discretion, makes it inadvisable to effect the Separation, the Distribution or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement.

 

(b)                                  The foregoing conditions are for the sole benefit of Parent and shall not give rise to or create any duty on the part of Parent or the Parent Board to waive or not waive any such condition or in any way limit Parent’s right to terminate this Agreement as set forth in Article IX or alter the consequences of any such termination from those specified in Article IX .  Any determination made by the Parent Board prior to the Distribution concerning the satisfaction

 

33



 

or waiver of any or all of the conditions set forth in Section 3.3(a)  shall be conclusive and binding on the Parties.  If Parent waives any material condition, it shall promptly issue a press release disclosing such fact and file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC describing such waiver.

 

3.4                                The Distribution .

 

(a)                                  Subject to Section 3.3 , on or prior to the Effective Time, SpinCo will deliver to the Distribution Agent, for the benefit of the Record Holders, book-entry transfer authorizations for such number of the outstanding SpinCo Shares as is necessary to effect the Distribution, and shall cause the transfer agent for the Parent Shares to instruct the Distribution Agent to distribute at the Effective Time the appropriate number of SpinCo Shares to each such holder or designated transferee or transferees of such holder by way of direct registration in book-entry form.  SpinCo will not issue paper stock certificates in respect of the SpinCo Shares.  The Distribution shall be effective at the Effective Time.

 

(b)                                  Subject to Sections 3.3 and 3.4(c) , each Record Holder will be entitled to receive in the Distribution a number of whole SpinCo Shares equal to the number of Parent Shares held by such Record Holder on the Record Date multiplied by the Distribution Ratio, rounded down to the nearest whole number.

 

(c)                                   No fractional shares will be distributed or credited to book-entry accounts in connection with the Distribution, and any such fractional share interests to which a Record Holder would otherwise be entitled shall not entitle such Record Holder to vote or to any other rights as a stockholder of SpinCo.  In lieu of retaining any such fractional shares, each Record Holder who, but for the provisions of this Section 3.4(c) , would be entitled to a fractional share interest of a SpinCo Share pursuant to the Distribution, shall be paid cash, without any interest thereon, as hereinafter provided.  As soon as practicable after the Effective Time, Parent shall direct the Distribution Agent to determine the number of whole and fractional SpinCo Shares allocable to each Record Holder, to aggregate all such fractional shares into whole shares, and to sell the whole shares obtained thereby in the open market at the then-prevailing prices on behalf of each Record Holder who otherwise would be entitled to receive fractional share interests (with the Distribution Agent, in its sole and absolute discretion, determining when, how and through which broker-dealer and at what price to make such sales), and to cause to be distributed to each such Record Holder, in lieu of any fractional share, such Record Holder’s or owner’s ratable share of the total proceeds of such sale, after deducting any Taxes required to be withheld and applicable transfer Taxes, and after deducting the costs and expenses of such sale and distribution, including brokers fees and commissions.  None of Parent, SpinCo or the Distribution Agent will be required to guarantee any minimum sale price for the fractional SpinCo Shares sold in accordance with this Section 3.4(c) .  Neither Parent nor SpinCo will be required to pay any interest on the proceeds from the sale of fractional shares.  Neither the Distribution Agent nor the broker-dealers through which the aggregated fractional shares are sold shall be Affiliates of Parent or SpinCo.  Solely for purposes of computing fractional share interests pursuant to this Section  3.4(c)  and Section 3.4(d) , the beneficial owner of Parent Shares held of record in the name of a nominee in any nominee account shall be treated as the Record Holder with respect to such shares.

 

34



 

(d)                                  Any SpinCo Shares or cash in lieu of fractional shares with respect to SpinCo Shares that remain unclaimed by any Record Holder one hundred eighty (180) days after the Distribution Date shall be delivered to SpinCo, and SpinCo or its transfer agent on its behalf shall hold such SpinCo Shares and cash for the account of such Record Holder, and the Parties agree that all obligations to provide such SpinCo Shares and cash, if any, in lieu of fractional share interests shall be obligations of SpinCo, subject in each case to applicable escheat or other abandoned property Laws, and Parent shall have no Liability with respect thereto.

 

(e)                                   Until the SpinCo Shares are duly transferred in accordance with this Section 3.4 and applicable Law, from and after the Effective Time, SpinCo will regard the Persons entitled to receive such SpinCo Shares as record holders of SpinCo Shares in accordance with the terms of the Distribution without requiring any action on the part of such Persons.  SpinCo agrees that, subject to any transfers of such shares, from and after the Effective Time,    (i) each such holder will be entitled to receive all dividends, if any, payable on, and exercise voting rights and all other rights and privileges with respect to, the SpinCo Shares then held by such holder, and (ii) each such holder will be entitled, without any action on the part of such holder, to receive evidence of ownership of the SpinCo Shares then held by such holder.

 

ARTICLE IV
MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION

 

4.1                                Release of Pre- Distribution Claims .

 

(a)                                  SpinCo Release of Parent.  Except as provided in Sections 4.1(c)  and 4.1(d) , effective as of the Effective Time, SpinCo does hereby, for itself and each other member of the SpinCo Group, and their respective successors and assigns, and, to the extent permitted by Law, all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the SpinCo Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), remise, release and forever discharge (i) Parent and the members of the Parent Group, and their respective successors and assigns, (ii) all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the Parent Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and (iii) all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time are or have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of a Transferred Entity and who are not, as of immediately following the Effective Time, directors, officers or employees of SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group, in each case from:  (A) all SpinCo Liabilities, (B) all Liabilities arising from or in connection with the transactions and all other activities to implement the Separation and the Distribution and (C) all Liabilities arising from or in connection with actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time (whether or not such Liabilities cease being contingent, mature, become known, are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time), in each case to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from the SpinCo Business, the SpinCo Assets or the SpinCo Liabilities.

 

(b)                                  Parent Release of SpinCo.  Except as provided in Section s 4.1(c)  and 4.1(d) , effective as of the Effective Time, Parent does hereby, for itself and each other member of the Parent Group and their respective successors and assigns, and, to the extent permitted by

 

35



 

Law, all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the Parent Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), remise, release and forever discharge (i) SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group and their respective successors and assigns, and (ii) all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the SpinCo Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, from (A) all Parent Liabilities, (B) all Liabilities arising from or in connection with the transactions and all other activities to implement the Separation and the Distribution and (C) all Liabilities arising from or in connection with actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time (whether or not such Liabilities cease being contingent, mature, become known, are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time), in each case to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from the Parent Business, the Parent Assets or the Parent Liabilities.

 

(c)                                   Obligations Not Affected.  Nothing contained in Section 4.1(a)  or 4.1(b)  shall impair any right of any Person to enforce this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or any agreements, arrangements, commitments or understandings that are specified in Section 2.7(b)  or the applicable Schedules thereto as not to terminate as of the Effective Time, in each case in accordance with its terms.  Nothing contained in Section 4.1(a)  or 4.1(b)  shall release any Person from:

 

(i)                                      any Liability provided in or resulting from any agreement among any members of the Parent Group or any members of the SpinCo Group that is specified in Section 2.7(b)  or the applicable Schedules thereto as not to terminate as of the Effective Time, or any other Liability specified in Section 2.7(b)  as not to terminate as of the Effective Time;

 

(ii)                                   any Liability, contingent or otherwise, assumed, transferred, assigned or allocated to the Group of which such Person is a member in accordance with, or any other Liability of any member of any Group under, this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement;

 

(iii)                                any Liability for the sale, lease, construction or receipt of goods, property or services purchased, obtained or used in the ordinary course of business by a member of one Group from a member of the other Group prior to the Effective Time;

 

(iv)                               any Liability that the Parties may have with respect to indemnification or contribution or other obligation pursuant to this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or otherwise for claims brought against the Parties by Third Parties, which Liability shall be governed by the provisions of this Article IV and Article V and, if applicable, the appropriate provisions of the Ancillary Agreements; or

 

(v)                                  any Liability the release of which would result in the release of any Person other than a Person released pursuant to this Section 4.1 .

 

36



 

In addition, nothing contained in Section 4.1(a)  shall release any member of the Parent Group from honoring its existing obligations to indemnify any director, officer or employee of SpinCo who was a director, officer or employee of any member of the Parent Group on or prior to the Effective Time, to the extent such director, officer or employee becomes a named defendant in any Action with respect to which such director, officer or employee was entitled to such indemnification pursuant to such existing obligations; it being understood that, if the underlying obligation giving rise to such Action is a SpinCo Liability, SpinCo shall indemnify Parent for such Liability (including Parent’s costs to indemnify the director, officer or employee) in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Article IV .

 

(d)                                  No Claims.  SpinCo shall not make, and shall not permit any other member of the SpinCo Group to make, any claim or demand, or commence any Action asserting any claim or demand, including any claim of contribution or any indemnification, against Parent or any other member of the Parent Group, or any other Person released pursuant to Section 4.1(a) , with respect to any Liabilities released pursuant to Section 4.1(a) .  Parent shall not make, and shall not permit any other member of the Parent Group to make, any claim or demand, or commence any Action asserting any claim or demand, including any claim of contribution or any indemnification, against SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group, or any other Person released pursuant to Section 4.1(b) , with respect to any Liabilities released pursuant to Section 4.1(b) .

 

(e)                                   Execution of Further Releases.  At any time at or after the Effective Time, at the request of either Party, the other Party shall cause each member of its respective Group to execute and deliver releases reflecting the provisions of this Section 4.1 .

 

4.2                                Indemnification by SpinCo .  Except as otherwise specifically set forth in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, SpinCo shall, and shall cause the other members of the SpinCo Group to, indemnify, defend and hold harmless Parent, each member of the Parent Group and each of their respective past, present and future directors, officers, employees and agents, in each case in their respective capacities as such, and each of the heirs, executors, successors and assigns of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “ Parent Indemnitees ”), from and against any and all Liabilities of the Parent Indemnitees relating to, arising out of or resulting from, directly or indirectly, any of the following items (without duplication):

 

(a)                                  any SpinCo Liability;

 

(b)                                  any failure of SpinCo, any other member of the SpinCo Group or any other Person to pay, perform or otherwise promptly discharge any SpinCo Liabilities in accordance with their terms, whether prior to, on or after the Effective Time;

 

(c)                                   any breach by SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group of this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements;

 

(d)                                  except to the extent it relates to a Parent Liability, any guarantee, indemnification or contribution obligation, surety bond or other credit support agreement,

 

37



 

arrangement, commitment or understanding for the benefit of any member of the SpinCo Group by any member of the Parent Group that survives following the Distribution;

 

(e)                                   any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, with respect to all information contained in the Form 10, the Information Statement (as amended or supplemented if SpinCo shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) or any other Disclosure Document, other than the matters described in clause (e) of Section 4.3 ; or

 

(f)                                    any SpinCo Indemnified Liability.

 

4.3                                Indemnification by Parent .  Except as otherwise specifically set forth in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, Parent shall, and shall cause the other members of the Parent Group to, indemnify, defend and hold harmless SpinCo, each member of the SpinCo Group and each of their respective past, present and future directors, officers, employees or agents, in each case in their respective capacities as such, and each of the heirs, executors, successors and assigns of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “ SpinCo Indemnitees ”), from and against any and all Liabilities of the SpinCo Indemnitees relating to, arising out of or resulting from, directly or indirectly, any of the following items (without duplication):

 

(a)                                  any Parent Liability;

 

(b)                                  any failure of Parent, any other member of the Parent Group or any other Person to pay, perform or otherwise promptly discharge any Parent Liabilities in accordance with their terms, whether prior to, on or after the Effective Time;

 

(c)                                   any breach by Parent or any other member of the Parent Group of this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements;

 

(d)                                  except to the extent it relates to a SpinCo Liability, any guarantee, indemnification or contribution obligation, surety bond or other credit support agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding for the benefit of any member of the Parent Group by any member of the SpinCo Group that survives following the Distribution; and

 

(e)                                   any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, with respect to statements made explicitly in Parent’s name in the Form 10, the Information Statement (as amended or supplemented if SpinCo shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) or any other Disclosure Document; it being agreed that the statements set forth on Schedule 4.3(e)  shall be the only statements made explicitly in Parent’s name in the Form 10, the Information Statement or any other Disclosure Document, and all other information contained in the Form 10, the Information Statement or any other Disclosure Document shall be deemed to be information supplied by SpinCo.

 

38



 

4.4                                Indemnification Obligations Net of Insurance Proceeds and Other Amounts .

 

(a)                                  The Parties intend that any Liability subject to indemnification, contribution or reimbursement pursuant to this Article IV or Article V will be net of Insurance Proceeds or other amounts actually recovered (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) from any Person by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in respect of any indemnifiable Liability.  Accordingly, the amount that either Party (an “ Indemnifying Party ”) is required to pay to any Person entitled to indemnification or contribution hereunder (an “ Indemnitee ”) will be reduced by any Insurance Proceeds or other amounts actually recovered (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) from any Person by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in respect of the related Liability.  If an Indemnitee receives a payment (an “ Indemnity Payment ”) required by this Agreement from an Indemnifying Party in respect of any Liability and subsequently receives Insurance Proceeds or any other amounts in respect of such Liability, then the Indemnitee will pay to the Indemnifying Party an amount equal to the excess of the Indemnity Payment received over the amount of the Indemnity Payment that would have been due if the Insurance Proceeds or such other amounts (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) had been received, realized or recovered before the Indemnity Payment was made.

 

(b)                                  The Parties agree that an insurer that would otherwise be obligated to pay any claim shall not be relieved of the responsibility with respect thereto or, solely by virtue of any provision contained in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement, have any subrogation rights with respect thereto, it being understood that no insurer or any other Third Party shall be entitled to a “windfall” ( i.e. , a benefit they would not be entitled to receive in the absence of the indemnification provisions) by virtue of the indemnification and contribution provisions hereof. Each Party shall, and shall cause the members of its Group to, use commercially reasonable efforts (taking into account the probability of success on the merits and the cost of expending such efforts, including attorneys’ fees and expenses) to collect or recover any Insurance Proceeds that may be collectible or recoverable respecting the Liabilities for which indemnification or contribution may be available under this Article IV .  Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Indemnifying Party may not delay making any indemnification payment required under the terms of this Agreement, or otherwise satisfying any indemnification obligation, pending the outcome of any Action to collect or recover Insurance Proceeds, and an Indemnitee need not attempt to collect any Insurance Proceeds prior to making a claim for indemnification or contribution or receiving any Indemnity Payment otherwise owed to it under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement.

 

4.5                                Procedures for Indemnification of Third-Party Claims .

 

(a)                                  Notice of Claims.  If, at or following the Effective Time, an Indemnitee shall receive notice or otherwise learn of the assertion by a Person (including any Governmental Authority) who is not a member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group of any claim or of the commencement by any such Person of any Action (collectively, a “ Third-Party Claim ”) with respect to which an Indemnifying Party may be obligated to provide indemnification to such Indemnitee pursuant to Section 4.2 or 4.3 , or any other Section of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, such Indemnitee shall give such Indemnifying Party written notice thereof

 

39



 

as soon as practicable, but in any event within fourteen (14) days (or sooner if the nature of the Third-Party Claim so requires) after becoming aware of such Third-Party Claim.  Any such notice shall describe the Third-Party Claim in reasonable detail, including the facts and circumstances giving rise to such claim for indemnification, and include copies of all notices and documents (including court papers) received by the Indemnitee relating to the Third-Party Claim.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of an Indemnitee to provide notice in accordance with this Section 4.5(a)  shall not relieve an Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent to which the Indemnifying Party is materially prejudiced by the Indemnitee’s failure to provide notice in accordance with this Section 4.5(a) .

 

(b)                                  Control of Defense.  An Indemnifying Party may elect to defend (and seek to settle or compromise), at its own expense and with its own counsel, any Third-Party Claim; provided that, prior to the Indemnifying Party assuming and controlling the defense of such Third-Party Claim, it shall first confirm to the Indemnitee in writing that, assuming the facts presented to the Indemnifying Party by the Indemnitee are true, the Indemnifying Party shall indemnify the Indemnitee for any such damages to the extent resulting from, or arising out of, such Third-Party-Claim.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Indemnifying Party assumes such defense and, in the course of defending such Third-Party Claim, (i) the Indemnifying Party discovers that the facts presented at the time the Indemnifying Party acknowledged its indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim were not true in all material respects and (ii) such untruth provides a reasonable basis for asserting that the Indemnifying Party does not have an indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim, then (A) the Indemnifying Party shall not be bound by such acknowledgment, (B) the Indemnifying Party shall promptly thereafter provide the Indemnitee written notice of its assertion that it does not have an indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim and (C) the Indemnitee shall have the right to assume the defense of such Third-Party Claim.  Within thirty (30) days after the receipt of a notice from an Indemnitee in accordance with Section 4.5(a)  (or sooner, if the nature of the Third-Party Claim so requires), the Indemnifying Party shall provide written notice to the Indemnitee indicating whether the Indemnifying Party shall assume responsibility for defending the Third-Party Claim.  If an Indemnifying Party elects not to assume responsibility for defending any Third-Party Claim or fails to notify an Indemnitee of its election within thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice from an Indemnitee as provided in Section 4.5(a) , then the Indemnitee that is the subject of such Third-Party Claim shall be entitled to continue to conduct and control the defense of such Third-Party Claim.

 

(c)                                   Allocation of Defense Costs .  If an Indemnifying Party has elected to assume the defense of a Third-Party Claim, then such Indemnifying Party shall be solely liable for all fees and expenses incurred by it in connection with the defense of such Third-Party Claim and shall not be entitled to seek any indemnification or reimbursement from the Indemnitee for any such fees or expenses incurred by the Indemnifying Party during the course of the defense of such Third-Party Claim by such Indemnifying Party, regardless of any subsequent decision by the Indemnifying Party to reject or otherwise abandon its assumption of such defense.  If an Indemnifying Party elects not to assume responsibility for defending any Third-Party Claim or fails to notify an Indemnitee of its election within thirty (30) days after receipt of a notice from an Indemnitee as provided in Section 4.5(a) , and the Indemnitee conducts and controls the defense of such Third-Party Claim and the Indemnifying Party has an indemnification obligation with respect to such Third-Party Claim, then the Indemnifying Party shall be liable for all

 

40



 

reasonable , documented fees and expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the defense of such Third-Party Claim.

 

(d)                                  Right to Monitor and Participate.  An Indemnitee that does not conduct and control the defense of any Third-Party Claim, or an Indemnifying Party does not elect to defend any Third-Party Claim as contemplated hereby, nevertheless shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel as necessary) of its own choosing to monitor and participate in (but not control) the defense of any Third-Party Claim for which it is a potential Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party, as the case may be, and the provisions of Section 4.5(c)  shall not apply to such fees and expenses.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, but subject to Sections 6.7 and 6.8 , such Party shall cooperate with the Party entitled to conduct and control the defense of such Third-Party Claim in such defense and make available to the controlling Party, at the non-controlling Party’s expense, all witnesses, information and materials in such Party’s possession or under such Party’s control relating thereto as are reasonably required by the controlling Party.  In addition to the foregoing, if any Indemnitee reasonably determines in good faith that such Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party have actual or potential differing defenses or conflicts of interest between them that make joint representation inappropriate, then the Indemnitee shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel) and to participate in (but not control) the defense, compromise, or settlement thereof, and in such case the Indemnifying Party shall bear the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel for all Indemnitees.

 

(e)                                   No Settlement.  Neither Party may settle or compromise any Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent may not be unreasonably withheld, unless such settlement or compromise is solely for monetary damages that are fully payable by the settling or compromising Party, does not involve any admission, finding or determination of wrongdoing or violation of Law by the other Party and provides for a full, unconditional and irrevocable release of the other Party from all Liability in connection with the Third-Party Claim.  The Parties hereby agree that if a Party delivers the other Party a written notice containing a proposal to settle or compromise a Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder and the Party receiving such proposal does not respond in any manner to the Party presenting such proposal within ten (10) business days (or within any such shorter time period that may be required by applicable Law or court order) of receipt of such proposal, then the Party receiving such proposal shall be deemed to have consented to the terms of such proposal.

 

4.6                                Additional Matters .

 

(a)                                  Timing of Payments.  Indemnification or contribution payments in respect of any Liabilities for which an Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Article IV shall be paid reasonably promptly (but in any event within forty five (45) days of the final determination of the amount that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Article IV ) by the Indemnifying Party to the Indemnitee as such Liabilities are incurred upon demand by the Indemnitee, including reasonably satisfactory documentation setting forth the basis for the amount of such indemnification or contribution payment, including documentation with respect to calculations made and consideration of any

 

41



 

Insurance Proceeds that actually reduce the amount of such Liabilities.  The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Article IV shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Indemnitee, and (ii) the knowledge by the Indemnitee of Liabilities for which it might be entitled to indemnification hereunder.

 

(b)                                  Notice of Direct Claims.  Any claim for indemnification or contribution under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement that does not result from a Third-Party Claim shall be asserted by written notice given by the Indemnitee to the applicable Indemnifying Party; provided that the failure by an Indemnitee to so assert any such claim shall not prejudice the ability of the Indemnitee to do so at a later time, except to the extent (if any) that the Indemnifying Party is materially prejudiced thereby.  Such Indemnifying Party shall have a period of thirty (30) days after the receipt of such notice within which to respond thereto.  If such Indemnifying Party does not respond within such thirty (30)-day period, such specified claim shall be conclusively deemed a Liability of the Indemnifying Party under this Section 4.6(b)  or, in the case of any written notice in which the amount of the claim (or any portion thereof) is estimated, on such later date when the amount of the claim (or such portion thereof) becomes finally determined.  If such Indemnifying Party does not respond within such thirty (30)-day period or rejects such claim in whole or in part, such Indemnitee shall, subject to the provisions of Article VII , be free to pursue such remedies as may be available to such party as contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, as applicable, without prejudice to its continuing rights to pursue indemnification or contribution hereunder.

 

(c)                                   Pursuit of Claims Against Third Parties.  If (i) a Party incurs any Liability arising out of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement; (ii) an adequate legal or equitable remedy is not available for any reason against the other Party to satisfy the Liability incurred by the incurring Party; and (iii) a legal or equitable remedy may be available to the other Party against a Third Party for such Liability, then the other Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the incurring Party, at the incurring Party’s expense, to permit the incurring Party to obtain the benefits of such legal or equitable remedy against the Third Party.

 

(d)                                  Subrogation.  In the event of payment by or on behalf of any Indemnifying Party to any Indemnitee in connection with any Third-Party Claim, such Indemnifying Party shall be subrogated to and shall stand in the place of such Indemnitee as to any events or circumstances in respect of which such Indemnitee may have any right, defense or claim relating to such Third-Party Claim against any claimant or plaintiff asserting such Third-Party Claim or against any other Person.  Such Indemnitee shall cooperate with such Indemnifying Party in a reasonable manner, and at the cost and expense of such Indemnifying Party, in prosecuting any subrogated right, defense or claim.

 

(e)                                   Substitution.  In the event of an Action in which the Indemnifying Party is not a named defendant, if either the Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party shall so request, the Parties shall endeavor to substitute the Indemnifying Party for the named defendant.  If such substitution or addition cannot be achieved for any reason or is not requested, the named defendant shall allow the Indemnifying Party to manage the Action as set forth in Section 4.5 and this Section 4.6 , and the Indemnifying Party shall fully indemnify the named defendant

 

42



 

against all reasonable costs of defending the Action (including court costs, sanctions imposed by a court, attorneys’ fees, experts fees and all other external expenses), the costs of any judgment or settlement and the cost of any interest or penalties relating to any judgment or settlement.

 

(f)                                    Director and Officer Liability For six (6) years after the Distribution Date, Parent shall (i) provide officers’ and directors’ liability insurance in respect of acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the Effective Time covering each of the present and former officers and directors of SpinCo and each of its subsidiaries currently covered by Parent’s officers’ and directors’ liability insurance policies on terms with respect to coverage and amount no less favorable than those of such policies as are in effect as of the date hereof with respect to Parent’s then-current officers and directors and (ii) provide written notice to SpinCo at least twenty (20) days in advance of any changes in the terms with respect to coverage and amount in Parent’s officers’ and directors’ liability insurance policies that are materially less favorable than the coverage and amount of such insurance policies as of the date hereof.

 

(g)                                   Tax Matters Agreement Coordination.  The above provisions of this Section 4.6 and the provisions of Section 4.2 through Section 4.10 shall not apply to Taxes.  It is understood and agreed that Taxes and Tax matters, including the control of Tax-related proceedings, shall be governed by the Tax Matters Agreement (and Section 6.4(b) ).  In the case of any conflict or inconsistency between this Agreement (other than Section 6.4(b) ) and the Tax Matters Agreement (and Section 6.4(b) ) in relation to any matters addressed by the Tax Matters Agreement (or Section 6.4(b) ), the Tax Matters Agreement (and Section 6.4(b) ) shall prevail.

 

4.7                                Right of Contribution .

 

(a)                                  Contribution.  If any right of indemnification contained in Section 4.2 or Section 4.3 is held unenforceable or is unavailable for any reason, or is insufficient to hold harmless an Indemnitee in respect of any Liability for which such Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification hereunder, then the Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amounts paid or payable by the Indemnitees as a result of such Liability (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and the members of its Group, on the one hand, and the Indemnitees entitled to contribution, on the other hand, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

(b)                                  Allocation of Relative Fault.  Solely for purposes of determining relative fault pursuant to this Section 4.7 :  (i) any fault associated with the business conducted with the Delayed SpinCo Assets or Delayed SpinCo Liabilities (except for the gross negligence or intentional misconduct of a member of the Parent Group) or with the ownership, operation or activities of the SpinCo Business prior to the Effective Time shall be deemed to be the fault of SpinCo and the other members of the SpinCo Group, and no such fault shall be deemed to be the fault of Parent or any other member of the Parent Group; (ii) any fault associated with the business conducted with Delayed Parent Assets or Delayed Parent Liabilities (except for the gross negligence or intentional misconduct of a member of the SpinCo Group) shall be deemed to be the fault of Parent and the other members of the Parent Group, and no such fault shall be deemed to be the fault of SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group; and (iii) any fault associated with the ownership, operation or activities of the Parent Business prior to the Effective Time shall be deemed to be the fault of Parent and the other members of the Parent

 

43



 

Group , and no such fault shall be deemed to be the fault of SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group.

 

4.8                                Covenant Not to Sue .  Each Party hereby covenants and agrees that none of it, the members of such Party’s Group or any Person claiming through it shall bring suit or otherwise assert any claim against any Indemnitee, or assert a defense against any claim asserted by any Indemnitee, before any court, arbitrator, mediator or administrative agency anywhere in the world, alleging that:  (a) the assumption of any SpinCo Liabilities by SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements is void or unenforceable for any reason; (b) the retention of any Parent Liabilities by Parent or a member of the Parent Group on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements is void or unenforceable for any reason; or (c) the provisions of this Article IV are void or unenforceable for any reason.

 

4.9                                Remedies Cumulative .  The remedies provided in this Article IV shall be cumulative and, subject to the provisions of Article VIII , shall not preclude assertion by any Indemnitee of any other rights or the seeking of any and all other remedies against any Indemnifying Party.

 

4.10                         Survival of Indemnities .  The rights and obligations of each of Parent and SpinCo and their respective Indemnitees under this Article IV shall survive (a) the sale or other transfer by either Party or any member of its Group of any assets or businesses or the assignment by it of any Liabilities; or (b) any merger, consolidation, business combination, sale of all or substantially all of its Assets, restructuring, recapitalization, reorganization or similar transaction involving either Party or any of the members of its Group.

 

ARTICLE V
CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS

 

5.1                                Insurance Matters .

 

(a)                                  Parent and SpinCo agree to cooperate in good faith to provide for an orderly transition of insurance coverage from the date hereof through the Effective Time.  In no event shall Parent, any other member of the Parent Group or any Parent Indemnitee have Liability or obligation whatsoever to any member of the SpinCo Group in the event that any insurance policy or other contract or policy of insurance shall be terminated or otherwise cease to be in effect for any reason, shall be unavailable or inadequate to cover any Liability of any member of the SpinCo Group for any reason whatsoever or shall not be renewed or extended beyond the current expiration date.

 

(b)                                  Parent agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to cause the interests and rights of SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group as of the Effective Time as insureds or beneficiaries or in any other capacity under occurrence-based insurance policies and programs (and under claims-made policies and programs to the extent a claim has been submitted prior to the Effective Time) of Parent or any member of the Parent Group (collectively, the “ Parent Policies ”) in respect of the period prior to the Effective Time to survive the Effective Time for the period for which such interests and rights would have survived without regard to the

 

44



 

transactions contemplated hereby to the extent permitted by such policies; and any proceeds received by Parent or any member of the Parent Group after the Effective Time under such policies and programs in respect of SpinCo and any member of the SpinCo Group shall be for the benefit of SpinCo and the SpinCo Group; provided that the interests and rights of SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group shall be subject to the terms and conditions of such insurance policies and programs, including any limits on coverage or scope, any deductibles and other fees and expenses and Parent’s allocation.  In addition, to the extent that deductibles under the general liability, automobile liability, or workers’ compensation policies of Parent (the “ Deductibles ”) apply to claims under the Policies, Parent shall facilitate the administration and processing of such claims in a manner that makes available to the members of the SpinCo Group the benefit of the deductible reimbursement policies issued by Steward Insurance Company to American Home Shield Corporation prior to the Distribution Date.  In addition, Parent will process and pay all deductibles with respect to claims under the Policies, and reimbursement, if any, by Steward Insurance Company with respect to any such claims shall be paid to SpinCo.

 

(i)                                      SpinCo shall report any claim to Parent as promptly as practicable, and in any event in sufficient time so that such claim may be made in accordance with the policies’ terms and conditions;

 

(ii)                                   SpinCo and the other members of the SpinCo Group shall be responsible for making payments directly to insurers where possible, and shall indemnify, hold harmless and reimburse Parent and the members of the Parent Group for any deductibles, self-insured retention, retrospective premium payments, and fees and expenses incurred by any member of the Parent Group to the extent resulting from any access to, or any claims made by SpinCo or any other members of the SpinCo Group under, any insurance provided pursuant to this Section 5.1(b) , including claims previously reported and any indemnity payments, settlements, judgments, legal fees and allocated claims expenses and claim handling fees, whether such claims are made by a member of the SpinCo Group, employees or Third Parties;

 

(iii)                                SpinCo shall, and shall cause the other members of the SpinCo Group to, cooperate with and assist Parent and the members of the Parent Group and share such Information as is reasonably necessary in order to permit Parent and the members of the Parent Group to manage and conduct the insurance matters contemplated by this Section 5.1 ; and

 

(iv)                               SpinCo shall exclusively bear (and neither Parent nor any members of the Parent Group shall have any obligation to repay or reimburse SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group for) and shall be liable for all excluded, uninsured, uncovered, unavailable or uncollectible amounts of all such claims made by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group under the policies as provided for in this Section 5.1(b) .  In the event an insurance policy aggregate is exhausted, or believed likely to be exhausted, due to noticed claims, the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, and the Parent Group, on the other hand, shall be responsible for their pro rata portion of the reinstatement premium, if any, based upon the losses of such Group submitted to Parent’s insurance carrier(s) (including any submissions prior to the Effective Time).  To the extent that the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group is allocated more than its pro rata

 

45



 

portion of such premium due to the timing of losses submitted to Parent’s insurance carrier(s), the other party shall promptly pay the first party an amount so that each Group has been properly allocated its pro rata portion of the reinstatement premium.  Subject to the following sentence, Parent may elect not to reinstate the policy aggregate.  In the event that Parent elects not to reinstate the policy aggregate, it shall provide prompt written notice to SpinCo, and SpinCo may direct Parent in writing to, and Parent shall, in such case reinstate the policy aggregate; provided that SpinCo shall be responsible for all reinstatement premiums and other costs associated with such reinstatement.

 

In the event that any member of the Parent Group incurs any losses, damages or Liability prior to or in respect of the period prior to the Effective Time for which such member of the Parent Group is entitled to coverage under SpinCo third-party insurance policies, the same process pursuant to this Section 5.1(b)  shall apply, substituting “Parent” for “SpinCo” and “SpinCo” for “Parent.”

 

(c)                                   Except as provided in Section 5.1(b) , from and after the Effective Time, neither SpinCo nor any member of the SpinCo Group shall have any rights to or under any of the insurance policies of Parent or any other member of the Parent Group.  At the Effective Time, SpinCo shall have in effect all insurance programs required to comply with SpinCo and the SpinCo Group’s contractual obligations and such other Policies required by Law or as reasonably necessary or appropriate for companies operating a business similar to SpinCo’s.

 

(d)                                  Neither SpinCo nor any member of the SpinCo Group, in connection with making a claim under any insurance policy of Parent or any member of the Parent Group pursuant to this Section 5.1 , shall take any action that would be reasonably likely to (i) have an adverse impact on the then-current relationship between Parent or any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, and the applicable insurance company, on the other hand; (ii) result in the applicable insurance company terminating or reducing coverage, or increasing the amount of any premium owed by Parent or any member of the Parent Group under the applicable insurance policy; or (iii) otherwise compromise, jeopardize or interfere with the rights of Parent or any member of the Parent Group under the applicable insurance policy; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, this Section 5.1(d)  shall not preclude or otherwise restrict any member of the SpinCo Group from reporting claims to insurers in the ordinary course of business.

 

(e)                                   All payments and reimbursements by SpinCo pursuant to this Section 5.1 will be made within fifteen (15) days after SpinCo’s receipt of an invoice therefor from Parent.  In the event that SpinCo makes payments to insurance companies directly, then SpinCo shall make payments in compliance with the requirements and policies and procedures with respect to insurance payments in effect prior to the Effective Time.  If Parent incurs costs to enforce SpinCo’s obligations herein, SpinCo agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Parent for such enforcement costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees pursuant to Section 4.6 .  Parent shall retain the exclusive right to control its insurance policies and programs, including the right to exhaust, settle, release, commute, buy-back or otherwise resolve disputes with respect to any of its insurance policies and programs and to amend, modify or waive any rights under any such insurance policies and programs, notwithstanding whether any such policies or programs apply to any SpinCo Liabilities and/or claims SpinCo has made or could make in the future, and no member of the SpinCo Group shall erode, exhaust, settle, release, commute, buy-back or

 

46



 

otherwise resolve disputes with Parent’s insurers with respect to any of Parent’s insurance policies and programs, or amend, modify or waive any rights under any such insurance policies and programs.  SpinCo shall cooperate with Parent and share such information as is reasonably necessary in order to permit Parent to manage and conduct its insurance matters as Parent deems appropriate.  No member of the Parent Group shall have any obligation secure extended reporting for any claims under any Liability policies of any member of the Parent Group for any acts or omissions of any member of the SpinCo Group incurred prior to the Effective Time.

 

(f)                                    This Agreement shall not be considered as an attempted assignment of any policy of insurance or as a contract of insurance and shall not be construed to waive any right or remedy of any member of the Parent Group in respect of any insurance policy or any other contract or policy of insurance.

 

(g)                                   SpinCo does hereby, for itself and each other member of the SpinCo Group, agree that no member of the Parent Group shall have any Liability whatsoever as a result of the insurance policies and practices of Parent and the members of the Parent Group as in effect at any time, including as a result of the level or scope of any such insurance, the creditworthiness of any insurance carrier, the terms and conditions of any policy, or the adequacy or timeliness of any notice to any insurance carrier with respect to any claim or potential claim or otherwise.

 

5.2                                Late Payments .  Except as expressly provided to the contrary in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement, any amount not paid when due pursuant to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement (and any amounts billed or otherwise invoiced or demanded and properly payable that are not paid within forty-five (45) days of such bill, invoice or other demand) shall accrue interest at a rate per annum equal to the Prime Rate plus two percent (2%).

 

5.3                                Inducement .  SpinCo acknowledges and agrees that Parent’s willingness to cause, effect and consummate the Separation and the Distribution has been conditioned upon and induced by SpinCo’s covenants and agreements in this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, including SpinCo’s assumption of the SpinCo Liabilities pursuant to the Separation and the provisions of this Agreement and SpinCo’s covenants and agreements contained in Article IV .

 

5.4                                Post-Effective Time Conduct .  The Parties acknowledge that, after the Effective Time, each Party shall be independent of the other Party, with responsibility for its own actions and inactions and its own Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from the conduct of its business, operations and activities following the Effective Time, except as may otherwise be provided in any Ancillary Agreement, and each Party shall (except as otherwise provided in Article IV ) use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent such Liabilities from being inappropriately borne by the other Party.

 

5.5                                Corporate Names; Trademarks .  After the Distribution Effective Time, no member of one Group may use any trademark, service mark, trade dress, Internet domain name, logo or other source identifier (collectively, the “ Marks ”) owned by any member of the other Group, except as permitted under applicable Law or subsequent agreement in writing between

 

47



 

the applicable parties.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, any member of one Group may utilize existing stationery, business cards, signage, websites, advertising materials, inventory, packaging, product, service and training literature, and other similar materials bearing the Marks of the other Group member (“ Materials ”) following the Distribution Effective Time in the conduct of the its business, as currently conducted, until the existing supply of such items is depleted or until one hundred eighty (180) days following the Distribution Effective Time, whichever occurs first. Subject to the foregoing sentence, on or prior to the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days following the Distribution Effective Time, each Group shall (x) cease using all Materials in its possession pertaining to the other Group; provided that, in the case of Materials that are used solely for internal purposes, each Group shall cease using such internal Materials to the extent reasonably practicable, (y) to the extent reasonably practicable, destroy all Materials in its possession pertaining to the other Group and (z) send a written statement to the other Group confirming that such Group has exhausted or destroyed all such Materials.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 5.5 shall preclude such Group from making any reference to the Marks of the other Group in internal historical, tax, employment or similar records or for purposes of disclosures as are reasonably necessary and appropriate to describe the historical relationship of the Parties.  The foregoing permitted uses are subject to (x) compliance by the applicable Group with the reasonable quality control requirements and guidelines in effect for the Marks of the other Group as of the Distribution Effective Time and (y) to the extent reasonably practicable, the placement of a reasonably appropriate disclaimer on such Materials identifying in a readily observable manner that the Group members are no longer Affiliates of each other.  Notwithstanding the foregoing to the contrary, no member of one Group shall be required to take any action to remove any reference to any Mark of a member of the other Group from (a) products bearing the Marks of the other Group member that have already been placed on the market as of the Distribution Effective Time or (b) Materials already in the rightful possession of customers or other Third Parties prior to the depletion of such Materials or as of the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days following the Distribution Effective Time, whichever comes first.  If, after the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days following the Distribution Effective Time, a member of any Group discovers the use of any Marks of another Group on its website, such Group members shall notify the other Group members and shall remove all use of such Mark of the other Group member within a reasonable period.

 

5.6                                Non-Solicitation .

 

(a)                                  Non-Solicitation .  Each Party covenants and agrees that, from the Effective Time through the first (1st) anniversary of the Distribution Date, no Party will, and each Party will cause its respective Subsidiaries not to, directly or indirectly, employ, hire, enter into an agency or consulting relationship with, recruit or solicit for employment or interfere with the employment of any employee of the members of the other Group (“ Restricted Employees ”); provided that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to (i) any Restricted Employee whose employment was involuntarily terminated by the applicable Party or its Affiliates, (ii) any Restricted Employee who has not been employed by the applicable Party or any of its Subsidiaries for at least six (6) months, (iii) any Restricted Employee whose prospective employment is agreed to in writing by Parent and SpinCo and (iv) any Restricted Employee who responds to general solicitations not targeted at Restricted Employees (including through the use of recruiting firms not directed at Restricted Employees) or advertisement in any newspaper, magazine, trade publication, electronic medium or other media.

 

48



 

(b)                                  Remedies; Enforcement .  Each Party acknowledges and agrees that (i) injury to the other Party from any breach of the obligations of such party set forth in this Section 5.6 would be irreparable and impossible to measure and (ii) the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach of this Section 5.6 , including monetary damages, would therefore be inadequate compensation for any loss and the other Party shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief in accordance with Section 10.13 , in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative.  Each Party understands and acknowledges that that the restrictive covenants and other agreements contained in this Section 5.6 are an essential part of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.  It is the intent of the Parties that the provisions of this Section 5.6 shall be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under applicable Law applied in each jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought.  If any particular provision or portion of this Section 5.6 shall be adjudicated to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision or portion thereof shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to render such provision or portion valid and enforceable, such amendment to apply only with respect to the operation of such provision or portion thereof in the particular jurisdiction in which such adjudication is made.

 

ARTICLE VI
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY

 

6.1                                Agreement for Exchange of Information .

 

(a)                                  Subject to Section 6.9 and any other applicable confidentiality obligations, each of Parent and SpinCo, on behalf of itself and each member of its Group, agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to provide or make available, or cause to be provided or made available, to the other Party and the members of such other Party’s Group, at any time before, on or after the Effective Time, as soon as reasonably practicable after written request therefor, any information (or a copy thereof) in the possession or under the control of such Party or its Group that the requesting Party or its Group requests and, with respect to clause (iii), access to the facilities, systems, infrastructure and personnel of such Party or its Group, in each case to the extent that (i) such information relates to the SpinCo Business, or any SpinCo Asset or SpinCo Liability, if SpinCo is the requesting Party, or to the Parent Business, or any Parent Asset or Parent Liability, if Parent is the requesting Party; (ii) such information is required by the requesting Party to comply with its obligations under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement; or (iii) such information is required by the requesting Party to comply with any obligation imposed by any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, the obligation to verify the accuracy of internal controls over information technology reporting of financial data and related processes employed in connection with verifying compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; provided , however , that, in the event that the Party to whom the request has been made determines that any such provision of information could be detrimental to the Party providing the information, violate any Law or agreement, or waive any privilege available under applicable Law, including any attorney-client privilege, then the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to permit compliance with such obligations to the extent and in a manner that avoids any such harm or consequence.  The Party providing information pursuant to this Section 6.1 shall only be obligated to provide such information in the form, condition and format in which it then exists, and in no event shall such Party be required to perform any improvement, modification, conversion, updating or reformatting of any such information, and

 

49



 

nothing in this Section 6.1 shall expand the obligations of any Party under Section 6.4 .  Each Party shall cause its and its Subsidiaries’ employees to, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause its Representatives’ employees to, when on the property of SpinCo or its Subsidiaries, or when given access to any facilities, systems, infrastructure or personnel of the other Party or any members of its Group, conform to the policies and procedures of such Party and its Group concerning health, safety, conduct and security that are made known or provided to the accessing Party from time to time.

 

(b)                                  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, until the end of Parent’s fiscal year during which the Distribution Date occurs (and for a reasonable period of time afterwards as required for each Party to prepare consolidated financial statements or complete a financial statement audit for the fiscal year during which the Distribution Date occurs), each Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the other Party’s information requests to enable (i) the other Party to meet its timetable for dissemination of its earnings releases, financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures and its internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Items 307 and 308, respectively, of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act; and (ii) the other Party’s accountants to timely complete their review of the quarterly financial statements and audit of the annual financial statements, including, to the extent applicable to such Party, its auditor’s audit of its internal control over financial reporting and management’s assessment thereof in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC’s and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s rules and auditing standards thereunder and any other applicable Laws.

 

(c)                                   Subject to any limitation imposed by applicable Law and to the extent that it has not done so before the Effective Time, Parent shall transfer to SpinCo any employment records (including any Form I-9, Form W-2 or other IRS forms) with respect to SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees and other records reasonably required by SpinCo to enable SpinCo properly to carry out its obligations under this Agreement.  Such transfer of records generally shall occur as soon as administratively practicable at or after the Effective Time.  Each Party shall permit the other Party reasonable access to its Employee records, to the extent reasonably necessary for such accessing Party to carry out its obligations hereunder.

 

6.2                                Ownership of Information .  The provision of any information pursuant to Section 6.1 or Section 6.7 shall not affect the ownership of such information (which shall be determined solely in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements), or constitute a grant of rights in or to any such information.

 

6.3                                Compensation for Providing Information .  The Party requesting information agrees to reimburse the other Party for the reasonable costs, if any, of creating, gathering, copying, transporting and otherwise complying with the request with respect to such information (including any reasonable costs and expenses incurred in any review of information for purposes of protecting the Privileged Information of the providing Party or in connection with the restoration of backup media for purposes of providing the requested information).  Except as may be otherwise specifically provided elsewhere in this Agreement, any Ancillary

 

50



 

Agreement or any other agreement between the Parties, such costs shall be computed in accordance with the providing Party’s standard methodology and procedures.

 

6.4                                Record Retention .

 

(a)                                  To facilitate the possible exchange of information pursuant to this Article VI and other provisions of this Agreement after the Effective Time, the Parties agree to use their commercially reasonable efforts, which shall be no less rigorous than those used for retention of such Party’s own information, to retain all information in their respective possession or control at the Effective Time, including all Employee-related information, in accordance with the policies of Parent as in effect at the Effective Time or such other policies as may be adopted by Parent after the Effective Time ( provided , in the case of SpinCo, that Parent notifies SpinCo of any such change).

