UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 6-K

 

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of June 2014

Commission File Number: 001-33869

 

 

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 

 

Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

c/o Star Bulk Management Inc.

40 Agiou Konstantinou Street,

15124 Maroussi,

Athens, Greece

(Address of principal executive office)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F. Form 20-F   x     Form 40-F   ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):   ¨ .

Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):   ¨ .

Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant’s “home country”), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant’s securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant’s security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.

 

 

 


INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT

This Form 6-K is furnished by Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (“ Star Bulk ” or the “ Company ”) in connection with entry into the following definitive agreements:

(i) the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 16, 2014 (as amended from time to time, the “ Merger Agreement ”) among Star Bulk, Star Synergy LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Star Bulk (“ Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub ”), Star Omas LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Star Bulk (“ Pappas Holdco Merger Sub ” and together with Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub, the “ Merger Subs ”), Oaktree OBC Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company controlled by investment funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (the “ Oaktree Holdco ”), Millennia Limited Liability Company, a Marshall Islands limited liability company controlled by certain immediate family members of Star Bulk non-Executive Chairman Mr. Petros Pappas, including Ms. Milena Maria Pappas, who is also one of our directors (the “ Pappas Holdco ” and, together with the Oaktree Holdco, the “ Oceanbulk Holdcos ”), Oaktree Dry Bulk Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Oaktree Seller ”) and Millennia Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Pappas Seller ” and, together with the Oaktree Seller, the “ Sellers ”), pursuant to which each of the Oceanbulk Holdcos will merge with and into one of the Merger Subs (the “ Merger ”), with the Merger Subs continuing as the surviving companies and wholly-owned subsidiaries of Star Bulk; and

(ii) the Share Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 16, 2014 (as amended from time to time, the “ Pappas Agreement ”) among Star Bulk, Mirabel Shipholding & Invest Limited (“ Mirabel ”), Mirach Shipping Company Limited (“ Mirach ”) and Bluesea Invest and Holding Limited (“Blue Sea” and together with Mirabel and Mirach, the “ Pappas Entities ”), entities controlled by certain members of the family of our non-Executive Chairman, Mr. Petros Pappas, including Ms. Milena Maria Pappas, who is also one of our directors, pursuant to which Star Bulk has agreed to, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Pappas Agreement, substantially concurrently with the completion of the Merger, acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Dioriga Shipping Co. (“ Dioriga ”) and Positive Shipping Company (“ Positive Shipping ”), which own and operate a dry bulk carrier vessel and a contract for the construction of a newbuilding drybulk carrier, respectively (such vessels being the “ Pappas Vessels ,” and such acquisition of the Pappas Entities being the “ Pappas Companies Acquisition ” and, together with the Merger the transactions contemplated by each of the Merger Agreement and the Pappas Agreement, the “ Transactions ”).

Transaction Overview

The Company’s Board of Directors constituted a transaction committee (the “ Special Committee ”) comprised of certain members who do not have any interest in Oceanbulk, the Pappas Entities or the Heron JV (as defined below) to review the transactions proposed by Oceanbulk and possible alternatives thereto, and to evaluate, negotiate and make recommendations to the Board of Directors in connection with any proposed transaction. The Special Committee, with the advice and assistance of its separate legal and financial advisors (Wachtell, Lipton Rosen & Katz and Evercore, respectively), evaluated and negotiated the Transactions, including the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, the Pappas Agreement, and the related agreements. Following the negotiations, the Special Committee, among other things, (i) unanimously determined that the Transactions are fair and reasonable to, and in the best interests of, the Company and the stockholders of the Company, other than the Sellers and their respective affiliates (the “ Unaffiliated Stockholders ”) and (ii) unanimously recommended to the Board of Directors that the Merger Agreement, the Pappas Agreement, and related agreements and the Transactions (collectively with the Merger Agreement and the Pappas Agreement, the “ Merger Agreement Proposal ”), be approved by the Board of Directors and be submitted to the stockholders for their approval. The Board of Directors, acting upon the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee, (i) determined that the Merger Agreement Proposal as well as the Merger Consideration, the Pappas Consideration and the Heron Consideration are fair to and in the best interests of the Company and the Unaffiliated Stockholders, (ii) approved, adopted and declared advisable the Merger Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger Consideration, the Pappas Consideration and the Heron Consideration (as defined below) and (iii) recommends that the stockholders of the Company vote in favor of the Merger Agreement Proposal.


The proposed transactions consist of: (i) the merger of each of the Oceanbulk Holdcos with and into one of each of the Merger Subs pursuant to the Merger Agreement for an aggregate of 48,395,766 common shares of the Company (the “ Merger Consideration ”), (ii) the acquisition of two Kamsarmax vessels (the “ Heron Vessels” ) from Heron Ventures Ltd. (the “ Heron JV ”), a joint venture in which Oceanbulk owns indebtedness that is convertible into 50% of the equity of the Heron JV, for an aggregate of 2,115,706 common shares of the Company (the “ Heron Consideration ”), also pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and (iii) the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Dioriga and Positive Shipping pursuant to the Pappas Agreement for an aggregate of 3,592,728 common shares of the Company (the “ Pappas Consideration ”). If the Merger is completed, all of the membership interests of the Oceanbulk Holdcos that are outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger will automatically be converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration, the Heron Consideration and certain distributions from the Heron JV. The closing of the Pappas Companies Acquisition will, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Pappas Agreement, occur substantially concurrently with the completion of the Merger, at which time certain of the Pappas Entities will receive the Pappas Consideration, which will represent 4.3% of the outstanding common shares and together with the 50,511,472 common shares issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement, including the Heron Consideration, will represent 64.7% of the outstanding common shares of the Company immediately after the closing thereof.

The Oceanbulk Holdcos collectively own all of the outstanding equity interests in Oceanbulk Shipping LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (“ Oceanbulk Shipping ”) and Oceanbulk Carriers LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (“ Oceanbulk Carriers ” and, together with Oceanbulk Shipping, “ Oceanbulk ”), which, through their subsidiaries either (i) own and operate a fleet of 12 dry bulk carrier vessels, with an average age as of May 31, 2014 of 5.3 years and an aggregate capacity of approximately 1.4 million dwt, including five Capesize vessels, two Post-Panamax vessels, three Kamsarmax vessels and two Supramax vessels or (ii) own contracts for the construction of 25 newbuilding dry bulk vessels with fuel efficiency specifications at shipyards in Japan and China. Currently, investment funds affiliated with the Oaktree Seller beneficially own approximately 19.6% of the outstanding common shares of Star Bulk and, indirectly through Oaktree Holdco, also beneficially own 90% of the equity interests in Oceanbulk.

The Company is acquiring the Oceanbulk Vessels, Pappas Vessels and the Heron Vessels (together with the vessels to be delivered under the newbuilding contracts) (collectively, the “ Acquired Vessels ”) at a discount of approximately $35 million to the aggregate net asset values of the Acquired Vessels.

By virtue of the Merger and the Pappas Companies Acquisition, the Company has agreed to assume all of the outstanding indebtedness, including by way of refinance, of Oceanbulk, Dioriga and Positive Shipping. The Company has also agreed to refinance the indebtedness of the Heron JV applicable to the Heron Vessels as of the date the Company acquires such Heron Vessels. If the Transactions, including the acquisition of the Heron Vessels and the Pappas Vessels, had closed on March 31, 2014, we would have had total outstanding indebtedness of $383.99 and the book value of our assets would have been $1,364.97.

In connection with the Merger and the Pappas Companies Acquisition, the Oaktree Seller, the Pappas Seller, and certain affiliates and related parties thereof (including Mr. Petros Pappas and Ms. Milena Pappas) agreed to voting restrictions, ownership limitations and standstill provisions. In particular:

(i) The Oaktree Seller and its affiliates will have the right to nominate a maximum of four out of nine members of the Company’s board, subject to certain additional limitations. Oaktree will be entitled to nominate fewer directors if its and its affiliates’ ownership of Star Bulk’s voting shares falls below certain thresholds.

(ii) The Oaktree Seller and its affiliates will be required to vote their voting securities in excess of a 33% “voting cap” (subject to adjustment as provided in the Oaktree Shareholders Agreement) proportionately with the votes cast by the other shareholders with certain exceptions, which include (x) voting against a change of control transaction with an unaffiliated buyer and (y) voting in favor of a change of control transaction with an unaffiliated buyer, but only if such transaction is approved by a majority of disinterested directors.


(iii) The Pappas Seller and its affiliates are also subject to a “voting cap” of 14.9% of the outstanding voting securities of the Company.

(iv) The Sellers and their affiliates are subject to standstill restrictions, which in the case of the Oaktree Seller includes acquiring a percentage of voting securities in excess of 2.5% of their percentage ownership as of the closing of the Merger.

In addition, the Merger Agreement provides that the Company will enter into a registration rights agreement with the Sellers pursuant to which , inter alia, the Company would be obligated to register all common shares owned at the time of the closing of the Merger or thereafter acquired by the Sellers or their affiliates for resale with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Company intends to hold a special meeting of its stockholders on July 11, 2014 to approve the Merger Agreement Proposal. The Board of Directors has established June 17, 2014 as the record date for such meeting. Such approval is a condition to the closing of the Merger and the Pappas Companies Acquisition pursuant to the Merger Agreement and the Pappas Agreement. In connection with the meeting, each of the Sellers and the Pappas Entities have agreed to and to cause their respective affiliates, including Ms. Milena Maria Pappas, one of our directors, to vote all common shares owned by them in favor of the Merger Agreement Proposal in the same proportion as the number of common shares that are voted in favor thereof by the Unaffiliated Stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting, or any postponement or adjournment thereof. This means that the voting rights of each of the Sellers, the Pappas Entities and their respective affiliates would effectively be redistributed pro rata among the Unaffiliated Stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting.

The completion of the Merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of other substantial conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, including, without limitation, the approval of the Company’s stockholders at a special meeting to be called for the purpose of voting on the Merger and the Pappas Companies Acquisition.

The Company is subject to customary “no-shop” restrictions on its ability to solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties and to provide information to and participate in discussions and engage in negotiations with third parties regarding alternative acquisition proposals. However, prior to (but not any time on or after) the approval of the Merger Agreement Proposal by the Company’s stockholders, the Company is permitted, under certain circumstances, to provide information to and to participate in discussions and engage in negotiations with third parties with respect to an alternative acquisition proposal that the Special Committee has determined in good faith, after consultation with its advisors, is, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, a “Superior Proposal” (as defined in the Merger Agreement). Upon receipt of a Superior Proposal, and in certain other circumstances, the Special Committee may change its recommendation that the Company’s stockholders approve and adopt the Merger Agreement Proposal, subject to complying with notice and other specified conditions, including giving Oceanbulk the opportunity to propose changes to the Merger Agreement in response to such Superior Proposal. The Company would remain obligated to call and hold the special meeting and does not have the right to terminate the Merger Agreement in connection with such a change of recommendation.

The Merger Agreement contains certain termination rights for the Company and Oceanbulk. Following termination of the Merger Agreement under specified circumstances, if, prior to the special meeting, the Company receives an alternative acquisition proposal from a third party and it is disclosed to the Company’s stockholder, and the Company consummates or enters into a definitive agreement with respect to any alternative acquisition proposal within nine months of such termination, the Company will be required to pay Oceanbulk a termination fee of $8 million.

In connection with the Transactions, certain stockholders of the Company affiliated with Monarch Alternative Capital L.P., which collectively own approximately 20.9% of the outstanding common shares, have entered into a voting agreement with the Sellers and Mirabel pursuant to which, among other things, such stockholders have agreed to vote their shares in favor of approval of the Merger Agreement Proposal. However, if the Board’s recommendation of the Transactions is adversely modified or withdrawn prior to the special meeting of stockholders in response to a Superior Proposal, the Monarch stockholders will be obligated to vote only 50% of their common shares in favor of the Transactions.


Certain terms of the Merger and the Pappas Companies Acquisition are described in the Company’s press release that is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1. The description contained in the press release, and the foregoing descriptions of certain provisions of the Merger Agreement and the Pappas Agreement, are only summaries, do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by the full text of those agreements, which are attached as Exhibits 99.2 and 99.3, respectively. Also attached hereto as Exhibit 99.4 is the investor presentation prepared by the Company’s management.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, this Form 6-K contains among other things, certain forward-looking statements, that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements identified by words such as “may”, ‘could”, “would”, “should”, “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans” or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, including, without limitation, operating or financial results, if any, may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond the Company’s control).

Forward-looking statements include statements regarding:

 

    The effectuation of Star Bulk’s recently announced subsidiary merger transaction;

 

    The delivery to and operation of assets by Star Bulk;

 

    Star Bulk’s future operating or financial results;

 

    Future, pending or recent acquisitions, business strategy, areas of possible expansion, and expected capital spending or operating expenses; and

 

    Dry bulk market trends, including charter rates and factors affecting vessel supply and demand.

Certain financial information and data contained in this press release is unaudited and does not conform to GAAP (as defined below) or to Securities and Exchange Commission Regulations. We may also from time to time make forward-looking statements in our periodic reports that we will furnish to or file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in other information sent to our security holders, and in other written materials. We caution that assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events may and often do vary from actual results and the differences can be material. This presentation includes certain estimated financial information and forecasts that are not derived in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Company believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP measures provides information that is useful to the Company’s shareholders as they indicate the ability of Star Bulk, to meet capital expenditures, working capital requirements and other obligations, and make distributions to its stockholders.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this presentation, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In light of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this presentation might not occur, and our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

Additional Information

Nothing contained in this Form 6-K constitutes a solicitation of materials of any vote or approval in respect of the proposed Merger or the proposed Transactions involving Star Bulk or otherwise contemplated herein. In connection with the proposed Merger and the proposed Transaction, a special stockholder meeting is expected to held on or about July 11, 2014, to obtain stockholder approval. In connection with the Merger and the proposed


Transactions, Star Bulk intends to furnish relevant materials, including a proxy statement, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) on Form 6-K. Investors and security holders of Star Bulk are urged to read the proxy statement and other relevant materials when they become available because they will contain important information about Star Bulk, Oceanbulk, the Merger and the proposed Transactions. The proxy statement and other relevant materials (when they become available), and any other documents filed by Star Bulk with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, at Star Bulk’s website at www.starbulk.com, or by sending a written request to Star Bulk at c/o Star Bulk Management Inc. 40, Agiou Konstantinou Str., Maroussi 15124, Athens, Greece, Attention: Investor Relations.

Star Bulk and its directors, executive officers, and certain other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in soliciting proxies from the stockholders of Star Bulk in favor of the Merger. Information regarding the persons who may be considered to be participants in the solicitation of Star Bulk’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction and their ownership of Star Bulk’s common stock will be set forth in Star Bulk’s proxy statement for its special meeting. Investors can find more information about Star Bulk and its executive officers and directors in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and in its proxy statement, when available, that will be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K.


SIGNATURES

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, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.

(Registrant)

Date: June 16, 2014   By:  

/s/ SPYROS CAPRALOS

  Name:   Spyros Capralos
  Title:   Chief Executive Officer and President


FORM 6-K EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

    
99.1    Press Release dated June 16, 2014
99.2    Agreement and Plan of Merger dated June 16, 2014
99.3    Pappas Share Purchase Agreement dated June 16, 2014
99.4    Investor Presentation dated June 16, 2014

Exhibit 99.1

LOGO

STAR BULK AND OCEANBULK AGREE TO CREATE

THE LARGEST U.S. LISTED DRY BULK COMPANY

ATHENS, GREECE – June 16, 2014 – Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (“Star Bulk” or the “ Company ”) (NASDAQ: SBLK) announced today that it has entered into definitive agreements with entities affiliated with Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (the “ Oaktree Investors ”) and Star Bulk’s Non-Executive Chairman, Mr. Petros Pappas, and certain of his immediate family members, including Milena Maria Pappas, one of Star Bulk’s directors (the “ Pappas Investors ”), pursuant to which Oceanbulk Shipping LLC and Oceanbulk Carriers LLC (the “ Oceanbulk Companies ”) and entities controlled by the Pappas Investors are expected to become indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Star Bulk in consideration for the issuance to the Oaktree Investors and the Pappas Investors of 54.104 million shares of common stock of Star Bulk (the “ Transaction ”).

Transaction Overview

Through the Transaction, Star Bulk is acquiring an operating fleet of 15 dry bulk carrier vessels, with an average age of 5.6 years and an aggregate capacity of approximately 1.75 million dwt, including five Capesize vessels, two post-Panamax vessels, six Kamsarmax vessels and two Supramax vessels and contracts for the construction of 26 fuel-efficient, eco-design newbuilding dry bulk vessels including eight Newcastlemax vessels, eight Capesize vessels and ten Ultramax vessels each being built at shipyards in Japan and China. The newbuild vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Upon completion of the Transaction, the Oaktree Investors will own 61.3% of Star Bulk’s shares of common stock and the Pappas Investors will own 12.5% of Star Bulk’s common stock. In connection with the Transaction, the Company has agreed to enter into shareholders agreements with the Oaktree Investors and the Pappas Investors providing for certain voting restrictions, standstill obligations and ownership limitations and, for the Oaktree Investors, certain rights to make Board nominations and to appoint officers of the Company. As part of the Transaction, the Oaktree Investors, the Pappas Investors and the Company have agreed that Mr. Petros Pappas will become the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Mr. Spyros Capralos will become Non-Executive Chairman of the Board.

Benefits of the Transaction, Upon Completion:

 

    Creates the largest, diversified, ultra-modern U.S. listed dry bulk company with a fully delivered fleet of 69 vessels approximating 8.7 million deadweight tons, including 33 Capesize and Newcastlemax vessels. The combined fleet is one of the largest eco fleets in the world with 39 eco and 7 semi-eco vessels and the acquired ships were built or will be built at reputable Japanese and Chinese shipyards.

 

    The combined Company will be a prominent market player with a strong shareholder base and a significant platform well positioned to be an industry consolidator. Following the Transaction, the Company intends to pursue additional accretive acquisition transactions.


    The combined Company’s size provides it with a substantial commercial presence and provides additional economies of scale on technical operations. The combined fleet will be technically managed by the Company’s in-house technical management operation and all vessels are expected to utilize the commercial services of Interchart, a company affiliated with family members of Mr. Pappas in which the Company owns a 33% interest.

 

    Enhanced fleet profile positions the Company to benefit from expanding major bulk commodity trade, especially via long haul voyages. The combined fleet profile with a significant number of Capesize and Newcastlemaxes bulk carriers coupled with the current Company chartering strategy provides significant earnings and cash flow upside in strong markets.

 

    Significantly increases the market capitalization. Based on 54.104 million newly issued shares, the combined market capitalization, assuming the June 13, 2014 closing share price of $12.07 per share, would be $1,009 million.

The Transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of Star Bulk, based upon the recommendation of a transaction committee of disinterested directors established by the Board of Directors of Star Bulk (the “Transaction Committee”), which negotiated the Transaction on behalf of Star Bulk. The Transaction Committee is composed of Tom Softeland, a director of Star Bulk since the inception of the Company, and Roger Schmitz, a director since July 2013 and a senior investment professional with Monarch Alternative Capital LP (“Monarch”). The Transaction Committee negotiated the Transaction value on a net asset value for net asset value basis using the average of three reputable appraisal providers. As part of this negotiation, there was a $35 million adjustment to net asset value in favor of Star Bulk.

Petros Pappas, Chairman of Star Bulk Carriers Corp., commented: “We are excited to announce this transformational Transaction that, when completed, will create the largest U.S. listed dry bulk owner and operator. I would like to thank Spyros Capralos for his leadership and stewardship of the business as President and CEO, and I am pleased that Spyros will continue to provide leadership in his role of Non-Executive Chairman of the Board following the closing of the Transaction. I am looking forward to assuming the CEO role and will focus on, among other things, maximizing the performance of the existing fleet, overseeing the successful delivery of the significant existing newbuilding program, and positioning the Company to grow quickly and significantly in the highly fragmented dry bulk sector”.

Spyros Capralos, President & CEO of Star Bulk, commented: “The Transaction marks an important next step in the evolution for Star Bulk. Since 2013, Star Bulk has dramatically improved its market capitalization and liquidity through the successful completion of the rights offering and add-on equity offering, modernized its existing fleet and placed a series of significant newbuilding orders to position the Company for the future. With this Transaction the Company creates the largest U.S. listed dry bulk company with a strong shareholder base.

We believe that the Transaction is accretive to earnings, cash flow, and net asset value, and also has additional benefits as it will dramatically increase the market capitalization and asset base, enhance the on-the-water fleet portfolio, increase the newbuilding portfolio by combining two similar newbuild strategies, and improve access to capital to fund the current and assumed capital expenditure obligations. In addition, the combined business will be well positioned to capitalize on an improving dry bulk market with significant operating leverage to rising rates.


I would like to thank the Transaction Committee of disinterested directors that have spent significant time negotiating the Transaction on Star Bulk’s behalf, and I look forward to assuming my role as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board.”

The Transaction is expected to close within the next 30 days subject to customary conditions, including the affirmative vote of a majority of Star Bulk’s shareholders that are not affiliated with the Oaktree Investors or the Pappas Investors to approve the Transaction at a special meeting of shareholders (“Special Meeting”). Star Bulk expects to hold the Special Meeting on July 11, 2014. The Board of Directors has established June 17, 2014 as the record date for such meeting.

In connection with the Special Meeting, the investment funds controlled by Monarch, which owns 20.9% of the outstanding shares of Star Bulk and represents 28.1% of the shareholders that are not affiliated with the Oaktree Investors and Pappas Investors, have entered into a voting agreement with the Oaktree Investors and Pappas Investors to vote all of their Star Bulk shares in favor of the Transaction.

Seward & Kissel LLP is serving as legal counsel to Star Bulk in connection with the Transaction, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is serving as Oceanbulk’s legal counsel and Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP is serving as Monarch’s legal counsel. Evercore is serving as financial advisor to the Transaction Committee of the Star Bulk Board of Directors and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz is serving as the Transaction Committee’s legal counsel.

For further information about the Transaction, please refer to the proxy materials to be furnished by the Company to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Post-Transaction Star Bulk On-The-Water Fleet

 

Vessel Name

   Type    Yard    Country    DWT    Year Built

Obelix

   Capesize    Imabari    Japan    181,433    2011

Pantagruel

   Capesize    Imabari    Japan    180,181    2004

Star Borealis

   Capesize    Hanjin Subic    Phillipines    179,678    2011

Star Polaris

   Capesize    Hanjin Subic    Phillipines    179,600    2011

Big Fish

   Capesize    Mitsui    Japan    177,662    2004

Kymopolia

   Capesize    Namura    Japan    176,990    2006

Big Bang

   Capesize    SWS    China    174,109    2007

Star Aurora

   Capesize    Koyo    Japan    171,199    2000

Star Mega

   Capesize    Mitsubishi HI    Japan    170,631    1994

Star Big

   Capesize    Halla Samho    Korea    168,404    1996

Star Sirius

   Post panamax    Tsuneishi Zoushan    China    98,681    2011

Star Vega

   Post panamax    Tsuneishi Zoushan    China    98,681    2011

Amami

   Post Panamax    Tsuneishi Zoushan    China    98,681    2011

Madredeus

   Post Panamax    Tsuneishi Zoushan    China    98,681    2011

ABYO Angelina

   Kamsarmax    Tsuneishi    Japan    82,981    2006

Pendulum

   Kamsarmax    Tsuneishi    Japan    82,619    2006


ABYO Oprah

   Kamsarmax    Tsuneishi    Japan    82,551    2006

Mercurial Virgo

   Kamsarmax    Longxue    China    81,545    2013

Magnum Opus

   Kamsarmax    JMU    Japan    81,022    2014

Tsu Ebisu

   Kamsarmax    JMU    China    80,800    2014

Star Challenger

   Ultramax    Iwagi Zosen    Japan    61,462    2012

Star Fighter

   Ultramax    Iwagi Zosen    Japan    61,455    2013

Maiden Voyage

   Supramax    Kawasaki    Japan    58,722    2012

Strange Attractor

   Supramax    Mitsui    Japan    55,742    2006

Star Omicron

   Supramax    Imabari    Japan    53,489    2005

Star Gamma

   Supramax    Oshima    Japan    53,098    2002

Star Zeta

   Supramax    Oshima    Japan    52,994    2003

Star Delta

   Supramax    Tsuneishi    Japan    52,434    2000

Star Theta

   Supramax    Tsuneishi Cebu    Phillipines    52,425    2003

Star Epsilon

   Supramax    Tsuneishi Cebu    Phillipines    52,402    2001

Star Cosmo

   Supramax    Yangzhou Dayang    China    52,247    2005

Star Kappa

   Supramax    Sanoyas HM    Japan    52,055    2001

Total

   32              3,304,654     

Post-Transaction Star Bulk Newbuildings

 

Vessel Name

   Type    Yard    Country    DINT    Expected Delivery

HN NE166

   Newcastlemax    NACKS    China    209,000    May-15

HN NE167

   Newcastlemax    NACKS    China    209,000    Jun-15

HN NE184

   Newcastlemax    NACKS    China    209,000    Jul-15

Hull NE 198

   Newcastlemax    NACKS    China    209,000    Mar-16

N/B 1359*

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    Sep-15

Hull 1372*

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    Nov-15

N/B 1360*

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    Dec-15

Hull 1342

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    Jan-16

Hull 1371*

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    Feb-16

N/B 1361*

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    Mar-16

Hull 1343

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    Apr-16

N/B 1362*

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    May-16

N/B 1363*

   Newcastlemax    SWS    China    208,000    Jun-16

HN 5016

   Capesize    JMU    Japan    182,160    Oct-14

HN 213

   Capesize    JMU    Japan    182,000    Jul-14

HN 214

   Capesize    JMU    Japan    182,000    Aug-14

HN 5017

   Capesize    JMU    Japan    182,000    Mar-15

HN 5055

   Capesize    JMU    Japan    182,000    Jul-15

HN 5056

   Capesize    JMU    Japan    182,000    Aug-15

HN 1312

   Capesize    SWS    China    180,000    Aug-15

HN 1313

   Capesize    SWS    China    180,000    Sep-15

Hull 1338

   Capesize    SWS    China    180,000    Oct-15

Hull 1339

   Capesize    SWS    China    180,000    Jan-16

HN 1061*

   Ultramax    Yangzijiang    China    64,000    Jan-15

HN 1062*

   Ultramax    Yangzijiang    China    64,000    Mar-15

HN 1063*

   Ultramax    Yangzijiang    China    64,000    Apr-15

HN 1064*

   Ultramax    Yangzijiang    China    64,000    May-15

HN 1080

   Ultramax    Yangzijiang    China    64,000    Jul-15

HN 1081

   Ultramax    Yangzijiang    China    64,000    Aug-15

HN 1082

   Ultramax    Yangzijiang    China    64,000    Sep-15

HN 1083

   Ultramax    Yangzijiang    China    64,000    Oct-15

HN NE164

   Ultramax    NACKS    China    61,000    Apr-15

HN NE165

   Ultramax    NACKS    China    61,000    Apr-15

Hull NE 196

   Ultramax    NACKS    China    61,000    Oct-15


Hull NE 197

   Ultramax    NACKS    China    61,000    Nov-15

Hull 5040

   Ultramax    JMU    Japan    60,000    Jun-15

Hull 5043

   Ultramax    JMU    Japan    60,000    Sep-15

Total

   37              5,396,160    100nl
              
              

Grand Total OTW Fleet

   32              3,304,654     

Grand Total NBs

   37          5,396,160   

Grand Total Fully

Delivered

   69              8,700,814     

*Acquired via Bareboat Hire Purchase (BBHP) structure

 

 

Conference Call

Our management team will host a conference call to discuss the transaction on Monday, June 16, 2014 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

Participants should dial into the call 10 minutes before the scheduled time using the following numbers:

1(866) 819-7111 (from the US),

0(800) 953-0329 (from the UK) or

+ (44) (0) 1452 542 301 (from outside the US).

Please quote “Star Bulk.”

 

A replay of the conference call will be available until June 23, 2014. The United States replay number is 1(866) 247-4222; from the UK 0(800) 953-1533; the standard international replay number is (+44) (0) 1452 550 000 and the access code required for the replay is: 3128607#.

Slides and audio webcast:

There will also be a simultaneous live webcast over the Internet, through the Star Bulk website (www.starbulk.com). Participants to the live webcast should register on the website approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the webcast.

About Star Bulk

Star Bulk is a global shipping company providing worldwide seaborne transportation solutions in the dry bulk sector. Star Bulk’s vessels transport major bulks, which include iron ore, coal and grain and minor bulks which include bauxite, fertilizers and steel products. Star Bulk was incorporated in the Marshall Islands on December 13, 2006 and maintains executive offices in Athens, Greece. Its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “SBLK”. Star Bulk has an operating fleet of seventeen dry bulk carriers, consisting of five Capesize, two Post Panamax, two Ultramax and eight Supramax dry bulk vessels with a combined cargo carrying capacity of 1,610,935 deadweight tons and an average age of approximately 9.0 years. In addition, Star Bulk provides vessel management services to fourteen third party dry bulk vessels, including five Capesize, two Post Panamax, two Kamsarmax, two Panamax and three Supramax vessels with a combined cargo carrying capacity of 1,569,255 deadweight tons. We have also entered into agreements for the construction of eleven fuel efficient dry bulk vessels, consisting of five Newcastlemax vessels, two Capesize vessels and four Ultramax vessels, with a combined cargo carrying capacity of 1,643,000 deadweight tons. All of the newbuilding vessels are expected to be delivered during 2015 and early 2016.


Star Bulk’s common stock is listed for trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SBLK.”

 

About Oceanbulk Companies

The Oceanbulk Companies are international shipping companies that own and operate a fleet of dry bulk carrier vessels. On a fully delivered basis, the Oceanbulk Companies will have a fleet of 37 vessels consisting primarily of Capesize as well as Kamsarmax and Ultramax vessels with a carrying capacity between 55,000 dwt and 209,000 dwt. The Oceanbulk Companies’ fleet includes 12 vessels in the water (five Capesize vessels, two post-Panamax vessel, three Kamsarmax vessels and two Supramax vessels), with aggregate cargo carrying capacity of approximately 1.5 million deadweight tons and 25 fuel-efficient “Eco-type” vessels currently under construction at leading shipyards in Japan and China for delivery in 2014 and 2015, with an aggregate cargo carrying capacity of 3.5 million deadweight tons. Oceanbulk Companies’ vessels transport a broad range of major and minor bulk commodities, including ores, coal, grains and fertilizers, along worldwide shipping routes. In the Transaction, (i) Star Bulk will acquire the Oceanbulk Companies through a merger of their immediate parent companies with two Star Bulk subsidiaries, and (ii) Star Bulk has agreed to acquire, upon successful future delivery, two 2006 built Tsuneishi (Japan) Kamsarmax vessels to be distributed to Oceanbulk Shipping LLC from its Heron Ventures Ltd. joint venture. The shares for this acquisition are included in the 54.104 million shares being issued in total for the Transaction.

About Pappas Investors

Entities controlled by the Pappas Investors, which will be acquired by Star Bulk in the Transaction, currently own a 2014 built Kamsarmax dry bulk carrier and a contract for the construction of a newbuilding Capesize dry bulk carrier scheduled to be delivered in 2014.

Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “intends,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding:

    The effectuation of Star Bulk’s subsidiary merger transaction;
    The delivery to and operation of assets by Star Bulk;
    Star Bulk’s future operating or financial results;
    Future, pending or recent acquisitions, business strategy, areas of possible expansion, and expected capital spending or operating expenses; and
    Dry bulk market trends, including charter rates and factors affecting vessel supply and demand.


The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, examination by the Company’s management of historical operating trends, data contained in its records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company’s control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company’s view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Company’s operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company’s vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.

Additional Information

Nothing contained in this press release constitutes a solicitation of materials of any vote or approval in respect of the proposed merger or the proposed transactions involving Star Bulk or otherwise contemplated herein. In connection with the proposed merger and the proposed transaction, a special stockholder meeting is expected to held on or about July 11, 1014, to obtain stockholder approval. In connection with the merger and the proposed transactions, Star Bulk intends to furnish relevant materials, including a proxy statement, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Form 6-K. Investors and security holders of Star Bulk are urged to read the proxy statement and other relevant materials when they become available because they will contain important information about Star Bulk, Oceanbulk, the Merger and the proposed transactions. The proxy statement and other relevant materials (when they become available), and any other documents filed by Star Bulk with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, at Star Bulk’s website at www.starbulk.com, or by sending a written request to Star Bulk at c/o Star Bulk Management Inc. 40, Agiou Konstantinou Str., Maroussi 15124, Athens, Greece, Attention: Investor Relations.

Star Bulk and its directors, executive officers, and certain other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in soliciting proxies from the stockholders of Star Bulk in favor of the Merger. Information regarding the persons who may be considered to be participants in the solicitation of Star Bulk’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction and their ownership of Star Bulk’s common stock will be set forth in Star Bulk’s proxy statement for its special meeting. Investors can find more information about Star Bulk and its executive officers and directors in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and in its proxy statement, when available, that will be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K.


Contacts:

 

Company:   Investor Relations / Financial Media:
Simos Spyrou   Nicolas Bornozis
CFO   President
Star Bulk Carriers Corp.   Capital Link, Inc.
c/o Star Bulk Management Inc.   230 Park Avenue, Suite 1536
40 Ag. Konstantinou Av.   New York, NY 10169
Maroussi 15124   Tel. (212) 661-7566
Athens, Greece   E-mail: starbulk@capitallink.com
www.starbulk.com   www.capitallink.com

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.2

EXECUTION COPY

 

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER,

dated as of June 16, 2014,

among

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.,

STAR SYNERGY LLC,

STAR OMAS LLC,

OAKTREE OBC HOLDINGS LLC,

MILLENNIA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

and

THE OTHER PARTIES NAMED HEREIN

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page  

ARTICLE I CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

     2   

SECTION 1.1.

   Certain Definitions      2   

ARTICLE II THE MERGER

     12   

SECTION 2.1.

   The Merger      12   

ARTICLE III EFFECT ON THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY INTERESTS OF THE CONSTITUENT ENTITIES; SURRENDER AND PAYMENT

     14   

SECTION 3.1.

   Effect on Units      14   

SECTION 3.2.

   Surrender and Payment      15   

SECTION 3.3.

   Withholding Rights      15   

SECTION 3.4.

   Heron Consideration      15   

ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLERS

     16   

SECTION 4.1.

   Representations and Warranties      16   

ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLERS WITH RESPECT TO THE OCEANBULK COMPANIES

     17   

SECTION 5.1.

   Organization, Qualification and Limited Liability Company Power      17   

SECTION 5.2.

   Authorization      18   

SECTION 5.3.

   Noncontravention      18   

SECTION 5.4.

   Capitalization      18   

SECTION 5.5.

   Oceanbulk Subsidiaries      19   

SECTION 5.6.

   Oceanbulk F-1      20   

SECTION 5.7.

   Financial Statements      20   

SECTION 5.8.

   Disclosure Documents      21   

SECTION 5.9.

   Taxes      21   

SECTION 5.10.

   Compliance with Laws; Governmental Authorizations      22   

SECTION 5.11.

   Absence of Certain Changes; No Undisclosed Liabilities      22   

SECTION 5.12.

   Tangible Personal Assets      23   

SECTION 5.13.

   Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash      23   

SECTION 5.14.

   Vessels; Maritime Matters      23   

SECTION 5.15.

   Contracts      23   

SECTION 5.16.

   Litigation      25   

SECTION 5.17.

   Employee Benefits      25   

SECTION 5.18.

   Labor and Employment Matters      26   

SECTION 5.19.

   Environmental      26   

SECTION 5.20.

   Insurance      26   

SECTION 5.21.

   Fees      26   

SECTION 5.22.

   Takeover Statutes      27   

SECTION 5.23.

   Interested Party Transactions      27   

SECTION 5.24.

   Certain Business Practices      27   

SECTION 5.25.

   Oceanbulk Holdcos      27   

SECTION 5.26.

   Investment in Parent Common Stock      27   

SECTION 5.27.

   No Other Representations or Warranties      28   

ARTICLE VI REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUBS

     28   

SECTION 6.1.

   Organization, Qualification and Corporate Power      28   

SECTION 6.2.

   Authorization      29   

 

i


          Page  

SECTION 6.3.

   Noncontravention      30   

SECTION 6.4.

   Disclosure Documents      30   

SECTION 6.5.

   Fees      30   

SECTION 6.6.

   Capitalization of Parent      30   

SECTION 6.7.

   Subsidiaries      31   

SECTION 6.8.

   Parent SEC Filings      32   

SECTION 6.9.

   Financial Statements      33   

SECTION 6.10.

   Taxes      34   

SECTION 6.11.

   Compliance with Laws; Governmental Authorizations      35   

SECTION 6.12.

   Absence of Certain Changes; No Undisclosed Liabilities      35   

SECTION 6.13.

   Contracts      35   

SECTION 6.14.

   Tangible Personal Assets      37   

SECTION 6.15.

   Parent Vessels; Maritime Matters      37   

SECTION 6.16.

   Labor and Employment Matters      37   

SECTION 6.17.

   Employee Benefits      37   

SECTION 6.18.

   Environmental      38   

SECTION 6.19.

   Litigation      38   

SECTION 6.20.

   Insurance      38   

SECTION 6.21.

   Takeover Statutes      39   

SECTION 6.22.

   Interested Party Transactions      39   

SECTION 6.23.

   Certain Business Practices      39   

SECTION 6.24.

   Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash      39   

SECTION 6.25.

   No Other Representations or Warranties      39   

ARTICLE VII CONDUCT PENDING THE MERGER

     40   

SECTION 7.1.

   Operation of the Business      40   

SECTION 7.2.

   Operation of Parent’s Business      43   

SECTION 7.3.

   Transfer of Oaktree Units and Pappas Units      43   

SECTION 7.4.

   Access to Information      43   

SECTION 7.5.

   RESERVED      43   

SECTION 7.6.

   No Solicitation      43   

SECTION 7.7.

   Litigation      47   

SECTION 7.8.

   Parent Management      47   

ARTICLE VIII COVENANTS OF PARENT AND THE SELLERS

     47   

SECTION 8.1.

   Obligations of Merger Sub      47   

SECTION 8.2.

   Voting of Shares      47   

SECTION 8.3.

   Dissolution and Winding Up of Heron      48   

SECTION 8.4.

   Stock Exchange Listing      50   

SECTION 8.5.

   Oaktree Covenant      50   

SECTION 8.6.

   Related Agreements; Opinions      50   

SECTION 8.7.

   Affiliate Contracts      50   

SECTION 8.8.

   Claims      51   

SECTION 8.9.

   RESERVED      51   

SECTION 8.10.

   Indemnification; Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance      51   

SECTION 8.11.

   Trademark Matters      51   

SECTION 8.12.

   Retention of Parent Common Stock      51   

SECTION 8.13.

   Management Agreements      53   

SECTION 8.14.

   Oceanbulk Maritime Employees      53   

 

ii


          Page  

ARTICLE IX COVENANTS OF THE PARTIES

     53   

SECTION 9.1.

   Parent Stockholders Meeting; Proxy Statement      53   

SECTION 9.2.

   Regulatory Undertaking      55   

SECTION 9.3.

   Certain Filings      56   

SECTION 9.4.

   Public Announcements      56   

SECTION 9.5.

   Further Assurances      56   

SECTION 9.6.

   Notices of Certain Events      56   

SECTION 9.7.

   Takeover Statutes      57   

SECTION 9.8.

   Plan of Reorganization      57   

SECTION 9.9.

   Transfer Taxes      57   

ARTICLE X CONDITIONS TO THE MERGER

     57   

SECTION 10.1.

   Conditions to Obligations of Each Party      57   

SECTION 10.2.

   Conditions to Obligations of the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos      58   

SECTION 10.3.

   Conditions to Obligations of Parent and Merger Sub      59   

SECTION 10.4.

   Frustration of Closing Conditions      60   

ARTICLE XI TERMINATION; AMENDMENT; WAIVER

     60   

SECTION 11.1.

   Termination      60   

SECTION 11.2.

   Effect of Termination      61   

ARTICLE XII INDEMNIFICATION; MISCELLANEOUS

     61   

SECTION 12.1.

   Indemnification      61   

SECTION 12.2.

   Notices      64   

SECTION 12.3.

   Amendments and Waivers      66   

SECTION 12.4.

   Expenses      66   

SECTION 12.5.

   Exhibits; Disclosure Letters      67   

SECTION 12.6.

   Waiver      67   

SECTION 12.7.

   Governing Law      68   

SECTION 12.8.

   JURISDICTION      68   

SECTION 12.9.

   WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL      68   

SECTION 12.10.

   Counterparts; Effectiveness      68   

SECTION 12.11.

   Entire Agreement      68   

SECTION 12.12.

   Severability      68   

SECTION 12.13.

   Specific Performance      69   

SECTION 12.14.

   Headings      69   

SECTION 12.15.

   Construction      69   

SECTION 12.16.

   Binding Effect; Benefit; Assignment      69   

SECTION 12.17.

   Sellers’ Representative      69   

SECTION 12.18.

   No Third Party Beneficiaries      71   

SECTION 12.19.

   Waiver of Conflicts      71   

SECTION 12.20.

   Non-Recourse      71   

Exhibits

     

Exhibit A

   Ownership Interests   

Exhibit B

   Parent Board Composition   

Exhibit C

   Parent Board Composition   

Exhibit D

   Form of Oaktree Stockholders Agreement   

Exhibit E

   Form of Registration Rights Agreement   

Exhibit F

   Form of Pappas Stockholders Agreement   

Exhibit G

   Parent Management   

Exhibit H

   Core Vessel Distribution   

 

iii


AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER, dated as of June 16, 2014 (this “ Agreement ”), among Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a Marshall Islands corporation (“ Parent ”), Star Synergy LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“ Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub ”), Star Omas LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“ Pappas Holdco Merger Sub ” and, together with Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub, the “ Merger Subs ”), Oaktree OBC Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Oaktree Holdco ”), Millennia Limited Liability Company, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Pappas Holdco ” and, together with the Oaktree Holdco, the “ Oceanbulk Holdcos ”), Oaktree Dry Bulk Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Oaktree Seller ”), and Millennia Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Pappas Seller ” and, together with the Oaktree Seller, the “ Sellers ”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Sellers collectively own all of the outstanding limited liability company interests of the Oaktree Holdco (the “ Oaktree Units ”) and all of the outstanding limited liability company interests of the Pappas Holdco (the “ Pappas Units ”), and each Seller owns that number and/or percentage of such Oaktree Units and Pappas Units as is set forth on Exhibit A hereto;

WHEREAS, the Oceanbulk Holdcos collectively own all of the outstanding equity interests in Oceanbulk Shipping LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (“ Oceanbulk Shipping ”) and Oceanbulk Carriers LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (“ Oceanbulk Carriers ”);

WHEREAS, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, Parent, the Merger Subs, the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos have approved the acquisition of the Oceanbulk Holdcos by Parent, by means of (i) a merger of Oaktree Holdco with and into Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub (the “ Oaktree Holdco Merger ”), with Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub continuing as the surviving company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent and (ii) a merger of Pappas Holdco with and into Pappas Holdco Merger Sub (the “ Pappas Holdco Merger ” and, together with the Oaktree Holdco Merger, the “ Merger ”), with Pappas Holdco Merger Sub continuing as the surviving company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent;

WHEREAS, simultaneously with the execution of this Agreement, Parent has entered into a share purchase agreement (the “ Pappas Agreement ”) with Mirabel Shipholding & Invest Limited, Mirach Shipping Company Limited and Bluesea Invest and Holding Limited, pursuant to which Parent has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Dioriga Shipping Co. and Positive Shipping Company from Mirach Shipping Company Limited and Bluesea Invest and Holding Limited, respectively (the “ Pappas Sale ”);

WHEREAS, a transaction committee of disinterested directors (the “ Special Committee ”) established by the board of directors of Parent (the “ Parent Board ”) has unanimously (i) determined that this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby are fair to and in the best interests of Parent and the stockholders of Parent (other than the Sellers and their Affiliates), (ii) declared advisable this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the Merger and (iii) recommended to the Parent Board that this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby be approved by the Parent Board and submitted to the Parent Stockholders Meeting for approval;

WHEREAS, the Parent Board has (on its own behalf and as the sole member of each Merger Sub) (i) determined that this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby are fair to and in the best interests of Parent and Parent’s stockholders (other than the Sellers and their Affiliates), (ii) approved, adopted and declared advisable this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions

 

1


contemplated hereby and thereby, (iii) recommended that this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby be submitted to the Parent Stockholders Meeting for approval, and (iv) adopted the recommendation by the Special Committee for the approval of this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement, and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby by the stockholders of Parent;

WHEREAS, simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to the willingness of Parent and each Merger Sub to enter into this Agreement, the Sellers have delivered to the Oceanbulk Holdcos (with a copy to Parent) a unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting pursuant to which the applicable equityholders of each Oceanbulk Holdco will, without meeting, without prior notice and without any additional equityholder vote, (a) approve the Merger, adopt this Agreement and approve the transactions contemplated hereby and (b) approve certain actions in furtherance of the Merger, including the approval of any actions permitted to be taken by the Sellers’ Representative as provided herein; and

WHEREAS, simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to the willingness of the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos to enter into this Agreement, certain stockholders of Parent (the “ Principal Stockholders ”) are entering into a voting agreement (the “ Voting Agreement ”) with the Sellers pursuant to which, among other things, the Principal Stockholders have agreed, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Voting Agreement, to (a) vote their shares of Parent Common Stock in favor of approval of this Agreement and the Pappas Agreement and (b) take other actions in furtherance of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the representations and warranties, covenants and agreements contained herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.1. Certain Definitions .

(a) When used in this Agreement, the following terms will have the meanings assigned to them in this Section 1.1(a) :

1933 Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933.

1934 Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

ABY ” means ABY Group Holding Limited, a Malta limited liability company.

Acquisition Proposal ” means, except as set forth in Section 1.1 of the Parent Disclosure Letter , any offer, proposal, inquiry or indication of interest or any public announcement of intention to enter into any agreement or of (or intention to make) any offer, proposal, inquiry or indication of interest by a Third Party relating to any transaction or series of transactions involving (i) any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, transfer, license or other disposition, direct or indirect, of (A) 15% or more of the consolidated assets of Parent and its Subsidiaries or assets of Parent and/or any of its Subsidiaries that represented, individually or in the aggregate, 15% or more of the consolidated net income or revenues of Parent for the then most recently completed four quarter period, or (B) 15% or more of the total outstanding equity or voting securities of Parent, in each case of clauses (A) and (B) including by way of tender offer (including a self-tender offer) or exchange offer, (ii) a merger, consolidation, spin-off, share exchange (including a split-off), business combination, sale of substantially all the assets, reorganization, recapitalization, liquidation, extraordinary dividend, dissolution or other similar transaction involving Parent or any of its Subsidiaries representing (A) 15% or more of the consolidated assets of Parent and its Subsidiaries or assets of Parent and/or any of its Subsidiaries that represented, individually or in

 

2


the aggregate, 15% or more of the consolidated net income or revenues of Parent for the then most recently completed four quarter period or (B) 15% or more of the total outstanding equity or voting securities of Parent or (iii) any other transaction or series of transactions having a similar effect to those described in clauses (i) and (ii).

Action ” means any litigation, claim, action, suit, hearing, proceeding, arbitration, audit, inspection or other investigation (whether civil, criminal, administrative, labor or investigative) by or before a Governmental Authority or arbitrator(s).

Affiliate ” means, with respect to a Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is Controlled by or is under common Control with, such first Person; provided, however, that, for purposes of this Agreement with respect to the Pappas Seller, an Affiliate of such Pappas Seller shall also include (i) any member of the Pappas Seller, (ii) Petros Pappas, Hamish Norton and Demetris Condylis, and (iii) any spouse, parent, sibling or descendant of Petros Pappas. For purposes of this definition and as used otherwise in this Agreement, “Control” (including the terms “Controlled by” and “under common Control with”) means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of securities or partnership or other ownership interests, as trustee or executor, by Contract or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (x) for purposes of this Agreement, in no event shall Parent or its Subsidiaries be deemed an Affiliate of any Seller and (y) for purposes of Section 4.1(h) , Section 6.2(a) and Section 8.2 , no portfolio company of any Seller or any Person that owns equity interests in any Seller or any portfolio company of any Affiliate of such Person shall be deemed to be an Affiliate of the Sellers or the Oceanbulk Companies unless such Seller or its affiliated investment funds and accounts has the power to vote (or cause the voting of) the shares of Parent Common Stock (if any) owned by such portfolio companies.

Aggregate Heron Consideration ” means 2,115,706 shares of Parent Common Stock, as may be adjusted pursuant to Section 3.1(d) .

Aggregate Merger Consideration ” means 48,395,766 shares of Parent Common Stock, as may be adjusted pursuant to Section 3.1(d) .

Aggregate Oaktree Consideration ” means 43,556,189 shares of Parent Common Stock (which represents 90% of the Aggregate Merger Consideration), as may be adjusted pursuant to Section 3.1(d) .

Aggregate Pappas Consideration ” means 4,839,577 shares of Parent Common Stock (which represents 10% of the Aggregate Merger Consideration), as may be adjusted pursuant to Section 3.1(d) .

Borrowed Indebtedness ” means, with respect to any Person as of any date of determination, any obligation of such Person with respect to any indebtedness for borrowed money as of such date (including all obligations for principal, accrued interest, and any premiums, penalties, fees, expenses and breakage costs that are payable by such Person as of such date).

Business Day ” means (except as otherwise expressly set forth herein) a day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks located in New York, New York or Athens, Greece are authorized or required by applicable Law to close.

CIT ” means CIT Finance LLC (and its successors and assigns).

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Contract ” means any contract, agreement, note, bond, indenture, mortgage, guarantee, option, lease, license, sales or purchase order, warranty, commitment or other instrument, obligation or binding arrangement or understanding of any kind, whether written or oral.

 

3


Environmental Laws ” means applicable Laws, any agreement with any Governmental Authority and Maritime Guidelines, in each case, relating to human health and safety, the environment or to pollutants, contaminants, wastes or chemicals or any toxic, radioactive, ignitable, corrosive, reactive or otherwise hazardous substances, wastes or materials.

Escrow Agent ” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., or any replacement thereof in accordance with Section 8.6 (prior to Closing) or the Escrow Agreement (on and after the Closing).

Escrow Agreement ” means a customary escrow agreement among the Escrow Agent, Parent and the Sellers’ Representative in a form to be reasonably agreed by such parties in good faith.

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, consistently applied.

Governmental Authority ” means any entity or body exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to United States federal, state or local government or other non-United States (including the Marshall Islands and Greece), international, multinational or other government, including any department, commission, board, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, bureau, official or other regulatory, administrative or judicial authority thereof and any self-regulatory organization, including Nasdaq.

Governmental Authorizations ” means, with respect to any Person, all licenses, permits (including construction permits), certificates, waivers, consents, franchises, accreditations, exemptions, variances, easements, expirations and terminations of any waiting period requirements and other authorizations and approvals issued to such Person by or obtained by such Person from any Governmental Authority, or of which such Person has the benefit under any applicable Law.

Heron ” means Heron Ventures Limited, a Malta limited liability company.

Heron ABY Vessels ” means the vessels set forth under the heading “Heron ABY Vessels” on Exhibit H that are owned by Heron as of the date hereof.

Heron Convertible Loan Agreement ” means the Convertible Loan Agreement, dated as of February 19, 2014, by and among Heron, ABY and Oceanbulk Shipping.

Heron Distributable Cash ” means, as of any date of determination, the cash and cash equivalents then held by Heron, including cash from the proceeds of any Non-Core Vessel Sale (after repayment of any Indebtedness required to be repaid pursuant to the Heron Facility Agreement in connection with such Non-Core Vessel Sale), less an allowance for reserves equal to $5,000,000, or such lesser amount as may be approved by the Special Committee (on behalf of Parent), such approval not to be unreasonably withheld; provided , that such reserves shall constitute Heron Distributable Cash, and the portion of such Heron Distributable Cash received by Parent (other than the Heron Liquidation Reimbursement Amount) shall be paid to the Sellers in accordance with Section 8.3(c) upon the Final Heron Liquidation.

Heron Facility Agreement ” means, collectively, the $95,200,000 Term Loan Facility Agreement, dated as of February 25, 2014, by and among Heron, as Borrower, CIT, as facility agent, and CIT, as security agent, and all of the “Transaction Documents” as defined therein (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Heron Guarantee, but excluding the Heron Convertible Loan Agreement).

Heron Guarantee ” means the Guarantee, dated as of February 25, 2014, by and among ABY, CIT, as security agent, and Oceanbulk Shipping.

Heron JV ” means the joint venture between ABY and Oceanbulk Shipping reflected in and contemplated by the Heron Loan Agreements.

 

4


Heron JV Commitments ” means the obligation of the Sellers to consummate the Core Vessel Distribution, the Non-Core Vessel Sale, the Heron OBS Vessel Financing and the Heron Guarantee Release in accordance with the terms of Section 8.3 .

Heron Liquidation Reimbursement Amount ” means, solely during the period from the Subject Shares Release Date of the Heron Subject Shares until the Final Heron Liquidation, the amount that Sellers’ Representative and Parent reasonably determine is necessary to reimburse Parent for the costs and expenses incurred by Parent on and after such Subject Shares Release Date in connection with the Winding Up Activities (other than in connection with the acquisition by Parent of any Heron Non-Core Vessel).

Heron Loan Agreements ” means, collectively, the Heron Facility Agreement and the Heron Convertible Loan Agreement.

Heron Net Indebtedness ” means, as of the date of the Core Vessel Distribution, an amount equal to (a) the Indebtedness outstanding under the Heron OBS Vessel Financing as of such date minus (b) an amount equal to (i) the amount of Heron Distributable Cash which is distributed to Parent as of such date (such amount distributed to Parent being as agreed by ABY and Sellers’ Representative), minus (ii) the portion of Heron Distributable Cash (if any) as of such date arising from (A) revenues from the Heron OBS Vessels following the Closing or (B) in the event of a loss of a Heron OBS Vessel, the net insurance proceeds (if any) resulting therefrom after repayment of the applicable portion of the Heron Facility Agreement, in each case as reasonably determined by Parent and the Sellers’ Representative.

Heron Non-Core Vessels ” means any other vessels owned by Heron that are not Heron ABY Vessels or Heron OBS Vessels.

Heron OBS Vessels ” means the two (2) vessels set forth under the heading “Heron OBS Vessels” on Exhibit H that are owned by Heron as of the date hereof.

Heron Target Net Indebtedness ” means $25,000,000.

Indebtedness ” means, with respect to any Person as of any date of determination, without duplication, any (i) obligation of such Person with respect to any indebtedness for borrowed money as of such date (including all obligations for principal, accrued interest, and any premiums, penalties, fees, expenses and breakage costs that are payable by such Person as of such date), (ii) obligation of such Person with respect to any indebtedness evidenced by any bond, debenture, note, mortgage, indenture or other debt instrument or debt security as of such date (including all obligations for principal, accrued interest, and any premiums, penalties, fees, expenses and breakage costs that are payable by such Person as of such date), (iii) commitments of such Person as of such date for which it assures a financial institution against loss (including contingent reimbursement obligations with respect to banker’s acceptances or letters of credit), (iv) liability of such Person as of such date with respect to interest rate or currency exchange swaps, collars, caps or similar hedging obligations, and (v) responsibility or liability of such Person as of such date directly or indirectly as obligor, guarantor, surety or otherwise of any of the foregoing. For the avoidance of doubt, Indebtedness shall not include (A) any obligations under any banker’s acceptance or letter of credit to the extent undrawn or uncalled, (B) any intercompany Indebtedness between an Oceanbulk Company and another Oceanbulk Company, or between Parent and/or its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, as the case may be, (C) any endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business, and (D) any liabilities under any agreement between an Oceanbulk Company, on the one hand, and Parent or any of its Affiliates, on the other hand.