 

(b)                                  Each Party shall preserve and keep all Tax Records exclusively relating to the assets and activities of its Group for Pre-Deconsolidation Periods, and Parent shall preserve and keep all other Tax Records relating to Taxes of the Groups for Pre-Deconsolidation Tax Periods, for so long as the contents thereof may become material in the administration of any matter under the Code or other applicable Tax Law, but in any event until the later of (i) the expiration of any applicable statutes of limitations, or (ii) three years after the Deconsolidation Date (such later date, the “ Retention Date ”).  After the Retention Date, each Party may dispose of Tax Records pertaining to the assets or activities of the other Group only upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice to the other Group.  If, prior to the Retention Date, a Party reasonably determines that any Tax Records which it would otherwise be required to preserve and keep under this Section 6.4(b)  are no longer material in the administration of any matter under the Code or other applicable Tax Law, it may dispose of such Tax Records; provided , that if such Tax Records pertain to the assets or activities of the other Group, the Party shall provide such other Group with ninety (90) days’ prior written notice.  Any notice of an intent to dispose given pursuant to this Section 6.4(b)  shall include a list of the Tax Records to be disposed of describing in reasonable detail each file, book, or other record accumulation being disposed.  The notified Party shall have the opportunity, at its cost and expense, to copy or remove, within such 90-day period, all or any part of such Tax Records.  If, at any time prior to the Retention Date, SpinCo determines to decommission or otherwise discontinue any computer program or information technology system used to access or store any Tax Records, then SpinCo may decommission or discontinue such program or system upon ninety (90) days’ prior notice to Parent and Parent shall have the opportunity, at its cost and expense, to copy, within such 90-day period, all or any part of the underlying data relating to the Tax Records accessed by or stored on such program or system.

 

(c)                                   Each Party shall preserve and keep all documents subject to a litigation hold as of the date of this Agreement until such party has been notified that such litigation hold is no longer applicable.

 

6.5                                Limitations of Liability .  Neither Party shall have any Liability to the other Party in the event that any information exchanged or provided pursuant to this Agreement is found to be inaccurate in the absence of gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct by the Party providing such information.  Neither Party shall have any Liability to any other Party if

 

51



 

any information is destroyed after commercially reasonable efforts by such Party to comply with the provisions of Section 6.4 .

 

6.6                                Other Agreements Providing for Exchange of Information .

 

(a)                                  The rights and obligations granted under this Article VI are subject to any specific limitations, qualifications or additional provisions on the sharing, exchange, retention or confidential treatment of information set forth in any Ancillary Agreement.

 

(b)                                  Any party that receives, pursuant to a request for information in accordance with this Article VI , Tangible Information that is not relevant to its request shall, at the request of the providing Party, (i) return it to the providing Party or, at the providing Party’s request, destroy such Tangible Information; and (ii) deliver to the providing Party written confirmation that such Tangible Information was returned or destroyed, as the case may be, which confirmation shall be signed by an authorized representative of the requesting Party.

 

6.7                                Production of Witnesses; Records; Cooperation .

 

(a)                                  After the Effective Time, except in the case of a Dispute between Parent and SpinCo, or any members of their respective Groups, each Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to make available to the other Party, upon written request, the former, current and future directors, officers, employees, other personnel and agents of the members of its respective Group as witnesses and any books, records or other documents within its control or which it otherwise has the ability to make available without undue burden, to the extent that any such person (giving consideration to business demands of such directors, officers, employees, other personnel and agents) or books, records or other documents may reasonably be required in connection with any Action in which the requesting Party (or member of its Group) may from time to time be involved, regardless of whether such Action is a matter with respect to which indemnification may be sought hereunder.  The requesting Party shall bear all costs and expenses in connection therewith.

 

(b)                                  If an Indemnifying Party chooses to defend or to seek to compromise or settle any Third-Party Claim, the other Party shall make available to such Indemnifying Party, upon written request, the former, current and future directors, officers, employees, other personnel and agents of the members of its respective Group as witnesses and any books, records or other documents within its control or which it otherwise has the ability to make available without undue burden, to the extent that any such person (giving consideration to business demands of such directors, officers, employees, other personnel and agents) or books, records or other documents may reasonably be required in connection with such defense, settlement or compromise, or such prosecution, evaluation or pursuit, as the case may be, and shall otherwise cooperate in such defense, settlement or compromise, or such prosecution, evaluation or pursuit, as the case may be.

 

(c)                                   Without limiting the foregoing, the Parties shall cooperate and consult to the extent reasonably necessary with respect to any Actions.

 

(d)                                  Without limiting any provision of this Section 6.7 , each of the Parties agrees to cooperate, and to cause each member of its respective Group to cooperate, with each

 

52



 

other in the defense of any infringement or similar claim with respect to any Intellectual Property and shall not claim to acknowledge, or permit any member of its respective Group to claim to acknowledge, the validity or infringing use of any Intellectual Property of a Third Party in a manner that would hamper or undermine the defense of such infringement or similar claim.

 

(e)                                   The obligation of the Parties to provide witnesses pursuant to this Section 6.7 is intended to be interpreted in a manner so as to facilitate cooperation and shall include the obligation to provide as witnesses directors, officers, employees, other personnel and agents without regard to whether such person or the employer of such person could assert a possible business conflict (subject to the exception set forth in the first sentence of Section 6.7(a) ).

 

(f)                                    Without limiting any provision of this Section 6.7 , Each Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate and work together to unify, consolidate and share (to the extent permissible under applicable privacy/data protection Laws) all relevant documents, resolutions, government filings, data, payroll, employment and benefit plan information on regular timetables and cooperate as needed with respect to (i) any claims under or audit of or litigation with respect to any employee benefit plan, policy or arrangement contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) efforts to seek a determination letter, private letter ruling or advisory opinion from the IRS or U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of any employee benefit plan, policy or arrangement contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) any filings that are required to be made or supplemented to the IRS, U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, U.S. Department of Labor or any other Governmental Authority, and (iv) any audits by a Governmental Authority or corrective actions, relating to any Benefit Plan, labor or payroll practices; provided , however , that requests for cooperation must be reasonable and not interfere with daily business operations

 

6.8                                Privileged Matters .

 

(a)                                  The Parties recognize that legal and other professional services that have been and will be provided prior to the Effective Time have been and will be rendered for the collective benefit of each of the members of the Parent Group and the SpinCo Group, and that each of the members of the Parent Group and the SpinCo Group should be deemed to be the client with respect to such services for the purposes of asserting all privileges that may be asserted under applicable Law in connection therewith.  The Parties recognize that legal and other professional services will be provided following the Effective Time, which services will be rendered solely for the benefit of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, as the case may be.  In furtherance of the foregoing, each Party shall authorize the delivery to and/or retention by the other Party of materials existing as of the Effective Time that are necessary for such other Party to perform such services.

 

(b)                                  The Parties agree as follows:

 

(i)                                      Parent shall be entitled, in perpetuity, to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges and immunities in connection with any Privileged Information that relates solely to the Parent Business and not to the SpinCo Business, whether or not the Privileged Information is in the possession or under the control of any member of the Parent Group or any member of the SpinCo Group.  Parent shall also be entitled, in perpetuity, to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges and immunities in

 

53



 

connection with any Privileged Information that relates solely to any Parent Liabilities resulting from any Actions that are now pending or may be asserted in the future, whether or not the Privileged Information is in the possession or under the control of any member of the Parent Group or any member of the SpinCo Group.

 

(ii)                                   SpinCo shall be entitled, in perpetuity, to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges and immunities in connection with any Privileged Information that relates solely to the SpinCo Business and not to the Parent Business, whether or not the Privileged Information is in the possession or under the control of any member of the SpinCo Group or any member of the Parent Group.  SpinCo shall also be entitled, in perpetuity, to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges and immunities in connection with any Privileged Information that relates solely to any SpinCo Liabilities resulting from any Actions that are now pending or may be asserted in the future, whether or not the Privileged Information is in the possession or under the control of any member of the SpinCo Group or any member of the Parent Group.

 

(iii)                                If the Parties do not agree as to whether certain information is Privileged Information, then such information shall be treated as Privileged Information, and the Party that believes that such information is Privileged Information shall be entitled to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges and immunities in connection with any such information, unless the Parties otherwise agree.  The Parties shall use the procedures set forth in Article VII to resolve any disputes as to whether any information relates solely to the Parent Business, solely to the SpinCo Business, or to both the Parent Business and the SpinCo Business.

 

(c)                                   Subject to the remaining provisions of this Section 6.8 , the Parties agree that they shall have a shared privilege or immunity with respect to all privileges and immunities not allocated pursuant to Section 6.8(b)  and all privileges and immunities relating to any Actions or other matters that involve both Parties (or one (1) or more members of their respective Groups) and in respect of which both Parties have Liabilities under this Agreement, and that no such shared privilege or immunity may be waived by either Party without the consent of the other Party.

 

(d)                                  If any Dispute arises between the Parties or any members of their respective Groups regarding whether a privilege or immunity should be waived to protect or advance the interests of either Party and/or any member of their respective Groups, each Party agrees that it shall (i) negotiate with the other Party in good faith; (ii) endeavor to minimize any prejudice to the rights of the other Party; and (iii) not unreasonably withhold consent to any request for waiver by the other Party.  Further, each Party specifically agrees that it shall not withhold its consent to the waiver of a privilege or immunity for any purpose, except in good faith to protect its own legitimate interests.

 

(e)                                   In the event of any Dispute between Parent and SpinCo, or any members of their respective Groups, either Party may waive a privilege in which the other Party or member of such other Party’s Group has a shared privilege, without obtaining consent pursuant to Section 6.8(c) ; provided that the Parties intend such waiver of a shared privilege to be effective only as to the use of information with respect to the Action between the Parties and/or

 

54



 

the applicable members of their respective Groups, and is not intended to operate as a waiver of the shared privilege with respect to any Third Party.

 

(f)                                    Upon receipt by either Party, or by any member of its respective Group, of any subpoena, discovery or other request that may reasonably be expected to result in the production or disclosure of Privileged Information subject to a shared privilege or immunity or as to which another Party has the sole right hereunder to assert a privilege or immunity, or if either Party obtains knowledge that any of its, or any member of its respective Group’s, current or former directors, officers, agents or employees have received any subpoena, discovery or other requests that may reasonably be expected to result in the production or disclosure of such Privileged Information, such Party shall promptly notify the other Party of the existence of the request (which notice shall be delivered to such other Party no later than five (5) business days following the receipt of any such subpoena, discovery or other request) and shall provide the other Party a reasonable opportunity to review the Privileged Information and to assert any rights it or they may have under this Section 6.8 or otherwise, to prevent the production or disclosure of such Privileged Information.

 

(g)                                   Any furnishing of, or access or transfer of, any information pursuant to this Agreement is made in reliance on the agreement between Parent and SpinCo set forth in this Section 6.8 and in Section 6.9 to maintain the confidentiality of Privileged Information and to assert and maintain all applicable privileges and immunities.  The Parties agree that their respective rights to any access to information, witnesses and other Persons, the furnishing of notices and documents and other cooperative efforts between the Parties contemplated by this Agreement, and the transfer of Privileged Information between the Parties and members of their respective Groups as needed pursuant to this Agreement, shall not be deemed a waiver of any privilege that has been or may be asserted under this Agreement or otherwise.

 

(h)                                  In connection with any matter contemplated by Section 6.7 or this Section 6.8 , the Parties agree to, and to cause the applicable members of their Group to, use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain their respective separate and joint privileges and immunities, including by executing joint defense and/or common interest agreements where necessary or useful for this purpose.

 

6.9                                Confidentiality .

 

(a)                                  Confidentiality.  Subject to Section 6.10 , from and after the Effective Time until the three (3)-year anniversary of the Effective Time, each of Parent and SpinCo, on behalf of itself and each member of its respective Group, agrees to hold, and to cause its respective Representatives to hold, in strict confidence, with at least the same degree of care that applies to Parent’s confidential and proprietary information pursuant to policies in effect as of the Effective Time, all confidential and proprietary information concerning the other Party or any member of the other Party’s Group or their respective businesses that is either in its possession (including confidential and proprietary information in its possession prior to the date hereof) or furnished by any such other Party or any member of such Party’s Group or their respective Representatives at any time pursuant to this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or otherwise, and shall not use any such confidential and proprietary information other than for such purposes as shall be expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder, except, in each case, to the extent that such

 

55



 

confidential and proprietary i nformation has been (i) in the public domain or generally available to the public, other than as a result of a disclosure by such Party or any member of such Party’s Group or any of their respective Representatives in violation of this Agreement, (ii) later lawfully acquired from other sources by such Party (or any member of such Party’s Group), which sources are not themselves bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such confidential and proprietary information or (iii) independently developed or generated without reference to or use of any proprietary or confidential information of the other Party or any member of such Party’s Group.  If any confidential and proprietary information of one Party or any member of its Group is disclosed to the other Party or any member of such other Party’s Group in connection with providing services to such first Party or any member of such first Party’s Group under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, then such disclosed confidential and proprietary information shall be used only as required to perform such services.

 

(b)                                  No Release; Return or Destruction.  Each Party agrees not to release or disclose, or permit to be released or disclosed, any information addressed in Section 6.9(a)  to any other Person, except its Representatives who need to know such information in their capacities as such (who shall be advised of their obligations hereunder with respect to such information), and except in compliance with Section 6.10 .  Without limiting the foregoing, when any such information is no longer needed for the purposes contemplated by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, and is no longer subject to any legal hold or other document preservation obligation, each Party will promptly after request of the other Party either return to the other Party all such information in a tangible form (including all copies thereof and all notes, extracts or summaries based thereon) or notify the other Party in writing that it has destroyed such information (and such copies thereof and such notes, extracts or summaries based thereon); provided , that the Parties may retain electronic backup versions of such information maintained on routine computer system backup tapes, disks or other backup storage devices; provided further , that any such information so retained shall remain subject to the confidentiality provisions of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement.

 

(c)                                   Third-Party Information; Privacy or Data Protection Laws.  Each Party acknowledges that it and members of its Group may presently have and, following the Effective Time, may gain access to or possession of confidential or proprietary information of, or legally protected personal information relating to, Third Parties (i) that was received under privacy policies and/or confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements entered into between such Third Parties, on the one hand, and the other Party or members of such other Party’s Group, on the other hand, prior to the Effective Time; or (ii) that, as between the two (2) Parties, was originally collected by the other Party or members of such other Party’s Group and that may be subject to and protected by privacy policies, as well as privacy, data protection or other applicable Laws. Each Party agrees that it shall hold, protect and use, and shall cause the members of its Group and its and their respective Representatives to hold, protect and use, in strict confidence the confidential and proprietary information of, or legally protected personal information relating to, Third Parties in accordance with privacy policies and privacy, data protection or other applicable Laws and the terms of any agreements that were either entered into before the Effective Time or affirmative commitments or representations that were made before the Effective Time by, between or among the other Party or members of the other Party’s Group, on the one hand, and such Third Parties, on the other hand.

 

56



 

6.10                         Protective Arrangements .  In the event that a Party or any member of its Group either determines on the advice of its counsel that it is required to disclose any information pursuant to applicable Law or receives any request or demand under lawful process or from any Governmental Authority to disclose or provide information of the other Party (or any member of the other Party’s Group) that is subject to the confidentiality provisions hereof, such Party shall notify the other Party (to the extent legally permitted) as promptly as practicable under the circumstances prior to disclosing or providing such information and shall cooperate, at the expense of the other Party, in seeking any appropriate protective order requested by the other Party.  In the event that such other Party fails to receive such appropriate protective order in a timely manner and the Party receiving the request or demand reasonably determines that its failure to disclose or provide such information shall actually prejudice the Party receiving the request or demand, then the Party that received such request or demand may thereafter disclose or provide information to the extent required by such Law (as so advised by its counsel) or by lawful process or such Governmental Authority, and the disclosing Party shall promptly provide the other Party with a copy of the information so disclosed, in the same form and format so disclosed, together with a list of all Persons to whom such information was disclosed, in each case to the extent legally permitted.

 

ARTICLE VII
DISPUTE RESOLUTION

 

7.1                                Good Faith Officer Negotiation .  Subject to Section 7.5 , either Party seeking resolution of any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement (including regarding whether any Assets are SpinCo Assets, any Liabilities are SpinCo Liabilities or the validity, interpretation, breach or termination of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement) (a “ Dispute ”), shall provide written notice thereof to the other Party (the “ Officer Negotiation Request ”).  Within fifteen (15) days of the delivery of the Officer Negotiation Request, the Parties shall attempt to resolve the Dispute through good faith negotiation.  All such negotiations shall be conducted by executives who hold, at a minimum, the title of Vice President and who have authority to settle the Dispute.  All such negotiations shall be confidential and shall be treated as compromise and settlement negotiations for purposes of applicable rules of evidence.  If the Parties are unable for any reason to resolve any Dispute within thirty (30) days of receipt of the Officer Negotiation Request, and such thirty (30)-day period is not extended by mutual written consent of the Parties, the General Counsel of the Parties shall enter into good faith negotiations in accordance with Section 7.2 .

 

7.2                                General Counsel Negotiation .  If any Dispute is not resolved pursuant to Section 7.1 , the Party that delivered the Officer Negotiation Request shall provide written notice of such Dispute to the General Counsel of each Party (a “ General Counsel Negotiation Request ”).  As soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of a General Counsel Negotiation Request, the General Counsel of the Parties shall begin conducting good faith negotiations with respect to such Dispute.  All such negotiations shall be confidential and shall be treated as compromise and settlement negotiations for purposes of applicable rules of evidence.  If the General Counsel of the Parties are unable for any reason to resolve a Dispute within thirty (30) days of receipt of a General Counsel Negotiation Request, and such thirty (30)-day period is not extended by mutual written consent of the Parties, the Chief Executive Officers

 

57



 

of the Parties shall enter into good faith negotiations in accordance with in accordance with Section 7.3 .

 

7.3                                CEO Negotiation .  If any Dispute is not resolved pursuant to Section 7.1 , the Party that delivered the Officer Negotiation Request shall provide written notice of such Dispute to the Chief Executive Officer of each Party (a “ CEO Negotiation Request ”).  As soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of a CEO Negotiation Request, the Chief Executive Officers of the Parties shall begin conducting good faith negotiations with respect to such Dispute.  All such negotiations shall be confidential and shall be treated as compromise and settlement negotiations for purposes of applicable rules of evidence.  If the Chief Executive Officers of the Parties are unable for any reason to resolve a Dispute within thirty (30) days of receipt of a CEO Negotiation Request, and such thirty (30)-day period is not extended by mutual written consent of the Parties, the Dispute shall be submitted to arbitration in accordance with Section 7.4 .

 

7.4                                Arbitration .

 

(a)                                  In the event that a Dispute has not been resolved within thirty (30) days of the receipt of a CEO Negotiation Request in accordance with Section 7.3 , or within such longer period as the Parties may agree in writing, then such Dispute shall, upon the written request of a Party (the “ Arbitration Request ”) be submitted to be finally resolved by binding arbitration.  If the disputed claim or counterclaim exceeds $250,000, not including interest or attorneys’ fees, the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures (“ JAMS Comprehensive Rules ”) in effect at the time of the arbitration shall govern the arbitration, except as they may be modified herein or by mutual written agreement of the Parties.  If no disputed claim or counterclaim exceeds $250,000, not including interest or attorneys’ fees, the JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures (“ JAMS Streamlined Rules ”) in effect at the time of the arbitration shall govern the arbitration, except as they may be modified herein or by mutual written agreement of the Parties.  The arbitration shall be held in (i) New York City, New York or (ii) such other place as the Parties may mutually agree in writing.  Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties in writing, any Dispute to be decided pursuant to this Section 7.4 will be decided (x) before a sole arbitrator if the amount in dispute, inclusive of all claims and counterclaims, totals less than $250,000; or (y) by a panel of three (3) arbitrators if the amount in dispute, inclusive of all claims and counterclaims, totals $250,000 or more.

 

(b)                                  The panel of three (3) arbitrators will be chosen as follows:  (i) within fifteen (15) days from the date of the receipt of the Arbitration Request, each Party will name an arbitrator; and (ii) the two (2) Party-appointed arbitrators will thereafter, within thirty (30) days from the date on which the second (2nd) of the two (2) arbitrators was named, name a third (3rd), independent arbitrator who will act as chairperson of the arbitral tribunal.  In the event that either Party fails to name an arbitrator within fifteen (15) days from the date of receipt of the Arbitration Request, then upon written application by either Party, that arbitrator shall be appointed pursuant to the JAMS Comprehensive Rules.  In the event that the two (2) Party-appointed arbitrators fail to appoint the third (3rd), then the third (3rd) independent arbitrator will be appointed pursuant to the JAMS Comprehensive Rules.  If the arbitration will be before a sole independent arbitrator, then the sole independent arbitrator will be appointed by agreement of the Parties within fifteen (15) days of the date of receipt of the Arbitration Request.  If the

 

58



 

Parties cannot agree to a sole independent arbitrator during such fifteen (15) -day period, then upon written application by either party, the sole independent arbitrator will be appointed pursuant to the JAMS Streamlined Rules.

 

(c)                                   The arbitrator(s) will have the right to award, on an interim basis, or include in the final award, any relief that it deems proper in the circumstances, including money damages (with interest on unpaid amounts from the due date), injunctive relief (including specific performance) and attorneys’ fees and costs; provided that the arbitrator(s) will not award any relief not specifically requested by the Parties and, in any event, will not award any indirect, punitive, exemplary, remote, speculative or similar damages in excess of compensatory damages of the other arising in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby (other than any such Liability with respect to a Third-Party Claim).  Upon selection of the arbitrator(s) following any grant of interim relief by a special arbitrator or court pursuant to Section 7.5 , the arbitrator(s) may affirm or disaffirm that relief, and the Parties will seek modification or rescission of the order entered by the court as necessary to accord with the decision of the arbitrator(s).  The award of the arbitrator(s) shall be final and binding on the Parties, and may be enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction.  The initiation of arbitration pursuant to this Article VII will toll the applicable statute of limitations for the duration of any such proceedings.  Notwithstanding applicable state law, the arbitration and this agreement to arbitrate shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. § 1, et seq .

 

7.5                                Litigation and Unilateral Commencement of Arbitration .  Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article VII , (a) a Party may seek preliminary provisional or injunctive judicial relief with respect to a Dispute without first complying with the procedures set forth in Section 7.1 , Section 7.2 , Section 7.3 and Section 7.4 if such action is reasonably necessary to avoid irreparable damage and (b) either Party may initiate arbitration before the expiration of the periods specified in Section 7.1 , Section 7.2 , Section 7.3 and Section 7.4 if such Party has submitted an Officer Negotiation Request, a General Counsel Negotiation Request, a CEO Negotiation Request and/or an Arbitration Request and the other Party has failed to comply with Section 7.1 , Section 7.2 , Section 7.3 and/or Section 7.4 in good faith with respect to such negotiation and/or the commencement and engagement in arbitration.  In such event, the other Party may commence and prosecute such arbitration unilaterally in accordance with the provisions of JAMS Comprehensive Rules or the JAMS Streamlined Rules, as applicable.

 

7.6                                Conduct During Dispute Resolution Process .  Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the Parties shall, and shall cause the respective members of their Groups to, continue to honor all commitments under this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement to the extent required by such agreements during the course of dispute resolution pursuant to the provisions of this Article VII , unless such commitments are the specific subject of the Dispute at issue.

 

ARTICLE VIII
FURTHER ASSURANCES AND ADDITIONAL COVENANTS

 

8.1                                Further Assurances .

 

(a)                                  In addition to the actions specifically provided for elsewhere in this Agreement, each of the Parties shall use its reasonable best efforts, prior to, on and after the

 

59



 

Effective Time, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws, regulations and agreements to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements.

 

(b)                                  Without limiting the foregoing, prior to, on and after the Effective Time, each Party hereto shall cooperate with the other Party, and without any further consideration, but at the expense of the requesting Party, to execute and deliver, or use its reasonable best efforts to cause to be executed and delivered, all instruments, including instruments of conveyance, assignment and transfer, and to make all filings with, and to obtain all Approvals or Notifications of, any Governmental Authority or any other Person under any permit, license, agreement, indenture or other instrument (including any consents or Governmental Approvals), and to take all such other actions as such Party may reasonably be requested to take by the other Party from time to time, consistent with the terms of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, in order to effectuate the provisions and purposes of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements and the transfers of the SpinCo Assets and the Parent Assets and the assignment and assumption of the SpinCo Liabilities and the Parent Liabilities and the other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.  Without limiting the foregoing, each Party will, at the reasonable request, cost and expense of the other Party, take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to vest in such other Party good and marketable title to the Assets allocated to such Party under this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements, free and clear of any Security Interest, if and to the extent it is practicable to do so.

 

(c)                                   On or prior to the Effective Time, Parent and SpinCo in their respective capacities as direct and indirect stockholders of the members of their Groups, shall each ratify any actions that are reasonably necessary or desirable to be taken by Parent, SpinCo or any of the members of their respective Groups, as the case may be, to effectuate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements.

 

(d)                                  Parent and SpinCo, and each of the members of their respective Groups, waive (and agree not to assert against any of the others) any claim or demand that any of them may have against any of the others for any Liabilities or other claims relating to or arising out of:  (i) the failure of SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, or of Parent or any other member of the Parent Group, on the other hand, to provide any notification or disclosure required under any state Environmental Law in connection with the Separation or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the transfer by any member of any Group to any member of the other Group of ownership or operational control of any Assets not previously owned or operated by such transferee; or (ii) any inadequate, incorrect or incomplete notification or disclosure under any such state Environmental Law by the applicable transferor.  To the extent any Liability to any Governmental Authority or any Third Party arises out of any action or inaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above, the transferee of the applicable Asset hereby assumes and agrees to pay any such Liability.

 

60



 

ARTICLE IX
TERMINATION

 

9.1                                Termination .  This Agreement and all Ancillary Agreements may be terminated and the Distribution may be amended, modified or abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time by Parent, in its sole and absolute discretion, without the approval or consent of any other Person, including SpinCo.  After the Effective Time, this Agreement may not be terminated, except by an agreement in writing signed by a duly authorized officer of each of the Parties.

 

9.2                                Effect of Termination .  In the event of any termination of this Agreement prior to the Effective Time, no Party (nor any of its directors, officers or employees) shall have any Liability or further obligation to the other Party by reason of this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS

 

10.1                         Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power .

 

(a)                                  This Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties and delivered to the other Party.

 

(b)                                  This Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements and the Exhibits, Schedules and appendices hereto and thereto contain the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein.  This Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements together govern the arrangements in connection with the Separation and the Distribution and would not have been entered into independently.

 

(c)                                   Parent represents on behalf of itself and each other member of the Parent Group, and SpinCo represents on behalf of itself and each other member of the SpinCo Group, as follows:

 

(i)                                      each such Person has the requisite corporate or other power and authority and has taken all corporate or other action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement to which it is a party and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby; and

 

(ii)                                   this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement to which it is a party has been duly executed and delivered by it and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of it enforceable in accordance with the terms thereof.

 

(d)                                  Each Party acknowledges that it and each other Party is executing certain of the Ancillary Agreements by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by e-mail in portable document format (.pdf) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this

 

61



 

Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement .  Each Party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier, by facsimile or by e-mail in portable document format (.pdf)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it will not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such Party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person and agrees that, at the reasonable request of the other Party at any time, it will as promptly as reasonably practicable cause each such Ancillary Agreement to be manually executed (any such execution to be as of the date of the initial date thereof) and delivered in person, by mail or by courier.

 

10.2                         Governing Law .  This Agreement and, unless expressly provided therein, each Ancillary Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or thereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby or to the inducement of any party to enter herein and therein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware irrespective of the choice of laws principles of the State of Delaware, including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

 

10.3                         Assignability .  Except as set forth in any Ancillary Agreement, this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and the parties thereto, respectively, and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided , however , that neither Party nor any such party thereto may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party hereto or other parties thereto, as applicable.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements (except as may be otherwise provided in any such Ancillary Agreement) in whole ( i.e. , the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and all Ancillary Agreements at the same time) in connection with a change of control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant party thereto by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party.

 

10.4                         Third-Party Beneficiaries .  Except for the indemnification rights under this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement of any Parent Indemnitee or SpinCo Indemnitee in their respective capacities as such, (a) the provisions of this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties and are not intended to confer upon any Person except the Parties any rights or remedies hereunder, and (b) there are no third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement and neither this Agreement nor any Ancillary Agreement shall provide any Third Party with any remedy, claim, Liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement.

 

10.5                         Notices .  All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement and, to the extent applicable and unless otherwise provided therein, under each of the Ancillary Agreements, shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and except as provided herein, shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in

 

62



 

person, by overnight courier service, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by electronic mail (“ e-mail ”), so long as confirmation of receipt of such e-mail is requested and received, to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 10.5 ):

 

If to Parent, to:

 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.

150 Peabody Place
Memphis,
                     Tennessee  38103

Attention:                     Dion Persson

E-mail:                                    dion.persson@servicemaster.com

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice), to:

 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York  10019

Attention:                     Andrew Brownstein

S. Iliana Ongun

E-mail:                                    ARBrownstein@wlrk.com

SIOngun@wlrk.com

 

If to SpinCo (prior to the Effective Time), to:

 

frontdoor, inc.
150 Peabody Place
Memphis,
                     Tennessee  38103

Attention:                     General Counsel

E-mail:                                    Jeffrey.Fiarman@frontdoorhome.com
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice), to:

 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York,
                  New York  10019

Attention:                     Andrew Brownstein

S. Iliana Ongun

E-mail:                                    ARBrownstein@wlrk.com

SIOngun@wlrk.com

 

If to SpinCo (from and after the Effective Time), to:

 

frontdoor, inc.
150 Peabody Place
Memphis,
                     Tennessee  38103

Attention:                     General Counsel

E-mail:                                    Jeffrey.Fiarman@frontdoorhome.com

 

63



 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice), to:

 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York 10019
Attention:
                    Andrew Brownstein

S. Iliana Ongun

E-mail:                                    ARBrownstein@wlrk.com

SIOngun@wlrk.com

 

A Party may, by notice to the other Party, change the address to which such notices are to be given or made.

 

10.6                         Severability .  If any provision of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement or the application thereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof or thereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby.  Upon such determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon such a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the Parties.

 

10.7                         Force Majeure .  No Party shall be deemed in default of this Agreement or, unless otherwise expressly provided therein, any Ancillary Agreement for any delay or failure to fulfill any obligation (other than a payment obligation) hereunder or thereunder so long as and to the extent to which any delay or failure in the fulfillment of such obligation is prevented, frustrated, hindered or delayed as a consequence of circumstances of Force Majeure.  In the event of any such excused delay, the time for performance of such obligations (other than a payment obligation) shall be extended for a period equal to the time lost by reason of the delay.  A Party claiming the benefit of this provision shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the occurrence of any such event, (a) provide written notice to the other Party of the nature and extent of any such Force Majeure condition; and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to remove any such causes and resume performance under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, as applicable, as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

10.8                         No Set-Off .  Except as expressly set forth in any Ancillary Agreement or as otherwise mutually agreed to in writing by the Parties, neither Party nor any member of such Party’s group shall have any right of set-off or other similar rights with respect to (a) any amounts received pursuant to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement; or (b) any other amounts claimed to be owed to the other Party or any member of its Group arising out of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement.

 

10.9                         Expenses .  Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, or as otherwise agreed to in writing by the Parties, all fees, costs and expenses incurred on or prior to the Effective Time in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery and implementation of this Agreement, including the Separation and the

 

64



 

Distribution, and any Ancillary Agreement, the Separation, the registration statement, the Plan of Reorganization and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will be borne by the Party or its applicable Subsidiary incurring such fees, costs or expenses.  The Parties agree that certain specified costs and expenses shall be allocated between the Parties as set forth on Schedule 10.9 .

 

10.10                  Headings .  The article, section and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement and in the Ancillary Agreements are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement.

 

10.11                  Survival of Covenants .  Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, the covenants, representations and warranties contained in this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement, and Liability for the breach of any obligations contained herein, shall survive the Separation and the Distribution and shall remain in full force and effect.

 

10.12                  Waivers of Default .  Waiver by a Party of any default by the other Party of any provision of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver by the waiving Party of any subsequent or other default, nor shall it prejudice the rights of the other Party.  No failure or delay by a Party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof prejudice any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

 

10.13                  Specific Performance .  Subject to the provisions of Article VII , in the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, the Party or Parties who are, or are to be, thereby aggrieved shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief in respect of its or their rights under this Agreement or such Ancillary Agreement, in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative.  The Parties agree that the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach, including monetary damages, are inadequate compensation for any loss and that any defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate is waived.  Any requirements for the securing or posting of any bond with such remedy are waived by each of the Parties.

 

10.14                  Amendments .  No provisions of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification.

 

10.15                  Interpretation .  In this Agreement and in any Ancillary Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement) as a whole

 

65



 

(including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto and thereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement (or such Ancillary Agreement); (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement), unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement) shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes (including all Schedules, Exhibits and Appendixes) to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement) shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in the United States or Memphis, Tennessee; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; and (j) unless expressly stated to the contrary in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement, all references to “the date hereof,” “the date of this Agreement,” “hereby” and “hereupon” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 28, 2018.

 

10.16                  Limitations of Liability .  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, nor Parent or any member of the Parent Group, on the other hand, shall be liable under this Agreement to the other for any indirect, incidental, punitive, exemplary, remote, speculative or similar damages in excess of compensatory damages of the other arising in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby (other than any such Liability with respect to a Third-Party Claim).

 

10.17                  Performance .  Parent will cause to be performed, and hereby guarantees the performance of, all actions, agreements and obligations set forth in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement to be performed by any member of the Parent Group.  SpinCo will cause to be performed, and hereby guarantees the performance of, all actions, agreements and obligations set forth in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement to be performed by any member of the SpinCo Group.  Each Party (including its permitted successors and assigns) further agrees that it will (a) give timely notice of the terms, conditions and continuing obligations contained in this Agreement and any applicable Ancillary Agreement to all of the other members of its Group and (b) cause all of the other members of its Group not to take any action or fail to take any such action inconsistent with such Party’s obligations under this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

10.18                  Mutual Drafting .  This Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements shall be deemed to be the joint work product of the Parties and any rule of construction that a document shall be interpreted or construed against a drafter of such document shall not be applicable.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

66



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Separation and Distribution Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above.

 

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

Anthony D. Dilucente

 

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

Rexford J. Tibbens

 

Title:

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Separation and Distribution Agreement]

 


Exhibit 10.1

 

TRANSITION SERVICES AGREEMENT

 

BY AND BETWEEN

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

AND

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

2

 

 

 

Section 1.01.

Definitions

2

 

 

ARTICLE II SERVICES

6

 

 

Section 2.01.

Services

6

Section 2.02.

Performance of Services

7

Section 2.03.

Charges for Services

8

Section 2.04.

Reimbursement for Out-of-Pocket Costs and Expenses

9

Section 2.05.

Changes in the Performance of Services

9

Section 2.06.

Transitional Nature of Services

10

Section 2.07.

Subcontracting

10

Section 2.08.

Contract Manager

10

 

 

 

ARTICLE III BILLING; TAXES

10

 

 

 

Section 3.01.

Procedure

10

Section 3.02.

Late Payments

11

Section 3.03.

Taxes

11

Section 3.04.

No Set-Off

11

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV TERM AND TERMINATION

11

 

 

Section 4.01.

Term

11

Section 4.02.

Early Termination

12

Section 4.03.

Interdependencies

12

Section 4.04.

Effect of Termination

13

Section 4.05.

Information Transmission

13

 

 

 

ARTICLE V CONFIDENTIALITY; PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENTS

13

 

 

Section 5.01.

Parent and SpinCo Obligations

13

Section 5.02.

No Release; Return or Destruction

14

Section 5.03.

Privacy and Data Protection Laws

14

Section 5.04.

Protective Arrangements

14

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI LIMITED LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

15

 

 

Section 6.01.

Limitations on Liability

15

Section 6.02.

Obligation to Re-Perform; Liabilities

15

Section 6.03.

Third-Party Claims

16

Section 6.04.

Provider Indemnity

16

Section 6.05.

Indemnification Procedures

16

 

i



 

ARTICLE VII MISCELLANEOUS

16

 

 

Section 7.01.

Mutual Cooperation

16

Section 7.02.

Further Assurances

17

Section 7.03.

Audit Assistance

17

Section 7.04.

Title to Intellectual Property

17

Section 7.05.

Independent Contractors

17

Section 7.06.

Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power

17

Section 7.07.

Governing Law

18

Section 7.08.

Assignability

18

Section 7.09.

Third-Party Beneficiaries

19

Section 7.10.

Notices

19

Section 7.11.

Severability

20

Section 7.12.

Force Majeure

20

Section 7.13.

Headings

20

Section 7.14.

Survival of Covenants

20

Section 7.15.

Waivers of Default

20

Section 7.16.

Dispute Resolution

21

Section 7.17.

Specific Performance

21

Section 7.18.

Amendments

22

Section 7.19.

Precedence of Schedules

22

Section 7.20.

Interpretation

22

Section 7.21.

Mutual Drafting

22

 

ii



 

TRANSITION SERVICES AGREEMENT

 

This TRANSITION SERVICES AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of September 28, 2018, by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Parent ”), and frondoor, inc., a Delaware corporation (“ SpinCo ”).

 

R E C I T A L S :

 

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent (the “ Parent Board ”) has determined that it is in the best interests of Parent and its stockholders to create a new publicly traded company that shall operate the SpinCo Business;

 

WHEREAS, in furtherance of the foregoing, the Parent Board has determined that it is appropriate and desirable to separate the SpinCo Business from the Parent Business (the “ Separation ”) and, following the Separation, make a distribution, on a pro rata basis, to holders of Parent Shares on the Record Date of at least 80.1 percent (80.1%) of the outstanding SpinCo Shares owned by Parent (the “ Distribution ”);

 

WHEREAS, SpinCo has been incorporated solely for these purposes and has not engaged in activities, except in connection with the Separation and the Distribution;

 

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Separation and the Distribution, taken together, are intended to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code, and this Agreement is intended to be, and is hereby adopted as, a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-2(g);

 

WHEREAS, SpinCo and Parent have prepared, and SpinCo has filed with the SEC, the Form 10, which includes the Information Statement, and which sets forth disclosures concerning SpinCo, the Separation and the Distribution;

 

WHEREAS, in order to effectuate the Separation and the Distribution, Parent and SpinCo have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2018 (the “ Separation and Distribution Agreement ”);

 

WHEREAS, in order to facilitate and provide for an orderly transition in connection with the Separation and the Distribution, the Parties desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions pursuant to which each of the Parties shall provide Services to the other Party for a transitional period; and

 

WHEREAS, the Parties acknowledge that this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, and the other Ancillary Agreements represent the integrated agreement of Parent and SpinCo relating to the Separation and the Distribution, are being entered together, and would not have been entered independently.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the

 



 

receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01.                                       Definitions .  For purposes of this Agreement (including the Recitals hereof), the following terms have the following meanings, and capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Separation and Distribution Agreement:

 

Action ” means any demand, action, claim, dispute, suit, countersuit, arbitration, inquiry, subpoena, proceeding or investigation of any nature (whether criminal, civil, legislative, administrative, regulatory, prosecutorial or otherwise) by or before any federal, state, local, foreign or international Governmental Authority or any arbitration or mediation tribunal.

 

Additional Services ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(b) .

 

Affiliate ” has the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Ancillary Agreements ” has the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Charge ” and “ Charges ” have the meaning set forth in Section 2.03 .

 

Confidential Information ” means all Information that is either confidential or proprietary.

 

Contract Manager ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.08 .

 

Dispute ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.16(a) .

 

Distribution ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals .

 

Distribution Date ” means the date of the consummation of the Distribution, which shall be determined by the Parent Board in its sole and absolute discretion.

 

e-mail ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.10 .

 

Effective Time ” means 12:01 a.m., New York City time, on the Distribution Date.

 

Force Majeure ” means, with respect to a Party, an event beyond the reasonable control of such Party (or any Person acting on its behalf), which event (a) does not arise or result from the fault or negligence of such Party (or any Person acting on its behalf) and (b) by its nature would not reasonably have been foreseen by such Party (or such Person), or, if it would

 

2



 

reasonably have been foreseen, was unavoidable, and includes acts of God, acts of civil or military authority, embargoes, epidemics, war, riots, insurrections, fires, explosions, earthquakes, floods, unusually severe weather conditions, labor problems or unavailability of parts, or, in the case of computer systems, any significant and prolonged failure in electrical or air conditioning equipment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the receipt by a Party of an unsolicited takeover offer or other acquisition proposal, even if unforeseen or unavoidable, and such Party’s response thereto and (ii) the inability to obtain sufficient funds needed for the performance of a Party’s obligation hereunder, shall not be deemed an event of Force Majeure.

 

Governmental Authority ” means any nation or government, any state, municipality or other political subdivision thereof, and any entity, body, agency, commission, department, board, bureau, court, tribunal or other instrumentality, whether federal, state, local, domestic, foreign or multinational, exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory, administrative or other similar functions of, or pertaining to, government and any executive official thereof.

 

Information ” means information, whether or not patentable or copyrightable, in written, oral, electronic or other tangible or intangible forms, stored in any medium, including studies, reports, records, books, contracts, instruments, surveys, discoveries, ideas, concepts, know-how, techniques, designs, specifications, drawings, blueprints, diagrams, models, prototypes, samples, flow charts, data, computer data, disks, diskettes, tapes, computer programs or other software, marketing plans, customer names, communications by or to attorneys (including attorney-client privileged communications), memos and other materials prepared by attorneys or under their direction (including attorney work product), and other technical, financial, employee or business information or data.

 

Interest Payment ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.02 .

 

Law ” means any national, supranational, federal, state, provincial, local or similar law (including common law), statute, code, order, ordinance, rule, regulation, treaty (including any income tax treaty), license, permit, authorization, approval, consent, decree, injunction, binding judicial or administrative interpretation or other requirement, in each case, enacted, promulgated, issued or entered by a Governmental Authority.

 

Level of Service ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(c) .

 

Liabilities ” means all debts, guarantees, assurances, commitments, liabilities, responsibilities, Losses, remediation, deficiencies, damages, fines, penalties, settlements, sanctions, costs, expenses, interest and obligations of any nature or kind, whether accrued or fixed, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, accrued or not accrued, asserted or unasserted, liquidated or unliquidated, foreseen or unforeseen, known or unknown, reserved or unreserved, or determined or determinable, including those arising under any Law, claim (including any Third-Party Claim), demand, Action, or order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, stipulation, determination or award entered by or with any Governmental Authority or arbitration tribunal, and those arising under any contract, agreement, obligation, indenture, instrument, lease, promise, arrangement, release, warranty, commitment or undertaking, or any fines,

 

3



 

damages or equitable relief that is imposed, in each case, including all costs and expenses relating thereto.

 

Losses ” means actual losses (including any diminution in value), costs, damages, penalties and expenses (including legal and accounting fees and expenses and costs of investigation and litigation), whether or not involving a Third-Party Claim.

 

Parent ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble .

 

Parent Board ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals .

 

Parent Business ” has the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Parent Shares ” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of Parent.

 

Party ” or “ Parties ” means the parties to this Agreement.

 

Person ” means an individual, a general or limited partnership, a corporation, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization, a limited liability entity, any other entity and any Governmental Authority.

 

Provider ” means, with respect to any Service, the Party providing such Service.

 

Provider Indemnitees ” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.03 .

 

Recipient ” means, with respect to any Service, the Party receiving such Service.

 

Recipient Indemnitees ” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.04 .

 

Record Date ” means the close of business on the date to be determined by the Parent Board as the record date for determining holders of Parent Shares entitled to receive SpinCo Shares pursuant to the Distribution.

 

Representatives ” means, with respect to any Person, any of such Person’s directors, officers, employees, agents, consultants, advisors, accountants, attorneys or other representatives.

 

Separation ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Separation and Distribution Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Service Baseline Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(c) .

 

Service Period ” means, with respect to any Service, the period commencing on the Distribution Date and ending on the earliest to occur of (a) the date that a Party terminates the provision of such Service pursuant to Section 4.02 and (b) the date, if any, specified for

 

4



 

termination of such Service on the Schedules hereto or, if no such date is specified, December 31, 2019.

 

Services ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(a) .

 

SpinCo ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

SpinCo Business ” has the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

SpinCo Change of Control ” means the first of the following events, if any, to occur following the Distribution Date:

 

(i)                                      the acquisition by any person, entity or “group” (as defined in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of beneficial ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of SpinCo’s then-outstanding voting securities, other than any such acquisition by SpinCo, any of its Subsidiaries, any employee benefit plan of SpinCo or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Affiliates of any of the foregoing;

 

(ii)                                   the merger, consolidation or other similar transaction involving SpinCo, as a result of which persons who were stockholders of SpinCo immediately prior to such merger, consolidation, or other similar transaction do not, immediately thereafter, own, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power entitled to vote generally in the election of directors of the merged or consolidated company;

 

(iii)                                within any twenty-four (24)-month period, the persons who were directors of SpinCo at the beginning of such period shall cease to constitute at least a majority of the directors of SpinCo; or

 

(iv)                               the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of SpinCo and its Subsidiaries.