Knowledge of Oceanbulk ” or any similar phrase means the knowledge of the following persons: Petros Pappas, Demetris Condylis, Hamish Norton and Sophia Damigou.

 

5


Knowledge of Parent ” or any similar phrase means the knowledge of the following persons: Spyros Capralos, Simos Spyrou, Zenon Kleopas and Georgia Mastagaki.

Law ” means any foreign, supranational, federal, state, provincial or local law (statutory, common or otherwise), constitution, treaty, convention, ordinance, code, rule, regulation, Order or other similar requirement enacted, adopted, promulgated or applied by a Governmental Authority.

Lien ” means, with respect to any property or asset, any mortgage, lien, pledge, hypothecation, charge, security interest, infringement, interference, right of first refusal, right of first offer, preemptive right, option, community property right or other adverse claim or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such property or asset.

Maritime Guidelines ” means any United States, international or non-United States (including the Marshall Islands) rule, code of practice, convention, protocol, guideline or similar requirement or restriction concerning or relating to a Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable, and to which a Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable, is subject and required to comply with, imposed, published or promulgated by any relevant Governmental Authority, the International Maritime Organization, such Vessel’s or Parent Vessel’s, as applicable, classification society or the insurer(s) of such Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable.

Material Contracts ” means each Contract set forth on, or required to be set forth on, Section 5.15(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter.

Nasdaq ” means the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC.

Newbuildings ” means vessels contracted to be constructed, under construction or newly constructed for, but not yet delivered to, (a) the Oceanbulk Companies, other than Owned Vessels or (b) Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, other than Parent Owned Vessels, as applicable.

Oceanbulk Balance Sheet ” means the audited combined balance sheet of Oceanbulk Shipping and Oceanbulk Carriers as of December 31, 2013, and the footnotes thereto, set forth in the Oceanbulk F-1.

Oceanbulk Balance Sheet Date ” means December 31, 2013.

Oceanbulk Benefit Plan ” means any employee benefit plan, including any (i) deferred compensation or retirement plan or arrangement, (ii) defined contribution retirement plan or arrangement, (iii) defined benefit retirement plan or arrangement, (iv) employee welfare benefit plan or material fringe benefit plan or program, or (v) stock purchase, stock option, severance pay, termination, executive compensation, employment, change-in-control, retention, vacation pay, salary continuation, sick leave, excess benefit, bonus or other incentive compensation, life insurance, employee loan or other employee benefit plan, practice, contract, program, policy, agreement or other arrangement, whether written or oral, formal or informal, whether or not subject to ERISA, under which any present or former employee, director, officer, consultant or independent contractor of any Oceanbulk Company has any present or future right to compensation, payments or benefits and that is sponsored or maintained or contributed to by any Oceanbulk Company.

Oceanbulk Companies ” means the Oaktree Holdco, the Pappas Holdco, Oceanbulk Shipping, Oceanbulk Carriers and the respective Subsidiaries of each of the foregoing (and an “ Oceanbulk Company ” shall mean any of the foregoing).

Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter ” means the Disclosure Letter dated the date hereof regarding this Agreement that has been provided by the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos to Parent and Merger Subs.

Oceanbulk F-1 ” means the registration statement on Form F-1 of Oceanbulk Carriers Inc., in the form confidentially filed by the Oceanbulk Companies with the SEC on May 9, 2014.

 

6


Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect ” means any change, effect, event, occurrence, or development that, individually or in the aggregate, (i) has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, business, assets (including Vessels), liabilities or results of operations of the Oceanbulk Companies, taken as a whole; provided , that none of the changes, effects, events, occurrences or developments to the extent attributable to the following shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect: (A) changes in applicable Law or GAAP, in each case, after the date hereof, (B) changes in the global financial or securities markets or general global economic or political conditions, (C) changes or conditions generally affecting the industry in which the Oceanbulk Companies operate, (D) acts of war, sabotage, terrorism or natural disasters or (E) other than for purposes of Section 5.3 and Section 5.17(g) (and, to the extent related thereto, the conditions set forth in Section 10.3(a) ), the announcement or consummation of the Transactions; provided that the effect of any matter referred to in clauses (A), (B), (C) or (D) shall only be excluded to the extent that such matter does not disproportionately affect the Oceanbulk Companies, taken as a whole, relative to other entities operating in the industry in which the Oceanbulk Companies operate, or (ii) that has or would reasonably be expected to materially impair the ability of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or the Sellers to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement or materially delay the ability of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or the Sellers to consummate the Transactions.

Order ” means any injunction, judgment, decree, order, ruling, writ, assessment, subpoena or verdict or other decision issued, promulgated or entered by or with any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction.

Parent Balance Sheet ” means the audited consolidated balance sheet of Parent as of December 31, 2013, and the footnotes thereto, set forth in Parent’s Annual Report filed on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.

Parent Balance Sheet Date ” means December 31, 2013.

Parent Benefit Plan ” means any employee benefit plan, including any (i) deferred compensation or retirement plan or arrangement, (ii) defined contribution retirement plan or arrangement, (iii) defined benefit retirement plan or arrangement, (iv) employee welfare benefit plan or material fringe benefit plan or program, or (v) stock purchase, stock option, severance pay, termination, executive compensation, employment, change-in-control, retention, vacation pay, salary continuation, sick leave, excess benefit, bonus or other incentive compensation, life insurance, employee loan or other employee benefit plan, practice, contract, program, policy, agreement or other arrangement, whether written or oral, formal or informal, whether or not subject to ERISA, under which any present or former employee, director, officer, consultant or independent contractor of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has any present or future right to compensation, payments or benefits and that is sponsored or maintained or contributed to by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.

Parent Disclosure Letter ” means the Disclosure Letter dated the date hereof regarding this Agreement that has been provided by Parent and Merger Subs to the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos.

Parent Material Adverse Effect ” means any change, effect, event, occurrence, or development that, individually or in the aggregate, (i) has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, business, assets (including Parent Vessels), liabilities or results of operations of Parent and Parent’s Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided , that none of the changes, effects, events, occurrences or developments to the extent attributable to the following shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Parent Material Adverse Effect: (A) changes in applicable Law or GAAP, in each case, after the date hereof, (B) changes in the global financial or securities markets or general global economic or political conditions, (C) changes or conditions generally affecting the industry in which Parent and its Subsidiaries operate, (D) acts of war, sabotage, terrorism or natural disasters or (E) other than for purposes of Section 6.3 and Section 6.17(g) (and, to the extent related thereto, the conditions set forth in Section 10.2(a) ), the announcement or consummation of the Transactions; provided that the effect of any matter referred to in clauses (A), (B), (C) or (D) shall only be excluded to the extent that such matter does not disproportionately affect Parent and Parent’s

 

7


Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, relative to other entities operating in the industry in which Parent and Parent’s Subsidiaries operate, or (ii) that has or would reasonably be expected to materially impair the ability of Parent or Merger Subs to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement or materially delay the ability of Parent or Merger Subs to consummate the Transactions.

Parent Material Contracts ” means each Contract set forth on, or required to be set forth on, Section 6.13(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter .

Parent Permitted Liens ” means (i) Liens disclosed on the Parent Balance Sheet, (ii) Liens for Taxes that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings (and for which adequate accruals or reserves have been established on the Parent Balance Sheet), (iii) statutory Liens of landlords and workers’, carriers’ and mechanics’ or other like Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices for amounts that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith, (iv) Liens and encroachments which do not materially interfere with the present or proposed use of the properties or assets to which such Lien relates, (v) other maritime Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of Parent and its Subsidiaries or the ownership of Parent’s or its Subsidiaries’ property and assets, and which do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of Parent or its Subsidiaries’ assets or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of its business or (vi) Liens listed on Section 1.1(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter .

Parent Vessels ” the Parent Owned Vessels and the Parent Leased Vessels.

Per Oaktree Seller Merger Consideration ” means, with respect to each holder of Oaktree Units immediately prior to the Effective Time, a number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to (i) the Aggregate Oaktree Consideration, multiplied by (ii) the percentage of the Oaktree Units outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time that are owned by such holder as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Per Pappas Unit Merger Consideration ” means a number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the Aggregate Pappas Consideration, divided by the number of Pappas Units outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Permitted Liens ” means (i) Liens disclosed on the Oceanbulk Balance Sheet, (ii) Liens for Taxes that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings (and for which adequate accruals or reserves have been established on the Oceanbulk Balance Sheet), (iii) statutory Liens of landlords and workers’, carriers’ and mechanics’ or other like Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices for amounts that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith, (iv) Liens and encroachments which do not materially interfere with the present or proposed use of the properties or assets to which such Lien relates, (v) other maritime Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of any Oceanbulk Company or the ownership of any Oceanbulk Company’s property and assets, and which do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of any Oceanbulk Company’s property or assets or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of its business or (vi) Liens listed in Section 1.1(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter .

Per Share Price ” means the average of the volume weighted average price per share of Parent Common Stock on Nasdaq (as reported on Bloomberg or, if not reported thereby, another alternative source as reasonably agreed by Parent and the Sellers’ Representative) for the five (5) consecutive trading days ending on and including the Closing Date.

Person ” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, a trust, an unincorporated association, or other entity or organization, including a Governmental Authority.

Pro Rata Percentage ” means, (a) with respect to the Oaktree Seller, 90% and (b) with respect to the Pappas Seller, 10%.

 

8


Related Agreements ” means the Oaktree Stockholders Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Pappas Stockholders Agreement and the Escrow Agreement.

Representatives ” means, with respect to any Person, the respective directors, officers, employees, counsel, accountants, agents, advisors, investment bankers and other representatives of, or Persons retained by, such Person.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act ” means the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

SEC ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Sellers’ Representative ” means Oaktree Seller.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture or other legal entity of which such Person (either alone or through or together with any other Subsidiary), owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the stock or other equity interests, the holders of which are generally entitled to vote for the election of the board of directors or other governing body of a non-corporate Person. For purposes of this Agreement, “Subsidiaries” shall not include Heron with respect to the Oceanbulk Companies other than with respect to the representations and warranties set forth in Sections 5.3 , 5.8 , 5.14(a) ( provided, that the representations set forth in Section 5.14(a) shall apply solely to the Heron OBS Vessels), 5.15 , 5.16 and 5.20 .

Tax Returns ” means any return, declaration, report, claim for refund, election, disclosure, estimate or information return or statement required to be supplied to a taxing authority in connection with Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto, and including any amendment thereof.

Taxes ” means all federal, state, local and foreign income, profits, tonnage (including under Greek Law), franchise, gross receipts, environmental, customs duty, capital stock, severance, stamp, payroll, sales, transfer, employment, unemployment, disability, use, property, withholding, excise, production, value added, occupancy and other taxes, duties or assessments of any nature whatsoever (whether payable directly or by withholding and whether or not requiring the filing of a Tax Return), including all estimated taxes, deficiency assessments, additions to tax, penalties and interest, whether disputed or not and including any obligations to indemnify or otherwise assume or succeed to the Tax liability of any other Person.

Third Party ” means any Person, including as defined in Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act, other than (a) Parent or its Subsidiaries or (b) the Sellers, any Oceanbulk Company or any of their respective Affiliates.

Transactions ” means the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger.

Treasury Regulations ” means the Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code.

Vessels ” means Owned Vessels and Leased Vessels.

(b) For purposes of this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or unless the context otherwise requires: (i) the meaning assigned to each term defined herein will be equally applicable to both the singular and the plural forms of such term and vice versa, and words denoting any gender will include all genders as the context requires; (ii) where a word or phrase is defined herein, each of its other grammatical forms will have a corresponding meaning; (iii) the terms “hereof”, “herein”, “hereunder”, “hereby” and “herewith” and words of similar import will, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (iv) when a reference is made in this Agreement to an Article, Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule without reference to a document, such reference is to an Article, Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule to this Agreement; (v) a reference to a subsection without further reference to a

 

9


Section is a reference to such subsection as contained in the same Section in which the reference appears, and this rule will also apply to paragraphs and other subdivisions; (vi) the word “include”, “includes” or “including” when used in this Agreement will be deemed to include the words “without limitation”, unless otherwise specified; (vii) a reference to any party to this Agreement or any other agreement or document will include such party’s predecessors, successors and permitted assigns; (viii) a reference to any Law means such Law as amended, modified, codified, replaced or reenacted, and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; (ix) a reference to any Contract will include such Contract as amended, supplemented or modified (including any waiver thereto) in accordance with the terms thereof, except that with respect to any Contract listed in the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter, all such amendments, supplements or modifications must also be listed in the applicable Disclosure Letter; (x) all accounting terms used and not defined herein have the respective meanings given to them under GAAP; and (xi) any references in this Agreement to “dollars” or “$” shall be to U.S. dollars.

(c) Additional Terms . Each of the following terms is defined in the Section set forth opposite such term:

 

Term

   Section

Accounting Firm

   Exhibit H

Adverse Recommendation Change

   7.6(a)

Affiliate Contract

   8.7

Agreement

   Preamble

Closing

   2.1(b)

Closing Date

   2.1(b)

Company Subsidiary Securities

   5.5(c)

Confidentiality Agreement

   7.4

Core Vessel Distribution

   8.3(a)(i)

Damages

   12.1(b)

Effective Time

   2.1(c)

End Date

   11.1(b)(i)

Equitable Exceptions

   4.1(c)

ERISA

   5.17(e)

Escrow Account

   3.4

Escrow Release Date

   3.4

Existing Registration Rights Agreement

   2.1(i)

Final Heron Liquidation

   8.3(a)(vi)

Final Heron Net Indebtedness

   8.3(d)(iii)

Heron Guarantee Release

   8.3(a)(iv)

Heron OBS Vessel Financing

   8.3(a)(iii)

Heron Subject Shares

   8.12(b)

Indemnified Person

   12.1(c)

Indemnified Persons

   12.1(c)

Interested Party Transaction

   5.23

Internal Controls

   6.8(e)

Intervening Event

   7.6(b)(ii)

Leased Vessels

   5.14(a)

Material Oceanbulk Breach

   11.1(d)

Material Parent Breach

   11.1(c)

Merger

   Recitals

Merger Consideration Allocation Certificate

   3.2(a)

Merger Subs

   Preamble

MIBCA

   6.6(a)

MILLCA

   2.1(a)

 

10


Term

   Section

Non-Core Vessel Sale

   8.3(a)(v)

Notice of Disagreement

   8.3(d)(ii)

Notice Period

   7.6(b)(ii)

Oaktree Holdco

   Preamble

Oaktree Holdco Certificate of Merger

   2.1(c)

Oaktree Holdco Merger

   Recitals

Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub

   Preamble

Oaktree Holdco Surviving Company

   2.1(a)

Oaktree Purchase Agreement

   8.5

Oaktree Seller

   Preamble

Oaktree Stockholders Agreement

   2.1(i)

Oaktree Units

   Recitals

Oceanbulk Carriers

   Recitals

Oceanbulk Companies Charter Documents

   5.5(b)

Oceanbulk Fundamental Representations

   12.1(a)

Oceanbulk Holdco Securities

   5.4(b)

Oceanbulk Holdcos

   Preamble

Oceanbulk Holdcos Charter Documents

   5.1

Oceanbulk Management Member

   7.8

Oceanbulk Shipping

   Recitals

Oceanbulk Subsidiaries

   5.5(a)

Oceanbulk Subsidiaries Charter Documents

   5.5(b)

Oceanbulk Subsidiary

   5.5(a)

Owned Vessels

   5.14(a)

Pappas Agreement

   Recitals

Pappas Holdco

   Preamble

Pappas Holdco Certificate of Merger

   2.1(c)

Pappas Holdco Merger

   Recitals

Pappas Holdco Merger Sub

   Preamble

Pappas Holdco Surviving Company

   2.1(a)

Pappas Sale

   Recitals

Pappas Seller

   Preamble

Pappas Stockholders Agreement

   2.1(i)

Pappas Units

   Recitals

Parent

   Preamble

Parent Acquisition Agreement

   7.6(a)

Parent Board

   Recitals

Parent Board Recommendation

   6.2(b)

Parent Common Stock

   6.6(a)

Parent Disclosure Documents

   6.4(a)

Parent Fundamental Representations

   12.1(a)

Parent Indemnified Persons

   12.1(b)

Parent Interested Party Transaction

   6.22

Parent Leased Vessels

   6.15(a)

Parent Owned Vessels

   6.15(a)

Parent Policies

   6.20

Parent Preferred Stock

   6.6(a)

Parent SEC Documents

   6.8(a)

Parent Securities

   6.6(d)

Parent Stockholders Meeting

   9.1(d)

Parent Subsidiary Securities

   6.7(c)

 

11


Term

   Section

Policies

   5.20

Principal Stockholders

   Recitals

Proxy Statement

   9.1(a)

Registration Rights Agreement

   2.1(i)

S&K Opinion

   8.6

Seller Disclosure Information

   5.8

Seller Fundamental Representations

   12.1(a)

Seller Indemnified Persons

   12.1(c)

Sellers

   Preamble

Sellers Counsel

   12.19

Special Committee

   Recitals

Special Committee Recommendation

   6.2(b)

Statement

   8.3(d)(i)

Subject Shares

   8.12(b)

Subject Shares Release Date

   8.12(a)

Superior Proposal

   7.6(d)

Survival Date

   12.1(a)

Surviving Companies

   2.1(a)

Takeover Statute

   5.22

Termination Fee

   12.4(b)

Third Party Claims

   12.1(e)(i)

Transactions Approval

   6.2(a)

Transfer

   8.12(a)

Transfer Taxes

   9.9

Unaffiliated Stockholders

   8.2(a)

Unrelated Activity Percentage

   8.14

Voting Agreement

   Recitals

Winding Up Activities

   8.3(a)

ARTICLE II

THE MERGER

SECTION 2.1. The Merger .

(a) The Merger . At the Effective Time and upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement and in accordance with the Marshall Islands Limited Liability Company Act (the “ MILLCA ”), (i) Oaktree Holdco shall be merged with and into Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub and (ii) Pappas Holdco shall be merged with and into Pappas Holdco Merger Sub. Following the Merger, (A) the separate existence of Oaktree Holdco will cease and Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub will continue its existence under the MILLCA as the surviving company in the Oaktree Holdco Merger (as such, the “ Oaktree Holdco Surviving Company ”) and (B) the separate existence of Pappas Holdco will cease and Pappas Holdco Merger Sub will continue its existence under the MILLCA as the surviving company in the Pappas Holdco Merger (as such, the “ Pappas Holdco Surviving Company ” and, together with the Oaktree Holdco Surviving Company, the “ Surviving Companies ”).

(b) Closing . The closing of the Merger (the “ Closing ”) shall take place in New York City at the offices of Seward & Kissel LLP, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, NY 10004 on the third (3 rd ) Business Day after the date the conditions set forth in Article X (other than conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or, to the extent permissible, waiver of those conditions at the Closing) have been satisfied or, to the extent permissible, waived by the party or parties entitled to the benefit of such

 

12


conditions, or at such other place, at such other time or on such other date as Parent and the Sellers’ Representative may mutually agree in writing. The date on which the Closing actually takes place is referred to as the “ Closing Date ”.

(c) Effective Time . At the Closing, (i) Oaktree Holdco and Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub shall cause to be filed a certificate of merger (the “ Oaktree Holdco Certificate of Merger ”) with the Office of the Registrar of Corporations of the Marshall Islands and (ii) Pappas Holdco and Pappas Holdco Merger Sub shall cause to be filed a certificate of merger (the “ Pappas Holdco Certificate of Merger ”) with the Office of the Registrar of Corporations of the Marshall Islands, and the parties hereto shall make all other filings or recordings required by the MILLCA in connection with the Merger. The Oaktree Holdco Merger and the Pappas Holdco Merger shall become effective at such time as the Oaktree Holdco Certificate of Merger and Pappas Holdco Certificate of Merger, respectively, is duly filed with the Office of the Registrar of Corporations of the Marshall Islands (or at such later time as may be mutually agreed upon by Parent, the Merger Subs and the Oceanbulk Holdcos and specified in the Oaktree Holdco Certificate of Merger and the Pappas Holdco Certificate of Merger in accordance with the MILLCA) (the time the Merger becomes effective, the “ Effective Time ”).

(d) Effects of the Merger .

(i) The Oaktree Holdco Merger will have the effects set forth in this Agreement, the Oaktree Holdco Certificate of Merger and in the MILLCA. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing and subject thereto, at the Effective Time, all the properties, rights, privileges, immunities, powers and purposes of Oaktree Holdco and Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub shall vest in the Oaktree Holdco Surviving Company and all liabilities, obligations and penalties of Oaktree Holdco and Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub shall become the debts, obligations, liabilities, restrictions and duties of the Oaktree Holdco Surviving Company.

(ii) The Pappas Holdco Merger will have the effects set forth in this Agreement, the Pappas Holdco Certificate of Merger and in the MILLCA. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing and subject thereto, at the Effective Time, all the properties, rights, privileges, immunities, powers and purposes of Pappas Holdco and Pappas Holdco Merger Sub shall vest in the Pappas Holdco Surviving Company and all liabilities, obligations and penalties of Pappas Holdco and Pappas Holdco Merger Sub shall become the debts, obligations, liabilities, restrictions and duties of the Pappas Holdco Surviving Company.

(e) Certificate of Formation; Limited Liability Company Agreement . The parties hereto shall take such action as is necessary so that, at the Effective Time, the certificate of formation and the limited liability company agreement of each Merger Sub in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be the certificate of formation and the limited liability company agreement of the applicable Surviving Company until amended in accordance with applicable Law.

(f) Managers . The parties hereto shall take such action as is necessary so that, at the Effective Time, the manager of each Surviving Company shall be Parent.

(g) Officers . The parties hereto shall take such action as is necessary so that, at the Effective Time, the officers of each Surviving Company shall be such persons as shall be designated by Parent and the Sellers’ Representative prior to the Effective Time.

(h) Parent Board . Parent shall take such actions as are necessary to provide that, at the Closing, the Parent Board shall consist of nine (9) members, four (4) of whom shall be the individuals listed on Exhibit B hereto (or if any such individual is unable or unwilling to serve at the time of Closing, a replacement individual selected by the Oaktree Holdco that satisfies the criteria set forth on Schedule V and Section 2.3(a) of the Oaktree Stockholders Agreement) and five (5) of whom shall be the individuals listed on Exhibit C hereto (or if any such individual is unable or unwilling to serve at the time of Closing, a replacement individual selected by the Special Committee).

 

13


(i) Stockholder Agreements; Registration Rights Agreement . At or prior to the Closing, (i) Parent and the Oaktree Seller shall execute and deliver the stockholders agreement attached hereto as Exhibit D (the “ Oaktree Stockholders Agreement ”), (ii) Parent and Sellers shall execute and deliver the registration rights agreement attached hereto as Exhibit E (the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”) which shall supersede the registration rights agreement previously entered into by Parent and the Affiliate of the Oaktree Seller party thereto and the other parties thereto dated as of May 1, 2013 (the “ Existing Registration Rights Agreement ”), and (iii) Parent and the Pappas Seller shall execute and deliver the stockholders agreement attached hereto as Exhibit F (the “ Pappas Stockholders Agreement ”).

ARTICLE III

EFFECT ON THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY INTERESTS OF THE CONSTITUENT ENTITIES; SURRENDER AND PAYMENT

SECTION 3.1. Effect on Units . At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of the Oceanbulk Holdcos, Parent, Merger Subs or the holder of any limited liability company interests of either Oceanbulk Holdco or Merger Sub:

(a) Each Oaktree Unit issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, by virtue of the Oaktree Holdco Merger and without any action on the part of Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub, Parent, the Oaktree Holdco or the holder thereof, be converted into the right to receive, with respect to each holder of Oaktree Units immediately prior to the Effective Time, such holder’s Per Oaktree Seller Merger Consideration, less any applicable withholding Taxes, together with any amounts to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 3.4 and Section 8.3 . As of the Effective Time, all such Oaktree Units shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be canceled and retired and shall cease to exist, and shall thereafter represent only the right of each holder of Oaktree Units immediately prior to the Effective Time to receive the Per Oaktree Seller Merger Consideration, together with any amounts to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 3.4 and Section 8.3 .

(b) Each Pappas Unit issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall, by virtue of the Pappas Holdco Merger and without any action on the part of Pappas Holdco Merger Sub, Parent, the Pappas Holdco or the holder thereof, be converted into the right to receive the Per Pappas Unit Merger Consideration, less any applicable withholding Taxes, together with any amounts to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 3.4 and Section 8.3. As of the Effective Time, all such Pappas Units shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be canceled and retired and shall cease to exist, and shall thereafter represent only the right to receive the Per Pappas Unit Merger Consideration, together with any amounts to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 3.4 and Section 8.3 .

(c) The limited liability company interests of Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into and become limited liability company interests of the Oaktree Holdco Surviving Company with the same rights, powers and privileges as the limited liability company interests so converted and shall constitute the only outstanding limited liability company interests of the Oaktree Holdco Surviving Company. The limited liability company interests of Pappas Holdco Merger Sub outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into and become limited liability company interests of the Pappas Holdco Surviving Company with the same rights, powers and privileges as the limited liability company interests so converted and shall constitute the only outstanding limited liability company interests of the Pappas Holdco Surviving Company.

(d) If at any time during the period between the date of this Agreement and the Effective Time, any change in the number of outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock shall occur as a result of any stock split (including a reverse stock split) or combination, or any stock dividend or stock distribution (including any dividend or distribution of securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Parent Common Stock) is

 

14


declared with a record date during such period, then the Aggregate Merger Consideration, the Aggregate Heron Consideration, the Aggregate Oaktree Consideration, and the Aggregate Pappas Consideration and any other provisions hereunder that reference a fixed number of shares of Parent Common Stock shall be equitably adjusted to reflect such change; provided , however , that the Per Share Price shall be subject to adjustment pursuant to this Section 3.1(d) until the Subject Shares Release Date.

SECTION 3.2. Surrender and Payment .

(a) Two Business Days prior to the Closing, the Sellers’ Representative shall deliver a certificate executed by it which will certify the amount of the Per Oaktree Seller Merger Consideration, the amount of the Per Pappas Unit Merger Consideration, the number of shares of Parent Common Stock to be delivered to each Seller at Closing, based on the number or percentage of Oaktree Units and Pappas Units, as applicable, owned by such Seller immediately prior to the Effective Time (the “ Merger Consideration Allocation Certificate ”). The number of shares of Parent Common Stock to be delivered to the Sellers as set forth in such certificate, will be, in the aggregate, an amount that shall not exceed the Aggregate Merger Consideration. After execution of the Merger Consideration Allocation Certificate, there shall be no transfers on the books of the Oceanbulk Holdcos of any limited liability company interests of either Oceanbulk Holdco that were outstanding immediately prior to such execution.

(b) At the Closing, each Seller shall be entitled to receive (and shall receive from Parent) a number of whole shares of Parent Common Stock set forth opposite such Seller’s name on the Merger Consideration Allocation Certificate, together with any amounts to which such holder is entitled pursuant to Section 3.4 and Section 8.3 . Parent shall cause such shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued in book-entry form at the Closing.

(c) All shares of Parent Common Stock delivered pursuant to Section 3.2(b) for exchange of Oaktree Units or Pappas Units, as applicable, in accordance with the terms hereof shall be deemed to have been delivered in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to such Oaktree Units or Pappas Units, as applicable.

(d) After the Effective Time, there shall be no further registration of transfers of Oaktree Units or Pappas Units.

SECTION 3.3. Withholding Rights . Notwithstanding any provision contained herein to the contrary, each of the Surviving Companies and Parent shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from any consideration otherwise payable under this Agreement to any Person such amounts as it is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under the Code or any provision of applicable state, local or foreign Tax Law and shall timely pay such withholding amount to the appropriate Governmental Authority. If a Surviving Company or Parent, as the case may be, so withholds amounts, to the extent timely remitted to the appropriate Governmental Authority, such amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to such Person in respect of which such Surviving Company or Parent, as the case may be, made such deduction and withholding.

SECTION 3.4. Heron Consideration . Parent shall deposit with the Escrow Agent into a segregated account (the “ Escrow Account ”) in accordance with the Escrow Agreement (a) at the Closing, certificates in the name of each Seller representing, for each Seller, a number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the Aggregate Heron Consideration multiplied by such Seller’s Pro Rata Percentage and (b) during the period from the Closing until the distribution of all shares of Parent Common Stock and other amounts in the Escrow Account in accordance with this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement, any dividends or distributions in respect of or in exchange for any shares of Parent Common Stock or other securities in the Escrow Account. Promptly (but in any event not later than one Business Day) following the consummation of the Core Vessel Distribution (the “ Escrow Release Date ”), (i) Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall jointly instruct the Escrow Agent to distribute to the Sellers, pro rata based on their relative Pro Rata Percentages, all shares of Parent Common Stock and any other amounts in the Escrow Account in accordance with the Escrow Agreement and (ii) at the request of

 

15


the Sellers, Parent shall cause such shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to the Sellers in book-entry form. Following the Escrow Release Date, Parent shall pay to the Sellers at the appropriate payment date the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the Closing but prior to the Escrow Release Date and a payment date subsequent to the Escrow Release Date payable with respect to such shares of Parent Common Stock. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Sellers shall not have a right to Transfer, or have a right to vote, or cause to be voted, or exercise their rights to consent (or cause their rights to consent to be exercised) with respect to, any shares of Parent Common Stock in the Escrow Account prior to the Escrow Release Date.

ARTICLE IV

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLERS

SECTION 4.1. Representations and Warranties .

Except as set forth in the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter, each Seller, severally and not jointly and severally, represents and warrants to Parent with respect to such Seller (and only such Seller) as follows:

(a) Organization, Existence and Good Standing . Such Seller (other than any Seller that is an individual) is duly organized, existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or formation, as the case may be.

(b) Power and Authority . Such Seller has full corporate (or equivalent) power and authority to execute and perform this Agreement and each Related Agreement to which it is a party. If such Seller is a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, bank, trust company, trust, or other entity, its execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which it is a party and the performance by it of all of its obligations under this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which it is a party have been duly approved prior to the date of this Agreement by all requisite action of its board of directors, general partners, manager, or trustees, as the case may be, and no other corporate (or equivalent) proceedings are necessary on the part of such Seller to authorize the execution, delivery and performance by such Seller of this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which it is a party.

(c) Enforceability . This Agreement and each Related Agreement to which it is a party have been duly executed and delivered by such Seller and, assuming due execution and delivery by the other parties hereto and thereto, constitute and will constitute a legal, valid, and binding agreement of such Seller, enforceable against such Seller in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that the enforceability thereof may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws from time to time in effect affecting generally the enforcement of creditors’ rights and remedies; and (ii) general principles of equity (clauses (i) and (ii), collectively, the “ Equitable Exceptions ”).

(d) Consents . Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 6.2(c) , no consent, authorization, order or approval of, or filing or registration with, any Governmental Authority is required for or in connection with the consummation by such Seller of the Transactions, other than (i) the filing and recordation of appropriate merger or other documents as required by the MILLCA and by relevant authorities of other jurisdictions in which each Seller is qualified to do business (including the Oaktree Holdco Certificate of Merger and the Pappas Holdco Certificate of Merger), and (ii) compliance with any applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other applicable U.S. state or federal securities laws and the rules and requirements of Nasdaq.

(e) Conflicts Under Constituent Documents or Laws . If such Seller is a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, bank, trust company, trust or other entity, neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Related Agreements to which it is a party, nor the consummation by it of the

 

16


Transactions will conflict with or constitute a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of its certificate or articles of incorporation or formation, by-laws, agreement of limited partnership, operating agreement, trust agreement or declaration of trust, or other organizational documents, as the case may be. Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Related Agreements to which such Seller is a party, nor the consummation by him, her or it of the Transactions will, assuming the compliance with the matters referred to in Section 4.1(d) , conflict with or constitute a breach of any Law, except for any such conflicts or breaches which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent the consummation of the Transactions.

(f) Conflicts Under Contracts . Such Seller is not a party to, or bound by, any unexpired, undischarged, or unsatisfied written or oral Contract under the terms of which either the execution, delivery and performance by such Seller of this Agreement or the Related Agreements to which it is a party, or the consummation of the Transactions by such Seller, will require a consent, approval, or notice or result in a lien on the Oaktree Units and/or the Pappas Units owned by such Seller.

(g) Title to Units . Exhibit A sets forth such Seller’s record and beneficial ownership of the outstanding equity of each Oceanbulk Holdco as of the date hereof and as of immediately prior to the Effective Time. Such Seller has good and valid title to the Oaktree Units and/or Pappas Units set forth on Exhibit A , free and clear of all Liens, except Permitted Liens, all of which Permitted Liens or other Liens (other than restrictions on transfer under applicable securities laws and Liens created by Parent or its Affiliates under this Agreement or in connection with the Transactions) will be discharged at or prior to the Closing. Such Seller has no other equity interests or rights to acquire equity interests in any Oceanbulk Company.

(h) Contracts Relating to Units; Parent Common Stock . A list of all Contracts restricting or otherwise relating to the voting, dividend rights or disposition of Oaktree Units and/or Pappas Units is set forth on Section 4.1(h) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter , and all such contracts, agreements or arrangements shall be terminated at or prior to Closing. Exhibit A also sets forth each such Seller’s (and each of its Affiliates’) record and beneficial ownership of shares of Parent Common Stock as of the date hereof and as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

(i) Litigation . There is no claim, action, suit or legal proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of such Seller, threatened against such Seller by any Person (including any Affiliates of such Person) not a party to this Agreement, before any Governmental Authority which seeks to prevent such Seller from consummating the Transactions.

ARTICLE V

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLERS

WITH RESPECT TO THE OCEANBULK COMPANIES

Except as set forth in the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter, or accurately disclosed in the Oceanbulk F-1 (other than the Exhibits to the Oceanbulk F-1 and other than any risk factor disclosure or forward-looking statements included in the Oceanbulk F-1 and any other disclosures included therein to the extent that such statements are cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature), the Sellers, severally and not jointly (or jointly and severally) in the manner set forth in Section 12.1(b) , represent and warrant to Parent and each Merger Sub that:

SECTION 5.1. Organization, Qualification and Limited Liability Company Power . Each Oceanbulk Holdco is a limited liability company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and has all requisite limited liability company power and authority and all Governmental Authorizations, directly or indirectly, to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. Each Oceanbulk Holdco is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign limited liability company to do business, and is in good standing (where applicable) or has equivalent

 

17


status, in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties or assets owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed and in good standing or to have equivalent status would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. The Oceanbulk Holdcos have heretofore made available to Parent true and complete copies of the certificates of formation, limited liability company agreement and other organization documents of each of the Oceanbulk Holdcos (the “ Oceanbulk Holdcos Charter Documents ”) as currently in effect as of the date hereof.

SECTION 5.2. Authorization .

(a) The execution, delivery and performance by each Oceanbulk Holdco of this Agreement, the Related Agreements to which each Oceanbulk Holdco is a party, and the consummation by each Oceanbulk Holdco of the Merger are within the limited liability company powers of each Oceanbulk Holdco and have been duly authorized by all necessary limited liability company action on the part of each Oceanbulk Holdco and no other proceeding, consent or authorization on the part of either Oceanbulk Holdco is necessary to authorize this Agreement, the Related Agreement to which it is a party or the consummation of the Transactions. This Agreement and each Related Agreement to which it is a party constitute or when entered into will constitute a valid and binding agreement of each Oceanbulk Holdco enforceable against each of them in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that the enforceability thereof may be limited by the Equitable Exceptions.

(b) Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 6.2(c) , the execution, delivery and performance by each Oceanbulk Holdco of this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which it is a party and the consummation by each Oceanbulk Holdco of the Transactions require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Governmental Authority, other than (i) the filing and recordation of appropriate merger or other documents as required by the MILLCA and by relevant authorities of other jurisdictions in which each Oceanbulk Holdco is qualified to do business (including the Oaktree Holdco Certificate of Merger and the Pappas Holdco Certificate of Merger), and (ii) compliance with any applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other applicable state or federal securities laws and the rules and requirements of Nasdaq, including the filing of the Parent Disclosure Documents with the SEC.

SECTION 5.3. Noncontravention . The execution, delivery and performance by each Oceanbulk Holdco of this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which each is a party, and the consummation by the Oceanbulk Holdcos of the Transactions do not and will not (i) violate any provision of the certificate of formation or limited liability company agreement (or comparable organization documents, as applicable) of any Oceanbulk Company, (ii) assuming compliance with the matters referred to in Section 5.2(b) , contravene, conflict with or result in a violation or breach of any provision of any applicable Law, (iii) assuming compliance with the matters referred to in Section 5.2(b) , require any consent or other action by any Person under, result in a violation or breach of, constitute a default, or an event that, with or without notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under, or cause or permit the termination, cancellation, acceleration or other change of any right or obligation or the loss of any benefit of any Oceanbulk Company under any provision of any Material Contract or any Governmental Authorization of any Oceanbulk Company or (iv) result in the loss of, or creation or imposition of any Lien, other than Permitted Liens or Liens created by Parent or its Affiliates, on, any asset of any Oceanbulk Company.

SECTION 5.4. Capitalization .

(a) Section 5.4(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter accurately and completely sets forth the limited liability company interests of the Oceanbulk Holdcos which are authorized and which are issued and outstanding. All outstanding limited liability company interests of the Oceanbulk Holdcos have been duly authorized. All outstanding limited liability company interests of the Oceanbulk Holdcos are validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable (to the extent such concepts apply), and free of preemptive or similar rights under any provision of the MILLCA and the limited liability company agreements of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or any agreement to which the Oceanbulk Holdcos are a party or otherwise bound.

 

18


(b) Except as set forth in Section 5.4(b) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter , there are no issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding (i) shares of capital stock of or other voting securities of or ownership interests in the Oceanbulk Holdcos, (ii) securities of the Oceanbulk Holdcos convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, the Oceanbulk Holdcos, (iii) warrants, calls, options or other rights to acquire from the Oceanbulk Holdcos, or other obligation of the Oceanbulk Holdcos to issue, any capital stock or other voting securities or ownership interests in or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock or other voting securities or ownership interests in, the Oceanbulk Holdcos, or (iv) restricted shares, stock appreciation rights, performance units, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any capital stock or voting securities of the Oceanbulk Holdcos (the items in clauses (i) through (iv) being referred to collectively as the “ Oceanbulk Holdco Securities ”). There are no outstanding obligations of the Oceanbulk Holdcos to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the Oceanbulk Holdco Securities. The Oceanbulk Holdcos are not a party to any voting agreements, voting trusts, proxies or other similar agreements or understandings with respect to the voting of any limited liability company interests of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or other Oceanbulk Holdco Securities. Except as may be required by applicable securities Laws and regulations and other than the Oceanbulk Holdcos Charter Documents, the Oceanbulk Holdcos are not bound by any obligations or commitments of any character restricting the transfer of, or requiring the registration for sale of, any limited liability company interests of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or other Oceanbulk Holdco Securities.

(c) There is no outstanding Indebtedness of the Oceanbulk Holdcos having the right to vote (or convertible into or exchangeable for securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which members of the Oceanbulk Holdcos may vote.

(d) The Oceanbulk Holdcos do not have any class of equity securities that is subject to registration with the SEC under Section 12(g) of the 1934 Act. At no time has any class of securities issued by the Oceanbulk Holdcos been held of record by five hundred (500) or more Persons.

SECTION 5.5. Oceanbulk Subsidiaries .

(a) Section 5.5(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter sets forth a complete and correct list of each Oceanbulk Company other than the Oceanbulk Holdcos (individually an “ Oceanbulk Subsidiary ” and collectively, the “ Oceanbulk Subsidiaries ”), together with the jurisdiction of incorporation or formation of each such Oceanbulk Subsidiary, the form of organization of each such Oceanbulk Subsidiary, the authorized and issued capital stock, voting securities or other ownership interests of each such Oceanbulk Subsidiary and the name of each holder thereof. All outstanding ownership interests of the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries are validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable (to the extent such concepts apply), and free of preemptive or similar rights under any provision of applicable Law, the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries Charter Documents (as defined below), or any agreement to which the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries are a party or otherwise bound.

(b) Each Oceanbulk Subsidiary has been duly organized, is validly existing and in good standing (except with respect to jurisdictions that do not recognize the concept of good standing) under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation, and has all requisite power, Governmental Authorizations and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted, except where the failure to be in good standing or possess such Governmental Authorizations would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. Each such Oceanbulk Subsidiary is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign corporation, limited liability company or other applicable entity to do business, and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties or assets owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed and in good standing would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. The Oceanbulk Holdcos have heretofore made available to Parent true and complete copies of the certificates of formation, limited liability company agreement

 

19


and other organization documents of each of the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries (the “ Oceanbulk Subsidiaries Charter Documents ,” and, together with the Oceanbulk Holdcos Charters Documents, the “ Oceanbulk Companies Charter Documents ”) as currently in effect.

(c) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of, or voting securities of, or other ownership interests in, each Oceanbulk Subsidiary, are collectively owned by the Oceanbulk Holdcos directly or indirectly, free and clear of any Liens (other than Permitted Liens). There are no issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding (i) securities of any Oceanbulk Subsidiary convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, shares of capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Oceanbulk Subsidiary, (ii) warrants, calls, options or other rights to acquire from any Oceanbulk Subsidiary, or other obligations of any Oceanbulk Subsidiary to issue, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, or any securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Oceanbulk Subsidiary, or (iii) restricted shares, stock appreciation rights, performance units, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Oceanbulk Subsidiary (the items in clauses (i) through (iii), together with all of the outstanding capital stock of, or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, each Oceanbulk Subsidiary, being referred to collectively as the “ Company Subsidiary Securities ”). None of the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries owns, directly or indirectly, any equity or other ownership interests in any Person, except for other Oceanbulk Subsidiaries as set forth in Section 5.5(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter . There are no outstanding obligations of any Oceanbulk Subsidiary to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the Company Subsidiary Securities. Except as set forth in Section 5.5(c) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter , neither the Oceanbulk Companies nor the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries are subject to any obligation or requirement to provide funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any Oceanbulk Company or any other Person.

(d) There is no outstanding Indebtedness of the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries having the right to vote (or convertible into or exchangeable for securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which equity holders of the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries may vote.

(e) The Oceanbulk Subsidiaries do not have any class of equity securities that is subject to registration with the SEC under Section 12(g) of the 1934 Act. At no time has any class of securities issued by the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries been held of record by five hundred (500) or more Persons.

SECTION 5.6. Oceanbulk F-1 . As of its filing date (or if amended, on the date of such filing), the Oceanbulk F-1 is appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act, and does not contain any 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 were made, not misleading. The Oceanbulk Companies have made available to Parent a true and complete copy of the Oceanbulk F-1 (other than the exhibits thereto). The Oceanbulk Companies have made available to Parent copies of all comment letters received by the Oceanbulk Companies or any of their Affiliates from the SEC prior to the date of this Agreement relating to the Oceanbulk F-1, together with all written responses thereto from the Oceanbulk Companies or any of their Affiliates.

SECTION 5.7. Financial Statements .

(a) The audited combined balance sheets of Oceanbulk Shipping and Oceanbulk Carriers, as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related combined statements of operations, members’ equity, and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2013 and the period from October 4, 2012 through December 31, 2012 (including the related notes and schedules) included in the Oceanbulk F-1 complied in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published regulations of the SEC, have been prepared in all material respects in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as may

 

20


be indicated in the notes thereto) and fairly present, in all material respects, the combined financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Oceanbulk Companies (other than the Oceanbulk Holdcos) as of the indicated dates and for the indicated periods.

(b) The Oceanbulk Holdcos have previously furnished to Parent a true and correct copy of the unaudited combined balance sheets of Oceanbulk Shipping and Oceanbulk Carriers as of March 31, 2014, and the related unaudited interim combined statements of operations, members’ equity and cash flows of Oceanbulk Shipping and Oceanbulk Carriers for the three (3) months then ended, which have been prepared in all material respects in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto) and fairly present, in all material respects, the combined financial condition, results of operations, members’ equity and cash flows of Oceanbulk Shipping, Oceanbulk Carriers and their respective Subsidiaries as of the indicated dates and for the indicated periods, subject to normal and recurring year-end audit adjustments in amounts that are immaterial in nature and the absence of full footnote disclosure.

SECTION 5.8. Disclosure Documents . The information with respect to the Oceanbulk Companies or the Sellers that any of the Oceanbulk Companies and/or the Sellers supplies in writing to Parent specifically for use in the Parent Disclosure Documents (the “ Seller Disclosure Information ”), at the time of the filing of such Parent Disclosure Documents or any amendment or supplement thereto and at the time of any distribution or dissemination of such Parent Disclosure Documents, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

SECTION 5.9. Taxes .

(a) All material Tax Returns required by applicable Law to have been filed by each Oceanbulk Company have been filed when due (taking into account any extensions), and each such Tax Return is complete and accurate and correctly reflects the liability for Taxes in all material respects. All material Taxes that are due and payable have been paid.

(b) There is no audit or other proceeding pending against or with respect to any Oceanbulk Company, with respect to any material amount of Tax. There are no material Liens on any of the assets of any Oceanbulk Company that arose in connection with any failure (or alleged failure) to pay any Tax, other than Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable.

(c) Each Oceanbulk Company has withheld and paid all material Taxes required to have been withheld and paid in connection with amounts paid or owing to any third-party.

(d) None of the Oceanbulk Companies has waived any statute of limitations in respect of Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to any Taxes.

(e) None of the Oceanbulk Companies is a party to any Tax allocation or sharing agreement.

(f) None of the Oceanbulk Companies has been included in any “consolidated,” “unitary” or “combined” Tax Return provided for under the Law with respect to Taxes for any taxable period for which the statute of limitations has not expired (other than a group of which the Oceanbulk Companies are the only members).

(g) None of the Oceanbulk Companies has any liability for the Taxes of any Person (other than any of the Oceanbulk Companies) under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of any state, local, or foreign Law), as a transferee or successor, by contract, or otherwise.

(h) None of the Oceanbulk Companies is or has been a party to any “listed transaction” as defined in Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).

 

21


(i) None of the Oceanbulk Companies has been either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” in a distribution in which the parties to such distribution treated the distribution as one to which Section 355 of the Code is applicable within the prior three (3) years.

(j) None of the Oceanbulk Companies has, or since its date of formation has had, a permanent establishment in any country other than the country of its organization.

(k) Each Oceanbulk Company has complied in all material respects with the intercompany transfer pricing provisions of each applicable Law relating to Taxes, including the contemporaneous documentation and disclosure requirements thereunder.

(l) No written claim has ever been made by any Governmental Authority in a jurisdiction where any Oceanbulk Company does not file Tax Returns that any Oceanbulk Company is or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.

(m) Each of Oaktree Holdco and the Pappas Holdco is treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes; (ii) each of Oceanbulk Shipping and Oceanbulk Carriers has in effect a valid election to be treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes; and (iii) each subsidiary of Oceanbulk Shipping and Oceanbulk Carriers is an entity disregarded from its sole owner for United States federal income tax purposes.

SECTION 5.10. Compliance with Laws; Governmental Authorizations .

(a) Each Oceanbulk Company is, and since January 1, 2013 has been, in compliance with all Laws and Governmental Authorizations to which such entity, or any of its or their Vessels or other material assets, is subject (including Maritime Guidelines), except where such failure to comply would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Each Oceanbulk Company owns, holds, possesses or lawfully uses in the operation of its business all Governmental Authorizations (including those required by Maritime Guidelines) that are necessary or required for it to conduct its business as now conducted, except where the failure to own, hold, possess or lawfully use such Governmental Authorization would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.11. Absence of Certain Changes; No Undisclosed Liabilities .

(a) Since the Oceanbulk Balance Sheet Date, (i) the Oceanbulk Companies have conducted their respective businesses only in the ordinary course of business and (ii) there has not been an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Other than as expressly required by this Agreement, from the Oceanbulk Balance Sheet Date until the date hereof, there has not been any action taken by any Oceanbulk Company that, had such action occurred after the date of this Agreement without Parent’s consent, would constitute a breach of Section 7.1 .

(c) There are no liabilities of any Oceanbulk Company of any kind whatsoever, whether accrued, contingent, known or unknown, absolute, determined, determinable or otherwise, other than: (i) liabilities disclosed and provided for in the Oceanbulk Balance Sheet or in the notes thereto, (ii) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business since the Oceanbulk Balance Sheet Date and which are not, individually or in the aggregate, material to the Oceanbulk Companies, taken as a whole, (iii) liabilities incurred in connection with the Transactions, and (iv) liabilities that would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. None of the Oceanbulk Companies is a party to, nor do the Oceanbulk Companies have any commitment to become a party to, any joint venture, off-balance sheet partnership or any similar Contract (including any Contract relating to any transaction or relationship between any Oceanbulk Company, on the one hand, and any unconsolidated Affiliate, including any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity or Person, on the other hand, or any

 

22


“off-balance sheet arrangements” (as defined in Item 303(a) of Regulation S-K of the SEC)), where the results, purpose or effect of such Contract is to avoid disclosure of any material transaction involving, or material liabilities of, any Oceanbulk Company in the Oceanbulk F-1.

SECTION 5.12. Tangible Personal Assets . The Oceanbulk Companies, in the aggregate, have good and valid title to, or a valid interest in, all of their respective tangible personal assets, free and clear of all Liens, other than (i) Permitted Liens or (ii) Liens that individually or in the aggregate, do not materially interfere with the ability of any Oceanbulk Company to conduct its business as currently conducted.

SECTION 5.13. Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash .

(a) The aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness, and the aggregate cash and cash equivalents, of the Oceanbulk Companies as of March 31, 2014 is set forth in Section 5.13(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter .

(b) The aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness (including the specific amount of core and non-core Borrowed Indebtedness outstanding under the Heron Facility Agreement) of Heron as of the date hereof is set forth in Section 5.13(b) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter .

SECTION 5.14. Vessels; Maritime Matters .

(a) Section 5.14(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter contains a list of all vessels owned by any Oceanbulk Company (the “ Owned Vessels ”) or chartered-in by any Oceanbulk Company pursuant to charter arrangements (the “ Leased Vessels ”), including the name, registered owner, capacity (gross tonnage or deadweight tonnage, as specified therein), year built, classification society, official number, flag state, and whether such Vessel is currently operating in the spot market or time chartered market, of each Owned Vessel and Leased Vessel. Each Vessel is operated in compliance with all applicable Maritime Guidelines and Laws, except where such failure to be in compliance would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. Each Oceanbulk Company is qualified to own and operate the Owned Vessels under applicable Laws, including the Laws of each Owned Vessel’s flag state, except where such failure to be qualified would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. Each Vessel is seaworthy and in good operating condition, has all national and international operating and trading certificates and endorsements, each of which is valid, that are required for the operation of such Vessel in the trades and geographic areas in which it is operated, except where such failure to be qualified would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Each Vessel is classed by a classification society which is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies and is materially in class with all class and trading certificates valid through the date of this Agreement and, to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, (i) no event has occurred and no condition exists that would cause such Vessel’s class to be suspended or withdrawn, and (ii) is free of average damage affecting its class.

(c) With respect to each of the Owned Vessels, one of the Oceanbulk Companies, as applicable, is the sole owner of each such Vessel and has good title to such Vessel free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens.

(d) Prior to the date of this Agreement, the Oceanbulk Companies have delivered and made available to Parent accurate, complete and correct copies of the most recent inspection reports relating to each Vessel.

SECTION 5.15. Contracts .

(a) Section 5.15(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter lists the following Contracts to which any Oceanbulk Company is a party that are in effect as of the date hereof:

(i) each “material contract” (as such term is defined in Item 10.C and in Instructions As To Exhibits of Form 20-F) to which any Oceanbulk Company is a party to or bound;

 

23


(ii) each Contract not contemplated by this Agreement that materially limits the ability of any Oceanbulk Company to engage in its business or compete in any manner;

(iii) each Contract that creates a partnership, joint venture or any strategic alliance with respect to any Oceanbulk Company, other than the organizational documents of the Oceanbulk Companies;

(iv) each employment, consulting, services or similar Contract with any employee or independent contractor of an Oceanbulk Company;

(v) each indenture, credit agreement, loan agreement, security agreement, guarantee, note, mortgage or other evidence of Indebtedness or Contract providing for Indebtedness in excess of $1,000,000;

(vi) each Contract that relates to the acquisition or disposition, directly or indirectly, of any material business (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise) or material asset, including any vessel, other than this Agreement;

(vii) each Contract that relates to the acquisition or disposition, directly or indirectly (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets (including any Vessel) or otherwise), by any Oceanbulk Company after the date of this Agreement of assets or any material business for consideration with a fair market value in excess of $1,000,000;

(viii) any Contract related to the acquisition or disposition, directly or indirectly (by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise), by any Oceanbulk Company prior to the date of this Agreement that includes provisions that are in effect in respect of “earn-outs” or deferred or contingent consideration;

(ix) each ship-sales, memorandum of agreement, bareboat charter or other vessel acquisition Contract for Newbuildings and secondhand vessels contracted for by any Oceanbulk Company and other Contracts with respect to Newbuildings and the financing thereof, including performance guarantees, counter guarantees, refund guarantees, material supervision agreements and material plan verification services agreements;

(x) each operating agreement, management agreement, crewing agreement, Contract of affreightment or financial lease (including sale/leaseback or similar arrangements) with respect to any Vessel;

(xi) any Contract with a Third Party for the charter of any Vessel, other than any (A) voyage charter or (B) time charter with a duration of 12 months or less;

(xii) each collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with a labor union to which any Oceanbulk Company is a party or otherwise bound;

(xiii) each Contract that provides for indemnification by any Oceanbulk Company to any Person other than a Contract entered into in the ordinary course of business or that is not material to any Oceanbulk Company;

(xiv) each Contract to which any Oceanbulk Company is a party or otherwise bound that contains a so-called “most favored nations” provision or similar provisions requiring any Oceanbulk Company or its Affiliates (including, after the Closing, Parent or any of its Affiliates) to offer to a Person any terms or conditions that are at least as favorable as those offered to one or more other Persons; and

(xv) each Contract involving a standstill or similar obligation of any Oceanbulk Company.

(b) The Oceanbulk Companies have heretofore made available to Parent true and complete copies of the Material Contracts as in effect as of the date hereof. Except for breaches, violations or defaults which would

 

24


not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect, (i) each of the Material Contracts is valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and effect with respect to the Oceanbulk Companies, and to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, the other parties thereto, except to the extent that the enforceability thereof may be limited by the Equitable Exceptions and except for any Material Contracts that have expired or been terminated after the date hereof in accordance with its terms, and (ii) none of the Oceanbulk Companies, nor to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, any other party to a Material Contract, has violated any provision of, or taken or failed to take any act which, with or without notice, lapse of time, or both, would constitute a breach or default under, or give rise to any right of cancellation or termination of or consent under, such Material Contract, and none of the Oceanbulk Companies has received written notice that it has breached, violated or defaulted under any Material Contract.