 

SpinCo Shares ” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of SpinCo.

 

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, joint venture or partnership of which such Person (a) beneficially owns, either directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of (i) the total combined voting power of all classes of voting securities, (ii) the total combined equity interests or (iii) the capital or profit interests, in the case of a partnership, or (b) otherwise has the power to vote, either directly or indirectly, sufficient securities to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar governing body.

 

Tax ” means any and all forms of taxation, whenever created or imposed by a Taxing Authority, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, shall include net income, alternative or add-on minimum, estimated, gross income, sales, use, ad valorem, gross receipts, value-added, franchise, profits, license, transfer, recording, withholding, payroll, employment,

 

5



 

excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profit, custom duty or other tax, governmental fee or other like assessment or charge of any kind whatsoever, together with any related interest, penalties or other additions to tax, or additional amounts imposed by any such Taxing Authority.

 

Taxing Authority ” means a national, foreign, municipal, state, federal or other Governmental Authority responsible for the administration of any Tax.

 

Termination Charges ” shall mean, with respect to the termination of any Service pursuant to Section 4.02(a)(i), the sum of (a) any and all costs, fees and expenses (other than any severance or retention costs) payable by the Provider of such Service to a Third Party principally because of the early termination of such Service; provided , however , that the Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize any costs, fees or expenses payable to any Third Party in connection with such early termination of such Service and credit any such reductions against the Termination Charges payable by Recipient; and (b) any additional severance and retention costs, if any, because of the early termination of such Service that the Provider of such terminated Service incurs to employees who had been retained primarily to provide such terminated Service (it being agreed that the costs set forth in this clause (b) shall only be the amount, if any, in excess of the severance and retention costs that such Provider would have paid to such employees if the Service had been provided for the full period during which such Service would have been provided hereunder but for such early termination).

 

Third Party ” means any Person other than the Parties or any of their respective Affiliates.

 

Third-Party Claim ” means any Action commenced by any Third Party against any Party or any of its Affiliates.

 

ARTICLE II
SERVICES

 

Section 2.01.                                       Services .

 

(a)                                  Commencing as of the Effective Time, Provider agrees to provide, or to cause one (1) or more of its Subsidiaries to provide, to Recipient, or any Subsidiary of Recipient, the applicable services (the “ Services ”) set forth on the Schedules hereto.

 

(b)                                  After the date of this Agreement, if (i) SpinCo identifies a service that Parent provided to SpinCo prior to the Distribution Date that SpinCo reasonably needs in order for the SpinCo Business to continue to operate in substantially the same manner in which the SpinCo Business operated prior to the Distribution Date, and such service was not included on the Schedules hereto (other than because the Parties agreed such service shall not be provided), or (ii) Parent identifies a service that SpinCo provided to Parent prior to the Distribution Date that Parent reasonably needs in order for the Parent Business to continue to operate in substantially the same manner in which the Parent Business operated prior to the Distribution Date, and such service was not included on the Schedules hereto (other than because the Parties agreed such service shall not be provided) then, in each case, if such Party provides written notice to the other Party within sixty (60) days after the Distribution Date requesting such

 

6



 

additional services, then the Party receiving such notice shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to provide such requested additional services (such requested additional services, the “ Additional Services ”); provided , however , that neither Party shall be obligated to provide any Additional Service if it does not, in its commercially reasonable judgment, have adequate resources to provide such Additional Service or if the provision of such Additional Service would significantly disrupt the operation of such Party’s or its Subsidiaries’ businesses; and provided , further , that a Party shall not be required to provide any Additional Services if the Parties, acting reasonably and in good faith, are unable to reach agreement on the terms thereof (including with respect to Service Charges therefor).  In connection with any request for Additional Services in accordance with this Section 2.01(b) , the Parties shall negotiate in good faith the terms of a supplement to the applicable Schedule, which terms shall be consistent with the terms of, and the pricing methodology used for, similar Services provided under this Agreement.  Upon the mutual written agreement of the Parties, the supplement to the applicable Schedule shall describe in reasonable detail the nature, scope, Service Period(s), termination provisions and other terms applicable to such Additional Services in a manner similar to that in which the Services are described in the existing Schedules.  Each supplement to the applicable Schedule, as agreed to in writing by the Parties, shall be deemed part of this Agreement as of the date of such agreement and the Additional Services set forth therein shall be deemed “Services” provided under this Agreement, in each case subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

Section 2.02.                                       Performance of Services .

 

(a)                                  Subject to Section 2.05 , Provider shall perform, or shall cause one or more of its Subsidiaries to perform (directly, through one (1) or more of its Subsidiaries, or through a Third Party service provider in accordance herewith), all Services to be provided in a manner that is substantially similar in all material respects to the analogous services provided by or on behalf of Provider or any of its Subsidiaries to its applicable functional group or Subsidiary prior to the Effective Time and that in any event, conforms in all material respects with the terms of the Schedules hereto.

 

(b)                                  Nothing in this Agreement shall require Provider to perform or cause to be performed any Service to the extent that the manner of such performance would constitute a violation of any applicable Law or any existing contract or agreement with a Third Party.  If Provider is or becomes aware of any such violation is reasonably likely, Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly advise Recipient of such potential violation, and Provider and Recipient will mutually seek an alternative that addresses such potential violation.  The Parties agree to cooperate in good faith and use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any necessary Third Party consents required under any existing contract or agreement with a Third Party to allow Provider to perform, or cause to be performed, all Services to be provided hereunder in accordance with the standards set forth in this Section 2.02 .  Recipient shall reimburse Provider for all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (if any) incurred by Provider or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with obtaining any such Third Party consent that is required to allow Provider to perform or cause to be performed such Services.  If, with respect to a Service, the Parties, despite the use of such commercially reasonable efforts, are unable to obtain a required Third Party consent, or the performance of such Service by Provider

 

7



 

would constitute a violation of any applicable Law, Provider shall have no obligation whatsoever to perform or cause to be performed such Service.

 

(c)                                   Unless otherwise provided with respect to a specific Service on the Schedules hereto, Provider shall not be obligated to perform or cause to be performed any Service in a manner that is more burdensome (with respect to service quality or quantity) than analogous services provided by Provider or its applicable functional group or Subsidiary (collectively referred to as the “ Level of Service ”) during the one (1)-year period ending on the last day of Provider’s last fiscal quarter completed on or prior to the date of the Distribution (the “ Service Baseline Period ”).  If Recipient requests that Provider perform or cause to be performed any Service that exceeds the Level of Service during the Service Baseline Period, then the Parties shall cooperate and negotiate in good faith to determine whether Provider will be required to provide such requested increased Level of Service.  If the Parties determine that Provider shall provide the requested increased Level of Service, then such increased Level of Service shall be documented in a written agreement signed by the Parties.  Each amended section of the Schedules hereto, as agreed in writing by the Parties, shall be deemed part of this Agreement as of the date of such written agreement, and the Level of Service increases set forth in such written agreement shall be deemed a part of the “Services” provided under this Agreement, in each case subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

(d)                                  (i) Neither Provider nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be required to perform or cause to be performed any of the Services for the benefit of any Third Party or any other Person other than Recipient and its Subsidiaries, and (ii) EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION 2.02 OR SECTION 6.04 , RECIPIENT ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ALL SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS-IS” BASIS, THAT RECIPIENT ASSUMES ALL RISK AND LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO ITS USE OF AND RELIANCE UPON THE SERVICES, AND THAT PROVIDER MAKES NO OTHER REPRESENTATIONS OR GRANTS ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, EITHER IN FACT OR BY OPERATION OF LAW, BY STATUTE OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICES.  PROVIDER SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, OR EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE OR PURPOSE OR THE NON-INFRINGEMENT OF ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES.

 

(e)                                   Each Party shall be responsible for its own compliance with any and all Laws applicable to its performance under this Agreement.  No Party shall knowingly take any action in violation of any such applicable Law that results in Liability being imposed on the other Party.

 

Section 2.03.                                           Charges for Services .  Unless otherwise provided with respect to a specific Service on the Schedules hereto, Recipient shall pay Provider a fee (either one (1)-time or recurring) for such Services (or category of Services, as applicable) (each fee, a “ Charge ” and, collectively, “ Charges ”), which Charges shall be set forth on the applicable Schedules hereto, or if not so set forth, then, unless otherwise provided with respect to a specific Service on the Schedule hereto, based upon the cost of providing such Services as shall be

 

8



 

agreed by the Parties from time to time.  During the term of this Agreement, the amount of a Charge for any Service may be modified to the extent of (a) any adjustments mutually agreed by the Parties, (b) any adjustments due to a change in Level of Service requested by Recipient and agreed by Provider, and (c) any adjustment in the rates or charges imposed by any Third-Party provider that is providing Services; provided that Provider will notify Recipient in writing of any such change in rates at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such rate change.  Together with any invoice for Charges, Provider shall provide Recipient with reasonable documentation, including any additional documentation reasonably requested by Recipient to the extent that such documentation is in Provider’s or its Subsidiaries’ possession or control, to support the calculation of such Charges.

 

Section 2.04.                                       Reimbursement for Out-of-Pocket Costs and Expenses .  In addition to any increase to a Charge contemplated by Section 2.02(c)  and Section 2.03 , Recipient shall reimburse Provider for reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by Provider or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with providing the Services (including reasonable travel-related expenses) to the extent that such costs and expenses are not reflected in the Charges for such Services; provided , however , that any such cost or expense in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) individually, or ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in the aggregate, that is not consistent with historical practice between the Parties for any individual Service (including business travel and related expenses) shall require advance written approval of Recipient; provided , further , that if Recipient does not provide such advance written approval and the incurrence of such cost or expense is reasonably necessary for Provider to provide such Service in accordance with the standards set forth in this Agreement, Provider shall not be required to perform such Service.  Any authorized travel-related expenses incurred in performing the Services shall be charged to Recipient in accordance with Provider’s then-applicable business travel policies.

 

Section 2.05.                                       Changes in the Performance of Services .

 

(a)                                  Subject to the performance standards for Services set forth in Section 2.02(a) , 2.02(b)  and 2.02(c) , Provider may make changes from time to time in the manner of performing the Services if Provider is making similar changes in performing analogous services for itself and if Provider furnishes to Recipient reasonable prior written notice (in content and timing) of such changes; provided , that if such change shall materially adversely affect the timeliness or quality of, or the Charges for, the applicable Service, the Parties shall cooperate in good faith to agree on modifications to such Services as are commercially reasonable in consideration of the circumstances.

 

(b)                                  Subject to the limitations on Additional Services set forth in Section 2.02(b) , Recipient may request a change to a Service by submitting a request in writing to Provider describing the proposed change in reasonable detail.  Provider shall respond to the request as soon as reasonably practicable, and the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to agree to such request, unless the change requested would adversely impact the cost, liability, or risk associated with providing or receiving the applicable Service, or cause any other disruption or adverse impact on the business or operations of Recipient or its Affiliates.  Each agreed upon change shall be documented by an amendment in writing to the applicable Schedule.

 

9



 

Section 2.06.                                       Transitional Nature of Services .  The Parties acknowledge the transitional nature of the Services and agree to cooperate in good faith and to use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid a disruption in the transition of the Services from Provider to Recipient (or its designee).  Recipient agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to reduce or eliminate its and its Affiliates’ dependency on each Service to the extent and as soon as is reasonably practicable.

 

Section 2.07.                                       Subcontracting .  Provider may hire or engage one (1) or more Third Parties to perform any or all of its obligations under this Agreement; provided , however , that (a) Provider shall use the same degree of care (but at least reasonable care) in selecting each such Third Party as it would if such Third Party was being retained to provide similar services to Provider and (b) Provider shall in all cases remain responsible (as primary obligor) for all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect to the scope of the Services, the performance standard for Services set forth in Section 2.02(a) , 2.02(b)  and 2.02(c)  and the content of the Services provided to Recipient.  Provider shall be liable for any breach of its obligations under this Agreement by any Third-Party service provider engaged by Provider.  Subject to the confidentiality provisions set forth in Article V , Provider shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, provide, upon fifteen (15) business days’ prior written notice, any Information within Provider’s or its Affiliates’ control that Recipient reasonably requests in connection with any Services being provided to Recipient by a Third Party, including any applicable invoices, agreements documenting the arrangements between such Third Party and Provider and other supporting documentation; provided , further , that Recipient may make no more than one (1) such request per Third Party during any calendar quarter.

 

Section 2.08.                                       Contract Manager .  Each Party shall appoint an individual to act as its primary point of operational contact for the administration and operation of this Agreement (each, a “ Contract Manager ”) who shall have overall responsibility for coordinating all activities undertaken by such Party hereunder, for acting as a day-to-day contact with the other Party, and for making available to the other Party the data, facilities, resources and other support services required for the performance of the services in accordance with the terms of this Agreement; provided that for each Service, the Contract Manager shall be permitted to delegate the foregoing responsibilities for such Service to an individual identified on the Schedules, and such representative shall be deemed to be the Contract Manager with respect to such Service.  The initial Contract Managers for the Parties are set forth on the applicable Transition Services Schedules.  The Parties may change their respective Contract Managers from time to time upon notice to the other Party in accordance herewith.

 

ARTICLE III
BILLING; TAXES

 

Section 3.01.                                       Procedure .  Recipient shall pay, or cause to be paid to, Provider the fees for the Services as set forth on the Schedules, and, without duplication, all other costs incurred by Provider as set forth in this Agreement.  Amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement shall be paid by wire transfer or Automated Clearing House payment (or such other method of payment as may be agreed between the Parties from time to time) to Provider (as directed by Provider), which amounts shall be due (a) in the case of recurring fees, on a monthly basis on or prior to the first (1st) day of the calendar month for which the applicable

 

10



 

Service is to be provided, and (b) in the case of all other amounts, within thirty (30) days of Recipient’s receipt of each invoice for Charges, including reasonable documentation pursuant to Section 2.03 .  All amounts due and payable hereunder shall be paid in U.S. dollars.  In the event of any billing dispute, Recipient shall promptly pay any undisputed amount.  For ease of administration, Parent may pay certain of SpinCo’s costs hereunder from time to time and shall invoice SpinCo for such costs.  SpinCo shall pay, or cause to be paid, Parent in accordance with this Section 3.01 .

 

Section 3.02.                                       Late Payments .  Charges not paid when due (including any undisputed amounts) pursuant to this Agreement (and any amounts billed or otherwise invoiced or demanded and properly payable that are not paid within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of such bill, invoice or other demand) shall accrue interest at a rate per annum equal to the Prime Rate plus two percent (2%) (the “ Interest Payment ”).

 

Section 3.03.                                       Taxes .  Without limiting any provisions of this Agreement, Recipient shall bear any and all Taxes and other similar charges (and any related interest and penalties) imposed on, or payable with respect to, any fees or charges, including any Charges, payable by it pursuant to this Agreement, including all sales, use, value-added, and similar Taxes, but excluding any Taxes on Provider’s income.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the previous sentence or elsewhere in this Agreement, Recipient shall be entitled to withhold from any payments to Provider any such Taxes that Recipient is required by applicable Law to withhold and shall pay such Taxes to the applicable Taxing Authority.

 

Section 3.04.                                       No Set-Off .  Except as mutually agreed in writing by the Parties, no Party nor any of its Affiliates shall have any right of set-off or other similar rights with respect to (a) any amounts received pursuant to this Agreement or (b) any other amounts claimed to be owed to the other Party or any of its Subsidiaries arising out of this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE IV
TERM AND TERMINATION

 

Section 4.01.                                       Term .  This Agreement shall commence at the Effective Time and shall terminate upon the earliest to occur of (a) the close of business on the last day of the last Service Period with respect to any Service either Party is obligated to provide to the other Party in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Schedules hereto and (b) the mutual written agreement of the Parties to terminate this Agreement in its entirety.  Unless otherwise terminated pursuant to Section 4.02 , this Agreement shall terminate with respect to each Service as of the close of business on the last day of the Service Period for such Service.  The Parties may, by written consent executed at least ten (10) days prior to the last day of the Service Period for any individual Service, extend the Service Period for such Service on a month-to-month basis for a period not to exceed the two (2)-year anniversary of the Distribution Date.  To the extent that Provider’s ability to provide a Service is dependent on the continuation of a specified Service, Provider’s obligation to provide such dependent Service shall terminate automatically with the termination of such supporting Service.

 

11



 

Section 4.02.                                       Early Termination .

 

(a)                                  Without prejudice to Recipient’s rights with respect to Force Majeure, Recipient may from time to time terminate this Agreement with respect to the entirety of any Service (but not any portion thereof) (i) for any reason or no reason, upon the giving of at least sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to Provider; provided , however , that such termination (x) may only be effective as of the last day of a calendar month and (y) shall be subject to the obligation to pay any applicable Termination Charges pursuant to Section 4.04 , or (ii) if Provider has failed to perform any of its material obligations under this Agreement with respect to such Service, and such failure shall continue to be uncured by Provider for a period of at least thirty (30) days after receipt by Provider of written notice of such failure from Recipient; provided , however , that (i) such termination may only be effective as of the last day of a month and (ii) Recipient shall not be entitled to terminate this Agreement with respect to the applicable Service if, as of the end of such period, there remains a good-faith Dispute between the Parties (undertaken in accordance with the terms of Section 7.16 ) as to whether Provider has cured the applicable breach.

 

(b)                                  Provider may terminate this Agreement with respect to the entirety of any Service (but not any portion thereof) at any time upon prior written notice to Recipient, if Recipient has failed to perform any of its material obligations under this Agreement with respect to such Service, including making payment of Charges for such Service when due, and such failure shall continue to be uncured by Recipient for a period of at least thirty (30) days after receipt by Recipient of a written notice of such failure from Provider; provided , however , that (x) such termination may only be effective as of the last day of a calendar month and (y) Provider shall not be entitled to terminate this Agreement with respect to the applicable Service if, as of the end of such period, there remains a good-faith Dispute between the Parties (undertaken in accordance with the terms of Section 7.16 ) as to whether Recipient has cured the applicable breach.

 

(c)                                   Parent may terminate this Agreement with respect to all Services if there is a SpinCo Change of Control.

 

(d)                                  The Schedules hereto shall be updated to reflect any terminated Service.

 

Section 4.03.                                       Interdependencies .  The Parties acknowledge and agree that (a) there may be interdependencies among the Services being provided under this Agreement; (b) upon the request of either Party, the Parties shall cooperate and act in good faith to determine whether (i) any such interdependencies exist with respect to the particular Service that Recipient is seeking to terminate pursuant to Section 4.02 , and (ii) in the case of such termination, Provider’s ability to provide a particular Service in accordance with this Agreement would be materially and adversely affected by such termination of another Service; and (c) in the event that the Parties have determined that such interdependencies exist and such termination would materially and adversely affect Provider’s ability to provide a particular Service in accordance with this Agreement, the Parties shall (i) negotiate in good faith to amend the Schedules hereto with respect to such impacted Service prior to such termination, which amendment shall be consistent with the terms of comparable Services, and (ii) if after such negotiation, the Parties are unable to agree on such amendment, Provider’s obligation to provide such Service shall terminate automatically with such termination.

 

12



 

Section 4.04.                                       Effect of Termination .  Upon the termination of any Service pursuant to this Agreement, Provider shall have no further obligation to provide the terminated Service, and Recipient shall have no obligation to pay any future Charges relating to such Service; provided , however , that Recipient shall remain obligated to Provider for (a) the Charges owed and payable in respect of Services provided prior to the effective date of termination for such Service and (b) any applicable Termination Charges (which, in the case of each of clauses (a) and (b), shall be payable only in the event that Recipient terminates any Service pursuant to Section 4.02(a)(i) ).  In connection with the termination of any Service, the provisions of this Agreement not relating solely to such terminated Service shall survive any such termination, and in connection with a termination of this Agreement, Article I , this Article IV , Article VI and Article VII , all confidentiality obligations under this Agreement and Liability for all due and unpaid Charges and Termination Charges shall continue to survive indefinitely.

 

Section 4.05.                                       Information Transmission .  Provider, on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide or make available, or cause to be provided or made available, to Recipient, in accordance with Section 6.1 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, any Information received or computed by Provider for the benefit of Recipient concerning the relevant Service during the Service Period; provided , however , that, except as otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties, (a) Provider shall not have any obligation to provide, or cause to be provided, Information in any nonstandard format, (b) Provider and its Subsidiaries shall be reimbursed for their reasonable costs in accordance with Section 6.3 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement for creating, gathering, copying, transporting and otherwise providing such Information and (c) Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain any such Information in accordance with Section 6.4 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

ARTICLE V
CONFIDENTIALITY; PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENTS

 

Section 5.01.                                       Parent and SpinCo Obligations .  Subject to Section 5.04 , until the three (3)-year anniversary of the date of the termination of this Agreement in its entirety, each of Parent and SpinCo, on behalf of itself and each of its Subsidiaries, agrees to hold, and to cause its respective Representatives to hold, in strict confidence, with at least the same degree of care that applies to Parent’s Confidential Information pursuant to policies in effect as of the Effective Time, all Confidential Information concerning the other Party or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses that is either in its possession (including Confidential Information in its possession prior to the date hereof) or furnished by such other Party or such other Party’s Subsidiaries or their respective Representatives at any time pursuant to this Agreement, and shall not use any such Confidential Information other than for such purposes as may be expressly permitted hereunder, except , in each case, to the extent that such Confidential Information (a) is in the public domain or is generally available to the public, other than as a result of a disclosure by such Party or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective Representatives in violation of this Agreement; (b) is lawfully acquired from other sources by such Party or any of its Subsidiaries, which sources are not themselves known by such Party or any of its Subsidiaries to be bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such Confidential Information; or (c) is independently developed or generated without reference to or use of the Confidential

 

13



 

Information of the other Party or any of its Subsidiaries.  If any Confidential Information of a Party or any of its Subsidiaries is disclosed to the other Party or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with providing the Services, then such disclosed Confidential Information shall be used only as required to perform such Services.

 

Section 5.02.                                       No Release; Return or Destruction .  Each Party agrees (a) not to release or disclose, or permit to be released or disclosed, any Confidential Information of the other Party pursuant to Section 5.01 to any other Person, except its Representatives who need to know such Confidential Information in their capacities as such (who shall be advised of their obligations hereunder with respect to such Confidential Information) and except in compliance with Section 5.04 , and (b) to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain such Confidential Information in accordance with Section 6.4 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.  Without limiting the foregoing, when any such Confidential Information is no longer needed for the purposes contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreements, each Party will promptly after request of the other Party either return to the other Party all such Confidential Information in a tangible form (including all copies thereof and all notes, extracts or summaries based thereon) or notify the other Party in writing that it has destroyed such information (and such copies thereof and such notes, extracts or summaries based thereon); provided that the Parties may retain electronic back-up versions of such Confidential Information maintained on routine computer system back-up tapes, disks or other back-up storage devices; and provided , further , that any such retained back-up information shall remain subject to the confidentiality provisions of this Agreement.

 

Section 5.03.                                       Privacy and Data Protection Laws .  Each Party shall comply with all applicable state, federal and foreign privacy and data protection Laws that are or that may in the future be applicable to the provision of the Services under this Agreement.

 

Section 5.04.                                       Protective Arrangements .  In the event that a Party or any of its Subsidiaries either determines on the advice of its counsel that it is required to disclose any information pursuant to applicable Law or receives any request or demand under lawful process or from any Governmental Authority to disclose or provide information of the other Party (or any of its Subsidiaries) that is subject to the confidentiality provisions hereof, such Party shall notify the other Party (to the extent legally permitted) as promptly as practicable under the circumstances prior to disclosing or providing such information and shall cooperate, at the expense of the other Party, in seeking any appropriate protective order requested by the other Party.  In the event that such other Party fails to receive such appropriate protective order in a timely manner and the Party receiving the request or demand reasonably determines that its failure to disclose or provide such information shall actually prejudice the Party receiving the request or demand, then the Party that received such request or demand may thereafter disclose or provide information to the extent required by such Law (as so advised by its counsel) or by lawful process or such Governmental Authority, and the disclosing Party shall promptly provide the other Party with a copy of the information so disclosed, in the same form and format so disclosed, together with a list of all Persons to whom such information was disclosed, in each case to the extent legally permitted.

 

14



 

ARTICLE VI
LIMITED LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

 

Section 6.01.                                       Limitations on Liability .

 

(a)                                  SUBJECT TO SECTION 6.02 , THE LIABILITIES OF PROVIDER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES, COLLECTIVELY, UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY ACT OR FAILURE TO ACT IN CONNECTION HEREWITH (INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OR BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT), OR FROM THE SALE, DELIVERY, PROVISION OR USE OF ANY SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER OR CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE AND STRICT LIABILITY) OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED 25% OF THE AGGREGATE CHARGES PAID AND PAYABLE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT TO SUCH PROVIDER IN RESPECT OF SUCH SERVICE; PROVIDED THAT, NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE TOTAL LIABILITIES OF PROVIDER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES, COLLECTIVELY, UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY ACT OR FAILURE TO ACT IN CONNECTION HEREWITH (INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OR BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT), OR FROM THE SALE, DELIVERY, PROVISION OR USE OF ANY SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER OR CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE AND STRICT LIABILITY) OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF FEES (EXCLUDING ANY FEES CHARGED BY PROVIDER FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THIRD PARTY FEES) PAID OR PAYABLE BY THE RECIPIENT OVER THE PREVIOUS TWELVE MONTHS OR SINCE THE DATE OF THIS AGREEMENT (IF PRIOR TO THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THIS AGREEMENT) WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICES GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY.

 

(b)                                  IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY, ITS SUBSIDIARIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, REMOTE, SPECULATIVE OR SIMILAR DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF COMPENSATORY DAMAGES OF THE OTHER PARTY IN CONNECTION WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT (OTHER THAN ANY SUCH LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO A THIRD-PARTY CLAIM), AND EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES ON BEHALF OF ITSELF, ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES ANY CLAIM FOR SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER ARISING IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE.

 

(c)                                   The limitations in Section 6.01(a)  and Section 6.01(b)  shall not apply in respect of any Liability arising out of or in connection with (i) either Party’s Liability for breaches of confidentiality under Article V , (ii) the Parties’ respective obligations under Section 6.03 or 6.04 or (iii) the willful misconduct or fraud of or by the Party to be charged.

 

Section 6.02.                                       Obligation to Re-Perform; Liabilities .  In the event of any breach of this Agreement by Provider with respect to the provision of any Services (with respect to which Provider can reasonably be expected to re-perform in a commercially reasonable manner), Provider shall, at the request of Recipient, promptly correct in all material respects such

 

15



 

error, defect or breach or re-perform in all material respects such Services at the sole cost and expense of Provider.  The remedy set forth in this Section 6.02 shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of Recipient for any such breach of this Agreement; provided , however , that the foregoing shall not prohibit Recipient from exercising its right to terminate this Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.02(a)  or to seek specific performance in accordance with Section 7.17 .  Any request for re-performance in accordance with this Section 6.02 by Recipient must be in writing and specify in reasonable detail the particular error, defect or breach, and such request must be made no more than one month from the later of (a) the date on which such breach occurred and (b) the date on which such breach was reasonably discovered by Recipient.

 

Section 6.03.                                       Third-Party Claims .  In addition to (but not in duplication of) its other indemnification obligations (if any) under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement, Recipient shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Provider, its Subsidiaries and each of their respective Representatives, and each of the successors and assigns of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “ Provider Indemnitees ”), from and against any and all claims of Third Parties relating to, arising out of or resulting from Recipient’s use or receipt of the Services provided by Provider hereunder, other than Third-Party Claims arising out of the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of any Provider Indemnitee.

 

Section 6.04.                                       Provider Indemnity .  In addition to (but not in duplication of) its other indemnification obligations (if any) under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement, Provider shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Recipient, its Subsidiaries and each of their respective Representatives, and each of the successors and assigns of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “ Recipient Indemnitees ”), from and against any and all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from the sale, delivery or provision of any Services provided by Provider hereunder, but only to the extent that such Liability relates to, arises out of or results from Provider’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud.

 

Section 6.05.                                       Indemnification Procedures .  The procedures for indemnification set forth in Sections 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall govern claims for indemnification under this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE VII
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 7.01.                                       Mutual Cooperation .  Each Party shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, cooperate with the other Party and its Subsidiaries in connection with the performance of the Services hereunder; provided , however , that such cooperation shall not unreasonably disrupt the normal operations of such Party or its Subsidiaries; and, provided , further , that this Section 7.01 shall not require such Party to incur any out-of-pocket costs or expenses, unless and except as expressly provided in this Agreement or otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties.

 

16



 

Section 7.02.                                       Further Assurances .  Subject to the terms of this Agreement, each Party shall take, or cause to be taken, any and all reasonable actions, including the execution, acknowledgment, filing and delivery of any and all documents and instruments that any other Party may reasonably request in order to effect the intent and purpose of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

Section 7.03.                                       Audit Assistance .  Each of the Parties and their respective Subsidiaries are or may be subject to regulation and audit by a Governmental Authority (including a Taxing Authority), standards organizations, customers or other parties to contracts with such Parties or their respective Subsidiaries under applicable Law, standards or contract provisions.  If a Governmental Authority, standards organization, customer or other party to a contract with a Party or its Subsidiary exercises its right to examine or audit such Party’s or its Subsidiary’s books, records, documents or accounting practices and procedures pursuant to such applicable Law, standards or contract provisions, and such examination or audit relates to the Services, then the other Party shall provide, at the sole cost and expense of the requesting Party, all assistance reasonably requested by the Party that is subject to the examination or audit in responding to such examination or audits or requests for Information, to the extent that such assistance or Information is within the reasonable control of the cooperating Party and is related to the Services.

 

Section 7.04.                                       Title to Intellectual Property .  Except as expressly provided for under the terms of this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Recipient acknowledges that it shall acquire no right, title or interest (including any license rights or rights of use) in any intellectual property that is owned or licensed by Provider, by reason of the provision of the Services hereunder.  Recipient shall not remove or alter any copyright, trademark, confidentiality or other proprietary notices that appear on any intellectual property owned or licensed by Provider, and Recipient shall reproduce any such notices on any and all copies thereof.  Recipient shall not attempt to decompile, translate, reverse engineer or make excessive copies of any intellectual property owned or licensed by Provider, and Recipient shall promptly notify Provider of any such attempt, regardless of whether by Recipient or any Third Party, of which Recipient becomes aware.

 

Section 7.05.                                       Independent Contractors .  The Parties each acknowledge and agree that they are separate entities, each of which has entered into this Agreement for independent business reasons.  The relationships of the Parties hereunder are those of independent contractors and nothing contained herein shall be deemed to create a joint venture, partnership or any other relationship between the Parties.  Employees performing Services hereunder do so on behalf of, under the direction of, and as employees of, Provider, and Recipient shall have no right, power or authority to direct such employees, unless otherwise specified with respect to a particular Service on the Schedules hereto.

 

Section 7.06.                                       Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power .

 

(a)                                  This Agreement may be executed in one (1) or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one (1) and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one (1) or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties and delivered to the other Party.

 

17



 

(b)                                  This Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and the other Ancillary Agreements and the Exhibits, Schedules and appendices hereto and thereto contain the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein.  This Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, and the other Ancillary Agreements govern the arrangements in connection with the Separation and the Distribution and would not have been entered independently.

 

(c)                                   Parent represents on behalf of itself and, to the extent applicable, each of its Subsidiaries, and SpinCo represents on behalf of itself and, to the extent applicable, each of its Subsidiaries, as follows:

 

(i)                                      each such Person has the requisite corporate or other power and authority and has taken all corporate or other action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and

 

(ii)                                   this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of it and is enforceable in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

(d)                                  Each Party acknowledges and agrees that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by e-mail in portable document format (PDF) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this Agreement.  Each Party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier, by facsimile or by e-mail in portable document format (PDF)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it will not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such Party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person and agrees that, at the reasonable request of the other Party at any time, it will as promptly as reasonably practicable cause this Agreement to be manually executed (any such execution to be as of the date of the initial date thereof) and delivered in person, by mail or by courier.

 

Section 7.07.                                       Governing Law .  This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby or to the inducement of any Party to enter herein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, irrespective of the choice of Laws principles of the State of Delaware, including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

 

Section 7.08.                                       Assignability .  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided , however , that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement

 

18



 

without the express prior written consent of the other Party.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement and the other Ancillary Agreements in whole ( i.e. , the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement and all of the other Ancillary Agreements all at the same time) in connection with a merger, consolidation or other business combination of a Party with or into any other Person or a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of a Party to another Person, in each case so long as the resulting, surviving or acquiring Person assumes all of the obligations of the relevant Party by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party.

 

Section 7.09.                                       Third-Party Beneficiaries .  Except as provided in Article VI with respect to the Provider Indemnitees and the Recipient Indemnitees in their respective capacities as such, (a) the provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties and are not intended to confer upon any other Person except the Parties any rights or remedies hereunder; and (b) there are no other third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement and this Agreement shall not provide any other Third Party with any remedy, claim, Liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement.

 

Section 7.10.                                       Notices .  All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and except as provided herein shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by certified mail, return receipt requested, by facsimile, or by electronic mail (“ e-mail ”), so long as confirmation of receipt of such e-mail is requested and received, to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 7.10 ):

 

If to Parent, to:

 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.

150 Peabody Place
Memphis, Tennessee  38103
Attention:
                    Dion Persson

E-mail:                                    dion.persson@servicemaster.com

 

If to SpinCo, to:

 

frontdoor, inc.
150 Peabody Place
Memphis, Tennessee  38103
Attention:
                    General Counsel

E-mail:                                    Jeffrey.Fiarman@frontdoorhome.com

 

Any Party may, by notice to the other Party, change the address to which such notices are to be given.

 

19



 

Section 7.11.                                       Severability .  If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby.  Upon such determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon such a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the Parties.

 

Section 7.12.                                       Force Majeure .  No Party shall be deemed in default of this Agreement for any delay or failure to fulfill any obligation hereunder so long as and to the extent to which any delay or failure in the fulfillment of such obligations is prevented, frustrated, hindered or delayed as a consequence of circumstances of Force Majeure.  Without limiting the termination rights contained in this Agreement, in the event of any such excused delay, the time for performance shall be extended for a period equal to the time lost by reason of the delay.  A Party claiming the benefit of this provision shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the occurrence of any such Force Majeure, (a) provide written notice to the other Party of the nature and extent of such Force Majeure; and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to remove any such causes and resume performance under this Agreement as soon as reasonably practicable (and in no event later than the date that the affected Party resumes analogous performance under any other agreement for itself, its Affiliates or any Third Party), unless this Agreement has previously been terminated under Article IV or this Section 7.12 .  Recipient shall be (i) relieved of the obligation to pay Charges for the affected Service(s) throughout the duration of such Force Majeure and (ii) entitled to permanently terminate such Service(s) if the delay or failure in providing such Services because of a Force Majeure shall continue to exist for more than thirty (30) consecutive days (it being understood that Recipient shall not be required to provide any advance notice of such termination to Provider).

 

Section 7.13.                                       Headings .  The Article, Section and Paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

Section 7.14.                                       Survival of Covenants .  Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, the covenants, representations and warranties and other agreements contained in this Agreement, and Liability for the breach of any obligations contained herein, shall survive the Effective Time and shall remain in full force and effect thereafter.

 

Section 7.15.                                       Waivers of Default .  Waiver by any Party of any default by the other Party of any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver by the waiving Party of any subsequent or other default, nor shall it prejudice the rights of the waiving Party.  No failure or delay by any Party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof prejudice any other right or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

 

20



 

Section 7.16.                                       Dispute Resolution .

 

(a)                                  In the event of any controversy, dispute or claim (a “ Dispute ”) arising out of or relating to any Party’s rights or obligations under this Agreement (whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise), calculation or allocation of the costs of any Service or otherwise arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement (including the interpretation or validity of this Agreement), such Dispute shall be resolved by submitting such Dispute first to the relevant Contract Manager of each Party, and the Contract Managers shall seek to resolve such Dispute through informal good faith negotiation.  In the event that the Contract Managers fail to meet or, if they meet and fail to resolve a Dispute within twenty (20) Business Days, then either Party may pursue the remedy set forth in Section 7.16(b) .

 

(b)                                  If the procedures set forth in Section 7.16(a)  have been followed with respect to a Dispute and such Dispute remains unresolved, such Dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution process referred to in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

(c)                                   In any Dispute regarding the amount of a Charge or a Termination Charge, if such Dispute is finally resolved pursuant to the dispute resolution process set forth or referred to in Section 7.16(a)  and (b)  and it is determined that the Charge or the Termination Charge, as applicable, that Provider has invoiced Recipient, and that Recipient has paid to Provider, is greater or less than the amount that the Charge or the Termination Charge, as applicable, should have been, then (i) if it is determined that Recipient has overpaid the Charge or the Termination Charge, as applicable, Provider shall within ten (10) calendar days after such determination reimburse Recipient an amount of cash equal to such overpayment, plus the Interest Payment, accruing from the date of payment by Recipient to the time of reimbursement by Provider; and (ii) if it is determined that Recipient has underpaid the Charge or the Termination Charge, as applicable, Recipient shall within ten (10) calendar days after such determination reimburse Provider an amount of cash equal to such underpayment, plus the Interest Payment, accruing from the date such payment originally should have been made by Recipient to the time of payment by Recipient.

 

Section 7.17.                                       Specific Performance .  Subject to Section 7.16 , in the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement, the Party or Parties who are, or are to be, thereby aggrieved shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief (on an interim or permanent basis) in respect of its rights or their rights under this Agreement, in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative.  The Parties agree that the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach are inadequate compensation for any loss and that any defense in any Action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate is waived.  Any requirements for the securing or posting of any bond with such remedy are hereby waived by each of the Parties.  Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Provider shall continue to provide Services and the Parties shall honor all other commitments under this Agreement during the course of dispute resolution pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.16 and this Section 7.17 with respect to all matters not subject to such Dispute; provided , however , that this obligation shall only exist during the term of this Agreement.

 

21



 

Section 7.18.                                       Amendments .  No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom enforcement of such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is sought.

 

Section 7.19.                                       Precedence of Schedules .  Each Schedule attached to or referenced in this Agreement is hereby incorporated into and shall form a part of this Agreement; provided , however , that the terms contained in such Schedule shall only apply with respect to the Services provided under that Schedule.  In the event of a conflict between the terms contained in an individual Schedule and the terms in the body of this Agreement, the terms in the Schedule shall take precedence with respect to the Services under such Schedule only.  No terms contained in individual Schedules shall otherwise modify the terms of this Agreement.

 

Section 7.20.                                       Interpretation .  In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Annexes and Exhibits hereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (c) Article, Section, Exhibit, Annex and Schedule references are to the Articles, Sections, Exhibits, Annexes and Schedules to this Agreement, unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” need not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by Law to close in Memphis, Tennessee; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; and (j) unless expressly stated to the contrary in this Agreement, all references to “the date hereof,” “the date of this Agreement” and “hereby” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 28, 2018.

 

Section 7.21.                                       Mutual Drafting .  This Agreement shall be deemed to be the joint work product of the Parties and any rule of construction that a document shall be interpreted or construed against a drafter of such document shall not be applicable to this Agreement.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

22



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above.

 

 

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name: Anthony D. Dilucente

 

 

Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name: Rexford J. Tibbens

 

 

Title:   President and Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Transition Services Agreement]

 


Exhibit 10.2

 

TAX MATTERS AGREEMENT

 

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

 

BY AND BETWEEN

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.,

 

AND

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

Section 1.

Definition of Terms

2

 

 

 

Section 2.

Allocation of Tax Liabilities

11

 

 

 

Section 2.01

General Rule

11

Section 2.02

Allocation of United States Federal Income Tax and Federal Other Tax

11

Section 2.03

Allocation of State Income and State Other Taxes

12

Section 2.04

Allocation of Foreign Taxes

13

Section 2.05

Certain Transaction and Other Taxes

13

 

 

 

Section 3.

Proration of Taxes for Straddle Periods

14

 

 

 

Section 4.

Preparation and Filing of Tax Returns

14

 

 

 

Section 4.01

General

14

Section 4.02

Parent’s Responsibility

14

Section 4.03

SpinCo’s Responsibility

15

Section 4.04

Tax Accounting Practices

15

Section 4.05

Consolidated or Combined Tax Returns

15

Section 4.06

Right to Review Tax Returns

16

Section 4.07

SpinCo Carrybacks and Claims for Refund

16

Section 4.08

Apportionment of Earnings and Profits and Tax Attributes

17

 

 

 

Section 5.

Tax Payments

17

 

 

 

Section 5.01

Payment of Taxes With Respect to Joint Returns

17

Section 5.02

Payment of Taxes With Respect to Section 2.03(c) Returns

18

Section 5.03

Indemnification Payments

19

 

 

 

Section 6.

Tax Benefits

19

 

 

 

Section 6.01

Tax Benefits

19

 

i



 

Section 6.02

Parent and SpinCo Income Tax Deductions in Respect of Certain Equity Awards and Incentive Compensation

20

 

 

 

Section 7.

Tax-Free Status

21

 

 

 

Section 7.01

Tax Opinions/Rulings and Representation Letters

21

Section 7.02

Restrictions on SpinCo

21

Section 7.03

Restrictions on Parent

24

Section 7.04

Procedures Regarding Opinions and Rulings

24

Section 7.05

Liability for Tax-Related Losses

25

Section 7.06

Section 336(e) Election

27

 

 

 

Section 8.

Assistance and Cooperation

28

 

 

 

Section 8.01

Assistance and Cooperation

28

Section 8.02

Income Tax Return Information

28

Section 8.03

Reliance by Parent

29

Section 8.04

Reliance by SpinCo

29

 

 

 

Section 9.

Tax Contests

29

 

 

 

Section 9.01

Notice

29

Section 9.02

Control of Tax Contests

30

 

 

 

Section 10.

Effective Date; Termination of Prior Intercompany Tax Allocation Agreements

32

 

 

 

Section 11.

Survival of Obligations

32

 

 

 

Section 12.

Treatment of Payments; Tax Gross Up

32

 

 

 

Section 12.01

Treatment of Tax Indemnity and Tax Benefit Payments

32

Section 12.02

Tax Gross Up

32

Section 12.03

Interest Under This Agreement

33

 

 

 

Section 13.

Disagreements

33

 

 

 

Section 13.01

Interaction with Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement

33

 

ii



 

Section 13.02

Dispute Resolution

33

 

 

 

Section 14.

Late Payments

34

 

 

 

Section 15.

Expenses

34

 

 

 

Section 16.

General Provisions

34

 

 

 

Section 16.01

Addresses and Notices

34

Section 16.02

Binding Effect

35

Section 16.03

Waiver

35

Section 16.04

Severability

35

Section 16.05

Authority

35

Section 16.06

Further Action

35

Section 16.07

Integration

35

Section 16.08

Construction

36

Section 16.09

No Double Recovery

36

Section 16.10

Counterparts

36

Section 16.11

Governing Law

36

Section 16.12

Jurisdiction

36

Section 16.13

Amendment

36

Section 16.14

SpinCo Subsidiaries

37

Section 16.15

Successors

37

Section 16.16

Injunctions

37

 

iii



 

TAX MATTERS AGREEMENT

 

This TAX MATTERS AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is entered into as of September 28, 2018, by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Parent ”) and frontdoor, inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“ SpinCo ”) (Parent and SpinCo sometimes collectively referred to herein as the “ Companies ” and, as the context requires, individually referred to herein as a “ Company ”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent (the “ Parent Board ”) has determined that it is in the best interests of Parent and its stockholders to create a new publicly traded company that shall operate the SpinCo Business;

 

WHEREAS, in furtherance of the foregoing, the Parent Board has determined that it is appropriate and desirable to separate the SpinCo Business from the Parent Business (the “ Separation ”) and, following the Separation, to make a distribution, on a pro rata basis, to holders of Parent Shares on the Record Date of at least eighty percent (80%) of the outstanding SpinCo Shares (the “ Distribution ”);

 

WHEREAS, SpinCo has been incorporated solely for these purposes and has not engaged in activities, except in connection with the Separation and the Distribution;

 

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Contribution and the Distribution, taken together, are intended to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code;

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the Separation, and in accordance with the Plan of Reorganization, SMCS Holdco II, Inc. (a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, “ SMCS Holdco II ”) has distributed or will distribute, prior to the Contribution and Distribution, stock possessing at least eighty percent (80%) of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of American Home Shield Corporation (a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, “ AHS ”) to The ServiceMaster Company, LLC (a Delaware limited liability company disregarded as separate from Parent for U.S. federal income tax purposes) in a transaction intended to qualify as generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Section 355 of the Code (the “ Internal Distribution ”);

 

WHEREAS, in order to effectuate the Separation and the Distribution, Parent and SpinCo have entered into that certain Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2018 (together with the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices thereto, the “ Separation and Distribution Agreement ”);

 

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, Parent is the common parent of an affiliated group of corporations, including SpinCo, which affiliated group has elected to file consolidated U.S. federal income tax returns;

 



 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Parent and SpinCo have agreed to separate the SpinCo Business from Parent by means of, among other actions, (i) the Internal Distribution, (ii) the Contribution and (iii) the Distribution;

 

WHEREAS, as a result of the Distribution, SpinCo and its subsidiaries will cease to be members of the affiliated group (as that term is defined in Section 1504 of the Code) of which Parent is the common parent (the “ Deconsolidation ”);

 

WHEREAS, the parties desire to provide for and agree upon the allocation between the Companies of liabilities for Taxes arising prior to, as a result of, and subsequent to the Distribution, and to provide for and agree upon other matters relating to Taxes; and

 

WHEREAS, the Companies acknowledge that this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and the other Ancillary Agreements represent the integrated agreement of Parent and SpinCo relating to the Separation and the Distribution, are being entered into together, and would not have been entered into independently.

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1.                                           Definition of Terms .  For purposes of this Agreement (including the recitals hereof), the following terms have the following meanings, and capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Separation and Distribution Agreement:

 

“Accounting Cutoff Date” means, with respect to SpinCo and any member of the SpinCo Group the Tax Items of which are included in the Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return, any date as of the end of which there is a closing of the financial accounting records for such entity.

 

“Active Trade or Business” means the active conduct (as defined in Section 355(b)(2) of the Code and the regulations thereunder) by SpinCo and its “separate affiliated group” (as defined in Section 355(b)(3)(B) of the Code) of the AHS Business.

 

“Adjustment Request” means any formal or informal claim or request filed with any Tax Authority, or with any administrative agency or court, for the adjustment, refund, or credit of Taxes, including (a) any amended Tax Return claiming adjustment to the Taxes as reported on the Tax Return or, if applicable, as previously adjusted, (b) any claim for equitable recoupment or other offset, and (c) any claim for refund or credit of Taxes previously paid.

 

“Affiliate” means any entity that is directly or indirectly “controlled” by either the person in question or an Affiliate of such person.  “Control”, for purposes of the definition of Affiliate, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.  The term Affiliate shall refer to Affiliates of a person as determined immediately after the Distribution.

 

“Agreement” means this Tax Matters Agreement.

 

2



 

“AHS” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

“AHS Business” means the business, operations and activities of providing home warranty plans for household systems and appliances in the United States, as conducted by AHS immediately prior to the Internal Distribution.

 

“AHS Capital Stock” means all classes or series of capital stock of AHS, including (i) the shares of common stock of AHS, (ii) all options, warrants and other rights to acquire such stock and (iii) all instruments properly treated as stock in AHS for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

“Board Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.02(e) of this Agreement.

 

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in the United States or New York, New York.

 

“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

“Companies” and “Company” shall have the meaning provided in the first sentence of this Agreement.

 

“Contribution” means the transfer by Parent (or an entity disregarded as separate from Parent for U.S. federal income tax purposes) directly to SpinCo, pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, of certain SpinCo Assets in actual or constructive exchange for (i) the issuance by SpinCo to Parent (or such disregarded entity) of SpinCo Shares, (ii) the assumption by SpinCo of certain SpinCo Liabilities and (iii) the issuance by SpinCo to Parent (or such disregarded entity) of the SpinCo Debt.

 

“Controlling Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.02(f) of this Agreement.

 

“Deconsolidation” shall have the meaning provided in the Recitals.

 

“Deconsolidation Date” means the last date on which SpinCo qualifies as a member of the affiliated group (as defined in Section 1504 of the Code) of which Parent is the common parent.

 

“DGCL” means the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

“Distribution” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

“Due Date” means with respect to a Tax Return, the date (taking into account all valid extensions) on which such Tax Return is required to be filed under applicable Law.

 

“Employee Matters Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

3



 

“Federal Income Tax” means any Tax imposed by Subtitle A of the Code, and any interest, penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts in respect of the foregoing.

 

“Federal Other Tax” means any Tax imposed by the federal government of the United States of America (other than any Federal Income Taxes), and any interest, penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts in respect of the foregoing.

 

“Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term for purposes of Sections 355(d) and (e) of the Code.

 

“Filing Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.05(d) of this Agreement.

 

“Final Determination” means the final resolution of liability for any Tax, which resolution may be for a specific issue or adjustment or for a Tax Period, (a) by IRS Form 870 or 870-AD (or any successor forms thereto), on the date of acceptance by or on behalf of the taxpayer, or by a comparable form under the laws of a State, local, or foreign taxing jurisdiction, except that a Form 870 or 870-AD or comparable form shall not constitute a Final Determination to the extent that it reserves (whether by its terms or by operation of law) the right of the taxpayer to file a claim for refund or the right of the Tax Authority to assert a further deficiency in respect of such issue or adjustment or for such Tax Period (as the case may be); (b) by a decision, judgment, decree, or other order by a court of competent jurisdiction, which has become final and unappealable; (c) by a closing agreement or accepted offer in compromise under Sections 7121 or 7122 of the Code, or a comparable agreement under the laws of a State, local, or foreign taxing jurisdiction; (d) by any allowance of a refund or credit in respect of an overpayment of Income Tax or Other Tax, but only after the expiration of all periods during which such refund may be recovered (including by way of offset) by the jurisdiction imposing such Income Tax or Other Tax; (e) by a final settlement resulting from a treaty-based competent authority determination; or (f) by any other final disposition, including by reason of the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations or by mutual agreement of the parties.

 

“Foreign Income Tax” means any Tax imposed by any foreign country or any possession of the United States, or by any political subdivision of any foreign country or United States possession, which is an income tax as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.901-2, and any interest, penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts in respect of the foregoing.

 

“Foreign Other Tax” means any Tax imposed by any foreign country or any possession of the United States, or by any political subdivision of any foreign country or United States possession, other than any Foreign Income Taxes, and any interest, penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts in respect of the foregoing.

 

“Foreign Tax” means any Foreign Income Taxes or Foreign Other Taxes.

 

“Group” means the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, or both, as the context requires.

 

“Income Tax” means any Federal Income Tax, State Income Tax or Foreign Income Tax.

 

“Indemnitee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.03 of this Agreement.

 

4



 

“Indemnitor” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.03 of this Agreement.

 

“Internal Distribution” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

“Internal Restructuring” means (i) any internal restructuring (including by making or revoking any election under Treasury Regulations Section 301.7701-3) involving SpinCo and/or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) any direct or indirect contribution, sale or other transfer by SpinCo to any of its subsidiaries of any of the assets contributed or transferred to SpinCo as part of the Contribution or pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

 

“Joint Return” shall mean any Return of a member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group that is not a Separate Return.

 

“Non-Controlling Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.02(f) of this Agreement.

 

“Notified Action” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.04(a) of this Agreement.

 

“Other Tax” means any Federal Other Tax, State Other Tax, or Foreign Other Tax.

 

“Parent” shall have the meaning provided in the first sentence of this Agreement.

 

“Parent Adjustment” means any proposed adjustment by a Tax Authority or claim for refund asserted in a Tax Contest to the extent Parent would be exclusively liable for any resulting Tax under this Agreement or exclusively entitled to receive any resulting Tax Benefit under this Agreement.

 

“Parent Affiliated Group” shall have the meaning provided in the definition of “Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return.”

 

“Parent Board” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

“Parent Business” shall have the meaning provided in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

“Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return” means any United States Federal Income Tax Return for the affiliated group (as that term is defined in Section 1504 of the Code and the regulations thereunder) of which Parent is the common parent (the “ Parent Affiliated Group ”).

 

“Parent Foreign Combined Income Tax Return” means a consolidated, combined or unitary or other similar Foreign Income Tax Return or any Foreign Income Tax Return with respect to any profit and/or loss sharing group, group payment or similar group or fiscal unity that actually includes, by election or otherwise, one or more members of the Parent Group together with one or more members of the SpinCo Group.

 

5



 

“Parent Group” means Parent and its Affiliates, excluding any entity that is a member of the SpinCo Group.

 

“Parent Group Transaction Returns” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.04(b) of this Agreement.

 

“Parent Separate Return” means any Separate Return of Parent or any member of the Parent Group.

 

“Parent State Combined Income Tax Return” means a consolidated, combined or unitary State Income Tax Return that actually includes, by election or otherwise, one or more members of the Parent Group together with one or more members of the SpinCo Group.

 

“Past Practices” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.04(a) of this Agreement.

 

“Payment Date” means (i) with respect to any Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return, the due date for any required installment of estimated taxes determined under Section 6655 of the Code, the due date (determined without regard to extensions) for filing the return determined under Section 6072 of the Code, and the date the return is filed, and (ii) with respect to any other Tax Return, the corresponding dates determined under the applicable Tax Law.

 

“Payor” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.03(a) of this Agreement.

 

“Person” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization or a governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof, without regard to whether any entity is treated as disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

“Post-Deconsolidation Period” means any Tax Period beginning after the Deconsolidation Date, and, in the case of any Straddle Period, the portion of such Straddle Period beginning the day after the Deconsolidation Date.

 

“Pre-Deconsolidation Period” means any Tax Period ending on or before the Deconsolidation Date, and, in the case of any Straddle Period, the portion of such Straddle Period ending on the Deconsolidation Date.

 

“Privilege” means any privilege that may be asserted under applicable law, including, any privilege arising under or relating to the attorney-client relationship (including the attorney-client and work product privileges), the accountant-client privilege and any privilege relating to internal evaluation processes.

 

“Proposed Acquisition Transaction” means a transaction or series of transactions (or any “agreement,” “understanding” or “arrangement,” within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code and Treasury Regulation Section 1.355-7, or any other regulations promulgated thereunder, to enter into a transaction or series of transactions), whether such transaction is supported by SpinCo management or shareholders (or AHS management or shareholders), is a hostile acquisition, or otherwise, as a result of which SpinCo or AHS would merge or consolidate with

 

6



 

any other Person or as a result of which any Person or any group of Persons would (directly or indirectly) acquire, or have the right to acquire, (I) from SpinCo and/or one or more holders of outstanding shares of SpinCo Capital Stock, a number of shares of SpinCo Capital Stock that would, when combined with any other changes in ownership of SpinCo Capital Stock pertinent for purposes of Section 355(e) of the Code, comprise 40% or more of (a) the value of all outstanding shares of stock of SpinCo as of the date of such transaction, or in the case of a series of transactions, the date of the last transaction of such series, or (b) the total combined voting power of all outstanding shares of voting stock of SpinCo as of the date of such transaction, or in the case of a series of transactions, the date of the last transaction of such series or (II) from AHS and/or one or more holders of outstanding shares of AHS Capital Stock, a number of shares of AHS Capital Stock that would, when combined with any other changes in ownership of AHS Capital Stock pertinent for purposes of Section 355(e) of the Code, comprise 40% or more of (a) the value of all outstanding shares of stock of AHS as of the date of such transaction, or in the case of a series of transactions, the date of the last transaction of such series, or (b) the total combined voting power of all outstanding shares of voting stock of AHS as of the date of such transaction, or in the case of a series of transactions, the date of the last transaction of such series.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Proposed Acquisition Transaction shall not include (A) the adoption by SpinCo of a shareholder rights plan or (B) issuances by SpinCo that satisfy Safe Harbor VIII (relating to acquisitions in connection with a person’s performance of services) or Safe Harbor IX (relating to acquisitions by a retirement plan of an employer) of Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(d).  For purposes of determining whether a transaction constitutes an indirect acquisition, any recapitalization resulting in a shift of voting power or any redemption of shares of stock shall be treated as an indirect acquisition of shares of stock by the non-exchanging shareholders.  This definition and the application thereof is intended to monitor compliance with Section 355(e) of the Code and shall be interpreted accordingly.  Any clarification of, or change in, the statute or regulations promulgated under Section 355(e) of the Code shall be incorporated in this definition and its interpretation.

 

“Representation Letters” means the representation letters and any other materials (including, without limitation, a Ruling Request and any related supplemental submissions to the IRS) delivered or deliverable by, or on behalf of, Parent, SpinCo and others in connection with the rendering by Tax Advisors and/or the issuance by the IRS of the Tax Opinions/Rulings.

 

“Required Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.03(a) of this Agreement.

 

“Responsible Company” means, with respect to any Tax Return, the Company having responsibility for preparing and filing such Tax Return under this Agreement.

 

“Ruling” means a private letter ruling (including a supplemental private letter ruling) issued by the IRS to Parent pertaining to or in connection with the Internal Distribution, the Contribution and/or the Distribution.

 

“Ruling Request” means any letter filed by Parent with the IRS requesting a ruling regarding certain tax consequences of the Transactions (including all attachments, exhibits, and other materials submitted with such ruling request letter) and any amendment or supplement to such ruling request letter.

 

7



 

“Section 2.03(c) Return” means any  Separate Tax Return of one Company (or its Affiliates) in respect of which the other Company could reasonably be expected to be responsible, pursuant to Section 2.03(c), for some or all of any State Other Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on such Return.

 

“Section 336(e) Election” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.06.

 

“Section 7.02(e) Acquisition Transaction” means any transaction or series of transactions that is not a Proposed Acquisition Transaction but would be a Proposed Acquisition Transaction if the percentage reflected in the definition of Proposed Acquisition Transaction were 25% instead of 40%.

 

“Separate Return” means (a) in the case of any Tax Return of any member of the SpinCo Group (including any consolidated, combined or unitary return), any such Tax Return that does not include any member of the Parent Group and (b) in the case of any Tax Return of any member of the Parent Group (including any consolidated, combined or unitary return), any such Tax Return that does not include any member of the SpinCo Group.

 

“Separation” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

“Separation and Distribution Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

“SMCS Holdco II” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

“SpinCo” shall have the meaning provided in the first sentence of this Agreement, and references herein to SpinCo shall include any entity treated as a successor to SpinCo.

 

“SpinCo Adjustment” means any proposed adjustment by a Tax Authority or claim for refund asserted in a Tax Contest to the extent SpinCo would be exclusively liable for any resulting Tax under this Agreement or exclusively entitled to receive any resulting Tax Benefit under this Agreement.

 

“SpinCo Business” has the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

“SpinCo Capital Stock” means all classes or series of capital stock of SpinCo, including (i) the shares of common stock of SpinCo, (ii) all options, warrants and other rights to acquire such stock and (iii) all instruments properly treated as stock in SpinCo for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

“SpinCo Carryback” means any net operating loss, net capital loss, excess tax credit, or other similar Tax item of any member of the SpinCo Group which may or must be carried from one Tax Period to another prior Tax Period under the Code or other applicable Tax Law.

 

“SpinCo Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return” means any United States federal Income Tax Return for the affiliated group (as that term is defined in Section 1504 of the Code) of which SpinCo is the common parent.

 

8



 

“SpinCo Group” means SpinCo and its Affiliates, as determined immediately after the Distribution.

 

“SpinCo Separate Return” means any Separate Return of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group.

 

“State Income Tax” means any Tax imposed by any State of the United States (or by any political subdivision of any such State) or the District of Columbia, in each case, which is imposed on or measured by net income, including state and local franchise or similar Taxes measured by net income, and any interest, penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts in respect of the foregoing.

 

“State Other Tax” means any Tax imposed by any State of the United States (or by any political subdivision of any such State) or the District of Columbia, in each case, other than any State Income Taxes, and any interest, penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts in respect of the foregoing.

 

“State Tax” means any State Income Taxes or State Other Taxes.

 

“Straddle Period” means any Tax Period that begins on or before and ends after the Deconsolidation Date.

 

“Tax” or “Taxes” means any income, gross income, gross receipts, profits, capital stock, franchise, withholding, payroll, social security, workers compensation, unemployment, disability, property, ad valorem , stamp, excise, escheat, severance, occupation, service, sales, use, license, lease, transfer, import, export, value added, alternative minimum, estimated or other tax (including any fee, assessment, or other charge in the nature of or in lieu of any tax) imposed by any governmental entity or political subdivision thereof, and any interest, penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts in respect of the foregoing.

 

“Tax Advisor” means a United States tax counsel or accountant of recognized national standing.

 

“Tax Attribute” or “Attribute” shall mean a net operating loss, net capital loss, unused investment credit, unused foreign tax credit, excess charitable contribution, general business credit or any other Tax Item that could reduce a Tax.

 

“Tax Authority” means, with respect to any Tax, the governmental entity or political subdivision thereof that imposes such Tax, and the agency (if any) charged with the collection of such Tax for such entity or subdivision.

 

“Tax Benefit” means any refund, credit, or other reduction in otherwise required Tax payments.

 

“Tax Contest” means an audit, review, examination, or any other administrative or judicial proceeding with the purpose or effect of redetermining Taxes (including any administrative or judicial review of any claim for refund).

 

9



 

“Tax Control” means the definition of “control” set forth in Section 368(c) of the Code (or in any successor statute or provision), as such definition may be amended from time to time.

 

“Tax-Free Status” means the qualification of (I) the Contribution and Distribution, taken together, (a) as a reorganization described in Sections 355(a) and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code, (b) as a transaction in which the stock distributed thereby is “qualified property” for purposes of Sections 355(d), 355(e) and 361(c) of the Code, and (c) as a transaction in which the holders of Parent Shares recognize no income or gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 355 and (II) the Internal Distribution (a) as a transaction described in Section 355(a) of the Code, (b) as a transaction in which the stock of AHS distributed thereby is “qualified property” for purposes of Sections 355(d), 355(e) and 361(c) of the Code and (c) as a transaction in which Parent recognizes no income or gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 355.

 

“Tax Item” means, with respect to any Income Tax, any item of income, gain, loss, deduction, credit, recapture of credit or any other item which increases or decreases Taxes paid or payable.

 

“Tax Law” means the law of any governmental entity or political subdivision thereof relating to any Tax.

 

“Tax Opinions/Rulings” means (i) the opinions of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and of PwC deliverable to Parent pertaining to or in connection with, and regarding the Federal Income Tax treatment of, the Internal Distribution, the Contribution and/or the Distribution and (ii) any Rulings.

 

“Tax Period” means, with respect to any Tax, the period for which the Tax is reported as provided under the Code or other applicable Tax Law.

 

“Tax-Related Losses” means (i) all federal, state, local and foreign Taxes (including interest and penalties thereon) imposed (or that would be imposed) pursuant to any settlement, Final Determination, judgment or otherwise, (ii) all accounting, legal and other professional fees, and court costs incurred in connection therewith, and (iii) all costs, expenses and damages associated with stockholder litigation or controversies and any amount paid by Parent (or any Parent Affiliate) or SpinCo (or any SpinCo Affiliate) in respect of the liability of shareholders, whether paid to shareholders or to the IRS or any other Tax Authority, in the case of each of clauses (i) through (iii), resulting from the failure of the Internal Distribution, the Contribution or the Distribution to have Tax-Free Status.

 

“Tax Return” or “Return” means any report of Taxes due, any claim for refund of Taxes paid, any information return with respect to Taxes, or any other similar report, statement, questionnaire, declaration, or document filed or required to be filed under the Code or other Tax Law, including any attachments, exhibits, or other materials submitted with any of the foregoing, and including any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing.

 

“Transactions” means the Internal Distribution, the Contribution, the Distribution and the other transactions contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

10



 

“Treasury Regulations” means the regulations promulgated from time to time under the Code as in effect for the relevant Tax Period.

 

“Unqualified Tax Opinion” means an unqualified “will” opinion of a Tax Advisor, which Tax Advisor is acceptable to Parent, on which Parent may rely to the effect that a transaction will not affect the Tax-Free Status of the Contribution and the Distribution (taken together) and the Internal Distribution; provided , that (i) any tax opinion obtained in connection with a proposed acquisition of SpinCo Capital Stock entered into on or before the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date shall not qualify as an Unqualified Tax Opinion unless such tax opinion also concludes that such proposed acquisition (a) will not be treated as “part of a plan (or series of related transactions),” within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, that includes the Distribution and (b) will not be treated as “part of a plan (or series of related transactions),” within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, that includes the Internal Distribution and (ii) any tax opinion obtained in connection with a proposed acquisition of AHS Capital Stock entered into on or before the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date shall not qualify as an Unqualified Tax Opinion unless such tax opinion also concludes that such proposed acquisition will not be treated as “part of a plan (or series of related transactions),” within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, that includes the Internal Distribution.  Any such opinion must assume that the Contribution and Distribution (taken together) and the Internal Distribution would have qualified for Tax-Free Status if the transaction in question did not occur.

 

Section 2.                                           Allocation of Tax Liabilities .

 

Section 2.01                             General Rule .

 

(a)                                  Parent Liability .  Parent shall be liable for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the SpinCo Group from and against any liability for, Taxes which are allocated to Parent under this Section 2.

 

(b)                                  SpinCo Liability .  SpinCo shall be liable for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Parent Group from and against any liability for, Taxes which are allocated to SpinCo under this Section 2.

 

Section 2.02                             Allocation of United States Federal Income Tax and Federal Other Tax .  Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.05, Federal Income Tax and Federal Other Tax shall be allocated as follows:

 

(a)                                  Allocation of Tax Relating to Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Returns.   With respect to any Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return, Parent shall be responsible for any and all Federal Income Taxes due or required to be reported on any such Income Tax Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination).  For the absence of doubt, Parent shall be responsible for any and all Federal Income Taxes resulting from Section 965 of the Code with respect to any deferred foreign income corporations (as defined in Section 965 of the Code) owned directly or indirectly by Parent prior to the Distribution (regardless of

 

11



 

when the inclusion under Section 965 occurs and regardless of when the tax is paid or required to be paid).

 

(b)                                  Allocation of Tax Relating to Federal Separate Income Tax Returns.   (i) Parent shall be responsible for any and all Federal Income Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination); (ii) SpinCo shall be responsible for any and all Federal Income Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any SpinCo Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination).

 

(c)                                   Allocation of Federal Other Tax .  (i) Parent shall be responsible for any and all Federal Other Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination) or otherwise imposed on any member of the Parent Group; (ii) SpinCo shall be responsible for any and all Federal Other Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any SpinCo Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination) or otherwise imposed on any member of the SpinCo Group.

 

Section 2.03                             Allocation of State Income and State Other Taxes .   Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.05, State Income Tax and State Other Tax shall be allocated as follows:

 

(a)                                  Allocation of Tax Relating to Parent State Combined Income Tax Returns.   Parent shall be responsible for any and all State Income Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent State Combined Income Tax Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination).

 

(b)                                  Allocation of State Income Tax Relating to Separate Returns.   (i) Parent shall be responsible for any and all State Income Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination); (ii) SpinCo shall be responsible for any and all State Income Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any SpinCo Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination).

 

(c)                                   Allocation of State Other Tax .  (i) Parent shall be responsible for any and all State Other Taxes attributable to, or arising with respect to, assets or activities of the Parent Business (as determined by Parent) due with respect to or required to be reported on any SpinCo Separate Return, including any increase in such Taxes (as determined by Parent) as a result of a Final Determination; (ii) other than State Other Taxes for which Parent is responsible in accordance with clause (i) above, SpinCo shall be responsible for any and all State Other Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any SpinCo Separate Return; (iii) SpinCo shall be responsible for any and all State Other Taxes attributable to, or arising with respect to, assets or activities of the SpinCo Business (as determined by Parent) due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Separate Return, including any increase in such Taxes (as determined by Parent) as a result of a Final Determination; and (iv) other than State Other Taxes for which SpinCo is responsible in accordance with clause (iii) above, Parent shall be responsible for any and all State Other Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Separate Return.

 

12



 

Section 2.04                             Allocation of Foreign Taxes Except as otherwise provided in Section 2.05, Foreign Income Tax and Foreign Other Tax shall be allocated as follows:

 

(a)                                  Allocation of Tax Relating to Parent Foreign Combined Income Tax Returns.   Parent shall be responsible for any and all Foreign Income Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Foreign Combined Income Tax Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination).

 

(b)                                  Allocation of Foreign Income Tax Relating to Separate Returns.   (i) Parent shall be responsible for any and all Foreign Income Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Separate Return (including any increase in such Foreign Income Tax as a result of a Final Determination); (ii) SpinCo shall be responsible for any and all Foreign Income Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any SpinCo Separate Return (including any increase in such Foreign Income Tax as a result of a Final Determination).

 

(c)                                   Allocation of Foreign Other Tax .  (i) Parent shall be responsible for any and all Foreign Other Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination) or otherwise imposed on any member of the Parent Group; (ii) SpinCo shall be responsible for any and all Foreign Other Taxes due with respect to or required to be reported on any SpinCo Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination) or otherwise imposed on any member of the SpinCo Group.

 

Section 2.05                             Certain Transaction and Other Taxes .

 

(a)                                  SpinCo Liability .  SpinCo shall be liable for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Parent Group from and against any liability for:

 

(i)                                      Any stamp, sales and use, gross receipts, value-added or other transfer Taxes imposed by any Tax Authority on any member of the SpinCo Group (if such member is primarily liable for such Tax) on the transfers occurring pursuant to the Transactions;

 

(ii)                                   Any Tax resulting from a breach by SpinCo of any representation or covenant in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement, any Representation Letter or any Tax Opinion/Ruling; and

 

(iii)                                Any Tax-Related Losses for which SpinCo is responsible pursuant to Section 7.05 of this Agreement.

 

(b)                                  Parent Liability .  Parent shall be liable for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless the SpinCo Group from and against any liability for:

 

(i)                                      Any stamp, sales and use, gross receipts, value-added or other transfer Taxes imposed by any Tax Authority on any member of the Parent Group (if such member is primarily liable for such Tax) on the transfers occurring pursuant to the Transactions;

 

13



 

(ii)                                   Any Tax resulting from a breach by Parent of any representation or covenant in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement, any Representation Letter or any Tax Opinion/Ruling; and

 

(iii)                                Any Tax-Related Losses for which Parent is responsible pursuant to Section 7.05 of this Agreement.

 

Section 3.                                           Proration of Taxes for Straddle Periods .

 

(a)                                  General Method of Proration .  In the case of any Straddle Period, Tax Items shall be apportioned between Pre-Deconsolidation Periods and Post-Deconsolidation Periods in accordance with the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-76(b) as reasonably interpreted and applied by Parent.  With respect to the Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return for the taxable year that includes the Distribution, no election shall be made under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-76(b)(2)(ii) (relating to ratable allocation of a year’s items).  If the Deconsolidation Date is not an Accounting Cutoff Date, the provisions of Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-76(b)(2)(iii) will be applied to ratably allocate the items (other than extraordinary items) for the month which includes the Deconsolidation Date.

 

(b)                                  Transactions Treated as Extraordinary Item .  In determining the apportionment of Tax Items between Pre-Deconsolidation Periods and Post-Deconsolidation Periods, any Tax Items relating to the Transactions shall be treated as extraordinary items described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-76(b)(2)(ii)(C) and shall (to the extent occurring on or prior to the Deconsolidation Date) be allocated to Pre-Deconsolidation Periods, and any Taxes related to such items shall be treated under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-76(b)(2)(iv) as relating to such extraordinary item and shall (to the extent occurring on or prior to the Deconsolidation Date) be allocated to Pre-Deconsolidation Periods.

 

Section 4.                                           Preparation and Filing of Tax Returns .

 

Section 4.01                             General .  Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4, Tax Returns shall be prepared and filed on or before their Due Date by the Person obligated to file such Tax Returns under the Code or applicable Tax Law.  The Companies shall provide, and shall cause their Affiliates to provide, assistance and cooperation to one another in accordance with Section 8 with respect to the preparation and filing of Tax Returns, including by providing information required to be provided pursuant to Section 8.

 

Section 4.02                             Parent’s Responsibility .   Parent has the exclusive obligation and right to prepare and file, or to cause to be prepared and filed:

 

(a)                                  Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Returns for any Tax Periods ending on, before or after the Deconsolidation Date;

 

(b)                                  Parent State Combined Income Tax Returns, Parent Foreign Combined Income Tax Returns and any other Joint Returns which Parent reasonably determines are required to be filed (or which Parent chooses to be filed) by the Companies or any of their Affiliates for Tax Periods ending on, before or after the Deconsolidation Date; and

 

14



 

(c)                                   Parent Separate Returns and SpinCo Separate Returns which Parent reasonably determines are required to be filed by the Companies or any of their Affiliates for Tax Periods ending on, before or after the Deconsolidation Date (limited, in the case of SpinCo Separate Returns, to such Returns for which the Due Date is on or before the Deconsolidation Date).

 

Section 4.03                             SpinCo’s Responsibility .  SpinCo shall prepare and file, or shall cause to be prepared and filed, all Tax Returns required to be filed by or with respect to members of the SpinCo Group other than those Tax Returns which Parent is required or entitled to prepare and file under Section 4.02.  The Tax Returns required to be prepared and filed by SpinCo under this Section 4.03 shall include (a) any SpinCo Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return for Tax Periods ending after the Deconsolidation Date and (b) SpinCo Separate Returns for which the Due Date is after the Deconsolidation Date.

 

Section 4.04                             Tax Accounting Practices .

 

(a)                                  General Rule .  Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.04(b), with respect to any Tax Return that SpinCo has the obligation and right to prepare and file, or cause to be prepared and filed, under Section 4.03, (i) for any Pre-Deconsolidation Period or any Straddle Period (or any taxable period beginning after the Deconsolidation Date to the extent items reported on such Tax Return could reasonably be expected to affect items reported on any Tax Return that Parent has the obligation or right to prepare and file for any Pre-Deconsolidation Period or any Straddle Period) or (ii) that is Section 2.03(c) Return, such Tax Return shall be prepared in accordance with past practices, accounting methods, elections or conventions (“ Past Practices ”) used with respect to the Tax Returns in question (unless there is no reasonable basis for the use of such Past Practices or unless there is no adverse effect to Parent), and to the extent any items are not covered by Past Practices (or in the event that there is no reasonable basis for the use of such Past Practices or there is no adverse effect to Parent), in accordance with reasonable Tax accounting practices selected by SpinCo.  Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.04(b), Parent shall prepare any Tax Return which it has the obligation and right to prepare and file, or cause to be prepared and filed, under Section 4.02, in accordance with reasonable Tax accounting practices selected by Parent.

 

(b)                                  Reporting of Transactions .  The Tax treatment reported on any Tax Return of the Transactions shall be consistent with the treatment thereof in the Ruling Requests and the Tax Opinions/Rulings, unless there is no reasonable basis for such Tax treatment.  The Tax treatment of the Transactions reported on any Tax Return for which SpinCo is the Responsible Company shall be consistent with that on any Tax Return filed or to be filed by Parent or any member of the Parent Group or caused or to be caused to be filed by Parent, in each case with respect to periods prior to the Distribution Date or with respect to Straddle Periods (“ Parent Group Transaction Returns ”), unless there is no reasonable basis for such Tax treatment.  To the extent the Tax treatment relating to any aspect of the Transactions is not covered by the Ruling Requests, the Tax Opinions/Rulings or Parent Group Transaction Returns, the Companies shall report such Tax treatment on any and all Tax Returns in a manner that is consistent with Parent’s intention or determination with respect thereto.

 

Section 4.05                             Consolidated or Combined Tax Returns .  SpinCo will elect and join, and will cause its respective Affiliates to elect and join, in filing any Parent State Combined Income

 

15



 

Tax Returns, Parent Foreign Combined Income Tax Returns and any Joint Returns that Parent determines are required to be filed or that Parent chooses to file pursuant to Section 4.02(b).  With respect to any SpinCo Separate Returns relating to any Tax Period (or portion thereof) ending on or prior to the Distribution Date, SpinCo will elect and join, and will cause its respective Affiliates to elect and join, in filing consolidated, unitary, combined, or other similar joint Tax Returns, to the extent each entity is eligible to join in such Tax Returns, if Parent reasonably determines that the filing of such Tax Returns is consistent with past reporting practices, or, in the absence of applicable past practices, will result in the minimization of the net present value of the aggregate Tax to the entities eligible to join in such Tax Returns.

 

Section 4.06                             Right to Review Tax Returns .

 

(a)                                  General .  The Responsible Company with respect to any Tax Return shall make such Tax Return (or the relevant portions thereof) and related workpapers available for review by the other Company, if requested, to the extent (i) such Tax Return relates to Taxes for which the requesting party is or could reasonably be expected to be liable, (ii) the requesting party would reasonably be expected to be liable in whole or in part for any additional Taxes owing as a result of material adjustments to the amount of Taxes reported on such Tax Return, (iii) such Tax Return relates to Taxes for which the requesting party would reasonably be expected to have a claim for material Tax Benefits under this Agreement, (iv) reasonably necessary for the requesting party to confirm compliance with the terms of this Agreement or (v) such Tax Return is required by the requesting party to comply with its reporting obligations to the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The Responsible Company shall use reasonable efforts to make such Tax Return available for review as required under this paragraph sufficiently in advance of the Due Date of such Tax Return to provide the requesting party with a meaningful opportunity to analyze and comment on such Tax Return and shall use reasonable efforts to have such Tax Return modified before filing, taking into account the person responsible for payment of the Tax (if any) reported on such Tax Return and whether the amount of Tax liability with respect to such Tax Return is material.  The Companies shall attempt in good faith to resolve any disagreement arising out of the review of such Tax Return and, failing that, such disagreement shall be resolved in accordance with the disagreement resolution provisions of Section 13 as promptly as practicable.

 

(b)                                  Execution of Returns Prepared by Other Party .  In the case of any Tax Return which is required to be prepared and filed by one Company under this Agreement and which is required by law to be signed by the other Company (or by its authorized representative), the Company which is legally required to sign such Tax Return shall not be required to sign such Tax Return under this Agreement if there is no reasonable basis for the Tax treatment of any item reported on the Tax Return.

 

(c)                                   Section 2.03(c) Returns .  In furtherance of and without limiting Section 4.06(a), SpinCo shall provide Parent, at least 30 days in advance of the relevant Due Date, any Section 2.03(c) Return that is a SpinCo Separate Return (and any related workpapers) for Parent’s review and comment.

 

Section 4.07                             SpinCo Carrybacks and Claims for Refund .   SpinCo hereby agrees that, unless Parent consents in writing, (i) no Adjustment Request with respect to any Joint Return

 

16



 

shall be filed and (ii) any available elections to waive the right to claim in any Pre-Deconsolidation Period with respect to any Joint Return any SpinCo Carryback arising in a Post-Deconsolidation Period shall be made, and no affirmative election shall be made to claim any such SpinCo Carryback; provided, however, that the parties agree that any such Adjustment Request shall be made with respect to any SpinCo Carryback related to U.S. federal or State Taxes, upon the reasonable request of SpinCo, if (a) such SpinCo Carryback is necessary to prevent the loss of the federal and/or State Tax Benefit of such SpinCo Carryback, (b) such Adjustment Request, based on Parent’s sole determination, will cause no Tax detriment to any member of the Parent Group and (c) such Adjustment Request, based on Parent’s sole determination, will not result in any unreimbursed expense for any member of the Parent Group.  Any Adjustment Request which Parent consents to make under this Section 4.07 shall be prepared and filed by the Responsible Company for the Tax Return to be adjusted.

 

Section 4.08                             Apportionment of Earnings and Profits and Tax Attributes .   Parent shall be entitled in good faith to instruct SpinCo in writing of the portion, if any, of any earnings and profits, previously taxed earnings and profits, Tax Attribute, basis, overall foreign loss or any consolidated, combined, unitary or comingled attribute which Parent determines shall be allocated to, apportioned to or adjusted by the SpinCo Group under applicable law in connection with the Transactions.  SpinCo and all members of the SpinCo Group shall prepare all Tax Returns in accordance with (and shall not take any Tax position that is inconsistent with) such written instructions.  As soon as practicable after receipt of a written request from SpinCo, Parent shall provide copies of any studies, reports, and workpapers supporting the earnings and profits, previously taxed earnings and profits, basis, overall foreign loss and other Tax Attributes allocable to SpinCo.  In the event of a subsequent adjustment to the earnings and profits, previously taxed earnings and profits, basis, overall foreign loss or any Tax Attributes determined by Parent pursuant to this Section 4.08, Parent or SpinCo, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the other Company in writing of such adjustment.  For the absence of doubt, Parent shall not be liable to SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group for any failure of any determination under this Section 4.08 to be accurate under applicable law.

 

Section 5.                                           Tax Payments .

 

Section 5.01                             Payment of Taxes With Respect to Joint Returns In the case of any Joint Return reflecting Taxes for which both Parent and SpinCo are responsible under Section 2:

 

(a)                                  Computation and Payment of Tax Due.   At least three Business Days prior to any Payment Date for any Tax Return, the Responsible Company shall compute the amount of Tax required to be paid to the applicable Tax Authority (taking into account the requirements of Section 4.04 relating to consistent accounting practices, as applicable) with respect to such Tax Return on such Payment Date.  The Responsible Company shall pay such amount to such Tax Authority on or before such Payment Date (and provide notice and proof of payment to the other Company).

 

(b)                                  Computation and Payment of Liability With Respect To Tax Due .  Within 30 days following the earlier of (i) the Due Date for filing any such Tax Return (excluding any Tax Return with respect to payment of estimated Taxes or Taxes due with a request for extension of time to file) or (ii) the date on which such Tax Return is filed (excluding any Tax Return with

 

17



 

respect to payment of estimated Taxes or Taxes due with a request for extension of time to file), if Parent is the Responsible Company, then SpinCo shall pay to Parent the amount allocable to the SpinCo Group under the provisions of Section 2, and if SpinCo is the Responsible Company, then Parent shall pay to SpinCo the amount allocable to the Parent Group under the provisions of Section 2, in each case, plus interest computed at the Prime Rate on the amount of the payment based on the number of days from the earlier of (i) the Due Date of the Tax Return or (ii) the date on which such Tax Return is filed, to the date of payment.

 

(c)                                   Adjustments Resulting in Underpayments .  In the case of any adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination with respect to any such Tax Return, the Responsible Company shall pay to the applicable Tax Authority when due any additional Tax due with respect to such Return required to be paid as a result of such adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination.  If the Responsible Company is Parent, Parent shall compute the amount attributable to the SpinCo Group in accordance with Section 2 and SpinCo shall pay to Parent any amount due to Parent (or, if the Responsible Company is SpinCo, SpinCo shall compute the amount attributable to the Parent Group in accordance with Section 2 and Parent shall pay to SpinCo any amount due to SpinCo) under Section 2 within 30 days following the later of (i) the date the additional Tax was paid by the Responsible Company or (ii) the date of receipt of a written notice and demand from the Responsible Company for payment of the amount due, accompanied by evidence of payment and a statement detailing the Taxes paid and describing in reasonable detail the particulars relating thereto.  Any payments required under this Section 5.01(c) shall include interest computed at the Prime Rate based on the number of days from the date the additional Tax was paid by the Responsible Company to the date of the payment under this Section 5.01(c).

 

Section 5.02                             Payment of Taxes With Respect to Section 2.03(c) Returns In the case of any Section 2.03(c) Return:

 

(a)                                  Computation and Payment of Tax Due.   At least three Business Days prior to any Payment Date for any Section 2.03(c) Return, the Responsible Company shall compute the amount of Tax required to be paid to the applicable Tax Authority (taking into account the requirements of Section 4.04 relating to consistent accounting practices, as applicable) with respect to such Tax Return on such Payment Date.  The Responsible Company shall pay such amount to such Tax Authority on or before such Payment Date (and provide notice and proof of payment to the other Company).

 

(b)                                  Computation and Payment of Liability With Respect To Tax Due .  Within 30 days following the earlier of (i) the Due Date for filing any such Section 2.03(c) Return or (ii) the date on which such Section 2.03(c) Return is filed, if Parent is the Responsible Company, then SpinCo shall pay to Parent the amount for which SpinCo is responsible under the provisions of Section 2.03(c), and if SpinCo is the Responsible Company, then Parent shall pay to SpinCo the amount for which Parent is responsible under the provisions of Section 2.03(c), in each case, plus interest computed at the Prime Rate on the amount of the payment based on the number of days from the earlier of (i) the Due Date of the Section 2.03(c) Return or (ii) the date on which such Section 2.03(c) Return is filed, to the date of payment.

 

(c)                                   Adjustments Resulting in Underpayments .  In the case of any adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination with respect to any such Section 2.03(c) Return, the Responsible

 

18



 

Company shall pay to the applicable Tax Authority when due any additional Tax due with respect to such Return required to be paid as a result of such adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination.  If the Responsible Company is Parent, Parent shall compute the amount attributable to the assets or activities of the SpinCo Business in accordance with Section 2.03(c) and SpinCo shall pay to Parent such amount within 30 days of the later of (i) the date the additional Tax was paid by Parent or (ii) the date of receipt of a written notice and demand from Parent for payment of the amount due, accompanied by evidence of payment and a statement detailing the Taxes paid and describing in reasonable detail the particulars relating thereto.  If the Responsible Company is SpinCo, (x) SpinCo shall, within 15 days of payment of such additional Tax to the applicable Tax Authority, provide Parent with written notice thereof accompanied by evidence of payment and a statement detailing the Taxes paid and describing in reasonable detail the particulars relating thereto and (y) Parent shall, within 45 days of receipt of such statement, compute the amount attributable to the assets or activities of the Parent Business in accordance with Section 2.03(c) and pay to SpinCo such amount.

 

Section 5.03                             Indemnification Payments .

 

(a)                                  Subject to Section 7.05(d) and 7.05(e), if any Company (the “ Payor ”) is required under applicable Tax Law to pay to a Tax Authority a Tax that another Company (the “ Required Party ”) is liable for under this Agreement, the Required Party shall reimburse the Payor within 30 days of delivery by the Payor to the Required Party of an invoice for the amount due, accompanied by evidence of payment and a statement detailing the Taxes paid and describing in reasonable detail the particulars relating thereto.  The reimbursement shall include interest on the Tax payment computed at the Prime Rate based on the number of days from the date of the payment to the Tax Authority to the date of reimbursement under this Section 5.03.

 

(b)                                  All indemnification payments under this Agreement shall be made by Parent directly to SpinCo and by SpinCo directly to Parent, as applicable; provided, however, that if the Companies mutually agree with respect to any such indemnification payment, any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, may make such indemnification payment to any member of the SpinCo Group, on the other hand, and vice versa.

 

Section 6.                                           Tax Benefits .

 

Section 6.01                             Tax Benefits .

 

(a)                                  Except as set forth below, Parent shall be entitled to any refund (and any interest thereon received from the applicable Tax Authority) of Income Taxes and Other Taxes for which Parent is liable hereunder, SpinCo shall be entitled to any refund (and any interest thereon received from the applicable Tax Authority) of Income Taxes and Other Taxes for which SpinCo is liable hereunder and a Company (the first Company) receiving a refund to which another Company (the second Company) is entitled hereunder shall pay over such refund to the second Company within 30 days after such refund is received (together with interest computed at the Prime Rate based on the number of days from the date the refund was received to the date the refund was paid over).  The second Company, upon the request of the first Company, shall promptly repay the first Company the amount paid over pursuant to the preceding sentence

 

19



 

(together with any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Tax Authority) in the event that the first Company is required to repay such refund to such Tax Authority.

 

(b)                                  If a member of the SpinCo Group actually realizes in cash any Tax Benefit as a result of an adjustment  pursuant to a Final Determination to any Taxes for which a member of the Parent Group is liable hereunder (or to the tax basis or any Tax Attribute of a member of the Parent Group) (a “ Parent Final Determination Adjustment ”) and such Tax Benefit would not have arisen but for such adjustment (determined on a “with and without” basis), or if a member of the Parent Group actually realizes in cash any Tax Benefit as a result of an adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination to any Taxes for which a member of the SpinCo Group is liable hereunder (or to the tax basis or any Tax Attribute of a member of the SpinCo Group) and such Tax Benefit would not have arisen but for such adjustment (determined on a “with and without” basis), SpinCo or Parent, as the case may be, shall make a payment to either Parent or SpinCo, as appropriate, within 30 days following such actual realization of the Tax Benefit, in an amount equal to such Tax Benefit actually realized in cash (including any Tax Benefit actually realized as a result of the payment), plus interest on such amount computed at the Prime Rate based on the number of days from the date of such actual realization of the Tax Benefit to the date of payment of such amount under this Section 6.01(b).  In the case of a Parent Final Determination Adjustment, then, upon the written request of and at the expense of Parent, SpinCo shall (and, if applicable, shall cause the relevant member of the SpinCo Group to) amend any Tax Return thereof to the extent such amendment would result in a corresponding or correlative Tax Benefit (which shall include, without limitation, any step-up in tax basis).

 

(c)                                   No later than 30 days after a Tax Benefit described in Section 6.01(b) is actually realized in cash by a member of the Parent Group or a member of the SpinCo Group, Parent (if a member of the Parent Group actually realizes such Tax Benefit) or SpinCo (if a member of the SpinCo Group actually realizes such Tax Benefit) shall provide the other Company with a written calculation of the amount payable to such other Company by Parent or SpinCo pursuant to this Section 6.  In the event that Parent or SpinCo disagrees with any such calculation described in this Section 6.01(c), Parent or SpinCo shall so notify the other Company in writing within 30 days of receiving the written calculation set forth above in this Section 6.01(c).  Parent and SpinCo shall endeavor in good faith to resolve such disagreement, and, failing that, the amount payable under this Section 6 shall be determined in accordance with the disagreement resolution provisions of Section 13 as promptly as practicable.