SECTION 5.16. Litigation . Except as set forth in Section 5.16 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter, there is no Action pending or, to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, threatened against any Oceanbulk Company. No officer or director of any Oceanbulk Company is a defendant in any Action commenced by any equityholder of any Oceanbulk Company with respect to the performance of his duties as an officer or a director of any Oceanbulk Company under any applicable Law. There is no material unsatisfied judgment, penalty or award against any Oceanbulk Company or any of its Subsidiaries. None of the Oceanbulk Companies is subject to any Orders.

SECTION 5.17. Employee Benefits .

(a) Section 5.17(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter includes a list of all Oceanbulk Benefit Plans. The Oceanbulk Companies have delivered or made available to Parent copies of each Oceanbulk Benefit Plan or, in the case of any unwritten Oceanbulk Benefit Plans, a summary thereof.

(b) Section 5.17(b) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter includes a list of all executives of any Oceanbulk Company (e.g., chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer, chief operating officer, etc.) who perform substantially all of their personal services for any Oceanbulk Company pursuant to agreements to which any Oceanbulk Company is a party and the amount of wages earned by each such individual and their place of employment, in each case as of the date of this Agreement.

(c) Each Oceanbulk Benefit Plan has been administered in accordance with its terms and is in compliance with all applicable Laws, except for instances that would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect.

(d) Except as would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect, (i) each Oceanbulk Benefit Plan that is intended to qualify for favorable tax benefits under the Laws of any jurisdiction is so qualified, and (ii) to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, no condition exists and no event has occurred that could reasonably be expected to result in the loss or revocation of such status. Except as would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect, all benefits, contributions and premiums relating to each Oceanbulk Benefit Plan have been timely paid or made in accordance with the terms of such Oceanbulk Benefit Plan and the terms of all applicable Laws and any related agreement.

(e) None of the Oceanbulk Companies has, within the preceding six month period, ever maintained or contributed to, or had any obligation to contribute to any “employee benefit plan,” within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ ERISA ”), that is covered by ERISA.

(f) None of the Oceanbulk Companies has incurred, and no event has occurred and no condition or circumstance exists that could reasonably be expected to result in, any unsatisfied liability of any Oceanbulk Company under Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA arising in connection with any employee benefit plan covered or previously covered by Title IV of ERISA or such sections of the Code or ERISA.

 

25


(g) Except as set forth in Section 5.17(g) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter , the execution of, and performance of the Transactions will not (either alone or upon the occurrence of any additional or subsequent events) result in (i) any payment, compensation or benefits (whether of severance pay or otherwise), acceleration, forgiveness of indebtedness, vesting, distribution, increase in benefits or obligation to fund benefits with respect to any current or former director, officer, employee, consultant or independent contractor or trigger the right of any current or former director, officer, employee, consultant or independent contractor to terminate any employment or contractual relationship with any Oceanbulk Company, or (ii) the triggering or imposition of any restrictions or limitations on the right of any Oceanbulk Company to amend or terminate any Oceanbulk Benefit Plan.

SECTION 5.18. Labor and Employment Matters . The Oceanbulk Companies have complied with all labor and employment Laws, including, all labor and employment provisions included in the Maritime Guidelines, and those relating to wages, hours, workplace safety and health, immigration, individual and collective termination, discrimination and data privacy, except where failure to comply would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. There are no material pending or, to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, threatened, labor disputes, work stoppages, requests for representation, pickets, work slow-downs due to labor disagreements or any legal actions or arbitrations that involve the labor or employment relations of any Oceanbulk Company. Since January 1, 2013, there has been no labor strike, dispute, work stoppage, request for representation, picket or work slow-down in respect of an Oceanbulk Company, except where such strike, dispute, work stoppage, request, picket or work slow-down would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. None of the Oceanbulk Companies is party to any collective bargaining agreement or any other type of collective agreement with any type of local, national or supranational workers’ representatives. To the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, there is not pending or underway any union, or any other type of workers’ representatives, organizational activities or requests or elections for representation with respect to employees of any Oceanbulk Company.

SECTION 5.19. Environmental . Except for any matter that would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect, (a) each Oceanbulk Company is and has been in compliance with all Environmental Laws, (b) each Oceanbulk Company possesses and is and has been in compliance with all Governmental Authorizations required under Environmental Law for the conduct of their respective operations, (c) there are no actions pending against any Oceanbulk Company alleging a violation of or liability under any Environmental Law, (d) to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, there are no currently known conditions that would reasonably be expected to result in any liability pursuant to any Environmental Law, and (e) each Oceanbulk Company has provided to Parent all material documents in its possession related to compliance with or liability under Environmental Laws.

SECTION 5.20. Insurance . The Oceanbulk Companies maintain (i) insurance policies and fidelity bonds covering the Oceanbulk Companies or their respective businesses, properties, assets, directors, officers or employees, and (ii) protection and indemnity, hull and machinery and war risks insurance policies and club entries covering the Vessels in such amounts and types as are customary in the shipping industry (collectively, the “ Policies ”). Section 5.20 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter includes a list of all such Policies. None of the Oceanbulk Companies is in violation or breach of or default under any of its obligations under any such Policy, except where such default would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect. None of the Oceanbulk Companies has received any written notice that any Policy has been cancelled. There are no material claims individually or in the aggregate by any Oceanbulk Company pending under any of the Policies as to which coverage has been questioned, denied or disputed by the underwriters of such Policy, as applicable, in writing or in respect of which such underwriters have reserved their rights in writing.

SECTION 5.21. Fees . There is no investment banker, broker, finder or other intermediary that has been retained by or is authorized to act on behalf of the Sellers or the Oceanbulk Companies who might be entitled to any fee or commission in connection this Agreement, the Related Agreements or the Transactions. The Oceanbulk Companies have furnished to Parent true, correct and complete copies of engagement letters relating to any such services, and there have been no amendments or revisions to such engagement letters.

 

26


SECTION 5.22. Takeover Statutes . The Oceanbulk Companies have taken all action required to be taken by them (if any) in order to exempt this Agreement, the Related Agreements, and the Transactions from the requirements of any “moratorium”, “control share”, “fair price”, “affiliate transaction”, “business combination” or other anti-takeover laws and regulations of any Governmental Authority (each, a “ Takeover Statute ”) or similar provision contained in the Oceanbulk Companies’ Charter Documents.

SECTION 5.23. Interested Party Transactions . Except as set forth in Section 5.23 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter , any Oceanbulk Benefit Plan or any travel or expense reimbursement of officers or directors in the ordinary course, (a) there are no Contracts or arrangements between any Oceanbulk Company, on the one hand, and any current or former officer or director of any Oceanbulk Company or any of such officer’s or director’s immediate family members or Affiliates, any other Affiliates of such Oceanbulk Company (other than any Oceanbulk Company and its Subsidiaries) or any Seller or any of its Affiliates (other than any Oceanbulk Company and its Subsidiaries), on the other hand (any such Contract or arrangement, an “ Interested Party Transaction ”), and (b) no Seller or Affiliate of any Oceanbulk Company or Seller possesses, directly or indirectly, any material financial interest in, or is a director or officer of, any Person which is a material supplier, customer, lessor or lessee of any Oceanbulk Company.

SECTION 5.24. Certain Business Practices . None of the Oceanbulk Companies nor (to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk), any director, officer, agent or employee of any Oceanbulk Company (a) used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other expenses relating to the business of any Oceanbulk Company, (b) made any bribe or kickback, illegal political contribution, unlawful payment from corporate funds which was incorrectly recorded on the books and records of any Oceanbulk Company, unlawful payment from corporate funds to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns or violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or other anti-corruption laws, in each case relating to the business of any Oceanbulk Company, or (c) made any other unlawful payment relating to the business of any Oceanbulk Company.

SECTION 5.25. Oceanbulk Holdcos . Except as set forth on Section 5.25 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter , or arising from this Agreement, the Oceanbulk Holdcos have no assets, liabilities (other than their ownership interests in the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries and liabilities attributable to the Oceanbulk Holdcos by reason of their ownership interest of the Oceanbulk Subsidiaries) or obligations of any kind.

SECTION 5.26. Investment in Parent Common Stock . Each Seller is acquiring the Parent Common Stock for its own account for the purpose of investment and not with a view to or for sale in connection with a distribution. Except for the transactions contemplated by the Existing Registration Rights Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement, Sellers do not have an arrangement (whether or not legally binding) to effect any distribution of the Parent Common Stock to or through any Person. Each Seller understands that the Parent Common Stock to be delivered to such Seller at Closing will not be registered under the 1933 Act or any other United States state securities laws by reason of specified exemption from the registration provisions thereof, which depends upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of its investment intent as expressed herein, and that such Parent Common Stock may not be transferred or sold except pursuant to the registration provisions of the 1933 Act and any applicable United States state securities laws, or pursuant to an applicable exemption therefrom. Each Seller is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the 1933 Act. No Seller is required to be registered as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the 1934 Act, and no Seller is a broker-dealer. The Sellers are not purchasing the Parent Common Stock and the Parent Common Stock were not offered to the Sellers by means of any form of general or public solicitation or general advertising, or publicly disseminated advertisements or sales literature, including (a) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media, or broadcast over television or radio, or (b) any seminar or meeting to which the Sellers were invited by any of the foregoing means of communications. Without limiting the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants of Parent and Merger Subs set forth in this Agreement or the Related Agreements, each Seller acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the books and records and other information regarding Parent that it has deemed necessary to make an informed

 

27


investment decision with respect to the investment and has been afforded (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of Parent concerning the terms and conditions of the acquisition of the Parent Common Stock and the merits and risks of investing in the Parent Common Stock; (ii) access to information about Parent and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that Parent possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense. Each Seller (together with his, her or its advisors, if any) has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Parent Common Stock. Each Seller has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed decision with respect to its acquisition of the Parent Common Stock.

SECTION 5.27. No Other Representations or Warranties . The Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos have conducted their own independent investigation, review and analysis of the business, operations, assets, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) and prospects of Parent, which investigation, review and analysis was done by the Sellers, the Oceanbulk Holdcos and their respective representatives. In entering into this Agreement, each of the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos acknowledges that it has relied solely upon the aforementioned investigation, review and analysis and not on any representations or opinions (whether written or oral) of Parent or its Affiliates (except the specific representations made in Article VI ). Except for the representations and warranties contained in Article VI and in the certificate delivered by the Parent pursuant to Section 10.2(f) , each of the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos acknowledges that (a) none of Parent or any other Person on behalf of Parent makes any other representation or warranty, express or implied, written or oral, at law or in equity, with respect to Parent or its business, operations, assets, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects, including with respect to (i) merchantability or fitness for any particular use or purpose or (ii) the probable success or profitability of Parent or the business thereof after the Effective Time and (b) except in the case of fraud, neither the Parent or any other Person will have or be subject to any liability or indemnification obligation to the Sellers, the Oceanbulk Holdcos or any other Person resulting from the distribution to the Sellers, the Oceanbulk Holdcos or any other Person, or their use of, any information provided in connection with the Transactions, including any information, documents, projections, forecasts or other material made available to them in certain “data rooms” or management presentations or in any other form in expectation of, or in connection with, the Transactions.

ARTICLE VI

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUBS

Except as set forth in the Parent Disclosure Letter, or accurately disclosed in any report, schedule, form or document filed with, or furnished to, the SEC by Parent and publicly available during the period beginning on or after January 1, 2013 and ending five (5) days prior to the date hereof (other than any risk factor disclosure or forward-looking statements included in such reports, schedules, forms or documents and any other disclosures included therein to the extent that such statements are cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature), Parent and Merger Subs, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to the Sellers that:

SECTION 6.1. Organization, Qualification and Corporate Power . Each of Parent and each Merger Sub is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Each of Parent and each Merger Sub has all requisite corporate or limited liability company power and authority and all Governmental Authorizations, directly or indirectly, to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. Parent and each of its Subsidiaries is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign corporation or limited liability company to do business, and is in good standing (where applicable) or has equivalent status, in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties or assets owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed and in good standing or to have equivalent status would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Each of (a) the third amended and restated articles of incorporation of

 

28


Parent filed as Exhibit 1 to Parent’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on October 15, 2012 and (b) the second amended and restated bylaws of Parent filed as Exhibit 3.1 to Parent’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on July 30, 2013, is currently in effect, true and complete and has not been amended, supplemented or otherwise modified as of the date hereof.

SECTION 6.2. Authorization .

(a) The execution, delivery and performance by Parent and each Merger Sub of this Agreement, the Related Agreements to which each is a party, and the consummation by Parent and each Merger Sub of the Transactions are within the corporate and limited liability company powers of Parent and each Merger Sub and, except for the Transactions Approval, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and limited liability company action on the part of Parent and each Merger Sub. The only votes of the holders of any of Parent’s capital stock necessary in connection with the Transactions are the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of Parent Common Stock present (in person or by proxy) and voting at the Parent Stockholders Meeting (as defined below) to approve this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (provided that each of the Sellers shall, and each of them shall cause each of their Affiliates to, vote the shares of Parent Common Stock that they beneficially own in accordance with Section 8.2 hereof) (the “ Transactions Approval ”). This Agreement and each Related Agreement to which it is a party constitutes a valid and binding agreement of Parent and each Merger Sub enforceable against each of them in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that the enforceability thereof may be limited by the Equitable Exceptions.

(b) At a meeting duly called and held, the Special Committee has unanimously (i) determined that this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby are fair to and in the best interests of Parent and Parent’s stockholders (other than the Sellers and their respective Affiliates), (ii) declared advisable this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the Merger, and (iii) recommended to the Parent Board that this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby be approved by the Parent Board and submitted to the Parent Stockholders Meeting for approval by the Parent’s stockholders (such recommendation, the “ Special Committee Recommendation ”), which resolutions and Special Committee Recommendation have not been subsequently rescinded, modified or amended in any respect except to the extent occurring after the date of this Agreement in compliance with Section 7.6(b) . At a meeting duly called and held, the Parent Board has (A) determined that this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby are fair to and in the best interests of Parent and Parent’s stockholders (other than the Sellers and their respective Affiliates), (B) approved, adopted and declared advisable this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the Merger, (C) recommended that this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby be submitted to the Parent Stockholders Meeting for approval by the Parent’s stockholders, and (D) adopted the recommendation by the Special Committee for approval of this Agreement, the Pappas Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby by the stockholders of Parent (such recommendation, the “ Parent Board Recommendation ”), which resolutions and Parent Board Recommendation have not been subsequently rescinded, modified or amended in any respect except to the extent occurring after the date of this Agreement in compliance with Section 7.6(b) .

(c) Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4.2(d) and Section 5.2(b) , the execution, delivery and performance by Parent and each Merger Sub of this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which each is a party and the consummation by Parent and each Merger Sub of the Transactions require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Governmental Authority, other than (i) the filing and recordation of appropriate merger or other documents as required by the MILLCA and by relevant authorities of other jurisdictions in which Parent is qualified to do business (including the Oaktree Holdco Certificate of Merger and the Pappas Holdco Certificate of Merger), and (ii) compliance with any applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other applicable state or federal securities laws and the rules and requirements of Nasdaq, including the filing of the Parent Disclosure Documents with the SEC.

 

29


SECTION 6.3. Noncontravention . Except as set forth in Section 6.3 of the Parent Disclosure Letter , the execution, delivery and performance by Parent and each Merger Sub of this Agreement and the Related Agreements to which each is a party, and the consummation by Parent and each Merger Sub of the Transactions do not and will not (i) contravene, conflict with, or result in any violation or breach of any provision of the articles of incorporation or bylaws (or comparable organization documents, as applicable) of Parent or its Subsidiaries, (ii) assuming compliance with the matters referred to in Section 6.2(c) , contravene, conflict with, or result in a violation or breach of any provision of any applicable Law, (iii) assuming compliance with matters referred to in Section 6.2(c) , require any consent or other action by any Person under, result in a violation or breach of, constitute a default or an event that, with or without notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under or cause or permit the termination, cancellation, acceleration or other change of any right or obligation or the loss of any benefit to Parent or its Subsidiaries under any provision of any Parent Material Contract or any Governmental Authorization of Parent or its Subsidiaries, or (iv) result in the loss of, or creation or imposition of any Lien, other than Parent Permitted Liens, on any asset of the Parent or its Subsidiaries.

SECTION 6.4. Disclosure Documents .

(a) Each form, report, schedule, statement and other document required to be filed or furnished by Parent with the SEC or distributed or otherwise disseminated to Parent’s stockholders in connection with the Transactions (the “ Parent Disclosure Documents ”), including the Proxy Statement, to be furnished to the SEC or distributed or otherwise disseminated to Parent’s stockholders in connection with the Transactions, and any amendments or supplements thereto, when filed, distributed or disseminated, as applicable, will comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of applicable Law.

(b) (i) The Proxy Statement, as supplemented or amended, at the time such Proxy Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto is first mailed to stockholders of Parent and at the time of the Parent Stockholders Meeting, and (ii) any Parent Disclosure Document (other than the Proxy Statement), at the time of the filing of such Parent Disclosure Document or any supplement or amendment thereto and at the time of any distribution or dissemination thereof, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , however , that the foregoing does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon the Seller Disclosure Information.

SECTION 6.5. Fees . Except for Evercore Group L.L.C., whose fees will be paid by Parent, there is no investment banker, broker, finder or other intermediary that has been retained by or is authorized to act on behalf of Parent who might be entitled to any fee or commission in connection with this Agreement, the Related Agreements or the Transactions. Parent has furnished to the Oceanbulk Companies true, correct and complete copies of engagement letters relating to any such services, and there have been no amendments or revisions to such engagement letters.

SECTION 6.6. Capitalization of Parent .

(a) The authorized capital stock of Parent consists of (i) 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Parent Common Stock ”) and (ii) 25,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“ Parent Preferred Stock ”). As of the date of this Agreement, (i) 29,493,769 shares of Parent Common Stock are issued and outstanding, and (ii) no shares of Parent Common Stock are held in the treasury of Parent. As of the date hereof, no shares of Parent Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding. All outstanding shares of capital stock of Parent and all shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement have been duly authorized. All outstanding shares of capital stock of Parent have been, and, upon issuance, all shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement will be, validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable, and free of preemptive or similar rights under any provision of the Marshall Islands Business Corporations Act (“ MIBCA ”) and the articles of incorporation or bylaws of Parent or any agreement to which Parent is a party or otherwise bound.

 

30


(b) No antidilution or similar adjustments with respect to any Parent Securities will occur or be required as a result of the issuance and sale of the Parent Common Stock to the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 5.26 , the offer and sale of the Parent Common Stock to the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement shall be qualified or exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and the registration and/or qualification requirements of all applicable state securities Laws.

(c) There is no outstanding Indebtedness of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries having the right to vote (or convertible into or exchangeable for securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which stockholders of Parent may vote.

(d) Except as set forth in Section 6.6(d-1) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , as of the date hereof, there are no issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding (i) shares of capital stock of or other voting securities of or ownership interests in Parent, (ii) securities of Parent convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of capital stock or other voting securities of or ownership interests in Parent, (iii) warrants, calls, options or other rights to acquire from Parent, or other obligation of Parent to issue, any capital stock or other voting securities or ownership interests in or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock or other voting securities or ownership interests in Parent, or (iv) restricted shares, stock appreciation rights, performance units, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any capital stock or voting securities of Parent (the items in clauses (i) through (iv) being referred to collectively as the “ Parent Securities ”). There are no outstanding obligations of Parent to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the Parent Securities. Except for the Oaktree Stockholders Agreement and the Pappas Stockholders Agreement, Parent is not a party to any voting agreements, voting trusts, proxies or other similar agreements or understandings with respect to the voting of any shares of Parent Common Stock or other Parent Securities. Except as may be required by applicable securities Laws and regulations and other than Parent’s third amended and restated articles of incorporation and second amended and restated bylaws currently in effect, Parent is not bound by any obligations or commitments of any character restricting the transfer of, or, except as set forth in Section 6.6(d-2) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , requiring the registration for sale of, any shares of Parent Common Stock or other Parent Securities.

SECTION 6.7. Subsidiaries .

(a) Section 6.7(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter sets forth a complete and correct list of each Subsidiary of Parent together with the jurisdiction of incorporation or formation of each such Subsidiary, the form of organization of each such Subsidiary, the authorized and issued capital stock, voting securities or other ownership interests of each such Subsidiary and the name of each holder thereof.

(b) Each Subsidiary of Parent has been duly organized, is validly existing and in good standing (except with respect to jurisdictions that do not recognize the concept of good standing) under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation, and has all requisite power, Governmental Authorizations and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted, except where the failure to be in good standing or possess such Governmental Authorizations would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Each such Subsidiary of Parent is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign corporation or other entity to do business, and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties or assets owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed and in good standing would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Parent has heretofore made available to the Oceanbulk Companies true and complete copies of the articles of incorporation, bylaws, certificates of formation, certificate of incorporation, limited liability company agreement (or comparable organization documents, as applicable) of each of its Subsidiaries.

(c) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of, or voting securities of, or other ownership interests in, each Subsidiary of Parent, is owned by Parent directly or indirectly, free and clear of any Liens (other than Parent Permitted Liens). There are no issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding (i) securities of any of Parent’s

 

31


Subsidiaries convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, shares of capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Parent Subsidiary, (ii) warrants, calls, options or other rights to acquire from any of Parent’s Subsidiaries, or other obligations of any of Parent’s Subsidiaries to issue, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, or any securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Subsidiary of Parent, or (iii) restricted shares, stock appreciation rights, performance units, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Subsidiary of Parent (the items in clauses (i) through (iii), together with all of the outstanding capital stock of, or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, each Subsidiary of Parent, being referred to collectively as the “ Parent Subsidiary Securities ”). Except as set forth in Section 6.7(c) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , none of the Subsidiaries of Parent owns, directly or indirectly, any equity or other ownership interests in any Person, except for other Subsidiaries of Parent as set forth in Section 6.7(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter . There are no outstanding obligations of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the Parent Subsidiary Securities. Except as set forth in Section 6.7(c) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , neither Parent nor the Subsidiaries of Parent are subject to any obligation or requirement to provide funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any Person.

SECTION 6.8. Parent SEC Filings .

(a) Parent has filed with or furnished to the SEC, all reports, schedules, forms, statements, prospectuses, registration statements and other documents, as such documents may be amended or supplemented, required to be filed with or furnished to the SEC by Parent since January 1, 2013 (collectively, together with any exhibits and schedules thereto and other information incorporated therein, the “ Parent SEC Documents ”), except where such failure to file with or furnish to the SEC such reports, schedules, forms, statements, prospectuses, registration statements or other documents required to be filed with or furnished to the SEC would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

(b) As of its filing date (or, if amended, by a filing prior to the date hereof, on the date of such filing), each Parent SEC Document complied, and each Parent SEC Document filed subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the earlier of the Effective Time and the termination of this Agreement will comply, as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, as the case may be, at the time of such filing. As of the date of this Agreement, there are no outstanding unresolved comments received from the staff of the SEC with respect to any of the Parent SEC Documents. To the Knowledge of Parent, none of the Parent SEC Documents is the subject of ongoing SEC review, outstanding SEC comment or outstanding SEC investigation. No Subsidiary of Parent is subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 13(a) and Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

(c) As of its filing date (or, if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date hereof, on the date of such filing), each Parent SEC Document filed pursuant to the 1934 Act did not, and each Parent SEC Document filed subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the earlier of the Effective Time and the date of the termination of this Agreement will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , however , that the foregoing does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon the Seller Disclosure Information.

(d) Each Parent SEC Document, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, filed pursuant to the 1933 Act, as of the date such Parent SEC Document or amendment became effective, did not, and each Parent SEC Document filed subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the earlier of the Effective Time and the date of the termination of this Agreement will not, contain any 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 not misleading; provided , however , that the foregoing does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon the Seller Disclosure Information.

 

32


(e) Parent and each of its officers are in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The management of Parent established and maintains, and at all times since January 1, 2013 has maintained, a system (“ Internal Controls ”) of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the 1934 Act) as required by Rule 13a-15 or 15d-15 under the 1934 Act and that is sufficient to provide reasonable assurance (i) regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, (ii) that receipts and expenditures of Parent and its Subsidiaries are being made in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, and (iii) regarding prevention or timely detection of the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of Parent’s and its Subsidiaries’ assets that could have a material effect on Parent’s financial statements. Parent’s “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the 1934 Act) are designed to ensure that all material information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by Parent in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that all such material information is accumulated and communicated to Parent’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of Parent required under the 1934 Act with respect to such reports. The management of Parent has disclosed, based on its most recent evaluation prior to the date hereof, to Parent’s auditors and the audit committee of the Parent Board (A) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of the Company’s Internal Controls which are reasonably likely to adversely affect Parent’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information, and (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in Parent’s Internal Controls.

(f) Except as set forth in Section 6.8(f) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , since January 1, 2013, Parent has complied in all material respects with the applicable listing and corporate governance rules and regulations of Nasdaq, and has not since January 1, 2013 received any notice asserting any non-compliance with the listing requirements of Nasdaq.

(g) Each of the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of Parent (or each former principal executive officer and principal financial officer of Parent, as applicable) have made all certifications required by Rule 13a-14 and 15d-14 under the 1934 Act and Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC and Nasdaq, such certifications comply as to form and content with all applicable Laws, and the statements contained in any such certifications are complete and correct.

SECTION 6.9. Financial Statements .

(a) The audited consolidated balance sheets of Parent as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2013 (including the related notes and schedules), included in the Parent’s Annual Report filed on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 complied in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published regulations of the SEC, have been prepared in all material respects in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto) and fairly present, in all material respects, the consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Parent and its Subsidiaries as of the indicated dates and for the indicated periods.

(b) The unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet of Parent as of March 31, 2014, and the related unaudited interim condensed consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of Parent for the three (3) months then ended, included in the Parent’s Report filed on Form 6-K on May 29, 2014, have been prepared in all material respects in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as may be indicated in the notes thereto) and fairly present, in all material respects, the consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Parent and its

 

33


Subsidiaries as of the indicated dates and for the indicated periods, subject to normal and recurring year-end audit adjustments in amounts that are immaterial in nature and the absence of full footnote disclosure.

SECTION 6.10. Taxes .

(a) All material Tax Returns required by applicable Law to have been filed by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries have been filed when due (taking into account any extensions), and each such Tax Return is complete and accurate and correctly reflects the liability for Taxes in all material respects. All material Taxes that are due and payable have been paid.

(b) There is no audit or other proceeding pending against or with respect to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, with respect to any material amount of Tax. There are no material Liens on any of the assets of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries that arose in connection with any failure (or alleged failure) to pay any Tax, other than Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable.

(c) Parent and each of its Subsidiaries have withheld and paid all material Taxes required to have been withheld and paid in connection with amounts paid or owing to any third-party.

(d) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has waived any statute of limitations in respect of Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to any Taxes.

(e) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any Tax allocation or sharing agreement.

(f) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has been included in any “consolidated,” “unitary” or “combined” Tax Return provided for under the Law with respect to Taxes for any taxable period for which the statute of limitations has not expired (other than a group of which Parent is the parent).

(g) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has any liability for the Taxes of any Person (other than any of Parent and its Subsidiaries) under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of any state, local, or foreign Law), as a transferee or successor, by contract, or otherwise.

(h) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has been a party to any “listed transaction” as defined in Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).

(i) Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has been either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” in a distribution in which the parties to such distribution treated the distribution as one to which Section 355 of the Code is applicable within the prior three (3) years.

(j) Except as set forth in Section 6.10(j) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has, or since its date of formation has had, a permanent establishment in any country other than the country of its organization.

(k) Each of Parent and its Subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with the intercompany transfer pricing provisions of each applicable Law relating to Taxes, including the contemporaneous documentation and disclosure requirements thereunder.

(l) No written claim has ever been made by any Governmental Authority in a jurisdiction where neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries file Tax Returns that Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.

(m) (i) Parent is treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes and (ii) each Subsidiary of Parent has in effect a valid election to be treated as an entity disregarded from its sole owner for United States federal income tax purposes.

 

34


SECTION 6.11. Compliance with Laws; Governmental Authorizations .

(a) Parent and each of its Subsidiaries are, and since January 1, 2013 have been, in compliance with all Laws and Governmental Authorizations to which Parent or such Subsidiary, or any of its or their Parent Vessels or other material assets, is subject (including Maritime Guidelines), except where such failure to comply would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Parent and each of its Subsidiaries owns, holds, possesses or lawfully uses in the operation of its business all Governmental Authorizations (including those required by Maritime Guidelines) that are necessary or required for it to conduct its business as now conducted, except where the failure to own, hold, possess or lawfully use such Governmental Authorization would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 6.12. Absence of Certain Changes; No Undisclosed Liabilities .

(a) Since the Parent Balance Sheet Date, (i) Parent and its Subsidiaries have conducted their respective businesses only in the ordinary course of business and (ii) there has not been any Parent Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Other than as expressly required by this Agreement or as set forth in Section 6.12(b) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , from the Parent Balance Sheet Date until the date hereof, there has not been any action taken by Parent or its Subsidiaries that, had such action occurred after the date of this Agreement without the Sellers’ Representative’s consent, would constitute a breach of Section 7.1 or Section 7.2 .

(c) There are no liabilities of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries of any kind whatsoever, whether accrued, contingent, known or unknown, absolute, determined, determinable or otherwise, other than: (i) liabilities disclosed and provided for in the Parent Balance Sheet or in the notes thereto, (ii) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business since the Parent Balance Sheet Date and which are not, individually or in the aggregate, material to Parent and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (iii) liabilities incurred in connection with the Transactions, and (iv) liabilities that would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Neither Parent nor its Subsidiaries is a party to, nor does Parent or its Subsidiaries have any commitment to become a party to, any joint venture, off-balance sheet partnership or any similar Contract (including any Contract relating to any transaction or relationship between Parent, on the one hand, and any unconsolidated Affiliate, including any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity or Person on the other hand, or any off-balance sheet arrangements (as defined in Item 303(a) of Regulation S-K of the SEC), where the results, purpose or effect of such Contract is to avoid disclosure of any material transaction involving, or material liabilities of, Parent in the Parent SEC Documents.

SECTION 6.13. Contracts .

(a) Section 6.13 (a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter lists the following Contracts to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party that are in effect as of the date hereof:

(i) each “material contract” (as such term is defined in Item 10.C and in Instructions As To Exhibits of Form 20-F) to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party to or bound;

(ii) each Contract not contemplated by this Agreement that materially limits the ability of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to engage in its business or compete in any manner;

(iii) each Contract that creates a partnership, joint venture or any strategic alliance with respect to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, other than the organizational documents of Parent or its Subsidiaries;

(iv) each employment, consulting, services or similar Contract with any employee, consultant or independent contractor of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries;

 

35


(v) each indenture, credit agreement, loan agreement, security agreement, guarantee, note, mortgage or other evidence of Indebtedness or Contract providing for Indebtedness in excess of $1,000,000;

(vi) each Contract that relates to the acquisition or disposition, directly or indirectly, of any material business (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise) or material asset, including any vessel, other than this Agreement;

(vii) each Contract that relates to the acquisition or disposition, directly or indirectly (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets (including any Parent Vessel) or otherwise), by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries after the date of this Agreement of assets or any material business for consideration with a fair market value in excess of $1,000,000;

(viii) any Contract related to the acquisition or disposition, directly or indirectly (by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise), by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries prior to the date of this Agreement that includes provisions that are in effect in respect of “earn-outs” or deferred or contingent consideration;

(ix) each ship-sales, memorandum of agreement, bareboat charter or other vessel acquisition Contract for Newbuildings and secondhand vessels contracted for by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries and other Contracts with respect to Newbuildings and the financing thereof, including performance guarantees, counter guarantees, refund guarantees, material supervision agreements and material plan verification services agreements;

(x) each operating agreement, management agreement, crewing agreement, Contract of affreightment or financial lease (including sale/leaseback or similar arrangements) with respect to any Parent Vessel;

(xi) any Contract with a Third Party for the charter of any Parent Vessel, other than any (A) voyage charter or (B) time charter with a duration of 12 months or less;

(xii) each collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with a labor union to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or otherwise bound;

(xiii) each Contract that provides for indemnification by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to any Person other than a Contract entered into in the ordinary course of business or that is not material to any of Parent or its Subsidiaries;

(xiv) each Contract to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or otherwise bound that contains a so-called “most favored nations” provision or similar provisions requiring Parent or its Affiliates to offer to a Person any terms or conditions that are at least as favorable as those offered to one or more other Persons; and

(xv) each Contract involving a standstill or similar obligation of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries.

(b) Parent has heretofore made available to the Oceanbulk Companies true and complete copies of the Parent Material Contracts as in effect as of the date hereof. Except for breaches, violations or defaults which would have a Parent Material Adverse Effect, (i) each of the Parent Material Contracts is valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and effect with respect to Parent and its Subsidiaries and, to the Knowledge of Parent, the other parties thereto, except to the extent that the enforceability thereof may be limited by the Equitable Exceptions and except for any Parent Material Contracts that have expired or been terminated after the date hereof in accordance with its terms, and none of Parent, its Subsidiaries, nor to the Knowledge of Parent any other party to a Parent Material Contract has violated any provision of, or taken or failed to take any act which, with or without notice, lapse of time, or both, would constitute a breach or default under, or give rise to any right

 

36


of cancellation or termination of or consent under, such Parent Material Contract, and (ii) none of Parent or its Subsidiaries has received written notice that it has breached, violated or defaulted under any Parent Material Contract.

SECTION 6.14. Tangible Personal Assets . Parent and its Subsidiaries, in the aggregate, have good and valid title to, or a valid interest in, all of their respective tangible personal assets, free and clear of all Liens, other than (i) Parent Permitted Liens or (ii) Liens that individually or in the aggregate, do not materially interfere with the ability of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to conduct its business as currently conducted.

SECTION 6.15. Parent Vessels; Maritime Matters .

(a) Section 6.15(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter contains a list of all vessels owned by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries (the “ Parent Owned Vessels ”) or chartered-in by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to charter arrangements (the “ Parent Leased Vessels ”), including the name, registered owner, capacity (gross tonnage or deadweight tonnage, as specified therein), year built, classification society, official number, flag state, and whether such Parent Vessel is currently operating in the spot market or time chartered market, of each Parent Owned Vessel and Parent Leased Vessel. Each Parent Vessel is operated in compliance with all applicable Maritime Guidelines and Laws, except where such failure to be in compliance would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Each of Parent and its Subsidiaries is qualified to own and operate the Parent Owned Vessels under applicable Laws, including the Laws of each Parent Owned Vessel’s flag state, except where such failure to be qualified would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Each Parent Vessel is seaworthy and in good operating condition, has all national and international operating and trading certificates and endorsements, each of which is valid, that are required for the operation of such Parent Vessel in the trades and geographic areas in which it is operated, except where such failure to be qualified would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Each Parent Vessel is classed by a classification society which is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies and is materially in class with all class and trading certificates valid through the date of this Agreement and, to the Knowledge of Parent, (i) no event has occurred and no condition exists that would cause such Parent Vessel’s class to be suspended or withdrawn, and (ii) is free of average damage affecting its class.

(c) With respect to each of the Parent Owned Vessels, one of Parent or its Subsidiaries, as applicable, is the sole owner of each such Parent Vessel and has good title to such Parent Vessel free and clear of all Liens other than Parent Permitted Liens.

(d) Prior to the date of this Agreement, Parent and its Subsidiaries have delivered and made available to the Sellers accurate, complete and correct copies of the most recent inspection reports relating to each Parent Vessel.

SECTION 6.16. Labor and Employment Matters . Parent has complied with all labor and employment Laws, including all labor and employment provisions included in the Maritime Guidelines, and those relating to wages, hours, workplace safety and health, immigration, individual and collective termination, discrimination and data privacy, except where failure to comply has not had or would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 6.17. Employee Benefits .

(a) Section 6.17(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter includes a list of all Parent Benefit Plans. Parent has delivered or made available to the Sellers copies of each Parent Benefit Plan or, in the case of any unwritten Parent Benefit Plans, a summary thereof.

(b) Section 6.17(b) of the Parent Disclosure Letter includes a list of all executives of Parent and its Subsidiaries (e.g., chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, etc.) who

 

37


perform substantially all of their personal services for Parent or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to agreements to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a party and the amount of wages earned by each such individual and their place of employment, in each case as of the date of this Agreement.

(c) Each Parent Benefit Plan has been administered in accordance with its terms and is in compliance with all applicable Laws, except for instances that would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect.

(d) Except as would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect, (i) each Parent Benefit Plan that is intended to qualify for favorable tax benefits under the Laws of any jurisdiction is so qualified, and (ii) to the Knowledge of Parent, no condition exists and no event has occurred that could reasonably be expected to result in the loss or revocation of such status. Except as would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect, all benefits, contributions and premiums relating to each Parent Benefit Plan have been timely paid or made in accordance with the terms of such Parent Benefit Plan and the terms of all applicable Laws and any related agreement.

(e) None of Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has, within the preceding six month period, ever maintained or contributed to, or had any obligation to contribute to any “employee benefit plan,” within the meaning of Section 3(3) ERISA, that is covered by ERISA.

(f) None of Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred, and no event has occurred and no condition or circumstance exists that could reasonably be expected to result in, any unsatisfied liability of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries under Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA arising in connection with any employee benefit plan covered or previously covered by Title IV of ERISA or such sections of the Code or ERISA.

(g) Except as set forth in Section 6.17(g) of the Parent Disclosure Letter the execution of, and performance of the Transactions will not (either alone or upon the occurrence of any additional or subsequent events) result in (i) any payment, compensation or benefits (whether of severance pay or otherwise), acceleration, forgiveness of indebtedness, vesting, distribution, increase in benefits or obligation to fund benefits with respect to any current or former director, officer, employee, consultant or independent contractor or trigger the right of any current or former director, officer, employee, consultant or independent contractor to terminate any employment or contractual relationship Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, or (ii) the triggering or imposition of any restrictions or limitations on the right of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to amend or terminate any Parent Benefit Plan.

SECTION 6.18. Environmental . Except for any matter that would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect, (a) Parent and its Subsidiaries are and have been in compliance with all Environmental Laws, (b) Parent and its Subsidiaries possess and are and have been in compliance with all Governmental Authorizations required under Environmental Law for the conduct of their respective operations, (c) there are no actions pending against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries alleging a violation of or liability under any Environmental Law, (d) to the Knowledge of Parent, there are no currently known conditions that would reasonably be expected to result in any liability pursuant to any Environmental Law, and (e) Parent has provided all material documents in its possession related to compliance with or liability under Environmental Laws.

SECTION 6.19. Litigation . Except as set forth in Section 6.19 of the Parent Disclosure Letter , there is no Action pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries. No officer or director of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is a defendant in any Action commenced by any stockholder of Parent or any of Parent’s Subsidiaries with respect to the performance of his duties as an officer or a director of Parent or any such Subsidiary under any applicable Law. There is no material unsatisfied judgment, penalty or award against Parent or any of Parent’s Subsidiaries. Neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any Orders.

SECTION 6.20. Insurance . Parent and its Subsidiaries maintain (i) insurance policies and fidelity bonds covering Parent, its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, properties, assets, directors, officers or employees

 

38


and (ii) protection and indemnity, hull and machinery and war risks insurance policies and club entries covering the Parent Vessels in such amounts and types as are customary in the shipping industry (collectively, the “ Parent Policies ”). Section 6.20 of the Parent Disclosure Letter includes a list of all such Parent Policies. None of Parent or its Subsidiaries is in violation or breach of or default under any of its obligations under any such Parent Policy, except where such default would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. None of Parent or its Subsidiaries has received any written notice that any Parent Policy has been cancelled. There are no material claims individually or in the aggregate by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries pending under any of the Parent Policies as to which coverage has been questioned, denied or disputed by the underwriters of such Parent Policy, as applicable, in writing or in respect of which such underwriters have reserved their rights in writing.

SECTION 6.21. Takeover Statutes . Parent has taken all action required to be taken by it in order to exempt this Agreement, the Related Agreements, and the Transactions from the requirements of any Takeover Statute or similar provision contained in Parent’s articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governing organizational documents.

SECTION 6.22. Interested Party Transactions . Except as set forth in Section 6.22 of the Parent Disclosure Letter , any Parent Benefit Plan or any travel or expense reimbursement of officers or directors in the ordinary course, (a) there are no Contracts or arrangements between any of Parent or its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any current or former officer or director of Parent or its Subsidiaries or any of such officer’s or director’s immediate family members or any other Affiliates of Parent (other than Parent or its Subsidiaries), on the other hand (any such Contract or arrangement, a “ Parent Interested Party Transaction ”), and (b) neither Parent nor any Affiliate of Parent possesses, directly or indirectly, any material financial interest in, or is a director or officer of, any Person which is a material supplier, customer, lessor or lessee of Parent or its Subsidiaries.

SECTION 6.23. Certain Business Practices . None of Parent, its Subsidiaries nor (to the Knowledge of Parent), any director, officer, agent or employee of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries (a) used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other expenses relating to the business of Parent or its Subsidiaries, (b) made any bribe or kickback, illegal political contribution, unlawful payment from corporate funds which was incorrectly recorded on the books and records of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, unlawful payment from corporate funds to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns or violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or other anti-corruption laws, in each case relating to the business of Parent or its Subsidiaries or (c) made any other unlawful payment relating to the business of Parent or its Subsidiaries.

SECTION 6.24. Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash . The aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness, and the aggregate cash and cash equivalents, of Parent and its Subsidiaries as of March 31, 2014 is set forth in Section 6.24 of the Parent Disclosure Letter .

SECTION 6.25. No Other Representations or Warranties . Parent has conducted its own independent investigation, review and analysis of the business, operations, assets, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) and prospects of the Oceanbulk Companies, which investigation, review and analysis was done by Parent and its Subsidiaries and representatives. In entering into this Agreement, Parent acknowledges that it has relied solely upon the aforementioned investigation, review and analysis and not on any representations or opinions (whether written or oral) of the Sellers, the Oceanbulk Companies or their respective Affiliates (except the specific representations made in Articles IV and V ). Except for the representations and warranties contained in Article IV , Article V and in the certificate delivered by the Sellers’ Representative pursuant to Section 10.3(f) , Parent acknowledges that (a) none of the Sellers, the Oceanbulk Companies or any other Person on behalf of the Sellers or Oceanbulk Companies makes any other representation or warranty, express or implied, written or oral, at law or in equity, with respect to the Sellers, the Oceanbulk Companies, or the business, operations, assets, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects thereof, including with respect to (i) merchantability or fitness for any particular use or purpose, (ii) the operation of the Oceanbulk Companies or the business thereof by Parent after the Effective Time in any manner other than

 

39


as used and operated by the Oceanbulk Companies or (iii) the probable success or profitability of the Oceanbulk Companies or the business thereof after the Effective Time and (b) except in the case of fraud, none of the Sellers, the Oceanbulk Companies or any other Person will have or be subject to any liability or indemnification obligation to Parent or any other Person resulting from the distribution to Parent or any other Person, or their use of, any information provided in connection with the Transactions, including any information, documents, projections, forecasts or other material made available to them in certain “data rooms” or management presentations or in any other form in expectation of, or in connection with, the Transactions.

ARTICLE VII

CONDUCT PENDING THE MERGER

SECTION 7.1. Operation of the Business .

(a) Except (A) as set forth in Section 7.1(b) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter , (B) as expressly required by this Agreement, or (C) with the prior written consent of Parent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided , that Parent shall respond as soon as reasonably practicable in the manner set forth in the last sentence of this Section 7.1 and shall be deemed to have consented if it does not respond within five (5) Business Days following receipt of an Oceanbulk Holdco’s written request for such response), from the date hereof until the Effective Time, each of the Oceanbulk Holdcos shall, and shall cause each of the other Oceanbulk Companies to, carry on its business in the ordinary course and in a manner consistent with past practice and to use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) preserve intact its present business organization, goodwill and material assets, (ii) maintain in effect all Governmental Authorizations required to carry on its business as now conducted, (iii) keep available the services of its present officers and other employees ( provided that they shall not be obligated to increase the compensation of, or make any other payments or grant any concessions to, such officers and employees), and (iv) preserve its present relationships with customers, suppliers and other Persons with which it has a business relationship ( provided , that they shall not be obligated to make any payments or grant any concessions to such Persons other than payments in the ordinary course consistent with past practice).

(b) Without limiting the generality of Section 7.1(a) or of Section 7.2 below, except (A) as set forth in Section 7.1(b) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter or Section 7.1(b) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , as applicable, (B) as expressly required by this Agreement, or (C) with the prior written consent of Parent (in the case of the Oceanbulk Holdcos) or the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of Parent) (in each case, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided , that each party shall respond as soon as reasonably practicable in the manner set forth in the last sentence of this Section 7.1 and shall be deemed to have consented if it does not respond within five (5) Business Days following receipt of such other party’s written request for such response), from the date hereof until the Effective Time, each of the Oceanbulk Holdcos and Parent shall not, and they shall cause the other Oceanbulk Companies and their Subsidiaries, respectively, not to, do any of the following:

(i) amend its certificate of formation, limited liability company agreement, articles of incorporation, bylaws or other comparable charter or organizational documents (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise);

(ii) (A) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other distributions (whether in cash, stock, property or otherwise) in respect of, any of its equity or equity-linked securities, other than from a wholly-owned Subsidiary to its parent, (B) split, combine or reclassify any of its equity or equity-linked securities, (C) issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for, any of its equity or equity-linked securities, (D) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its equity or equity-linked securities, or (E) take any action that would result in any material amendment, modification or change of any term of, or material default under, any Indebtedness of any Oceanbulk Company, Parent or its Subsidiaries, as applicable;

 

40


(iii) (A) issue, deliver, sell, grant, pledge, transfer, subject to any Lien or otherwise encumber or dispose of, any of its equity or equity-linked securities, or (B) amend any term of any of its equity or equity-linked securities (in each case, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise);

(iv) accelerate or delay (A) the payment of any accounts payable or other liability or (B) the collection of notes or accounts receivable, in each case, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

(v) incur more than $1,000,000 of capital expenditures, in the aggregate (other than capital expenditures constituting extras under a Material Contract or a Parent Material Contract, as applicable, for Newbuildings);

(vi) acquire or commit to acquire (A) all or any substantial portion of a business or Person or division thereof (whether by purchase of stock, purchase of assets, merger, consolidation, or otherwise), or (B) any assets or properties involving a price in excess of $1,000,000 in the aggregate;

(vii) enter into any contract that, if in existence on the date hereof, would be a Material Contract or a Parent Material Contract, or materially amend, modify, extend or terminate any Material Contract or Parent Material Contract, as applicable, or any Interested Party Transaction or Parent Interested Party Transaction, as applicable (other than renewals of any Material Contracts or Parent Material Contracts, as applicable, in the ordinary course of business, the expiration of any such Contract in accordance with its terms, and the termination of any such Contract in connection with any breach by the applicable counterparty);

(viii) sell, lease, license, pledge, transfer, subject to any Lien or otherwise dispose of, any of its assets or properties except (A) sales of used equipment in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (B) Permitted Liens or Parent Permitted Liens, as applicable, incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

(ix) adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of any Oceanbulk Company or of Parent or its Subsidiaries, as applicable, or enter into any agreement with respect to the voting of its capital stock or other securities held by any Oceanbulk Company or by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, as applicable;

(x) (A) grant to any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant any increase or enhancement in compensation, bonus or other benefits, (B) grant to any current or former director or executive officer or employee any right to receive severance, change in control, retention or termination pay or benefits or any increase in severance, change of control or termination pay or benefits, except to the extent required under applicable Law or existing Oceanbulk Benefit Plans or Parent Benefits Plans, as applicable, or existing policy, or (C) adopt, enter into or amend or commit to adopt, enter into or amend any Oceanbulk Benefit Plan or Parent Benefit Plan, as applicable, except for amendments as required under applicable Law or pursuant to the terms of such plan;

(xi) except as required by GAAP or Regulation S-X under the 1934 Act, make any change in any method of accounting principles, method or practices;

(xii) (A) incur or issue any Indebtedness (other than accrual of interest and drawdowns under Material Contracts or Parent Material Contracts, as applicable, existing as of the date hereof), (B) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (other than pursuant to Material Contracts (excluding any Contracts relating to Heron) or Parent Material Contracts, as applicable, existing as of the date hereof), or (C) repay or satisfy any Indebtedness other than repayment of Indebtedness in accordance with the terms thereof;

 

41


(xiii) change any method of Tax accounting, make or change any material Tax election, file any material amended return, settle or compromise any material Tax liability, fail to complete and file, consistent with past practice, all Tax Returns required to be filed by any Oceanbulk Company or Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, as applicable, fail to pay all amounts shown due on such Tax Returns, agree to an extension or waiver of the statute of limitations with respect to the assessment or determination of material Taxes, enter into any closing agreement with respect to any material Tax, surrender any right to claim a material Tax refund, offset or otherwise reduce Tax liability or take into account on any Tax Return required to be filed prior to the Closing any adjustment or benefit arising from the Transactions;

(xiv) institute, settle, or agree to settle any action, suit, litigation, investigation or proceeding pending or threatened before any arbitrator, court or other Governmental Authority, in each case in excess of $300,000 or that imposes material injunctive or other non-monetary relief (other than in connection with any undertaking or proposed settlement disclosed in Section 6.19 of the Parent Disclosure Letter );

(xv) disclose, or consent to the disclosure of, any of its trade secrets or other proprietary information, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and pursuant to an appropriate non-disclosure agreement;

(xvi) waive, release or assign any claims or rights having a value of $300,000 individually or $1,000,000 in the aggregate (other than in connection with any undertaking or proposed settlement disclosed in Section 6.19 of the Parent Disclosure Letter );

(xvii) fail to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the current insurance (or re-insurance) policies maintained by any Oceanbulk Company or by Parent or its Subsidiaries, as applicable, including directors’ and officers’ insurance, not to be cancelled or terminated or any of the coverage thereunder to lapse, unless simultaneously with such termination, cancellation or lapse, replacement policies underwritten by insurance or re-insurance companies of nationally recognized standing having comparable deductions and providing coverage equal to or greater than the coverage under the cancelled, terminated or lapsed policies for substantially similar premiums or less are in full force and effect; provided that none of the Oceanbulk Companies, Parent or its Subsidiaries shall obtain or renew any insurance (or reinsurance) policy for a term exceeding twelve (12) months;

(xviii) directly or indirectly (A) purchase or construct any vessel or enter into any Contract for the purchase or construction of any vessel, (B) sell or otherwise dispose of any Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable, or enter into any contract for the sale or disposal of any Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable, (C) enter into any contract for the bareboat or time charter-out of any Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable (including any Vessel or Parent Vessel owned or chartered-in by any Oceanbulk Company or by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, as applicable), (D) defer scheduled maintenance of any Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable, or (E) depart from any normal drydock and maintenance practices or discontinue replacement of spares in operating the Vessels or Parent Vessels, as applicable, provided , that none of the Oceanbulk Companies, Parent or any of its Subsidiaries will enter into any contract for the drydocking or repair of any Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable, where the estimated cost thereof is in excess of $1,000,000 unless, in the case of this clause (E), such work is set forth in Section 7.1(b) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter (in respect of the Vessels) or Section 7.1(b) of the Parent Disclosure Letter (in respect of the Parent Vessels), or cannot prudently be deferred and is required to preserve the safety and seaworthiness of such Vessel or Parent Vessel, as applicable; or

(xix) authorize or enter into a Contract or arrangement to take any of the actions described in clauses (i) through (xviii) of this Section 7.1(b) .

If any party desires to take an action which would be prohibited pursuant to this Section 7.1 or Section 7.2 without the written consent of any other party, prior to taking such action such party may request such written consent by sending an e-mail to all of the individuals set forth in Section 7.1 of the Parent Disclosure Letter (in

 

42


the case of the Oceanbulk Holdcos) or Section 7.1 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter (in the case of Parent). Any of the individuals set forth in Section 7.1 of the Parent Disclosure Letter may grant consent on behalf of Parent and any of the individuals set forth in Section 7.1 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter may grant consent on behalf of the Sellers’ Representative to the taking of any action that would otherwise be prohibited pursuant to this Section 7.1 or Section 7.2 by e-mail or such other notice that complies with the provisions of Section 12.2 .

SECTION 7.2. Operation of Parent’s Business . Except (A) as set forth in Section 7.1(b) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , (B) as expressly required by this Agreement, or (C) with the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided , that the Sellers’ Representative shall respond as soon as reasonably practicable in the manner set forth in the last sentence of Section 7.1 and shall be deemed to have consented if it does not respond within five (5) Business Days following receipt of Parent’s written request for such response), from the date hereof until the Effective Time, Parent shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, carry on its business in the ordinary course and in a manner consistent with past practice and to use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) preserve intact its present business organization, goodwill and material assets, (ii) maintain in effect all Governmental Authorizations required to carry on its business as now conducted, (iii) keep available the services of its present officers and other employees ( provided that Parent shall not be obligated to increase the compensation of, or make any other payments or grant any concessions to, such officers and employees), and (iv) preserve its present relationships with customers, suppliers and other Persons with which it has a business relationship ( provided , that they shall not be obligated to make any payments or grant any concessions to such Persons other than payments in the ordinary course consistent with past practice).

SECTION 7.3. Transfer of Oaktree Units and Pappas Units . Until the termination of this Agreement in accordance with Article XI hereof or except as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement, none of the Sellers shall sell, dispose of or otherwise transfer, directly or indirectly, any Oaktree Units or Pappas Units.

SECTION 7.4. Access to Information . After the date hereof until the Effective Time and subject to applicable Law and the Confidentiality Agreement, dated as of February 3, 2014, among Parent, Oceanbulk Shipping and Oceanbulk Carriers (the “ Confidentiality Agreement ”), the Oceanbulk Holdcos and Parent shall (i) give each other and their respective counsel, financial advisors, auditors and other authorized representatives, upon reasonable notice, reasonable access to the offices, properties, books and records of Parent, its Subsidiaries, Merger Subs and the Oceanbulk Companies, as applicable; provided , however , that any such access shall be conducted during normal business hours in a manner not to interfere with the businesses or operations of the Oceanbulk Companies or Parent, as applicable, and without the prior written consent of the other applicable party, none of Parent, the Sellers, the Oceanbulk Holdcos nor any of their Affiliates will contact any employee, customer, landlord, supplier, distributor or other material business relation of the other party or its Subsidiaries (in each case, in their capacity as such) prior to the Effective Time (other than contacts in the ordinary course of business unrelated to the Transactions), (ii) furnish to each other and their respective counsel, financial advisors, auditors and other authorized representatives such financial and operating data and other information as such Persons may reasonably request, and (iii) instruct the employees, counsel, financial advisors, auditors and other authorized representatives of Parent, its Subsidiaries, Merger Subs, the Oceanbulk Holdcos and the Oceanbulk Companies, as applicable, to cooperate with Parent and the Oceanbulk Holdcos in the matters described in clauses (i) and (ii) above. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, no party shall be required to provide such access or disclose any information if doing so is reasonably likely to (A) result in a waiver of attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine or similar privilege or (B) violate any Contract to which it is a party to which it is subject or applicable Law.

SECTION 7.5. RESERVED .

SECTION 7.6. No Solicitation .

(a) General Prohibitions . Except as expressly permitted pursuant to Section 7.6(b) , from and after the date hereof and prior to the earlier of the termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 11.1 and the

 

43


Effective Time, Parent shall not (and Parent shall (i) cause its Subsidiaries not to and (ii) not authorize or permit and shall instruct and use its reasonable best efforts to cause its and any of its or its Subsidiaries’ Representatives not to), directly or indirectly, (i) solicit, initiate or knowingly take any action to facilitate or encourage or assist any inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer that constitutes or may reasonably be expected to lead to the submission of any Acquisition Proposal, (ii) enter into or participate in any discussions or negotiations with, or furnish any information relating to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or afford access to the business, properties, assets, personnel, books or records of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to any Third Party with respect to inquiries regarding, or the making of, an Acquisition Proposal, (iii) fail to make, qualify, withdraw, or modify or amend in a manner adverse to the Sellers the Special Committee Recommendation or the Parent Board Recommendation (or recommend an Acquisition Proposal), or publicly propose to do any of the foregoing (any of the foregoing in this clause (iii), an “ Adverse Recommendation Change ”), (iv) approve, endorse, recommend or enter into (or agree or publicly propose to do any of the foregoing) any agreement in principle, letter of intent, term sheet, merger agreement, acquisition agreement, option agreement or other similar instrument relating to an Acquisition Proposal (other than a confidentiality agreement with a Third Party to whom Parent is permitted to provide information in accordance with Section 7.6(b)(i) ) (a “ Parent Acquisition Agreement ”) or (v) grant any waiver, amendment or release under any standstill or confidentiality agreement or any Takeover Statute or similar provision contained in Parent’s articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governing documents. Parent shall (and Parent shall (i) cause its Subsidiaries to and (ii) instruct and use reasonable best efforts to cause its and any of its Subsidiaries’ Representatives to) cease immediately and cause to be terminated any and all existing activities, solicitations, encouragements, discussions or negotiations, if any, with any Third Party and its Representatives and its financing sources conducted prior to the date hereof with respect to any Acquisition Proposal or efforts to obtain an Acquisition Proposal, and shall also request such Third Party to promptly return or destroy all confidential information concerning Parent and its Subsidiaries prior to the date hereof. Parent hereby confirms that it is not currently in negotiations or discussions with any Third Party which would reasonably be expected to lead to the making of an Acquisition Proposal.

(b) Exceptions .

(i) Prior to (but not at any time from or after) obtaining the Transactions Approval, if Parent receives a bona fide, written Acquisition Proposal from a Third Party after the date hereof (that has not been withdrawn) that did not result from a breach or violation of the provisions of Section 7.6(a) and, prior to taking any action described in clauses (A) and (B) below, (x) the Special Committee determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel that (1) based on the information then available and after consultation with its financial advisors of nationally recognized reputation, such Acquisition Proposal constitutes or could reasonably be expected to lead to a Superior Proposal and (2) the failure to take such action is reasonably likely to result in a breach of its fiduciary duties to its stockholders under applicable Law and (y) Parent shall have complied with Section 7.6(c) , then Parent may, in response to such Acquisition Proposal, directly or indirectly through its Representatives, (A) engage in negotiations or discussions with such Third Party and its Representatives or financing sources with respect to such Acquisition Proposal and (B) thereafter furnish to such Third Party or its Representatives or financing sources non-public information relating to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to a confidentiality agreement (a copy of which shall be promptly (and in any event within twenty-four (24) hours) provided for informational purposes only to the Sellers’ Representative) with such Third Party with terms no less favorable to Parent than those contained in the Confidentiality Agreement and containing additional provisions that expressly permit Parent to comply with the terms of this Section 7.6 ; provided that all such information provided or made available to such Third Party (to the extent that such information has not been previously provided or made available to the Sellers’ Representative) is provided or made available to the Sellers’ Representative, as the case may be, prior to or substantially concurrently with the time it is provided or made available to such Third Party.

(ii) At any time prior to obtaining the Transactions Approval, if a material fact, event, change, development, or set of circumstances (other than an Acquisition Proposal) affecting the business, assets or operations of Parent and occurring or arising after the date of this Agreement that was not known or reasonably

 

44


foreseeable by Parent, the Special Committee or the Parent Board as of or prior to the date of this Agreement (such material fact, event, change development or set of circumstances affecting the business, assets or operations of Parent, an “ Intervening Event ”), becomes known to the Special Committee ( provided that no fact, event, change, development or set of circumstances shall constitute an Intervening Event if such fact, event, change, development or set of circumstances (i) affects the dry bulk shipping industry generally or (ii) resulted from or arose out of the announcement, pendency or consummation of the Transactions or the compliance by Parent with its covenants and agreements hereunder, including under Sections 7.1 and 7.2 ) and (x) the Special Committee or the Parent Board determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel and its financial advisors of nationally recognized reputation, that in light of such Intervening Event, the failure of the Special Committee or the Parent Board, as applicable, to effect an Adverse Recommendation Change is reasonably likely to result in a breach of its fiduciary duties to Parent’s stockholders under applicable Law, the Special Committee or the Parent Board, as applicable, may make an Adverse Recommendation Change; provided , however , that the Special Committee and the Parent Board shall not be entitled to exercise their respective rights to make an Adverse Recommendation Change pursuant to this Section 7.6(b)(ii) unless Parent has (A) provided to the Sellers’ Representative at least three (3) calendar days’ prior written notice (the “ Notice Period ”) advising the Sellers’ Representative that the Special Committee or the Parent Board intends to take such action and specifying the facts underlying the Special Committee or the Parent Board’s determination that an Intervening Event has occurred, and the reasons for the Adverse Recommendation Change, in reasonable detail, (B) during the Notice Period, if requested (orally or in writing) by the Sellers’ Representative, engaged in good faith negotiations with the Sellers’ Representative to amend this Agreement in such a manner that obviates the need for an Adverse Recommendation Change as a result of the Intervening Event and (C) following the Notice Period, the Special Committee shall have considered in good faith any proposed amendments to this Agreement and the Related Agreements and determined in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel and financial advisors of nationally recognized reputation, taking into account any changes to this Agreement or the Related Agreements made or proposed in writing by the Sellers’ Representative, that such changes would not obviate the need for an Adverse Recommendation Change in response to such Intervening Event.

(iii) Prior to (but not at any time from or after) obtaining the Transactions Approval, the Special Committee may, following receipt of and on account of a Superior Proposal, make an Adverse Recommendation Change in connection with such Superior Proposal, if such Superior Proposal did not result from a breach or violation of the provisions of Section 7.6 and the Special Committee determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel and financial advisors of nationally recognized reputation, that in light of such Superior Proposal, the failure of the Special Committee to take such action is reasonably likely to result in a breach of its fiduciary duties to its stockholders under applicable Law; provided , however , the Special Committee shall not be entitled to effect an Adverse Recommendation Change in connection with a Superior Proposal unless (A) the Special Committee promptly notifies the Sellers’ Representative, in writing within the Notice Period before making an Adverse Recommendation Change, of its intention to take such action with respect to such Superior Proposal, which notice shall state expressly that Parent has received an Acquisition Proposal that the Special Committee has determined to be a Superior Proposal and that the Special Committee intends to make an Adverse Recommendation Change; (B) the Special Committee attaches to such notice the most current version of the proposed transaction agreements and the identity of the Third Party making such Superior Proposal; (C) during the Notice Period, if requested (orally or in writing) by the Sellers’ Representative, the Special Committee has, and has directed its Representatives to, engaged in negotiations with the Sellers’ Representative in good faith to amend this Agreement or any Related Agreement in such a manner that such Superior Proposal ceases to constitute a Superior Proposal; and (D) following the Notice Period, the Special Committee shall have considered in good faith any proposed amendments to this Agreement and any Related Agreement and determined in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel and financial advisors of nationally recognized reputation, taking into account any changes to this Agreement or any Related Agreement made or proposed in writing by the Sellers’ Representative, that such Superior Proposal continues to constitute a Superior Proposal; provided , however that with respect to any applicable Superior Proposal, any amendment to the financial terms or any other material amendment to a term of such Superior Proposal shall

 

45


require a new written notice by the Special Committee and a new Notice Period, and no such Adverse Recommendation Change in connection with such Superior Proposal may be made during any Notice Period.

(iv) In addition, nothing contained herein shall prevent the Special Committee or the Parent Board from (i) complying with Rule 14e-2(a) under the 1934 Act with regard to an Acquisition Proposal so long as any action taken or statement made to so comply is consistent with this Section 7.6 ; provided , that any such action taken or statement made that is not an express rejection of an Acquisition Proposal or an express reaffirmation of the Special Committee Recommendation and Parent Board Recommendation shall be deemed an Adverse Recommendation Change, or (ii) issuing a “stop, look and listen” disclosure or similar communication pursuant to Rule 14d-9(f) under the 1934 Act (which it is agreed shall not constitute an Adverse Recommendation Change).

(c) Required Notices . Parent and the Parent Board shall not take any of the actions referred to in Section 7.6(b) unless Parent shall have first complied with the applicable requirements of this Section 7.6(c) . Parent shall notify the Sellers’ Representative promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) after receipt by Parent (or any of its Representatives) of any Acquisition Proposal or of any inquiries or other communication regarding the making of an Acquisition Proposal, including the material terms and conditions thereof and providing a copy, if applicable, of any written requests, proposals or offers, including proposed agreements, and the identity of the Person making (or inquiry or communications about) such Acquisition Proposal and its proposed financing sources, and shall keep the Sellers’ Representative reasonably informed on a prompt basis (but in any event no later than 24 hours) as to the status (including changes or proposed changes to the material terms) of such Acquisition Proposal (whether made before or after the date hereof). Parent shall also notify the Sellers’ Representative promptly (but in no event later than 24 hours) after receipt by Parent of any request for non-public information relating to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or for access to the business, properties, assets, personnel, books or records of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries by any Third Party that has informed Parent that it is considering making, or has made, an Acquisition Proposal. Parent shall also notify the Sellers promptly of Parent’s intention to take the actions set forth in clauses (A) or (B) of Section 7.6(b)(i) . Parent agrees that it and its Subsidiaries will not enter into any confidentiality agreement with any Third Party subsequent to the date hereof which prohibits Parent from providing any information to the Sellers in accordance with this Section 7.6(c) .

(d) Definition of Superior Proposal . For purposes of this Agreement, “ Superior Proposal ” means a bona fide, unsolicited written Acquisition Proposal ( provided that, for the purposes of this definition, references to “15%” in the definition of Acquisition Proposal shall be deemed replaced with references to “50%”) that is not preceded by a breach by Parent of this Section 7.6 and is not otherwise received in violation of this Section 7.6 and that (i) is not subject to any financing condition and for which financing has been fully committed or is on hand or the Special Committee determines in good faith after considering the advice of its financial advisor of nationally recognized reputation is reasonably probable to be fully financed, (ii) the Special Committee has determined in good faith, after considering the advice of its outside counsel and its financial advisors of nationally recognized reputation, is reasonably likely to be consummated in accordance with its terms, taking into account all legal, financial, regulatory and other aspects of the proposal and the identity of the Person making the Acquisition Proposal, and (iii) the Special Committee has determined in good faith, after considering the advice of its outside legal counsel and financial advisors of nationally recognized reputation, would result in a transaction more favorable, from a financial point of view, after taking into consideration, among other things, all of the terms, conditions, impacts and all legal, financial, regulatory, fiduciary and other aspects of such Acquisition Proposal and this Agreement, including financing, regulatory approvals, stockholder litigation, termination fees, expense reimbursement provisions and the expected timing and risk and likelihood of consummation and other events or circumstances beyond the control of the party invoking the condition, to the Parent’s stockholders (other than the Sellers and their Affiliates) than the Merger provided hereunder (after taking into account and giving effect to any adjustments or amendment to this Agreement proposed by the Sellers’ Representative).

 

46


(e) Parent acknowledges and agrees that any violation of the restrictions set forth in this Section 7.6 by any Subsidiary or Representative of Parent or its Subsidiaries (other than the Pappas Seller or any of their respective Affiliates) shall be deemed to be a breach of this Section 7.6 by Parent.

SECTION 7.7. Litigation .

(a) Parent shall promptly advise the Sellers’ Representative of any Action commenced or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened against or involving Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its officers or directors, or the Special Committee, relating to this Agreement or the Related Agreements or the Transactions and shall keep the Sellers’ Representative informed and consult with the Sellers’ Representative regarding the status of such Action on an ongoing basis. Parent shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, cooperate with and give the Sellers’ Representative the opportunity to consult with respect to the defense or settlement of any such Action, and shall not agree to any settlement without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative.

(b) The Sellers’ Representative shall promptly advise Parent of any Action commenced or, to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk, threatened against or involving any of the Sellers or any of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or any of their respective officers or directors, relating to this Agreement or the Related Agreements or the Transactions and shall keep Parent informed and consult with Parent regarding the status of the Action on an ongoing basis. Each of the Sellers (including the Sellers’ Representative) and Oceanbulk Holdcos shall cooperate with and give Parent the opportunity to consult with respect to the defense or settlement of any such Action, and shall not agree to any settlement without the prior written consent of Parent.

SECTION 7.8. Parent Management .

Upon the Closing, the management of Parent shall consist of the individuals (and their corresponding offices) set forth on Exhibit G-1 hereto; provided , however that (a) Parent shall not be obligated to appoint the persons set forth on Exhibit G-2 hereto (each, an “ Oceanbulk Management Member ”) to the offices set forth on Exhibit G-2 hereto unless each such individual agrees to enter into an employment agreement prior to the Closing Date in a form reasonably acceptable to Parent and such individual and consistent with the terms set forth on Exhibit G-3 that are applicable to such individual, and (b) if any individual on Exhibit G-1 or Exhibit G-2 hereto is unable or unwilling to serve, the Special Committee and the Sellers shall appoint a mutually acceptable initial replacement for such office as of the Closing Date.

ARTICLE VIII COVENANTS OF PARENT AND THE SELLERS

SECTION 8.1. Obligations of Merger Subs . Parent shall take all action necessary to cause each Merger Sub to perform its respective obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the Merger on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and shall be liable for any breach of this Agreement by either Merger Sub. Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence, Parent shall make an election under Treasury Regulation section 301.7701-3 to treat each Merger Sub as a disregarded entity for United States federal income tax purposes, effective as of the date of formation, and neither Parent nor Merger Subs shall take any action, or fail to take any action, that would cause either Merger Sub to be treated as a corporation for United States federal income Tax purposes.

SECTION 8.2. Voting of Shares .

(a) Each of the Sellers shall (and each shall cause their applicable Affiliates who own shares of Parent Common Stock to) vote all shares of Parent Common Stock owned beneficially or of record by it or its Affiliates in favor of the Transactions Approval in the same proportion as the number of shares of Parent Common Stock that are voted in favor of the Transactions Approval by Unaffiliated Stockholders (as defined below) at the Parent

 

47


Stockholders Meeting, or any postponement or adjournment thereof, bears to the total number of shares of Parent Common Stock that are voted with respect to the Transactions Approval by Unaffiliated Stockholders at the Parent Stockholders Meeting, or any postponement or adjournment thereof. “ Unaffiliated Stockholders ” means all stockholders of Parent other than the Sellers and their respective Affiliates.

(b) Prior to the Effective Time or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 11.1 , none of the Sellers shall (and each shall cause their respective Affiliates not to) vote any of the shares of Parent Common Stock owned beneficially or of record by it or its Affiliates in favor of the removal of any director of Parent or in favor of the election of any director not approved by the Special Committee.

SECTION 8.3. Dissolution and Winding Up of Heron .

(a) Winding Up Activities . From and after the Closing, the Sellers’ Representative shall assume and control the dissolution, liquidation and winding up of Heron (the “ Winding Up Activities ”), and, except as expressly contemplated by this Section 8.3, Parent shall not, and shall cause its Subsidiaries not to, enter into or amend any shareholders agreement or similar organizational document of Heron, convert any loans to Heron into equity of Heron, or cause or permit Heron to make any distributions, sell any assets, incur any additional Indebtedness or other liabilities or take any other action (or agree to take any action) with respect to Heron without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative. Without limiting the foregoing, the Winding Up Activities shall include:

(i) the distribution of (A) all of the Heron OBS Vessels to Parent or a Subsidiary thereof, free of cargo, pursuant to the terms customarily set forth in the Norwegian Shipbrokers’ Association’s Memorandum of Agreement for sale and purchase of ships (but subject to Liens in connection with the Heron OBS Vessel Financing), (B) all of the Heron ABY Vessels to ABY or its designee or, and (C) all of the remaining Heron Distributable Cash as of the time of such distribution to ABY and Parent in such proportion as ABY and Sellers’ Representative mutually agree (collectively, the “ Core Vessel Distribution ”); provided , however , that in the event of the loss of a Heron OBS Vessel or Heron ABY Vessel prior to distribution thereof, no distribution of such vessel shall be required and subsections (A) or (B) of this clause (i), as applicable, shall be deemed satisfied with respect to such lost vessel;

(ii) the distribution of other Heron Distributable Cash held by Heron from time to time to ABY and Parent in such proportion as ABY and Sellers’ Representative mutually agree;

(iii) either (A) obtaining consent from CIT under the Heron Facility Agreement to the assumption (by way of refinancing) of the portion of the Indebtedness thereunder attributable to the Heron OBS Vessels by Parent or a Subsidiary thereof and negotiating definitive agreements with respect thereto or (B) obtaining alternative debt financing for the Heron OBS Vessels (the debt financing contemplated by clauses (A) or (B), the “ Heron OBS Vessel Financing ”), in each case after obtaining Parent’s prior written consent; provided , that the Sellers’ Representative shall reasonably consult with Parent in connection with the Heron OBS Vessel Financing, and Parent shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent if (1) the terms and conditions of such Heron OBS Vessel Financing (other than the principal amount thereof) shall not be on less favorable terms in the aggregate to the borrower than the terms and conditions of the Heron Facility Agreement that are applicable to the Heron OBS Vessels as of the date hereof, (2) the aggregate principal amount of the Heron OBS Vessel Financing does not exceed 70% of the Market Value (as defined in the Heron Facility Agreement) of the Heron OBS Vessels as of the date of such Heron OBS Vessel Financing, and (3) the Heron OBS Vessel Financing is consummated substantially concurrently with the Core Vessel Distribution;

(iv) in connection with consummating the Heron OBS Vessel Financing, obtaining the release of any guarantee, indemnification or similar commitment of any Oceanbulk Company (including the termination or release of Oceanbulk Shipping’s obligations under the Heron Guarantee, and any and all financing statements perfecting a security interest on any assets of any Oceanbulk Company) given with respect to the Heron Loan

 

48


Agreements, in each case, for the avoidance of doubt, other than any guarantee, indemnification or similar commitment in connection with the Heron OBS Vessel Financing (the “ Heron Guarantee Release ”);

(v) the sale of all of the Heron Non-Core Vessels (each, a “ Non-Core Vessel Sale ”); provided , that Parent shall be entitled to participate in any auction of the Non-Core Vessels without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative; provided , further , however , that in the event of the loss of a Heron Non-Core Vessel prior to delivery thereof, no sale of such vessel shall be required and this clause (v) shall be deemed satisfied with respect to such lost vessel; and

(vi) so long as the Heron JV Commitments have been satisfied and Heron has no other debts or liabilities (including pursuant to the Heron Facility Agreement), the distribution of any remaining cash of Heron, the liquidation of any other assets of Heron and the termination of Heron, in each case subject to the requirements of applicable Laws (the “ Final Heron Liquidation ”);

provided , however , that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, except as set forth in Section 8.3(a) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter , after the date hereof the Sellers’ Representative shall not enter into or amend any shareholders agreement or similar organizational document of Heron, convert any loans to Heron into equity of Heron, or cause or permit Heron to call for or accept any capital contributions or make any distributions, sell any Heron OBS Vessels, or incur any Indebtedness or other liabilities or agree to take any of the foregoing actions, without the prior written consent of the Special Committee (on behalf of Parent), which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, other than (A) any Non-Core Vessel Sale, and the use of the proceeds of any such Non-Core Vessel Sale to repay any Indebtedness owing to CIT under the Heron Facility Agreement, (B) the Core Vessel Distribution, and (C) the distribution of Heron Distributable Cash in accordance with the terms herein, subject in the case of each of (A), (B) and (C) to any necessary consents of CIT under the Heron Facility Agreement and/or ABY.

(b) Parent Cooperation . Parent shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries and their respective officers and employees to, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause their respective advisors and representatives to, take or cause to be taken all actions, and do or cause to be done all things, as the Sellers’ Representative may reasonably request in connection with the Winding Up Activities.

(c) Non-Core Heron Distributable Cash . At any time or from time to time after the Closing, no later than five (5) Business Days following the receipt of Heron Distributable Cash other than in connection with the Core Vessel Distribution, Parent shall pay, or cause to be paid, to the Sellers, pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account(s) designated by the Sellers, an amount equal to (i) the Heron Distributable Cash received by Parent less (ii) the portion of such Heron Distributable Cash (if any) arising from (A) revenues from the Heron OBS Vessels following the Closing, or (B) in the event of a loss of a Heron OBS Vessel, the net insurance proceeds (if any) resulting therefrom, after repayment of the applicable portion of the Heron Facility Agreement, in each case as reasonably determined by Parent and the Sellers’ Representative, and less (iii) the Heron Liquidation Reimbursement Amount (if any); provided , that prior to the Core Vessel Distribution, Parent shall not be required to cause the distribution of any Heron Distributable Cash to the extent (if any) that, after giving effect to such distribution, the Heron Net Indebtedness would be greater than the Heron Target Net Indebtedness.

(d) Core Vessel Distribution .

(i) At least five (5) Business Days prior to the consummation of the Core Vessel Distribution, the Sellers’ Representative shall deliver to Parent a statement (the “ Statement ”) of its calculation of the Heron Net Indebtedness as of the anticipated date of the Core Vessel Distribution.

(ii) The Statement shall become final and binding upon the parties on the tenth (10 th ) Business Day after the consummation of the Core Vessel Distribution, unless Parent delivers written notice of its

 

49


disagreement with the Statement (a “ Notice of Disagreement ”) to the Sellers’ Representative prior to such date, together with reasonable detail concerning the nature of any disagreement so asserted. If a Notice of Disagreement is received by the Sellers’ Representative in a timely manner, then Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall follow the process set forth on Exhibit H .

(iii) Within five (5) Business Days after the Heron Net Indebtedness is finally agreed or determined in accordance with Section 8.3(d)(ii) (including, if applicable, Exhibit H ) (the “ Final Heron Net Indebtedness ”):

(A) If the Final Heron Net Indebtedness is less than the Heron Target Net Indebtedness, Parent shall pay to the Sellers, pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts designated by the Sellers, an amount equal to such shortfall.

(B) If the Final Heron Net Indebtedness is greater than the Target Net Indebtedness, the Sellers, severally pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages, shall pay to Parent, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account designated by Parent, an amount equal to such excess.

(e) In connection with any distribution by Heron of the Heron ABY Vessels and the Heron OBS Vessels after the Closing, (i) if any amounts are paid from ABY (or its designee) to Oceanbulk Shipping, Parent shall promptly pay such amounts to the Sellers, pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages, by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the accounts designated by the Sellers, or (ii) if Oceanbulk Shipping is required to pay any amounts to ABY (or its designee), the Sellers, severally pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages, shall, on behalf of Oceanbulk Shipping, promptly pay such amounts directly to ABY (or its designee).

SECTION 8.4. Stock Exchange Listing . Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and do or cause to be done all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable on its part under applicable Laws and rules and policies of Nasdaq to ensure that the shares of Parent Common Stock comprising the Aggregate Merger Consideration and Aggregate Heron Consideration are listed on Nasdaq prior to or as of the Effective Time.

SECTION 8.5. Oaktree Covenant . Until the earlier of (i) the Effective Time or (ii) the third Business Day following the termination of this Agreement, the Oaktree Seller agrees that it shall not take any action to cause the appointment of one of its representatives to the Parent Board (notwithstanding its right to cause such appointment pursuant to their Purchase Agreement with Parent, dated as of May 1, 2013 (the “ Oaktree Purchase Agreement ”)).

SECTION 8.6. Related Agreements; Opinions . At or prior to the Closing, Parent and the Sellers shall execute and deliver each Related Agreement to which they are an intended party. Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall use reasonable best efforts to enter into the Escrow Agreement with the Escrow Agent and, if the Escrow Agent becomes unwilling or unable to enter into the Escrow Agreement, to select a replacement Escrow Agent. At or prior to the Closing, Parent shall deliver to the Sellers a true and correct copy of an opinion issued by Seward & Kissel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Sellers that when the shares of Parent Common Stock are issued as contemplated in this Agreement, they will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (the “ S&K Opinion ”).

SECTION 8.7. Affiliate Contracts . Subject to the terms of Section 8.13, except as set forth in Section 5.23 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter, at or prior to the Closing, after giving at least three (3) Business Days’ prior notice to Parent, each of the Sellers shall (and shall cause their respective Affiliates to) terminate the Oaktree Purchase Agreement (and Parent shall agree to such termination) and any Contract or transaction between any

 

50


Seller (or any Affiliate thereof), on the one hand, and any Oceanbulk Company, on the other hand, and any other party (an “ Affiliate Contract ”), or amend such Affiliate Contract so as to eliminate any further liability or obligation of any Oceanbulk Company thereunder, and shall provide to the Parent evidence of such termination in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Parent, unless Parent provides written notice to the Sellers’ Representative prior to the end of the 3 Business Day period that it does not object to the continuation of such Contract or transaction.

SECTION 8.8. Claims . Effective on the Closing Date, each Seller hereby irrevocably and unconditionally releases and forever discharges the Oceanbulk Companies from any and all claims, charges, complaints, causes of action, damages, agreements and liabilities of any kind or nature whatsoever, whether known or unknown and whether at law or in equity, arising prior to or after the Closing (including any Affiliate Contract terminated pursuant to Section 8.7 hereof); provided , however , that such Seller does not waive claims arising under this Agreement or the Related Agreements or any Affiliate Contracts that are not terminated pursuant to Section 8.7 . Effective on the Closing Date, each Oceanbulk Company hereby irrevocably and unconditionally releases and forever discharges the Sellers from any and all claims, charges, complaints, causes of action, damages, agreements and liabilities of any kind or nature whatsoever, whether known or unknown and whether at law or in equity, arising prior to or after the Closing (including any Affiliate Contract terminated pursuant to Section 8.7 hereof); provided , however , that such Oceanbulk Company does not waive claims arising under this Agreement or the Related Agreements or any Affiliate Contracts that are not terminated pursuant to Section 8.7 .

SECTION 8.9. RESERVED.

SECTION 8.10. Indemnification; Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance . Parent agrees that after the Closing, all rights to indemnification of an officer or director set forth in the Oceanbulk Companies Charter Documents and, to the extent in effect as of the date hereof, any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy maintained by the Oceanbulk Companies, shall be maintained and shall not be amended, repealed or otherwise modified and shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with their terms for a period of six (6) years from the Closing Date; provided, however, that Parent shall not be required to maintain any such insurance policy if the cost of such insurance policy exceeds two (2) times the current annual premium for such policy.

SECTION 8.11. Trademark Matters . Within thirty (30) Business Days following the Closing Date, Parent shall cause each of the Oceanbulk Companies to cease any use of the name “Oceanbulk” as a trademark or indication of source; provided , however , that each of Oceanbulk Shipping and Oceanbulk Carriers shall have the perpetual and irrevocable right to use the name “Oceanbulk” in their corporate names in a manner consistent with the way such name is used as of the Closing Date and in a manner consistent with corporate and business name purposes.

SECTION 8.12. Retention of Parent Common Stock .

(a) Without the prior written consent of Parent (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), except as set forth in Section 8.12(c), no Seller will, directly or indirectly, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on, in the case of the Heron Subject Shares, the date that all of the Heron JV Commitments have been satisfied and, in the case of all other Subject Shares, the Survival Date (in each case as applicable, the “ Subject Shares Release Date ”) (i) offer, issue, assign, pledge, hypothecate, grant a security interest in, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, make any short sale, or otherwise transfer, encumber or dispose of any of the Subject Shares or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement or arrangement (including a monetization arrangement or hedging or similar transaction) that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Subject Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above (each, a “ Transfer ”) is to be settled by delivery of shares of Parent Common Stock or other securities convertible into Parent Common Stock, in cash or otherwise; provided , however , that if at the Subject Shares Release Date of the Heron Subject Shares there is an outstanding claim for indemnification pursuant to

 

51


Section 12.1(b)(v) , or if at the Subject Shares Release Date of the other Subject Shares there is an outstanding claim for indemnification pursuant to Section 12.1(b) , in each case that has been asserted pursuant to a valid notice of claim delivered in good faith by Parent pursuant to Section 12.1(e) but has not been satisfied by such date, a number of Subject Shares reasonably sufficient to satisfy such claim shall be retained by the Sellers and remain subject to the restrictions of this Section 8.12 until such claim is resolved. It is understood that (A) any securities issued to a Seller upon any exchange, stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or the like in respect of the Subject Shares shall be considered part of the “Subject Shares” and shall be subject to the terms of this Section 8.12 in the same manner, and shall be restricted for the same period, as the Subject Shares in respect of which they were issued and (B) the restrictions set forth in this Section 8.12 shall not apply to any Transfer of any shares of Parent Common Stock owned by a Seller that is in excess of such Seller’s Subject Shares.

(b) As used herein, “ Heron Subject Shares ” shall mean a number of shares equal to $32,500,000 divided by the Per Share Price. As used herein, the “ Subject Shares ” shall mean, with respect to any Seller as of any date of determination, the excess of (i) (x) the sum of 5,051,147 shares of Parent Common Stock plus the Heron Subject Shares multiplied by (y) the Pro Rata Percentage of such Seller over (ii) a number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the aggregate amount of any cash payments made by such Seller to a Parent Indemnified Person pursuant to Section 12.1(b) as of such date divided by the Per Share Price; provided , that on and after the date that all of the Heron JV Commitments have been satisfied, the Subject Shares of such Seller shall be reduced by the excess of (A) the Heron Subject Shares multiplied by the Pro Rata Percentage of such Seller over (B) a number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the aggregate amount of any cash payments made by such Seller to a Parent Indemnified Person pursuant to Section 12.1(b)(v) on or prior to the date that all of the Heron JV Commitments have been satisfied divided by the Per Share Price. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt a Seller’s obligation to indemnify a Parent Indemnified Person pursuant to Section 12.1(b)(v) , and a Parent Indemnified Party’s remedy in connection therewith, shall not be limited to the Heron Subject Shares and shall include recourse against the other Subject Shares and the cash proceeds thereof.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8.12 , without limitation of any restrictions on Transfer set forth in the Oaktree Stockholders Agreement or the Pappas Stockholders Agreement, as applicable, either Seller shall be entitled to Transfer all or a portion of their Subject Shares without Parent’s prior written consent if either:

(i) the greater of (x) the net proceeds received upon the Transfer of such Subject Shares and (y) the Per Share Price multiplied by the number of such Subject Shares is placed by such Seller into an escrow account reasonably acceptable to Parent until the applicable Subject Shares Release Date to satisfy such Seller’s indemnification obligations pursuant to Section 12.1(b) ; or

(ii) such Seller causes to be delivered to Parent a guaranty of such Seller’s indemnification obligations pursuant to Section 12.1(b) from a Person with liquidity characteristics and a net worth reasonably satisfactory to the Special Committee (on behalf of Parent), which guaranty shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Special Committee (on behalf of Parent). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such prospective guarantor must own assets with liquidity characteristics that are the same or better than the liquidity characteristics of the Subject Shares. Substantially concurrently with the delivery of such guaranty, the parties hereto shall cause any amounts placed by such Seller into escrow pursuant to the preceding clause (i) to be released to such Seller.

(d) Each Seller hereby authorizes Parent and any duly appointed transfer agent to apply an appropriate legend to any certificates or book entries representing the Subject Shares to reflect the existence and general terms of this Section 8.12 . Each Seller also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with Parent’s transfer agent against the transfer of any Subject Shares held by such Seller except in compliance with the restrictions contained herein. Parent, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the Subject Shares, are hereby authorized to decline to make or recognize any transfer of Subject Shares or other transaction relating to the Subject Shares if such transfer or transaction would constitute a violation or breach of this Section 8.12.

 

52


SECTION 8.13. Management Agreements . The Pappas Seller shall (or shall cause Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A. to) consent to the termination of any existing ship management agreements to which it (or Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A.) is the ship manager with respect to the Vessels that as of the date hereof are not managed by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, which termination shall be effective no later than 60 days after the Closing. From the date hereof until no later than 60 days after the Closing, Parent shall pay no more than $750 per day as a management fee for each such Vessel for which services are provided under such management agreements following the Closing, and the Pappas Seller shall (or shall cause Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A. to) agree to waive all other fees (including without limitation termination fees designated as “severance” pursuant to the terms of the two such ship management agreements) , costs or expenses that are payable by Parent to the Pappas Seller or Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. under such management agreements for services provided prior to or, as the case may be, following the Closing or that otherwise arise from the consummation of the Transactions; provided, that Parent shall be responsible for (I) any crew severance fees incurred as a result of such termination (but Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. and The Pappas Seller agree that they shall take no actions that would result in such crew severance fees) and (II) any out-of-pocket costs and expenses of the applicable manager related to such Vessels.

SECTION 8.14. Oceanbulk Maritime Employees . Effective as of the Closing, Parent shall hire the employees of Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A. set forth on Section 8.14 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter to provide services substantially the same as the services that such employee is providing with respect to the Oceanbulk Companies as of immediately prior to the Closing; provided, that (a) Parent acknowledges that such employees shall be permitted to devote the percentage of their time (if any) that is not allocated to Parent on Section 8.14 of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter (the “ Unrelated Activity Percentage ”) to providing services for Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A. unrelated to the business of the Oceanbulk Companies and (b) prior to Closing, and as a condition to employment of such employee, Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A. and Parent shall enter into a services agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such parties, whereby Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A., shall reimburse Parent for the Unrelated Activity Percentage of such employee’s salary. The employment of each employee with Parent or any Subsidiary thereof that accepts such offer shall commence immediately upon the Closing and shall be deemed, for all purposes, consistent with applicable Law, to have occurred with no interruption or break in service and no termination of employment. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein restricts or precludes the right of Parent to terminate the employment of any such employee (and, for the avoidance of any doubt, should Parent terminate the employment of any such employee following the Closing and the execution of the services agreement between Parent and Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. referred to in clause (b) above, Parent shall be liable for any severance pay or any other costs for damages payable to such employee whose employment is terminated), and the parties hereto agree that the provisions contained herein are not intended to be for the benefit of or otherwise be enforceable by, any third party, including any such employee.

ARTICLE IX COVENANTS OF THE PARTIES

SECTION 9.1. Parent Stockholders Meeting; Proxy Statement .

(a) As promptly as practicable following the date of this Agreement, Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall jointly prepare, and Parent shall furnish to the SEC, a proxy statement to be sent to the stockholders of Parent relating to the Parent Stockholders Meeting and the matters to be voted upon thereat (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “ Proxy Statement ”). Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall use their respective reasonable best efforts to cause the Proxy Statement to be furnished to the SEC and first mailed to Parent stockholders no later than the eighth (8 th ) calendar day following the date of this Agreement. Each of the Sellers shall furnish all information concerning such Seller and its Affiliates to Parent required to be included in the Proxy Statement, and provide such other assistance as may be reasonably requested in connection with the preparation, filing and distribution of the Proxy Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, prior to furnishing the Proxy Statement (or any amendment or supplement thereto) to the SEC or

 

53


mailing the Proxy Statement (or any amendment or supplement thereto), Parent shall (i) provide the Sellers’ Representative an opportunity to review and comment on such document (including the proposed final version of such document), and (ii) consider in good faith all comments reasonably proposed by the Sellers’ Representative and delivered to Parent within a reasonable time after Parent has provided such document to the Sellers’ Representative for its review; provided, that Parent shall not be responsible for any delay in furnishing the Proxy Statement to the SEC to the extent arising from the Sellers’ Representative’s review of the Proxy Statement or Parent’s prompt and good faith consideration and incorporation of any comments to the Proxy Statement proposed by the Sellers’ Representative. The Special Committee and the Parent Board shall recommend to the holders of shares of Parent Common Stock that they give the Transactions Approval and shall include such recommendation in the Proxy Statement, except to the extent that the Special Committee or the Parent Board shall have made an Adverse Recommendation Change as permitted by Section 7.6(b) . Parent shall not make or file any amendment, supplement or change to the Proxy Statement without the consent of the Sellers’ Representative, except as expressly set forth herein.

(b) If prior to the Parent Stockholders Meeting, any event occurs with respect to the Sellers or any Oceanbulk Company, or any change occurs with respect to other information supplied by the Sellers’ Representative for inclusion in the Proxy Statement, which is required by applicable Law to be described in an amendment of, or a supplement to, the Proxy Statement, the Sellers’ Representative shall promptly notify Parent of such event, and Parent shall cooperate in the prompt, and in any event within the earlier of (i) three (3) Business Days following the receipt of such notice and (ii) the date of the Parent Stockholders Meeting, furnishing to the SEC of any necessary amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement and, as required by applicable Law, in disseminating the information contained in such amendment or supplement to the Parent’s stockholders. Nothing in this Section 9.1(b) shall limit the obligations of any party under Section 9.1(a) ; provided, that Parent shall not be responsible for any delay in furnishing any such amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement to the SEC to the extent arising from the Sellers’ Representative’s review of such amendment or supplement or Parent’s prompt and good faith consideration and incorporation of any comments to such amendment or supplement proposed by the Sellers’ Representative.

(c) If prior to the Parent Stockholders Meeting, any event occurs with respect to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, any Acquisition Proposal is received by Parent or any Adverse Recommendation Change is made in connection with an Acquisition Proposal or Intervening Event and as permitted by Section 7.6(b) , in each case which the Special Committee believes, upon advice of outside legal counsel, is required by applicable Law to be described in an amendment of, or a supplement to, the Proxy Statement, Parent shall promptly notify the Sellers’ Representative of such event, and the Sellers’ Representative shall reasonably cooperate in the prompt, and in any event within the earlier of (i) three (3) Business Days following the happening of such event requiring an amendment or supplement and (ii) the date of the Parent Stockholders Meeting, furnishing to the SEC of any necessary amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement and, as required by applicable Law, in disseminating the information contained in such amendment or supplement to the Parent’s stockholders. Nothing in this Section 9.1(c) shall limit the obligations of any party under Section 9.1(a) ; provided, that Parent shall not be responsible for any delay in furnishing any such amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement to the SEC to the extent arising from the Sellers’ Representative’s review of such amendment or supplement or Parent’s prompt and good faith consideration and incorporation of any comments to such amendment or supplement proposed by the Sellers’ Representative.

(d) Parent shall, in accordance with applicable Law and Parent’s articles of incorporation, bylaws and any other governing documents as then in effect, duly call, give notice of, convene and hold on July 11, 2014 a meeting of the stockholders for the sole purpose of seeking the Transactions Approval (the “ Parent Stockholders Meeting ”) and shall not submit any other proposals in connection with such Parent Stockholders Meeting without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative; provided , however , that if the Proxy Statement has not been furnished to the SEC and first mailed to the Parent stockholders within eight (8) calendar days following the date of this Agreement, Parent shall duly call, give notice of, convene and hold such Parent Stockholders Meeting on the 17 th calendar day following the first mailing of the Proxy Statement to the Parent stockholders.

 

54


Parent shall, in consultation with the Sellers’ Representative, set a record date for Persons entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Parent Stockholders Meeting and shall not change the record date without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned). Parent shall not adjourn or postpone the Parent Stockholders Meeting; provided , however , that the Parent Stockholders Meeting may be adjourned or postponed to such later date as Parent and the Sellers’ Representative may mutually agree, and if (x) any Acquisition Proposal is received by Parent, or (y) any Adverse Recommendation Change is made in connection with an Acquisition Proposal or Intervening Event and as permitted by Section 7.6(b) prior to the scheduled date of the Parent Stockholders Meeting, Parent shall be permitted to adjourn or postpone the Parent Stockholders Meeting for up to 10 calendar days after such initially scheduled date to the extent the Special Committee believes, upon advice of outside legal counsel, such adjournment or postponement is required by applicable Law or is required by its fiduciary duties to stockholders of Parent under applicable Law; provided , further , however , that if the Special Committee has provided the Sellers’ Representative with notice prior to or at the end of such 10 calendar day period that it is prepared to make an Adverse Recommendation Change in connection with an Acquisition Proposal or Intervening Event, the Parent Stockholders Meeting shall be further adjourned or postponed until up to five (5) Business Days after the conclusion of the Sellers’ Representative’s matching right process in accordance with Section 7.6 hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 9.1(d) , Parent and the Sellers’ Representative may jointly agree (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned) to adjourn or postpone the meeting if, as of the time for which the Parent Stockholders Meeting is originally scheduled, there are insufficient shares of Parent Common Stock represented (either in person or by proxy) (A) to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct the business to be conducted at the Parent Stockholders Meeting or (B) such that it would be impossible to obtain the Transactions Approval. Except as specifically permitted by Section 7.6(b) , the Parent Board shall continue to recommend that Parent’s stockholders give the Transactions Approval, and Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to, subject to Section 7.6(b) , (i) solicit and obtain the Transactions Approval and (ii) solicit from its stockholders proxies in favor of the Transactions and the Transactions Approval. Parent agrees that its obligations to hold the Parent Stockholders Meeting pursuant to this Section 9.1 shall not be affected by the commencement, public proposal, public disclosure or communication to Parent of any Acquisition Proposal, the occurrence of any Intervening Event or by the making of any Adverse Recommendation Change.

SECTION 9.2. Regulatory Undertaking .

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the parties hereto shall, and cause their respective Affiliates to, use their respective reasonable best efforts 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 Law to consummate the Transactions, including (i) preparing and filing as promptly as practicable with any Governmental Authority or other Third Party all documentation to effect all necessary filings, notices, petitions, statements, registrations, submissions of information, applications and other documents that are necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the Transactions, including the Parent Disclosure Documents, (ii) obtaining and maintaining any approvals, consents, registrations, permits, authorizations and other confirmations required to be obtained from any Governmental Authority or other Third Party that are necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the Transactions, (iii) making any other submissions required in connection with the consummation of the Merger under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the MIBCA, the MILLCA, applicable state or federal securities laws or the Nasdaq rules and regulations and (iv) taking or causing to be taken all other actions necessary, proper or advisable consistent with this Section 9.2 to cause the expiration of the applicable waiting periods, or receipt of required consents, approvals or authorizations under such Laws as soon as practicable; provided that the obligations set forth in this sentence shall not be deemed to have been breached as a result of actions by Parent or its Subsidiaries expressly permitted by Sections 7.6(b) or 9.1 .

(b) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 9.2 or otherwise in this Agreement, none of the parties hereto shall be required or permitted, without the prior written consent of all of the parties hereto, to consent to any requirement, condition, limitation, understanding, agreement or order of a Governmental Authority (x) to sell, divest, license, assign, transfer, hold separate or otherwise dispose of any material portion of the assets or

 

55


business of such party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or (y) that materially limits the freedom of action with respect to, or ability to retain, any of the businesses, services, or assets of such party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, in order to be permitted by such Governmental Authority to consummate the Transactions.

SECTION 9.3. Certain Filings . The parties hereto shall cooperate and consult with each other in connection with the making of all such filings and notifications, including by providing copies of all relevant documents to the non-filing party and its advisors before filing and shall cooperate in determining whether any action by or filing with or approvals, consents, registrations, permits, authorizations and other confirmations are required in connection with the consummation of the Transactions. No party shall consent to any voluntary extension of any statutory deadline or waiting period or to any voluntary delay of the consummation of the Transactions at the behest of any Governmental Authority without the consent of the other parties to this Agreement, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned.

SECTION 9.4. Public Announcements . Subject to Section 7.6 hereof, Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall consult with each other before issuing any press release, having any communication with the press (whether or not for attribution) or making any other public statement, or scheduling any press conference or conference call with investors or analysts, with respect to this Agreement or the Transactions and neither the Sellers, Oceanbulk Holdcos nor Parent shall issue any such press release or make any such other public statement (including statements to the employees of any Oceanbulk Company or Parent, as the case may be, or any of their respective Subsidiaries) or schedule any such press conference or conference call without the consent of Parent (in the case of the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos) or the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of Parent). Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) the parties hereto each hereby consent to the filing of Parent’s Form 6-K on the date of this Agreement in the form previously provided by Parent to the Seller’s Representative and (b) that nothing herein will prohibit the making of any public statement or press release to the extent that it is required by applicable Law or any listing agreement with or rule of any national securities exchange or association, in which case, the party making such determination will, if practicable in the circumstances, use reasonable commercial efforts to allow the other parties reasonable time to comment on such release or announcement in advance of its issuance; provided , that the foregoing shall not restrict communications between the Sellers and the investors of the Sellers or its Affiliates in the ordinary course.

SECTION 9.5. Further Assurances . At and after the Effective Time, the officers and directors of each Surviving Company shall be authorized to execute and deliver, in the name and on behalf of the applicable Oceanbulk Holdcos or Merger Subs, any deeds, bills of sale, assignments or assurances and to take and do, in the name and on behalf of the applicable Oceanbulk Holdcos or Merger Subs, any other actions and things to vest, perfect or confirm of record or otherwise in such Surviving Company any and all right, title and interest in, to and under any of the rights, properties or assets of the applicable Oceanbulk Holdco acquired or to be acquired by such Surviving Company as a result of, or in connection with, the Merger.

SECTION 9.6. Notices of Certain Events . Prior to the Effective Time or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 11.1 , each of the Sellers’ Representative (on behalf of the Sellers and Oceanbulk Holdcos) and Parent shall promptly notify the other if to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk or the Knowledge of Parent, as the case may be:

(a) any written notice or other written communication is received from any Person alleging that the consent of such Person (or another Person) is or may be required in connection with the Transactions;

(b) any written notice or other written communication is received from any Governmental Authority in connection with the Transactions;

(c) any action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding is commenced or, to the Knowledge of Oceanbulk or the Knowledge of Parent, as the case may be, threatened against, relating to or involving or

 

56


otherwise affecting any Oceanbulk Company or Parent and any of its Subsidiaries, as applicable, that, if pending on the date of this Agreement, would have been required to have been disclosed pursuant to any Section of this Agreement;

(d) any inaccuracy of any representation or warranty of such party contained in this Agreement occurs at any time during the term hereof that would or would reasonably be expected to cause any of the conditions set forth in Article X not to be satisfied;

(e) any failure of such party to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it hereunder occurs that would or would reasonably be expected to cause any of the conditions set forth in Article X not to be satisfied; and

(f) any event occurs that has had an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect or Parent Material Adverse Effect, as applicable;

provided , that no notification provided in accordance with this Section 9.6 shall be deemed to cure any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made in this Agreement.

SECTION 9.7. Takeover Statutes . If any Takeover Statute, or similar provision contained in Parent’s articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governing organizational documents or in the Oceanbulk Companies Charter Documents, as applicable, shall become or is deemed to be applicable to the Transactions after the date of this Agreement, the Sellers, Parent, the Special Committee and the Parent Board shall grant such approvals and take such actions necessary so that the Merger and the other Transactions may be consummated as promptly as practicable on the terms contemplated herein and otherwise act to eliminate if possible, and otherwise to minimize, the effects of such Takeover Statute, or such similar provision contained in Parent’s articles of incorporation, bylaws or other governing organizational documents or in the Oceanbulk Companies’ Charter Documents, as applicable, on the Transactions.

SECTION 9.8. Plan of Reorganization . This Agreement is intended to constitute a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation section 1.368-2(g). From and after the date of this Agreement and until the Effective Time, each party to this Agreement shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Merger to qualify, and shall not, without the prior written consent of the parties to this Agreement, knowingly take any actions or cause any actions to be taken which could prevent the Merger from qualifying, as a reorganization under the provisions of Section 368(a) of the Code. Following the Effective Time, and consistent with any such consent, neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, shall knowingly take any action or cause any action to be taken which would cause the Merger to fail to so qualify as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code.

SECTION 9.9. Transfer Taxes . The parties to this Agreement shall cooperate in the preparation, execution and filing of all returns, questionnaires, applications or other documents regarding any property transfer or gains, sales, use, transfer, value added, stock transfer or stamp taxes, any transfer, recording, registration and other fees and any similar taxes that become payable in connection with the Transactions (together with any related interests, penalties or additions to Tax, “ Transfer Taxes ”), and shall cooperate in attempting to minimize the amount of Transfer Taxes. From and after the Effective Time, Parent shall pay or cause to be paid all Transfer Taxes.

ARTICLE X CONDITIONS TO THE MERGER

SECTION 10.1. Conditions to Obligations of Each Party . The respective obligations of each party hereto to effect the Merger are subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

(a) the Transactions Approval shall have been obtained;

 

57


(b) no applicable Law preventing or prohibiting the consummation of the Merger shall be in effect; and

(c) the shares of Parent Common Stock included in the Aggregate Merger Consideration and the Aggregate Heron Consideration shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq, subject to completion of the Merger.

SECTION 10.2. Conditions to Obligations of the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos . The obligations of the Sellers and the Oceanbulk Holdcos to effect the Merger are further subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Sellers of the following conditions:

(a) (i) the representations and warranties of Parent contained in Section 6.12(a)(ii) shall be true and correct in all respects, (ii) the representations and warranties of Parent contained in Section 6.1 , Section 6.2 , Section 6.6 and Section 6.7 of this Agreement (other than Section 6.6(a) , the first sentence of Section 6.6(d) , Section 6.7(a) and the first sentence of Section 6.7(c) ) (disregarding all materiality and Parent Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained therein) shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct in all material respects as of such other time), (iii) the representations and warranties of Parent contained in Section 6.6(a) , the first sentence of Section 6.6(d) , Section 6.7(a) and the first sentence of Section 6.7(c) of this Agreement shall be true and correct (except for de minimis exceptions) as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct (except for de minimis exceptions) as of such other time), and (iv) all of the other representations and warranties of Parent contained in this Agreement or in any certificate or other writing delivered by Parent pursuant hereto (disregarding all materiality and Parent Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained therein) shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such other time), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect;

(b) all of the consents, authorizations, waivers, approvals, notices, expirations, filings and registrations set forth on Section 10.2(b) of the Parent Disclosure Letter shall have been obtained or made, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Sellers’ Representative, on or prior to, and shall be in full force and effect on, the Closing Date;

(c) Parent and each Merger Sub shall have performed and complied with in all material respects all of the covenants and obligations required to be performed or complied with by them under this Agreement on or prior to the Closing Date;

(d) from the date hereof and through the Closing Date, there shall not have occurred a Parent Material Adverse Effect;

(e) the Sellers shall have received the duly executed S&K Opinion and a copy of the Escrow Agreement duly executed by the Escrow Agent, and Parent shall have delivered to the Sellers’ Representative the other items to be delivered by Parent pursuant to Section 8.6 ;

(f) Parent shall have delivered to the Sellers’ Representative as of the Closing Date, a certificate, dated as of such date, executed by an executive officer of Parent to the effect that the conditions set forth in clauses (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this Section 10.2 have been satisfied as of the Closing Date; and

(g) Parent shall have delivered to the Sellers’ Representative as of the Closing Date, a certificate, dated as of such date, executed by an executive officer of Parent, certifying as to the aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness, and the aggregate cash and cash equivalents, of Parent and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date (without giving effect to the Transactions).

 

58


SECTION 10.3. Conditions to Obligations of Parent and Merger Subs . The obligations of Parent and Merger Subs to effect the Merger is further subject to the satisfaction or waiver by Parent of the following conditions:

(a) (i) the representations and warranties of the Sellers contained in Section 5.11(a)(ii) shall be true and correct in all respects, (ii) the representations and warranties of Sellers contained in Article IV , Section 5.1 , Section 5.2 , Section 5.4 and Section 5.5 (other than Section 5.4(a) , the first sentence of Section 5.4(b) , the first sentence of Section 5.5(a) and the first sentence of Section 5.5(c) ) of this Agreement (disregarding all materiality and Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained therein) shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct in all material respects as of such other time), (iii) the representations and warranties of Sellers contained in Section 5.4(a) , the first sentence of Section 5.4(b) , the first sentence of Section 5.5(a) and the first sentence of Section 5.5(c) of this Agreement shall be true and correct (except for de minimis exceptions) as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct (except for de minimis exceptions) as of such other time), and (iv) all of the other representations and warranties of the Sellers contained in this Agreement or in any certificate or other writing delivered by Sellers’ Representative pursuant hereto (disregarding all materiality and Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained therein) shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such other time), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct would not have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect;

(b) all of the consents, authorizations, waivers, approvals, notices, expirations, filings and registrations set forth on Section 10.3(b) of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter shall have been obtained or made, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Parent, on or prior to, and shall be in full force and effect on, the Closing Date;

(c) each of the Sellers and Oceanbulk Holdcos shall have performed and complied with in all material respects all of the covenants and obligations required to be performed by it under this Agreement on or prior to the Closing Date;

(d) from the date hereof through the Closing Date, there shall not have occurred an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect;

(e) the Sellers’ Representative shall have delivered to Parent the items to be executed by the Sellers pursuant to Section 8.6 , and Parent shall have received a copy of the Escrow Agreement duly executed by the Escrow Agent;

(f) the Sellers’ Representative shall have delivered to Parent as of the Closing Date, a certificate, dated as of such date, executed by an executive officer of the Sellers’ Representative to the effect that the conditions set forth in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 10.3 have been satisfied; and

(g) the Sellers’ Representative shall have delivered to Parent as of the Closing Date, a certificate, dated as of such date, executed by an executive officer of Sellers’ Representative, certifying as to (i) the aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness, and the aggregate cash and cash equivalents, of the Oceanbulk Companies as of the Closing Date (without giving effect to the Transactions), and (ii) the aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness (including the specific amount of core and non-core Borrowed Indebtedness outstanding under the Heron Facility Agreement) of Heron as of the Closing Date (without giving effect to the Transactions).

 

59


SECTION 10.4. Frustration of Closing Conditions . Neither Parent or Merger Subs, on the one hand, nor the Sellers or the Oceanbulk Holdcos, on the other hand, may rely, either as a basis for not consummating the Merger or for terminating this Agreement and abandoning the Merger, on the failure of any condition set forth in Section 10.2 or Section 10.3 , as the case may be, to be satisfied if such failure was caused by such party’s breach of any provision of this Agreement or failure to use its reasonable best efforts to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as required by and subject to Section 9.2 and Section 9.5 .