 

(d)                                  SpinCo shall be entitled to any refund that is attributable to, and would not have arisen but for, a SpinCo Carryback pursuant to, and in accordance with, the proviso set forth in Section 4.07.  Any such payment of such refund made by Parent to SpinCo pursuant to this Section 6.01(d) shall be recalculated in light of any Final Determination (or any other facts that may arise or come to light after such payment is made, such as a carryback of a Parent Group Tax Attribute to a Tax Period in respect of which such refund is received) that would affect the amount to which SpinCo is entitled, and an appropriate adjusting payment shall be made by SpinCo to Parent such that the aggregate amounts paid pursuant to this Section 6.01(d) equals such recalculated amount (with interest computed at the Prime Rate).

 

Section 6.02                             Parent and SpinCo Income Tax Deductions in Respect of Certain Equity Awards and Incentive Compensation . To the extent permitted by applicable law, solely the

 

20



 

member of the Group for which the relevant individual is employed at the time of the vesting, exercise, disqualifying disposition, payment or other relevant taxable event, as appropriate, in respect of the equity awards and other incentive compensation described in Article IV of the Employee Matters Agreement (or, if such individual is not then employed by a member of any Group, the Group member at which such individual was most recently employed) shall be entitled to claim any Income Tax deduction in respect of such equity awards and other incentive compensation on its respective Tax Return associated with such event.

 

Section 7.                                           Tax-Free Status .

 

Section 7.01                             Tax Opinions/Rulings and Representation Letters .

 

(a)                                  Each of SpinCo and Parent hereby represents and agrees that (A) it has carefully reviewed or will carefully review the Representation Letters prior to the date submitted and (B) subject to any qualifications therein, all information, representations and covenants contained in such Representation Letters that concern or relate to such Company or any member of its Group are and will be true, correct and complete.

 

(b)                                  If any Representation Letters have not yet been submitted, SpinCo and Parent shall use their commercially reasonable efforts and shall cooperate in good faith to finalize (or cause to be finalized) the same as soon as possible and to cause the same to be submitted to the Tax Advisors, the IRS or such other governmental authorities as Parent shall deem necessary or desirable.  SpinCo and Parent shall take such other commercially reasonable actions as may be necessary or desirable, to obtain any Tax Opinions/Rulings that have not yet been obtained.

 

(c)                                   SpinCo hereby represents and warrants that it has no plan or intention to take any action or to fail to take any action (or to cause or permit any member of its Group to take or fail to take any action), in each case, from and after the date hereof, that could reasonably be expected to cause any representation or statement made in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Representation Letters, or any of the Ancillary Agreements to be untrue.

 

(d)                                  SpinCo hereby represents and warrants that, during the period beginning two years before the date of the consummation of the Internal Distribution and ending on the Distribution Date, there was no “agreement,” “understanding,” “arrangement,” “substantial negotiations” or “discussions” (as such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(h)) by any one or more officers or directors of any member of the SpinCo Group or by any other person or persons with the implicit or explicit permission of one or more of such officers or directors regarding an acquisition, directly or indirectly, of all or a significant portion of the SpinCo Capital Stock (or any predecessor) or the AHS Capital Stock; provided , however , that no representation is made regarding any “agreement,” “understanding,” “arrangement,” “substantial negotiations” or “discussions” (as such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(h)) by any one or more officers or directors of Parent.

 

Section 7.02                             Restrictions on SpinCo .

 

(a)                                  SpinCo agrees that it will not take or fail to take, or cause or permit any SpinCo Affiliate to take or fail to take, any action where such action or failure to act would be

 

21



 

inconsistent with or cause to be untrue any material, information, statement, covenant or representation in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, any of the Ancillary Agreements, any Representation Letters or any Tax Opinions/Rulings.  SpinCo agrees that it will not take or fail to take, or permit any SpinCo Affiliate to take or fail to take, any action which prevents or could reasonably be expected to prevent (A) the Tax-Free Status (including the issuance of any SpinCo Capital Stock or AHS Capital Stock that would prevent the Distribution or the Internal Distribution from qualifying as a tax-free distribution under Section 355 of the Code) or (B) any transaction contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement, to the extent such transaction is intended by Parent to be tax-free or tax-advantaged, from so qualifying (it being agreed and understood that SpinCo shall not agree, and shall prevent any SpinCo Affiliate from agreeing, in any Tax Contest to any position that is inconsistent with the Tax treatment, as intended or determined by Parent, of the Transactions).

 

(b)                                  Pre-Distribution Period.   During the period from the date hereof until the completion of the Distribution, SpinCo shall not take any action (including the issuance of SpinCo Capital Stock) or permit any SpinCo Affiliate to take any action (including the issuance of AHS Capital Stock) if, as a result of taking such action, (i) SpinCo could have a number of shares of SpinCo Capital Stock (computed on a fully diluted basis or otherwise) issued and outstanding, including by way of the exercise of stock options (whether or not such stock options are currently exercisable) or the issuance of restricted stock, that could cause Parent to cease to have Tax Control of SpinCo or (ii) AHS could have a number of shares of AHS Capital Stock (computed on a fully diluted basis or otherwise) issued and outstanding, including by way of the exercise of stock options (whether or not such stock options are currently exercisable) or the issuance of restricted stock, that could cause SMCS Holdco II to cease to have Tax Control of SpinCo.

 

(c)                                   SpinCo agrees that, from the date hereof until the first day after the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date, it will (i) maintain its status as a company engaged in the Active Trade or Business for purposes of Section 355(b)(2) of the Code, (ii) cause AHS to maintain AHS’s status as a company engaged in the Active Trade or Business for purposes of Section 355(b)(2) of the Code, (iii) not engage in any transaction that would result in SpinCo or AHS ceasing to be a company engaged in the Active Trade or Business for purposes of Section 355(b)(2) of the Code and (iv) cause AHS not to engage in any transaction that would result in AHS ceasing to be a company engaged in the Active Trade or Business for purposes of Section 355(b)(2) of the Code, in the case of each of clauses (i) through (iv), taking into account Section 355(b)(3) of the Code.

 

(d)                                  SpinCo agrees that, from the date hereof until the first day after the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date, it will not (and it will cause AHS not to, where applicable) (i) enter into any Proposed Acquisition Transaction or, to the extent SpinCo has the right to prohibit (or cause to be prohibited) any Proposed Acquisition Transaction, permit any Proposed Acquisition Transaction to occur (whether by (I) redeeming rights under a shareholder rights plan, (II) finding a tender offer to be a “permitted offer” under any such plan or otherwise causing any such plan to be inapplicable or neutralized with respect to any Proposed Acquisition Transaction, or (III) approving any Proposed Acquisition Transaction, whether for purposes of Section 203 of the DGCL or any similar corporate statute, any “fair price” or other provision of SpinCo or AHS’s charter or bylaws or otherwise), (ii) merge or consolidate with any other

 

22



 

Person or liquidate or partially liquidate, (iii) in a single transaction or series of transactions, sell or transfer (other than sales or transfers of inventory in the ordinary course of business) all or substantially all of the assets that were transferred, directly or indirectly, to SpinCo pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement or pursuant to the Contribution, or sell or transfer 60% or more of the gross assets of the Active Trade or Business or 60% or more of the consolidated gross assets of SpinCo and its Affiliates or AHS (such percentages to be measured based on fair market value as of the date of the Internal Distribution or the External Distribution, as applicable), (iv) redeem or otherwise repurchase (directly or through an Affiliate) any SpinCo stock or AHS stock, or rights to acquire stock, except (in the case of repurchases of SpinCo stock) to the extent such repurchases satisfy Section 4.05(1)(b) of Revenue Procedure 96-30 (as in effect prior to the amendment of such Revenue Procedure by Revenue Procedure 2003-48), (v) amend its certificate of incorporation (or other organizational documents), or take any other action, whether through a stockholder vote or otherwise, affecting the voting rights of SpinCo Capital Stock or AHS Capital Stock (including, without limitation, through the conversion of one class of stock into another class of stock) or (vi) take any other action or actions (including any action or transaction that would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with any representation or covenant made in the Representation Letters or the Tax Opinions/Rulings) which in the aggregate (and taking into account any other transactions described in this subparagraph (d)) would be reasonably likely to have the effect of causing or permitting one or more persons (whether or not acting in concert) to acquire directly or indirectly stock representing a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest in SpinCo or AHS or otherwise jeopardize the Tax-Free Status, unless, in each case, prior to taking any such action set forth in the foregoing clauses (i) through (vi), (A) SpinCo shall have requested that Parent obtain a Ruling in accordance with Section 7.04(b) and (d) of this Agreement to the effect that such transaction will not affect the Tax-Free Status and Parent shall have received such a Ruling in form and substance satisfactory to Parent in its sole and absolute discretion, which discretion shall be exercised in good faith solely to preserve the Tax-Free Status (and in determining whether a Ruling is satisfactory, Parent may consider, among other factors, the appropriateness of any underlying assumptions and management’s representations made in connection with such Ruling), or (B) SpinCo shall provide Parent with an Unqualified Tax Opinion in form and substance satisfactory to Parent in its sole and absolute discretion, which discretion shall be exercised in good faith solely to preserve the Tax-Free Status (and in determining whether an opinion is satisfactory, Parent may consider, among other factors, the appropriateness of any underlying assumptions and management’s representations if used as a basis for the opinion, and Parent may determine that no opinion would be acceptable to Parent) or (C) Parent shall have waived the requirement to obtain such Ruling or Unqualified Tax Opinion.

 

(e)                                   Certain Issuances of SpinCo Capital Stock or AHS Capital Stock .  If SpinCo or AHS proposes to enter into any Section 7.02(e) Acquisition Transaction or if SpinCo, to the extent SpinCo has the right to prohibit (or cause to be prohibited) any Section 7.02(e) Acquisition Transaction, proposes to permit any Section 7.02(e) Acquisition Transaction to occur, in each case, during the period from the date hereof until the first day after the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date, SpinCo shall provide Parent, no later than ten days following the signing of any written agreement (by SpinCo, any SpinCo Affiliate or AHS) with respect to the Section 7.02(e) Acquisition Transaction, with a written description of such transaction (including the type and amount of SpinCo Capital Stock or AHS Capital Stock, as the case may be, to be issued in such transaction) and a certificate of the Board of Directors of

 

23



 

SpinCo to the effect that the Section 7.02(e) Acquisition Transaction is not a Proposed Acquisition Transaction or any other transaction to which the requirements of Section 7.02(d) apply (a “ Board Certificate ”).

 

(f)                                     SpinCo Internal Restructuring.  SpinCo shall not engage in, cause or permit any Internal Restructuring during or with respect to any Tax Period (or portion thereof) ending on or prior to the Distribution Date without obtaining the prior written consent of Parent (such prior written consent not to be unreasonably withheld).  SpinCo shall provide written notice to Parent describing any Internal Restructuring proposed to be taken during or with respect to any Tax Period (or portion thereof) beginning after the Distribution Date and ending on or prior to the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date and shall consult with Parent regarding any such proposed actions reasonably in advance of taking any such proposed actions and shall consider in good faith any comments from Parent relating thereto.

 

Section 7.03                             Restrictions on Parent Parent agrees that it will not take or fail to take, or cause or permit any member of the Parent Group to take or fail to take, any action where such action or failure to act would be inconsistent with or cause to be untrue any material, information, statement, covenant or representation in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, any of the Ancillary Agreements, any Representation Letters or any Tax Opinions/Rulings.  Parent agrees that it will not take or fail to take, or cause or permit any member of the Parent Group to take or fail to take, any action which prevents or could reasonably be expected to prevent (A) the Tax-Free Status or (B) any transaction contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement, to the extent such transaction is intended by Parent as of the date hereof to be tax-free or tax-advantaged, from so qualifying; provided, however, that this Section 7.03 shall not be construed as obligating Parent to consummate the Distribution without the satisfaction or waiver of all conditions set forth in Section 3.3 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement nor shall it be construed as preventing Parent from terminating the Separation and Distribution Agreement pursuant to Section 9.1 thereof.

 

Section 7.04                             Procedures Regarding Opinions and Rulings .

 

(a)                                  If SpinCo notifies Parent that it desires to take one of the actions described in clauses (i) through (vi) of Section 7.02(d) (a “ Notified Action ”), Parent and SpinCo shall reasonably cooperate to attempt to obtain the Ruling or Unqualified Tax Opinion referred to in Section 7.02(d), unless Parent shall have waived the requirement to obtain such Ruling or Unqualified Tax Opinion.

 

(b)                                  Rulings or Unqualified Tax Opinions at SpinCo’s Request.   Parent agrees that at the reasonable request of SpinCo pursuant to Section 7.02(d), Parent shall cooperate with SpinCo and use its reasonable efforts to seek to obtain, as expeditiously as possible, a Ruling from the IRS or an Unqualified Tax Opinion for the purpose of permitting SpinCo to take the Notified Action.  Further, in no event shall Parent be required to file a request for any such Ruling under this Section 7.04(b) unless SpinCo represents that (A) it has read such request, and (B) all information and representations, if any, relating to any member of the SpinCo Group, contained in such request (or in any documents relating thereto) are (subject to any qualifications therein) true, correct and complete.  SpinCo shall reimburse Parent for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Parent Group in preparing and filing any such request and in obtaining a Ruling

 

24



 

or Unqualified Tax Opinion requested by SpinCo within ten Business Days after receiving an invoice from Parent therefor.

 

(c)                                   Rulings or Unqualified Tax Opinions at Parent’s Request .  Parent shall have the right to obtain a Ruling or an Unqualified Tax Opinion at any time in its sole and absolute discretion.  If Parent determines to obtain a Ruling or an Unqualified Tax Opinion, SpinCo shall (and shall cause each Affiliate of SpinCo to) cooperate with Parent and take any and all actions reasonably requested by Parent in connection with obtaining the Ruling or Unqualified Tax Opinion (including, without limitation, by making any representation or covenant or providing any materials or information requested by the IRS or Tax Advisor; provided that SpinCo shall not be required to make (or cause any Affiliate of SpinCo to make) any representation or covenant that is inconsistent with historical facts or as to future matters or events over which it has no control).  Parent and SpinCo shall each bear its own costs and expenses in obtaining a Ruling or an Unqualified Tax Opinion requested by Parent.

 

(d)                                  SpinCo hereby agrees that Parent shall have sole and exclusive control over the process of obtaining any Ruling, and that only Parent shall apply for a Ruling.  In connection with obtaining a Ruling pursuant to Section 7.04(b), (A) Parent shall keep SpinCo informed in a timely manner of all material actions taken or proposed to be taken by Parent in connection therewith; (B) Parent shall (1) reasonably in advance of the submission of any documents relating to the request for such Ruling, provide SpinCo with a draft copy thereof, (2) reasonably consider SpinCo’s comments on such draft copy, and (3) provide SpinCo with a final copy; and (C) Parent shall provide SpinCo with notice reasonably in advance of, and SpinCo shall have the right to attend, any formally scheduled meetings with the IRS (subject to the approval of the IRS) that relate to such Ruling.  Neither SpinCo nor any SpinCo Affiliate directly or indirectly controlled by SpinCo shall seek any guidance from the IRS or any other Tax Authority (whether written, verbal or otherwise) at any time concerning the Internal Distribution, the Contribution or the Distribution (including the impact of any transaction on the Internal Distribution, the Contribution or the Distribution) or the Transactions.

 

Section 7.05                             Liability for Tax-Related Losses .

 

(a)                                  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement to the contrary, subject to Section 7.05(c), SpinCo shall be responsible for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless Parent and its Affiliates (and, for the absence of doubt, SMCS Holdco II) and each of their respective officers, directors and employees from and against, one hundred percent (100%) of any Tax-Related Losses that are attributable to or result from any one or more of the following:  (A) the acquisition (other than pursuant to the Internal Distribution, the Contribution or the Distribution), by any means whatsoever or by any Person, of all or a portion of (i) SpinCo Capital Stock, (ii) AHS Capital Stock, and/or (iii) Spinco’s assets, AHS’s assets, or any of their subsidiaries’ assets, (B) any “agreement,” “understanding,” “arrangement,” “substantial negotiations” or “discussions” (as such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(h)) by (i) any one or more officers or directors of any member of the SpinCo Group or by any other person or persons with the implicit or explicit permission of one or more of such officers or directors regarding transactions or events that cause the Internal Distribution or the Distribution to be treated as part of a plan pursuant to which one or more Persons acquire, directly or indirectly, stock of SpinCo, stock of AHS, or stock of any Subsidiary of SpinCo or

 

25



 

AHS, in each case, representing a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest therein or (ii) any one or more officers or directors of AHS or by any other person or persons with the implicit or explicit permission of one or more of such officers or directors regarding transactions or events that cause the Internal Distribution to be treated as part of a plan pursuant to which one or more Persons acquire, directly or indirectly, stock of AHS or stock of any Subsidiary of AHS, in each case, representing a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest therein, (C) any action or failure to act by SpinCo after the Distribution (including, without limitation, any amendment to SpinCo’s or AHS’s certificate of incorporation (or other organizational documents), whether through a stockholder vote or otherwise) affecting the voting rights of SpinCo stock (including, without limitation, through the conversion of one class of SpinCo Capital Stock into another class of SpinCo Capital Stock) or AHS stock (including, without limitation, through the conversion of one class of SpinCo Capital Stock into another class of SpinCo Capital Stock), (D) any act or failure to act by SpinCo, any member of the SpinCo Group or AHS described in Section 7.02 (regardless of whether such act or failure to act is covered by a Ruling, Unqualified Tax Opinion or waiver, as applicable, described in Section 7.02(d) or by a Board Certificate described in Section 7.02(e) or a consent described in Section 7.02(f)), or (E) any breach by SpinCo of its agreement and representations set forth in Section 7.01.

 

(b)                                  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement to the contrary, subject to Section 7.05(c), Parent shall be responsible for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless SpinCo and its Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors and employees from and against, one hundred percent (100%) of any Tax-Related Losses that are attributable to, or result from any one or more of the following:  (A) the acquisition (other than pursuant to the Transactions) of all or a portion of Parent’s stock and/or its or its subsidiaries’ assets by any means whatsoever by any Person, (B) any “agreement,” “understanding,” “arrangement,” “substantial negotiations” or “discussions” (as such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(h)) by any one or more officers or directors of any member of the Parent Group or by any other person or persons with the implicit or explicit permission of one or more of such officers or directors regarding transactions or events that cause the Distribution or the Internal Distribution respectively to be treated as part of a plan pursuant to which one or more Persons acquire, directly or indirectly, stock of Parent or stock of SMCS Holdco II, in each case, representing a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest therein, (C) any act or failure to act by Parent or a member of the Parent Group described in Section 7.03 or (D) any breach by Parent of its agreement and representations set forth in Section 7.01(a).

 

(c)                                   Notwithstanding anything in Section 7.05(b) or any other provision of this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement to the contrary:

 

(i)                                      SpinCo shall be responsible for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless Parent and its Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors and employees from and against, one hundred percent (100%) of (I) any Tax-Related Losses resulting from the application of Section 355(e) or Section 355(f) of the Code (other than as a result of an acquisition of a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest in Parent or any member of the Parent Group) and (II) any other Tax-Related Losses resulting (for the absence of doubt, in whole or in part) from an acquisition after the Distribution of any stock or assets of SpinCo, any SpinCo Affiliate or AHS by any means whatsoever by any Person or any

 

26



 

action or failure to act by SpinCo affecting the voting rights of SpinCo stock, the stock of any SpinCo Affiliate, or AHS stock; and

 

(ii)                                   For purposes of calculating the amount and timing of any Tax-Related Losses for which SpinCo is responsible under this Section 7.05, Tax-Related Losses shall be calculated by assuming that Parent, the Parent Affiliated Group and each member of the Parent Group (I) pay Tax at the highest marginal corporate Tax rates in effect in each relevant taxable year and (II) have no Tax Attributes in any relevant taxable year.

 

(d)                                  SpinCo shall pay Parent the amount of any Tax-Related Losses for which SpinCo is responsible under this Section 7.05:  (A) in the case of Tax-Related Losses described in clause (i) of the definition of Tax-Related Losses, no later than ten Business Days prior to the Due Date of the Tax Return that Parent files, or causes to be filed, for the year of the Contribution or the Distribution, as applicable (the “ Filing Date ”) ( provided that if such Tax-Related Losses arise pursuant to a Final Determination described in clause (a), (b) or (c) of the definition of “Final Determination,” then SpinCo shall pay Parent no later than two Business Days after the date of such Final Determination with interest calculated at the Prime Rate plus two percent, compounded semiannually, from the date that is ten Business Days prior to the Filing Date through the date of such Final Determination (but not in duplication of interest charged by the applicable Tax Authority)) and (B) in the case of Tax-Related Losses described in clause (ii) or (iii) of the definition of Tax-Related Losses, no later than the later of (x) the date that is two Business Days after the date Parent pays such Tax-Related Losses and (y) the date that is five Business Days after SpinCo receives notification from Parent of the amount of such Tax-Related Losses due.

 

(e)                                   Parent shall calculate in good faith and notify SpinCo of the amount of any Tax-Related Losses for which SpinCo is responsible under this Section 7.05.  Such calculation shall be binding on SpinCo absent manifest error.  At SpinCo’s reasonable request, Parent shall make available to SpinCo the portion of any Tax Return or other documentation and related workpapers that are relevant to the determination of the Tax-Related Losses attributable to SpinCo pursuant to this Section 7.05.

 

Section 7.06                             Section 336(e) Election .   If Parent determines, in its sole discretion, that a protective election under Section 336(e) of the Code (a “ Section 336(e) Election ”) shall be made with respect to the Distribution (or the Internal Distribution), SpinCo shall (and shall cause AHS or any relevant member of the SpinCo Group to) join with Parent (or SMCS Holdco II or any relevant member of the Parent Group) in the making of such election and shall take any action reasonably requested by Parent or that is otherwise necessary to give effect to such election (including making any other related election).  If a Section 336(e) Election is made with respect to the Distribution (or the Internal Distribution), then (a) in the event the Contribution or the Distribution (or the Internal Distribution) fails to have Tax-Free Status and Parent is not entitled to indemnification for the Tax-Related Losses arising from such failure, SpinCo shall pay over to Parent any Tax Benefit arising from the step-up in Tax basis resulting from the Section 336(e) Election within 30 days of SpinCo (or AHS or any member of the SpinCo Group) realizing such Tax Benefit in cash and (b) this Agreement shall be amended in such a manner as is determined by Parent in good faith to take into account such Section 336(e) Election.

 

27



 

Section 8.                                           Assistance and Cooperation .

 

Section 8.01                             Assistance and Cooperation .

 

(a)                                  The Companies shall cooperate (and cause their respective Affiliates to cooperate) with each other and with each other’s agents, including accounting firms and legal counsel, in connection with Tax matters relating to the Companies and their Affiliates including (i) preparation and filing of Tax Returns, (ii) determining the liability for and amount of any Taxes due (including estimated Taxes) or the right to and amount of any refund of Taxes, (iii) examinations of Tax Returns, and (iv) any administrative or judicial proceeding in respect of Taxes assessed or proposed to be assessed.  Each of the Companies shall also make available to the other, as reasonably requested and available, personnel (including officers, directors, employees and agents of the Companies or their respective Affiliates) responsible for preparing, maintaining, and interpreting information and documents relevant to Taxes, and personnel reasonably required as witnesses or for purposes of providing information or documents in connection with any administrative or judicial proceedings relating to Taxes.

 

(b)                                  Any information or documents provided under this Section 8 shall be kept confidential by the Company receiving such information or documents, except as may otherwise be necessary in connection with the filing of Tax Returns or in connection with any Tax Contest.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or any other agreement, (i) neither Parent nor any Parent Affiliate shall be required to provide SpinCo or any SpinCo Affiliate or any other Person access to or copies of any information or procedures (including the proceedings of any Tax Contest) other than information or procedures that relate solely to SpinCo, the business or assets of SpinCo or any SpinCo Affiliate and (ii) in no event shall Parent or any Parent Affiliate be required to provide SpinCo, any SpinCo Affiliate or any other Person access to or copies of any information if such action could reasonably be expected to result in the waiver of any Privilege.  In addition, in the event that Parent determines that the provision of any information to SpinCo or any SpinCo Affiliate could be commercially detrimental, violate any law or agreement or waive any Privilege, the parties shall use reasonable best efforts to permit compliance with its obligations under this Section 8 in a manner that avoids any such harm or consequence.

 

Section 8.02                             Income Tax Return Information SpinCo and Parent acknowledge that time is of the essence in relation to any request for information, assistance or cooperation made by Parent or SpinCo pursuant to Section 8.01 or this Section 8.02.  SpinCo and Parent acknowledge that failure to conform to the deadlines set forth herein or reasonable deadlines otherwise set by Parent or SpinCo could cause irreparable harm.

 

(a)                                  Each Company shall provide to the other Company information and documents relating to its Group required by the other Company to prepare Tax Returns.  Any information or documents the Responsible Company requires to prepare such Tax Returns shall be provided in such form as the Responsible Company reasonably requests and in sufficient time for the Responsible Company to file such Tax Returns on a timely basis.

 

28



 

(b)                                  At SpinCo’s sole expense, SpinCo shall provide such information as is reasonably requested in writing by Parent in connection with the preparation of Tax Returns in accordance with the reasonable deadlines set forth in such written request.

 

(c)                                   At Parent’s sole expense, Parent shall provide such information as is reasonably requested in writing by SpinCo in connection with the preparation of Tax Returns in accordance with the reasonable deadlines set forth in such written request.

 

Section 8.03                             Reliance by Parent .   If any member of the SpinCo Group supplies information to a member of the Parent Group in connection with Taxes and an officer of a member of the Parent Group signs a statement or other document under penalties of perjury in reliance upon the accuracy of such information, then upon the written request of such member of the Parent Group identifying the information being so relied upon, the chief financial officer of SpinCo (or any officer of SpinCo as designated by the chief financial officer of SpinCo) shall certify in writing that to his or her knowledge (based upon consultation with appropriate employees) the information so supplied is accurate and complete.  SpinCo agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each member of the Parent Group and its directors, officers and employees from and against any fine, penalty, or other cost or expense of any kind attributable to a member of the SpinCo Group having supplied, pursuant to this Section 8, a member of the Parent Group with inaccurate or incomplete information in connection with Taxes.

 

Section 8.04                             Reliance by SpinCo .   If any member of the Parent Group supplies information to a member of the SpinCo Group in connection with Taxes and an officer of a member of the SpinCo Group signs a statement or other document under penalties of perjury in reliance upon the accuracy of such information, then upon the written request of such member of the SpinCo Group identifying the information being so relied upon, the chief financial officer of Parent (or any officer of Parent as designated by the chief financial officer of Parent) shall certify in writing that to his or her knowledge (based upon consultation with appropriate employees) the information so supplied is accurate and complete.  Parent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each member of the SpinCo Group and its directors, officers and employees from and against any fine, penalty, or other cost or expense of any kind attributable to a member of the Parent Group having supplied, pursuant to this Section 8, a member of the SpinCo Group with inaccurate or incomplete information in connection with Taxes.

 

Section 9.                                           Tax Contests .

 

Section 9.01                             Notice .  Each of the Companies shall provide prompt notice to the other Company of any written communication from a Tax Authority regarding any pending or threatened Tax Contest or assessment related to Taxes of which it becomes aware related to Taxes for which it could reasonably expect to be indemnified by the other Company hereunder.  Such notice shall attach copies of the pertinent portion of any written communication from a Tax Authority and contain factual information (to the extent known) describing any asserted Tax liability in reasonable detail and shall be accompanied by copies of any notice and other documents received from any Tax Authority in respect of any such matters.  If an indemnified party has knowledge of an asserted Tax liability with respect to a matter for which it is to be indemnified hereunder and such party fails to give the indemnifying party prompt notice of such asserted Tax liability, then such failure shall not relieve the indemnifying party of any obligation

 

29



 

which it may have to the indemnified party under this Agreement except to the extent that the indemnifying party is actually prejudiced by such failure.

 

Section 9.02                             Control of Tax Contests .

 

(a)                                  Separate Company Taxes; Section 2.03(c) Returns.   In the case of any Tax Contest with respect to any Separate Return (other than a Section 2.03(c) Return), the Company having liability for the Tax shall have exclusive control over the Tax Contest, including exclusive authority with respect to any settlement of such Tax liability, subject to Section 9.02(f).  In the case of any Tax Contest with respect to any SpinCo Separate Return that is a Section 2.03(c) Return, (i) if Parent so notifies SpinCo in writing within 30 days after receiving notice from SpinCo about such Tax Contest, Parent shall have exclusive control over the Tax Contest, including exclusive authority with respect to any settlement of such Tax liability, subject to Section 9.02(f), and (ii) if Parent does not so notify SpinCo, SpinCo shall have exclusive control over the Tax Contest, including exclusive authority with respect to any settlement of such Tax liability, subject to Section 9.02(f).  In the case of any Tax Contest with respect to any Parent Separate Return that is a Section 2.03(c) Return, Parent shall have exclusive control over the Tax Contest (including exclusive authority with respect to any settlement of such Tax liability, subject to Section 9.02(f)), unless Parent provides SpinCo with written notice that SpinCo shall be the Controlling Party with respect to such Tax Contest.  Any reasonable costs and expenses incurred by Parent or SpinCo relating to any Tax Contest with respect to a Section 2.03(c) Return shall be borne by (i) SpinCo, to the extent such costs and expenses are attributable (as determined by Parent) to Taxes for which SpinCo is or would be responsible or (ii) Parent, to the extent such costs and expenses are attributable (as determined by Parent) to Taxes for which Parent is or would be responsible.

 

(b)                                  Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return.   In the case of any Tax Contest with respect to any Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return, Parent shall have exclusive control over the Tax Contest, including exclusive authority with respect to any settlement of such Tax liability, subject to Section 9.02(f).

 

(c)                                   Parent State Combined Income Tax Return. In the case of any Tax Contest with respect to any Parent State Combined Income Tax Return, Parent shall have exclusive control over the Tax Contest, including exclusive authority with respect to any settlement of such Tax liability, subject to Section 9.02(f).

 

(d)                                  Parent Foreign Combined Income Tax Return. In the case of any Tax Contest with respect to any Parent Foreign Combined Income Tax Return, Parent shall have exclusive control over the Tax Contest, including exclusive authority with respect to any settlement of such Tax liability, subject to Section 9.02(f).

 

(e)                                   Joint Returns.   In the case of any Tax Contest with respect to any Joint Return (other than any Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return, any Parent State Combined Income Tax Return or any Parent Foreign Combined Income Tax Return), Parent shall have exclusive control over the Tax Contest (including exclusive authority with respect to any settlement of such Tax liability, subject to Section 9.02(f)), unless Parent provides SpinCo with written notice that SpinCo shall be the Controlling Party with respect to such Tax Contest.

 

30



 

(f)                                     Settlement Rights.  The Controlling Party shall have the sole right to contest, litigate, compromise and settle any Tax Contest without obtaining the prior consent of the Non-Controlling Party.  Unless waived by the parties in writing, in connection with any potential adjustment in a Tax Contest as a result of which adjustment the Non-Controlling Party may reasonably be expected to become liable to make any indemnification payment (or any payment under Section 6) to the Controlling Party under this Agreement:  (i) the Controlling Party shall keep the Non-Controlling Party informed in a timely manner of all actions taken or proposed to be taken by the Controlling Party with respect to such potential adjustment in such Tax Contest; (ii) the Controlling Party shall provide the Non-Controlling Party copies of any written materials relating to such potential adjustment in such Tax Contest received from any Tax Authority; (iii) the Controlling Party shall timely provide the Non-Controlling Party with copies of any correspondence or filings submitted to any Tax Authority or judicial authority in connection with such potential adjustment in such Tax Contest; and (iv) the Controlling Party shall consult with the Non-Controlling Party and offer the Non-Controlling Party a reasonable opportunity to comment before submitting any written materials prepared or furnished in connection with such potential adjustment in such Tax Contest.  The failure of the Controlling Party to take any action specified in the preceding sentence with respect to the Non-Controlling Party shall not relieve the Non-Controlling Party of any liability or obligation which it may have to the Controlling Party under this Agreement in respect of such adjustment, except to the extent that the Non-Controlling Party was actually harmed by such failure, and in no event shall such failure relieve the Non-Controlling Party from any other liability or obligation which it may have to the Controlling Party under this Agreement.  In the case of any Tax Contest described in this Section 9.02, “ Controlling Party ” means the Company entitled to control the Tax Contest under such Section and “ Non-Controlling Party ” means the other Company.

 

(g)                                  Power of Attorney.  Each member of the SpinCo Group shall execute and deliver to Parent (or such member of the Parent Group as Parent shall designate) any power of attorney or other similar document reasonably requested by Parent (or such designee) in connection with any Tax Contest (as to which Parent is the Controlling Party) described in this Section 9.  Each member of the Parent Group shall execute and deliver to SpinCo (or such member of the SpinCo Group as SpinCo shall designate) any power of attorney or other similar document reasonably requested by SpinCo (or such designee) in connection with any Tax Contest (as to which SpinCo is the Controlling Party) described in this Section 9.

 

31



 

Section 10.                                    Effective Date; Termination of Prior Intercompany Tax Allocation Agreements .  This Agreement shall be effective as of the date hereof.  As of the date hereof or on such other date (on or prior to the Distribution Date) as Parent may determine, (i) all prior intercompany Tax allocation agreements or arrangements solely between or among Parent and/or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and SpinCo and/or any of its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, shall be terminated, and (ii) amounts due under such agreements as of the date hereof shall be settled.  Upon such termination and settlement, no further payments by or to Parent or by or to SpinCo, with respect to such agreements shall be made, and all other rights and obligations resulting from such agreements between the Companies and their Affiliates shall cease at such time.  Any payments pursuant to such agreements shall be disregarded for purposes of computing amounts due under this Agreement.

 

Section 11.                                    Survival of Obligations .  The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth in this Agreement shall be unconditional and absolute and shall remain in effect without limitation as to time.

 

Section 12.                                    Treatment of Payments; Tax Gross Up .

 

Section 12.01                      Treatment of Tax Indemnity and Tax Benefit Payments .  In the absence of any change in Tax treatment under the Code or other applicable Tax Law, for all Income Tax purposes, the Companies agree to treat, and to cause their respective Affiliates to treat:

 

(a)                                  any indemnity payments made by a Company under this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement (and any payment of the Final Adjustment Amount made by a Company under the Separation and Distribution Agreement) as distributions or capital contributions, as appropriate, occurring immediately before the Distribution (but only to the extent the payment does not relate to a Tax allocated to the payor in accordance with Section 1552 of the Code or the regulations thereunder or Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-33(d) (or under corresponding principles of other applicable Tax Laws)) or as payments of an assumed or retained liability,

 

(b)                                  any payment of interest or State Income Taxes by or to a Tax Authority, as taxable or deductible, as the case may be, to the Company entitled under this Agreement to retain such payment or required under this Agreement to make such payment; and

 

(c)                                   any Tax Benefit payments made by a Company under Sections 6 or 7.06, as distributions or capital contributions, as appropriate, occurring immediately before the Distribution (but only to the extent the payment does not relate to a Tax allocated to the payor in accordance with Section 1552 of the Code or the regulations thereunder or Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-33(d) (or under corresponding principles of other applicable Tax Laws)) or as payments of an assumed or retained liability.

 

Section 12.02                      Tax Gross Up .  If notwithstanding the manner in which payments described in Section 12.01(a) and (c) were reported, there is an adjustment to the Tax liability of a Company as a result of its receipt of a payment pursuant to this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement, such payment shall be appropriately increased so that the amount of such payment, reduced by the amount of all Income Taxes payable with respect to the receipt

 

32



 

thereof (but taking into account all correlative Tax Benefits resulting from the payment of such Income Taxes), shall equal the amount of the payment which the Company receiving such payment would otherwise be entitled to receive.  For purposes of this Section 12.02, the amount of any Income Taxes payable with respect to the receipt of a payment pursuant to this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall be calculated by assuming that the recipient or the Group of which it is a member, as applicable, (I) pays Tax at the highest marginal corporate Tax rates in effect in each relevant taxable year and (II) has no Tax Attributes in any relevant taxable year.

 

Section 12.03                      Interest Under This Agreement .  Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, to the extent one Company (“ Indemnitor ”) makes a payment of interest to another Company (“ Indemnitee ”) under this Agreement with respect to the period from the date that the Indemnitee made a payment of Tax to a Tax Authority to the date that the Indemnitor reimbursed the Indemnitee for such Tax payment, the interest payment shall be treated as interest expense to the Indemnitor (deductible to the extent provided by law) and as interest income by the Indemnitee (includible in income to the extent provided by law).  The amount of the payment shall not be adjusted to take into account any associated Tax Benefit to the Indemnitor or increase in Tax to the Indemnitee.

 

Section 13.                                    Disagreements .

 

Section 13.01                      Interaction with Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement .  In the event of any dispute between any member of the Parent Group and any member of the SpinCo Group as to any matter covered by this Agreement, the Companies shall agree as to whether such dispute shall be governed by the procedures set forth in Section 13.02 of this Agreement or in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.  If the Parties cannot agree within thirty (30) days from the time such dispute arises as to which procedure will govern such dispute, such disagreement shall be resolved pursuant to Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Section 13.02                      Dispute Resolution .   With respect to any dispute governed by this Section 13.02, the Companies shall appoint a nationally recognized “Big Four” independent public accounting firm (other than the current auditing firm of Parent or SpinCo) (the “ Accounting Firm ”) to resolve such dispute.  The Companies shall cooperate in good faith in jointly selecting the Accounting Firm.  In this regard, the Accounting Firm shall make determinations with respect to the disputed items based solely on representations made by Parent and SpinCo and their respective Representatives, and not by independent review, shall function only as an expert and not as an arbitrator and shall be required to make a determination in favor of one Company only.  The Companies shall require the Accounting Firm to resolve all disputes no later than fifteen (15) days after the submission of such dispute to the Accounting Firm, but in no event later than the relevant Payment Date, and agree that all decisions by the Accounting Firm with respect thereto shall be final and conclusive and binding on the Companies.  The Accounting Firm shall resolve all disputes in a manner consistent with this Agreement.  To the extent not inconsistent with this Agreement, the Accounting Firm shall resolve all disputes in a manner consistent with the Past Practices of Parent and the members of the Parent Group, except as otherwise required by applicable Law.  The Companies shall require the Accounting Firm to render all determinations in writing and to set forth, in reasonable detail, the basis for such

 

33



 

determination.  The fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm shall be paid by the non-prevailing Company.  Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 13, a Party may seek preliminary provisional or injunctive judicial relief with respect to  any dispute under this Agreement without first complying with the procedures set forth in this Section 13 (or Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement) if such action is reasonably necessary to avoid irreparable damage.

 

Section 14.                                    Late Payments .  Any amount owed by one party to another party under this Agreement which is not paid when due shall bear interest at the Prime Rate plus two percentage points, compounded semiannually, from the due date of the payment to the date paid.  To the extent interest required to be paid under this Section 14 duplicates interest required to be paid under any other provision of this Agreement, interest shall be computed at the higher of the interest rate provided under this Section 14 or the interest rate provided under such other provision.

 

Section 15.                                    Expenses .  Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, each party and its Affiliates shall bear their own expenses incurred in connection with the preparation of Tax Returns, Tax Contests, and other matters related to Taxes under the provisions of this Agreement.

 

Section 16.                                    General Provisions .

 

Section 16.01                      Addresses and Notices .  Each party giving any notice required or permitted under this Agreement will give the notice in writing and use one of the following methods of delivery to the party to be notified, at the address set forth below or another address of which the sending party has been notified in accordance with this Section 16.01:  (a) personal delivery; (b) commercial overnight courier with a reasonable method of confirming delivery; or (c) pre-paid, United States of America certified or registered mail, return receipt requested.  Notice to a party is effective for purposes of this Agreement only if given as provided in this Section 16.01 and shall be deemed given on the date that the intended addressee actually receives the notice.

 

If to Parent :

with a copy to:

 

 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.

150 Peabody Place

150 Peabody Place

Memphis, Tennessee 38103

Memphis, Tennessee 38103

Attention:

Vice President, Tax

Attention:

Chief Financial Officer

E-mail:

Shannon.Sparks@servicemaster.com

E-mail:

tony.dilucente@servicemaster.com

 

 

If to SpinCo :

with a copy to:

 

 

frontdoor, inc.

frontdoor, inc.

150 Peabody Place

150 Peabody Place

Memphis, Tennessee 38103

Memphis, Tennessee 38103

Attention: Chief Financial Officer

Attention: General Counsel

E-mail: brian.turcotte@frontdoorhome.com

E-mail: jeffrey.fiarman@frontdoorhome.com

 

34



 

A party may change the address for receiving notices under this Agreement by providing written notice of the change of address to the other parties.

 

Section 16.02                      Binding Effect .  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and assigns.  None of the parties hereto may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other parties hereto.

 

Section 16.03                      Waiver .   The parties may waive a provision of this Agreement only by a writing signed by the party intended to be bound by the waiver.  A party is not prevented from enforcing any right, remedy or condition in the party’s favor because of any failure or delay in exercising any right or remedy or in requiring satisfaction of any condition, except to the extent that the party specifically waives the same in writing.  A written waiver given for one matter or occasion is effective only in that instance and only for the purpose stated.  A waiver once given is not to be construed as a waiver for any other matter or occasion.  Any enumeration of a party’s rights and remedies in this Agreement is not intended to be exclusive, and a party’s rights and remedies are intended to be cumulative to the extent permitted by law and include any rights and remedies authorized in law or in equity.

 

Section 16.04                      Severability .   If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Agreement remain in full force, if the essential terms and conditions of this Agreement for each party remain valid, binding and enforceable.

 

Section 16.05                      Authority Each of the parties represents to the other that (a) it has the corporate or other requisite power and authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement, (b) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other action, (c) it has duly and validly executed and delivered this Agreement, and (d) this Agreement is a legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general equity principles.

 

Section 16.06                      Further Action .   The parties shall execute and deliver all documents, provide all information, and take or refrain from taking action as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of this Agreement, including the execution and delivery to the other parties and their Affiliates and representatives of such powers of attorney or other authorizing documentation as is reasonably necessary or appropriate in connection with Tax Contests (or portions thereof) under the control of such other parties in accordance with Section 9.

 

Section 16.07                      Integration .  This Agreement, together with any exhibits and schedules appended hereto, constitutes the final agreement between the parties, and is the complete and exclusive statement of the parties’ agreement on the matters contained herein.  All prior and contemporaneous negotiations and agreements between the parties with respect to the matters

 

35



 

contained herein are superseded by this Agreement, as applicable.  In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between this Agreement and the Separation and Distribution Agreement, or any other agreements relating to the transactions contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement, with respect to matters addressed herein, the provisions of this Agreement shall control.

 

Section 16.08                      Construction .  The language in all parts of this Agreement shall in all cases be construed according to its fair meaning and shall not be strictly construed for or against any party.  The captions, titles and headings included in this Agreement are for convenience only, and do not affect this Agreement’s construction or interpretation.  Unless otherwise indicated, all “Section” references in this Agreement are to sections of this Agreement.  This Agreement shall be deemed to be the joint work product of the parties hereto and any rule of construction that a document shall be interpreted or construed against a drafter of such document shall not be applicable.

 

Section 16.09                      No Double Recovery .  No provision of this Agreement shall be construed to provide an indemnity or other recovery for any costs, damages, or other amounts for which the damaged party has been fully compensated under any other provision of this Agreement or under any other agreement or action at law or equity.  Unless expressly required in this Agreement, a party shall not be required to exhaust all remedies available under other agreements or at law or equity before recovering under the remedies provided in this Agreement.

 

Section 16.10                      Counterparts .  The parties may execute this Agreement in multiple counterparts, each of which constitutes an original as against the party that signed it, and all of which together constitute one agreement.  This Agreement is effective upon delivery of one executed counterpart from each party to the other party.  The signatures of the parties need not appear on the same counterpart.  The delivery of signed counterparts by facsimile or email transmission that includes a copy of the sending party’s signature is as effective as signing and delivering the counterpart in person.

 

Section 16.11                      Governing Law The internal laws of the State of Delaware (without reference to its principles of conflicts of law) govern the construction, interpretation and other matters arising out of or in connection with this Agreement and any exhibits and schedules hereto and thereto (whether arising in contract, tort, equity or otherwise).

 

Section 16.12                      Jurisdiction If any dispute arises out of or in connection with this Agreement, except as expressly contemplated by another provision of this Agreement, the parties irrevocably (and the parties will cause each other member of their respective Group to irrevocably) (a) consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of federal and state courts located in Delaware, (b) waive any objection to that choice of forum based on venue or to the effect that the forum is not convenient, and (c) WAIVE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL OR ADJUDICATION BY JURY.