ARTICLE XI TERMINATION; AMENDMENT; WAIVER

SECTION 11.1. Termination . This Agreement may be terminated any time prior to the Effective Time (notwithstanding the receipt of the Transactions Approval) ( provided that approval of the Special Committee shall be necessary for termination by Parent, and the Special Committee may prosecute any Action related to this Agreement and the Related Agreements on behalf of Parent):

(a) by mutual written agreement of the Sellers’ Representative and Parent;

(b) by either the Sellers’ Representative or Parent, if:

(i) the Effective Time shall not have occurred on or before July 31, 2014 (the “ End Date ”); provided , that if the condition set forth in Section 10.2(b) or Section 10.3(b) has not been satisfied and all other conditions in Article X are satisfied or are capable of being satisfied by such date, then Parent or the Sellers’ Representative may elect, by written notice to the other party, to extend the End Date to August 25, 2014; provided , further , that the right to terminate this Agreement or extend the End Date under this Section 11.1(b)(i) shall not be available to any party whose breach of this Agreement (including failure to use reasonable best efforts to obtain the consents, authorizations, waivers, approvals, notices, expirations, filings and registrations set forth in Section 10.2(b) or Section 10.3(b) in accordance with Section 9.2 ) has materially contributed to, or resulted in, the failure to consummate the Merger on or prior to the End Date;

(ii) the Transactions Approval shall not have been obtained after a vote of the Parent stockholders has been taken and completed at the duly convened Parent Stockholders Meeting or at any adjournment or postponement thereof; or

(iii) there shall be any applicable Law that prohibits the Oceanbulk Holdcos, Parent, or Merger Subs from consummating the Merger and such prohibition shall have become final and nonappealable;

(c) by the Sellers’ Representative, if Parent and Merger Subs shall have breached or failed to perform any of its covenants or obligations set forth in this Agreement, if any representation or warranty of Parent and Merger Subs shall have become untrue, in each case which breach or failure to perform or to be true, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in a failure of a condition set forth in Section 10.2(a) or Section 10.2(c) (such circumstance, a “ Material Parent Breach ”), and such Material Parent Breach cannot be or, to the extent curable by Parent or Merger Subs, has not been cured by the earlier of (1) the End Date and (2) twenty (20) days after the giving of written notice to Parent of such breach or failure; provided , that the Sellers’ Representative shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this paragraph if any Seller or Oceanbulk Holdco is then in breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement, which breach would result in the failure of any of the conditions set forth in Section 10.3(a) or Section 10.3(c) ; or

(d) by Parent, if any of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or Sellers shall have breached or failed to perform any of its covenants or obligations set forth in this Agreement, if any representation or warranty of any of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or Sellers shall have become untrue, in each case which breach or failure to perform or to be

 

60


true, individually or in the aggregate has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in a failure of a condition set forth in Section 10.3(a) or Section 10.3(c) (such circumstance, a “ Material Oceanbulk Breach ”), and such Material Oceanbulk Breach cannot be or, to the extent curable by the Oceanbulk Holdcos or Sellers, has not been cured by the earlier of (1) the End Date and (2) twenty (20) days after the giving of written notice to the Sellers’ Representative of such breach or failure; provided , that Parent shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this paragraph if Parent or either Merger Sub is then in breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement, which breach would result in the failure of any of the conditions set forth in Section 10.2(a) or Section 10.2(c) .

The party desiring to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11.1 (other than pursuant to Section 11.1(a) ) shall give written notice of such termination to the other parties.

SECTION 11.2. Effect of Termination . If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11.1 , this Agreement shall become void and of no effect without liability of any party (or any stockholder, director, officer, employee, agent, consultant or representative of such party) to the other party hereto; provided , that if such termination shall result from the intentional breach by a party of its obligations hereunder, such party shall be fully liable for any and all liabilities and damages incurred or suffered by the other party as a result of such failure. For purposes hereof, an “intentional breach” means a material breach that is a consequence of an act undertaken by the breaching party with the intention of breaching the applicable obligation. The provisions of this Section 11.2 and Article XII (other than Section 12.1) shall survive any termination hereof pursuant to Section 11.1 .

ARTICLE XII

INDEMNIFICATION; MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 12.1. Indemnification .

(a) The representations and warranties contained herein and in any certificate or other writing delivered pursuant hereto shall not survive the Closing, except that each of (i) the representations and warranties of the Sellers in Section 4.1(a) ( Organization, Existence and Good Standing ), Section 4.1(b) ( Power and Authority ), Section 4.1(c) ( Enforceability ) and Section 4.1(g) ( Title to Units ) (the “ Seller Fundamental Representations ”) and (ii) each of (x) the representations and warranties of the Sellers in Section 5.1 ( Organization, Qualification and Limited Liability Company Power ), Section 5.2 ( Authorization ), Section 5.4 ( Capitalization ), Section 5.5(a) and  (c) ( Oceanbulk Subsidiaries ), Section 5.13 ( Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash ), Section 5.21 ( Fees ) and Section 5.25 ( Oceanbulk Holdcos ) (the “ Oceanbulk Fundamental Representations ”) and (y) the representations and warranties of Parent in Sections 6.1 ( Organization, Qualification and Corporate Power ), Section 6.2 ( Authorization ), Section 6.5 ( Fees ), Section 6.6 ( Capitalization of Parent ), Section 6.7 (a) and (c)  ( Subsidiaries ) and Section 6.24 ( Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash ) (the “ Parent Fundamental Representations ”), shall survive for twelve (12) months after the Closing (the “ Survival Date ”). Each of the covenants and agreements set forth herein to be performed on or prior to the Closing Date shall survive until the Survival Date; provided , that the covenants and agreements contained herein requiring performance after the Closing shall survive the Closing in accordance with their terms. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a valid notice of claim for indemnification relating to a breach of a Seller Fundamental Representation, an Oceanbulk Fundamental Representation, a Parent Fundamental Representation or a covenant or agreement shall have been delivered in good faith in accordance with the terms of Section 12.1(e) on or prior to the Survival Date or such other applicable survival expiration date, the claims specifically set forth in such notice shall survive until such time as such claim is finally resolved.

(b) Subject to the limitations set forth herein, from and after the Closing, each of the Sellers shall severally (and not jointly or jointly and severally) and, in the case of any Oceanbulk Fundamental Representations, (x) solely with respect to the Oceanbulk Holdco previously owned by it and (y) with respect to any other Oceanbulk Companies, pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages, indemnify, save, and

 

61


keep Parent, its Affiliates (including the Oceanbulk Companies) and each of their respective officers, directors, managers, partners, members, agents, representatives, successors, assigns and employees (collectively, the “ Parent Indemnified Persons ”) harmless against and from all Damages sustained or incurred by any Parent Indemnified Person as a result of, or arising out of, (i) any breach or inaccuracy of, as of the Closing Date (or, to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, as of such other time) any of such Seller’s Seller Fundamental Representations, (ii) any breach of any covenant or agreement made by such Seller under this Agreement (other than the covenants and agreements set forth in Section 9.6 ), (iii) any breach prior to the Closing Date of any covenant or agreement made by an Oceanbulk Holdco under this Agreement, (iv) the breach or inaccuracy of, as of the Closing Date (or, to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, as of such other time) any of the Oceanbulk Fundamental Representations, or (v) (1) any loans or capital contributions made to Heron by any Oceanbulk Company on or after the date hereof through the Final Heron Liquidation (other than capital contributions made to Heron to the extent used to fund repairs or capital improvements to the Heron OBS Vessels), (2) any obligations of Parent or its Subsidiaries (including the Oceanbulk Companies) pursuant to the Heron Loan Agreements, any Non-Core Vessel Sales or any liabilities of the Heron JV at the time of the Final Heron Liquidation (solely to the extent Parent or its Subsidiaries (including the Oceanbulk Companies) are required to contribute capital to the Heron JV to satisfy such liabilities pursuant to the organizational documents of the Heron JV or applicable Laws), or (3) any Third Party Claims related to the Heron JV, in each case other than (v) to the extent agreed by Parent in connection with the sale of a Heron Non-Core Vessel to Parent or a Subsidiary thereof, (w) liabilities (other than those arising from Third Party Claims) in connection with the loss of a Heron OBS Vessel, (x) any amounts included in the calculation of Heron Net Indebtedness pursuant to Section 8.3, (y) any other obligations pursuant to the Heron Facility Agreement that are distributed or otherwise assigned to Parent or its Subsidiaries or designees in connection with the Heron OBS Vessel Financing or (z) any Damages arising from Parent’s breach or failure to comply with Section 8.3 . “ Damages ” means all liabilities, obligations, liens, assessments, levies, losses, damages, fines, penalties and reasonable out-of-pocket costs of any investigation, response, or remedial or corrective action, whether or not arising from third party claims, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, in each case taking into account the interests held by the Sellers and their respective Affiliates in Parent; provided , that under no circumstances shall any Indemnified Person be entitled to be indemnified for special, consequential (including diminution in value, lost profits, lost revenues, business interruptions, or loss of business opportunity or reputation), indirect, multiple, punitive or other similar damages, except as finally awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction and actually paid to a Third Party pursuant to a Third Party Claim.

(c) From and after the Closing, Parent shall indemnify, save, and keep each of the Sellers and their respective Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, managers, partners, members, agents, representatives, successors, assigns and employees (collectively, “ Seller Indemnified Persons ,” and together with the Parent Indemnified Persons, the “ Indemnified Persons ” and each an “ Indemnified Person ”) harmless against and from all Damages sustained or incurred by any Seller Indemnified Person as a result of, or arising out of, (i) the breach or inaccuracy of, as of the Closing Date (or, to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, as of such other time) any of the Parent Fundamental Representations, (ii) any breach of any covenant or agreement made by Parent or either Merger Sub under this Agreement (other than the covenants and agreements set forth in Section 9.6 ), or (iii) any breach following the Closing Date of any covenant or agreement made by an Oceanbulk Holdco under this Agreement.

(d) Following the Closing, the Special Committee shall have the authority to institute and prosecute any Action on behalf of the Parent Indemnified Persons to enforce the terms of this Agreement, and on behalf of the Parent to defend any claim for indemnification against the Parent hereunder, and in connection therewith the Special Committee shall have the authority to retain such counsel (which may include current counsel to the Parent) and other advisors at the expense of the Parent as reasonably determined appropriate by the Special Committee. In the event that following the Closing no members of the Special Committee remain for any reason whatsoever, the directors of the Parent Board that are not nominees or designees of the Oaktree Seller or their respective Affiliates shall designate one or more Persons who shall not be an Affiliate, shareholder, member,

 

62


manager or employee of a Seller, Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to fill such vacancies and each such Person shall be appointed as a member of the Special Committee.

(e) Any claims for indemnification either by a Parent Indemnified Person or a Seller Indemnified Person shall be asserted and resolved in accordance with this Section 12.1(e) .

(i) If a Parent Indemnified Person or a Seller Indemnified Person seeks indemnification under this Section 12.1 , the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons) or the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons) shall (x) promptly, but in no event more than fifteen (15) calendar days following such party’s knowledge of any action, lawsuit, proceeding, investigation, or other claim against it (if by a third party) (collectively, “ Third Party Claims ”), give written notice to the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, respectively, describing such claim for indemnification in reasonable detail and the amount of the estimated Damages, and (y) promptly upon discovering the Damages or facts giving rise to such claim for indemnification (to the extent not involving a third party), deliver a written notice to the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, respectively, (A) describing such claim for indemnification in reasonable detail and the amount of the estimated Damages, (B) stating that the Indemnified Person has paid or properly accrued Damages or anticipates that it will incur liability for Damages for which such Indemnified Person is entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Agreement, and (C) the date such item was paid or accrued; provided , that any failure or delay in so notifying the Sellers’ Representative or Special Committee, as applicable, shall not relieve the Sellers or Parent of their obligations hereunder except to the extent such failure or delay shall have materially prejudiced the Sellers or Parent, respectively.

(ii) The Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons) or the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons) shall be entitled to assume and control the defense of any Third Party Claim if the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, respectively, shall give written notice to the Special Committee or the Sellers’ Representative, respectively, stating that it intends to assume such defense within 30 days after notice from the other party of such Third Party Claim. If the Sellers’ Representative or Special Committee assumes and controls the defense of any such Third Party Claim, (A) the applicable Indemnified Persons shall reasonably cooperate in the defense thereof, (B) the Special Committee (on behalf of the Parent Indemnified Persons) and the Sellers’ Representative (on behalf of the Seller Indemnified Persons) shall have the right, at their sole expense ( provided , that the fees and expenses of such counsel employed by the Special Committee shall be at the expense of the Parent), to employ counsel separate from counsel employed by the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, as applicable, in any such action and to participate in the defense thereof, but the Special Committee or the Sellers’ Representative, respectively, shall control the investigation, defense and settlement thereof, and (C) the Sellers’ Representative or Special Committee, as applicable, shall obtain the prior written consent of the Special Committee or Sellers’ Representative, respectively (which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) before entering into any settlement of a claim or ceasing to defend such claim if, pursuant to or as a result of such settlement or cessation (x) injunctive or other equitable relief will be imposed against any Indemnified Person, or (y) such settlement does not expressly unconditionally release the Indemnified Persons from all Damages with respect to such claim and all other claims arising out of the same or similar facts and circumstances, with prejudice. The parties shall act in good faith in responding to, defending against, settling or otherwise dealing with Third Party Claims, and cooperate in any such defense and give each other reasonable access to all information relevant thereto. Whether or not the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, as applicable, has assumed the defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Person shall not be entitled to indemnification hereunder with respect to any settlement entered into or any judgment consented to without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons), or the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons).

 

63


(iii) If the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons) or the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons) does not assume the defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Person will be entitled to assume such defense, at its sole cost and expense (unless the Indemnified Person incurs Damages with respect to the matter in question for which the Indemnified Person is entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 12.1 , in which case the Indemnified Person shall be entitled to indemnification with respect to such costs and expenses pursuant to this Section 12.1 ), upon delivery of notice to such effect to the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, as applicable; provided , however , that the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, as applicable, (A) shall have the right to participate in the defense of the Third Party Claim at its sole cost and expense; (B) may at any time thereafter assume defense of the Third Party Claim; and (C) shall not be obligated to indemnify the Indemnified Person hereunder for any settlement entered into or any judgment consented to without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons) or the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons).

(f) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, except with respect to fraud, the indemnification provisions of this Section 12.1 shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of the parties following the Closing for any and all breaches or alleged breaches of any representations, warranties, covenants or agreements (whether written or oral) of the parties and for any and all other claims arising under, out of or related to this Agreement, or the negotiation or execution hereof, and no party or any of its respective Affiliates (including, in the case of Parent after the Closing, the Oceanbulk Companies) shall have any other entitlement, remedy or recourse, at law or in equity, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, it being agreed that all of such other remedies, entitlements and recourse are expressly waived and released by the parties, on behalf of themselves and their respective Affiliates (including, in the case of Parent after the Closing, the Oceanbulk Companies), to the fullest extent permitted by Law; provided , that nothing in this Section 12.1(f) shall limit the right of any party to specific performance pursuant to Section 12.13 .

SECTION 12.2. Notices . All notices, requests and other communications to any party hereunder shall be in writing (including facsimile transmission) and shall be given,

if to Parent, either Merger Sub or the Special Committee, to:

Transaction Committee

Attention: Roger Schmitz / Tom Søfteland

c/o Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

Aethrion Center

40, Agiou Konstantinou Str., Maroussi 15124, Athens, Greece

Email: tom@spinnaker.as

and

c/o Monarch Alternative Capital

535 Madison Ave., Floor 26

New York, NY 10022

Email: roger.schmitz@monarchlp.com

with a copy to:

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

51 W. 52 nd St.

New York, New York 10019

Attention: Steven A. Cohen, Esq. / Ante Vucic, Esq.

Facsimile No.: (212) 403-2000

 

64


and

Seward & Kissel LLP

One Battery Park Plaza

New York, NY 10004

Attention: James Abbott, Esq. / Robert E. Lustrin, Esq.

Facsimile No.: (212) 480-8421

if to the Oceanbulk Holdcos or the Sellers, to:

Oaktree OBC Holdings LLC

333 S. Grand Avenue, 30th Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90071 1

Attention: Kenneth Liang

Jennifer Box

Mahesh Balakrishnan

Email: kliang@oaktreecapital.com

jbox@oaktreecapital.com

mbalakrishnan@oaktreecapital.com

Millennia Limited Liability Company

c/o Sophia Damigou

Legal Counsel

Aethrion Centre

40, Agiou Konstantinou A v,

151 24 Maroussi,

Greece

Email: sdamigou@oceanbulk.gr

with a copy to:

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019

Attention: Kenneth M. Schneider, Esq. / Neil Goldman, Esq.

Facsimile No.: (212) 492-0303

if to the Sellers’ Representative, to:

Oaktree OBC Holdings LLC

333 S. Grand Avenue, 30th Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90071 1

Attention: Kenneth Liang

Jennifer Box

Mahesh Balakrishnan

Email: kliang@oaktreecapital.com

jbox@oaktreecapital.com

mbalakrishnan@oaktreecapital.com

 

65


with a copy to:

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019

Attention: Kenneth M. Schneider, Esq. / Neil Goldman, Esq.

Facsimile No.: (212) 492-0303

or to such other address or facsimile number as such party may hereafter specify for the purpose by notice to the other parties hereto. All such notices, requests and other communications shall be deemed received on the date of receipt by the recipient thereof if received prior to 5:00 p.m. on a Business Day. Otherwise, any such notice, request or communication shall be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day.

SECTION 12.3. Amendments and Waivers .

(a) Any provision of this Agreement may be amended or waived if, but only if, such amendment or waiver is in writing and is signed, in the case of an amendment, by each party to this Agreement or, in the case of a waiver, by each party against whom the waiver is to be effective; provided that (i) any such amendment or waiver on behalf of Parent or either Merger Sub shall require the approval of a majority of the Special Committee, and (ii) after the Transactions Approval has been obtained there shall be no amendment or waiver that would require the further approval of the stockholders of Parent under the MIBCA unless such amendment is subject to stockholder approval.

(b) No waiver shall be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach or failure of the same term or condition, or a waiver of any other term or condition of this Agreement. No failure or delay by any party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. Except as set forth in Section 12.1(f), the rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by applicable Law.

SECTION 12.4. Expenses .

(a) General . Except as expressly otherwise provided herein, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions shall be paid by the party incurring such cost or expense.

(b) Termination Fee . If (A) this Agreement is terminated (x) by Parent or the Sellers’ Representative pursuant to Section 11.1(b)(ii) or pursuant to Section 11.1(b)(i) at a time when this Agreement could have been validly terminated pursuant to Section 11.1(b)(ii) , (y) by the Sellers’ Representative pursuant to Section 11.1(c) or (z) by Parent pursuant to Section 11.1(b) at a time when this Agreement could have been validly terminated by the Sellers’ Representative pursuant to Section 11.1(c) , (B) prior to the Parent Stockholders Meeting, an Acquisition Proposal (with 50% being substituted for references to 15% in the definition thereof for the purposes of this Section 12.4(b) ) shall have been made and disclosed to the Parent stockholders, and (C) prior to the nine-month anniversary of the date of such termination, Parent enters into a definitive agreement with respect to any Acquisition Proposal or any Acquisition Proposal shall have been consummated, then Parent shall pay the Termination Fee to the Sellers’ Representative (for the benefit of the Sellers, pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages) in immediately available funds within two Business Days after the occurrence of the last of the events described in clauses (A), (B) and (C) of this Section 12.4(b) . “ Termination Fee ” means $8,000,000.

(c) Other Costs and Expenses . Parent acknowledges that the agreements contained in this Section 12.4 are an integral part of the Transactions and that, without these agreements, the Sellers would not enter into this Agreement. Accordingly, if Parent fails to pay any amount due to the Sellers’ Representative on or prior to the date such amounts are due pursuant to this Section 12.4 , it shall also pay any costs and expenses (including

 

66


reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by the Sellers in connection with a legal action or proceeding to enforce the obligation to pay the Termination Fee that results in a judgment against Parent for such amount, together with interest on the amount of any unpaid fee, cost or expense at the publicly announced prime rate of Citibank, N.A., in effect on the date such amounts were originally due hereunder from the date such fee, cost or expense was required to be paid to (but excluding) the payment date.

(d) Each of the Sellers and each of the Oceanbulk Holdcos agree that, upon any valid termination of this Agreement in accordance with the terms herein under circumstances where the Termination Fee is payable by Parent pursuant to this Section and such Termination Fee is received in full by the Sellers’ Representative (for the benefit of the Sellers, pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages), the Sellers and Oceanbulk Holdcos shall be precluded from any other remedy against Parent or either Merger Sub, at law or in equity or otherwise, and none of the Sellers or Oceanbulk Holdcos shall seek to obtain any recovery, judgment, or damages or any kind, including consequential, indirect, or punitive damages, against Parent or any of Parent’s Subsidiaries or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, partners, managers, members, shareholders or Affiliates or their respective Representatives in connection with this Agreement, the Related Agreements or the Transactions.

SECTION 12.5. Exhibits; Disclosure Letters . All Exhibits annexed hereto are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Agreement as if set forth in full herein. References to this Agreement shall include the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter and the Parent Disclosure Letter. The parties hereto agree that any reference in a particular Section of the Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter or Parent Disclosure Letter, as applicable, shall be deemed to be an exception to (or, as applicable, a disclosure for purposes of) the applicable representations and warranties (or applicable covenants) that are contained in the corresponding Section of this Agreement and any other representations and warranties that are contained in this Agreement to which the relevance of such item thereto is reasonably apparent on its face. The mere inclusion of an item in Oceanbulk Disclosure Letter or Parent Disclosure Letter, as applicable, as an exception to (or, as applicable, a disclosure for purposes of) a representation or warranty shall not be deemed an admission that such item represents a material exception or material fact, event or circumstance or that such item would have an Oceanbulk Material Adverse Effect or Parent Material Adverse Effect, as applicable or establish any standard of materiality to define further the meaning of such terms for purposes of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.6. Waiver . Subject to Section 12.3 hereof, at any time prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after the Parent Stockholders Meeting, Parent (on behalf of itself and Merger Subs, and only with the approval of the Special Committee) may (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the covenants, obligations or other acts of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or the Sellers, or (b) waive any inaccuracy of any representations or warranties or compliance with any of the agreements or covenants of the Oceanbulk Holdcos or the Sellers or with any conditions to its own obligations. Any agreement on the part of Parent (on behalf of itself and Merger Subs) to any such extension or waiver will be valid only if such waiver is set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of Parent by its duly authorized officer and signed by a member of the Special Committee (on behalf of the Special Committee). Subject to Section 12.3 hereof, at any time prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after the Parent Stockholders Meeting, the Sellers’ Representative (on behalf of itself and the Oceanbulk Holdcos and the other Sellers) may (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the covenants, obligations or other acts of Parent or Merger Subs, or (b) waive any inaccuracy of any representations or warranties or compliance with any of the agreements or covenants of Parent or Merger Subs, or with any conditions to its own obligations. Any agreement on the part of the Sellers’ Representative to any such extension or waiver will be valid only if such waiver is set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of the Sellers’ Representative by its duly authorized officer. The failure of any party to this Agreement to assert any of its rights under this Agreement or otherwise will not constitute a waiver of such rights. The waiver of any such right with respect to particular facts and other circumstances will not be deemed a waiver with respect to any other facts and circumstances, and each such right will be deemed an ongoing right that may be asserted at any time and from time to time.

 

67


SECTION 12.7. Governing Law . This Agreement will be deemed to be made in and in all respects will be interpreted, construed and governed by and in accordance with the Laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice of Law or conflict of Law provision or rule that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York, except to the extent that the law of the Marshall Islands is mandatorily applicable to the Merger.

SECTION 12.8. JURISDICTION . EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO CONSENTS TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY STATE OR FEDERAL COURT SITTING IN MANHATTAN IN NEW YORK CITY OR IN THE FEDERAL SOUTHERN DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND ANY APPELLATE COURT THEREFROM LOCATED IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK AND IRREVOCABLY AGREES THAT ALL ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE MERGER OR THE OTHER TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE LITIGATED IN SUCH COURTS. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO ACCEPTS FOR ITSELF AND IN CONNECTION WITH ITS RESPECTIVE PROPERTIES, GENERALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY, THE JURISDICTION OF THE AFORESAID COURTS AND WAIVES ANY DEFENSE OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS, AND IRREVOCABLY AGREES TO BE BOUND BY ANY FINAL AND NONAPPEALABLE JUDGMENT RENDERED THEREBY IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, THE MERGER OR THE OTHER TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO FURTHER IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO THE SERVICE OF PROCESS OUT OF ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COURTS IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY THE MAILING OF COPIES THEREOF BY REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL, POSTAGE PREPAID, TO SUCH PARTY AT THE ADDRESS SPECIFIED IN THIS AGREEMENT, SUCH SERVICE TO BECOME EFFECTIVE 15 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER SUCH MAILING. NOTHING HEREIN WILL IN ANY WAY BE DEEMED TO LIMIT THE ABILITY OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE ANY SUCH LEGAL PROCESS, SUMMONS, NOTICES AND DOCUMENTS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR TO OBTAIN JURISDICTION OVER OR TO BRING ACTIONS, SUITS OR PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY HERETO IN SUCH OTHER JURISDICTIONS, AND IN SUCH MANNER, AS MAY BE PERMITTED BY ANY APPLICABLE LAW.

SECTION 12.9. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

SECTION 12.10. Counterparts; Effectiveness . This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement shall become effective when each party hereto shall have received a counterpart hereof signed by all of the other parties hereto. Until and unless each party has received a counterpart hereof signed by the other party hereto, this Agreement shall have no effect and no party shall have any right or obligation hereunder (whether by virtue of any other oral or written agreement or other communication). Facsimile signatures or signatures received as a pdf attachment to electronic mail shall be treated as original signatures for all purposes of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.11. Entire Agreement . This Agreement, the Related Agreements and the Confidentiality Agreement constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both oral and written, between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.12. Severability . If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated so long as the economic or legal substance of the

 

68


transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such a determination, the parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.

SECTION 12.13. Specific Performance . The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur if any provision of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with the terms hereof, that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred in connection therewith, and that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement or to enforce specifically the performance of the terms and provisions hereof in any federal court located in the State of New York or any New York state court, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity, and the parties to this Agreement hereby waive any requirement for the posting of any bond or similar collateral in connection therewith. The parties hereby agree to waive in any action for specific performance of any such obligation (other than in connection with any action for temporary restraining order) the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

SECTION 12.14. Headings . The descriptive headings contained in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and will not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.15. Construction . The parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement, and, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.16. Binding Effect; Benefit; Assignment .

(a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and, except as provided in Section 12.1 , shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. Except as provided in Section 12.1 , no provision of this Agreement is intended to confer any rights, benefits, remedies, obligations or liabilities hereunder upon any Person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

(b) No party may assign, delegate or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the consent of each other party hereto, except that Parent or either Merger Sub may transfer or assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement after the Effective Time to any Affiliate of Parent or such Merger Sub; provided, that no such assignment shall relieve Parent of any obligations under this Agreement. Any purported assignment without such prior written consents shall be void.

SECTION 12.17. Sellers’ Representative .

(a) By virtue of the adoption of this Agreement, the Sellers’ Representative is hereby authorized, directed and appointed to act as sole and exclusive agent, attorney-in-fact and representative of the Sellers, with full power of substitution with respect to all matters under this Agreement, including determining, giving and receiving notices and processes hereunder, executing and delivering, on behalf of the Sellers, any and all documents or certificates to be executed by the Sellers, in connection with this Agreement, the Related Agreements and the Transactions, granting any waiver, consent or approval on behalf of the Sellers under this Agreement, appointing one or more successor Sellers’ Representatives, contesting and settling any and all claims for indemnification pursuant to Section 12.1 , resolving any other disputes hereunder, performing the duties expressly assigned to the Sellers’ Representative hereunder and to engage and employ agents and representatives and to incur such other expenses as the Sellers’ Representative shall reasonably deem necessary or prudent in connection with the foregoing. The Sellers’ Representative shall have the sole and exclusive right on behalf of any Sellers to take any action or provide any waiver, or receive any notice with respect to any claims for indemnification under Section 12.1 and to settle any claim or controversy arising with respect thereto. Any such

 

69


actions taken, exercises of rights, power or authority, and any decision or determination made by the Sellers’ Representative consistent herewith, shall be absolutely and irrevocably binding on each Seller as if such Person personally had taken such action, exercised such rights, power or authority or made such decision or determination in such Person’s individual capacity, and no such Person shall have the right to object, dissent, protest or otherwise contest the same.

(b) The appointment of the Sellers’ Representative as the attorney-in-fact of each of the Sellers revokes any power of attorney heretofore granted that authorized any other person or persons to represent such Person with regard to this Agreement. The appointment of the Sellers’ Representative as attorney-in-fact pursuant hereto is coupled with an interest and is irrevocable. The obligations of each of the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement (i) will not be terminated by operation of law, death, mental or physical incapacity, liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, insolvency or similar event with respect to such Person or any proceeding in connection therewith, or in the case of a trust, by the death of any trustee or trustees or the termination of such trust, or any other event, and (ii) shall survive the delivery of an assignment by any such Person of the whole or any fraction of its interest in any payment due to it under this Agreement.

(c) The Sellers’ Representative hereby accepts the foregoing appointment and agrees to serve as Sellers’ Representative, subject to the provisions hereof, for the period of time from and after the date hereof without compensation except for the reimbursement from the Sellers in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Percentages, of fees and expenses incurred by Sellers’ Representative in its capacity as such.

(d) For all purposes of this Agreement, Parent, the Special Committee and the Parent Board shall be entitled to rely conclusively on the instructions and decisions of the Sellers’ Representative as to the settlement of any claims for indemnification by any Parent Indemnified Person pursuant to Section 12.1 or any other actions required or permitted to be taken by the Sellers’ Representative hereunder or in connection with the Merger and other matters contemplated hereby.

(e) The Sellers’ Representative shall not, in the absence of bad faith, willful misconduct or gross negligence, have any liability to the Sellers whatsoever with respect to its actions, decisions and determinations, and shall be entitled to assume that all actions, decisions and determinations are fully authorized by each and every one of the Sellers.

(f) The Sellers’ Representative shall be entitled to rely upon any Order, certification, demand, notice, instrument or other writing delivered to it hereunder without being required to determine the authenticity or the correctness of any fact stated therein or the propriety or validity of the service thereof. The Sellers’ Representative may act in reliance upon any instrument or signature believed by it to be genuine and may assume that the Person purporting to give receipt or advice or make any statement or execute any document in connection with the provisions hereof has been duly authorized to do so. The Sellers’ Representative may conclusively presume that the undersigned representative of any party hereto which is an entity other than a natural person has full power and authority to instruct the Sellers’ Representative on behalf of that party unless written notice to the contrary is delivered to the Sellers’ Representative.

(g) The Sellers’ Representative may act pursuant to the advice of counsel with respect to any matter relating to this Agreement and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with such advice.

(h) Parent hereby agrees that the Sellers’ Representative shall not, in its capacity as such, have any liability to Parent, Merger Subs or the Surviving Companies whatsoever with respect to its actions, decisions or determinations.

(i) The rights, powers and benefits of the Sellers’ Representative under this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

 

70


SECTION 12.18. No Third Party Beneficiaries . Except as provided in Section 8.10, Section 12.1 , Section 12.19 or Section 12.20 (each of which provisions is intended to be for the benefit of the Persons referred to therein, and may be enforced by any such Person), the parties hereto hereby agree that their respective representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein are solely for the benefit of the other party hereto, in accordance with and subject to the terms of this Agreement, and this Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any Person other than the parties hereto any rights or remedies hereunder, including the right to rely upon the representations and warranties.

SECTION 12.19. Waiver of Conflicts . Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (“ Sellers Counsel ”) has acted as legal counsel to the Sellers and their respective Affiliates prior to the Closing in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The parties recognize the community of interest that exists and will continue to exist until the Closing, and the parties agree and acknowledge that such community of interest should continue to be recognized after the Closing. Specifically, the parties agree that (a) neither the Parent nor any Oceanbulk Company shall seek to have any Sellers Counsel disqualified from representing Seller or its Affiliates (or any other equityholder of Seller) in any dispute (whether in contract or tort) that may arise between an Oceanbulk Company or its Affiliates formerly represented by Sellers Counsel, on the one hand, and Seller or its Affiliates (or any other equityholder of Seller), on the other hand, based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in whole or in part and (b) in connection with any dispute that may arise between an Oceanbulk Company or its Affiliates formerly represented by Sellers Counsel, on the one hand, and Seller or its Affiliates (or any other equityholder of Seller), on the other hand, Seller and its Affiliates shall have the right to decide whether or not to waive any attorney-client privilege that may apply to any communications between an Oceanbulk Company or its Affiliates formerly represented by Sellers Counsel or Seller and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and any Sellers Counsel, on the other hand, that occurred on or prior to the Closing, provided that the foregoing shall not extend to any communication or file not involving the negotiation, documentation and consummation of the Transactions or the matters contemplated hereby. The covenants contained in this Section 12.19 are intended to be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, Sellers Counsel and its legal representatives and shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Sellers Counsel is entitled, whether pursuant to law, contract or otherwise.

SECTION 12.20. Non-Recourse . Except as set forth in any Related Agreements (and then only with respect to the entities expressly named as parties therein and then only with respect to the specific obligations of such party set forth therein), (i) this Agreement may be enforced only against, and any Action based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the Transactions may be brought only against, the entities that are expressly named as parties and then only with respect to the specific obligations set forth herein with respect to such party and (ii) with respect to each party, no past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, member, partner, shareholder, agent, attorney, advisor, lender or representative or Affiliate of such named party shall have any liability (whether in contract or tort, at law or in equity or otherwise, or based upon any theory that seeks to impose liability of an entity party against its owners or Affiliates) for any one or more of the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements or other obligations or liabilities of such named party or for any Action or claim based on, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the Transactions. The provisions of this Section 12.20 are intended to be for the benefit of, and enforceable by the directors, officers, employees, incorporators, members, partners, stockholders, agents, attorneys, advisors, lenders and other representatives and Affiliates referenced in this Section 12.20 and each such Person shall be a third party beneficiary of this Section 12.20 .

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

71


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first above written.

 

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
By:  

/s/ Spyros Capralos

  Name: Spyros Capralos
  Title:   Chief Executive Officer
STAR SYNERGY LLC
By:  

/s/ Georgia Mastagaki

  Name: Georgia Mastagaki
  Title:   Officer
STAR OMAS LLC
By:  

/s/ Georgia Mastagaki

  Name: Georgia Mastagaki
  Title:   Officer
OAKTREE OBC HOLDINGS LLC
By:  

/s/ Rajath Shourie

  Name: Rajath Shourie
  Title:   Authorized Signatory
By:  

/s/ Jenny Box

  Name: Jenny Box
  Title:   Authorized Signatory
MILLENNIA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
By:   Oceanbulk Maritime S.A., its Manager
By:  

/s/ Alicia Williams Romero

  Name: Alicia Williams Romero
  Title:   President / Director
OAKTREE DRY BULK HOLDINGS LLC
By:  

/s/ Rajath Shourie

  Name: Rajath Shourie
  Title:   Authorized Signatory
By:  

/s/ Jenny Box

  Name: Jenny Box
  Title:   Authorized Signatory

 


MILLENNIA HOLDINGS LLC
By:   Oceanbulk Maritime S.A., its Manager
By:  

/s/ Alicia Williams Romero

  Name: Alicia Williams Romero
  Title:   President/Director

 


Exhibit A

Ownership Interests

 

Oceanbulk Holdco

  

Ownership

Oaktree OBC Holdings LLC    100% of membership interests owned by Oaktree Dry Bulk Holdings LLC
Millennia Limited Liability Company    100% of membership interests owned by Millennia Holdings LLC

 

Oaktree Seller (or Affiliate)

  

Record and Beneficial Ownership of Shares
of Parent Common Stock

  
Certain affiliated entities of Oaktree Seller(1)    5,773,907

(1) VOF 1 directly holds 3,501,907 shares of Parent Common Stock, and has the sole power to vote and dispose of such Parent Common Stock.

VOF GP, in its capacity as the general partner of VOF, has the ability to direct the management of VOF’s business, including the power to vote and dispose of securities held by VOF; therefore, VOF GP may be deemed to beneficially own VOF’s Subject Shares.

VOF GP Ltd., in its capacity as the general partner of VOF GP, has the ability to direct the management of VOF GP’s business, including the power to direct the decisions of VOF GP regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by VOF; therefore, VOF GP Ltd. may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of VOF’s Subject Shares.

Fund IX directly holds 2,251,325 Common Shares and has the sole power to vote and dispose of such Common Shares.

GP LLC, in its capacity as the general partner of Fund IX, has the ability to direct the management of Fund IX’s business, including the power to direct the decisions of Fund IX regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by Fund IX; therefore, GP LLC may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of Fund IX’s Subject Shares.

Parallel 2 directly holds 20,675 Common Shares and has the sole power to vote and dispose of such Common Shares.

IX GP, in its capacity as the general partner of Parallel 2, has the ability to direct the management of Parallel 2’s business, including the power to vote and dispose of securities held by Parallel 2; therefore IX GP may be deemed to beneficially own Parallel 2’s Subject Shares.

IX Ltd., in its capacity as the general partner of IX GP, has the ability to direct the management of IX GP’s business, including the power to direct the decision if IX GP regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by Parallel 2; therefore IX GP may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of Parallel 2’s Subject Shares.

GP I, (i) in its capacity as the sole shareholder of each of VOF GP Ltd. and IX Ltd., has the ability to appoint and remove the directors and direct the management of the business of each of VOF GP Ltd. and IX Ltd, and (ii) in its capacity as the managing member of GP LLC, has the ability to direct the management of GP LLC’s business, including the power to direct the decisions of GP LLC regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by Fund IX; therefore, GP I may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of the Subject Shares.

 

 

1   Defined terms used herein and not otherwise defined have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Schedule 13D, as amended, filed by affiliates of the Oaktree Seller.


Capital I, in its capacity as the general partner of GP I, has the ability to direct the management of GP I’s business, including the power to direct the decisions of GP I

Holdings I, in its capacity as the general partner of Capital I, has the ability to direct the management of Capital I’s business, including the power to direct the decisions of Capital I regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by VOF, Fund IX and Parallel 2; therefore, Holdings I may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of the Subject Shares.

Holdings, in its capacity as the managing member of Holdings I, has the ability to direct the management of Holding I’s business, including the power to direct the decisions of Holdings I regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by VOF, Fund IX and Parallel 2; therefore, Holdings may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of the Subject Shares.

Management, in its capacity as the sole director of each of VOF GP Ltd. and IX Ltd., has the ability to direct the management of VOF GP Ltd. and IX Ltd., including the power to direct the decisions of VOF GP Ltd. and IX Ltd. regarding the voting and dispositions of the securities held by VOF and Parallel 2, respectively; therefore, Management may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of VOF’s and Parallel 2’s Subject Shares.

Holdings, Inc., in its capacity as the general partner of Management, has the ability to direct the management of Management’s business, including the power to direct the decisions of Management regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by VOF and Parallel 2; therefore, Holdings, Inc. may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of VOF’s and Parallel 2’s Subject Shares.

OCG, in its capacity as the sole shareholder of Holdings, Inc., has the ability to appoint and remove directors of Holdings, Inc. and, as such, may indirectly control the decisions of Holdings, Inc. regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by VOF and Parallel 2. Additionally, OCG, in its capacity as the managing member of Holdings, has the ability to direct the management of Holdings’ business, including the power to direct the decisions of Holdings regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by VOF, Fund IX and Parallel 2. Therefore, OCG may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of the Subject Shares.

OCGH GP, in its capacity as the duly appointed manager of OCG, has the ability appoint and remove directors of OCG and, as such, may indirectly control the decisions of OCG regarding the voting and disposition of securities held by VOF, Fund IX and Parallel 2; therefore, OCGH GP may be deemed to have indirect beneficial ownership of the Subject Shares.

 

Pappas Seller (or Affiliate)

  

Record and Beneficial Ownership of Shares

of Parent Common Stock

  
Maria Milena Pappas    1,050,335
Alexandros Pappas    853,421
Dimitris Kondylis    107,149.26


Exhibit B

Parent Board Composition

 

Director

  

Director Class

1.      Rajath Shourie

   A

2.      Emily Stephens

   B

3.      Renee Kemp

   C

4.      Petros Pappas

   C


Exhibit C

Parent Board Composition

 

Director

  

Director Class

1.      Spyros Capralos (Non-Executive Chairman)

   C

2.      Tom Søfteland

   A

3.      Roger Schmitz

   B

4.      Koert Erhardt

   B

5.      Additional member to be selected by the Special Committee after signing this Agreement but no later than the Parent Stockholders Meeting.

   A


Exhibit D

Form of Oaktree Stockholders Agreement

See attached.


Exhibit E

Form of Registration Rights Agreement

See attached.


Exhibit F

Form of Pappas Stockholders Agreement

See attached.


Exhibit G-1

Parent Management

 

Executive

  

Title

Petros Pappas    Chief Executive Officer
Hamish Norton    President
Christos Begleris    Co-Chief Financial Officer
Simos Spyrou    Co-Chief Financial Officer
Nicos Rescos    Chief Operating Officer
Zenon Cleopas    Executive Vice President
Sophia Damigou    Co-General Counsel
Georgia Mastagaki    Co-General Counsel

Exhibit G-2

Oceanbulk Management Members

 

Executive

  

Title

Petros Pappas    Chief Executive Officer
Hamish Norton    President
Christos Begleris    Co-Chief Financial Officer
Nicos Rescos    Chief Operating Officer
Sophia Damigou    Co-General Counsel

Exhibit G-3

Oceanbulk Management Term Sheets

See attached.


Exhibit H

Core Vessel Distribution

Heron ABY Vessels

 

  1. ABYO Audrey
  2. One of the following Kamsarmax vessels: ABYO Gwyneth, ABYO Oprah or ABYO Angelina

Heron OBS Vessels

Two of the following Kamsarmax vessels: ABYO Gwyneth, ABYO Oprah or ABYO Angelina

Disagreement Process

During the fourteen (14)-day period following the delivery of a Notice of Disagreement, Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall seek in good faith to resolve in writing any differences that they may have with respect to the matters specified in the Notice of Disagreement. If at the end of such fourteen (14)-day period Parent and the Sellers’ Representative have not resolved in writing the matters specified in the Notice of Disagreement, Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall submit to a mutually agreed independent accounting firm (the “ Accounting Firm ”) for arbitration, only matters that remain in dispute. Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall use reasonable commercial efforts to cause the Accounting Firm to render a written decision resolving the matters submitted to the Accounting Firm within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such submission. The Accounting Firm shall act as an expert, not an arbitrator, and the scope of the disputes to be resolved by the Accounting Firm shall be limited to fixing mathematical errors and determining whether the items in dispute were determined in accordance with this Agreement and the Accounting Firm is not to make any other determination. The Accounting Firm’s decision shall be based solely on written submissions by Parent and the Sellers’ Representative and their respective representatives and not by independent review and shall be final and binding on all of the parties hereto. The Accounting Firm may not assign a value greater than the greatest value, or smaller than the smallest value, for such item claimed by either Parent or the Sellers’ Representative. Judgment may be entered upon the determination of the Accounting Firm in any court having jurisdiction over the party against which such determination is to be enforced. The fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm incurred pursuant to this Exhibit I shall be borne by the Sellers, pro rata based on their respective Pro Rata Percentages, on the one hand, and Parent, on the other hand, in proportion to the final allocation made by such Accounting Firm of the disputed items weighted in relation to the claims made by the Sellers, on the one hand, and Parent, on the other hand, such that the prevailing party pays the lesser proportion of such fees, costs and expenses. The Statement (as revised in accordance with this sentence) shall become final and binding upon the parties on the earlier of (A) the date Parent and the Sellers’ Representative resolve in writing any differences they have with respect to the matters specified in the Notice of Disagreement and (B) the date any disputed matters are finally resolved in writing by the Accounting Firm.


Exhibit D

EXECUTION COPY

SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

by and among

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.

and

THE SHAREHOLDERS NAMED HEREIN

 

 

Dated as of [ ], 2014

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page  
ARTICLE I   
DEFINITIONS; INTERPRETATION   
Section 1.1   

Certain Definitions

     1   
Section 1.2   

Terms Defined Elsewhere

     5   
Section 1.3   

Interpretation

     5   
ARTICLE II   
BOARD OF DIRECTORS   
Section 2.1   

General

     6   
Section 2.2   

Board Size; Initial Composition

     6   
Section 2.3   

Election of Certain Directors

     7   
Section 2.4   

Right to Delegate; Committees

     7   
Section 2.5   

Compliance and Removal

     8   
Section 2.6   

Vacancies

     8   
Section 2.7   

Expense Reimbursement

     9   
ARTICLE III   
VOTING LIMITATIONS; CONSENT RIGHTS   
Section 3.1   

Proportional Voting

     9   
Section 3.2   

Consent Rights

     10   
ARTICLE IV   
OWNERSHIP, STANDSTILL AND TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS   
Section 4.1   

Acquisition of Securities

     10   
Section 4.2   

Standstill

     11   
Section 4.3   

Disposition of Securities

     11   
Section 4.4   

Participation in a Change of Control Transaction

     12   
Section 4.5   

Oaktree Affiliates

     12   
Section 4.6   

Acknowledgment Regarding Certain Entities

     12   
Section 4.7   

Adjustments

     12   
ARTICLE V   
OTHER AGREEMENTS   
Section 5.1   

No Side Agreements

     13   
Section 5.2   

Affiliate Transactions

     13   
Section 5.3   

Subsequent Acquisitions

     13   
Section 5.4   

No Aggregation with Pappas Investors

     14   

 

i


TABLE OF CONTENTS

(Continued)

 

          Page  
ARTICLE VI   
GENERAL PROVISIONS   
Section 6.1   

Termination

     14   
Section 6.2   

INTENTIONALLY DELETED

     14   
Section 6.3   

Notices

     14   
Section 6.4   

Counterparts

     15   
Section 6.5   

Entire Agreement

     15   
Section 6.6   

Binding Effect; No Third-Party Beneficiary

     15   
Section 6.7   

Governing Law

     15   
Section 6.8   

Assignment

     16   
Section 6.9   

Submission to Jurisdiction; Service

     16   
Section 6.10   

Severability

     16   
Section 6.11   

Waiver and Amendment

     16   
Section 6.12   

Waiver of Jury Trial

     16   
Section 6.13   

Specific Performance

     16   
Section 6.14   

Other Matters

     17   
SCHEDULES   
Schedule I   

Existing Oaktree Shareholders

  
Schedule II   

New Oaktree Shareholders

  
Schedule III   

Board Composition

  
Schedule IV   

Existing Arrangements with Pappas Investors

  
Schedule V   

Board Nominee Criteria

  
EXHIBITS   
Exhibit A   

Form of Joinder

  

 

ii


SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

This SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT, dated as of [•], 2014 (this “ Agreement ”), by and among Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a Marshall Islands corporation (together with any successors thereof, the “ Company ”), the Existing Oaktree Shareholders listed on Schedule I attached hereto, the New Oaktree Shareholders listed on Schedule II attached hereto and any other Person joined hereto from time to time as an Oaktree Shareholder in accordance with the terms hereof. Capitalized terms used herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in Article I .

RECITALS

WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 16, 2014 (the “ Merger Agreement ”), by and among the Company, Millennia Limited Liability Company, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (“ Millennia ”), Oaktree OBS Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (“ OBS Holdings ”), Star Synergy LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“ Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub ”), Star Omas LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“ Millennia Holdco Merger Sub ”), and certain other parties named therein, on the date hereof, (a) Millennia merged with and into Millennia Holdco Merger Sub, with Millennia Holdco Merger Sub continuing as the surviving company, and (b) OBS Holdings merged with and into Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub, with Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub continuing as the surviving company (clauses (a) and (b), collectively, the “ Merger ”).

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (including the Merger), each of the Existing Oaktree Shareholders and New Oaktree Shareholders will hold the number of Common Shares set forth opposite such Shareholder’s name on Schedule I and Schedule II , respectively.

WHEREAS, the parties wish to enter into this Agreement to reflect certain agreements with respect to the Company and the Common Shares.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS; INTERPRETATION

Section 1.1 Certain Definitions . Unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms, when used in this Agreement, shall have the respective meanings given to them below (such meanings to be equally applicable to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined):

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person, where “control” for purposes of this definition means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, as trustee or executor or otherwise.

beneficial owner ” means a “beneficial owner”, as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act; “beneficially own”, “beneficial ownership” and related terms shall have the correlative meanings.

Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.


Change of Control Transaction ” means (a) any acquisition, in one or more related transactions, by any Person or Group, whether by transfer of Equity Securities, merger, consolidation, amalgamation, recapitalization or equity sale (including a sale of securities by the Company) or otherwise, which has the effect of the direct or indirect acquisition by such Person or Group of the Majority Voting Power in the Company; or (b) any acquisition by any Person or Group directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions, of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries (which may include, for the avoidance of doubt, the sale or issuance of Equity Securities of one or more Subsidiaries of the Company).

Charter ” means the Third Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company, dated as of October 12, 2012, as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time.

Class A ” means the class of Directors whose term will expire at the first annual meeting of the Shareholders following the date hereof.

Class B ” means the class of Directors whose term will expire at the second annual meeting of the Shareholders following the date hereof.

Class C ” means the class of Directors whose term will expire at the third annual meeting of the Shareholders following the date hereof.

Common Shares ” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, or any other capital stock of the Company or any other Person into which such stock is reclassified or reconstituted (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise) (as adjusted for any stock splits, stock dividends, subdivisions, recapitalizations and the like).

Contested Election ” means an election of Directors to the Board where one or more members of the slate of nominees put forward by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is being opposed by one or more competing nominees.

Director ” means any of the individuals elected or appointed to serve on the Board.

Disinterested Director Approval ” means, with respect to any transaction or conduct requiring such approval pursuant to this Agreement, the approval of a majority of the Disinterested Directors with respect to such transaction or conduct (and the quorum requirements set forth in the Charter or bylaws of the Company shall be reduced to exclude any Directors that are not Disinterested Directors for purposes of such approval).

Disinterested Directors ” means any Directors who (a) are not Oaktree Designees and (b) do not have any material business, financial or familial relationship with a party (other than the Company or its Subsidiaries) to the transaction or conduct that is the subject of the approval being sought. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Petros Pappas shall not constitute an Oaktree Designee (other than solely for purposes of Section 2.3 , including Section 2.3(a)(i) , Section 4.2 and Section 4.3 ), and the agreements and relationships set forth on Schedule IV shall not disqualify Petros Pappas or other Pappas Investors from constituting a Disinterested Director for purposes of this Agreement (except to the extent (x) the applicable conduct or transaction being approved relates to the container or tanker joint ventures referenced therein and (y) Petros Pappas or such other Pappas Investor continues to have a business or financial interest therein).

Equity Securities ” means, with respect to any entity, all forms of equity securities in such entity or any successor of such entity (however designated, whether voting or non-voting), all securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such equity securities, and all warrants, options or other rights to purchase or acquire from such entity or any successor of such entity, such equity securities, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such equity securities, including, with respect to the Company, the Common Shares and Preferred Shares.

 

2


Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Excluded Matter ” includes each of the following:

 

  (a) any vote of the Shareholders in connection with a Change of Control Transaction with an Unaffiliated Buyer; provided , however , that if the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates are voting in support of such Change of Control Transaction, then such vote shall constitute an Excluded Matter only if such Change of Control Transaction has received the Disinterested Director Approval; and

 

  (b) any vote of the Shareholders in connection with (i) an amendment of the Charter or bylaws of the Company or (ii) the dissolution of the Company; provided , however , that if the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates are voting in support of such matter in either case, then such vote shall constitute an Excluded Matter only if such matter has received the Disinterested Director Approval.

Existing Oaktree Shareholders ” means the Persons listed on Schedule I attached hereto, and the term “ Existing Oaktree Shareholder ” means any such Person.

Governmental Authority ” means any federal, national, state, foreign, provincial, local or other government or any governmental, regulatory, administrative or self-regulatory authority (including NASDAQ), agency, bureau, board, commission, court, judicial or arbitral body, department, political subdivision, tribunal or other instrumentality thereof.

Group ” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act.

Law ” means any statute or law (including common law), constitution, code, ordinance, rule, treaty or regulation and any Order.

Majority Voting Power ” means, with respect to any Person, either (a) the power to elect or direct the election of a majority of the board of directors or other similar body of such Person or (b) direct or indirect beneficial ownership of Equity Securities representing more than 39% of the Voting Securities of such Person.

NASDAQ ” means The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. or other stock exchange or securities market on which the Common Shares are at any time listed or quoted.

New Oaktree Shareholders ” means the Persons listed on Schedule II attached hereto, and the term “ New Oaktree Shareholder ” means any such Person.

Oaktree Shareholders ” means, collectively, the Existing Oaktree Shareholders, the New Oaktree Shareholders and any Affiliates of such Persons that become Oaktree Shareholders pursuant to a transfer or other acquisition of Equity Securities of the Company in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, and the term “ Oaktree Shareholder ” means any such Person.

Order ” means any award, injunction, judgment, decree, order, ruling, assessment, writ or verdict, promulgated or entered by or with any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction.

Other Large Holder ” means, with respect to any matter in which the Shareholders are entitled to vote or consent, any Person or Group that is not an Oaktree Shareholder, an Affiliate of an Oaktree Shareholder or a Group that includes any of the foregoing; provided , however , that if the Oaktree Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Pappas Investors, on the other hand, are entitled to vote on or consent to such matter and a majority of the Voting Securities held by the Pappas Investors are voting on or consenting to such matter in the same manner as a majority of the Voting Securities held by the Oaktree Shareholders (i.e., both portions of Voting Securities are

 

3


“for” or both portions of Voting Securities are “against”), then an “Other Large Holder” shall mean any Person or Group that is not an Oaktree Shareholder, a Pappas Investor, an Affiliate of either of the foregoing or a Group that includes any of the foregoing.

Other Large Holder Effective Voting Percentage ” means, with respect to an Other Large Holder as of the record date for the determination of Shareholders entitled to vote or consent to any matter, the ratio (expressed as a percentage) of (a) the sum of (i) the number of Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by such Other Large Holder as of such record date, plus (ii) the product of (x) the excess (if any) of the number of Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned in the aggregate by the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates as of such record date, over the number of Voting Securities of the Company that is equal to the product of the total number of Voting Securities of the Company outstanding as of such record date, multiplied by the Voting Cap Percentage applicable with respect to such matter, multiplied by (y) a percentage equal to (I) the number of Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by such Other Large Holder as of such record date, divided by (II) the number of Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by all Shareholders (other than the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates) as of such record date and with respect to which a vote was cast or consent given (for or against) in respect of such matter, divided by (b) the total number of Voting Securities of the Company outstanding as of such record date.

Person ” means an association, a corporation, an individual, a partnership, a limited liability company, a trust or any other entity or organization, including a Governmental Authority.

Preferred Shares ” means the shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, or any other capital stock of the Company or any other Person into which such stock is reclassified or reconstituted (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise) (as adjusted for any stock splits, stock dividends, subdivisions, recapitalizations and the like).

SEC ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor agency.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933.

Shareholders ” means the holders of Voting Securities of the Company, and the term “ Shareholder ” means any such Person.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any specified Person, (a) any corporation or company more than 50% of whose voting or capital stock is, as of the time in question, directly or indirectly owned by such Person and (b) any partnership, joint venture, association, or other entity in which such Person, directly or indirectly, owns more than 50% of the equity or economic interest thereof or has the power to elect or direct the election of more than 50% of the members of the governing body of such entity.

Unaffiliated Buyer ” means any Person other than (a) an Oaktree Shareholder, (b) an Affiliate of an Oaktree Shareholder, (c) any Person or Group in which an Oaktree Shareholder and/or any of its Affiliates has, at the applicable time of determination, Equity Securities of at least $100 million (whether or not such Person or Group is deemed to be an Affiliate of an Oaktree Shareholder) (provided that this clause (c) shall not be applicable for purposes of Section 4.2 hereof) and (d) a Group that includes any of the foregoing.

Voting Cap ” means, as of any date of determination, the number of Voting Securities of the Company equal to the product of (a) the total number of outstanding Voting Securities of the Company as of such date multiplied by (b) the Voting Cap Percentage as of such date.