 

Section 16.13                      Amendment .   The parties may amend this Agreement only by a written agreement signed by each party to be bound by the amendment and that identifies itself as an amendment to this Agreement.

 

36



 

Section 16.14                      SpinCo Subsidiaries .  If, at any time, SpinCo acquires or creates one or more subsidiaries that are includable in the SpinCo Group (or that would be so includable if membership in the SpinCo Group were measured after such acquisition or creation), they shall be subject to this Agreement and all references to the SpinCo Group herein shall thereafter include a reference to such subsidiaries.

 

Section 16.15                      Successors .  This Agreement shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of any successor by merger, acquisition of assets, or otherwise, to any of the parties hereto (including but not limited to any successor of Parent or SpinCo succeeding to the Tax attributes thereof under Section 381 of the Code), to the same extent as if such successor had been an original party to this Agreement.

 

Section 16.16                      Injunctions .  The parties acknowledge that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with its specific terms or were otherwise breached.  The parties hereto shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of the provisions of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof in any court having jurisdiction, such remedy being in addition to any other remedy to which they may be entitled at law or in equity.

 

[ Remainder of page intentionally left blank; signature page follows ]

 

37



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party has caused this Agreement to be executed on its behalf by a duly authorized officer on the date first set forth above.

 

Parent

SpinCo

 

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

 

By:

/s/ Anthony D. Dilucente

 

By:

/s/ Rexford J. Tibbens

Name:

Anthony D. Dilucente

Name:

Rexford J. Tibbens

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Title:

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Tax Matters Agreement]

 


Exhibit 10.3

 

EMPLOYEE MATTERS AGREEMENT

 

BY AND BETWEEN

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

AND

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

2

 

 

Section 1.01.

Definitions

2

Section 1.02.

Interpretation

8

 

 

 

ARTICLE II GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR ALLOCATION OF LIABILITIES

9

 

 

Section 2.01.

General Principles

9

Section 2.02.

Adoption and Transfer and Assumption of Benefit Plans

10

Section 2.03.

Individual Agreements

13

Section 2.04.

We Listen Dispute Resolution Plan

13

Section 2.05.

Reimbursement

14

 

 

ARTICLE III ASSIGNMENT OF EMPLOYEES

15

 

 

Section 3.01.

Active Employees

15

Section 3.02.

Payroll and Related Taxes

16

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV EQUITY, INCENTIVE AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

17

 

 

Section 4.01.

Generally

17

Section 4.02.

Equity Incentive Awards

17

Section 4.03.

Nonequity Incentive Practices and Plans

21

Section 4.04.

Director Compensation

22

 

 

 

ARTICLE V QUALIFIED RETIREMENT PLAN

23

 

 

Section 5.01.

SpinCo 401(k) Plan

23

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

25

 

 

Section 6.01.

Parent Deferred Compensation Plans

25

Section 6.02.

Participation; Distributions

25

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII WELFARE BENEFIT PLANS

26

 

 

Section 7.01.

Welfare Plans

26

Section 7.02.

COBRA

27

Section 7.03.

Vacation, Holidays and Leaves of Absence

27

Section 7.04.

Workers’ Compensation

28

Section 7.05.

Insurance Contracts

28

Section 7.06.

Third-Party Vendors

28

 

i



 

ARTICLE VIII MISCELLANEOUS

29

 

 

Section 8.01.

Preservation of Rights to Amend

29

Section 8.02.

Fiduciary Matters

29

Section 8.03.

Further Assurances

29

Section 8.04.

Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power

29

Section 8.05.

Governing Law

30

Section 8.06.

Assignability

30

Section 8.07.

Third-Party Beneficiaries

30

Section 8.08.

Notices

31

Section 8.09.

Severability

32

Section 8.10.

Force Majeure

32

Section 8.11.

Headings

32

Section 8.12.

Survival of Covenants

33

Section 8.13.

Waivers of Default

33

Section 8.14.

Dispute Resolution

33

Section 8.15.

Specific Performance

33

Section 8.16.

Amendments

33

Section 8.17.

Interpretation

33

Section 8.18.

Limitations of Liability

34

Section 8.19.

Mutual Drafting

34

 

 

 

Scheduled 2.02(a)

Benefit Plans to be Replicated by SpinCo Group

 

 

 

 

Schedule 7.01(a)

Parent Welfare Plans

 

 

ii



 

EMPLOYEE MATTERS AGREEMENT

 

This EMPLOYEE MATTERS AGREEMENT, dated as of September 28, 2018 (this “ Agreement ”), is by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Parent ”), and frontdoor, inc., a Delaware corporation (“ SpinCo ”).

 

R E C I T A L S:

 

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent (the “ Parent Board ”) has determined that it is in the best interests of Parent and its shareholders to create a new publicly traded company that shall operate the SpinCo Business;

 

WHEREAS, in furtherance of the foregoing, the Parent Board has determined that it is appropriate and desirable to separate the SpinCo Business from the Parent Business (the “ Separation ”) and, following the Separation, make a distribution, on a pro rata basis, to holders of Parent Shares on the Record Date of at least 80.1 percent (80.1%)  of the outstanding SpinCo Shares owned by Parent (the “ Distribution ”);

 

WHEREAS, SpinCo has been incorporated solely for these purposes and has not engaged in activities, except in connection with the Separation and the Distribution;

 

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Contribution and the Distribution, taken together, are intended to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code, and this Agreement is intended to be, and is hereby adopted as, a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-2(g);

 

WHEREAS, SpinCo and Parent have prepared, and SpinCo has filed with the SEC, the Form 10, which includes the Information Statement, and which sets forth disclosures concerning SpinCo, the Separation and the Distribution;

 

WHEREAS, in order to effectuate the Separation and Distribution, Parent and SpinCo have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “ Separation and Distribution Agreement ”);

 

WHEREAS, in addition to the matters addressed by the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Parties desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions of certain employment, compensation and benefit matters; and

 

WHEREAS, the Parties acknowledge that this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and the other Ancillary Agreements represent the integrated agreement of Parent and SpinCo relating to the Separation and Distribution, are being entered into together and would not have been entered into independently.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 



 

ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01.                           Definitions .  For purposes of this Agreement (including the recitals hereof), the following terms have the following meanings, and capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Actions ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Affiliate ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble to this Agreement and shall include all Schedules hereto and all amendments, modifications, and changes hereto entered into pursuant to Section 8.16 .

 

Assets ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Benefit Plan ” shall mean any contract, agreement, policy, practice, program, plan, trust, commitment or arrangement providing for benefits, perquisites or compensation of any nature from an employer to any Employee, or to any family member, dependent, or beneficiary of any such Employee, including cash or deferred arrangement plans, profit sharing plans, post-employment programs, pension plans, thrift plans, supplemental pension plans, welfare plans, stock option, stock purchase, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance stock units, other equity-based compensation and contracts, agreements, policies, practices, programs, plans, trusts, commitments and arrangements providing for terms of employment, fringe benefits, severance benefits, change in control protections or benefits, travel and accident, life, accidental death and dismemberment, disability and accident insurance, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, travel reimbursement, vacation, sick, personal or bereavement days, leaves of absences and holidays; provided , however , that the term “Benefit Plan” does not include any government-sponsored benefits, such as workers’ compensation, unemployment or any similar plans, programs or policies or Individual Agreements.

 

COBRA ” shall mean the U.S. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as codified at Section 601 et seq . of ERISA and at Section 4980B of the Code.

 

Code ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Concentration Election ” shall mean an election by a holder to have an equity award granted prior to April 23, 2018 to such holder adjusted in connection with the Separation into only stock of (i) Parent, in the case of a Parent Group Employee or (ii) SpinCo, in the case of a SpinCo Group Employee.

 

Distribution ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

2



 

Distribution Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Distribution Ratio ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Effective Time ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Employee ” shall mean any Parent Group Employee or SpinCo Group Employee.

 

ERISA ” shall mean the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Exchange Act ” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

FICA ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.02 .

 

Force Majeure ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Former Employees ” shall mean Former Parent Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees.

 

Former Parent Group Employee ” shall mean any individual who is a former employee of the Parent Group as of the Effective Time and who is not a Former SpinCo Group Employee.

 

Former SpinCo Group Employee ” shall mean any individual who is a former employee of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or former Subsidiaries as of the Effective Time, in each case, whose most recent employment with Parent was with a member of the SpinCo Group or was primarily engaged in the SpinCo Business.

 

FUTA ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.02 .

 

Governmental Authority ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Group ” shall mean either the SpinCo Group or the Parent Group, as the context requires.

 

HIPAA ” shall mean the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Individual Agreement ” shall mean any individual (a) employment contract, (b) retention, severance or change in control agreement, or (c) other agreement containing restrictive covenants (including confidentiality, noncompetition and nonsolicitation provisions)

 

3



 

between a member of the Parent Group and a SpinCo Group Employee or any Former SpinCo Group Employee, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

IRS ” shall mean the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

 

Law ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Liabilities ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Option Exercise Price Ratio ” shall mean, with respect to a Parent Option Award, the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the per share exercise price of such Parent Option immediately prior to the Effective Time, by (ii) the Pre-Separation Parent Stock Value.

 

Parent ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Parent 401(k) Plan ” shall mean the ServiceMaster Profit Sharing and Retirement Plan, as in effect or as it may be amended from time to time.

 

Parent Awards ” shall mean Parent Option Awards, Parent RSU Awards, and Parent Deferred Shares Equivalents, collectively.

 

Parent Benefit Plan ” shall mean any Benefit Plan established, sponsored or maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Effective Time, but excluding any SpinCo Benefit Plan.

 

Parent Board ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Parent Business ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Parent Change in Control ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.02(e)(i) .

 

Parent Compensation Committee ” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Parent Board.

 

Parent Deferred Compensation Plan ” shall mean the Parent Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated as of October 28, 2016.

 

Parent Deferred Shares Equivalents ” shall mean an award of deferred shares equivalents granted pursuant to a Parent Omnibus Plan that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

Parent Group ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Parent Group Employees ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(a)(ii) .

 

4



 

Parent Liabilities ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Parent Non-Equity Incentive Practices ” shall mean the corporate nonequity incentive practices of the Parent Group.

 

Parent Omnibus Plan ” shall mean the Amended and Restated ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan, as amended as of October 25, 2012 and the Amended and Restated ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended and restated as of April 27, 2015.

 

Parent Option Award ” shall mean an award of options to purchase Parent Shares granted pursuant to a Parent Omnibus Plan that is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

Parent Ratio ” shall mean the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the Pre-Separation Parent Stock Value by (b) the Post-Separation Parent Stock Value.

 

Parent RSU Award ” shall mean any Parent RSU Award (Concentrated) and/or any Parent RSU Award (Legacy).

 

Parent RSU Award (Concentrated) ” shall mean a restricted stock unit award outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, including any time-based restricted stock unit and (if any) performance restricted stock unit award, granted pursuant to the Parent Omnibus Plan, either (i) on or after April 23, 2018, or (ii) prior to April 23, 2018 and as to which the holder thereof has made a Concentration Election.

 

Parent RSU Award (Legacy) ” shall mean an award of restricted stock units, including any time-based restricted stock unit or performance restricted stock unit, granted pursuant to a Parent Omnibus Plan prior to April 23, 2018, which is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time and as to which the holder thereof has not made a Concentration Election.

 

Parent Shares ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Parent Transition Employees ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(f) .

 

Parent Welfare Plan ” shall mean any Parent Benefit Plan which is a Welfare Plan.

 

Parties ” shall mean the parties to this Agreement.

 

Person ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Post-Separation Deferred Shares Equivalents ” shall mean a Parent Deferred Shares Equivalent adjusted as of the Effective Time in accordance with Section 4.02(d) .

 

5



 

Post-Separation Parent Awards ” shall mean Post-Separation Parent Option Awards, Post-Separation Parent RSU Awards, and Post-Separation Deferred Shares Equivalents, collectively.

 

Post-Separation Parent Option Award ” shall mean a Parent Option Award, as adjusted as of the Effective Time in accordance with Section 4.02(a) .

 

Post-Separation Parent RSU Award ” shall mean a Parent RSU Award, as adjusted as of the Effective Time in accordance with Section 4.02(c)  or Section 4.02(c) , as applicable.

 

Post-Separation Parent Stock Value ” shall mean the opening per-share price of Parent Shares on the NYSE on the first regular trading session (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST) after the Distribution Date.

 

Pre-Separation Parent Stock Value ” shall mean the closing per-share price of Parent Shares trading “regular way with due bills” on the NYSE on the last regular trading session (9:30 am to 4:00 pm EST) on the Distribution Date.

 

QDRO ” shall mean a qualified domestic relations order within the meaning of Section 206(d) of ERISA and Section 414(p) of the Code.

 

Record Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Securities Act ” shall mean the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Separation ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Separation and Distribution Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

SpinCo ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

SpinCo 401(k) Plan ” shall mean the SpinCo 401(k) Savings Plan, to be adopted by SpinCo prior to or on the Distribution Date as described in Section 5.01 .

 

SpinCo 401(k) Trust ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.01(a) .

 

SpinCo Awards ” shall mean SpinCo Option Awards, SpinCo RSU Awards and SpinCo Deferred Shares Equivalents, collectively.

 

SpinCo Benefit Plan ” shall mean any Benefit Plan established, sponsored, maintained or contributed to by a member of the SpinCo Group as of or after the Effective Time.

 

SpinCo Board ” shall mean the Board of Directors of SpinCo.

 

SpinCo Business ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

6



 

SpinCo Change in Control ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.02(e)(i) .

 

SpinCo Designees ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

SpinCo Deferred Shares Equivalents ” shall mean an award of deferred shares equivalents assumed pursuant to the SpinCo Omnibus Plan in accordance with Section 4.02(d) .

 

SpinCo Flex Plan ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.01(c) .

 

SpinCo Group ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

SpinCo Group Employees ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(a) .

 

SpinCo Liabilities ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

SpinCo Non-Equity Incentive Practices ” shall mean the corporate nonequity incentive practices, as established by SpinCo as of the Effective Time pursuant to Section 2.02(a)  and Section 4.03(a) .

 

SpinCo Omnibus Plan ” shall mean the SpinCo 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as established by SpinCo as of the Effective Time pursuant to Section 2.02(a)  and Section 4.01 .

 

SpinCo Option Award ” shall mean an award of stock options assumed and granted by SpinCo pursuant to the SpinCo Omnibus Plan in accordance with Section 4.02(a) .

 

SpinCo Ratio ” shall mean the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the Pre-Separation Parent Stock Value by (b) the SpinCo Stock Value.

 

SpinCo RSU Award ” shall mean an award of restricted stock units (including any performance restricted stock units) assumed and granted pursuant to the SpinCo Omnibus Plan in accordance with Section 4.02(b)  or Section 4.02(c) , as applicable.

 

SpinCo Shares ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

SpinCo Stock Value ” shall mean opening per-share price of SpinCo Shares on the NASDAQ on the first regular trading session (9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST) after the Distribution Date.

 

SpinCo Transition Employees ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(f) .

 

SpinCo Welfare Plan ” shall mean a Welfare Plan established, sponsored, maintained or contributed to by any member of the SpinCo Group for the benefit of SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees.

 

7



 

Subsidiary ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Tax ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement.

 

Third-Party Claim ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Transfer Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(f).

 

Transferred Account Balances ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.01(c) .

 

Transferred Director ” shall mean each SpinCo nonemployee director as of the Effective Time who served on the Parent Board immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

Transition Services Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

U.S. ” shall mean the United States of America.

 

We Listen ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.04 .

 

Welfare Plan ” shall mean any “welfare plan” (as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA) or a “cafeteria plan” under Section 125 of the Code, and any benefits offered thereunder, and any other plan offering health benefits (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, mental health, substance abuse and retiree health), disability benefits, or life, accidental death and dismemberment, and business travel insurance, pre-Tax premium conversion benefits, dependent care assistance programs, employee assistance programs, paid time-off programs, contribution funding toward a health savings account, flexible spending accounts or severance.

 

Section 1.02.                           Interpretation .  Section 10.15 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference.

 

8



 

ARTICLE II
GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR ALLOCATION OF LIABILITIES

 

Section 2.01.                           General Principles .

 

(a)                                  Acceptance and Assumption of SpinCo Liabilities .  Except as otherwise provided by this Agreement, on or prior to the Effective Time, but in any case prior to the Distribution, SpinCo and the applicable SpinCo Designees shall accept, assume and agree faithfully to perform, discharge and fulfill all of the following Liabilities in accordance with their respective terms (each of which shall be considered a SpinCo Liability), regardless of when or where such Liabilities arose or arise, or whether the facts on which they are based occurred prior to, at or subsequent to the Effective Time, regardless of where or against whom such Liabilities are asserted or determined (including any Liabilities arising out of claims made by Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, Employees, Former Employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group) or whether asserted or determined prior to the date hereof, and regardless of whether arising from or alleged to arise from negligence, recklessness, violation of Law, fraud or misrepresentation by any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, or any of their respective directors, officers, Employees, Former Employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates:

 

(i)                                      any and all wages, salaries, incentive compensation, equity compensation, commissions, bonuses and any other employee compensation or benefits payable to or on behalf of any SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees after the Effective Time, without regard to when such wages, salaries, incentive compensation, equity compensation, commissions, bonuses or other employee compensation or benefits are or may have been awarded or earned;

 

(ii)                                   any and all Liabilities whatsoever with respect to claims under a SpinCo Benefit Plan, taking into account the SpinCo Benefit Plan’s assumption of Liabilities with respect to SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees that were originally the Liabilities of the corresponding Parent Benefit Plan with respect to periods prior to the Effective Time; and

 

(iii)                                any and all Liabilities expressly assumed or retained by any member of the SpinCo Group pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(b)                                  Acceptance and Assumption of Parent Liabilities .  Except as otherwise provided by this Agreement, on or prior to the Effective Time, but in any case prior to the Distribution, Parent and certain members of the Parent Group designated by Parent shall accept, assume and agree faithfully to perform, discharge and fulfill all of the following Liabilities in accordance with their respective terms (each of which shall be considered a Parent Liability), regardless of when or where such Liabilities arose or arise, or whether the facts on which they are based occurred prior to, at or subsequent to the Effective Time, regardless of where or against whom such Liabilities are asserted or determined (including any Liabilities arising out of claims made by Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, Employees, Former Employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group) or whether asserted or determined prior to the date hereof, and regardless of whether arising from or

 

9



 

alleged to arise from negligence, recklessness, violation of Law, fraud or misrepresentation by any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, or any of their respective directors, officers, Employees, Former Employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates:

 

(i)                                      any and all wages, salaries, incentive compensation, equity compensation, commissions, bonuses and any other employee compensation or benefits payable to or on behalf of any Parent Group Employees and Former Parent Group Employees after the Effective Time, without regard to when such wages, salaries, incentive compensation, equity compensation, commissions, bonuses or other employee compensation or benefits are or may have been awarded or earned;

 

(ii)                                   any and all Liabilities whatsoever with respect to claims under a Parent Benefit Plan, taking into account a corresponding SpinCo Benefit Plan’s assumption of Liabilities with respect to SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees that were originally the Liabilities of such Parent Benefit Plan with respect to periods prior to the Effective Time; and

 

(iii)                                any and all Liabilities expressly assumed or retained by any member of the Parent Group pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(c)                                   Unaddressed Liabilities.  To the extent that this Agreement does not address particular Liabilities under any Benefit Plan and the Parties later determine that they should be allocated in connection with the Distribution, the Parties shall agree in good faith on the allocation, taking into account the handling of comparable Liabilities under this Agreement.

 

Section 2.02.                           Adoption and Transfer and Assumption of Benefit Plans .

 

(a)                                  Adoption by SpinCo of Benefit Plans .  As of no later than the Effective Time, SpinCo shall, or shall cause the members of the SpinCo Group to adopt Benefit Plans (and related trusts, if applicable) as contemplated and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, which Benefit Plans are generally intended to contain terms substantially similar in all material respects to those of the corresponding Parent Benefit Plans as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, as listed on Schedule 2.02(a)  to this Agreement, with such changes, modifications or amendments to the SpinCo Benefit Plans as may be required by applicable Law or to reflect the Separation and Distribution, including limiting participation in any such SpinCo Benefit Plan to SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees who participated in the corresponding Benefit Plan immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

(b)                                  Plans Not Required to Be Adopted .  With respect to any Benefit Plan not listed or otherwise addressed in this Agreement, the Parties shall agree in good faith on the treatment of such plan taking into account the handling of any comparable plan under this Agreement and, notwithstanding that SpinCo shall not have an obligation to continue to maintain any such plan with respect to the provision of future benefits from and after the Effective Time, SpinCo shall remain obligated to pay or provide any previously accrued or incurred benefits to the SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees consistent with Section 2.01(a)  of this Agreement.

 

10



 

(c)                                   Information, Elections and Beneficiary Designations .  Each Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to provide the other Party with information describing each Benefit Plan election made by an Employee or Former Employee that may have application to such Party’s Benefit Plans from and after the Effective Time, and each Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to administer its Benefit Plans using those elections, including any beneficiary designations.  To the extent transferred, any beneficiary designation made by a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee under a corresponding Parent Benefit Plan shall be transferred to and be in full force and effect under the corresponding SpinCo Benefit Plan until such beneficiary designation is replaced or revoked by the SpinCo Employee or Former SpinCo Employee who made the beneficiary designation.  Each Party shall, upon reasonable request, use its commercially reasonable efforts to provide the other Party and the other Party’s respective Affiliates, agents, and vendors all information reasonably necessary to the other Party’s operation or administration of its Benefit Plans.

 

(d)                                  Service Credit and Other Factors Determining Benefits .  As of the Effective Time, the SpinCo Benefit Plans shall provide for each SpinCo Group Employee who is employed immediately following the Effective Time by a member of the SpinCo Group and each Former SpinCo Group Employee that all service, all compensation and other factors affecting benefit determinations that, as of the Distribution Date, were recognized under the corresponding Parent Benefit Plan shall receive full recognition and credit and shall be taken into account under such SpinCo Benefit Plan to the same extent as though arising under such SpinCo Benefit Plan, except as duplication of benefits would result.

 

(e)                                   No Duplication or Acceleration of Benefits .  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, no participant in any Benefit Plan shall receive service credit or benefits or recognition of compensation or other factors to the extent that receipt of such service credit or benefits or recognition of compensation or other factors would result in duplication of benefits provided to such participant by the corresponding Benefit Plan or any other plan, program or arrangement sponsored or maintained by a member of the Group that sponsors the corresponding Benefit Plan.  Furthermore, unless expressly provided for in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement or required by applicable Law, no provision in this Agreement shall be construed to (i) create any right to accelerate vesting distributions or entitlements under any Benefit Plan sponsored or maintained by a member of the Parent Group or member of the SpinCo Group on the part of any Employee or Former Employee or (ii) limit the ability of a member of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group to amend, merge, modify eliminate, reduce or otherwise alter in any respect any benefit under any Benefit Plan sponsored or maintained by a member of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group, respectively, or any trust, insurance policy or funding vehicle related thereto.

 

(f)                                    Transition Services .  The Parties acknowledge that the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group may provide administrative services for certain of the other Party’s compensation and benefit programs for a transitional period under the terms of the Transition Services Agreement.  The Parties agree to enter into a business associate agreement (if required by HIPAA or other applicable health information privacy Laws) in connection with such Transition Services Agreement.  The Parties agree that the certain individuals providing services under the Transition Services Agreement may be employed by the Parent Group (“Parent Transition Employees ”) or

 

11



 

the SpinCo Group (“ SpinCo Transition Employees ”) during a transition period beginning on the Effective Date and ending on a date to be agreed upon between Parent and SpinCo in writing (the “ Transfer Date ”).  Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the Parent Transition Employees will be treated as Parent Group Employees and SpinCo Transition Employees shall be treated as SpinCo Group Employees for purposes of this Agreement. The Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that, except for offers of employment by SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group or by the Parent or a member of the Parent Group as provided in Section 2.02(f)  of this Agreement, the Non-Solicitation provision agreed to by the Parties in the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall apply in respect of the Parent Transition Employees and SpinCo Transition Employees.  On or before the Transfer Date but after receiving written consent by Parent, such written consent not to be unreasonably withheld, SpinCo may, or may cause a member of the SpinCo Group, to offer employment to the Parent Transition Employee as of the Transfer Date, with such terms and conditions of employment as SpinCo or such member of the SpinCo Group shall deem appropriate.  On or before the Transfer Date but after receiving written consent by SpinCo, such written consent not to be unreasonably withheld, Parent may, or may cause a member of the Parent Group, to offer employment to the SpinCo Transition Employee as of the Transfer Date, with such terms and conditions of employment as Parent or such member of the Parent Group shall deem appropriate.  As of the Transfer Date, the employment of each Parent Transition Employee who accepts SpinCo’s offer of employment shall be transferred to the SpinCo Group and the employment of each SpinCo Transition Employee who accepts Parent’s offer of employment shall be transferred to the Parent Group.  As of the applicable Transfer Date, the applicable member of the SpinCo Group and Parent Group shall credit each Parent Transition Employee or SpinCo Transition Employee, respectively, with the amount of accrued but unused paid time off and other time off benefits as such Parent Transition Employee or SpinCo Transition Employee, respectively, had with the Parent Group or SpinCo Group immediately prior to such Transfer Date under the paid time off or vacation policies then in effect (to the extent such vacation or paid time off has not been paid out if required by Law).  With respect to each Parent Transition Employee who accepts SpinCo’s or the SpinCo Group member’s offer of employment, each SpinCo Group Benefit Plan shall provide that all service, all compensation, and all other factors affecting benefit determinations that, as of the completion of the Transfer Date, were recognized under the corresponding Parent Group Benefit Plan (for periods immediately before the Transfer Date) shall receive full recognition, credit, and validity and be taken into account under such SpinCo Group Benefit Plan to the same extent as though arising under such Parent Group Benefit Plan consistent with principals applicable for the treatment of SpinCo Employees under the SpinCo Group Plans immediately following the Effective Time. With respect to each SpinCo Transition Employee who accepts Parent’s or the Parent Group member’s offer of employment, each Parent Group Benefit Plan shall provide that all service, all compensation, and all other factors affecting benefit determinations that, as of the completion of the Transfer Date, were recognized under the corresponding SpinCo Group Benefit Plan (for periods immediately before the Transfer Date) shall receive full recognition, credit, and validity and be taken into account under such Parent Group Benefit Plan to the same extent as though arising under such SpinCo Group Benefit Plan consistent with the principals applicable for the treatment of SpinCo Employees under the SpinCo Group Plans immediately following the Effective Time.  Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, in no event shall the crediting of service or any other action taken pursuant to the immediately preceding sentence result in the duplication of benefits for any Parent Transition Employee or SpinCo Transition Employee under any Parent

 

12



 

Group Benefit Plan and any SpinCo Group Benefit Plan.  Except as otherwise determined by the Parties (in a manner consistent with Section 409A of the Code), each Parent Transition Employee or SpinCo Transition Employee who commences employment with the SpinCo Group or Parent Group, respectively shall be deemed to have experienced a termination of employment for purposes of the terms and conditions of Post-Separation Parent Awards and SpinCo Awards of such Parent Transition Employee or SpinCo Transition Employee as of the Transfer Date.

 

(g)                                   Beneficiaries .  References to Parent Group Employees, Former Parent Group Employees, SpinCo Group Employees, Former SpinCo Group Employees, and current and former nonemployee directors of either Parent or SpinCo, shall be deemed to refer to their beneficiaries, dependents, survivors and alternate payees, as applicable.

 

Section 2.03.                           Individual Agreements .

 

(a)                                  Assignment by Parent .  To the extent necessary, Parent shall assign, or cause an applicable member of the Parent Group to assign, to SpinCo or another member of the SpinCo Group, as designated by SpinCo, all Individual Agreements, with such assignment to be effective as of no later than the Effective Time; provided , however , that to the extent that assignment of any such Individual Agreement is not permitted by the terms of such agreement or by applicable Law, effective as of the Effective Time, each member of the SpinCo Group shall be considered to be a successor to each member of the Parent Group for purposes of, and a third-party beneficiary with respect to, such Individual Agreement, such that each member of the SpinCo Group shall enjoy all of the rights and benefits under such agreement (including rights and benefits as a third-party beneficiary), with respect to the business operations of the SpinCo Group; provided , further , that in no event shall Parent be permitted to enforce any Individual Agreement (including any agreement containing noncompetition or nonsolicitation covenants) against a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee for action taken in such individual’s capacity as a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee other than on behalf of SpinCo Group as requested by SpinCo Group in its capacity as a third-party beneficiary.

 

(b)                                  Assumption by SpinCo .  Effective as of the Effective Time, SpinCo shall, or shall cause the members of the SpinCo Group to assume and honor any individual agreement to which any SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee is a party with any member of the Parent Group, including any Individual Agreement.

 

Section 2.04.                           We Listen Dispute Resolution Plan .  Commencing on January 1, 2009, Parent, on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates, entered into agreements with all employees to use the We Listen Dispute Resolution Plan (“ We Listen ”) as the sole and exclusive program to resolve disputes through several resolution steps and finally by binding arbitration.  The We Listen program includes the original 2009 program, as well as amendments in 2012, 2013 and 2015.  As of the Distribution Date, Parent assigns its rights under We Listen to SpinCo, and SpinCo assumes the obligations of Parent under We Listen as to all SpinCo Group Employees, Former SpinCo Group Employees and applicants for employment with SpinCo; provided that subject to Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, for any dispute involving both the Parent Group and SpinCo Group, the Parties shall cooperate in good faith.

 

13



 

Section 2.05.                           Reimbursement .

 

(a)                                  By SpinCo .  From time to time after the completion of the Separation, SpinCo shall promptly reimburse Parent for the cost of any obligations or Liabilities that Parent elects to, or is compelled to, pay or otherwise satisfy, that are or that pursuant to this Agreement have become, the responsibility of the SpinCo Group.  Parent shall invoice SpinCo after the end of each fiscal month for all such costs (if any) in such fiscal month.  SpinCo shall pay any amounts due by SpinCo hereunder in immediately available funds within thirty (30) days of SpinCo’s receipt of each invoice therefor.  Any amount not paid within thirty (30) days after the date when payable shall bear interest at the Applicable Rate (as defined in the Transition Services Agreement) from the date such amount is due.  SpinCo shall not deduct, set off, counterclaim or otherwise withhold any amount owed by it to Parent (on account of any obligation owed by the Parent Group, whether or not such obligation has been finally adjudicated, settled or otherwise agreed upon in writing) against the amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement; provided that in the event SpinCo dispute any amount on an invoice, SpinCo shall notify Parent in writing within twenty (20) days after SpinCo’s receipt of such invoice and shall describe in detail the reason for disputing such amount, provide any documents or other materials supporting its dispute, and will be entitled to withhold only the amount in dispute during the pendency of the dispute.  SpinCo shall cause the timely payment of the undisputed portion of each invoice in the manner set forth in this Agreement and shall be subject to late charges at the Applicable Rate and any other costs incurred by Parent pursuant to this Section 2.05(a)  on any amount that is unsuccessfully disputed.

 

(b)                                  By Parent .  From time to time after the completion of the Separation, Parent shall promptly reimburse SpinCo for the cost of any obligations or Liabilities that SpinCo elects to, or is compelled to, pay or otherwise satisfy, that are or that pursuant to this Agreement have become, the responsibility of the Parent Group.  SpinCo shall invoice Parent after the end of each fiscal month for all such costs (if any) in such fiscal month.  Parent shall pay any amounts due by Parent hereunder in immediately available funds within thirty (30) days of Parent’s receipt of each invoice therefor.  Any amount not paid within thirty (30) days after the date when payable shall bear interest at the Applicable Rate from the date such amount is due.  Parent shall not deduct, set off, counterclaim or otherwise withhold any amount owed by it to SpinCo (on account of any obligation owed by the SpinCo Group, whether or not such obligation has been finally adjudicated, settled or otherwise agreed upon in writing) against the amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement; provided that in the event Parent disputes any amount on an invoice, Parent shall notify SpinCo in writing within twenty (20) days after Parent’s receipt of such invoice and shall describe in detail the reason for disputing such amount, provide any documents or other materials supporting its dispute, and will be entitled to withhold only the amount in dispute during the pendency of the dispute.  Parent shall cause the timely payment of the undisputed portion of each invoice in the manner set forth in this Agreement and shall be subject to late charges at the Applicable Rate and any other costs incurred by SpinCo and controlled pursuant to this Section 2.05(b)  on any amount that is unsuccessfully disputed.

 

14



 

ARTICLE III
ASSIGNMENT OF EMPLOYEES

 

Section 3.01.                           Active Employees .

 

(a)                                  Assignment and Transfer of Employees .  Effective as of no later than the Effective Time and except as otherwise agreed to by the Parties, (i) the applicable member of the Parent Group shall have taken such actions as are necessary to ensure that each individual who is intended to be an employee of the SpinCo Group as of immediately after the Effective Time (including any such individual who is not actively working as of the Effective Time as a result of an illness, injury or leave of absence approved by the Parent Human Resources department or otherwise taken in accordance with applicable Law) (collectively, the “ SpinCo Group Employees ”) is employed by a member of the SpinCo Group as of immediately after the Effective Time, and (ii) the applicable member of the Parent Group shall have taken such actions as are necessary to ensure that each individual who is intended to be an employee of the Parent Group as of immediately after the Effective Time (including any such individual who is not actively working as of the Effective Time as a result of an illness, injury or leave of absence approved by the Parent Human Resources department or otherwise taken in accordance with applicable Law) and any other individual employed by the Parent Group as of the Effective Time who is not a SpinCo Group Employee (collectively, the “ Parent Group Employees ”) is employed by a member of the Parent Group as of immediately after the Effective Time.  Each of the Parties agrees to execute, and to seek to have the applicable Employees execute, such documentation, if any, as may be necessary to reflect such assignment and/or transfer.

 

(b)                                  At-Will Status .  Nothing in this Agreement shall create any obligation on the part of any member of the Parent Group or any member of the SpinCo Group to (i) continue the employment of any Employee or permit the return from a leave of absence for any period after the date of this Agreement (except as required by applicable Law) or (ii) change the employment status of any Employee from “at-will,” to the extent that such Employee is an “at-will” employee under applicable Law.  Except as provided in this Agreement, this Agreement shall not limit the ability of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group to change the position, compensation or benefits of any Employees for performance related, business or any other reason.

 

(c)                                   Severance .  The Parties acknowledge and agree that the Separation, Distribution and the assignment, transfer or continuation of the employment of Employees as contemplated by this Section 3.01 shall not be deemed an involuntary termination of employment entitling any SpinCo Group Employee or Parent Group Employee to severance payments or benefits.

 

(d)                                  Not a Change in Control .  The Parties acknowledge and agree that neither the consummation of the Separation, Distribution nor any transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement shall be deemed a “change in control,” “change of control,” or term of similar import for purposes of any Benefit Plan sponsored or maintained by any member of the Parent Group or member of the SpinCo Group and except as provided in this Agreement or as otherwise required by applicable law or Individual Agreement, no provision of this Agreement shall be construed to accelerate any

 

15



 

vesting or create an right or entitlement to any compensation or benefits on the part of any Employee.

 

Section 3.02.                           Payroll and Related Taxes .  With respect to the SpinCo Group Employees transferred to the SpinCo Group during the tax year ending on and including the Separation, (i) Parent shall (A) be responsible for all payroll obligations, tax withholding and reporting obligations regarding all such SpinCo Group Employees for the period prior to such transfer, and (B) furnish a Form W-2 or similar earnings statement to, all such SpinCo Group Employees for such period and (ii) with respect to the remaining portion of the tax year, SpinCo will (A) be responsible for all payroll obligations, tax withholding and reporting obligations regarding, all such SpinCo Group Employees, and (B) furnish a Form W-2 or similar earning statement to, all such SpinCo Group Employees.  With respect to each affected SpinCo Group Employee, Parent and SpinCo shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to (to the extent practicable and to the extent permitted by applicable Law) (x) treat SpinCo (or the applicable member of the SpinCo Group) as a “successor employer” and treat Parent (or the applicable member of the Parent Group) as a “predecessor” within the meaning of Sections 3121(a)(1) and 3306(b)(1) of the Code, to the extent appropriate, for purposes of taxes imposed under the United States Federal Insurance Contributions Act, as amended (“ FICA ”), or the United States Federal Unemployment Tax Act, as amended (“ FUTA ”), and (y) file tax returns, exchange wage payment information and report wage payments made by the respective predecessor and successor employer on separate IRS Forms W-2 or similar earnings statements to each such SpinCo Group Employee for the tax year in which the Separation occurs, in a manner provided in Section 4.02(1) of Revenue Procedure 2004-53.

 

16



 

ARTICLE IV
EQUITY, INCENTIVE AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Section 4.01.                           Generally .  Each Parent Award granted that is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be adjusted as described below; provided , however , effective immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Parent Compensation Committee may provide for different adjustments with respect to some or all Parent Awards to the extent that the Parent Compensation Committee deems such adjustments necessary and appropriate.  Any adjustments made by the Parent Compensation Committee pursuant to the foregoing sentence shall be deemed incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth below and shall be binding on the Parties and their respective Affiliates.  Before the Effective Time, the SpinCo Omnibus Plan shall be established, with such terms as are necessary to permit the implementation of the provisions of Section 4.02 .

 

Section 4.02.                           Equity Incentive Awards .

 

(a)                                  Option Awards .  Each Parent Option Award that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted as of the Effective Time into either a Post-Separation Parent Option Award or a SpinCo Option Award as described below:

 

(i)                                      Each Parent Option Award held by a Parent Group Employee and Former Employee shall be converted as of the Effective Time, through an adjustment thereto, into a Post-Separation Parent Option Award and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02(a) , be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as applicable to such Parent Option Award immediately prior to the Effective Time.  From and after the Effective Time:

 

(A)                                the number of Parent Shares subject to such Post-Separation Parent Option Award, rounded down to the nearest whole share, shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent Option Award immediately prior to the Effective Time, by (2) the Parent Ratio; and

 

(B)                                the per share exercise price of such Post-Separation Parent Option Award, rounded up to the nearest cent, shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying (1) the Post-Separation Parent Stock Value, by (2) the Option Exercise Price Ratio.

 

(ii)                                   Each Parent Option Award held by a SpinCo Group Employee shall be converted as of the Effective Time into a SpinCo Option Award outstanding under the SpinCo Omnibus Plan and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02(a) , be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as applicable to such Parent Option Award immediately prior to the Effective Time.  From and after the Effective Time:

 

(A)                                the number of SpinCo Shares subject to such SpinCo Option Award, rounded down to the nearest whole share, shall be equal to the product obtained by

 

17



 

multiplying (1) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent Option Award immediately prior to the Effective Time, by (2) the SpinCo Ratio; and

 

(B)                                the per share exercise price of such SpinCo Option Award, rounded up to the nearest cent, shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying (1) the SpinCo Stock Value, by (2) the Option Exercise Price Ratio of the corresponding Parent Option Award.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4.02(a) , the exercise price, the number of Parent Shares and SpinCo Shares subject to each Post-Separation Parent Option Award and SpinCo Option Award, and the terms and conditions of exercise of such options, shall be determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code; provided , further , that, in the case of any Parent Option Award to which Section 421 of the Code applies by reason of its qualification under Section 422 of the Code as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, the exercise price, the number of Parent Shares and SpinCo Shares subject to such option award, and the terms and conditions of exercise of such option award shall be determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code.

 

(b)                                  RSU Awards (Legacy) .  Each Parent RSU Award (Legacy) that is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a Post-Separation Parent RSU Award and a SpinCo RSU Award and each such award shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02(b) , be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting) after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent RSU Award (Legacy) prior to the Effective Time; provided , however , that from and after the Effective Time the number of shares subject to (i) the Post-Separation Parent RSU Award shall be equal to the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent RSU Award (Legacy) immediately prior to the Effective Time, and (ii) the SpinCo RSU Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the Parent RSU Award (Legacy) immediately prior to the Effective Time by (B) the Distribution Ratio.

 

(c)                                   RSU Awards (Concentrated).   Each Parent RSU Award (Concentrated) that is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be treated as follows:

 

(i)                                      If the holder is not a SpinCo Group Employee, such award shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a Post-Separation Parent RSU Award, and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02 , be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent RSU Award (Concentrated) immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided , however , that from and after the Effective Time, the number of Parent Shares subject to such Post-Separation Parent RSU Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent RSU Award (Concentrated) immediately prior to the Effective Time by (B) the Parent Ratio.

 

(ii)                                   If the holder is a SpinCo Group Employee, such award shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a SpinCo RSU Award, and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02 , be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect

 

18



 

to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent RSU Award (Concentrated) immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided , however , that from and after the Effective Time, the number of SpinCo Shares subject to such SpinCo RSU Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent RSU Award (Concentrated) immediately prior to the Effective Time by (B) the SpinCo Ratio.

 

(d)                                  Deferred Shares Equivalents .

 

(i)                                      If the holder is not a Transferred Director, such award shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a Post-Separation Deferred Shares Equivalent Award, and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02 , be subject to the same terms and conditions after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent Deferred Shares Equivalent Award immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided , however , that from and after the Effective Time, the number of Parent Shares subject to such Post-Separation Parent Deferred Shares Equivalent Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent Deferred Shares Equivalent Award immediately prior to the Effective Time by (B) the Parent Ratio.

 

(ii)                                   If the holder is a Transferred Director, such award shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a SpinCo Deferred Shares Equivalent Award, and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02 , be subject to the same terms and conditions after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent Deferred Shares Equivalent Award immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided , however , that from and after the Effective Time, the number of SpinCo Shares subject to such SpinCo Deferred Shares Equivalent Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent Deferred Shares Equivalent Award immediately prior to the Effective Time by (B) the SpinCo Ratio.

 

(e)                                   Miscellaneous Award Terms .

 

(i)                                      With respect to Post-Separation Parent Awards and SpinCo Awards, (A) employment with or service to the Parent Group shall be treated as employment with or service to SpinCo with respect to SpinCo Awards held by a Parent Group Employee who is employed by a member of the Parent Group immediately following the Effective Time, and (B) employment with or service to the SpinCo Group shall be treated as employment with or service to Parent with respect to Post-Separation Parent Awards held by SpinCo Group Employees who is employed by a member of the SpinCo Group immediately following the Effective Time.  In addition, none of the Separation, the Distribution or any employment transfer described in Section 3.01(a)  shall constitute a termination of employment for any Employee for purposes of any Post-Separation Parent Award or any SpinCo Award.  After the Effective Time, for any award adjusted under this Section 4.02 , any reference to a “change in control,” “change of control” or similar definition in an award agreement, employment agreement or Parent Omnibus Plan applicable to such award (x) with respect to Post-Separation Parent Awards, shall be deemed to refer to a “change in control,” “change of control” or similar definition as set forth in the applicable award agreement, employment agreement or Parent Omnibus Plan (a “ Parent Change in Control ”),

 

19



 

and (y) with respect to SpinCo Awards, shall be deemed to refer to a “Change in Control” as defined in the SpinCo Omnibus Plan (a “ SpinCo Change in Control ”).  Without limiting the foregoing, with respect to provisions related to vesting of awards, a Parent Change in Control shall be treated as a SpinCo Change in Control for purposes of SpinCo Awards held by Parent Group Employees, Former Employees (to the extent applicable) and Parent nonemployee directors, and a SpinCo Change in Control shall be treated as a Parent Change in Control for purposes of Post-Separation Parent Awards held by SpinCo Group Employees and Transferred Directors.

 

(ii)                                   Any determination in respect of a Post-Separation Parent RSU Award and SpinCo RSU Award which in either case was adjusted from a Parent RSU Award (Legacy), in each case, granted to the holder pursuant to the Parent Omnibus Plan or the SpinCo Omnibus Plan, as applicable, and this Section 4.02 , shall be made by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Party to which the holder provides services immediately after the Effective Time (Parent or SpinCo, as applicable); provided that any such determination shall apply uniformly to both the applicable Post-Separation Parent Award and the corresponding SpinCo RSU Award held by such holder.

 

(f)                                    Settlement; Tax Reporting and Withholding .

 

(i)                                      Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02(f) , after the Effective Time, Post-Separation Parent Awards, regardless of by whom held, shall be settled by Parent, and SpinCo Awards, regardless of by whom held, shall be settled by SpinCo.

 

(ii)                                   Upon the vesting, payment or settlement, as applicable, of SpinCo Awards, SpinCo shall be solely responsible for ensuring the satisfaction of all applicable Tax withholding requirements on behalf of each SpinCo Group Employee and for ensuring the collection and remittance of applicable employee withholding Taxes to the Parent Group with respect to each Parent Group Employee (with Parent Group being responsible for remittance of the applicable employee Taxes and payment and remittance of the applicable employer Taxes relating to Parent Group Employees to the applicable Governmental Authority).  Upon the vesting, payment or settlement, as applicable, of Post-Separation Parent Awards, Parent shall be solely responsible for ensuring the satisfaction of all applicable Tax withholding requirements on behalf of each Parent Group Employee or Former Employee and for ensuring the collection and remittance of applicable employee withholding Taxes to the SpinCo Group with respect to each SpinCo Group Employee (with SpinCo Group being responsible for remittance of the applicable employee Taxes and payment and remittance of the applicable employer Taxes relating to SpinCo Group Employees to the applicable Governmental Authority).  Following the Effective Time, Parent shall be responsible for all income Tax reporting in respect of Post-Separation Parent Awards and SpinCo Awards held by Parent Group Employees, Former Employees (as applicable) and individuals who are or were Parent nonemployee directors, and SpinCo shall be responsible for all income Tax reporting in respect of Post-Separation Parent Awards and SpinCo Awards held by SpinCo Group Employees and Transferred Directors.

 

(iii)                                Following the Effective Time, if any Post-Separation Parent Award held by a SpinCo Group Employee or Transferred Director shall fail to become vested, such Post-Separation Parent Award shall be forfeited to Parent, and if any SpinCo Award held by a

 

20



 

Parent Group Employee or nonemployee director of Parent shall fail to become vested, such SpinCo Award shall be forfeited to SpinCo.

 

(g)                                   Cooperation .  Each of the Parties shall establish an appropriate administration system to administer, in an orderly manner, (i) exercises of vested Post-Separation Parent Options and SpinCo Options, (ii) the vesting and forfeiture of unvested Post-Separation Parent Awards and SpinCo Awards, and (iii) the withholding and reporting requirements with respect to all awards.  Each of the Parties shall work together to unify and consolidate all indicative data and payroll and employment information on regular timetables and make certain that each applicable Person’s data and records in respect of such awards are correct and updated on a timely basis.  The foregoing shall include employment status and information required for vesting and forfeiture of awards and Tax withholding/remittance, compliance with trading windows and compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act and other applicable Laws.

 

(h)                                  Registration and Other Regulatory Requirements .  SpinCo agrees to file the appropriate registration statements with respect to, and to cause to be registered pursuant to the Securities Act, the SpinCo Shares authorized for issuance under the SpinCo Omnibus Plan, as required pursuant to the Securities Act, not later than the Effective Time and in any event before the date of issuance of any SpinCo Shares pursuant to the SpinCo Omnibus Plan.  The Parties shall take such additional actions as are deemed necessary or advisable to effectuate the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.02(h) , including to the extent applicable, compliance with securities Laws and other legal requirements associated with equity compensation awards in affected non-U.S. jurisdictions.  Parent agrees to facilitate the adoption and approval of the SpinCo Omnibus Plan consistent with the requirements of Treasury Regulations Section 1.162-27(f)(4)(iii).

 

Section 4.03.                           Nonequity Incentive Practices and Plans .

 

(a)                                  Corporate Bonus Practices .

 

(i)                                      The SpinCo Group shall be responsible for determining all bonus awards that would otherwise be payable under the SpinCo Non-Equity Incentive Practices to SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees for any performance periods that are open when the Effective Time occurs.  The SpinCo Group shall also determine for SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees (A) the extent to which established performance criteria (as interpreted by the SpinCo Group, in its sole discretion) have been met, and (B) the payment level for each SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee.  The SpinCo Group shall assume all Liabilities with respect to any such bonus awards payable to SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees for any performance periods that are open when the Effective Time occurs and thereafter, and no member of the Parent Group shall have any obligations with respect thereto.

 

(ii)                                   The Parent Group shall be responsible for determining all bonus awards that would otherwise be payable under the Parent Non-Equity Incentive Practices to Parent Group Employees or Former Parent Group Employees for any performance periods that are open when the Effective Time occurs.  The Parent Group shall also determine for Parent Group Employees or Former Parent Group Employees (A) the extent to which established performance

 

21



 

criteria (as interpreted by the Parent Group, in its sole discretion) have been met, and (B) the payment level for each Parent Group Employee or Former Parent Group Employee.  The Parent Group shall retain (or assume as necessary) all Liabilities with respect to any such bonus awards payable to Parent Group Employees or Former Parent Group Employees for any performance periods that are open when the Effective Time occurs and thereafter, and no member of the SpinCo Group shall have any obligations with respect thereto.

 

(b)                                  Parent Retained Bonus Plans .  No later than the Effective Time, the Parent Group shall continue to retain (or assume as necessary) any incentive plan for the exclusive benefit of Parent Group Employees and Former Parent Group Employees, whether or not sponsored by the Parent Group, and, from and after the Effective Time, shall be solely responsible for all Liabilities thereunder.

 

(c)                                   SpinCo Retained Bonus Plans .  No later than the Effective Time, the SpinCo Group shall continue to retain (or assume as necessary) any incentive plan for the exclusive benefit of SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees, whether or not sponsored by the SpinCo Group, and, from and after the Effective Time, shall be solely responsible for all Liabilities thereunder.

 

Section 4.04.                           Director Compensation .  Parent shall be responsible for the payment of any fees for service on the Parent Board that are payable at, before, or after the Effective Time, and SpinCo shall not have any responsibility for any such payments.  With respect to any SpinCo nonemployee director, SpinCo shall be responsible for the payment of any fees for service on the SpinCo Board that are payable at any time after the Effective Time and Parent shall not have any responsibility for any such payments.

 

22



 

ARTICLE V
QUALIFIED RETIREMENT PLAN

 

Section 5.01.                           SpinCo 401(k) Plan .

 

(a)                                  Establishment of Plan .  Effective on or before the Distribution Date,  SpinCo shall or shall cause the members of the SpinCo Group to adopt and establish the SpinCo 401(k) Plan and a related trust (the “ SpinCo 401(k) Trust ”), which shall be intended to meet the tax qualification requirements of Section 401(a) of the Code, the tax exemption requirement of Section 501(a) of the Code, and the requirements described in Sections 401(k) and (m) of the Code and which through December 31, 2018 shall have substantially the similar terms in all material respects as of immediately prior to the Distribution Date as the Parent 401(k) Plan.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, SpinCo may make such changes, modifications or amendments to the SpinCo 401(k) Plan as may be required by applicable Law or as are necessary and appropriate to reflect the Separation or which result from vendor limitations.  Before the Distribution Date, SpinCo shall provide Parent with (i) a copy of the SpinCo 401(k) Plan, SpinCo 401(k) Trust and favorable opinion and (ii) a copy of certified resolutions of the SpinCo Board (or its authorized committee or other delegate) evidencing adoption of the SpinCo 401(k) Plan and SpinCo 401(k) Trust and the assumption by the SpinCo 401(k) Plan of the Liabilities described in Sections 5.01(b)  and (c) .

 

(b)                                  Transfer of Account Balances .  No later than thirty (30) days following the Effective Time (or such other times as mutually agreed to by the parties), Parent shall cause the trustee of the Parent 401(k) Plan to transfer from the trust which forms a part of the Parent 401(k) Plan to the SpinCo 401(k) Trust, the account balances of SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees under the Parent 401(k) Plan, determined as of the date of the transfer.  Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, such transfers shall be made in kind, including promissory notes evidencing the transfer of outstanding loans.  Any Asset and Liability transfers pursuant to this Section 5.01 shall comply in all respects with Sections 414(l) and 411(d)(6) of the Code and if required, shall be made not less than thirty (30) days after Parent shall have filed the notice under Section 6058(b) of the Code.  The parties agree that to the extent that any Assets are not transferred in kind, the assets transferred will be mapped into an appropriate investment vehicle.

 

(c)                                   Transfer of Liabilities .  Effective as of the Effective Time but subject to the Asset transfer specified in Section 5.01(b)  above, the SpinCo 401(k) Plan shall assume and be solely responsible for all the Liabilities for or relating to SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees under the Parent 401(k) Plan.  SpinCo shall be responsible for all ongoing rights of or relating to SpinCo Group Employees for future participation (including the right to make payroll deductions) in the SpinCo 401(k) Plan.

 

(d)                                  SpinCo 401(k) Plan Provisions .  The SpinCo 401(k) Plan shall provide that:

 

(i)                                      SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees shall be eligible to participate in the SpinCo 401(k) Plan as of the Effective Time to the extent that they were eligible to participate in the Parent 401(k) Plan as of immediately prior to the Effective Time;

 

23



 

(ii)                                   the account balance of each SpinCo Group Employee and Former SpinCo Group Employees under the Parent 401(k) Plan as of the date of the transfer of Assets from the Parent 401(k) Plan (including any outstanding promissory notes relating to outstanding loans) shall be credited to such individual’s account under the SpinCo 401(k) Plan; and

 

(iii)                                the SpinCo 401(k) Plan shall assume and honor the terms of all QDROs in effect under the Parent 401(k) Plan in respect of SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

(iv)                               Plan Fiduciaries .  For all periods at and after the Effective Time, the parties agree that the applicable fiduciaries of each of the Parent 401(k) Plan and the SpinCo 401(k) Plan, respectively, shall have the authority with respect to the Parent 401(k) Plan and the SpinCo 401(k) Plan, respectively, to determine the investment alternatives, the terms and conditions with respect to those investment alternatives and such other matters as are within the scope of their duties under ERISA and the terms of the applicable plan documents.

 

(e)                                   No Distributions .  No SpinCo Group Employee shall be entitled to a right to a distribution of his or her benefit under the Parent 401(k) Plan as a result of his or her transfer of employment from the Parent Group to the SpinCo Group nor as a result of the completion of the Separation.

 

24



 

ARTICLE VI
NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

 

Section 6.01.                           Parent Deferred Compensation Plans .  Parent shall retain all Liability with respect to the Parent Deferred Compensation Plan with respect to Employees and Former Employees, whether arising before, on or after the Distribution Date.

 

Section 6.02.                           Participation; Distributions .  The Parties acknowledge that none of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement shall trigger a payment or distribution of compensation under any of the Parent Deferred Compensation Plan for any participant and, consequently, that the payment or distribution of any compensation to which such participant is entitled under any such plan shall occur upon such participant’s separation from service from the Parent Group or SpinCo Group or at such other time as provided in the applicable deferred compensation plan or participant’s deferral election; provided , however , that for the avoidance of doubt, any Transition Employee who leaves employment with Parent Group after the Distribution Date shall experience a separation from service for purposes of such plan, regardless of whether the Transition Employee immediately commences employment with Spinco Group.

 

25



 

ARTICLE VII
WELFARE BENEFIT PLANS

 

Section 7.01.                           Welfare Plans .

 

(a)                                  Establishment of SpinCo Welfare Plans .  Except as otherwise provided in this Article VII , as of or before the Effective Time, SpinCo shall, or shall cause the members of the SpinCo Group to establish the SpinCo Welfare Plans pursuant to Section 2.02(a)  that generally correspond to the Parent Welfare Plans in which such SpinCo Group Employees participate immediately prior to the Effective Time.  Through December 31, 2018, the SpinCo Welfare Plans shall have terms substantially similar in all material respects to those of the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans listed on Schedule 7.01(a) , and in all cases, with such changes, modifications or amendments as may be required by applicable Law or as are necessary and appropriate to reflect the Separation.  In addition, SpinCo or members of the SpinCo Group shall retain the right to modify, amend, alter or terminate the terms of any SpinCo Welfare Plan to the same extent that the Parent Group had such rights under the corresponding Parent Welfare Plan.

 

(b)                                  Waiver of Conditions; Benefit Maximums .  To the extent commercially available, SpinCo shall or shall cause the members of the SpinCo Group to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the SpinCo Welfare Plans to:

 

(i)                                      with respect to initial enrollment as of the Effective Time, waive (x) all limitations as to preexisting conditions, exclusions, and service conditions with respect to participation and coverage requirements applicable to any SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee, other than limitations that were in effect with respect to the SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee under the applicable Parent Welfare Plan as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, and (y) any waiting period limitation or evidence of insurability requirement applicable to a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee other than limitations or requirements that were in effect with respect to such SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee under the applicable Parent Welfare Plans as of immediately prior to the Effective Time; and

 

(ii)                                   take into account (x) with respect to aggregate annual, lifetime, or similar maximum benefits available under the SpinCo Welfare Plans, a SpinCo Group Employee’s or Former SpinCo Group Employee’s prior claim experience under the Parent Welfare Plans and any Benefit Plan that provides leave benefits; and (y) any eligible expenses incurred by a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee and his or her covered dependents during the portion of the plan year of the applicable Parent Welfare Plan ending as of the Effective Time to be taken into account under such SpinCo Welfare Plan for purposes of satisfying all deductible, coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket requirements applicable to such SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee and his or her covered dependents for the applicable plan year to the same extent as such expenses were taken into account by Parent for similar purposes prior to the Effective Time as if such amounts had been paid in accordance with such SpinCo Welfare Plan.

 

(c)                                   Flexible Spending Accounts .  As of no later than the Effective Time, SpinCo shall or shall cause the members of the SpinCo Group to establish SpinCo Welfare Plans

 

26



 

that shall provide health or dependent care flexible spending account benefits to SpinCo Group Employees on and after the Effective Time (collectively, the “ SpinCo Flex Plan ”).  The Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that as of the Effective Time any health and dependent care flexible spending accounts of SpinCo Group Employees (whether positive or negative) (the “ Transferred Account Balances ”) under Parent Welfare Plans are transferred as soon as practicable after the Effective Time, from the Parent Welfare Plans to the SpinCo Flex Plan.  Such SpinCo Flex Plan shall assume responsibility as of the Effective Time for all outstanding health or dependent care claims under the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans of each SpinCo Group Employee for the year in which the Effective Time occurs and shall assume and agree to perform the obligations of the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans from and after the Effective Time.  As soon as practicable after the Effective Time, and in any event within thirty (30) days after the amount of the Transferred Account Balances is determined or such later date as mutually agreed upon by the Parties, Parent shall pay SpinCo the net aggregate amount of the Transferred Account Balances, if such amount is positive, and SpinCo shall pay Parent the net aggregate amount of the Transferred Account Balances, if such amount is negative.

 

(d)                                  Allocation of Welfare Plan Assets and Liabilities .  Effective as of the Effective Time, the Parent Group shall retain or assume, as applicable, and be responsible for all assets (including any insurance contracts, policies or other funding vehicles) and Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from health and welfare coverage or claims incurred by or on behalf of Parent Group Employees or Former Parent Group Employees under the Parent Welfare Plans or SpinCo Welfare Plans before, at, or after the Effective Time, and the SpinCo Group shall retain or assume, as applicable, and be responsible for all assets (including any insurance contracts, policies or other funding vehicles) and Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from health and welfare coverage or claims incurred by or on behalf of SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees under the SpinCo Welfare Plans or Parent Welfare Plans before, at, or after the Effective Time.  No SpinCo Welfare Plan shall provide coverage to any Parent Group Employee or Former Parent Group Employee after the Effective Time, and no Parent Welfare Plan shall provide coverage to any SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee after the Effective Time.

 

Section 7.02.                           COBRA .  The Parent Group shall continue to be responsible for complying with, and providing coverage pursuant to, the health care continuation requirements of COBRA, and the corresponding provisions of the Parent Welfare Plans with respect to any Parent Group Employees and any Former Parent Group Employees (and their covered dependents) who incur a qualifying event under COBRA before, as of, or after the Effective Time.  Effective as of the Effective Time, the SpinCo Group shall assume responsibility for complying with, and providing coverage pursuant to, the health care continuation requirements of COBRA, and the corresponding provisions of the SpinCo Welfare Plans with respect to any SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees (and their covered dependents) who incur a qualifying event or loss of coverage under the SpinCo Welfare Plans and/or the Parent Welfare Plans before, as of, or after the Effective Time.  The Parties agree that the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall not constitute a COBRA qualifying event for any purpose of COBRA.

 

Section 7.03.                           Vacation, Holidays and Leaves of Absence .  Effective as of no later than the Effective Time, the SpinCo Group shall assume all Liabilities of the SpinCo Group with

 

27



 

respect to vacation, holiday, annual leave or other leave of absence, and required payments related thereto, for each SpinCo Group Employee, unless otherwise required by applicable Law.  The Parent Group shall retain all Liabilities with respect to vacation, holiday, annual leave or other leave of absence, and required payments related thereto, for each Parent Group Employee.

 

Section 7.04.                           Workers’ Compensation .  The treatment of workers’ compensation claims shall be governed by Section 5.1 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Section 7.05.                           Insurance Contracts .  To the extent that any Welfare Plan is funded through the purchase of an insurance contract or is subject to any stop loss contract, the Parties shall cooperate and use their commercially reasonable efforts to replicate such insurance contracts for SpinCo or Parent as applicable (except to the extent that changes are required under applicable Law or filings by the respective insurers) and to maintain any pricing discounts or other preferential terms for both Parent and SpinCo for a reasonable term.  Neither Party shall be liable for failure to obtain such insurance contracts, pricing discounts, or other preferential terms for the other Party.  Each Party shall be responsible for any additional premiums, charges, or administrative fees that such Party may incur pursuant to this Section 7.05 .

 

Section 7.06.                           Third-Party Vendors .  Except as provided below, to the extent that any Welfare Plan is administered by a third-party vendor, the Parties shall cooperate and use their commercially reasonable efforts to replicate any contract with such third-party vendor for Parent or SpinCo, as applicable and to maintain any pricing discounts or other preferential terms for both Parent and SpinCo for a reasonable term.  Neither Party shall be liable for failure to obtain such pricing discounts or other preferential terms for the other Party.  Each Party shall be responsible for any additional premiums, charges, or administrative fees that such Party may incur pursuant to this Section 7.06 .

 

28



 

ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 8.01.                           Preservation of Rights to Amend .  Except as set forth in this Agreement, the rights of each member of the Parent Group and each member of the SpinCo Group to amend, waive, or terminate any plan, arrangement, agreement, program, or policy referred to herein shall not be limited in any way by this Agreement.

 

Section 8.02.                           Fiduciary Matters .  Parent and SpinCo each acknowledge that actions required to be taken pursuant to this Agreement may be subject to fiduciary duties or standards of conduct under ERISA or other applicable Law, and no Party shall be deemed to be in violation of this Agreement if it fails to comply with any provisions hereof based upon its good faith determination (as supported by advice from counsel experienced in such matters) that to do so would violate such a fiduciary duty or standard.  Each Party shall be responsible for taking such actions as are deemed necessary and appropriate to comply with its own fiduciary responsibilities and shall fully release and indemnify the other Party for any Liabilities caused by the failure to satisfy any such responsibility.

 

Section 8.03.                           Further Assurances .  Each Party hereto shall take, or cause to be taken, any and all reasonable actions, including the execution, acknowledgment, filing and delivery of any and all documents and instruments that any other Party hereto may reasonably request in order to effect the intent and purpose of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

Section 8.04.                           Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power .

 

(a)                                  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties and delivered to the other Party.

 

(b)                                  This Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements and the Exhibits, Schedules and appendices hereto and thereto contain the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein.  This Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements together govern the arrangements in connection with the Separation and the Distribution and would not have been entered into independently.

 

(c)                                   Parent represents on behalf of itself and each other member of the Parent Group, and SpinCo represents on behalf of itself and each other member of the SpinCo Group, as follows:

 

(i)                                      each such Person has the requisite corporate or other power and authority and has taken all corporate or other action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and

 

29



 

(ii)                                   this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of it enforceable in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

(d)                                  Each Party acknowledges that it and each other Party is executing this Agreement by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by e-mail in portable document format (.pdf) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this Agreement.  Each Party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier, by facsimile or by e-mail in portable document format (.pdf)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it will not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such Party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person and agrees that, at the reasonable request of the other Party at any time, it will as promptly as reasonably practicable cause this Agreement to be manually executed (any such execution to be as of the date of the initial date thereof) and delivered in person, by mail or by courier.

 

Section 8.05.                           Governing Law .  This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby or to the inducement of any Party to enter herein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, irrespective of the choice of laws principles of the State of Delaware, including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

 

Section 8.06.                           Assignability .  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided , however , that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party hereto.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and all other Ancillary Agreements (except as may be otherwise provided in any such Ancillary Agreement) in whole ( i.e. , the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and all Ancillary Agreements at the same time) in connection with a change of control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant party thereto by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party.

 

Section 8.07.                           Third-Party Beneficiaries .  The provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties and are not intended to confer upon any Person except the Parties any rights or remedies hereunder.  There are no third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall not provide any Third Party with any remedy, claim, Liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement.  Nothing in this Agreement is intended to amend any employee benefit plan or affect the applicable plan sponsor’s right to amend or terminate any employee benefit plan pursuant to the terms of such plan.  The provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties, and no current or

 

30



 

former Employee, officer, director, or independent contractor or any other individual associated therewith shall be regarded for any purpose as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.

 

Section 8.08.                           Notices .  All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by certified mail, return receipt requested or by electronic mail (e-mail) so long as the confirmation of receipt of such e-mail is requested and received, to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 8.08 ):

 

If to Parent, to:

 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.
150 Peabody Place
Memphis, Tennessee  38103
Attention:
                    Dion Persson
E-mail:                                    dion.persson@servicemaster.com

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice), to:

 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York  10019
Attention:
                       Andrew Brownstein
                                                                              S. Iliana Ongun
E-mail:                                       ARBrownstein@wlrk.com
                                                                              SIOngun@wlrk.com

 

If to SpinCo (prior to the Effective Time), to:

 

frontdoor, inc.
150 Peabody Place
Memphis, Tennessee  38103
Attention:
                       General Counsel
E-mail:                                       Jeffrey.Fiarman@frontdoorhome.com

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice), to:

 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York  10019
Attention:
                       Andrew Brownstein
                                                                              S. Iliana Ongun
E-mail:                                       ARBrownstein@wlrk.com
                                                                              SIOngun@wlrk.com

 

31



 

If to SpinCo (from and after the Effective Time), to:

 

frontdoor, inc.
150 Peabody Place
Memphis, Tennessee  38103
Attention:
                       General Counsel
E-mail:                                       Jeffrey.Fiarman@frontdoorhome.com

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice), to:

 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York  10019
Attention:
                       Andrew Brownstein
                                                                              S. Iliana Ongun
E-mail:                                       ARBrownstein@wlrk.com
                                                                              SIOngun@wlrk.com

 

A Party may, by notice to the other Party, change the address to which such notices are to be given or made.

 

Section 8.09.                           Severability .  If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby.  Upon such determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon such a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the Parties.

 

Section 8.10.                           Force Majeure .  No Party shall be deemed in default of this Agreement or, unless otherwise expressly provided therein, any Ancillary Agreement for any delay or failure to fulfill any obligation (other than a payment obligation) hereunder or thereunder so long as and to the extent to which any delay or failure in the fulfillment of such obligation is prevented, frustrated, hindered or delayed as a consequence of circumstances of Force Majeure.  In the event of any such excused delay, the time for performance of such obligations (other than a payment obligation) shall be extended for a period equal to the time lost by reason of the delay.  A Party claiming the benefit of this provision shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the occurrence of any such event, (a) provide written notice to the other Party of the nature and extent of any such Force Majeure condition; and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to remove any such causes and resume performance under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, as applicable, as soon as reasonably practicable.

 

Section 8.11.                           Headings .  The article, section and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

32



 

Section 8.12.                           Survival of Covenants .  Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, the covenants, representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and Liability for the breach of any obligations contained herein, shall survive the Separation and Distribution and shall remain in full force and effect.

 

Section 8.13.                           Waivers of Default .  Waiver by a Party of any default by the other Party of any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver by the waiving Party of any subsequent or other default, nor shall it prejudice the rights of the other Party.  No failure or delay by a Party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof prejudice any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

 

Section 8.14.                           Dispute Resolution .  The dispute resolution procedures set forth in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall apply to any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

 

Section 8.15.                           Specific Performance .  Subject to the provisions of Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, in the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement, the Party or Parties who are, or are to be, thereby aggrieved shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief in respect of its or their rights under this Agreement, in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative.  The Parties agree that the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach, including monetary damages, are inadequate compensation for any loss and that any defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate is waived.  Any requirements for the securing or posting of any bond with such remedy are waived by each of the Parties.

 

Section 8.16.                           Amendments .  No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification.

 

Section 8.17.                           Interpretation .  In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto and thereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement) shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes (including all Schedules, Exhibits and Appendixes) to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement) shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to

 

33



 

close in the United States or Memphis, Tennessee; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; and (j) unless expressly stated to the contrary in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement, all references to “the date hereof,” “the date of this Agreement,” “hereby” and “hereupon” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 28, 2018.

 

Section 8.18.                           Limitations of Liability .  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, nor Parent or any member of the Parent Group, on the other hand, shall be liable under this Agreement to the other for any indirect, incidental, punitive, exemplary, remote, speculative or similar damages in excess of compensatory damages of the other arising in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby (other than any such Liability with respect to a Third-Party Claim).

 

Section 8.19.                           Mutual Drafting .  This Agreement shall be deemed to be the joint work product of the Parties and any rule of construction that a document shall be interpreted or construed against a drafter of such document shall not be applicable.

 

[ Remainder of page intentionally left blank ]

 

34



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Employee Matters Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above.

 

 

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name: Anthony D. Dilucente

 

 

Title:   Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name: Rexford J. Tibbens

 

 

Title:   President and Chief Executive Officer

 


Exhibit 10.4

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

STOCKHOLDER AND REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

BY AND BETWEEN

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

AND

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

TABLE OF CONTENTS

i

 

 

 

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

1

 

 

 

ARTICLE II

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

7

 

 

 

Section 2.01

Registration

7

Section 2.02

Piggyback Registrations

11

Section 2.03

Registration Procedures

13

Section 2.04

Underwritten Offerings or Exchange Offers

19

Section 2.05

Registration Rights Agreement with Participating Banks

20

Section 2.06

Registration Expenses Paid by SpinCo

20

Section 2.07

Indemnification

20

Section 2.08

Reporting Requirements; Rule 144

22

Section 2.09

Registration Rights Covenant

23

 

 

 

ARTICLE III

VOTING RESTRICTIONS

23

 

 

 

Section 3.01

Voting of SpinCo Shares

23

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV

MISCELLANEOUS

24

 

 

 

Section 4.01

Further Assurances

24

Section 4.02

Term and Termination

24

Section 4.03

Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power

24

Section 4.04

Disputes and Governing Law

25

Section 4.05

Successors, Assigns and Transferees

25

Section 4.06

Third-Party Beneficiaries

26

Section 4.07

Notices

27

Section 4.08

Severability

28

Section 4.09

Headings

28

Section 4.10

Waiver of Default

28

Section 4.11

Amendments

28

Section 4.12

Interpretation

28

Section 4.13

Performance

29

Section 4.14

Registrations, Exchanges, etc.

29

Section 4.15

Mutual Drafting

30

 

 

 

Exhibit A — Form of Agreement to be Bound

A-1

 

i



 

FORM OF STOCKHOLDER AND REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

This STOCKHOLDER AND REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of September 28, 2018 (this “ Agreement ”), is by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Parent ”), and frontdoor, inc., a Delaware corporation (“ SpinCo ”).  Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in Article I .

 

R E C I T A L S

 

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent (the “ Parent Board ”) has determined that it is appropriate and desirable to distribute up to eighty and one tenth of a percent (80.1%) of the outstanding SpinCo Shares owned by Parent to Parent’s shareholders (the “ Distribution ”);

 

WHEREAS, Parent may Sell those SpinCo Shares that are not distributed in the Distribution (such SpinCo Shares, the “ Retained Shares ”) through one or more transactions, including pursuant to one or more transactions registered under the Securities Act;

 

WHEREAS, SpinCo desires to grant to the Parent Group the Registration Rights for the Retained Shares and other Registrable Securities, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS, the Parent Group desires to grant SpinCo a proxy to vote the Retained Shares in proportion to the votes cast by SpinCo’s other stockholders, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I                                 DEFINITIONS

 

For the purpose of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

Affiliate ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Agreement ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Ancillary Agreements ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Ancillary Filings ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.03(a)(i) .

 



 

Applicable Quarter ” shall mean the first full financial accounting quarter beginning after the date of the Distribution; provided , that, if such full financial accounting quarter is the quarter ended December 31, then “Applicable Quarter” shall mean the year ended December 31.

 

Blackout Notice ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d) .

 

Blackout Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d) .

 

Block Trade ” means an Underwritten Offering not involving any “road show” which is commonly known as a “block trade.”

 

Change of Control ” with respect to a Person shall mean any occurrence resulting in (i) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities entitled to vote in the election of members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person having 50% or more of the then outstanding voting power of such Person; (ii) such Person becoming a party to a merger, consolidation, share exchange, reorganization, sale of assets or other similar extraordinary transaction, or a proxy contest, in each case as a consequence of which members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person in office immediately prior to such transaction or event constitute less than a majority of such board or other body thereafter; or (iii) during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person (including for this purpose any new director or similar person whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors or similar persons then still in office who served in such capacities at the beginning of such period, other than those such directors or similar persons appointed, or nominated for election, in connection with an actual or threatened proxy contest or other non-consensual attempt to influence or modify such board or other body) ceasing for any reason to constitute at least a majority of such board or other body.

 

Deadline ” shall mean the date that is 30 days after the due date for the Form 10-K or Form 10-Q (as applicable) for the Applicable Quarter; provided , that, if the Deadline pursuant to the foregoing sentence would fall on a date that is not a business day, then the Deadline shall be the next business day.

 

Debt ” shall mean any indebtedness of any member of the Parent Group, including debt securities, notes, credit facilities, credit agreements and other debt instruments, including, in each case, any amounts due thereunder.

 

Debt Exchanges ” shall mean one or more Public Debt Exchanges or Private Debt Exchanges.

 

Demand Registration ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(a) .

 

Disadvantageous Condition ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d) .

 

Dispute ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.04(a) .

 

2



 

Distribution ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Distribution Date ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Exchange Act ” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Effective Time ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Exchange Offer ” shall mean an exchange offer of Registrable Securities for outstanding securities of a Holder.

 

Force Majeure ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement .

 

Governmental Authority ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Group ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Holder ” shall mean any member of the Parent Group, so long as such Person holds any Registrable Securities, and any Permitted Transferee, so long as such Person holds any Registrable Securities.

 

Indemnifying Party ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.07(c) .

 

Indemnitee ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.07(c) .

 

Initiating Holder ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(a) .

 

Law ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Losses ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.07(a) .

 

Offering Confidential Information ” shall mean, with respect to a Piggyback Registration, (i) SpinCo’s plan to file the relevant Registration Statement and engage in the offering being registered, (ii) any information regarding the offering being registered (including the potential timing, price, number of shares, underwriters or other counterparties, selling stockholders or plan of distribution) and (iii) any other information (including information contained in draft supplements or amendments to offering materials) provided to any Holders by SpinCo (or by third parties) in connection with a Piggyback Registration; provided , that Offering Confidential Information shall not include information that (x) was or becomes generally available to the public (including as a result of the filing of the relevant Registration Statement) other than as a result of a disclosure by any Holder, (y) was or becomes available to any Holder

 

3



 

from a source not bound by any confidentiality agreement with SpinCo or (z) was otherwise in such Holder’s possession prior to it being furnished to such Holder by SpinCo or on SpinCo’s behalf.

 

Other Holders ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(f) .

 

Parent ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Parent Board ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Parent Group ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Participating Banks ” means such investment banks that engage in any Debt Exchange with one or more members of the Parent Group.

 

Parties ” shall mean the parties to this Agreement.

 

Permitted Transferee ” shall mean any Transferee and any Subsequent Transferee.

 

Person ” shall mean an individual, a general or limited partnership, a corporation, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization, a limited liability entity, any other entity and any Governmental Authority.

 

Piggyback Registration ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(a) .

 

Private Debt Exchange ” shall mean a private exchange pursuant to which one or more members of the Parent Group shall Sell some or all of their Registrable Securities to one or more Participating Banks in exchange for the satisfaction of Debt, in a transaction or transactions not required to be registered under the Securities Act.

 

Prospectus ” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, all amendments and supplements to such prospectus (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Takedown Prospectus Supplement), including post-effective amendments, and all other material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.

 

Public Debt Exchange ” shall mean a public exchange pursuant to which one or more members of the Parent Group shall Sell some or all of their Registrable Securities to one or more Participating Banks in exchange for the satisfaction of Debt, in a transaction or transactions registered under the Securities Act.

 

Registrable Securities ” shall mean the Retained Shares and any SpinCo Shares or other securities issued with respect to, in exchange for, or in replacement of such Retained Shares; provided , that the term “Registrable Securities” excludes any security (i) the offering and Sale of which has been effectively registered under the Securities Act and which has been Sold in accordance with a Registration Statement, (ii) that has been Sold by a Holder in a transaction or transactions exempt from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the

 

4



 

Securities Act under Section 4(1) thereof (including transactions pursuant to Rule 144) such that the further Sale of such securities by the transferee or assignee is not restricted under the Securities Act or (iii) that has been Sold by a Holder in a transaction in which such Holder’s rights under this Agreement are not, or cannot be, assigned.

 

Registration ” shall mean a registration with the SEC of the offer and Sale to the public of any Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement.  The terms “ Register ” and “ Registering ” shall have correlative meanings.

 

Registration Expenses ” shall mean all expenses incident to the SpinCo Group’s performance of or compliance with this Agreement, including all (i) registration, qualification and filing fees, (ii) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky Laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue sky qualifications within the United States of any Registrable Securities being registered), (iii) printing expenses, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) internal expenses of SpinCo Group (including all salaries and expenses of employees of members of SpinCo Group performing legal or accounting duties), (v) fees and disbursements of counsel for Parent and SpinCo and customary fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by the SpinCo Group (including the expenses of any comfort letters or costs associated with the delivery by SpinCo Group members’ independent certified public accountants of comfort letters customarily requested by underwriters) and (vi) fees and expenses of listing any Registrable Securities on any securities exchange on which the SpinCo Shares are then listed and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority registration and filing fees; but excluding any fees or disbursements of any Holder, all expenses incurred in connection with the printing, mailing and delivering of copies of any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, any other offering documents and any amendments and supplements thereto to any underwriters and dealers; any underwriting discounts, fees or commissions attributable to the offer and Sale of any Registrable Securities, any fees and expenses of the underwriters or dealer managers, the cost of preparing, printing or producing any agreements among underwriters, underwriting agreements and blue sky or legal investment memoranda, any selling agreements and any other similar documents in connection with the offering, Sale, distribution or delivery of the Registrable Securities or other SpinCo Shares to be Sold, including any fees of counsel for any underwriters in connection with the qualification of the Registrable Securities or other SpinCo Shares to be Sold for offering and Sale or distribution under state securities Laws, any stock transfer taxes, out-of-pocket costs and expenses relating to any investor presentations on any “road show” presentations undertaken in connection with marketing of the Registrable Securities and any fees and expenses of any counsel to the Holder or the underwriters or dealer managers.

 

Registration Period ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(c) .

 

Registration Rights ” shall mean the rights of the Holders to cause SpinCo to Register Registrable Securities pursuant to Article II .

 

Registration Statement ” shall mean any registration statement of SpinCo filed with, or to be filed with, the SEC under the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act, including the related Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including post-effective amendments, and all exhibits and all material

 

5



 

incorporated by reference into such registration statement.  For the avoidance of doubt, it is acknowledged and agreed that such Registration Statement may be on any applicable form, including Form S-1, Form S-3, Form S-3ASR or Form S-4 and may be a Shelf Registration Statement.

 

Retained Shares ” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

Sale ” shall mean the direct or indirect transfer, sale, assignment or other disposition of a security.  The terms “ Sell ” and “ Sold ” shall have correlative meanings.

 

SEC ” shall mean the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities Act ” shall mean the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Separation and Distribution Agreement ” shall mean the Separation and Distribution Agreement by and between Parent and SpinCo in connection with the Separation and the Distribution, as it may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

Shelf Registration ” means a registration pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement.

 

Shelf Registration Statement ” shall mean a Registration Statement of SpinCo for an offering of Registrable Securities to be made on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or similar provisions then in effect).

 

Subsequent Transferee ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.05(b) .

 

Subsidiary ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Takedown Prospectus Supplement ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(g) .

 

Takedown Request ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(g) .

 

Third Party ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

Transferee ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.05(b) .

 

Underwritten Offering ” shall mean a Registration in which Registrable Securities are Sold to an underwriter or underwriters on a firm commitment basis for reoffering to the public.

 

SpinCo ” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

SpinCo Board ” shall mean the board of directors of SpinCo.

 

6



 

SpinCo Group ” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

SpinCo Public Sale ” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(a) .

 

SpinCo Shares ” shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of SpinCo.

 

ARTICLE II                            REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

Section 2.01                              Registration.

 

(a)                                  At any time prior to or on the fifth anniversary of the Distribution Date, any Holder(s) of 10% or more of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities (and any Holders acting together which collectively hold 10% or more of the then outstanding Registrable Securities) (collectively, the “ Initiating Holder ”; provided , that the 10% ownership threshold shall not apply to any Holder that is a member of the Parent Group) shall have the right to request that SpinCo file a Registration Statement with the SEC on the appropriate registration form for all or part of the Registrable Securities held by such Initiating Holder, by delivering a written request thereof to SpinCo specifying the number of shares of Registrable Securities such Initiating Holder wishes to register (a “ Demand Registration ”).  SpinCo shall (i) within five days of the receipt of a Demand Registration, give written notice of such Demand Registration to all Holders of Registrable Securities, (ii) use its reasonable best efforts to prepare and file the Registration Statement as expeditiously as possible, but in any event within 30 days of such request and (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective in respect of each Demand Registration in accordance with the intended method of distribution set forth in the written request delivered by the Initiating Holder.  SpinCo shall include in such Registration all Registrable Securities with respect to which SpinCo receives, within the 10 days immediately following the receipt by the Holder(s) of such notice from SpinCo, a request for inclusion in the Registration from the Holder(s) thereof.  Each such request from a Holder of Registrable Securities for inclusion in the Registration shall also specify the aggregate amount of Registrable Securities proposed to be Registered.  The Initiating Holder may request that the Registration Statement be on any appropriate form, including Form S-4 in the case of an Exchange Offer or an S-3 in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, and SpinCo shall effect the Registration on the form so requested.

 

(b)                                  The Holder(s) may collectively make a total of two Demand Registration requests pursuant to Section 2.01(a)  (including any exercise of rights to Demand Registration transferred pursuant to Section 4.05 and including any exercise of rights to Demand Registration made pursuant to any registration rights agreement entered into pursuant to Section 2.05 ).  In addition, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Parent Group shall be permitted to engage in up to four Private Debt Exchanges within any nine-month period following the date hereof, and Demand Registration request(s) made by the Participating Banks in such Private Debt Exchanges pursuant to one or more registration rights agreements with SpinCo pursuant to Section 2.05 shall collectively count only as one Demand Registration request for purposes of the limitation on the number of Demand Registration requests set forth in the first sentence of

 

7



 

this Section 2.01(b)  (it being understood that the Parent Group shall be permitted to engage in additional Private Debt Exchanges outside such nine-month period, but each Demand Registration request by the Participating Banks for such Private Debt Exchange pursuant to its registration rights agreement with SpinCo pursuant to Section 2.05 shall count as an additional Demand Registration request for purposes of the limitation on the number of Demand Registration requests set forth in the first sentence of this Section 2.01(b) ).  Furthermore, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary, if, at the time of the second Demand Registration, SpinCo is prohibited under then-existing SEC rules from registering all remaining Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration, regardless of whether the Holder or Holders has requested that such third Demand Registration be a Shelf Registration or otherwise, then such Demand Registration shall not count toward the total number of Demand Registration requests made by the Holder(s), and the Holder(s) shall continue to be able to make additional Demand Registration requests until such time as SpinCo is permitted under then-existing SEC rules to register all of the remaining Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration.

 

(c)                                   SpinCo shall be deemed to have effected a Registration for purposes of this Section 2.01 if the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC or becomes effective upon filing with the SEC and remains effective until the earlier of (i) the date when all Registrable Securities thereunder have been Sold and (ii) (x) in the case of a Registration Statement that is not a Shelf Registration Statement, 60 days from the effective date of the Registration Statement, in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-1, (y) 12 months from the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 or (z) 24 months from the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement on any other form (such period, as applicable, the “ Registration Period ”).  No Registration shall be deemed to have been effective if the conditions to closing specified in the underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement, if any, entered into in connection with such Registration are not satisfied by reason of a wrongful act, misrepresentation or breach of such applicable underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement by any member of the SpinCo Group.  If during the Registration Period, such Registration is interfered with by any stop order, injunction or other order or requirement of the SEC or other Governmental Authority or the need to update or supplement the Registration Statement, the Registration Period shall be extended on a day-for-day basis for any period in which the Holder(s) is unable to complete an offering as a result of such stop order, injunction or other order or requirement of the SEC or other Governmental Authority.

 

(d)                                  With respect to any Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement, whether filed or to be filed pursuant to this Agreement, if SpinCo shall reasonably determine, upon the advice of legal counsel, that maintaining the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or filing an amendment or supplement thereto (or, if no Registration Statement has yet been filed, filing such a Registration Statement), or filing such Takedown Prospectus Supplement, would (i) require the public disclosure of material nonpublic information concerning any transaction or negotiations involving SpinCo or any of its consolidated Subsidiaries that would materially interfere with such transaction or negotiations or (ii) require the public disclosure of material nonpublic information concerning SpinCo that, if disclosed at such time, would be materially adverse to SpinCo (a “ Disadvantageous Condition ”), SpinCo may, for the shortest period reasonably practicable, and in any event for not more than 60 consecutive calendar days (a “ Blackout Period ”), notify the Holders whose offers and Sales of

 

8



 

Registrable Securities are covered (or to be covered) by such Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement that such Registration Statement is unavailable for use (or will not be filed as requested) (such notice, a “ Blackout Notice ”).  Upon the receipt of any Blackout Notice, the Holders shall forthwith discontinue use of the Prospectus or Takedown Prospectus Supplement contained in any effective Registration Statement; provided , that, if at the time of receipt of such Blackout Notice any Holder shall have Sold its Registrable Securities (or have signed a firm commitment underwriting agreement with respect to the purchase of such shares) and the Disadvantageous Condition is not of a nature that would require a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement, then SpinCo shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to take such action as to eliminate any restriction imposed by federal securities Laws on the timely delivery of such Registrable Securities; provided , further , that, if implementation of such Blackout Period would materially impair the ability of Parent or any member of the Parent Group to Sell its Registrable Securities in accordance with its or their intended method of distribution before the Deadline, then SpinCo may not impose such Blackout Period (and any Blackout Period then in effect shall automatically expire) and SpinCo shall as soon as reasonably possible revise, amend and/or supplement the Registration Statement, as applicable, so that it does not include any misstatement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  When any Disadvantageous Condition as to which a Blackout Notice has been previously delivered shall cease to exist, SpinCo shall as promptly notify the Holders and take such actions in respect of such Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement as are otherwise required by this Agreement.  The effectiveness period for any Demand Registration or Shelf Registration Statement for which SpinCo has given notice of a Blackout Period shall be increased by the length of time of such Blackout Period.  SpinCo shall not impose, in any 365-day period, Blackout Periods lasting, in the aggregate, in excess of 90 calendar days.  If SpinCo declares a Blackout Period with respect to a Demand Registration for a Registration Statement that has not yet been declared effective or a Takedown Request for which a Takedown Prospectus Supplement has not yet been filed, (i) the Holders may by notice to SpinCo withdraw the related Demand Registration request or Takedown Request, in the case of a Demand Registration request without such Demand Registration request counting against the number of Demand Registration requests permitted to be made under Section 2.01(b) , and (ii) the Holders shall not be responsible for any of SpinCo’s related Registration Expenses.

 

(e)                                   If the Initiating Holder so indicates at the time of its request pursuant to Section 2.01(a)  or Section 2.01(g) , such offering of Registrable Securities shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering or an Exchange Offer, and SpinCo shall include such information in the written notice to the Holders required under Section 2.01(a) .  In the event that the Initiating Holder intends to Sell the Registrable Securities by means of an Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer, the right of any Holder to include Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the Underwritten Offering or the Exchange Offer to the extent provided herein.  The Holders of a majority of the outstanding Registrable Securities being included in any Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer shall select the underwriter(s) in the case of an Underwritten Offering or the dealer manager(s) in the case of an Exchange Offer, provided that such underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) are reasonably acceptable to SpinCo.  SpinCo shall be entitled to designate counsel

 

9



 

for such underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) (subject to their approval), provided that such designated underwriters’ counsel shall be a firm of national reputation representing underwriters or dealer managers in capital markets transactions.