Voting Cap Maximum ” means, as of any date of determination, a percentage equal to the Other Large Holder Effective Voting Percentage as of such date multiplied by 110%; provided , that if the Voting Cap

 

4


Percentage obtained by applying such Voting Cap Maximum would exceed 39%, then the Voting Cap Maximum shall equal the greater of (a) the sum of the Other Large Holder Effective Voting Percentage as of such date plus 1% and (b) 39%.

Voting Cap Percentage ” means 33%; provided , however , that if as of the record date for the determination of Shareholders entitled to vote or consent to any matter, an Other Large Holder beneficially owns greater than 15% of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company (the “ Voting Cap Threshold ”), then, subject to the next proviso, for every 1% of outstanding Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by such Other Large Holder in excess of the Voting Cap Threshold, the Voting Cap Percentage shall be increased by 2%; provided further , however , that the Voting Cap Percentage shall not exceed a percentage equal to the Voting Cap Maximum as of such record date. For the avoidance of doubt, if multiple Other Large Holders beneficially own more than 15% of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, the Voting Cap Percentage shall be adjusted in relation to that Other Large Holder having the greatest beneficial ownership of Voting Securities of the Company.

Voting Securities ” means, with respect to any entity as of any date, all forms of Equity Securities in such entity or any successor of such entity with voting rights as of such date, other than any such Equity Securities held in treasury by such entity or any successor or Subsidiary thereof, including, with respect to the Company, Common Shares and Preferred Shares (in each case to the extent (a) entitled to voting rights and (b) issued and outstanding and not held in treasury by the Company or owned by Subsidiaries of the Company).

Section 1.2 Terms Defined Elsewhere . The following terms are defined elsewhere in this Agreement, as indicated below:

 

Term

   Section

Agreement

   Preamble

Audit Committee

   2.4

Buyout Transaction

   4.2(b)

Company

   Preamble

Compensation Committee

   2.4

Merger

   Recitals

Merger Agreement

   Recitals

Millennia

   Recitals

Millennia Holdco Merger Sub

   Recitals

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

   2.4

Oaktree Designee

   2.3

Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub

   Recitals

OBS Holdings

   Recitals

Pappas Investors

   5.4

Pappas Shareholders Agreement

   5.2(b)

Specified Activity

   5.2(b)

Section 1.3 Interpretation . Unless otherwise expressly provided, for the purposes of this Agreement, the following rules of interpretation shall apply:

(a) The article and section headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation hereof.

(b) When a reference is made in this Agreement to an Article or a Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule, such reference shall be to an Article or a Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule hereof unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary.

 

5


(c) Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”

(d) The words “hereof,” “herein” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement.

(e) 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.”

(f) The meaning assigned to each term defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and the plural forms of such term, and words denoting any gender shall include all genders. Where a word or phrase is defined herein, each of its other grammatical forms shall have a corresponding meaning.

(g) A reference to “$,” “U.S. dollars” or “dollars” shall mean the legal tender of the United States of America.

(h) A reference to any period of days shall be deemed to be to the relevant number of calendar days, unless otherwise specified.

(i) The parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement (including the Schedules and Exhibits hereto). In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions hereof.

(j) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, any agreement, instrument, statute or Law defined or referred to herein or in any agreement or instrument that is referred to herein means such agreement, instrument, statute or Law as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented, including (in the case of agreements or instruments) by waiver or consent and (in the case of statutes or Laws) by succession of comparable successor statutes or Laws and references to all attachments thereto and instruments incorporated therein.

ARTICLE II

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 2.1 General . From and after the execution and delivery of this Agreement, each Oaktree Shareholder shall (and shall cause its Affiliates to) vote its Voting Securities at any meeting of Shareholders or in any written consent executed in lieu of such a meeting of Shareholders, in either case upon any matter submitted to a vote of the Shareholders in such a manner as to implement the terms of this Agreement.

Section 2.2 Board Size; Initial Composition . On and after the date hereof, the Board shall consist of nine Directors. Effective as of the date hereof, the Company and the Board (including any committee thereof) have taken, or caused to be taken, the following actions:

(a) increase the size of the Board from six Directors to nine Directors; and

(b) appoint each individual set forth on Schedule III attached hereto under the heading “Board of Directors — Oaktree Designees” to serve as a Class A Director, Class B Director or Class C Director, as applicable, until such Director’s successor is elected and qualified or until such Director’s death, resignation or removal.

 

6


Section 2.3 Election of Certain Directors . The rights of the Oaktree Shareholders to nominate Directors (each such nominee, including the individuals set forth on Schedule III hereto under the heading “Board of Directors — Oaktree Designees” that are appointed on the date hereof, an “ Oaktree Designee ”) at each meeting of the Shareholders at which Directors are elected after the date hereof shall be as follows:

(a) For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own 40% or more of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to nominate four (but in no event more than four) Directors. Furthermore, during any period in which the Oaktree Shareholders are entitled to nominate four Directors pursuant to this Section 2.3(a) : (i) if Mr. Petros Pappas is then serving as Chief Executive Officer and as a Director of the Company, the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to nominate only three Directors and Mr. Petros Pappas shall automatically be deemed to be the fourth Oaktree Designee for the purposes of this Section 2.3 ; and (ii) at least one of the Oaktree Designees shall not be a citizen or resident of the United States solely to the extent that (x) at least one of the Directors (other than the Oaktree Designees) is a United States citizen or resident and (y) as a result of the foregoing clause (x), the Company would not qualify as a “foreign private issuer” under Rule 405 under the Securities Act and Rule 3b-4(c) under the Exchange Act if such Oaktree Designee is a citizen or resident of the United States.

(b) For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own 25% or more, but less than 40%, of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to nominate three Directors.

(c) For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own 15% or more, but less than 25%, of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to nominate two Directors.

(d) For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own 5% or more, but less than 15%, of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to nominate one Director.

For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders are entitled to nominate at least one Director, each of the Company and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall (A) include the Oaktree Designees nominated pursuant to this Section 2.3 as nominees to the Board on each slate of nominees for election of the Board proposed by the Company, with the remaining nominees in such slate selected by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, (B) recommend the election of such nominees to the Shareholders and (C) without limiting the foregoing, use a level of efforts to cause such Oaktree Designees to be elected to the Board that is consistent with the level of efforts it is using to cause the remaining nominees in such slate to be elected to the Board.

Section 2.4 Right to Delegate; Committees . The Company shall establish and maintain committees of the Board including an audit committee (the “ Audit Committee ”), a compensation committee (the “ Compensation Committee ”) and a nominating and corporate governance committee (the “ Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee ”), as well as such other Board committees as the Board deems appropriate from time to time or as may be required by applicable Law or applicable NASDAQ rules. The committees shall have such duties and responsibilities as are customary for such committees, subject to the provisions of this Agreement and shall be composed as follows:

(a) The Audit Committee shall consist of at least three Directors, with the number of members determined by the Board; provided , however , that for so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own 15% or more of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, (i) the Audit Committee shall consist of three Directors and (ii) the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to include one Oaktree Designee on the Audit Committee to the extent such Oaktree Designee satisfies the qualifications for audit committee members required by applicable Laws and applicable NASDAQ rules.

 

7


(b) The Compensation Committee shall consist of at least three Directors, with the number of members determined by the Board; provided , however , that for so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own 15% or more of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, (i) the Compensation Committee shall consist of three Directors and (ii) the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to include one Oaktree Designee on the Compensation Committee to the extent such Oaktree Designee satisfies the qualifications for compensation committee members required by applicable Law and applicable NASDAQ rules.

(c) The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall consist of at least three Directors, with the number of members determined by the Board; provided , however , that for so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own 15% or more of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, (i) the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall consist of three Directors and (ii) the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to include one Oaktree Designee on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to the extent such Oaktree Designee satisfies the qualifications for nominating and corporate governance committee members required by applicable Law and applicable NASDAQ rules.

(d) The Board shall appoint individual(s) selected by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee to fill the positions on the committees of the Board that are not required to be filled by Oaktree Designees.

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board shall, only to the extent necessary to comply with applicable Law and applicable NASDAQ rules, modify the composition of any such committee to the extent required to comply with such applicable Law and applicable NASDAQ rules. If any vacant Director position on any committee of the Board results from the Oaktree Shareholders no longer being entitled to nominate Directors, then such vacant position shall be filled by the Board in accordance with the last sentence of Section 2.6 .

(f) Each Oaktree Designee shall meet the reasonable and customary criteria required of nominees to the Board by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, a description of which is set forth on Schedule V hereto; provided , however , that the independence, citizenship and residency requirements of the Oaktree Designees shall be limited to the requirements (if any) expressly set forth in Section 2.3 .

Section 2.5 Compliance and Removal . Directors shall serve until their resignation or removal or until their successors are nominated and appointed or elected; provided , that if the number of Directors that the Oaktree Shareholders are entitled to nominate pursuant to Section 2.3 is reduced by one or more Directors, then the Oaktree Shareholders shall, within 5 business days, cause such number of Oaktree Designees then serving on the Board to resign from the Board as is necessary so that the remaining number of Oaktree Designees then serving on the Board is less than or equal to the number of Directors that the Oaktree Shareholders are then entitled to nominate; provided , further , that such resignation shall not be required if a majority of the Directors then in office (other than the Oaktree Designees) provides written notification to the Oaktree Shareholders within such 5 business day period that such resignation shall not be required. The qualifications of each Person selected as an Oaktree Designee shall satisfy any qualifications required by applicable Law, NASDAQ rules or other regulations; provided , that the independence, citizenship and residency requirements of the Oaktree Designees shall be limited to the requirements (if any) expressly set forth in Section 2.3 . The Oaktree Shareholders shall cause any Oaktree Designee then serving as a Director to resign from the Board, or from service on any committee of the Board, if at any time the qualifications of such Director shall fail to satisfy any qualifications required by applicable Law, NASDAQ rules or other regulations for service on the Board or such committee, respectively, and such vacancy shall be filled by the Board in accordance with Section 2.6 .

Section 2.6 Vacancies . If any Oaktree Designee serving as a Director dies or is unwilling or unable to serve as such or is otherwise removed or resigns from office, then the Oaktree Shareholders shall be entitled to

 

8


nominate a successor to such Director (to the extent the number of Oaktree Designees is less than the number of Oaktree Designees they are entitled to appoint to the Board pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof). The Company shall take all actions necessary in order to ensure that such successor is appointed or elected to the Board as promptly as practicable. If the Oaktree Shareholders are not entitled to participate in the nomination of any vacant Director position(s), the Company and the Board shall fill such vacant Director position(s) with an individual(s) selected by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Section 2.7 Expense Reimbursement . The Company shall reimburse each Director for all reasonably necessary costs and expenses (including travel expenses) incurred in connection with such Director’s attendance and participation at meetings of the Board, or any committee thereof, in accordance with the Company’s policies.

ARTICLE III

VOTING LIMITATIONS; CONSENT RIGHTS

Section 3.1 Proportional Voting .

(a) From and after the date hereof and through and including the date of termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 6.1 , except as set forth in Section 3.1(b) and except with respect to any Excluded Matter, at any meeting of the Shareholders, the Oaktree Shareholders shall (and shall cause their Affiliates to) vote, or cause to be voted, or exercise their rights to consent (or cause their rights to consent to be exercised) with respect to, all Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by them (and which are entitled to vote on such matter) in excess of the Voting Cap as of the record date for the determination of Shareholders entitled to vote or consent to such matter, with respect to each matter on which Shareholders are entitled to vote or consent, in the same proportion (for or against) as the Voting Securities of the Company that are beneficially owned by Shareholders (other than an Oaktree Shareholder, any of its Affiliates or any Group which includes any of the foregoing) are voted or consents are given with respect to each such matter. For the avoidance of doubt, except as set forth in Section 3.1(b) , the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates shall retain the right to vote in their sole discretion (i) on any matter, the Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by them (and which are entitled to vote on such matter) up to the Voting Cap and (ii) on any Excluded Matter, all Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by them (and which are entitled to vote on such matter).

(b) In any election of Directors to the Board, except with respect to a Contested Election, the Oaktree Shareholders shall (and shall cause their Affiliates to) vote, or cause to be voted, or exercise their rights to consent (or cause their rights to consent to be exercised) with respect to, all Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by them (and which are entitled to vote on such matter) in favor of the slate of nominees approved by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. In the case of a Contested Election, the Oaktree Shareholders shall (and shall cause their Affiliates to) vote, or cause to be voted, or exercise their rights to consent (or cause their rights to consent to be exercised) with respect to, all Voting Securities beneficially owned by them in excess of the Voting Cap in the same proportion (for or against) as all other Voting Securities of the Company that are beneficially owned by Shareholders (other than an Oaktree Shareholder, any of its Affiliates or any Group which includes any of the foregoing) are voted or consents are given with respect to such Contested Election. For the avoidance of doubt, in the case of a Contested Election, the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates (i) shall retain the right to vote in their sole discretion any of the Voting Securities beneficially owned by them up to the Voting Cap in respect of all or a portion of any slate of nominees and (ii) shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 4.2 to the extent applicable with respect to the Person or Group pursuing or participating in such Contested Election.

 

9


Section 3.2 Consent Rights .

(a) For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own at least 33% of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, without the prior written consent of the Oaktree Shareholders, the Company and the Board shall not, directly or indirectly (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise), (i) issue Preferred Shares or any other class or series of Equity Interests of the Company that ranks senior to the Common Shares as to dividend distributions and/or distributions upon the liquidation, winding up or dissolution of the Company or any other circumstances, (ii) issue Equity Securities to a Person or Group if, after giving effect to such transaction and any related transaction, such issuance would result in such Person or Group beneficially owning more than 20% of the outstanding Equity Securities of the Company, (iii) issue any Equity Securities of any Subsidiary of the Company (other than to the Company or a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company), or (iv) terminate the Chief Executive Officer or any other officer of the Company set forth on Schedule 3.2 at any time during the 18 months following the date hereof, except if such termination is for Cause (as defined in the Company’s 2014 Equity Incentive Plan); provided , however , that, in the case of clause (ii), the Company and the Board shall have the right, without the consent of the Oaktree Shareholders, to issue Equity Securities as consideration for a merger or other business combination transaction.

(b) During the 18 months following the date hereof (and so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own at least 33% of the Voting Securities of the Company during such period), the affirmative approval of at least seven Directors shall be required to appoint any replacement Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

ARTICLE IV

OWNERSHIP, STANDSTILL AND TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS

Section 4.1 Acquisition of Securities .

(a) Except as set forth in Section 4.1(b) , for so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own at least 10% of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company, the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates shall not, directly or indirectly, acquire (i) the beneficial ownership of any additional Voting Securities of the Company, (ii) the beneficial ownership of any other Equity Securities of the Company that derive their value from any Voting Securities of the Company or (iii) any rights, options or other derivative securities or contracts or instruments to acquire such beneficial ownership that derive their value from such Voting Securities or other Equity Securities, in each case of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), if, immediately after giving effect to any such acquisition, the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates would beneficially own in the aggregate more than [            ]% 1 of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company assuming, in the case of any acquisitions by the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates contemplated by clauses (ii) or (iii), the conversion of such acquired securities, contracts or instruments into Voting Securities (to the extent convertible into Voting Securities).

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions set forth in Section 4.1(a) shall not apply to: (i) pro rata participation in primary offerings of Equity Securities of the Company based on the number of outstanding Voting Securities held or (ii) acquisitions of Equity Securities of the Company that have received Disinterested Director Approval.

 

1   Percentage to be completed prior to closing and equal the sum of (A) the Oaktree Shareholders’ ownership percentage of the Voting Securities of the Company immediately following the Closing plus (B) 2.5%.

 

10


Section 4.2 Standstill .

(a) For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own at least 10% of the Voting Securities of the Company, unless specifically invited in writing by the Board (with Disinterested Director Approval), neither the Oaktree Shareholders nor any of their Affiliates shall in any manner, directly or indirectly, (i) enter into or agree, offer or propose or publicly announce an intention to or participate in or assist any other Person or Group to enter into any tender or exchange offer, merger, acquisition transaction or other business combination or any recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution or other extraordinary transaction involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (ii) make, or in any way participate in, directly or indirectly, any “solicitation” of “proxies,” “consents” or “authorizations” (as such terms are used in the proxy rules of the SEC promulgated under the Exchange Act) to vote, or seek to influence any Person other than the Oaktree Shareholders with respect to the voting of, any Voting Securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than with respect to the nomination of the Oaktree Designees and any other nominees proposed by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee), (iii) otherwise act, alone or in concert with third parties, to seek to control or influence the management, Board or policies of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than with respect to the nomination of the Oaktree Designees and any other nominees proposed by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee), or (iv) enter into any negotiations, arrangements or understandings with any third party with respect to any of the foregoing activities; provided , however , that this Section 4.2(a) shall not prohibit or restrict (A) any action taken by an Oaktree Designee as Director in such capacity, (B) the exercise by any Oaktree Shareholder of its rights and obligations expressly provided for in this Agreement, including its voting rights with regard to its Voting Securities of the Company or (C) the matters set forth on Schedule IV hereof.

(b) Notwithstanding anything in Section 4.2(a) to the contrary, if (i) the Company publicly announces its intent to pursue a tender offer, merger, sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or any similar transaction, which in each such case would result in a Change of Control Transaction, or any recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution or other extraordinary transaction involving the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “ Buyout Transaction ”), the Oaktree Shareholders shall be permitted to privately make an offer or proposal to the Board and such offer or proposal shall not be a violation of Section 4.2(a) and (ii) if the Board approves, recommends or accepts a Buyout Transaction with an Unaffiliated Buyer, the restrictions set forth in Section 4.2(a) shall cease to apply until such Buyout Transaction is terminated or abandoned and shall become applicable again upon any such termination or abandonment (unless the Board determines otherwise with Disinterested Director Approval); provided , that, (x) in the case of this clause (ii), following the termination or abandonment of such Buyout Transaction, Section 4.2(a) shall not be deemed to have been breached in connection with any action taken by the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates during the time that Section 4.2(a) became inapplicable pursuant to this Section 4.2(b) , provided that such action is discontinued upon the receipt by the Oaktree Shareholders or such Affiliates of a written notice from a majority of the Directors entitled to provide the Disinterested Director Approval of the termination or abandonment of the applicable Buyout Transaction (unless the Board determines otherwise with Disinterested Director Approval), and (y) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, nothing in Section 4.2 of this Agreement shall limit the provisions of Section 5.2 (with respect to the approval and consummation of any transaction described in clause (i) of Section 4.2(a) or otherwise).

Section 4.3 Disposition of Securities . For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own at least 10% of the Voting Securities of the Company, the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates shall not sell any of their Common Shares to a Person or Group that, after giving effect to such transaction, would hold more than 20% of the outstanding Equity Securities of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates may sell their Common Shares to any Person or Group pursuant to:

(a) sales that have received Disinterested Director Approval;

 

11


(b) a tender offer or exchange offer, by an Unaffiliated Buyer, that is made to all Shareholders, so long as such offer would not result in a Change of Control Transaction, unless the consummation of such Change of Control Transaction has received Disinterested Director Approval, which approval shall be deemed to have been given to any offer which a majority of the Directors entitled to provide the Disinterested Director Approval do not reject within ten business days following commencement of such offer or within ten business days after any material increase in the consideration being offered thereunder;

(c) transfers to an Affiliate of the Oaktree Shareholders that is an investment fund or managed account (or any wholly-owned investment vehicle of one or more such Affiliates, other than portfolio companies) in accordance with Section 4.5 ; and

(d) sales in the open market (including sales conducted by a third-party underwriter, initial purchaser or broker-dealer) in which the Oaktree Shareholder or their Affiliates do not know (and would not in the exercise of reasonable commercial efforts be able to determine) the identity of the purchaser.

Section 4.4 Participation in a Change of Control Transaction . For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own at least 10% of the Voting Securities of the Company, neither the Oaktree Shareholders nor any of their Affiliates shall sell or otherwise dispose of any of their Common Shares in any Change of Control Transaction unless the other Shareholders are entitled to receive the same consideration per Common Share (with respect to the form of consideration and price), and at substantially the same time (subject to delivery of letters of transmittal or other documents or instruments by such Shareholders in connection with such Change of Control Transaction), as the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates with respect to their Common Shares in such transaction.

Section 4.5 Oaktree Affiliates . If an Oaktree Shareholder transfers any Equity Securities of the Company to an Affiliate of such Oaktree Shareholder, as a condition to such transfer, such Affiliate shall execute and deliver to the Company a joinder to this Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. Any Affiliate of an Oaktree Shareholder who acquires Equity Securities of the Company from the Company or a Shareholder other than an existing Oaktree Shareholder shall, reasonably promptly, execute and deliver to the Company a joinder to this Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.

Section 4.6 Acknowledgment Regarding Certain Entities . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Article III or this Article IV , the parties hereto agree and acknowledge that (a) the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates make investments in portfolio companies in the ordinary course of their business and, as a result of such investments, such portfolio companies may be deemed to be an Affiliate of such Oaktree Shareholder or otherwise associated with such Oaktree Shareholder, and (b) the terms of Article III and this Article IV and the definitions related thereto shall not apply to any such portfolio companies for so long as and to the extent such portfolio companies are not controlled, directly or indirectly, by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (or its successor), except with respect to any action by such portfolio company that is taken at the express request or direction of, or in coordination with, an Oaktree Shareholder or its affiliated investment funds. For purposes of this Section 4.6 , “controlled” or “controls” means, with respect to any Person, possessing the Majority Voting Power (with 50% being substituted for the reference to 39% in the definition thereof for the purposes of this Section 4.6 ) with respect to such Person. The Oaktree Shareholders represent and warrant to the Company that, as of the date hereof, Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. directly or indirectly controls each of the Oaktree Shareholders.

Section 4.7 Adjustments .

(a) If, at any time after the date hereof, the Company issues any Voting Securities that are entitled to more or less than one vote per share, then the definition of “ Voting Cap ,” the definition of “ Voting Cap Percentage ” and the other provisions of this Agreement measured by the number or percentage of Voting Securities shall be equitably adjusted by the parties to reflect such issuance.

 

 

12


(b) If, at any time after the date hereof, any change in the Equity Securities of the Company shall occur as a result of, among other things, any reclassification, recapitalization, stock split (including a reverse stock split) or combination, exchange or readjustment of shares, or any stock dividend or stock distribution, the provisions of this Agreement shall be equitably adjusted by the parties to reflect such change.

ARTICLE V

OTHER AGREEMENTS

Section 5.1 No Side Agreements . The Company and the Oaktree Shareholders (and their respective Affiliates) shall not enter, directly or indirectly, into any agreement with any of the Shareholders or any of the Shareholders’ respective Affiliates or grant any proxy or power of attorney or become party to any voting trust or other agreement, relating to the Equity Securities of the Company or its Subsidiaries or to the governance of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which is inconsistent with or conflicts with the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 5.2 Affiliate Transactions .

(a) For so long as the Oaktree Shareholders are entitled to nominate at least one Director, all transactions involving the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Company or its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, shall require Disinterested Director Approval; provided , that Disinterested Director Approval shall not be required for (i) pro rata participation in primary offerings of Equity Securities of the Company based on number of outstanding Voting Securities held, (ii) arms-length ordinary course business transactions of not more than $5 million in the aggregate per year with portfolio companies of the Oaktree Shareholders or investment funds or accounts affiliated with the Oaktree Shareholders or (iii) the transactions expressly required or expressly permitted under (A) the Registration Rights Agreement, of even date herewith, among the Company and the shareholders of the Company party thereto, (B)  Sections 2.7 or 4.1(b)(i) of this Agreement or (C) Section 8.3 of the Merger Agreement.

(b) The Company waives (on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries) the application of the doctrine of corporate opportunity, or any other analogous doctrine, with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries, to the Oaktree Designees, to any of the Oaktree Shareholders or to any of the respective Affiliates of the Oaktree Designees or any of the Oaktree Shareholders. None of the Oaktree Designees, any Oaktree Shareholder or any of their respective Affiliates shall have any obligation to refrain from (i) engaging in the same or similar activities or lines of business as the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or developing or marketing any products or services that compete, directly or indirectly, with those of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) investing or owning any interest publicly or privately in, or developing a business relationship with, any Person engaged in the same or similar activities or lines of business as, or otherwise in competition with, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (iii) doing business with any client or customer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (each of the activities referred to in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), a “ Specified Activity ”). The Company (on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries) renounces any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any Specified Activity that may be presented to or become known to any Oaktree Shareholder or any of its Affiliates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if and to the extent that from time to time after the date hereof Mr. Petros Pappas may be considered an Affiliate of any Oaktree Shareholder, the provisions of this Section 5.2(b) shall not apply to Mr. Petros Pappas, and any provisions governing corporate opportunities set forth in that certain Shareholders Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Company and the Pappas Investors party thereto (the “ Pappas Shareholders Agreement ”) with respect to Mr. Petros Pappas and/or any employment or services agreement between the Company and Mr. Petros Pappas shall control.

Section 5.3 Subsequent Acquisitions . Each of the Oaktree Shareholders agrees that any other Equity Securities of the Company which it or any of its Affiliates hereafter acquires by means of a share split, share

 

13


dividend, distribution, conversion, exercise of options or warrants, or otherwise shall be subject to the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as if held on the date hereof.

Section 5.4 No Aggregation with Pappas Investors . The Company acknowledges that (a) the Oaktree Shareholders may from time to time make investments or enter into business arrangements with Mr. Petros Pappas, his immediate family, the members of Millennia immediately prior to the Millennia Merger or their respective Affiliates (collectively, the “ Pappas Investors ”), and may from time to time enter into discussions with the Pappas Investors regarding the Company and have entered into certain agreements with respect to the Equity Securities of the Company as set forth on Schedule IV hereof and (b) as a condition to the issuance of Equity Securities of the Company to certain Pappas Investors as of the date hereof, such Pappas Investors have entered into a separate agreement with the Company regarding certain agreements with respect to the Company and its Equity Securities. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, for the purposes of this Agreement, the Company acknowledges and agrees that the agreements and relationships described on Schedule IV hereof between the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Pappas Investors, on the other hand, shall not cause (i) any Oaktree Shareholder to be deemed to be an Affiliate of, or constitute a Group or beneficially own any Equity Securities of the Company beneficially owned by, the Pappas Investors, or (ii) the Equity Securities of the Company held by the Pappas Investors to be deemed to be subject to the provisions of this Agreement.

ARTICLE VI

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 6.1 Termination . This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (a) a liquidation, winding-up or dissolution of the Company and (b) such time as the Oaktree Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own less than 5% of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company. Except as expressly provided herein, any Oaktree Shareholder shall cease to be a party hereto and this Agreement shall terminate with respect to such party at the time such party no longer beneficially owns any Equity Securities of the Company. No termination of this Agreement (or any provision hereof) shall (a) relieve any party of any obligation or liability for damages resulting from such party’s breach of this Agreement (or any provision hereof) prior to its termination or the termination of this Agreement with respect to such party or (b) terminate any provision hereof that, by its terms, survives such termination.

Section 6.2 [INTENTIONALLY DELETED]

Section 6.3 Notices . All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally, sent via facsimile or email (receipt confirmed), sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier (providing proof of delivery), or mailed in the United States by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):

if to the Company:

Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

c/o Star Bulk Management Inc.

40 Agiou Konstantinou Street,

15124 Maroussi,

Athens, Greece

Attention: Georgia Mastagaki

Facsimile: +30 (210) 617-8378

Email: gmastagaki@starbulk.com

 

14


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

Seward & Kissel LLP

One Battery Park Plaza

New York, NY 10004

Attention: Derick Betts

                 Robert Lustrin

Facsimile: (212) 480-8421

Email: betts@sewkis.com

            lustrin@sewkis.com

If to an Oaktree Shareholder, to the address set forth opposite such Shareholder’s name on Schedule I or Schedule II hereto,

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

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10019-6064

Attention: Kenneth M. Schneider

                 Neil Goldman

Facsimile: (212) 757-3900

Email: kschneider@paulweiss.com

            ngoldman@paulweiss.com

Section 6.4 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which together will 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 parties. For purposes of this Agreement, facsimile signatures or signatures by other electronic form of transfer shall be deemed originals.

Section 6.5 Entire Agreement . This Agreement (including the exhibits and schedules hereto) contains all of the terms, conditions and representations and warranties agreed to by the parties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements (including that certain Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2013, by and between the Company and the Persons set forth on Schedule I thereto), negotiations, correspondence, undertakings, understandings, representations and warranties, both written and oral, among the parties to this Agreement with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement. No representation, warranty, inducement, promise, understanding or condition not set forth in this Agreement has been made or relied upon by any of the parties to this Agreement.

Section 6.6 Binding Effect; No Third-Party Beneficiary . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each of the parties hereto. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any Person other than the parties hereto any remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or any terms or conditions hereof, and all of the terms, conditions, promises and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto.

Section 6.7 Governing Law . This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related thereto, the relationship of the parties, and/or the interpretation and enforcement of the rights and duties of the parties, whether arising in Law or in equity, in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the Laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Laws of the Marshall Islands are mandatorily applicable to the provisions set forth herein relating to the governance of the Company, without regard to its rules regarding conflicts of Law to the extent that the application of the Laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.

 

15


Section 6.8 Assignment . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Except with respect to transfers by Oaktree Shareholders to Affiliates in accordance with Section 4.5 , neither the Company, on the one hand, nor the Oaktree Shareholders, on the other hand may, directly or indirectly, assign any of their rights or delegate any of their obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party. Any purported direct or indirect assignment in violation of this Section 6.8 shall be void and of no force or effect.

Section 6.9 Submission to Jurisdiction; Service . Each party (a) irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the personal jurisdiction of the federal courts of the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York or the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, (b) agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court, (c) agrees that any actions or proceedings arising in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be brought, tried and determined only in such courts, (d) waives any claim of improper venue or any claim that those courts are an inconvenient forum and (e) agrees that it will not bring any action relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any court other than the aforesaid courts. The parties to this Agreement agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided in Section 6.3 or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof.

Section 6.10 Severability . If any term or other provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of Law or public policy by a court of competent jurisdiction, all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect, insofar as the foregoing can be accomplished without materially affecting the economic benefits anticipated by the parties to this Agreement. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law.

Section 6.11 Waiver and Amendment . No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed (a) in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Oaktree Shareholders; and (b) in the case of waiver, by the party against whom the waiver is to operate. No failure on the part of a party hereto to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right.

Section 6.12 Waiver of Jury Trial . Each party acknowledges and agrees that any controversy which may arise under this Agreement is likely to involve complicated and difficult issues and, therefore, each such party irrevocably and unconditionally waives any right it may have to a trial by jury in respect of any legal action directly or indirectly arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each party to this Agreement certifies and acknowledges that (a) no other party has represented, expressly or otherwise, that such other party would not seek to enforce the foregoing waiver in the event of a legal action, (b) such party has considered and understands the implications of this waiver, (c) such party makes this waiver voluntarily and (d) such party has been induced to enter into this Agreement by, among other things, the mutual waivers and certifications in this Section 6.12 .

Section 6.13 Specific Performance . The parties agree that irreparable damage would occur if any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York or the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, this being in addition to any other remedy at Law or in equity, and the parties to this Agreement hereby waive any requirement for the posting of any bond or similar collateral in connection therewith. The parties agree that they shall not object to the granting of injunctive or other equitable relief on the basis that there exists adequate remedy at Law.

 

16


Section 6.14 Other Matters . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or otherwise, there shall be no recovery pursuant to this Agreement by any party for any punitive, exemplary, consequential, incidental, treble, special, or other similar damages (other than those actually paid in connection with a third party claim) in any claim or proceeding by one party against another arising out of or relating to a breach or alleged breach of any representation, warranty, covenant, or agreement under this Agreement by the other party.

[ Signature Pages Follow ]

 

17


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this Agreement or caused this Agreement to be executed on its behalf as of the date first written above.

 

THE COMPANY:
STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
EXISTING OAKTREE SHAREHOLDERS:

OAKTREE VALUE OPPORTUNITIES FUND, L.P.

By:

  Oaktree Value Opportunities Fund GP, L.P.

Its:

  General Partner

By:

  Oaktree Value Opportunities Fund GP Ltd.

Its:

  General Partner

By:

  Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.

Its:

  Director
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

[Signature Page to Shareholders Agreement]


OAKTREE OPPORTUNITIES FUND IX

DELAWARE, L.P.

By:

  Oaktree Fund GP, LLC

Its:

  General Partner

By:

  Oaktree Fund GP I, L.P.

Its:

  Managing Member
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

OAKTREE OPPORTUNITIES FUND IX

(PARALLEL 2), L.P.

By:

  Oaktree Opportunities Fund IX GP, L.P.

Its:

  General Partner

By:

  Oaktree Opportunities Fund IX GP Ltd.

Its:

  General Partner

By:

  Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.

Its:

  Director
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

[Signature Page to Shareholders Agreement]


NEW OAKTREE SHAREHOLDERS:

OAKTREE DRY BULK HOLDINGS LLC

By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

[Signature Page to Shareholders Agreement]


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF JOINDER TO SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

THIS JOINDER (this “ Joinder ”) to the Shareholders Agreement, dated as of [ ], 2014 (as amended or restated from time to time, the “ Agreement ”), by and among Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a Marshall Islands corporation (the “ Company ”), and the Oaktree Shareholders (as defined therein), is made and entered into as of              by and between the Company and                      (“ Joining Shareholder ”). Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement.

WHEREAS, on the date hereof, Joining Shareholder has [acquired / been issued]              [Common / Preferred] Shares [from              ] and the Company requires Joining Shareholder, as an Affiliate of an Oaktree Shareholder and a holder of such shares, to become a party to the Agreement, and Joining Shareholder agrees to do so in accordance with the terms hereof.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Joinder hereby agree as follows:

1. Agreement to be Bound . Joining Shareholder hereby (i) acknowledges that it has received and reviewed a complete copy of the Agreement and (ii) agrees that upon execution of this Joinder, it shall become a party to the Agreement and shall be fully bound by, and subject to, all of the covenants, terms and conditions of the Agreement as though an original party thereto and shall be deemed, and is hereby admitted as, an “Oaktree Shareholder” for all purposes thereof and entitled to all the rights incidental thereto.

2. Notice . For purposes of providing notice pursuant to the Agreement, the address of Joining Shareholder is as follows:

[Name]

[Address]

[Facsimile Number]

3. Governing Law . This Agreement and the rights of the parties hereunder shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the Laws of the State of New York without regard to its rules regarding conflicts of Law to the extent that the application of the Laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.

4. Counterparts . This Joinder may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which together will be considered one and the same Joinder and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other party or parties. For purposes of this Joinder, facsimile signatures or signatures by other electronic form of transfer shall be deemed originals, and the parties agree to exchange original signatures as promptly as possible.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Joinder as of              .

 

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
[HOLDER]
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:


Exhibit E

EXECUTION VERSION

AMENDED AND RESTATED

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

BY AND AMONG

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.

AND

THE OTHER PARTIES LISTED

ON SCHEDULE I HERETO

Dated as of [ ], 2014


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  
ARTICLE I   

SECTION 1.01.

  Defined Terms      2   

SECTION 1.02.

  Other Interpretive Provisions      7   
ARTICLE II   

SECTION 2.01.

  Shelf Registration      8   

SECTION 2.02.

  Piggyback Registration      11   

SECTION 2.03.

  Black-out Periods      13   

SECTION 2.04.

  Registration Procedures      15   

SECTION 2.05.

  Underwritten Offerings      19   

SECTION 2.06.

  No Inconsistent Agreements; Additional Rights      20   

SECTION 2.07.

  Registration Expenses      20   

SECTION 2.08.

  Indemnification      21   

SECTION 2.09.

  Rules 144 and 144A and Regulation S      23   

SECTION 2.10.

  Limitation on Registrations and Underwritten Offerings      24   

SECTION 2.11.

  Clear Market      24   

SECTION 2.12.

  In-Kind Distributions      24   
ARTICLE III   

SECTION 3.01.

  Term      24   

SECTION 3.02.

  Injunctive Relief      24   

SECTION 3.03.

  Notices      25   

SECTION 3.04.

  Recapitalization      25   

SECTION 3.05.

  Amendment      26   

SECTION 3.06.

  Successors, Assigns and Transferees      26   

SECTION 3.07.

  Binding Effect      26   

SECTION 3.08.

  Third Party Beneficiaries      26   

SECTION 3.09.

  Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Agent For Service      26   

SECTION 3.10.

  Waiver of Jury Trial      27   

SECTION 3.11.

  Immunity Waiver      27   

SECTION 3.12.

  Entire Agreement      27   

SECTION 3.13.

  Severability      27   

SECTION 3.14.

  Counterparts      27   

SECTION 3.15.

  Headings      27   

SECTION 3.16.

  Joinder      27   


AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (the “ Agreement ”), is made, entered into and effective [ ], 2014 by and among Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a Marshall Islands corporation (including any of its successors by merger, acquisition, reorganization, conversion or otherwise, the “ Company ”), and the Persons set forth on Schedule I hereto. Unless otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in Section 1.01 .

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the Company has entered into a registration rights agreement dated May 1, 2013, by and between the Company and the other parties named therein (the “ Initial Registration Rights Agreement ”) in connection with a backstopped equity rights offering;

WHEREAS, the Company has proposed to conduct a transaction in which Oaktree OBC Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Oaktree Holdco ”) will be merged with and into one of Star Synergy LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “ Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub ”) and Millennia Limited Liability Company, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Pappas Holdco ” and, together with the Oaktree Holdco, the “ Oceanbulk Holdcos ”) will be merged with and into Star Omas LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the “ Pappas Holdco Merger Sub ” and, together with the Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub, the “ Merger Subs ”), with the Merger Subs continuing as the surviving companies and wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company (the “ Merger ”);

WHEREAS, in order to facilitate, and as partial consideration for, the Merger, (a) the Company, the Merger Subs, the Oceanbulk Holdcos and certain other Persons have entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “ Merger Agreement ”), dated as of the date hereof, pursuant to which, subject to satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth therein, the Company has agreed to issue to certain of the Oaktree Holders (as defined below) and certain of the Pappas Holders (as defined below) shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Common Stock ”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, (b) the Company, Mirabel Shipholding & Invest Limited, Mirach Shipping Company Limited and Bluesea Invest and Holding Limited entered into that certain Share Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, pursuant to which the Company has agreed to, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth therein, substantially concurrently with the completion of the Merger, acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Dioriga Shipping Co. and Positive Shipping Company, (c) the Company and Oaktree Dry Bulk Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Oaktree Seller ”) and certain investment funds affiliated with the Oaktree Seller that currently own shares of Common Stock have entered into that certain shareholders agreement dated as of the date hereof governing the rights and obligations of the parties thereto as shareholders of the Company and the Company itself and (d) the Company and Millennia Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company, and certain of its related parties that currently own shares of Common Stock have entered into that certain shareholders agreement dated as of the date hereof governing the rights and obligations of the parties thereto as shareholders of the Company and the Company itself;

WHEREAS, the Company has committed to prepare and file a Shelf Registration Statement (as defined below), registering offers and sales of the Company Shares (as defined below) owned by the Investors, including those acquired pursuant to the Merger Agreement, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act;

WHEREAS, in connection with the Merger, the Company has agreed, among other things, and in addition to the preparation and filing of the Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to the first sentence of Section 2.01(a) , to provide registration rights to the Investors with respect to all Company Shares owned or hereafter acquired by the Investors and their respective Affiliates; and

 

1


WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend and restate in its entirety the Initial Registration Rights Agreement to reflect the foregoing.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual promises, covenants and agreements of the parties hereto, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions hereof, the parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

Adverse Disclosure ” means public disclosure of material non-public information that, in the Board of Directors’ good faith judgment, after consultation with independent outside counsel to the Company, would be required to be made in any Registration Statement filed with the Commission by the Company so that such Registration Statement would not contain a material misstatement of fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and would not be required to be made at such time but for the filing of such Registration Statement, but which information the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not disclosing publicly.

Affiliate ” has the meaning specified in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act; provided that no Holder shall be deemed an Affiliate of the Company or its Subsidiaries for purposes of this Agreement; provided further that neither portfolio companies (as such term is commonly used in the private equity industry) of an Investor nor limited partners, non-managing members or other similar direct or indirect investors in an Investor shall be deemed to be Affiliates of such Investor. The term “ Affiliated ” has a correlative meaning.

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Authorized Agent ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.10 .

Automatic Shelf Registration Statement ” mean an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Board of Directors ” means the board of directors of the Company.

Business Day ” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which commercial banks located in New York, New York are required or authorized by law or executive order to be closed.

Closing Date ” has the meaning set forth in the Merger Agreement.

Commission ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Common Stock ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

Company ” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Company Public Sale ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(a) .

 

2


Company Share Equivalents ” means securities exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into Company Shares and any options, warrants or other rights to acquire Company Shares.

Company Shares ” means shares of Common Stock, any securities into which such shares of Common Stock shall have been changed, or any securities resulting from any reclassification, recapitalization or similar transactions with respect to such shares of Common Stock.

Determination Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(f) .

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any successor thereto, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect from time to time.

Filing Date ” means, with respect to the Shelf Registration Statement required pursuant to the first sentence of Section 2.01(a) , the 30th day following the Closing Date; provided , that if the Filing Date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or other day that the Commission is closed for business, the Filing Date shall be extended to the next Business Day on which the Commission is open for business.

FINRA ” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.

Foreign Private Issuer ” means a “foreign private issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

Form F-1 ” means a registration statement on Form F-1 under the Securities Act.

Form F-3 ” means a registration statement on Form F-3 under the Securities Act.

Form F-4 ” means a registration statement on Form F-4 under the Securities Act.

Form S-8 ” means a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act.

Governmental Authority ” means any United States federal, state, local (including county or municipal) or foreign governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency, division, instrumentality, commission, court, judicial or arbitral body or any securities exchange or similar self-regulatory organization.

Hedging Counterparty ” means a broker-dealer registered under Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act or an Affiliate thereof.

Hedging Transaction ” means any transaction involving a security linked to the Registrable Securities or any security that would be deemed to be a “derivative security” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(c) promulgated under the Exchange Act) with respect to the Registrable Securities or transaction (even if not a security) which would (were it a security) be considered such a derivative security, or which transfers some or all of the economic risk of ownership of the Registrable Securities, including, without limitation, any forward contract, equity swap, put or call, put or call equivalent position, collar, non-recourse loan, sale of exchangeable security or similar transaction. For the avoidance of doubt, the following transactions shall be deemed to be Hedging Transactions:

(a) transactions by a Holder in which a Hedging Counterparty engages in short sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Prospectus and may use Registrable Securities to close out its short position;

(b) transactions pursuant to which a Holder sells short Registrable Securities pursuant to a Prospectus and delivers Registrable Securities to close out its short position;

 

3


(c) transactions by a Holder in which the Holder delivers, in a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act, Registrable Securities to the Hedging Counterparty who will then publicly resell or otherwise transfer such Registrable Securities pursuant to a Prospectus or an exemption from Registration under the Securities Act; and

(d) a loan or pledge of Registrable Securities to a Hedging Counterparty who may then become a selling stockholder and sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities, in each case, in a public transaction pursuant to a Prospectus.

Holder ” means any holder of Registrable Securities that is a party hereto or that succeeds to rights hereunder pursuant to Section 3.06 .

Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(e)(i) .

Investor ” means each of the Monarch Holders, each of the Oaktree Holders and the Pappas Holder.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, relating to an offer of Registrable Securities.

Loss ” or “ Losses ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.08(a) .

Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(e)(iii) .

Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(e)(iii) .

Maximum Offering Size ” means, with respect to any offering that is underwritten, the number of securities that, in the good-faith opinion of the managing underwriter or underwriters in such offering (as evidenced by a written notice to the relevant Holders and the Company), can be sold in such offering without being likely to have a significant adverse effect on the price, timing or the distribution of the securities offered or the market for the securities offered.

Merger ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

Merger Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

Merger Sub ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

Monarch ” means Monarch Alternative Solutions Master Fund Ltd., Monarch Capital Master Partners II A LP, Monarch Capital Master Partners II LP, Monarch Debt Recovery Master Fund Ltd., Monarch Opportunities Master Fund Ltd., and P Monarch Recovery Ltd.

Monarch Holders ” means Monarch and any successor funds thereto, and their respective Affiliates that are direct or indirect equity investors in the Company.

Monarch Holders Majority ” means, as of any date, Monarch Holders holding a majority of the Registrable Securities then held by all Monarch Holders.

Oaktree Holders ” means Oaktree Value Opportunities Fund, L.P., Oaktree Opportunities Fund IX Delaware, L.P., Oaktree Opportunities Fund IX (Parallel 2), L.P., Oaktree Dry Bulk Holdings LLC and any successor funds thereto, and their respective Affiliates that are direct or indirect equity investors in the Company.

 

4


Oaktree Holders Majority ” means, as of any date, Oaktree Holders holding a majority of the Registrable Securities then held by all Oaktree Holders.

Pappas Holder ” means Millennia Holdings LLC and Mirabel Shipholding & Invest Limited, their respective successors, and their Affiliates that are direct or indirect equity investors in the Company.

Participating Holder ” means, with respect to any Registration, any Holder of Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement.

Participating Investor ” means, with respect to any Registration, any Investor that is a Holder of Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement.

Permitted Assignee ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.06 .

Person ” means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, unincorporated organization, trust or joint venture, or a Governmental Authority or political subdivision thereof or any other entity.

Piggyback Registration ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.02(a) .

Prospectus ” means the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, all amendments and supplements to such prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments to such Registration Statement, and all other material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.

Registrable Securities ” means any Company Shares or any other securities that may be issued or distributed or be issuable or distributable in respect of, or in substitution for, any Company Shares by way of conversion, exercise, dividend, stock split or other distribution, merger, consolidation, exchange, recapitalization or reclassification or similar transaction, in each case whether now owned or hereafter acquired by an Investor; provided , however , that any such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities to the extent (i) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such Registrable Securities has been declared effective under the Securities Act and such Registrable Securities have been disposed of in accordance with the plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement, (ii) such Registrable Securities have been distributed pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 145 of the Securities Act (or any successor rule), (iii) a Registration Statement on Form S-8 covering such Registrable Securities is effective or (iv) such Registrable Securities are otherwise transferred, assigned, sold, conveyed or otherwise disposed of and thereafter such securities may be resold without subsequent Registration under the Securities Act.

Registration ” means a registration with the Commission of the offer and sale of the Company’s securities to the public under a Registration Statement. The term “ Register ” shall have a correlative meaning.

Registration Expenses ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.07 .

Registration Statement ” means any registration statement of the Company that covers the offer and sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement filed with, or to be filed with, the Commission under the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act, including the related Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including pre- and post-effective amendments, and all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

Representatives ” means, with respect to any Person, any of such Person’s officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys, accountants, actuaries, consultants, equity financing partners or financial advisors or other Person associated with, or acting on behalf of, such Person.

 

5


Requesting Investor ” means, with respect to a Shelf Registration, any Investor holding at least 10% of the then-outstanding Company Shares.

Rule 144 ” means Rule 144 (or any successor provisions) under the Securities Act.

Rule 415 Limitation ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(a) .

SEC Guidance ” means (i) any publicly available written or oral questions and answers, guidance, forms, comments, requirements or requests of the Commission or its staff, (ii) the Securities Act and (iii) any other rules and regulations of the Commission.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any successor thereto, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect from time to time.

Shelf Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(b) .

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

Shelf Registration Statement ” means a Registration Statement filed with the Commission on either (i) Form F-3 or (ii) solely if the Company is not permitted to file a Registration Statement on Form F-3 or register all Registrable Securities on such form, an evergreen Registration Statement on Form F-1 (which, in the case the Company is not permitted to register all Registrable Securities on Form F-3, shall register any such shares not registered on Form F-3), in each case for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor provision) covering the offer and sale of all or any portion of the Registrable Securities, as applicable.

Shelf Suspension ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d) .

Shelf Take-Down ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(e)(i) .

Special Registration ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.11 .

Specified Courts ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.10 .

Stockholder Party ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.08(a) .

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any entity of which (i) a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock or equivalent ownership interests entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, trustees or other members of the applicable governing body thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof, or (ii) if no such governing body exists at such entity, a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock or equivalent ownership interests of the entity is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof. For purposes hereof, a Person or Persons shall be deemed to have a majority ownership interest in a limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity if such Person or Persons shall be allocated a majority of limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity gains or losses or shall be or control the managing member or general partner of such limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity.

Underwritten Offering ” means a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an underwriter or underwriters (or other counterparty) for reoffering to the public.

 

6


Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(e)(ii) .

Well-Known Seasoned Issuer ” means a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act and which (a) (i) is a “well-known seasoned issuer” under paragraph (1)(i)(A) of such definition or (ii) is a “well-known seasoned issuer” under paragraph (1)(i)(B) of such definition and is also eligible to Register a primary offering of its securities relying on General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3 or Form F-3 under the Securities Act and (b) is not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act.

SECTION 1.02.  Other Interpretive Provisions . (a) In this Agreement, except as otherwise provided:

(i) A reference to an Article, Section, Schedule or Exhibit is a reference to an Article or Section of, or Schedule or Exhibit to, this Agreement, and references to this Agreement include any recital in or Schedule or Exhibit to this Agreement.

(ii) The Schedules and Exhibits form an integral part of and are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement.

(iii) Headings and the Table of Contents are inserted for convenience only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

(iv) Unless the context otherwise requires, words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa, words importing the masculine include the feminine and vice versa, and words importing persons include corporations, associations, partnerships, joint ventures and limited liability companies and vice versa.

(v) Unless the context otherwise requires, the words “hereof” and “herein,” and words of similar meaning refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or clause. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”

(vi) A reference to any legislation or to any provision of or form or rule promulgated under any legislation shall include any amendment, modification, substitution or re-enactment thereof.

(vii) All determinations to be made by the Monarch Holders hereunder may be made by Monarch in its sole discretion, and Monarch may determine, in its sole discretion, whether or not to take actions that are permitted, but not required, by this Agreement to be taken by Monarch, including the giving of consents required hereunder.

(viii) All determinations to be made by the Oaktree Holders hereunder may be made by the Oaktree Holders in their sole discretion, and the Oaktree Holders may determine, in their sole discretion, whether or not to take actions that are permitted, but not required, by this Agreement to be taken by the Oaktree Holders, including the giving of consents required hereunder.

(ix) At any time the Company is not a Foreign Private Issuer, any references in this Agreement to a form or filing that may be made by a Foreign Private Issuer shall be deemed to be references to the corresponding form or filing that may be made by an entity that is not a Foreign Private Issuer.

(b) The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intention or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this Agreement.

 

7


ARTICLE II

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

SECTION 2.01.  Shelf Registration .

(a)  Filing . On or prior to the Filing Date, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to prepare and file with the Commission a Shelf Registration Statement covering the resale of all Registrable Securities owned by the Investors. In addition, upon the written request of a Requesting Investor, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to prepare and file with the Commission a Shelf Registration Statement covering the resale of all other Registrable Securities beneficially owned by such Requesting Investor; provided , that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated to effect a Shelf Registration covering the offer and sale of such Registrable Securities (x) more than three times per calendar year (each of which shall occur in different calendar quarters, as applicable) or (y) if the Registrable Securities to be covered by such Shelf Registration Statement represent less than one percent (1%) of the then-outstanding Company Shares; provided , however , that such Shelf Registration shall not be considered a Shelf Registration for the purposes of subclause (x) if, after a Shelf Registration Statement becomes effective, (1) such Shelf Registration is interfered with by any stop order or other order of the Commission or other Governmental Authority, or (2) if the Maximum Offering Size is reduced in accordance with Section 2.01(e)(iii) such that less than 66  2 3 % of the Registrable Securities of the Requesting Investor sought to be included in such Shelf Registration Statement are included. At any time the Company is (i) eligible for use of an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, such Registration shall occur on such form and/or (ii) is eligible for use of Form F-3, such Registration shall be made on such form. The Shelf Registration Statements described in this Section 2.01(a) shall relate to the offer and sale of the Registrable Securities by the Holders thereof from time to time in accordance with the methods of distribution set forth in the applicable Shelf Registration Statement (including any plan of distribution that the Requesting Investors may request from time to time, which shall permit all lawful means of disposition of Registrable Securities, including firm-commitment underwritten public offerings, block trades, agented transactions, sales directly into the market, purchases or sales by brokers and sales not involving a public offering) and Rule 415 under the Securities Act, together with any Registration Statement to replace such Registration Statement upon expiration thereof, if any (hereinafter the “ Shelf Registration ”). Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause each such Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to address any comments from the Commission regarding such Shelf Registration Statement and to advocate with the Commission for the Registration of all Registrable Securities in accordance with SEC Guidance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Commission prevents the Company from including any or all of the Registrable Securities on any Shelf Registration Statement due to limitations on the use of Rule 415 of the Securities Act for the resale of the Registrable Securities by the Holders (a “ Rule 415 Limitation ”) or otherwise, such Shelf Registration Statement shall Register the resale of a number of Company Shares which is equal to the maximum number of shares as is permitted by the Commission, and, subject to the provisions of this Section 2.01 , the Company shall continue to use its reasonable best efforts to Register all remaining Registrable Securities as set forth in this Article II . In such event, the number of Company Shares to be Registered for each Holder in the applicable Shelf Registration Statement shall be reduced pro rata among all Holders.

(b)  Continued Effectiveness . Except as provided herein, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to keep any Shelf Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2.01(a) continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earliest of (i) the date as of which all Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to such Shelf Registration Statement or another Registration Statement filed under the Securities Act (but in no event prior to the applicable period referred to in Section 4(3) of the Securities Act and Rule 174 thereunder), (ii) the date on which this Agreement terminates under Section 3.01(ii) with respect to all Investors and (iii) such shorter period as all of the Investors with respect to such Shelf Registration shall agree in writing (such period of effectiveness, the “ Shelf Period ”). Subject to Section 2.01(d) , the Company shall not be deemed to have used its

 

8


reasonable best efforts to keep any Shelf Registration Statement effective during the Shelf Period if the Company voluntarily takes any action or omits to take any action that would result in Holders not being able to offer and sell any Registrable Securities pursuant to such Shelf Registration Statement during the Shelf Period, unless such action or omission is (x) a Shelf Suspension permitted pursuant to Section 2.01(d) or (y) required by applicable law, rule or regulation.

(c)  Certain Undertakings . Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company shall cause (i) each Shelf Registration Statement (as of the effective date of such Shelf Registration Statement), any amendment thereof (as of the effective date thereof) or supplement thereto (as of its date), (A) to comply in all material respects with applicable SEC Guidance and (B) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and (ii) any related Prospectus (including any preliminary Prospectus) or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, as of its date, (A) to comply in all material respects with applicable SEC Guidance and (B) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading; provided , however , the Company shall have no such obligations or liabilities with respect to any written information pertaining to any Holder and furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of such Holder specifically for inclusion therein.