 

(f)                                    If the managing underwriter or underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to this Section 2.01 inform(s) in writing the Holders participating in such Registration that, in its or their opinion, the number of securities requested to be included in such Registration exceeds the number that can be Sold in such offering without being likely to have a significant adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities offered or the market for the securities offered, the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such Registration shall be reduced to the maximum number recommended by the managing underwriter or underwriters and allocated first to any members of the Parent Group participating in the Registration, and then pro rata among the other Holders, including the Initiating Holder (other than any member of the Parent Group), in proportion to the number of Registrable Securities each Holder has requested to be included in such Registration; provided , that the Initiating Holder may notify SpinCo in writing that the Registration Statement shall be abandoned or withdrawn, in which event SpinCo shall abandon or withdraw such Registration Statement.  In the event the Initiating Holder notifies SpinCo that such Registration Statement shall be abandoned or withdrawn, such Holder shall not be deemed to have requested a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.01(a) , and SpinCo shall not be deemed to have effected a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.01(b) .  If the amount of Registrable Securities to be underwritten has not been limited in accordance with the first sentence of this Section 2.01(f) , SpinCo and the holders of SpinCo Shares or, if the Registrable Securities include securities other than SpinCo Shares, the holders of securities of the same class of those securities included in the Registrable Securities, in each case, other than the Holders (“ Other Holders ”), may include such securities for their own account or for the account of Other Holders in such Registration if the underwriter(s) so agree and to the extent that, in the opinion of such underwriter(s), the inclusion of such additional amount will not adversely affect the offering of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration.

 

(g)                                   With respect to any Demand Registration, the requesting Holders may request that SpinCo effect a registration of the Registrable Securities under a Shelf Registration, in which event SpinCo shall file, and shall thereafter use its commercially reasonable efforts to make and keep effective in accordance with Section 2.01(c)  (including by renewing or refiling upon expiration), a Shelf Registration Statement; provided , that SpinCo shall not be required to maintain in effect more than one Shelf Registration at any one time pursuant to this Section 2.01(g) .  Thereafter, SpinCo shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable following the written request of Holders for a resale of Registrable Securities (a “ Takedown Request ”), file a prospectus supplement (a “ Takedown Prospectus Supplement ”) to such Shelf Registration Statement under Rule 424 promulgated under the Securities Act with respect to resales of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Holder’s intended method of distribution thereof.  Each Takedown Request shall specify the Registrable Securities to be registered, their aggregate amount and the intended method or methods of distribution thereof.  If, in the case of an Underwritten Offering pursuant to a Takedown Request, the requesting Holder(s) so elect, such offering shall be in the form of a Block Trade, in which such event the requesting Holder(s) shall give at least eight (8) business days’ prior notice in writing of such transaction to SpinCo (which such notice shall identify the potential underwriter(s) and include contact information for such

 

10



 

underwriter(s)), and SpinCo shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with such requesting Holder(s) to the extent it is reasonably able and shall not be required to give notice thereof to other Holders of Registrable Securities or permit their participation therein unless SpinCo determines it is reasonably practicable to do so.  In no event shall SpinCo be required to effect, pursuant to this Section 2.01(g) , during any 90-day period, more than (A) two Block Trades or (B) more than one Underwritten Offering that is not a Block Trade pursuant to a Takedown Request (it being understood, for the avoidance of doubt, that a Takedown Request shall not count as a Demand Registration request for purposes of the limit set forth in Section 2.01(b) ).

 

Section 2.02                              Piggyback Registrations.

 

(a)                                  At any time prior to the earlier to occur of the fifth anniversary of the Distribution Date or the date on which the Registrable Securities then held by the Holder(s) represent less than 1% of the then-issued and outstanding SpinCo Shares (or, if the Registrable Securities include securities other than SpinCo Shares, less than 1% of the then-issued and outstanding securities of the same class as the securities included in the Registrable Securities), if SpinCo proposes to file a Registration Statement (other than a Shelf Registration) or a Prospectus supplement filed pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to any offering of such securities for its own account and/or for the account of any Other Holders (other than (i) a Registration or Takedown Prospectus Supplement under Section 2.01 , (ii) a Registration pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-8 or Form S-4 or similar form that relates to a transaction subject to Rule 145 under the Securities Act, (iii) in connection with any dividend reinvestment or similar plan, (iv) for the purpose of offering securities to another entity or its security holders in connection with the acquisition of assets or securities of such entity or any similar transaction or (v) a Registration in which the only SpinCo Shares being registered are SpinCo Shares issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being registered) (a “ SpinCo Public Sale ”), then, as soon as practicable, but in any event not less than 15 days prior to the proposed date of filing such Registration Statement, SpinCo shall give written notice of such proposed filing to each Holder, and such notice shall offer such Holders the opportunity to Register under such Registration Statement such number of Registrable Securities as each such Holder may request in writing (a “ Piggyback Registration ”).   Subject to Section 2.02(b)  and Section 2.02(c) , SpinCo shall use its reasonable best efforts to include in a Registration Statement with respect to a SpinCo Public Sale all Registrable Securities that are requested to be included therein within five business days after the receipt of any such notice; provided , however , that if, at any time after giving written notice of its intention to Register any securities and prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement filed in connection with such Registration, SpinCo shall determine for any reason not to Register or to delay Registration of the SpinCo Public Sale, SpinCo may, at its election, give written notice of such determination to each such Holder and, thereupon, (x) in the case of a determination not to Register, shall be relieved of its obligation to Register any Registrable Securities in connection with such Registration, without prejudice, however, to the rights of any Holder to request that such Registration be effected as a Demand Registration under Section 2.01 and (y) in the case of a determination to delay Registration, shall be permitted to delay Registering any Registrable Securities for the same period as the delay in Registering such other SpinCo Shares in the SpinCo Public Sale.  No Registration effected under this Section 2.02 shall relieve SpinCo of its obligation to effect any Demand Registration under Section 2.01 .  For purposes of clarification,

 

11



 

SpinCo’s filing of a Shelf Registration Statement shall not be deemed to be a SpinCo Public Sale; provided , however , that any prospectus supplement filed pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement with respect to an offering of SpinCo Shares for its own account and/or for the account of any other Persons will be a SpinCo Public Sale, unless such offering qualifies for an exemption from the SpinCo Public Sale definition in this Section 2.02(a) .

 

(b)                                  In the case of any Underwritten Offering, each Holder shall have the right to withdraw such Holder’s request for inclusion of its Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.02(a)  at any time prior to the execution of an underwriting agreement with respect thereto by giving written notice to SpinCo of such Holder’s request to withdraw and, subject to the preceding clause, each Holder shall be permitted to withdraw all or part of such Holder’s Registrable Securities from a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effective date thereof.

 

(c)                                   If the managing underwriter or underwriters of any proposed Underwritten Offering of a class of Registrable Securities included in a Piggyback Registration informs SpinCo and each Holder in writing that, in its or their opinion, the number of securities of such class that such Holder and any other Persons intend to include in such offering exceeds the number that can be Sold in such offering without being likely to have an adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities offered or the market for the securities offered, then the securities to be included in such Registration shall be (i) first, all securities of SpinCo and any other Persons (other than SpinCo’s executive officers and directors) for whom SpinCo is effecting the Registration, as the case may be, proposes to Sell, (ii) second, the number, if any, of Registrable Securities of such class that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be Sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated pro rata among the members of the Parent Group that hold Registrable Securities and have requested to participate in such Registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities of such class requested by such Person to be included in such Sale, (iii) third, the number, if any, of Registrable Securities of such class that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be Sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated pro rata among the Holders (other than members of the Parent Group) that hold Registrable Securities and have requested to participate in such Registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities of such class requested by such Person to be included in such Sale, (iv) fourth, the number of securities of executive officers and directors of SpinCo for whom SpinCo is effecting the Registration, as the case may be, with such number to be allocated pro rata among the executive officers and directors and (v) fifth, any other securities eligible for inclusion in such Registration, allocated among the holders of such securities in such proportion as SpinCo and those holders may agree.

 

(d)                                  After a Holder has been notified of its opportunity to include Registrable Securities in a Piggyback Registration, such Holder shall (i) treat the Offering Confidential Information as confidential information, (ii) not use any Offering Confidential Information for any purpose other than to evaluate whether to include its Registrable Securities (or other SpinCo Shares) in such Piggyback Registration and (iii) not disclose any Offering Confidential Information to any Person other than such of its agents, employees, advisors and counsel as have a need to know such Offering Confidential Information, and to cause such agents, employees, advisors and counsel to comply with the requirements of this Section 2.02(d) ; provided , that any

 

12



 

such Holder may disclose Offering Confidential Information if such disclosure is required by legal process, but such Holder shall cooperate with SpinCo to limit the extent of such disclosure through protective order or otherwise, and to seek confidential treatment of the Offering Confidential Information.

 

Section 2.03                              Registration Procedures.

 

(a)                                  In connection with SpinCo’s Registration obligations under Section 2.01 and Section 2.02 , SpinCo shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such Registration to permit the offer and Sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method or methods of distribution thereof as expeditiously as practicable, and in connection therewith, SpinCo shall, and shall cause the members of the SpinCo Group to:

 

(i)                                      prepare and file the required Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement, including all exhibits and financial statements and, in the case of an Exchange Offer, any document required under Rule 425 or Rule 165 with respect to such Exchange Offer (collectively, the “ Ancillary Filings ”) required under the Securities Act to be filed therewith, and before filing with the SEC a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, (A) furnish to the underwriters or dealer managers, if any, and to the Holders, copies of all documents prepared to be filed, which documents shall be subject to the review and comment of such underwriters or dealer managers and such Holders and their respective counsel, and provide such underwriters or dealer managers, if any, and such Holders and their respective counsel reasonable time to review and comment thereon and (B) not file with the SEC any Registration Statement or Prospectus or amendments or supplements thereto or any Ancillary Filing to which the Holders or the underwriters or dealer managers, if any, shall reasonably object;

 

(ii)                                   prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and post-effective amendments to such Registration Statement and supplements to the Prospectus and any Ancillary Filing as may be reasonably requested by the participating Holders;

 

(iii)                                promptly notify the participating Holders and the managing underwriters or dealer managers, if any, and, if requested, confirm such advice in writing and provide copies of the relevant documents, as soon as reasonably practicable after notice thereof is received by any member of the SpinCo Group (A) when the applicable Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed or becomes effective, the applicable Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Prospectus has been filed, or any Ancillary Filing has been filed, (B) of any comments (written or oral) by the SEC or any request (written or oral) by the SEC or any other Governmental Authority for amendments or supplements to such Registration Statement, such Prospectus or any Ancillary Filing, or for any additional information, (C) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement, any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary or final Prospectus or any

 

13



 

Ancillary Filing, or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for such purposes, (D) if, at any time, the representations and warranties (written or oral) in any applicable underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement cease to be true and correct in all material respects and (E) of the receipt by any member of the SpinCo Group of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Registrable Securities for offering or Sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose;

 

(iv)                               (A) promptly notify each participating Holder and the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, when SpinCo becomes aware of the occurrence of any event as a result of which the applicable Registration Statement, the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (as then in effect) or any Ancillary Filing contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of such Prospectus and any preliminary Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such time period to amend or supplement such Registration Statement, Prospectus or any Ancillary Filing in order to comply with the Securities Act, and (B) in either case, as promptly as reasonably practicable thereafter, prepare and file with the SEC, and furnish without charge to each participating Holder and the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, an amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or Ancillary Filing that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance;

 

(v)                                  use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent or obtain the withdrawal of any stop order or other order suspending the use of any preliminary or final Prospectus;

 

(vi)                               promptly (A) incorporate in a Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information as the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, and the Holders agree should be included therein relating to the plan of distribution with respect to such Registrable Securities and (B) make all required filings of such Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment as soon as reasonably practicable after being notified of the matters to be incorporated in such Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment;

 

(vii)                            furnish to each participating Holder and each underwriter or dealer manager, if any, without charge, as many conformed copies as such Holder or underwriter or dealer manager may reasonably request of the applicable Registration Statement and any amendment or post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference and all exhibits (including those incorporated by reference);

 

(viii)                         deliver to each participating Holder and each underwriter or dealer manager, if any, without charge, as many copies of the applicable Prospectus (including each preliminary Prospectus) and any amendment or supplement

 

14



 

thereto as such Holder or underwriter or dealer manager may reasonably request (it being understood that SpinCo consents to the use of such Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by each participating Holder and the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, in connection with the offering and Sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto) and such other documents as such participating Holder or underwriter or dealer manager may reasonably request in order to facilitate the Sale of the Registrable Securities by such Holder or underwriter or dealer manager;

 

(ix)                               on or prior to the date on which the applicable Registration Statement is declared effective or becomes effective, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify, and cooperate with each participating Holder, the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, and their respective counsel, in connection with the registration or qualification of, such Registrable Securities for offer and Sale under the securities or “blue sky” Laws of each state and other jurisdiction of the United States as any participating Holder or managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, or their respective counsel reasonably request, and in any foreign jurisdiction mutually agreeable to SpinCo and the participating Holders, and do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary or advisable to keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as such Registration Statement remains in effect and so as to permit the continuance of offers and Sales and dealings in such jurisdictions for so long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement; provided that SpinCo will not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, to take any action which would subject it to taxation or general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or conform its capitalization or the composition of its assets at the time to the securities or blue sky Laws of any such jurisdiction;

 

(x)                                  in connection with any Sale of Registrable Securities that will result in such securities no longer being Registrable Securities, cooperate with each participating Holder and the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, to (A) facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be Sold and not bearing any restrictive Securities Act legends and (B) register such Registrable Securities in such denominations and such names as such participating Holder or the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, may request at least two business days prior to such Sale of Registrable Securities; provided that SpinCo may satisfy its obligations hereunder without issuing physical stock certificates through the use of the Depository Trust Company’s Direct Registration System;

 

(xi)                               cooperate and assist in any filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and each securities exchange, if any, on which any of SpinCo’s securities are then listed or quoted and on each inter-dealer quotation system on which any of SpinCo’s securities are then quoted, and

 

15



 

in the performance of any due diligence investigation by any underwriter or dealer manager (including any “qualified independent underwriter”) that is required to be retained in accordance with the rules and regulations of each such exchange, and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other Governmental Authorities as may be necessary to enable the seller or sellers thereof or the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, to consummate the Sale of such Registrable Securities;

 

(xii)                            not later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, provide a CUSIP number for all Registrable Securities and provide the applicable transfer agent with printed certificates for the Registrable Securities which are in a form eligible for deposit with the Depository Trust Company; provided , that SpinCo may satisfy its obligations hereunder without issuing physical stock certificates through the use of the Depository Trust Company’s Direct Registration System;

 

(xiii)                         obtain for delivery to and addressed to each participating Holder and to the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, opinions from counsel for SpinCo, in each case dated the effective date of the Registration Statement or, in the event of an Underwritten Offering, the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement or, in the event of an Exchange Offer, the date of the closing under the dealer manager agreement or similar agreement or otherwise, and in each such case in customary form and content for the type of Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer, as applicable;

 

(xiv)                        in the case of an Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer, obtain for delivery to and addressed to SpinCo and the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, and, to the extent requested, each participating Holder, a cold comfort letter from SpinCo’s independent registered public accounting firm in customary form and content for the type of Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer, dated the date of execution of the underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement or, if none, the date of commencement of the Exchange Offer, and brought down to the closing, whether under the underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement, if applicable, or otherwise;

 

(xv)                           in the case of an Exchange Offer that does not involve a dealer manager, provide to each participating Holder such customary written representations and warranties or other covenants or agreements as may be requested by any participating Holder comparable to those that would be included in an underwriting or dealer manager agreement;

 

(xvi)                        use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and make generally available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event no later than 90 days, after the end of the 12-month period beginning with the first day of SpinCo’s first quarter commencing after the effective date of the applicable

 

16



 

Registration Statement, an earnings statement satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and covering the period of at least 12 months, but not more than 18 months, beginning with the first month after the effective date of the Registration Statement;

 

(xvii)                     provide and cause to be maintained a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement from and after a date not later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;

 

(xviii)                  cause all Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement to be listed on each securities exchange on which any of SpinCo’s securities are then listed or quoted and on each inter-dealer quotation system on which any of SpinCo’s securities are then quoted;

 

(xix)                        provide (A) each Holder participating in the Registration, (B) the underwriters (which term, for purposes of this Agreement, shall include any Person deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act), if any, of the Registrable Securities to be registered, (C) the Sale or placement agent therefor, if any, (D) the dealer manager therefor, if any, (E) counsel for such Holder, underwriters, agent, or dealer manager and (F) any attorney, accountant or other agent or representative retained by such Holder or any such underwriter or dealer manager, as selected by such Holder, in each case, the opportunity to participate in the preparation of such Registration Statement, each Prospectus included therein or filed with the SEC, and each amendment or supplement thereto; and for a reasonable period prior to the filing of such Registration Statement, upon execution of a customary confidentiality agreement, make available for inspection upon reasonable notice at reasonable times and for reasonable periods, by the parties referred to in clauses (A) through (F) above, all pertinent financial and other records, pertinent corporate and other documents and properties of the SpinCo Group that are available to SpinCo, and cause all of the SpinCo Group’s officers, directors and employees and the independent public accountants who have certified its financial statements to make themselves available at reasonable times and for reasonable periods to discuss the business of SpinCo and to supply all information available to SpinCo reasonably requested by any such Person in connection with such Registration Statement as shall be necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence or other responsibility, subject to the foregoing; provided , that in no event shall any member of the SpinCo Group be required to make available any information which the SpinCo Board determines in good faith to be competitively sensitive or confidential.  The recipients of such information shall coordinate with one another so that the inspection permitted hereunder will not unnecessarily interfere with the SpinCo Group’s conduct of business.  Each Holder agrees that information obtained by it as a result of such inspections shall be deemed confidential and shall not be used by it as the basis for any market transactions in the securities of SpinCo or its Affiliates unless and until such information is made generally available to the

 

17



 

public by SpinCo or such Affiliate or for any reason not related to the Registration of Registrable Securities;

 

(xx)                           cause the senior executive officers of SpinCo to participate at reasonable times and for reasonable periods in the customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, and otherwise to facilitate, cooperate with, and participate in each proposed offering contemplated herein and customary selling efforts related thereto;

 

(xxi)                        comply with all requirements of the Securities Act, Exchange Act and other applicable Laws, rules and regulations, as well as all applicable stock exchange rules; and

 

(xxii)                     take all other customary steps reasonably necessary or advisable to effect the Registration and distribution of the Registrable Securities contemplated hereby.

 

(b)                                  As a condition precedent to any Registration hereunder, SpinCo may require each Holder as to which any Registration is being effected to furnish to SpinCo such information regarding the distribution of such securities and such other information relating to such Holder, its ownership of Registrable Securities and other matters as SpinCo may from time to time reasonably request in writing.  Each such Holder agrees to furnish such information to SpinCo and to cooperate with SpinCo as reasonably necessary to enable SpinCo to comply with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(c)                                   Each Holder shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable, notify SpinCo, at any time when a Prospectus is required to be delivered (or deemed delivered) under the Securities Act, of the occurrence of an event, of which such Holder has knowledge, relating to such Holder or its Sale of Registrable Securities thereunder requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such Prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered (or deemed delivered) to the purchasers of such Registrable Securities, such Prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

 

(d)                                  Parent agrees (on behalf of itself and each member of the Parent Group), and any other Holder agrees by acquisition of such Registrable Securities, that, upon receipt of any written notice from SpinCo of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 2.03(a)(iv) , such Holder will forthwith discontinue Sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by Section 2.03(a)(iv) , or until such Holder is advised in writing by SpinCo that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed, and if so directed by SpinCo, such Holder will deliver to SpinCo, at SpinCo’s expense, all copies of the Prospectus covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice.  In the event SpinCo shall give any such notice, the period during which the applicable Registration Statement is required to be maintained effective shall be extended by the number of days during the period

 

18



 

from and including the date of the giving of such notice through the date when each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement either receives the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by Section 2.03(a)(iv)  or is advised in writing by SpinCo that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed.

 

Section 2.04                              Underwritten Offerings or Exchange Offers.

 

(a)                                  If requested by the managing underwriter(s) for any Underwritten Offering or dealer manager(s) for any Exchange Offer that is requested by Holders pursuant to a Demand Registration or Takedown Request under Section 2.01 , SpinCo shall enter into an underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement, as applicable, with such underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) for such offering, such agreement to be reasonably satisfactory in substance and form to SpinCo and the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) and, if Parent Group is a participating Holder, to Parent Group.  Such agreement shall contain such representations and warranties by SpinCo and such other terms as are generally prevailing in agreements of that type.  Each Holder with Registrable Securities to be included in any Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer by such underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) shall enter into such underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement at the request of SpinCo, which agreement shall contain such reasonable representations and warranties by the Holder and such other reasonable terms as are generally prevailing in agreements of that type.

 

(b)                                  In the event of a SpinCo Public Sale involving an offering of SpinCo Shares or other equity securities of SpinCo in an Underwritten Offering (whether in a Demand Registration or a Piggyback Registration or pursuant to a Takedown Request, whether or not the Holders participate therein), the Holders hereby agree, and, in the event of a SpinCo Public Sale of SpinCo Shares or other equity securities of SpinCo in an Underwritten Offering or an Exchange Offer, SpinCo shall agree, and, except in the case of a Shelf Registration, it shall cause its executive officers and directors to agree, if requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters in such Underwritten Offering or by the Holder or the dealer manager or dealer managers, in an Exchange Offer, not to effect any Sale or distribution (including any offer to Sell, contract to Sell, short Sale or any option to purchase) of any securities (except, in each case, as part of the applicable Registration, if permitted hereunder) that are of the same type as those being Registered in connection with such public offering and Sale, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such securities, during the period beginning five days before, and ending 90 days (or such lesser period as may be permitted by SpinCo or the participating Holder(s), as applicable, or such managing underwriter or underwriters) after, the effective date of the Registration Statement filed in connection with such Registration (or, if later, the date of the Prospectus), to the extent timely notified in writing by such selling Person or the managing underwriter or underwriters or dealer manager or dealer managers.  The participating Holders and SpinCo, as applicable, also agree to execute an agreement evidencing the restrictions in this Section 2.04(b)  in customary form, which form is reasonably satisfactory to SpinCo or the participating Holder(s), as applicable, and the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), as applicable; provided that such restrictions may be included in the underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement, if applicable.  SpinCo may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the securities subject to the foregoing restriction until the end of the required stand-off period.

 

19



 

(c)                                   No Holder may participate in any Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer hereunder unless such Holder (i) agrees to Sell such Holder’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements or dealer manager agreements approved by SpinCo or other Persons entitled to approve such arrangements and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements, dealer manager agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements or dealer manager agreements or this Agreement.

 

Section 2.05                              Registration Rights Agreement with Participating Banks.

 

If one or more members of the Parent Group decides to engage in a Private Debt Exchange with one or more Participating Banks, SpinCo shall enter into a registration rights agreement with the Participating Banks in connection with such Private Debt Exchange on terms and conditions consistent with this Agreement (other than the voting provisions contained in Article III hereof) and reasonably satisfactory to SpinCo and the Parent Group.

 

Section 2.06                              Registration Expenses Paid by SpinCo.

 

In the case of any Registration of Registrable Securities required pursuant to this Agreement, SpinCo shall pay all Registration Expenses regardless of whether the Registration Statement becomes effective; provided , however , that SpinCo shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any Registration begun pursuant to Section 2.01 if the Demand Registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be Registered (in which case all participating Holders shall bear such expenses), unless the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities agree to forfeit their right to one Demand Registration to which they have the right pursuant to Section 2.01(b) .

 

Section 2.07                              Indemnification.

 

(a)                                  SpinCo agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, to the full extent permitted by applicable Law, each Holder whose shares are included in a Registration Statement, such Holder’s Affiliates and their respective officers, directors, agents, advisors, employees and each Person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) such Holder, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof, whether or not such indemnified party is a party thereto) and expenses, joint or several (including reasonable costs of investigation and legal expenses) (each, a “ Loss ” and collectively, “ Losses ”) arising out of or based upon (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which the offering and Sale of such Registrable Securities was Registered under the Securities Act (including any final or preliminary Prospectus contained therein or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any documents incorporated by reference therein), or any such statement made in any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that SpinCo has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or any Ancillary Filing, (ii) any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a Prospectus, preliminary Prospectus or free writing prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading; provided , that with respect to any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue

 

20



 

statement or omission made in any Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall not apply to the extent that any such liability results from or arises out of (A) the fact that a current copy of the Prospectus was not sent or given to the Person asserting any such liability at or prior to the written confirmation of the Sale of the Registrable Securities concerned to such Person if it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable judgment that SpinCo has provided such Prospectus and it was the responsibility of such Holder or its agents to provide such Person with a current copy of the Prospectus and such current copy of the Prospectus would have cured the defect giving rise to such liability, (B) the use of any Prospectus by or on behalf of any Holder after SpinCo has notified such Person in writing (x) that such Prospectus contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (y) that a stop order has been issued by the SEC with respect to a Registration Statement, or (C) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to SpinCo by or on behalf of the Indemnitee (as hereinafter defined), in either case expressly for use in such Registration Statement or Prospectus.  This indemnity shall be in addition to any liability SpinCo may otherwise have, including under the Separation and Distribution Agreement.  Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Holder or any indemnified party and shall survive the Sale of such securities by such Holder.

 

(b)                                  Each participating Holder whose Registrable Securities are included in a Registration Statement agrees (severally and not jointly) to indemnify and hold harmless, to the full extent permitted by applicable Law, SpinCo, its directors, officers, agents, advisors, employees and each Person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act) SpinCo from and against any and all Losses (i) arising out of or based upon information furnished in writing by such Holder or on such Holder’s behalf, in either case expressly for use in a Registration Statement, Prospectus relating to such Holder’s Registrable Securities or (ii) resulting from (A) the fact that a current copy of the Prospectus was not sent or given to the Person asserting any such liability at or prior to the written confirmation of the Sale of the Registrable Securities concerned to such Person if it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable judgment that it was the responsibility of such Holder or its agent to provide such Person with a current copy of the Prospectus and such current copy of the Prospectus would have cured the defect giving rise to such liability, or (B) the use of any Prospectus by or on behalf of any Holder after SpinCo has notified such Person in writing (x) that such Prospectus contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (y) that a stop order has been issued by the SEC with respect to a Registration Statement.  This indemnity shall be in addition to any liability the participating Holder may otherwise have, including under the Separation and Distribution Agreement.  In no event shall the liability of any participating Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such holder under the Sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation.  Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of SpinCo or any indemnified party.

 

21



 

(c)                                   Any claim or action with respect to which a Party (an “ Indemnifying Party ”) may be obligated to provide indemnification to any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder (an “ Indemnitee ”) shall be subject to the procedures for indemnification set forth in Sections 4.4 and 4.5 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

(d)                                  If for any reason the indemnification provided for in Section 2.07(a)  or Section 2.07(b)  is unavailable to an Indemnitee or insufficient to hold it harmless as contemplated by Section 2.07(a)  or Section 2.07(b) , then the Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Indemnitee as a result of such Loss in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party on the one hand and the Indemnitee on the other hand.  The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Indemnifying Party or the Indemnitee and the Parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission.  For the avoidance of doubt, the establishment of such relative fault, and any disagreements or disputes relating thereto, shall be subject to Section 4.04 .  Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2.07(d)  to the contrary, no Indemnifying Party (other than SpinCo) shall be required pursuant to this Section 2.07(d)  to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds received by such Indemnifying Party from the Sale of Registrable Securities in the offering to which the Losses of the Indemnitees relate (before deducting expenses, if any) exceeds the amount of any damages which such Indemnifying Party has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or omission.  The Parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 2.07(d)  were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 2.07(d) .  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The amount paid or payable by an Indemnitee hereunder shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 2.07(d) , any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnitee in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding.  If indemnification is available under this Section 2.07 , the Indemnifying Parties shall indemnify each Indemnitee to the full extent provided in Section 2.07(a)  and Section 2.07(b)  without regard to the relative fault of said Indemnifying Parties or Indemnitee.  Any Holders’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 2.07(d)  are several and not joint.

 

Section 2.08                              Reporting Requirements; Rule 144.

 

Until the earlier of (a) the expiration or termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms and (b) the date upon which there cease to be any Holders of Registrable Securities, SpinCo shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to be and remain in compliance with the periodic filing requirements imposed under the SEC’s rules and regulations, including the Exchange Act, and any other applicable Laws or rules, and thereafter shall timely file such information, documents and reports as the SEC may require or prescribe under Sections 13, 14 and 15(d), as applicable, of the Exchange Act so that SpinCo will qualify for registration

 

22



 

on Form S-3 and to enable the Holders to Sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act consistent with the exemptions from registration under the Securities Act provided by (i) Rule 144 or Regulation S under the Securities Act, as amended from time to time, or (ii) any similar SEC rule or regulation then in effect.  From and after the date hereof through such earlier date, SpinCo shall forthwith upon request furnish any Holder (x) a written statement by SpinCo as to whether it has complied with such requirements and, if not, the specifics thereof, (y) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of SpinCo and (z) such other reports and documents filed by SpinCo with the SEC as such Holder may reasonably request in availing itself of an exemption for the offering and Sale of Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act.

 

Section 2.09                              Registration Rights Covenant.

 

SpinCo covenants that it will not, and it will cause the members of the SpinCo Group not to, grant any right of registration under the Securities Act relating to the SpinCo Shares or any of its other securities to any Person other than pursuant to this Agreement, unless the rights so granted to another Person do not limit or restrict the rights of the Holder(s) hereunder.  If SpinCo enters into any agreement after the date hereof granting any Person registration rights with respect to any security of SpinCo which agreement contains any material provisions more favorable to such Person than those set forth in this Agreement, SpinCo will notify Parent and will agree to such amendments to this Agreement as may be necessary to provide these rights to Parent, at Parent’s election.

 

ARTICLE III                       VOTING RESTRICTIONS

 

Section 3.01                              Voting of SpinCo Shares.

 

(a)                                  From the date of this Agreement and until the date that the Parent Group ceases to own any Retained Shares, Parent shall, and shall cause each member of the Parent Group to (in each case, to the extent that they own any Retained Shares), be present, in person or by proxy, at each and every SpinCo stockholder meeting, and otherwise to cause all Retained Shares owned by them to be counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum at any such meeting, and to vote or consent on any matter (including waivers of contractual or statutory rights), or cause to be voted or consented on any such matter, all such Retained Shares in proportion to the votes cast by the other holders of SpinCo Shares on such matter.

 

(b)                                  From the date of this Agreement and until the date that the Parent Group ceases to own any Retained Shares, Parent hereby grants, and shall cause each member of the Parent Group (in each case, to the extent that they own any Retained Shares) to grant, an irrevocable proxy, which shall be deemed coupled with an interest sufficient in Law to support an irrevocable proxy to SpinCo or its designees, to vote, with respect to any matter (including waivers of contractual or statutory rights), all Retained Shares owned by them, in proportion to the votes cast by the other holders of SpinCo Shares on such matter; provided , that (i) such proxy shall automatically be revoked as to a particular Retained Share upon any Sale of such Retained Share from a member of the Parent Group to a Person other than a member of the Parent Group and (ii) nothing in this Section 3.01(b)  shall limit or prohibit any such Sale.

 

23



 

(c)                                   Parent acknowledges and agrees (on behalf of itself and each member of the Parent Group) that SpinCo will be irreparably damaged in the event any of the provisions of this Article III are not performed by Parent in accordance with their terms or are otherwise breached.  Accordingly, it is agreed that SpinCo shall be entitled to an injunction to prevent breaches of this Article III and to specific enforcement of the provisions of this Article III in any action instituted in any court of the United States or any state having subject matter jurisdiction over such action.

 

ARTICLE IV                        MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 4.01                              Further Assurances.

 

In addition to the actions specifically provided for elsewhere in this Agreement, each of the Parties shall use its commercially reasonable efforts, prior to, on and after the date hereof, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws, regulations and agreements to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Section 4.02                              Term and Termination.

 

This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (a) five years after the Distribution Date, (b) the time at which all Registrable Securities are held by Persons other than Holders and (c) the time at which all Registrable Securities have been Sold in accordance with one or more Registration Statements; provided , that the provisions of Section 2.06 and Section 2.07 and this Article IV shall survive any such termination.

 

Section 4.03                              Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power.

 

(a)                                  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties and delivered to the other Party.

 

(b)                                  This Agreement and the Exhibit hereto contain the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein.

 

(c)                                   Parent represents on behalf of itself and each other member of the Parent Group, and SpinCo represents on behalf of itself and each other member of the SpinCo Group, as follows:

 

(i) each such Person has the requisite corporate or other power and authority and has taken all corporate or other action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, and

 

24



 

(ii) this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of it enforceable in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

(d)                                  Each Party acknowledges that it and each other Party may execute this Agreement by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by email in portable document format (PDF) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this Agreement.  Each Party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier, by facsimile or by email in portable document format (PDF)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it shall not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such Party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person.

 

Section 4.04                              Disputes and Governing Law.

 

(a)                                  Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement (including the validity, interpretation, breach or termination of this Agreement) (a “ Dispute ”), shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, which shall be the sole and exclusive procedures for the resolution of any such Dispute unless otherwise specified in this Agreement or in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

(b)                                  This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby or to the inducement of any Party to enter herein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, irrespective of the choice of laws principles of the State of Delaware, including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

 

(c)                                   THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY WAIVE AND FOREGO ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.

 

Section 4.05                              Successors, Assigns and Transferees.

 

(a)                                  Except as set forth herein, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided , however , that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party hereto.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole ( i.e. , the assignment of a party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and all other Ancillary Agreements all at the same time) in connection with a Change of Control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant party thereto by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party.  Nothing herein is

 

25



 

intended to, or shall be construed to, prohibit either Party or any member of its Group from being party to or undertaking a Change of Control.

 

(b)                                  Notwithstanding any other terms of this Section 4.05 , in connection with the Sale of Registrable Securities, Parent may assign its Registration-related rights and obligations under this Agreement relating to such Registrable Securities to the following transferees in such Sale:  (i) a member of the Parent Group to which Registrable Securities are Sold; (ii) one or more Participating Banks to which Registrable Securities are Sold; (iii) any transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, if SpinCo provides prior written consent to the transfer of such Registration-related rights and obligations along with the Sale of Registrable Securities; or (iv) any other transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, unless such Sale consists of Registrable Securities representing less than 1% of SpinCo’s then-issued and outstanding securities of the same class as the Registrable Securities and such Registrable Securities are eligible for Sale pursuant to an exemption from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act under Section 4(a) thereof (including transactions pursuant to Rule 144); provided , that in the case of clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv), (x) SpinCo is given written notice prior to or at the time of such Sale stating the name and address of the transferee and identifying the securities with respect to which the Registration-related rights and obligations are being Sold and (y) the transferee executes a counterpart in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and delivers the same to SpinCo (any such transferee in such Sale, a “ Transferee ”).  In connection with the Sale of Registrable Securities, a Transferee or Subsequent Transferee (as defined below) may assign its Registration-related rights and obligations under this Agreement relating to such Registrable Securities to the following subsequent transferees:  (A) an Affiliate of such Transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, (B) any subsequent transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, if SpinCo provides prior written consent to the transfer of such Registration-related rights and obligations along with the Sale of Registrable Securities or (C) any other subsequent transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, unless such Sale consists of Registrable Securities representing less than 1% of SpinCo’s then-issued and outstanding securities of the same class as the Registrable Securities and such Registrable Securities are eligible for Sale pursuant to an exemption from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act under Section 4(a) thereof (including transactions pursuant to Rule 144); provided , that in the case of clauses (A), (B) or (C), (x) SpinCo is given written notice prior to or at the time of such Sale stating the name and address of the subsequent transferee and identifying the securities with respect to which the Registration-related rights and obligations are being assigned and (y) the subsequent transferee executes a counterpart in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and delivers the same to SpinCo (any such subsequent transferee, a “ Subsequent Transferee ”).

 

Section 4.06                              Third-Party Beneficiaries.

 

Except for any Person expressly entitled to indemnification rights under this Agreement, (a) the provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties hereto and parties thereto, respectively, and are not intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder, and (b) there are no third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement and this Agreement shall not provide any third Person with any remedy, claim, liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement.

 

26



 

Section 4.07                              Notices.

 

All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by facsimile or electronic transmission with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service), or by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 4.07 ):

 

If to Parent, to:

 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc.

150 Peabody Place
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
Attention:
                    Dion Persson

E-mail:                                    dion.persson@servicemaster.com

 

with a copy to:

 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York 10019
Attention:
                    Andrew Brownstein

S. Iliana Ongun

E-mail:                                    ARBrownstein@wlrk.com

SIOngun@wlrk.com

 

If to SpinCo, to:

 

frontdoor, inc.
150 Peabody Place
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
Attention:
                    General Counsel

E-mail:                                    Jeffrey.Fiarman@frontdoorhome.com

 

with a copy to:

 

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
51 West 52nd Street
New York, New York 10019
Attention:
                    Andrew Brownstein

S. Iliana Ongun

E-mail:                                    ARBrownstein@wlrk.com

SIOngun@wlrk.com

 

27



 

A Party may, by written notice to the other Party, change the address to which any such notices are to be given.

 

Section 4.08                              Severability.

 

If any provision of this Agreement or the application hereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby.  Upon such determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon such a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the Parties.

 

Section 4.09                              Headings.

 

The article, section and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

Section 4.10                              Waiver of Default.

 

Waiver by a Party of any default by the other Party of any provision of this Agreement must be in writing and shall not be deemed a waiver by the waiving Party of any subsequent or other default, nor shall it prejudice the rights of the other Party.  No failure or delay by a Party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof prejudice any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

 

Section 4.11                              Amendments.

 

No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification, or the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities, if such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is sought to be enforced against a Holder.

 

Section 4.12                              Interpretation.

 

In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires, (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement, (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement unless otherwise specified, (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement, the

 

28



 

Separation and Distribution Agreement and each other Ancillary Agreement) shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes to such agreement, (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified, (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive, (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days, (h) references to “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in Memphis, Tennessee or New York, New York, (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; the word “extent” in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other thing extends, and such phrase shall not mean simply “if” and (j) unless expressly stated to the contrary in this Agreement, all references to “the date hereof,” “the date of this Agreement,” “hereby” and “hereupon” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 28, 2018.

 

Section 4.13                              Performance.

 

Parent shall cause to be performed, and hereby guarantees the performance of, all actions, agreements and obligations set forth in this Agreement to be performed by any member of the Parent Group.  SpinCo shall cause to be performed, and hereby guarantees the performance of, all actions, agreements and obligations set forth in this Agreement to be performed by any member of the SpinCo Group.  Each Party (including its permitted successors and assigns) further agrees that it shall (a) give timely notice of the terms, conditions and continuing obligations contained in this Agreement to all of the other members of its Group and (b) cause all of the other members of its Group not to take any action or fail to take any such action inconsistent with such Party’s obligations under this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

Section 4.14                              Registrations, Exchanges, etc.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary that may be contained in this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall apply to the full extent set forth herein with respect to (a) any SpinCo Shares, now or hereafter authorized to be issued, (b) any and all securities of SpinCo into which SpinCo Shares are converted, exchanged or substituted in any recapitalization or other capital reorganization by SpinCo and (c) any and all securities of any kind whatsoever of SpinCo or any successor or permitted assign of SpinCo (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) which may be issued on or after the date hereof in respect of, in conversion of, in exchange for or in substitution of, SpinCo Shares, and shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividends, or other distributions, stock splits or reverse stock splits, combinations, recapitalizations, mergers, consolidations, exchange offers or other reorganizations occurring after the date hereof.

 

29



 

Section 4.15                              Mutual Drafting.

 

This Agreement shall be deemed to be the joint work product of the Parties, and any rule of construction that a document shall be interpreted or construed against a drafter of such document shall not be applicable.

 

[The remainder of this page has been left blank intentionally.]

 

30



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the date first above written.

 

 

SERVICEMASTER GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Anthony D. Dilucente

 

 

Name:

Anthony D. Dilucente

 

 

Title:

Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

FRONTDOOR, INC.

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Rexford J. Tibbens

 

 

Name:

Rexford J. Tibbens

 

 

Title:

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement]

 



 

Exhibit A

 

Form of

 

Agreement to be Bound

 

THIS INSTRUMENT forms part of the Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement (the “ Agreement ”), dated as of September 28, 2018, by and between ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Parent ”), and frontdoor, inc., a Delaware corporation.  The undersigned hereby acknowledges having received a copy of the Agreement and having read the Agreement in its entirety, and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound, hereby agrees that the terms and conditions of the Agreement binding upon and inuring to the benefit of Parent shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the undersigned and its successors and permitted assigns as if it were an original party to the Agreement.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this instrument on this     day of                     , 20   .

 

 

 

(Signature of transferee)

 

 

 

 

 

Print name

 

 

A- 1


Exhibit 99.1

 

 

For further information contact:

 

Investor Relations :

Jesse Jenkins

901.597.8259

Jesse.Jenkins@servicemaster.com

 

Media:

James Robinson

901.597.7521

James.Robinson@servicemaster.com

 

ServiceMaster Completes Spin-off of Frontdoor

 

MEMPHIS, TENN. — October 1, 2018 ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services, today announced that it successfully completed the spin-off of frontdoor, inc., (“Frontdoor”), the parent company of its American Home Shield business, which is now an independent public company that will begin “regular way” trading this morning on Nasdaq under the symbol “FTDR.” ServiceMaster shares will continue to trade on the NYSE under the symbol “SERV.”

 

The spin-off enables ServiceMaster to focus on its transformation efforts and on delivering an array of residential and commercial services ranging from pest control and janitorial cleaning to restoration services, through more than 8,000 owned, licensed, and franchised locations across its seven brands, which operate in more than 22 countries.

 

“Today’s announcement is a major milestone for our employees, shareholders and business,” said Nik Varty, chief executive officer of ServiceMaster. “ServiceMaster begins its next chapter with strong momentum and compelling growth prospects. We are committed to delivering best-in-class services, and to continuing the transformation efforts in our key Terminix business by focusing on our mission of helping maintain, improve, and protect our customers’ most important assets — their homes and businesses.”

 

“Operating as two powerful, independent, focused companies, ServiceMaster and Frontdoor can now each benefit from increased focus and flexibility to better serve customers, drive organic growth, and unlock significant long-term value for shareholders. I’m excited for the opportunities that lie ahead for both companies.”

 

In the last year, ServiceMaster has made significant progress in strengthening and repositioning its Terminix business by putting in place a strong leadership team, reinforcing accountability, empowering technicians to deliver an excellent customer experience, and working to implement a lean, Six Sigma approach. The company has also embarked on a journey to build a strong commercial pest control business, including the successful acquisition in of Copesan Services, and is implementing a renewed growth strategy for its Franchise Services Group.

 

The separation was completed through a pro rata dividend of Frontdoor common stock effective on October 1, 2018 to ServiceMaster shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 14, 2018 (the “record date”). Each ServiceMaster shareholder as of the record date received one share of Frontdoor common stock for every two shares of ServiceMaster common stock held by such shareholder on the record date. Shareholders will receive cash in lieu of any fractional shares that they would otherwise have received in the distribution.

 

ServiceMaster shareholders own more than 80 percent of the outstanding shares of Frontdoor common stock.

 

J.P. Morgan served as exclusive financial advisor to ServiceMaster and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal advisor.

 

About ServiceMaster

 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services, operating through an extensive service network of more than 8,000 company-owned locations and franchise and license agreements. The company’s portfolio of well-recognized brands includes AmeriSpec (home inspections), Furniture Medic (cabinet and furniture repair), Merry

 



 

Maids (residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration), Terminix (termite and pest control), and Terminix Commercial (commercial termite and pest control). The company is headquartered in Memphis, Tenn. Go to servicemaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow the company at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or Facebook.com/ServiceMaster.

 

Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements and cautionary statements, including statements with respect to the separation of Frontdoor from ServiceMaster and the distribution of Frontdoor shares to ServiceMaster shareholders. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “shall,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “seeks,” “aims,” “projects,” “is optimistic,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates” or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond ServiceMaster’s control, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties discussed in the “Risk Factors” and “Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” sections in ServiceMaster’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Such risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances include, but are not limited to: the results and impact of the spin-off, the expected tax treatment of the spin-off, the incurrence of significant transaction costs, the impact of the spin-off on the businesses of ServiceMaster and Frontdoor, and the failure to achieve anticipated benefits of the spin-off. ServiceMaster cautions investors that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and that actual performance and outcomes, including, without limitation, ServiceMaster’s actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the market segments in which ServiceMaster operates, may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

 

Additional factors that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ from those reflected in forward-looking statements include, without limitation, lawsuits, enforcement actions and other claims by third parties or governmental authorities; compliance with, or violation of environmental health and safety laws and regulations; the effects of ServiceMaster’s substantial indebtedness; changes in interest rates, because a significant portion of ServiceMaster’s indebtedness bears interest at variable rates; weakening general economic conditions; weather conditions and seasonality; the success of ServiceMaster’s business strategies, and costs associated with restructuring initiatives. ServiceMaster assumes no obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of the date hereof. For a discussion of some of the important factors that could cause ServiceMaster’s results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements included in this press release, investors should refer to the disclosure contained under the heading “Risk Factors” in ServiceMaster’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

2