(d)  Suspension of Registration . If the Company shall furnish to the Holders a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer or equivalent senior executive officer of the Company stating that the continued use of a Shelf Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2.01(a) would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure, then the Company may suspend use of such Shelf Registration Statement (a “ Shelf Suspension ”); provided , however , that the Company, unless otherwise approved in writing by each of (i) the Monarch Holders Majority and (ii) the Oaktree Holders Majority (for so long as the Monarch Holders and the Oaktree Holders hold any Registrable Securities, respectively), shall not be permitted to exercise a Shelf Suspension more than twice, or for more than an aggregate of 60 days, in each case, during any 12-month period; provided , further , that in the event of a Shelf Suspension, such Shelf Suspension shall terminate at such earlier time as the Company would no longer be required to make any Adverse Disclosure. Each Holder agrees that, upon delivery of any certificate by the Company set forth in the first sentence of this Section, such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to the applicable Shelf Registration Statement until the Company informs such Holder in accordance with this Section 2.01(d) that the Shelf Suspension has been terminated. Each Holder shall keep confidential the fact that a Shelf Suspension is in effect, the certificate referred to above and its contents unless and until otherwise notified by the Company, except (A) for disclosure to such Holder’s employees, agents and professional advisers who reasonably need to know such information for purposes of assisting the Holder with respect to its investment in the Company Shares and agree to keep it confidential, (B) for disclosures to the extent required in order to comply with reporting obligations to its limited partners or other direct or indirect investors who have agreed to keep such information confidential, (C) if and to the extent such matters are publicly disclosed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any other Person that, to the actual knowledge of such Holder, was not subject to an obligation or duty of confidentiality to the Company and its Subsidiaries, (D) as required by law, rule or regulation and (E) for disclosure to any other Holder. In the case of a Shelf Suspension, the Holders agree to suspend use of the applicable Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in connection with any sale or purchase of, or offer to sell or purchase, Registrable Securities, upon delivery of the notice referred to above. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders upon the termination of any Shelf Suspension, amend or supplement the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if necessary, so it does not contain a material misstatement of fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and furnish to the Holders such numbers of copies of the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as so amended or supplemented as the Holders may reasonably request. The Company agrees, if necessary, to supplement or make amendments to each Shelf Registration Statement if required by the registration form used by the Company for the applicable Registration or by SEC Guidance, or as may reasonably be requested by any Holder. If the filing of any Registration Statement is suspended pursuant to this Section 2.01(d) , upon the termination of the Shelf

 

9


Suspension, the Requesting Investor may request a new Shelf Registration under Section 2.01(a) (which shall not be counted as an additional Shelf Registration for purposes of subclause (x) in Section 2.01(a) ).

(e)  Shelf Take-Downs .

(i) An offering or sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement (each, a “ Shelf Take-Down ”) may be initiated only by an Investor (an “ Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder ”). Except as set forth in Section 2.01(e)(iii) with respect to Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Downs, each such Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder shall not be required to permit the offer and sale of Registrable Securities by other Holders in connection with any such Shelf Take-Down initiated by such Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder.

(ii) Subject to Section 2.10 , if the Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder elects by written request to the Company, a Shelf Take-Down shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering (an “ Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice ”) and the Company shall amend or supplement the applicable Shelf Registration Statement for such purpose as soon as practicable. Subject to clause (iii) below, such Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder shall have the right to select the managing underwriter or underwriters to administer such offering.

(iii) If the plan of distribution set forth in any Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice includes a customary “road show” (including an “electronic road show”) or other substantial marketing effort by the Company and the underwriters over a period expected to exceed 48 hours (a “ Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down ”), promptly upon delivery of such Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice (but in no event more than three (3) Business Days thereafter), the Company shall promptly deliver a written notice (a “ Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice ”) of such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down to all Holders (other than the Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder), and the Company shall include in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down all such Registrable Securities of such Holders that are Registered on such Shelf Registration Statement for which the Company has received written requests, which requests must specify the aggregate amount of such Registrable Securities of such Holder to be offered and sold pursuant to such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down, for inclusion therein within one (1) Business Day after the date that such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down Notice has been delivered; provided , that if the managing underwriter or underwriters of any proposed Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down informs the Holders that have requested to participate in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down in writing that, in its or their good-faith opinion, the number of securities which such Holders intend to include in such offering exceeds the Maximum Offering Size, then the securities to be included in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down shall be (i)  first , the number of Registrable Securities that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be sold without having such adverse effect in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down, which number shall be allocated (1) first to the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down by the Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder, and (2) second to the Registrable Securities requested to be included in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down by any Requesting Investor who is not the Initiating Shelf Take-Down Holder on a pro rata basis and (ii)  second , and only if all the securities referred to in clause (i) have been included, the number of Registrable Securities that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be sold without having such adverse effect in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down, which such number shall be allocated pro rata among the Holders (excluding the Requesting Investors) that have requested to participate in such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder ( provided that any securities thereby allocated to a Holder that exceed such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining requesting Holders in like manner). The Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be included in any Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down shall have the right to select the managing underwriter or underwriters to administer such offering. No holder of securities of the Company shall be permitted to include such holder’s securities in any Marketed Underwritten Offering except for Holders who wish to include Registrable Securities pursuant to this clause (iii).

 

10


(iv) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cooperate in a timely manner with any request of the Requesting Investors in respect of any block trade, Hedging Transaction or other transaction that is Registered pursuant to a Shelf Registration that is not a firm commitment underwritten offering (each, an “ Alternative Transaction ”), including entering into customary agreements with respect to such Alternative Transactions (and providing customary representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities in such agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Requesting Investors) as well as providing other reasonable assistance in respect of such Alternative Transactions of the type applicable to a Registration subject to Section 2.04 , to the extent customary for such transactions. The Company shall bear all Registration Expenses in connection with any Shelf Registration, any Shelf Take-Down or any other transaction (including any Alternative Transaction) Registered under a Shelf Registration pursuant to this Section 2.01 , whether or not such Shelf Registration becomes effective or such Shelf Take-Down or other transaction is completed. For the avoidance of doubt, the filing of a Registration Statement with respect to a Hedging Transaction or Alternative Transaction shall be counted as a Shelf Registration for purposes of subclause (x) in Section 2.01(a) , and any single Registration Statement with respect to more than one transaction shall be deemed to be a single Shelf Registration.

(f) Automatic Shelf Registration Statements . Upon the Company becoming aware that it has become a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (it being understood that the Company shall independently verify whether it has become a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer at the end of each calendar month), (i) the Company shall give written notice to all of the Holders as promptly as practicable but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days thereafter, and such notice shall describe, in reasonable detail, the basis on which the Company has become a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer, and (ii) the Company shall, as promptly as practicable and subject to any Shelf Suspension, Register, under an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement, the sale of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to file such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement as promptly as practicable but in no event later than twenty (20) Business Days after it becomes a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer, and to cause such Automatic Shelf Registration Statement to remain effective thereafter until the earlier of the date (x) on which all of the securities covered by such Shelf Registration Statement are no longer Registrable Securities and (y) on which the Company cannot extend the effectiveness of such Shelf Registration Statement because it is no longer eligible for use of Form F-3. The Company shall give written notice of filing such Registration Statement to all of the Holders as promptly as practicable thereafter. At any time after the filing of an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement by the Company, if it is reasonably likely that it will no longer be a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer as of a future determination date (the “ Determination Date ”), as promptly as practicable and at least thirty (30) days prior to such Determination Date, the Company shall (A) give written notice thereof to all of the Holders and (B) use its reasonable best efforts to file a Registration Statement with respect to a Shelf Registration in accordance with this Section 2.01 , treating all selling stockholders identified as such in the Automatic Shelf Registration Statement (and amendments or supplements thereto) as Requesting Investors and use all reasonable best efforts to have such Registration Statement declared effective. Any Registration pursuant to this Section 2.01(f) shall be deemed a Shelf Registration for purposes of this Agreement; provided , however that any Registration pursuant to this Section 2.01(f) shall not be counted as an additional Shelf Registration for purposes of subclause (x) in Section 2.01(a) .

SECTION 2.02.  Piggyback Registration .

(a)  Participation . If the Company at any time proposes to file a Registration Statement with respect to any offering of its equity securities for its own account or for the account of any other Persons (other than (i) a Registration under Section 2.01 , it being understood that this clause (i) does not limit the rights of Holders to make written requests pursuant to Section 2.01 or otherwise limit the applicability thereof, (ii) a Registration Statement on Form F-4 or Form S-8, (iii) a Registration of securities solely relating to an offering and sale to employees, directors or consultants of the Company or its Subsidiaries pursuant to any employee stock plan or other employee benefit plan arrangement, (iv) a Registration not otherwise covered by clause (ii) above pursuant to which the Company is offering to exchange its own securities for other securities, (v) a Registration Statement

 

11


relating solely to dividend reinvestment or similar plans or (vi) a Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to which only the initial purchasers and subsequent transferees of debt securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that are convertible or exchangeable for Company Shares and that are initially issued pursuant to Rule 144A and/or Regulation S (or any successor provisions) of the Securities Act may resell such debt securities and sell the Company Shares into which such debt securities may be converted or exchanged (each of clauses (i)-(vi), a “ Company Public Sale ”)), then, (A) as soon as practicable (but in no event less than 30 days prior to the proposed date of filing of such Registration Statement, unless such Investor has a representative on the board of the directors of the Company and such representative has actual knowledge of the proposed Registration, then in no event less than 15 days prior to the date of filing of such Registration Statement), the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to the Investors, and such notice shall offer each Investor the opportunity to Register under such Registration Statement such number of Registrable Securities as such Investor may request in writing delivered to the Company within ten (10) days of delivery of such written notice by the Company, and (B) subject to Section 2.02(c) , as soon as practicable after the expiration of such 10-day period, the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to the Holders (other than the Investors), and such notice shall offer each such Holder the opportunity to Register under such Registration Statement such number of Registrable Securities as such Holder may request in writing within ten (10) days of delivery of such written notice by the Company. Subject to Sections 2.02(b) and (c) , the Company shall include in such Registration Statement all such Registrable Securities that are requested by Holders to be included therein in compliance with the immediately foregoing sentence (a “ Piggyback Registration ”); provided , that if at any time after giving written notice of its intention to Register any equity securities and prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement filed in connection with such Piggyback Registration, the Company shall determine for any reason not to Register or to delay Registration of the equity securities covered by such Piggyback Registration, the Company shall give written notice of such determination to each Holder that had requested to Register its, his or her Registrable Securities in such Registration Statement and, thereupon, (1) 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 (but not from its obligation to pay the Registration Expenses in connection therewith, to the extent payable) and (2) in the case of a determination to delay Registering, shall be permitted to delay Registering any Registrable Securities, for the same period as the delay in Registering the other equity securities covered by such Piggyback Registration. If the offering pursuant to such Registration Statement is to be underwritten, the Company shall so advise the Holders as a part of the written notice given pursuant this Section 2.02(a) , and each Holder making a request for a Piggyback Registration pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) must, and the Company shall make such arrangements with the managing underwriter or underwriters so that each such Holder may, participate in such Underwritten Offering, subject to the conditions of Section 2.02(b) and (c) . If the offering pursuant to such Registration Statement is to be on any other basis, the Company shall so advise the Holders as part of the written notice given pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) , and each Holder making a request for a Piggyback Registration pursuant to this Section 2.02(a) must, and the Company shall make such arrangements so that each such Holder may, participate in such offering on such basis, subject to the conditions of Section 2.02(b) and (c) . Each Holder shall be permitted to withdraw all or part of its Registrable Securities from a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement.

(b)  Priority of Piggyback Registration . If the managing underwriter or underwriters of any proposed Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities included in a Piggyback Registration informs the Company and the Holders that have requested to participate in such Piggyback Registration in writing that, in its or their good-faith opinion, the number of securities which such Holders and any other Persons intend to include in such offering exceeds the Maximum Offering Size, then the securities to be included in such Registration shall be (i)  first , 100% of the securities that the Company proposes to sell, (ii)  second , and only if all the securities referred to in clause (i) have been included, the number of Registrable Securities that, in the good-faith opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Offering Size, which number shall be allocated pro rata among the Requesting Investors that have requested to participate in such Registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Requesting Investor ( provided that any securities thereby allocated to a Requesting Investor that exceed such Requesting Investor’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining Requesting Investors in like manner), (iii)  third , and only if all

 

12


the securities referred to in clause (ii) have been included, the number of Registrable Securities that, in the good-faith opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Offering Size, which such number shall be allocated pro rata among the Investors (excluding the Requesting Investors) that have requested to participate in such Registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Investor ( provided that any securities thereby allocated to an Investor that exceed such Investor’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining requesting Investors in like manner), (iv)  fourth , and only if all the securities referred to in clause (iii) have been included, the number of Registrable Securities that, in the good-faith opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Offering Size, which such number shall be allocated pro rata among the Holders (excluding the Investors) that have requested to participate in such Registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities then held by each such Holder ( provided that any securities thereby allocated to a Holder that exceed such Holder’s request shall be reallocated among the remaining requesting Holders in like manner) and (v)  fifth , and only if all of the Registrable Securities referred to in clause (iv) have been included in such Registration, any other securities eligible for inclusion in such Registration that, in the good-faith opinion of the managing underwriter or underwriters, can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Offering Size.

(c)  Restrictions on Non-Investor Holders . Notwithstanding any provisions contained herein, Holders other than any Investor shall not be able to exercise the right to a Piggyback Registration unless at least one Investor exercises its rights with respect to such Piggyback Registration.

(d)  No Effect on Shelf Registrations . No Registration of Registrable Securities effected pursuant to a request under this Section 2.02 shall be deemed to have been effected pursuant to Section 2.01 or shall relieve the Company of its obligations under Section 2.01 .

SECTION 2.03.  Black-out Periods .

(a)  Black-out Periods for Holders . In the event of a Registration of the Company’s equity securities in an Underwritten Offering, each of the Holders agrees with the Company, if requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters in such Underwritten Offering (and, with respect to a Company Public Sale, if and only if each Investor agrees to such request), not to (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any Company Shares (including Company Shares that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and Company Shares that may be issued upon exercise of any Company Share Equivalents) or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Company Shares or (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of Company Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Company Shares or other securities, in cash or otherwise, in each case, during the period that is 45 days (or such other period as may be reasonably requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (i) the publication or other distribution of research reports and (ii) analyst recommendations and opinions, including, but not limited to, the restrictions contained in the FINRA rules or any successor provisions or amendments thereto) after the date of the commencement of such Company Public Sale, to the extent timely notified in writing by the Company or the managing underwriter or underwriters (or such greater or lesser period as may be reasonably requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters); provided , that the duration of the foregoing restrictions shall be no longer than the duration of the shortest restriction generally imposed by the underwriters on (i) the Company, (ii) the Chief Executive Officer and/or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (or persons in substantially equivalent positions), in their capacities as such, or (iii) on any other holder of more than 5% of the Company Shares, in each case, in connection with such Company Public Sale; provided , further , that nothing herein will prevent any Holder that is a partnership, limited liability company, corporation or other entity from making a distribution of Registrable Securities to the partners, members, stockholders or other equityholders thereof or a transfer to an Affiliate that is otherwise in compliance with the applicable securities laws, so long as such distributees or transferees agree to be bound by the

 

13


restrictions set forth in this Section 2.03(a) , or participating in any merger, acquisition or similar change of control transaction. If requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters of any such Company Public Sale, the Holders shall execute a separate lock-up agreement to the foregoing effect. This Section 2.03 shall not prohibit any transaction by any Holder that is permitted by its lock-up agreement entered into in connection with an Underwritten Offering with the managing underwriter or underwriters in such Underwritten Offering (as such lock-up agreement is modified or waived by such managing underwriter or underwriters from time to time). The Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Company Shares (or other securities) subject to the foregoing restriction until the end of the period referenced above.

(b)  Black-out Period for the Company and Others . In the case of an offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.01 that is an Underwritten Offering, the Company and each of the Holders agree, if requested by a Requesting Investor or the managing underwriter or underwriters with respect to such Underwritten Offering, not to (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any Company Shares (including Company Shares that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and Company Shares that may be issued upon exercise of any Company Share Equivalents) or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Company Shares or (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of Company Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Company Shares or other securities, in cash or otherwise, in each case, during the period beginning seven (7) days before, and ending 45 days (or such greater or lesser period as may be reasonably requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters) (or such other period as may be reasonably requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (i) the publication or other distribution of research reports and (ii) analyst recommendations and opinions, including, but not limited to, the restrictions contained in the FINRA rules or any successor provisions or amendments thereto) after, the date of the commencement of such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down, to the extent timely notified in writing by a Participating Investor or the managing underwriter or underwriters, as the case may be; provided , that the duration of the foregoing restrictions shall be no longer than the duration of the shortest restriction generally imposed by the underwriters on (i) the Chief Executive Officer and/or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (or persons in substantially equivalent positions), in their capacities as such, or (ii) on any other holder of more than 5% of the Company Shares, in each case, in connection with such Company Public Sale; provided , further , that nothing herein will prevent any Holder that is a partnership, limited liability company, corporation or other entity from making a distribution of Registrable Securities to the partners, members, stockholders or other equityholders thereof or a transfer to an Affiliate that is otherwise in compliance with the applicable securities laws, so long as such distributees or transferees agree to be bound by the restrictions set forth in this Section 2.03(b) , or participating in any merger, acquisition or similar change of control transaction. If requested by the Participating Investor or the managing underwriter or underwriters of any such Marketed Underwritten Shelf Take-Down, the Company and the Holders shall execute a separate lock-up agreement to the foregoing effect. This Section 2.03 shall not prohibit any transaction by the Company or any Holder that is permitted by its lock-up agreement or provision entered into in connection with an Underwritten Offering with the managing underwriter or underwriters in such Underwritten Offering (as such lock-up agreement or provision is modified or waived by such managing underwriter or underwriters from time to time). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may effect a public sale or distribution of securities of the type described above and during the periods described above if such sale or distribution is made pursuant to Registrations on Form F-4 or Form S-8 or as part of any Registration of securities for offering and sale to employees, directors or consultants of the Company and its Subsidiaries pursuant to any employee stock plan or other employee benefit plan arrangement.

(c)  Other Shareholders . The Company agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to obtain from each of its directors, officers and Affiliates, an agreement not to effect any public sale or distribution of such securities during any period referred to in this Section 2.03 , except as part of any sales or distributions made pursuant to Registrations permitted under Section 2.03(b) . Without limiting the foregoing (but subject to Section 2.06 ), if

 

14


after the date hereof the Company or any of its Subsidiaries grants any Person any rights to demand or participate in a Registration, the Company shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, provide that the agreement with respect thereto shall include such Person’s agreement to comply with any black-out period required by this Section 2.03 as if it were a Holder hereunder. If requested by the Participating Investor or the managing underwriter or underwriters of any such Underwritten Offering, the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to cause such persons referred to in the first sentence of this Section 2.03(c) to execute a separate agreement to the foregoing effect. This Section 2.03 shall not prohibit any transaction by such person that is permitted by its lock-up agreement entered into in connection with an Underwritten Offering with the managing underwriter or underwriters in such Underwritten Offering (as such lock-up agreement is modified or waived by such managing underwriter or underwriters from time to time). The Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Company Shares (or other securities) subject to the foregoing restriction until the end of the period referenced above.

SECTION 2.04.  Registration Procedures .

(a) In connection with the Company’s Registration obligations under Sections 2.01 and 2.02 and subject to the applicable terms and conditions set forth therein, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the plan of distribution requested by the Participating Investors and set forth in the applicable Registration Statement as expeditiously as reasonably practicable, and in connection therewith the Company shall:

(i) prepare the required Registration Statement, including all exhibits and financial statements required under the Securities Act to be filed therewith, and before filing a Registration Statement, Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, (x) furnish to the underwriters, if any, and the Participating Investors, if any, copies of all documents prepared to be filed, and provide such underwriters and the Participating Investors and their respective counsel with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on such documents prior to their filing and (y) except in the case of a Registration under Section 2.02 , not file any Registration Statement or Prospectus or amendments or supplements thereto to which any Participating Investor or the underwriters, if any, shall reasonably object; provided , that, if the Registration is pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form F-3 or any similar short-form Registration Statement, the Company shall include in such Registration Statement such additional information for marketing purposes as any Participating Investor or managing underwriter reasonably requests in writing; provided , that the Company may exclude such additional information from the Registration Statement if in its opinion, in consultation with outside legal counsel, such information contains a material misstatement of fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

(ii) prepare and file with the Commission such pre- and post-effective amendments to such Registration Statement, supplements to the Prospectus and such amendments or supplements to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as may be (x) reasonably requested by any Participating Investor, (y) reasonably requested by any other Participating Holder (to the extent such request relates to information relating to such Holder), or (z) necessary to keep such Registration effective for the period of time required by this Agreement, and comply with provisions of the applicable securities laws and SEC Guidance with respect to the sale or other disposition of all securities covered by such Registration Statement during such period in accordance with the intended method or methods of disposition by the sellers thereof set forth in such Registration Statement, and prior to the filing of such amendments and supplements, furnish such amendments and supplements to the underwriters, if any, and the Participating Investors, if any, and provide such underwriters and the Participating Investors and their respective counsel with an adequate and appropriate opportunity to review and comment on such amendments and supplements prior to their filing;

(iii) promptly notify the Participating Holders and the managing underwriter or underwriters, 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 the Company (A) when the applicable Registration Statement or

 

15


any amendment thereto has been filed or becomes effective, and when the applicable Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been filed, (B) of any written comments by the Commission or any request by the Commission or any other Governmental Authority for amendments or supplements to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information, (C) of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending or threatening to suspend the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or any order by the Commission or any other regulatory authority preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary or final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for such purposes, (D) if, at any time, the representations and warranties of the Company in any applicable underwriting agreement cease to be true and correct in all material respects, (E) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Registrable Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction and (F) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for the suspension of the qualification of the Registrable Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction;

(iv) promptly notify the Participating Holders and the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, when the Company becomes aware of the happening 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 Issuer Free Writing Prospectus 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, any preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, when any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus includes information that may conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such time period to amend or supplement such Registration Statement, Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act and, in either case as promptly as reasonably practicable thereafter, prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish without charge to the Participating Holders and the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, an amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus which shall correct such misstatement or omission or effect such compliance;

(v) use its reasonable best efforts to prevent, or obtain the withdrawal of, any stop order or other order suspending the use of any preliminary or final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus;

(vi) promptly incorporate in a Prospectus supplement, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or post-effective amendment to the applicable Registration Statement such information as the managing underwriter or underwriters and the Participating Investor(s) agree should be included therein relating to the plan of distribution with respect to such Registrable Securities, and make all required filings of such Prospectus supplement, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or post-effective amendment as soon as reasonably practicable after being notified of the matters to be incorporated in such Prospectus supplement, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or post-effective amendment;

(vii) furnish to each Participating Holder and each underwriter, if any, without charge, as many conformed copies as such Holder or underwriter may reasonably request of the applicable Registration Statement and any amendment, post-effective amendment or supplement thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference and all exhibits (including any incorporated by reference);

(viii) deliver to each Participating Holder and each underwriter, if any, without charge, as many copies of the applicable Prospectus (including each preliminary Prospectus), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto as such Holder or underwriter may reasonably request (it being understood that the Company consents to the use of such Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto by such Holder and the underwriters, if any, in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities thereby) and such other documents as such Holder or underwriter may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities by such Holder or underwriter;

 

16


(ix) on or prior to the date on which the applicable Registration Statement is declared effective, use its reasonable best efforts to register or qualify, and cooperate with the Participating Holders, the managing underwriter or underwriters, 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 or underwriters, if any, or their respective counsel reasonably request in writing and do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary or advisable to keep such registration or qualification in effect for such period as required by Section 2.01(b) , whichever is applicable, provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified or 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;

(x) cooperate with the Participating Holders and the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be sold and not bearing any restrictive legends, and enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as the managing underwriters may request at least two (2) Business Days prior to any sale of Registrable Securities to the underwriters;

(xi) use its reasonable best 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 or underwriters, if any, to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities;

(xii) make such representations and warranties to the Participating Holders and the underwriters or agents, if any, in form, substance and scope as are customarily made by issuers in secondary underwritten public offerings;

(xiii) enter into such customary agreements (including underwriting and indemnification agreements) and take all such other actions as any Participating Investor or the managing underwriter or underwriters, if any, reasonably request in order to expedite or facilitate the Registration and disposition of such Registrable Securities;

(xiv) obtain for delivery to the Participating Holders and to the underwriter or underwriters, if any, an opinion or opinions from counsel for the Company 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, in customary form, scope and substance, which opinions shall be reasonably satisfactory to such Holders or underwriters, as the case may be, and their respective counsel;

(xv) in the case of an Underwritten Offering, obtain for delivery to the Company and the managing underwriter or underwriters, with copies to the Participating Holders, a cold comfort letter from the Company’s independent certified public accountants in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by cold comfort letters as the managing underwriter or underwriters reasonably request, dated the date of execution of the underwriting agreement and brought down to the date of the closing of the Underwritten Offering, as specified in the underwriting agreement;

(xvi) cooperate with each Participating Holder and each underwriter, if any, participating in the disposition of such Registrable Securities and their respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be made with the FINRA;

(xvii) use its reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable securities laws and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;

 

17


(xviii) 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;

(xix) use its reasonable best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement to be listed on each securities exchange on which any of the Company Shares are then listed or quoted and on each inter-dealer quotation system on which any of the Company Shares are then quoted;

(xx) in connection with an Underwritten Offering, make available upon reasonable notice at reasonable times and for reasonable periods for inspection by any Participating Investor, by any underwriter participating in any disposition to be effected pursuant to such Registration Statement and by any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by such Participating Investor(s) or any such underwriter, all pertinent financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company, and cause all of the Company’s officers, directors and employees and the independent public accountants who have certified its financial statements to make themselves available to discuss the business of the Company and to supply all information reasonably requested by any such Person in connection with such Registration Statement as shall be necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence responsibility; and

(xxi) in the case of an Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities in an amount of at least one percent (1%) of the then-outstanding Company Shares, cause the senior executive officers of the Company to participate in the customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters in any such Underwritten Offering no more than once per calendar quarter and otherwise to facilitate, cooperate with, and participate in each proposed offering contemplated herein and customary selling efforts related thereto.

(b) The Company may require each Participating Holder to furnish to the Company such information regarding the distribution of such securities and such other information relating to such Holder and its ownership of Registrable Securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably request in writing. Each Participating Holder agrees to furnish such information to the Company and to cooperate with the Company as reasonably necessary to enable the Company to comply with the provisions of this Agreement.

(c) Each Participating Holder agrees that, upon delivery of any notice by the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 2.04(a)(iii)(C) , (D) , or (E)  or Section 2.04(a)(iv) , such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement until (i) such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus contemplated by Section 2.04(a)(iv) , (ii) such Holder is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as the case may be, may be resumed, (iii) such Holder is advised in writing by the Company of the termination, expiration or cessation of such order or suspension referenced in Section 2.04(a)(iii)(C) or (E)  or (iv) such Holder is advised in writing by the Company that the representations and warranties of the Company in such applicable underwriting agreement are true and correct in all material respects. If so directed by the Company, such Holder shall deliver to the Company (at the Company’s expense) all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such Holder’s possession, of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus covering the offer and sale of such Registrable Securities current at the time of delivery of such notice. In the event the Company 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 from and including the date of the giving of such notice to and including the date when each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement either receives the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus contemplated by Section 2.04(a)(iv) or is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus may be resumed.

 

18


SECTION 2.05.  Underwritten Offerings .

(a)  Shelf Registrations . If requested by the underwriters for any Underwritten Offering requested by any Participating Investor pursuant to a Registration under Section 2.01 , the Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement with such underwriters for such offering, such agreement to be reasonably satisfactory in substance and form to the Company, each Participating Investor and the underwriters, and to contain such representations and warranties by the Company and such other terms as are generally prevailing in agreements of that type, including indemnities no less favorable to the recipient thereof than those provided in Section 2.08 . Each Participating Investor shall cooperate reasonably with the Company in the negotiation of such underwriting agreement and shall give consideration to the reasonable suggestions of the Company regarding the form thereof. The Participating Holders shall be parties to such underwriting agreement, which underwriting agreement shall (i) contain such representations and warranties by, and the other agreements on the part of, the Company to and for the benefit of such Participating Holders as are customarily made by issuers to selling stockholders in secondary underwritten public offerings and (ii) provide that any or all of the conditions precedent to the obligations of such underwriters under such underwriting agreement also shall be conditions precedent to the obligations of such Participating Holders. Any such Participating Holder shall not be required to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the underwriters in connection with such underwriting agreement other than representations, warranties or agreements regarding such Participating Holder, such Participating Holder’s title to the Registrable Securities, such Participating Holder’s authority to sell the Registrable Securities, such Participating Holder’s intended method of distribution, absence of liens with respect to the Registrable Securities, receipt of all required consents and approvals with respect to the entry into such underwriting agreement and the sale of such Registrable Securities and any other representations required to be made by such Participating Holder under applicable law, rule or regulation, and the aggregate amount of the liability of such Participating Holder in connection with such underwriting agreement shall not exceed such Participating Holder’s net proceeds from such Underwritten Offering.

(b)  Piggyback Registrations . If the Company proposes to Register any of its securities under the Securities Act as contemplated by Section 2.02 and such securities are to be distributed in an Underwritten Offering through one or more underwriters, the Company shall, if requested by any Holder pursuant to Section 2.02 and subject to the provisions of Sections 2.02(b) and (c) , use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for such underwriters to include on the same terms and conditions that apply to the other sellers in such Registration all the Registrable Securities to be offered and sold by such Holder among the securities of the Company to be distributed by such underwriters in such Registration. The Participating Holders shall be parties to the underwriting agreement between the Company and such underwriters, which underwriting agreement shall (i) contain such representations and warranties by, and the other agreements on the part of, the Company to and for the benefit of such Participating Holders as are customarily made by issuers to selling stockholders in secondary underwritten public offerings and (ii) provide that any or all of the conditions precedent to the obligations of such underwriters under such underwriting agreement also shall be conditions precedent to the obligations of such Participating Holders. Any such Participating Holder shall not be required to make any representations or warranties to, or agreements with the Company or the underwriters in connection with such underwriting agreement other than representations, warranties or agreements regarding such Participating Holder, such Participating Holder’s title to the Registrable Securities, such Participating Holder’s authority to sell the Registrable Securities, such Holder’s intended method of distribution, absence of liens with respect to the Registrable Securities, receipt of all required consents and approvals with respect to the entry into such underwriting agreement and the sale of such Registrable Securities or any other representations required to be made by such Participating Holder under applicable law, rule or regulation, and the aggregate amount of the liability of such Participating Holder in connection with such underwriting agreement shall not exceed such Participating Holder’s net proceeds from such Underwritten Offering.

(c)  Participation in Underwritten Registrations . Subject to the provisions of Sections 2.05(a) and (b)  above, no Person may participate in any Underwritten Offering hereunder unless such Person (i) agrees to sell such Person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Persons entitled

 

19


to approve such arrangements and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.

(d)  Price and Underwriting Discounts . In the case of an Underwritten Offering under Section 2.01 , the price, underwriting discount and other financial terms for the Registrable Securities shall be determined by the Investor(s) participating in such Underwritten Offering.

SECTION 2.06.  No Inconsistent Agreements; Additional Rights . The Company is not currently a party to, and shall not hereafter enter into without the prior written consent of (i) the Monarch Holders Majority and (ii) the Oaktree Holders Majority (for so long as the Monarch Holders and the Oaktree Holders hold any Registrable Securities, respectively), any agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the rights granted to the Holders by this Agreement, including allowing any other holder or prospective holder of any securities of the Company (a) registration rights in the nature or substantially in the nature of those set forth in Section 2.01 or Section 2.02 that would have priority over the Registrable Securities with respect to the inclusion of such securities in any Registration (except to the extent such registration rights are solely related to Registrations of the type contemplated by Section 2.02(a)(ii) through (iv) ) or (b) demand registration rights in the nature or substantially in the nature of those set forth in Section 2.01 that are exercisable prior to such time as the Requesting Investors can first exercise their rights under Section 2.01 .

SECTION 2.07.  Registration Expenses . All expenses incident to the Company’s performance of or compliance with this Agreement shall be paid by the Company, including (i) all registration and filing fees, and any other fees and expenses associated with filings required to be made with the Commission or FINRA, including, if applicable, the fees and expenses of any “qualified independent underwriter,” as such term is defined in FINRA Rule 5121 (or any successor provision), and of its counsel, (ii) all fees and expenses in connection with compliance with any securities or “Blue Sky” laws (including fees and disbursements of counsel for the underwriters in connection with “Blue Sky” qualifications of the Registrable Securities up to a maximum of $25,000), (iii) all printing, duplicating, word processing, messenger, telephone, facsimile and delivery expenses (including expenses of printing certificates for the Registrable Securities in a form eligible for deposit with The Depository Trust Company and of printing Prospectuses and Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses), (iv) all fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and of all independent certified public accountants of the Company (including the expenses of any special audits incidental to or required by any Registration or qualification and cold comfort letters required by or incident to such performance), (v) Securities Act liability insurance or similar insurance if the Company so desires or the underwriters so require in accordance with then-customary underwriting practice, (vi) all fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of Registrable Securities on any securities exchange or quotation of the Registrable Securities on any inter-dealer quotation system, (vii) all fees and expenses of any special experts or other Persons retained by the Company in connection with any Registration, (viii) all of the Company’s internal expenses (including all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company and its directors and officers related to any analyst or investor presentations or any “road-shows” for any Underwritten Offering, including all travel, meals and lodging, (x) reasonable fees, out-of-pocket costs and expenses of one firm of counsel selected by the Holder(s) of a majority of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement, (xi) fees and disbursements of underwriters customarily paid by issuers and sellers of securities, but excluding any underwriting fees, discounts and commissions attributable to the sale of Registrable Securities, (xii) transfer agents’ and registrars’ fees and expenses and the fees and expenses of any other agent or trustee appointed in connection with such offering, (xiii) fees and expense payable in connection with any ratings of the Registrable Securities, including expenses relating to any presentations to rating agencies and (xiv) any other fees and disbursements customarily paid by the issuers of securities. All such fees and expenses are referred to herein as “ Registration Expenses .” The Company shall not be required to pay any underwriting discounts and commissions and transfer taxes, if any, attributable to the sale of Registrable Securities.

 

20


SECTION 2.08.  Indemnification .

(a)  Indemnification by the Company . The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by law, each of the Holders, each of their respective direct or indirect partners, members or shareholders and each of such partner’s, member’s or shareholder’s partners members or shareholders and, with respect to all of the foregoing Persons, each of their respective Affiliates, employees, directors, officers, trustees or agents and each Person who controls (within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) such Persons and each of their respective Representatives (collectively, the “Stockholder Parties”) from and against any and all losses, penalties, judgments, suits, costs, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses, joint or several (including reasonable costs and expenses of investigation and attorneys’, accountants’ and experts’ fees and expenses) (each, a “ Loss ” and collectively “ Losses ”) insofar as such Losses arise out of or are relating to (i) any failure by the Company to comply with the covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement, (ii) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which such Registrable Securities were Registered under the Securities Act (including any final, preliminary or summary Prospectus contained therein or any amendment or supplement thereto or any documents incorporated by reference therein, which shall include any information that has been deemed to be a part of any Prospectus under Rule 159 under the Securities Act), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto, (iii) 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 Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (iv) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of any federal, state or common law rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with any such Registration, qualification, compliance or sale of Registrable Securities, (v) any failure to register or qualify Registrable Securities in any state where the Company or its agents have affirmatively undertaken or agreed in writing that the Company (the undertaking of any underwriter being attributed to the Company) will undertake such registration or qualification on behalf of the Holders of such Registrable Securities ( provided that in such instance the Company shall not be so liable if it has undertaken its reasonable best efforts to so register or qualify such Registrable Securities) or (vi) any actions or inactions or proceedings in respect of the foregoing, and the Company will reimburse, as incurred, each such Stockholder Party for any legal and any other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending any such claim, loss, damage, liability or action; provided , that the Company shall not be liable to any Stockholder Party to the extent that any such Loss arises out of or is relating to an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any such Registration Statement or other document in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such indemnified party expressly for use in the preparation thereof (including without limitation any written information provided for inclusion in the Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2.04(a)(i)). This indemnity shall be in addition to any liability the Company may otherwise have. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Holder or any Stockholder Party and shall survive the transfer of such securities by such Holder. The Company shall also indemnify underwriters, selling brokers, dealer managers and similar securities industry professionals participating in the distribution, their officers and directors and each Person who controls such Persons (within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act) to the same extent as provided above with respect to the indemnification of the Stockholder Parties.

(b)  Indemnification by the Participating Holders . Each Participating Holder agrees (severally and not jointly) to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company, its directors and officers and each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act), and each other Holder, each of such other Holder’s respective direct or indirect partners, members or shareholders and each of such partner’s, member’s or shareholder’s partners members or shareholders and, with respect to all of the foregoing Persons, each of their respective Affiliates, employees, directors, officers, trustees or agents and each Person who controls (within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) such Persons and each of their respective Representatives from and against any Losses resulting from (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which such Participating Holder’s Registrable Securities were Registered under the Securities Act (including any final,

 

21


preliminary or summary Prospectus contained therein or any amendment or supplement thereto or any documents incorporated by reference therein, which shall include any information that has been deemed to be a part of any Prospectus under Rule 159 under the Securities Act) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto, or (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 Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information furnished in writing by such Participating Holder to the Company specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement (including, without limitation, any written information provided for inclusion in the Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2.04(a)(i) ) and has not been corrected in a subsequent writing prior to or concurrently with the sale of the Registrable Securities to the Person asserting the claim, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement (or alleged untrue statement) or omission (or alleged omission) was made in such Registration Statement, Prospectus, offering circular, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein. In no event shall the liability of such Participating Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Participating Holder under the sale of Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation.

(c)  Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings . Any Person entitled to indemnification under this Section 2.08 shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification ( provided that any failure to so notify the indemnifying party shall relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder only to the extent, if at all, that it is actually and materially prejudiced by reason of such failure) and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided that any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall have the right to select and employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such claim, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Person unless (A) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees or expenses, (B) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim within a reasonable time after delivery of notice of such claim from the Person entitled to indemnification hereunder and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Person, (C) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based upon advice of its counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, or (D) in the reasonable judgment of any such indemnified party (based upon advice of its counsel), an actual or potential conflict of interest exists between such Person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the Person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such Person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such Person). If the indemnifying party assumes the defense, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to settle such action, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement, in each case without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, unless the entry of such judgment or settlement (i) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of an unconditional release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party, and provided that any sums payable in connection with such settlement are paid in full by the indemnifying party. If such defense is not assumed by the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will not be subject to any liability for any settlement made without its prior written consent, but such consent may not be unreasonably withheld. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, except as specifically set forth in this Section 2.08(c) , in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements or other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time unless (x) the employment of more than one counsel has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party or parties, (y) an indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on the advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the other indemnified parties, or (z) a conflict or potential conflict exists or may exist (based upon advice of counsel to an indemnified party) between such

 

22


indemnified party and the other indemnified parties, in each of which cases the indemnifying party shall be obligated to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such additional counsel or counsels.

(d)  Contribution . If for any reason the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 2.08 is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any Losses referred to therein, then the indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party 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 indemnified party or parties on the other hand in connection with the acts, statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. In connection with any Registration Statement filed with the Commission by the Company, the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and the indemnified party on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any 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 by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 2.08(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 2.08(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 indemnified party as a result of the Losses referred to in Sections 2.08(a) and 2.08(b) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 2.08(d) , in connection with any Registration Statement filed by the Company, a Participating Holder shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder under the sale of Registrable Securities giving rise to such contribution obligation less any amount paid by such Holders pursuant to Section 2.08(b) . Each Participating Stockholder’s obligation to contribute pursuant to this Section 2.08 is several in the proportion that the proceeds of the offering received by such Participating Stockholder bears to the total proceeds of the offering received by all such Participating Stockholders and not joint. If indemnification is available under this Section 2.08 , the indemnifying parties shall indemnify each indemnified party to the full extent provided in Sections 2.08(a) and 2.08(b) hereof without regard to the provisions of this Section 2.08(d) .

(e)  No Exclusivity . The remedies provided for in this Section 2.08 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity or pursuant to any other agreement.

(f)  Survival . The indemnities provided in this Section 2.08 shall survive the transfer of any Registrable Securities by such Holder.

(g) Other Indemnification . Indemnification similar to that specified herein (with appropriate modifications) shall be given by the Company and each Participating Stockholder with respect to any required registration or other qualification of securities under any law other than the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

SECTION 2.09. Rules 144 and 144A and Regulation S . The Company covenants that it will file the reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder (or, if the Company is not required to file such reports, it will, upon the reasonable request of any Investor, make publicly available such necessary information for so long as necessary to permit sales pursuant to Rules 144, 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act), and it will take such further action as any Investor may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable the Holders, to sell Registrable Securities without Registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by (i) Rules 144, 144A or Regulation S under the Securities Act, as such Rules may be amended from time to time, or (ii) any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission. Upon the

 

23


reasonable request of a Holder, the Company will deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements and, if not, the specifics thereof.

SECTION 2.10.  Limitation on Registrations and Underwritten Offerings . Notwithstanding the rights and obligations set forth in Section 2.01 , in no event shall the Company be obligated to take any action to (i) effect more than one Marketed Underwritten Offering per calendar quarter or (ii) effect any Underwritten Shelf Take-Down unless the Investor initiating such Underwritten Offering proposes to sell Registrable Securities in an amount of at least the lesser of one percent (1%) of the then-outstanding Company Shares or 100% of the Registrable Securities then held by such Investor.

SECTION 2.11.  Clear Market . With respect to any Underwritten Offerings of Registrable Securities by an Investor, the Company agrees not to effect (other than pursuant to the Registration applicable to such Underwritten Offering or pursuant to a Special Registration or pursuant to the exercise by another Investor of any of its rights under Section 2.01 ) any public sale or distribution, or to file any Registration Statement (other than pursuant to the Registration applicable to such Underwritten Offering or pursuant to a Special Registration or pursuant to the exercise by an Investor of any of its rights under Section 2.01 ) covering any of its equity securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such securities, during the period not to exceed ten (10) days prior and sixty (60) days following the effective date of such offering, or such longer period up to ninety (90) days as may be requested by the managing underwriter for such Underwritten Offering; provided , that such period shall be waived by the Investors upon the Company’s reasonable request if, in the good-faith opinion of the Company’s managing underwriter or underwriters in connection with an Underwritten Offering, the Company’s securities may be sold in such offering without being likely to have a significant adverse effect on the price, distribution or market of the Investor’s securities offered. “ Special Registration ” means the Registration of (A) equity securities and/or options or other rights in respect thereof solely Registered on Form F-4 or Form S-8 or (B) shares of equity securities and/or options or other rights in respect thereof to be offered to directors, employees, consultants, customers, lenders or vendors of the Company or its Subsidiaries or in connection with dividend reinvestment plans.

SECTION 2.12.  In-Kind Distributions . If any Holder seeks to effectuate an in-kind distribution of all or part of its Company Shares to its direct or indirect equityholders, the Company will reasonably cooperate with and assist such Holder, such equityholders and the Company’s transfer agent to facilitate such in-kind distribution in the manner reasonably requested by such Holder (including the delivery of instruction letters by the Company or its counsel to the Company’s transfer agent, the delivery of customary legal opinions by counsel to the Company and the delivery of Company Shares without restrictive legends, to the extent no longer applicable or advisable).

ARTICLE III

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 3.01.  Term . This Agreement shall terminate with respect to any Holder, (i) with the prior written consent of each of (A) the Monarch Holders Majority and (B) the Oaktree Holders Majority (for so long as the Monarch Holders and the Oaktree Holders hold any Registrable Securities, respectively), (ii) if such Holder and its Affiliates beneficially own less than 5% of the outstanding Company Shares, if all of the Registrable Securities then owned by such Holder and its Affiliates could be sold in any ninety (90)-day period pursuant to Rule 144 without restriction as to volume or manner of sale or (iii) if all of the Registrable Securities held by such Holder have been sold in a Registration pursuant to the Securities Act or pursuant to an exemption therefrom.

SECTION 3.02.  Injunctive Relief . It is hereby agreed and acknowledged that it will be impossible to measure in money the damage that would be suffered if the parties fail to comply with any of the obligations

 

24


herein imposed on them and that in the event of any such failure, an aggrieved Person will be irreparably damaged and will not have an adequate remedy at law. Any such Person shall, therefore, be entitled (in addition to any other remedy to which it may be entitled in law or in equity) to injunctive relief, including specific performance, to enforce such obligations, and if any action should be brought in equity to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement, none of the parties hereto shall raise the defense that there is an adequate remedy at law.

SECTION 3.03.  Notices . Unless otherwise specified herein, all notices, consents, approvals, reports, designations, requests, waivers, elections and other communications authorized or required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given (a) when personally delivered, (b) when transmitted via facsimile to the number set out below or on Schedule I, as applicable, if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy of such notice by a recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid), (c) the day following the day (except if not a Business Day then the next Business Day) on which the same has been delivered prepaid to a reputable national overnight air courier service, (d) when transmitted via email (including via attached pdf document) to the email address set out below or on Schedule I, as applicable, if the sender on the same day sends a confirming copy of such notice by a recognized overnight delivery service (charges prepaid) or (e) the third Business Day following the day on which the same is sent by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, in each case to the respective parties as applicable, at the address, facsimile number or email address set forth on Schedule I (or such other address, facsimile number or email address as such Holder may specify by notice to the Company in accordance with this Section 3.03 ) and the Company at the following addresses:

To the Company:

Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

c/o Star Bulk Management Inc.

40 Agiou Konstantinou Street,

15124 Maroussi,

Athens, Greece

Attention: Georgia Mastagaki

Facsimile: +30 (210) 617-8378

Email: gmastagaki@starbulk.com

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

Seward & Kissel LLP

One Battery Park Plaza

New York, NY 10004

Attention: Robert E. Lustrin, Esq.

Facsimile: (212) 480-8421

Email: lustrin@sewkis.com

SECTION 3.04.  Recapitalization . The provisions of this Agreement shall apply to the full extent set forth herein with respect to any and all equity securities of the Company or any successor or assign of the Company (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) which may be issued in respect of, in conversion of, in exchange for or in substitution of, the Registrable Securities and shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividends, splits, reverse splits, combinations, recapitalizations and the like occurring after the date hereof. The Company shall cause any successor or assign (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) to assume this Agreement or enter into a new registration rights agreement with the Holders on terms substantially the same as this Agreement as a condition of any such transaction.

 

25


SECTION 3.05.  Amendment . The terms and provisions of this Agreement may only be amended, modified or waived at any time and from time to time by a writing executed by the Company, the Monarch Holders Majority and the Oaktree Holders Majority (for so long as the Monarch Holders and the Oaktree Holders hold any Registrable Securities, respectively).

SECTION 3.06.  Successors, Assigns and Transferees . The rights and obligations of each party hereto may not be assigned, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the Company, the Monarch Holders Majority and the Oaktree Holders Majority (for so long as the Monarch Holders and the Oaktree Holders hold any Registrable Securities, respectively); provided , however , that notwithstanding the foregoing, the rights and obligations set forth herein may be assigned, in whole or in part, by any Investor to any transferee of Registrable Securities that holds (after giving effect to such transfer) in excess of one percent (1%) of the then-outstanding Company Shares and such transferee shall, with the consent of the transferring Investor, be treated as an “Investor” for all purposes of this Agreement (it being understood that, without such consent from the transferring Investor, such transferee shall be treated as a “Holder” for all purposes of this Agreement) (each Person to whom the rights and obligations are assigned in compliance with this Section 3.06 is a “ Permitted Assignee ” and all such Persons, collectively, are “ Permitted Assignees ”); provided , further , that such transferee shall only be admitted as a party hereunder upon its, his or her execution and delivery of a joinder agreement, in form and substance acceptable to each Investor, agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement as if such Person were a party hereto (together with any other documents the Investors determine are necessary to make such Person a party hereto), whereupon such Person will be treated as a Holder for all purposes of this Agreement, with the same rights, benefits and obligations hereunder as the transferring Holder with respect to the transferred Registrable Securities (except that if the transferee was a Holder prior to such transfer, such transferee shall have the same rights, benefits and obligations with respect to such transferred Registrable Securities as were applicable to Registrable Securities held by such transferee prior to such transfer).

SECTION 3.07.  Binding Effect . Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of each of the parties hereto and their respective successors.

SECTION 3.08.  Third Party Beneficiaries . Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon any Person not a party hereto (other than those Persons entitled to indemnity or contribution under Section 2.08 , each of whom shall be a third party beneficiary thereof) any right, remedy or claim under or by virtue of this Agreement.

SECTION 3.09.  Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Agent For Service . THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY (I) AGREES THAT ANY LEGAL SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING AGAINST THE COMPANY ARISING OUT OF OR BASED UPON THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY MAY BE INSTITUTED IN THE FEDERAL COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LOCATED IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF NEW YORK OR THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK IN EACH CASE LOCATED IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF NEW YORK (COLLECTIVELY, THE “ SPECIFIED COURTS ”), (II) WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT IT MAY EFFECTIVELY DO SO, ANY OBJECTION WHICH IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY SUIT, ACTION OR OTHER PROCEEDING IN THE SPECIFIED COURTS AND IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVE AND AGREE NOT TO PLEAD OR CLAIM IN ANY SUCH COURT THAT ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR OTHER PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN ANY SUCH COURT HAS BEEN BROUGHT IN AN INCONVENIENT FORUM AND (III) SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION (EXCEPT FOR PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED IN REGARD TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF A JUDGMENT OF ANY SUCH COURT, AS TO WHICH SUCH JURISDICTION IS NON-EXCLUSIVE) OF SUCH COURTS IN ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING. THE COMPANY HAS APPOINTED SEWARD & KISSEL LLP AT C/O ROBERT E.

 

26


LUSTRIN, ONE BATTERY PARK PLAZA, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10004, USA AS ITS AUTHORIZED AGENT (THE “ AUTHORIZED AGENT ”) UPON WHOM PROCESS MAY BE SERVED IN ANY SUCH ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR BASED ON THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY WHICH MAY BE INSTITUTED IN ANY SPECIFIED COURT AND HEREBY WAIVES ANY REQUIREMENTS OF OR OBJECTIONS TO PERSONAL JURISDICTION WITH RESPECT THERETO. SUCH APPOINTMENT SHALL BE IRREVOCABLE. THE COMPANY REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS THAT THE AUTHORIZED AGENT HAS AGREED TO ACT AS SUCH AGENT FOR SERVICE OF PROCESS AND AGREES TO TAKE ANY AND ALL ACTION, INCLUDING THE FILING OF ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS AND INSTRUMENTS, THAT MAY BE NECESSARY TO CONTINUE SUCH APPOINTMENT IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS AFORESAID. SERVICE OF PROCESS UPON THE AUTHORIZED AGENT AND WRITTEN NOTICE OF SUCH SERVICE TO THE COMPANY SHALL BE DEEMED, IN EVERY RESPECT, EFFECTIVE SERVICE OF PROCESS UPON THE COMPANY.

SECTION 3.10.  Waiver of Jury Trial . EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF THE OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, AS APPLICABLE, BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 3.10 .

SECTION 3.11.  Immunity Waiver . The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the extent permitted by law, any immunity to jurisdiction to which it may otherwise be entitled (including, without limitation, immunity to pre-judgment attachment, post-judgment attachment and execution) in any legal suit, action or proceeding against it arising out of or based on this Agreement.

SECTION 3.12.  Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Any prior agreements or understandings among the parties hereto regarding the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral, are superseded by this Agreement.

SECTION 3.13.  Severability . If any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

SECTION 3.14.  Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which shall constitute one and the same agreement.

SECTION 3.15.  Headings . The heading references herein and in the table of contents hereto are for convenience purposes only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.

SECTION 3.16.  Joinder . Any Person that holds Company Shares may, with the prior written consent of each Investor, be admitted as a party to this Agreement upon its execution and delivery of a joinder agreement, in form and substance acceptable to the Investors, agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement as if such Person were a party hereto (together with any other documents the Investors determine are necessary to make such Person a party hereto), whereupon such Person will be treated as a Holder for all purposes of this Agreement.

[ Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank ]

 

27


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
By:    
Name:   Simos Spyrou
Title:   Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


INVESTORS:
OAKTREE VALUE OPPORTUNITIES FUND, L.P.
By: Oaktree Value Opportunities Fund GP, L.P.
Its: General Partner
By: Oaktree Value Opportunities Fund GP Ltd.
Its: General Partner
By: Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.
Its: Director

 

By:    
  Name:
  Title:
By:    
  Name:
  Title:

OAKTREE OPPORTUNITIES FUND IX DELAWARE, L.P.

 

By: Oaktree Fund GP, LLC
Its: General Partner
By: Oaktree Fund GP I. L.P.
Its: Managing Member

 

By:    
  Name:
  Title:
By:    
  Name:
  Title:

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


OAKTREE OPPORTUNITIES FUND IX (PARALLEL 2), L.P.

 

By: Oaktree Opportunities Fund IX GP, L.P.

Its: General Partner

By: Oaktree Opportunities Fund IX GP Ltd.

Its: General Partner

By: Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.

Its: Director

 

By:    
  Name:
  Title:
By:    
  Name:
  Title:

OAKTREE DRY BULK HOLDINGS LLC

 

By:    
  Name:
  Title:
By:    
  Name:
  Title:

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


MONARCH ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS MASTER FUND LTD

MONARCH CAPITAL MASTER PARTNERS II-A LP

MONARCH CAPITAL MASTER PARTNERS II LP

MONARCH DEBT RECOVERY MASTER FUND LTD

MONARCH OPPORTUNITIES MASTER FUND LTD

P MONARCH RECOVERY LTD

By: Monarch Alternative Capital LP, as investment manager

 

By:    
 

Name:            

Title:

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


MILLENNIA HOLDINGS LLC

By: Oceanbulk Maritime S.A.

Its: Manager

 

By:  

 

 

  Name:
  Title:

MIRABEL SHIPHOLDING & INVEST LIMITED

By:

 

By:  

 

 

  Name:
  Title:

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


 

MILENA MARIA PAPPAS
By:    
 

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]


SCHEDULE I

Milena Maria Pappas


Exhibit F

EXECUTION COPY

SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

by and among

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.

and

THE SHAREHOLDERS NAMED HEREIN

 

 

Dated as of [ ], 2014

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page  
   ARTICLE I   
   DEFINITIONS; INTERPRETATION   

Section 1.1

   Certain Definitions      1   

Section 1.2

   Terms Defined Elsewhere      4   

Section 1.3

   Interpretation      4   
   ARTICLE II   
   VOTING LIMITATIONS   

Section 2.1

   General      5   

Section 2.2

   Proportional Voting      5   

Section 2.3

   Director Elections      5   
   ARTICLE III   
   STANDSTILL   

Section 3.1

   Standstill      6   

Section 3.2

   Participation in a Change of Control Transaction      6   

Section 3.3

   Adjustments      7   

Section 3.4

   Pappas Affiliates      7   
   ARTICLE IV   
   OTHER AGREEMENTS   

Section 4.1

   No Side Agreements      7   

Section 4.2

   Subsequent Acquisitions      7   

Section 4.3

   No Aggregation with Oaktree Shareholders      7   

Section 4.4

   Affiliate Transactions      8   
   ARTICLE V   
   GENERAL PROVISIONS   

Section 5.1

   Termination      8   

Section 5.2

   Notices      8   

Section 5.3

   Counterparts      9   

Section 5.4

   Entire Agreement      9   

Section 5.5

   Binding Effect; No Third-Party Beneficiary      10   

Section 5.6

   Governing Law      10   

Section 5.7

   Assignment      10   

 

i


   TABLE OF CONTENTS   
   (Continued)   
          Page  

Section 5.8

   Submission to Jurisdiction; Service      10   

Section 5.9

   Severability      10   

Section 5.10

   Waiver and Amendment      10   

Section 5.11

   Waiver of Jury Trial      10   

Section 5.12

   Specific Performance      11   

Section 5.13

   Other Matters      11   

SCHEDULES

     

Schedule I

   Pappas Shareholders   

Schedule II

   Existing Arrangements with Oaktree Shareholders   

Schedule III

   Certain Directorships   

EXHIBITS

     

Exhibit A

   Form of Joinder   

 

ii


SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

This SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT, dated as of [•], 2014 (this “ Agreement ”), by and among Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a Marshall Islands corporation (together with any successors thereof, the “ Company ”), the Pappas Shareholders listed on Schedule I attached hereto and any other Person joined hereto from time to time as a Pappas Shareholder in accordance with the terms hereof. Capitalized terms used herein shall have the respective meanings set forth in Article I .

RECITALS

WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 16, 2014 (the “ Merger Agreement ”), by and among the Company, Millennia Limited Liability Company, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (“ Millennia ”), Oaktree OBS Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (“ OBS Holdings ”), Star Synergy LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“ Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub ”), Star Omas LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“ Millennia Holdco Merger Sub ”), and certain other parties named therein, on the date hereof, (a) Millennia merged with and into Millennia Holdco Merger Sub, with Millennia Holdco Merger Sub continuing as the surviving company, and (b) OBS Holdings merged with and into Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub, with Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub continuing as the surviving company (clauses (a) and (b), collectively, the “ Merger ”).

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (including the Merger), each of the Pappas Shareholders will hold the number of Common Shares set forth opposite such Shareholder’s name on Schedule I .

WHEREAS, the parties wish to enter into this Agreement to reflect certain agreements with respect to the Company and the Common Shares.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS; INTERPRETATION

Section 1.1 Certain Definitions . Unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms, when used in this Agreement, shall have the respective meanings given to them below (such meanings to be equally applicable to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined):

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person, where “control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, as trustee or executor or otherwise.

beneficial owner ” means a “beneficial owner”, as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act; “beneficially own”, “beneficial ownership” and related terms shall have the correlative meanings.

Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company.


Change of Control Transaction ” means (a) any acquisition, in one or more related transactions, by any Person or Group, whether by transfer of Equity Securities, merger, consolidation, amalgamation, recapitalization or equity sale (including a sale of securities by the Company) or otherwise, which has the effect of the direct or indirect acquisition by such Person or Group of the Majority Voting Power in the Company; or (b) any acquisition by any Person or Group directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions, of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries (which may include, for the avoidance of doubt, the sale or issuance of Equity Securities of one or more Subsidiaries of the Company).

Charter ” means the Third Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company, dated as of October 12, 2012, as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time.

Common Shares ” means the shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, or any other capital stock of the Company or any other Person into which such stock is reclassified or reconstituted (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise) (as adjusted for any stock splits, stock dividends, subdivisions, recapitalizations and the like).

Contested Election ” means an election of Directors to the Board where one or more members of the slate of nominees put forward by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is being opposed by one or more competing nominees.

Director ” means any of the individuals elected or appointed to serve on the Board.

Disinterested Director Approval ” means, with respect to any transaction or conduct requiring such approval pursuant to this Agreement, the approval of a majority of the Disinterested Directors with respect to such transaction or conduct (and the quorum requirements set forth in the Charter or bylaws of the Company shall be reduced to exclude any Directors that are not Disinterested Directors for purposes of such approval).

Disinterested Directors ” means any Directors who (a) are not Petros Pappas, any other Pappas Shareholder or any Affiliate of any Pappas Shareholder and (b) do not have any material business, financial or familial relationship with a party (other than the Company or its Subsidiaries) to the transaction or conduct that is the subject of the approval being sought. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the agreements and relationships set forth on Schedule II shall not disqualify any Oaktree Designee from constituting a Disinterested Director for purposes of this Agreement (except if any such Oaktree Designee is Mr. Petros Pappas, any Pappas Shareholder or any Affiliate thereof). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, any Oaktree Designee shall be disqualified from constituting a Disinterested Director for purposes of Section 3.1.

Equity Securities ” means, with respect to any entity, all forms of equity securities in such entity or any successor of such entity (however designated, whether voting or non-voting), all securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such equity securities, and all warrants, options or other rights to purchase or acquire from such entity or any successor of such entity, such equity securities, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such equity securities, including, with respect to the Company, the Common Shares and Preferred Shares.

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Governmental Authority ” means any federal, national, state, foreign, provincial, local or other government or any governmental, regulatory, administrative or self-regulatory authority (including NASDAQ), agency, bureau, board, commission, court, judicial or arbitral body, department, political subdivision, tribunal or other instrumentality thereof.

Group ” has the meaning set forth in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act.

 

2


Law ” means any statute or law (including common law), constitution, code, ordinance, rule, treaty or regulation and any Order.

Majority Voting Power ” means, with respect to any Person, either (a) the power to elect or direct the election of a majority of the board of directors or other similar body of such Person or (b) direct or indirect beneficial ownership of Equity Securities representing more than 39% of the Voting Securities of such Person.

NASDAQ ” means The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. or other stock exchange or securities market on which the Common Shares are at any time listed or quoted.

Oaktree Designees ” has the meaning ascribed thereto in the Oaktree Shareholders Agreement.

Oaktree Shareholders ” has the meaning ascribed thereto in the Oaktree Shareholders Agreement.

Oaktree Shareholders Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.3 hereof.

Order ” means any award, injunction, judgment, decree, order, ruling, assessment, writ or verdict, promulgated or entered by or with any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction.

Person ” means an association, a corporation, an individual, a partnership, a limited liability company, a trust or any other entity or organization, including a Governmental Authority.

Preferred Shares ” means the shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, or any other capital stock of the Company or any other Person into which such stock is reclassified or reconstituted (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise) (as adjusted for any stock splits, stock dividends, subdivisions, recapitalizations and the like).

SEC ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor agency.

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933.

Shareholders ” means the holders of Voting Securities of the Company, and the term “ Shareholder ” means any such Person.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any specified Person, (a) any corporation or company more than 50% of whose voting or capital stock is, as of the time in question, directly or indirectly owned by such Person and (b) any partnership, joint venture, association, or other entity in which such Person, directly or indirectly, owns more than 50% of the equity or economic interest thereof or has the power to elect or direct the election of more than 50% of the members of the governing body of such entity.

Voting Cap ” means, as of any date of determination, the number of Voting Securities of the Company equal to the product of (a) the total number of outstanding Voting Securities of the Company as of such date multiplied by (b) 14.9%.

Voting Securities ” means, with respect to any entity as of any date, all forms of Equity Securities in such entity or any successor of such entity with voting rights as of such date, other than any such Equity Securities held in treasury by such entity or any successor or Subsidiary thereof, including, with respect to the Company, Common Shares and Preferred Shares (in each case to the extent (a) entitled to voting rights and (b) issued and outstanding and not held in treasury by the Company or owned by Subsidiaries of the Company).

 

3


Section 1.2 Terms Defined Elsewhere . The following terms are defined elsewhere in this Agreement, as indicated below:

 

Term

   Section

Agreement

   Preamble

Buyout Transaction

   3.1(b)

Company

   Preamble

Merger

   Recitals

Merger Agreement

   Recitals

Millennia

   Recitals

Millennia Holdco Merger Sub

   Recitals

Oaktree

   4.3

Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub

   Recitals

Oaktree Shareholders Agreement

   4.3

OBS Holdings

   Recitals

Opportunity

   4.5(a)

Section 1.3 Interpretation . Unless otherwise expressly provided, for the purposes of this Agreement, the following rules of interpretation shall apply:

(a) The article and section headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation hereof.

(b) When a reference is made in this Agreement to an Article or a Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule, such reference shall be to an Article or a Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule hereof unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary.

(c) Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.”

(d) The words “hereof,” “herein” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement.

(e) 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.”

(f) The meaning assigned to each term defined herein shall be equally applicable to both the singular and the plural forms of such term, and words denoting any gender shall include all genders. Where a word or phrase is defined herein, each of its other grammatical forms shall have a corresponding meaning.

(g) A reference to “$,” “U.S. dollars” or “dollars” shall mean the legal tender of the United States of America.

(h) A reference to any period of days shall be deemed to be to the relevant number of calendar days, unless otherwise specified.

(i) The parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement (including the Schedules and Exhibits hereto). In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions hereof.

 

4


(j) Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, any agreement, instrument, statute or Law defined or referred to herein or in any agreement or instrument that is referred to herein means such agreement, instrument, statute or Law as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented, including (in the case of agreements or instruments) by waiver or consent and (in the case of statutes or Laws) by succession of comparable successor statutes or Laws and references to all attachments thereto and instruments incorporated therein.

ARTICLE II

VOTING LIMITATIONS

Section 2.1 General . From and after the execution and delivery of this Agreement, each Pappas Shareholder shall (and shall cause its Affiliates to) vote its Voting Securities at any meeting of Shareholders or in any written consent executed in lieu of such a meeting of Shareholders, in either case upon any matter submitted to a vote of the Shareholders in such a manner as to implement the terms of this Agreement.

Section 2.2 Proportional Voting .

(a) At any meeting of the Shareholders, except as set forth in Section 2.3 , the Pappas Shareholders shall (and shall cause their Affiliates to) vote, or cause to be voted, or exercise their rights to consent (or cause their rights to consent to be exercised) with respect to, all Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by them (and which are entitled to vote on such matter) in excess of the Voting Cap as of the record date for the determination of Shareholders entitled to vote or consent to such matter, with respect to each matter on which Shareholders are entitled to vote or consent, in the same proportion (for or against) as the Voting Securities of the Company that are beneficially owned by Shareholders (other than a Pappas Shareholder, any of its Affiliates or any Group which includes any of the foregoing) are voted or consents are given with respect to each such matter. For the avoidance of doubt, except as set forth in Section 2.3 , the Pappas Shareholders and their Affiliates shall retain the right to vote in their sole discretion the Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by them (and which are entitled to vote on such matter) up to the Voting Cap.

Section 2.3 Director Elections .

(a) In any election of Directors to the Board, except as set forth in Section 2.3(b) , the Pappas Shareholders shall (and shall cause their Affiliates to) vote, or cause to be voted, or exercise their rights to consent (or cause their rights to consent to be exercised) with respect to, all Voting Securities of the Company beneficially owned by them (and which are entitled to vote on such matter) in favor of the slate of nominees approved by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (as defined in the Oaktree Shareholders Agreement).

(b) At any time following the date that is six months following the later of (i) the date on which Petros Pappas ceases to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or (ii) the date on which Petros Pappas ceases to be a Director, in the case of a Contested Election, the Pappas Shareholders shall (and shall cause their Affiliates to) vote, or cause to be voted, or exercise their rights to consent (or cause their rights to consent to be exercised) with respect to, all Voting Securities beneficially owned by them in excess of the Voting Cap in the same proportion (for or against) as all other Voting Securities of the Company that are beneficially owned by Shareholders (other than a Pappas Shareholder, any of its Affiliates or any Group which includes any of the foregoing) are voted or consents are given with respect to such Contested Election. For the avoidance of doubt, at any time following the date that is six months following the later of (i) the date on which Petros Pappas ceases to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or (ii) the date on which Petros Pappas ceases to be a Director, in the case of a Contested Election, the Pappas Shareholders and their Affiliates (i) shall retain the right to vote in

 

5


their sole discretion any of the Voting Securities beneficially owned by them up to the Voting Cap in respect of all or a portion of any slate of nominees and (ii) shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 3.1 to the extent applicable with respect to the Person or Group pursuing or participating in such Contested Election.

ARTICLE III

STANDSTILL

Section 3.1 Standstill .

(a) From and after the date hereof and through and including the date of termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 5.1 , unless specifically invited in writing by the Board (with Disinterested Director Approval), neither the Pappas Shareholders nor any of their Affiliates shall in any manner, directly or indirectly, (i) enter into or agree, offer or propose or publicly announce an intention to or participate in or assist any other Person or Group to enter into any tender or exchange offer, merger, acquisition transaction or other business combination or any recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution or other extraordinary transaction involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (ii) make, or in any way participate in, directly or indirectly, any “solicitation” of “proxies,” “consents” or “authorizations” (as such terms are used in the proxy rules of the SEC promulgated under the Exchange Act) to vote, or seek to influence any Person other than the Pappas Shareholders with respect to the voting of, any Voting Securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than with respect to the nomination of any nominees proposed by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee), (iii) otherwise act, alone or in concert with third parties, to seek to control or influence the management, Board or policies of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than with respect to the nomination of any nominees proposed by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee), or (iv) enter into any negotiations, arrangements or understandings with any third party with respect to any of the foregoing activities; provided , however , that this Section 3.1(a) shall not prohibit or restrict (A) any action taken by Petros Pappas in his capacity as Director or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, (B) the exercise by any Pappas Shareholder of its rights and obligations expressly provided for in this Agreement, including its voting rights with regard to its Voting Securities of the Company or (C) the matters contemplated by Schedule II .

(b) Notwithstanding anything in Section 3.1(a) to the contrary, if (i) the Company publicly announces its intent to pursue a tender offer, merger, sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or any similar transaction, which in each such case would result in a Change of Control Transaction, or any recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution or other extraordinary transaction involving the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “ Buyout Transaction ”), the Pappas Shareholders shall be permitted to privately make an offer or proposal to the Board and such offer or proposal shall not be a violation of Section 3.1(a) and (ii) if the Board approves, recommends or accepts a Buyout Transaction, the restrictions set forth in Section 3.1(a) shall cease to apply until such Buyout Transaction is terminated or abandoned and shall become applicable again upon any such termination or abandonment (unless the Board determines otherwise with Disinterested Director Approval); provided , that, in the case of this clause (ii), following the termination or abandonment of such Buyout Transaction, Section 3.1(a) shall not be deemed to have been breached in connection with any action taken by the Pappas Shareholders or their Affiliates during the time that Section 3.1(a) became inapplicable pursuant to this Section 3.1(b) , provided that such action is discontinued upon the receipt by the Pappas Shareholders or such Affiliates of a written notice from a majority of the Directors entitled to provide the Disinterested Director Approval of the termination or abandonment of the applicable Buyout Transaction (unless the Board determines otherwise with Disinterested Director Approval).

Section 3.2 Participation in a Change of Control Transaction . Neither the Pappas Shareholders nor any of their Affiliates shall sell or otherwise dispose of any of their Common Shares in any Change of Control Transaction unless the other Shareholders are entitled to receive the same consideration per Common Share (with

 

6


respect to the form of consideration and price), and at substantially the same time (subject to delivery of letters of transmittal or other documents or instruments by such Shareholders in connection with such Change of Control Transaction), as the Pappas Shareholders or their Affiliates with respect to their Common Shares in such transaction.

Section 3.3 Adjustments .

(a) If, at any time after the date hereof, the Company issues any Voting Securities that are entitled to more or less than one vote per share, then the definition of “ Voting Cap ” and the other provisions of this Agreement measured by the number or percentage of Voting Securities shall be equitably adjusted by the parties to reflect such issuance.

(b) If, at any time after the date hereof, any change in the Equity Securities of the Company shall occur as a result of, among other things, any reclassification, recapitalization, stock split (including a reverse stock split) or combination, exchange or readjustment of shares, or any stock dividend or stock distribution, the provisions of this Agreement shall be equitably adjusted by the parties to reflect such change.

Section 3.4 Pappas Affiliates . Section 3.5. If a Pappas Shareholder transfers any Equity Securities of the Company to an Affiliate of such Pappas Shareholder, as a condition to such transfer, such Affiliate shall execute and deliver to the Company a joinder to this Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto. Any Affiliate of a Pappas Shareholder who acquires Equity Securities of the Company from the Company or a Shareholder other than an existing Pappas Shareholder shall, reasonably promptly, execute and deliver to the Company a joinder to this Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.

ARTICLE IV

OTHER AGREEMENTS

Section 4.1 No Side Agreements . The Company and the Pappas Shareholders (and their respective Affiliates) shall not enter, directly or indirectly, into any agreement with any of the Shareholders or any of the Shareholders’ respective Affiliates or grant any proxy or power of attorney or become party to any voting trust or other agreement, relating to the Equity Securities of the Company or its Subsidiaries or to the governance of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which is inconsistent with or conflicts with the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 4.2 Subsequent Acquisitions . Each of the Pappas Shareholders agrees that any other Equity Securities of the Company which it or any of its Affiliates hereafter acquires by means of a share split, share dividend, distribution, conversion, exercise of options or warrants (including any incentive awards or other compensatory grants), or otherwise shall be subject to the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as if held on the date hereof.

Section 4.3 No Aggregation with Oaktree Shareholders . The Company acknowledges that (a) the Pappas Shareholders may from time to time make investments or enter into business arrangements with the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates, and may from time to time enter into discussions with the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates regarding the Company and have entered into certain agreements with respect to the Equity Securities of the Company as set forth on Schedule II hereof and (b) as a condition to the issuance of Equity Securities of the Company to certain Oaktree Shareholders as of the date hereof, such Oaktree Shareholders have entered into a separate agreement with the Company regarding certain agreements with respect to the Company and its Equity Securities (the “ Oaktree Shareholders Agreement ”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, for the purposes of this Agreement, the Company acknowledges and agrees that the agreements and relationships described on Schedule II hereof between the Oaktree Shareholders

 

7


or their Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Pappas Shareholders, on the other hand, shall not cause (i) any Oaktree Shareholder or its Affiliate to be deemed to be an Affiliate of, or constitute a Group or beneficially own any Equity Securities of the Company beneficially owned by, the Pappas Shareholders, or (ii) the Equity Securities of the Company held by the Oaktree Shareholders or their Affiliates to be deemed to be subject to the provisions of this Agreement.

Section 4.4 Affiliate Transactions . All transactions involving the Pappas Shareholders or their Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Company or its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, shall require Disinterested Director Approval; provided , that Disinterested Director Approval shall not be required for pro rata participation in primary offerings of Equity Securities of the Company based on the number of outstanding Voting Securities held.

Section 4.5 Corporate Opportunity . From and after the date hereof and through and including the earliest of (x) the date of termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 5.1, (y) the 36-month anniversary of the date hereof and (z) the date that Petros Pappas ceases to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company:

(a) If a Pappas Shareholder (or any Affiliate thereof) acquires knowledge of a potential dry-bulk transaction or dry-bulk matter which may, in such Pappas Shareholder’s good faith judgment, be a business opportunity for both such Pappas Shareholder and the Company (other than any such opportunity (i) that becomes known to such Pappas Shareholder or Affiliate in his, her or its capacity as a director of any Person identified on Schedule III attached hereto for which such Pappas Shareholder or Affiliate serves as a director on the date hereof and (ii) with respect to which such Pappas Shareholder’s or Affiliate’s fiduciary duties to such Person under applicable Law prohibits such Pappas Shareholder or Affiliate from so offering such opportunity to the Company) (an “ Opportunity ”), such Pappas Shareholder (and its Affiliate) shall have the duty to promptly communicate or offer such Opportunity to the Company.

(b) If the Company does not notify the Pappas Shareholder within five Business Days following receipt of such communication or offer that it is interested in pursuing or acquiring such Opportunity for itself, then such Pappas Shareholder (or its Affiliate) shall be entitled to pursue or acquire such Opportunity for itself.

ARTICLE V

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 5.1 Termination . This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (a) a liquidation, winding-up or dissolution of the Company and (b) the later of (x) such time as the Pappas Shareholders and their Affiliates in the aggregate beneficially own less than 5% of the outstanding Voting Securities of the Company and (y) the date that is six months following the later of (i) the date Petros Pappas ceases to be the Chief Executive Officer of the Company or (ii) the date Petros Pappas ceases to be a Director. Except as expressly provided herein, any Pappas Shareholder shall cease to be a party hereto and this Agreement shall terminate with respect to such party at the time such party no longer beneficially owns any Equity Securities of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the persons set forth under the heading “Pappas Individuals” on Schedule I hereto shall remain parties to this Agreement until the termination thereof in accordance with the first sentence of this Section 5.1 . No termination of this Agreement (or any provision hereof) shall (A) relieve any party of any obligation or liability for damages resulting from such party’s breach of this Agreement (or any provision hereof) prior to its termination or the termination of this Agreement with respect to such party or (B) terminate any provision hereof that, by its terms, survives such termination.

Section 5.2 Notices . All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally, sent via facsimile or email

 

8


(receipt confirmed), sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier (providing proof of delivery), or mailed in the United States by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):

if to the Company:

Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

c/o Star Bulk Management Inc.

40 Agiou Konstantinou Street,

15124 Maroussi,

Athens, Greece

Attention: Georgia Mastagaki

Facsimile: +30 (210) 617-8378

Email: gmastagaki@starbulk.com

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

Seward & Kissel LLP

One Battery Park Plaza

New York, NY 10004

Attention:        Derick Betts

                         Robert Lustrin

Facsimile: (212) 480-8421

Email: betts@sewkis.com

            lustrin@sewkis.com

If to a Pappas Shareholder, to the address set forth opposite such Shareholder’s name on Schedule I hereto,

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

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10019-6064

Attention:    Kenneth M. Schneider

                    Neil Goldman

Facsimile: (212) 757-3900

Email: kschneider@paulweiss.com

            ngoldman@paulweiss.com

Section 5.3 Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which together will 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 parties. For purposes of this Agreement, facsimile signatures or signatures by other electronic form of transfer shall be deemed originals.

Section 5.4 Entire Agreement . This Agreement (including the exhibits and schedules hereto) contains all of the terms, conditions and representations and warranties agreed to by the parties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements (including that certain Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2013, by and between the Company and the Persons set forth on Schedule I thereto), negotiations, correspondence, undertakings, understandings, representations and warranties, both written and oral, among the parties to this Agreement with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement. No representation, warranty, inducement, promise, understanding or condition not set forth in this Agreement has been made or relied upon by any of the parties to this Agreement.

 

9


Section 5.5 Binding Effect; No Third-Party Beneficiary . This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each of the parties hereto. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended or shall be construed to confer upon, or give to, any Person other than the parties hereto any remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement or any terms or conditions hereof, and all of the terms, conditions, promises and agreements contained in this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto.

Section 5.6 Governing Law . This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related thereto, the relationship of the parties, and/or the interpretation and enforcement of the rights and duties of the parties, whether arising in Law or in equity, in contract, tort or otherwise, shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the Laws of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Laws of the Marshall Islands are mandatorily applicable to the provisions set forth herein relating to the governance of the Company, without regard to its rules regarding conflicts of Law to the extent that the application of the Laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.

Section 5.7 Assignment . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Except with respect to transfers by Pappas Shareholders to Affiliates in accordance with Section 3.4 , neither the Company, on the one hand, nor the Pappas Shareholders, on the other hand may, directly or indirectly, assign any of their rights or delegate any of their obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party. Any purported direct or indirect assignment in violation of this Section 5.7 shall be void and of no force or effect.

Section 5.8 Submission to Jurisdiction; Service . Each party (a) irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the personal jurisdiction of the federal courts of the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York or the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, (b) agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court, (c) agrees that any actions or proceedings arising in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be brought, tried and determined only in such courts, (d) waives any claim of improper venue or any claim that those courts are an inconvenient forum and (e) agrees that it will not bring any action relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any court other than the aforesaid courts. The parties to this Agreement agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided in Section 5.2 or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof.

Section 5.9 Severability . If any term or other provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of Law or public policy by a court of competent jurisdiction, all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect, insofar as the foregoing can be accomplished without materially affecting the economic benefits anticipated by the parties to this Agreement. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law.

Section 5.10 Waiver and Amendment . No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed (a) in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Pappas Shareholders; and (b) in the case of waiver, by the party against whom the waiver is to operate. No failure on the part of a party hereto to exercise, and no delay in exercising, any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right.

Section 5.11 Waiver of Jury Trial . Each party acknowledges and agrees that any controversy which may arise under this Agreement is likely to involve complicated and difficult issues and, therefore, each such party irrevocably and unconditionally waives any right it may have to a trial by jury in respect of any legal action directly or indirectly arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this

 

10


Agreement. Each party to this Agreement certifies and acknowledges that (a) no other party has represented, expressly or otherwise, that such other party would not seek to enforce the foregoing waiver in the event of a legal action, (b) such party has considered and understands the implications of this waiver, (c) such party makes this waiver voluntarily and (d) such party has been induced to enter into this Agreement by, among other things, the mutual waivers and certifications in this Section 5.11 .

Section 5.12 Specific Performance . The parties agree that irreparable damage would occur if any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York or the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, this being in addition to any other remedy at Law or in equity, and the parties to this Agreement hereby waive any requirement for the posting of any bond or similar collateral in connection therewith. The parties agree that they shall not object to the granting of injunctive or other equitable relief on the basis that there exists adequate remedy at Law.

Section 5.13 Other Matters . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or otherwise, there shall be no recovery pursuant to this Agreement by any party for any punitive, exemplary, consequential, incidental, treble, special, or other similar damages (other than those actually paid in connection with a third party claim) in any claim or proceeding by one party against another arising out of or relating to a breach or alleged breach of any representation, warranty, covenant, or agreement under this Agreement by the other party.

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

11


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this Agreement or caused this Agreement to be executed on its behalf as of the date first written above.

 

THE COMPANY:
STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

PAPPAS SHAREHOLDERS:
MILLENNIA HOLDINGS LLC
By:   Oceanbulk Maritime S.A., its Manager

 

By:

 

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

 

Petros Pappas

 

Milena Pappas

 

Alexander Pappas

[Signature Page to Shareholders Agreement]


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF JOINDER TO SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

THIS JOINDER (this “ Joinder ”) to the Shareholders Agreement, dated as of [•], 2014 (as amended or restated from time to time, the “ Agreement ”), by and among Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a Marshall Islands corporation (the “ Company ”), and the Pappas Shareholders (as defined therein), is made and entered into as of                      by and between the Company and                      (“ Joining Shareholder ”). Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement.

WHEREAS, on the date hereof, Joining Shareholder has [acquired / been issued]              [Common / Preferred] Shares [from              ] and the Company requires Joining Shareholder, as an Affiliate of an Pappas Shareholder and a holder of such shares, to become a party to the Agreement, and Joining Shareholder agrees to do so in accordance with the terms hereof.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Joinder hereby agree as follows:

1. Agreement to be Bound . Joining Shareholder hereby (i) acknowledges that it has received and reviewed a complete copy of the Agreement and (ii) agrees that upon execution of this Joinder, it shall become a party to the Agreement and shall be fully bound by, and subject to, all of the covenants, terms and conditions of the Agreement as though an original party thereto and shall be deemed, and is hereby admitted as, an “Pappas Shareholder” for all purposes thereof and entitled to all the rights incidental thereto.

2. Notice . For purposes of providing notice pursuant to the Agreement, the address of Joining Shareholder is as follows:

                                     [Name]

                                     [Address]

                                     [Facsimile Number]

3. Governing Law . This Agreement and the rights of the parties hereunder shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the Laws of the State of New York without regard to its rules regarding conflicts of Law to the extent that the application of the Laws of another jurisdiction would be required thereby.

4. Counterparts . This Joinder may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original, and all of which together will be considered one and the same Joinder and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other party or parties. For purposes of this Joinder, facsimile signatures or signatures by other electronic form of transfer shall be deemed originals, and the parties agree to exchange original signatures as promptly as possible.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Joinder as of              .

 

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
By:    
 

Name:

Title:

[HOLDER]
By:    
 

Name:

Title:

Exhibit 99.3

EXECUTION COPY

 

 

SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT,

dated as of June 16, 2014,

among

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.,

MIRACH SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED,

BLUESEA INVEST AND HOLDING LIMITED

and

MIRABEL SHIPHOLDING & INVEST LIMITED

 

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

ARTICLE I CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

     2   

SECTION 1.1.

  Certain Definitions      2   

ARTICLE II THE PURCHASE AND SALE OF SHARES

     8   

SECTION 2.1.

  Purchase and Sale of Shares      8   

ARTICLE III SURRENDER AND PAYMENT

     9   

SECTION 3.1.

  Surrender and Payment      9   

SECTION 3.2.

  Withholding Rights      9   

ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLER PARTIES

     10   

SECTION 4.1.

  Representations and Warranties      10   

ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLER PARTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPANIES

     11   

SECTION 5.1.

  Organization, Qualification and Corporate Power      11   

SECTION 5.2.

  Noncontravention      11   

SECTION 5.3.

  Capitalization      12   

SECTION 5.4.

  Subsidiaries      12   

SECTION 5.5.

  Disclosure Documents      12   

SECTION 5.6.

  Taxes      13   

SECTION 5.7.

  Compliance with Laws; Governmental Authorizations      14   

SECTION 5.8.

  Absence of Certain Changes; No Undisclosed Liabilities      14   

SECTION 5.9.

  Tangible Personal Assets      14   

SECTION 5.10.

  Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash      14   

SECTION 5.11.

  Vessels; Maritime Matters      14   

SECTION 5.12.

  Contracts      15   

SECTION 5.13.

  Litigation      15   

SECTION 5.14.

  Employee Benefits      15   

SECTION 5.15.

  Labor and Employment Matters      16   

SECTION 5.16.

  Environmental      16   

SECTION 5.17.

  Insurance      16   

SECTION 5.18.

  Fees      16   

SECTION 5.19.

  Interested Party Transactions      16   

SECTION 5.20.

  Certain Business Practices      16   

SECTION 5.21.

  Investment in Parent Common Stock      17   

SECTION 5.22.

  No Other Representations or Warranties      17   

ARTICLE VI REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT

     18   

SECTION 6.1.

  Organization, Qualification and Corporate Power      18   

SECTION 6.2.

  Authorization      18   

SECTION 6.3.

  Noncontravention      18   

 

i


SECTION 6.4.

  Fees      19   

SECTION 6.5.

  Capitalization of Parent      19   

SECTION 6.6.

  Subsidiaries      20   

SECTION 6.7.

  Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash      21   

SECTION 6.8.

  Representations and Warranties      21   

ARTICLE VII CONDUCT PENDING THE CLOSING

     21   

SECTION 7.1.

  Operation of the Business      21   

SECTION 7.2.

  Transfer of Shares      23   

SECTION 7.3.

  Access to Information      23   

SECTION 7.4.

  Litigation      24   

ARTICLE VIII COVENANTS OF PARENT AND THE SELLER PARTIES

     24   

SECTION 8.1.

  Obligations of Seller Parties      24   

SECTION 8.2.

  Stock Exchange Listing      24   

SECTION 8.3.

  Registration Rights Agreement; Opinion      24   

SECTION 8.4.

  Affiliate Contracts      24   

SECTION 8.5.

  Retention of Parent Common Stock      25   

SECTION 8.6.

  Management Agreements      26   

ARTICLE IX COVENANTS OF THE PARTIES

     26   

SECTION 9.1.

  Covenants of Parties      26   

SECTION 9.2.

  Regulatory Undertaking      26   

SECTION 9.3.

  Certain Filings      27   

SECTION 9.4.

  Public Announcements      27   

SECTION 9.5.

  Further Assurances      27   

SECTION 9.6.

  Notices of Certain Events      27   

SECTION 9.7.

  Transfer Taxes      28   

ARTICLE X CONDITIONS TO THE CLOSING

     28   

SECTION 10.1.

  Conditions to Obligations of Each Party      28   

SECTION 10.2.

  Conditions to Obligations of the Seller Parties      28   

SECTION 10.3.

  Conditions to Obligations of Parent      29   

SECTION 10.4.

  Frustration of Closing Conditions      30   

ARTICLE XI TERMINATION; AMENDMENT; WAIVER

     30   

SECTION 11.1.

  Termination      30   

SECTION 11.2.

  Effect of Termination      31   

ARTICLE XII INDEMNIFICATION; MISCELLANEOUS

     31   

SECTION 12.1.

  Indemnification      31   

SECTION 12.2.

  Notices      34   

SECTION 12.3.

  Amendments and Waivers      35   

SECTION 12.4.

  Expenses      35   

SECTION 12.5.

  Exhibits; Disclosure Letters      35   

 

ii


SECTION 12.6.

  Waiver      36   

SECTION 12.7.

  Governing Law      36   

SECTION 12.8.

  JURISDICTION      36   

SECTION 12.9.

  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL      37   

SECTION 12.10.

  Counterparts; Effectiveness      37   

SECTION 12.11.

  Entire Agreement      37   

SECTION 12.12.

  Severability      37   

SECTION 12.13.

  Specific Performance      37   

SECTION 12.14.

  Headings      37   

SECTION 12.15.

  Construction      37   

SECTION 12.16.

  Binding Effect; Benefit; Assignment      38   

SECTION 12.17.

  Sellers’ Representative      38   

SECTION 12.18.

  No Third Party Beneficiaries      39   

SECTION 12.19.

  Waiver of Conflicts      39   

SECTION 12.20.

  Non-Recourse      40   

 

iii


SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT, dated as of June 16, 2014 (this “ Agreement ”), among Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a Marshall Islands corporation (“ Parent ”), Mirabel Shipholding & Invest Limited, a company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands with BVI company number 1785399 (the “ Holdco ”), Mirach Shipping Company Limited, a company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands with BVI company number 1719641 (the “ Dioriga Seller ”), and Bluesea Invest and Holding Limited, a company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands with BVI company number 1776697 (the “ Positive Shipping Seller ” and, together with the Dioriga Seller, each a “ Seller ” and collectively, the “ Sellers ”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Holdco, directly or indirectly or through nominees beneficially owns all of the issued and outstanding shares, without par value, of each of the Sellers;

WHEREAS, the Dioriga Seller owns Five Hundred (500) registered shares, without par value (the “ Dioriga Shares ”), of Dioriga Shipping Co., a Marshall Islands corporation (“ Dioriga ”), representing all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Dioriga;

WHEREAS, the Positive Shipping Seller owns Five Hundred (500) registered shares, without par value (the “ Positive Shipping Shares ” and, together with the Dioriga Shares, collectively the “ Shares ”), of Positive Shipping Company, a Marshall Islands corporation (“ Positive Shipping ” and, together with Dioriga, each a “ Company ” and collectively, the “ Companies ”), representing all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Positive Shipping;

WHEREAS, simultaneously with the execution of this Agreement, Parent has entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “ Merger Agreement ”) among Parent, Star Synergy LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“ Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub ”), Star Omas LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“ Pappas Holdco Merger Sub ”), Oaktree OBC Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Oaktree Holdco ”), Millennia Limited Liability Company, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Pappas Holdco ”), Oaktree Dry Bulk Holdings LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Oaktree Seller ”) and Millennia Holdings, LLC, a Marshall Islands limited liability company (the “ Pappas Seller ”), pursuant to which the Oaktree Holdco will be merged with and into Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub and the Pappas Holdco will be merged with and into the Pappas Holdco Merger Sub (the “ Merger ”), with the Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub and the Pappas Holdco Merger Sub continuing as the surviving companies and wholly-owned subsidiaries of Parent;

WHEREAS, subject to the consummation of the Merger, the Sellers wish to sell to Parent, and Parent wishes to purchase from the Sellers, all of the Shares pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth herein;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the representations and warranties, covenants and agreements contained herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1


ARTICLE I

CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.1. Certain Definitions .

(a) When used in this Agreement, the following terms will have the meanings assigned to them in this Section 1.1(a) :

1933 Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933.

1934 Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Action ” means any litigation, claim, action, suit, hearing, proceeding, arbitration, audit, inspection or other investigation (whether civil, criminal, administrative, labor or investigative) by or before a Governmental Authority or arbitrator(s).

Affiliate ” means, with respect to a Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is Controlled by or is under common Control with, such first Person; provided, however, that, for purposes of this Agreement with respect to a Seller Party, an Affiliate of such Seller Party shall also include any shareholder of a Seller Party. For purposes of this definition and as used otherwise in this Agreement, “Control” (including the terms “Controlled by” and “under common Control with”) means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of securities or partnership or other ownership interests, as trustee or executor, by Contract or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of this Agreement, in no event shall Parent or its Subsidiaries be deemed an Affiliate of any Seller Party.

Aggregate Consideration ” means 3,592,728 shares of Parent Common Stock, as may be adjusted pursuant to Section 3.1(d) .

Aggregate Dioriga Consideration ” means 1,304,427 shares of Parent Common Stock, as may be adjusted pursuant to Section 3.1(d) .

Aggregate Positive Shipping Consideration ” means 2,288,301 shares of Parent Common Stock, as may be adjusted pursuant to Section 3.1(d) .

Borrowed Indebtedness ” means, with respect to any Person as of any date of determination, any obligation of such Person with respect to any indebtedness for borrowed money as of such date (including all obligations for principal, accrued interest, and any premiums, penalties, fees, expenses and breakage costs that are payable by such Person as of such date).

Business Day ” means (except as otherwise expressly set forth herein) a day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks located in New York, New York or Athens, Greece are authorized or required by applicable Law to close.

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Company Benefit Plan ” means any employee benefit plan, including any (i) deferred compensation or retirement plan or arrangement, (ii) defined contribution retirement plan or arrangement, (iii) defined benefit retirement plan or arrangement, (iv) employee welfare benefit plan or material fringe benefit plan or program, or (v) stock purchase, stock option, severance pay, termination, executive compensation, employment, change-in-control, retention, vacation pay, salary continuation, sick leave, excess benefit, bonus or other incentive compensation, life insurance, employee loan or other employee benefit plan, practice, contract, program, policy,

 

2


agreement or other arrangement, whether written or oral, formal or informal, whether or not subject to ERISA, under which any present or former employee, director, officer, consultant or independent contractor of any Company has any present or future right to compensation, payments or benefits and that is sponsored or maintained or contributed to by any Company.

Company Material Adverse Effect ” means any change, effect, event, occurrence, or development that, individually or in the aggregate, (i) has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, business, assets (including the Owned Vessel), liabilities or results of operations of the Companies, taken as a whole; provided , that none of the changes, effects, events, occurrences or developments to the extent attributable to the following shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Company Material Adverse Effect: (A) changes in applicable Law or GAAP, in each case, after the date hereof, (B) changes in the global financial or securities markets or general global economic or political conditions, (C) changes or conditions generally affecting the industry in which the Companies operate, (D) acts of war, sabotage, terrorism or natural disasters or (E) other than for purposes of Section 5.2 and Section 5.14(b) (and, to the extent related thereto, the conditions set forth in Section 10.3(a) ), the announcement or consummation of the Transactions; provided that the effect of any matter referred to in clauses (A), (B), (C) or (D) shall only be excluded to the extent that such matter does not disproportionately affect the Companies, taken as a whole, relative to other entities operating in the industry in which the Companies operate, or (ii) that has or would reasonably be expected to materially impair the ability of the Seller Parties to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement or materially delay the ability of the Seller Parties to consummate the Transactions.

Contract ” means any contract, agreement, note, bond, indenture, mortgage, guarantee, option, lease, license, sales or purchase order, warranty, commitment or other instrument, obligation or binding arrangement or understanding of any kind, whether written or oral.

Environmental Laws ” means applicable Laws, any agreement with any Governmental Authority and Maritime Guidelines, in each case, relating to human health and safety, the environment or to pollutants, contaminants, wastes or chemicals or any toxic, radioactive, ignitable, corrosive, reactive or otherwise hazardous substances, wastes or materials.

ERISA ” means any “employee benefit plan,” within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, consistently applied.

Governmental Authority ” means any entity or body exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to United States federal, state or local government or other non-United States (including the Marshall Islands), international, multinational or other government, including any department, commission, board, agency, instrumentality, political subdivision, bureau, official or other regulatory, administrative or judicial authority thereof and any self-regulatory organization, including Nasdaq.

Governmental Authorizations ” means, with respect to any Person, all licenses, permits (including construction permits), certificates, waivers, consents, franchises, accreditations, exemptions, variances, easements, expirations and terminations of any waiting period requirements and other authorizations and approvals issued to such Person by or obtained by such Person from any Governmental Authority, or of which such Person has the benefit under any applicable Law.

Indebtedness ” means, with respect to any Person as of any date of determination, without duplication, any (i) obligation of such Person with respect to any indebtedness for borrowed money as of such date (including all obligations for principal, accrued interest, and any premiums, penalties, fees, expenses and breakage costs that are payable by such Person as of such date), (ii) obligation of such Person with respect to any indebtedness

 

3


evidenced by any bond, debenture, note, mortgage, indenture or other debt instrument or debt security as of such date (including all obligations for principal, accrued interest, and any premiums, penalties, fees, expenses and breakage costs that are payable by such Person as of such date), (iii) commitments of such Person as of such date for which it assures a financial institution against loss (including contingent reimbursement obligations with respect to banker’s acceptances or letters of credit), (iv) liability of such Person as of such date with respect to interest rate or currency exchange swaps, collars, caps or similar hedging obligations, and (v) responsibility or liability of such Person as of such date directly or indirectly as obligor, guarantor, surety or otherwise of any of the foregoing. For the avoidance of doubt, Indebtedness shall not include (A) any obligations under any banker’s acceptance or letter of credit to the extent undrawn or uncalled, (B) any endorsement of negotiable instruments for collection in the ordinary course of business and (C) any liabilities under any agreement between a Company, on the one hand, and Parent or any of its Affiliates, on the other hand.

Knowledge of Sellers ” or any similar phrase means the knowledge of the following persons: Milena Pappas and Alekos Pappas.

Knowledge of Parent ” or any similar phrase means the knowledge of the following persons: Spyros Capralos, Simos Spyrou, Zenon Kleopas, and Georgia Mastagaki.

Law ” means any foreign, supranational, federal, state, provincial or local law (statutory, common or otherwise), constitution, treaty, convention, ordinance, code, rule, regulation, Order or other similar requirement enacted, adopted, promulgated or applied by a Governmental Authority.

Lien ” means, with respect to any property or asset, any mortgage, lien, pledge, hypothecation, charge, security interest, infringement, interference, right of first refusal, right of first offer, preemptive right, option, community property right or other adverse claim or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such property or asset.

Maritime Guidelines ” means any United States, international or non-United States (including the Marshall Islands) rule, code of practice, convention, protocol, guideline or similar requirement or restriction concerning or relating to the Owned Vessel, and to which the Owned Vessel is subject and required to comply with, imposed, published or promulgated by any relevant Governmental Authority, the International Maritime Organization, such Owned Vessel’s classification society or the insurer(s) of such Owned Vessel.

Material Contracts ” means each Contract set forth on, or required to be set forth on, Section 5.12(a) of the Seller Disclosure Letter.

Nasdaq ” means the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC.

Newbuildings ” means vessels contracted to be constructed, under construction or newly constructed for, but not yet delivered to, the Companies, other than the Owned Vessel.

Oceanbulk F-1 ” means the registration statement on Form F-1 of Oceanbulk Carriers Inc., in the form confidentially filed by the Company with the SEC on May 9, 2014.

Order ” means any injunction, judgment, decree, order, ruling, writ, assessment, subpoena or verdict or other decision issued, promulgated or entered by or with any Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction.

Parent Balance Sheet ” means the audited consolidated balance sheet of Parent as of December 31, 2013, and the footnotes thereto, set forth in Parent’s Annual Report filed on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.

Parent Board ” means the board of directors of Parent.

 

4


Parent Common Stock ” means shares of common stock, par value $0.01, of Parent.

Parent Disclosure Documents ” means any form, report, schedule, statement or other document required to be filed by Parent with the SEC or distributed or otherwise disseminated to Parent’s stockholders in connection with the Transactions, including a proxy statement to be sent to the stockholders of Parent relating to the Parent Stockholders Meeting and the matters to be voted upon thereat (together with any amendments or supplements thereto.

Parent Disclosure Letter ” means the disclosure letter dated the date hereof regarding the Merger Agreement that has been provided by Parent, the Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub and the Pappas Holdco Merger Sub to the Oaktree Seller, Pappas Seller, Oaktree Holdco and Pappas Holdco, and that has concurrently been delivered to Petros Pappas for purposes of this Agreement.

Parent Material Adverse Effect ” means any change, effect, event, occurrence, or development that, individually or in the aggregate, (i) has or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, business, assets, liabilities or results of operations of Parent and Parent’s Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided , that none of the changes, effects, events, occurrences or developments to the extent attributable to the following shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Parent Material Adverse Effect: (A) changes in applicable Law or GAAP, in each case, after the date hereof, (B) changes in the global financial or securities markets or general global economic or political conditions, (C) changes or conditions generally affecting the industry in which Parent and its Subsidiaries operate, (D) acts of war, sabotage, terrorism or natural disasters or (E) other than for purposes of Section 6.3 and Section 6.17(g) of the Merger Agreement as incorporated herein by reference in Section 6.8 (and, to the extent related thereto, the conditions set forth in Section 10.2(a) ), the announcement or consummation of the Transactions; provided that the effect of any matter referred to in clauses (A), (B), (C) or (D) shall only be excluded to the extent that such matter does not disproportionately affect Parent and Parent’s Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, relative to other entities operating in the industry in which Parent and Parent’s Subsidiaries operate, or (ii) that has or would reasonably be expected to materially impair the ability of Parent to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement or materially delay the ability of Parent to consummate the Transactions.

Parent Permitted Liens ” means (i) Liens disclosed on the Parent Balance Sheet, (ii) Liens for Taxes that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings (and for which adequate accruals or reserves have been established on the Parent Balance Sheet), (iii) statutory Liens of landlords and workers’, carriers’ and mechanics’ or other like Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices for amounts that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith, (iv) Liens and encroachments which do not materially interfere with the present or proposed use of the properties or assets to which such Lien relates, (v) other maritime Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of Parent and its Subsidiaries or the ownership of Parent’s or its Subsidiaries’ property and assets, and which do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of Parent or its Subsidiaries’ assets or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of its business or (vi) Liens listed on Section 1.1(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter .

Permitted Liens ” means (i) Liens disclosed in the Oceanbulk F-1, (ii) Liens for Taxes that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings (and for which adequate accruals or reserves have been established on the Company’s books and records), (iii) statutory Liens of landlords and workers’, carriers’ and mechanics’ or other like Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices for amounts that are not yet due and payable or that are being contested in good faith, (iv) Liens and encroachments which do not materially interfere with the present or proposed use of the properties or assets to which such Lien relates, (v) other maritime Liens incidental to the conduct of the business of any Company or the ownership of any Company’s property and assets, and which do not in the aggregate materially detract from the value of any Company’s property or assets or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of its business or (vi) Liens listed in Section 1.1(a) of the Seller Disclosure Letter .

 

5


Parent Stockholders Meeting ” means a meeting of the stockholders for the sole purpose of seeking the Transactions Approval.

Per Share Price ” means the average of the volume weighted average price per share of Parent Common Stock on Nasdaq (as reported on Bloomberg or, if not reported thereby, another alternative source as reasonably agreed by Parent and the Sellers’ Representative) for the five (5) consecutive trading days ending on and including the Closing Date.

Person ” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, a trust, an unincorporated association, or other entity or organization, including a Governmental Authority.

Registration Rights Agreement ” the registration rights agreement attached as Exhibit F to the Merger Agreement.

Representatives ” means, with respect to any Person, the respective directors, officers, employees, counsel, accountants, agents, advisors, investment bankers and other representatives of, or Persons retained by, such Person.

SEC ” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Seller Disclosure Letter ” means the disclosure letter dated the date hereof regarding this Agreement that has been provided by the Seller Parties to Parent.

Sellers’ Representative ” means the Holdco.

Special Committee ” means the transaction committee of disinterested directors established by the Parent Board in connection with the contemplated Merger.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture or other legal entity of which such Person (either alone or through or together with any other Subsidiary), owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the stock or other equity interests, the holders of which are generally entitled to vote for the election of the board of directors or other governing body of a non-corporate Person.

Tax ” or “ Taxes ” means all federal, state, local and foreign income, profits, tonnage (including under Greek Law), franchise, gross receipts, environmental, customs duty, capital stock, severance, stamp, payroll, sales, transfer, employment, unemployment, disability, use, property, withholding, excise, production, value added, occupancy and other taxes, duties or assessments of any nature whatsoever (whether payable directly or by withholding and whether or not requiring the filing of a Tax Return), including all estimated taxes, deficiency assessments, additions to tax, penalties and interest, whether disputed or not and including any obligations to indemnify or otherwise assume or succeed to the Tax liability of any other Person.

Tax Returns ” means any return, declaration, report, claim for refund, election, disclosure, estimate or information return or statement required to be supplied to a taxing authority in connection with Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto, and including any amendment thereof.

Third Party ” means any Person, including as defined in Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act, other than (a) Parent or its Subsidiaries or (b) the Seller Parties, any Company or any of their respective Affiliates.

Transactions ” means the transactions contemplated hereby.

Treasury Regulations ” means the Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code.

 

6


(b) For purposes of this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or unless the context otherwise requires: (i) the meaning assigned to each term defined herein will be equally applicable to both the singular and the plural forms of such term and vice versa, and words denoting any gender will include all genders as the context requires; (ii) where a word or phrase is defined herein, each of its other grammatical forms will have a corresponding meaning; (iii) the terms “hereof”, “herein”, “hereunder”, “hereby” and “herewith” and words of similar import will, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (iv) when a reference is made in this Agreement to an Article, Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule without reference to a document, such reference is to an Article, Section, paragraph, Exhibit or Schedule to this Agreement; (v) a reference to a subsection without further reference to a Section is a reference to such subsection as contained in the same Section in which the reference appears, and this rule will also apply to paragraphs and other subdivisions; (vi) the word “include”, “includes” or “including” when used in this Agreement will be deemed to include the words “without limitation”, unless otherwise specified; (vii) a reference to any party to this Agreement or any other agreement or document will include such party’s predecessors, successors and permitted assigns; (viii) a reference to any Law means such Law as amended, modified, codified, replaced or reenacted, and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; (ix) a reference to any Contract will include such Contract as amended, supplemented or modified (including any waiver thereto) in accordance with the terms thereof, except that with respect to any Contract listed in the Seller Disclosure Letter or the Parent Disclosure Letter, all such amendments, supplements or modifications must also be listed in the applicable Disclosure Letter; (x) all accounting terms used and not defined herein have the respective meanings given to them under GAAP; and (xi) any references in this Agreement to “dollars” or “$” shall be to U.S. dollars.

(c) Additional Terms . Each of the following terms is defined in the Section set forth opposite such term:

 

Term

  Section

Affiliate Contract

  8.4

Agreement

  Preamble

Certificates

  3.1(b)

Closing

  2.1(c)

Closing Date

  2.1(c)

Company

  Recitals

Company Charter Documents

  5.1

Company Fundamental Representations

  12.1(a)

Company Securities

  5.3(b)

Confidentiality Agreement

  7.3

Damages

  12.1(b)

Dioriga

  Recitals

Dioriga Seller

  Preamble

Dioriga Shares

  Recitals

End Date

  11.1(b)(i)

Equitable Exceptions

  4.1(c)

Holdco

  Preamble

Indemnified Person

  12.1(c)

Interested Party Transaction

  5.19

Material Parent Breach

  11.1(c)

Material Seller Breach

  11.1(d)

Merger

  Recitals

Merger Agreement

  Recitals

MIBCA

  5.3(a)

Oaktree Holdco

  Recitals

Oaktree Holdco Merger Sub

  Preamble

 

7


Term

  Section

Oaktree Seller

  Recitals

Owned Vessel

  5.11(a)

Pappas Holdco

  Preamble

Pappas Holdco Merger Sub

  Recitals

Pappas Seller

  Preamble

Parent

  Preamble

Parent Common Stock

  6.5(a)

Parent Fundamental Representations

  12.1(a)

Parent Indemnified Persons

  12.1(b)

Parent Merger Representations

  6.8

Parent Preferred Stock

  6.5(a)

Parent Securities

  6.5(d)

Parent Subsidiary Securities

  6.6(c)

Policies

  5.17

Positive Shipping

  Recitals

Positive Shipping Seller

  Preamble

Positive Shipping Shares

  Recitals

S&K Opinion

  8.3

Seller Fundamental Representations

  12.1(a)

Seller Indemnified Persons

  12.1(c)

Seller Party

  4.1

Sellers

  Preamble

Sellers’ Counsel

  12.19

Shares

  Recitals

Subject Shares

  8.5(b)

Subject Shares Release Date

  8.5(a)

Survival Date

  12.1(a)

Third Party Claims

  12.1(e)(i)

Transactions Approval

  6.2(a)

Transfer

  8.5(a)

Transfer Taxes

  9.7

ARTICLE II

THE PURCHASE AND SALE OF SHARES

SECTION 2.1. Purchase and Sale of Shares .

(a) Purchase and Sale of Dioriga Shares . At the Closing and upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Dioriga Seller will sell, assign, transfer and deliver to Parent, and Parent will purchase and acquire from the Dioriga Seller, all of the Dioriga Seller’s right, title and interest in and to the Dioriga Shares in exchange for the Aggregate Dioriga Consideration.

(b) Purchase and Sale of Positive Shipping Shares . At the Closing and upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Positive Shipping Seller will sell, assign, transfer and deliver to Parent, and Parent will purchase and acquire from the Positive Shipping Seller, all of the Positive Shipping Seller’s right, title and interest in and to the Positive Shipping Shares in exchange for the Aggregate Positive Shipping Consideration.

(c) Closing . The closing of the Transactions (the “ Closing ”) shall take place in New York City at the offices of Seward & Kissel LLP, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, NY 10004 substantially concurrently with

 

8


the Closing of the Merger Agreement, or if the conditions set forth in Article X are not satisfied or waived by such date then on the third (3 rd ) Business Day after the date the conditions set forth in Article X (other than conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or, to the extent permissible, waiver of those conditions at the Closing) have been satisfied or, to the extent permissible, waived by the party or parties entitled to the benefit of such conditions, or at such other place, at such other time or on such other date as Parent and the Sellers’ Representative may mutually agree in writing. The date on which the Closing actually takes place is referred to as the “ Closing Date ”.

ARTICLE III

SURRENDER AND PAYMENT

SECTION 3.1. Surrender and Payment .

(a) The number of shares of Parent Common Stock to be delivered to the Sellers hereunder will be, in the aggregate, an amount that shall not exceed the Aggregate Consideration.

(b) At the Closing, each Seller shall deliver to Parent the certificate or certificates (the “ Certificates ”) evidencing the Dioriga Shares or Positive Shipping Shares, as applicable, owned by each of the Sellers, accompanied by stock powers duly executed in blank from each Seller and any other duly executed instruments of transfer required to transfer good and marketable title to the Shares to Parent in a form reasonably acceptable to Parent (it being understood that such instruments shall not require the Sellers or any other Person to make any representations, warranties, covenants or agreements not expressly set forth in this Agreement). The Sellers’ Representative shall confirm to Parent at least three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date that it or the Sellers have in their possession such Certificates and such executed instruments of transfer.

(c) At the Closing, upon surrender for cancellation to Parent of all of the Certificates that represent all of the Dioriga Shares and/or Positive Shipping Shares, as applicable, owned by the Sellers (together with such duly executed instruments of transfer), (i) the Dioriga Seller shall be entitled to receive (and shall receive from Parent) in exchange therefor shares of Parent Common Stock issued in book-entry form representing the Aggregate Dioriga Consideration, and (ii) the Positive Shipping Seller shall be entitled to receive (and shall receive from Parent) in exchange therefor shares of Parent Common Stock issued in book-entry form representing the Aggregate Positive Shipping Consideration. Without limiting the post-closing obligations of Parent hereunder, all shares of Parent Common Stock delivered upon the surrender for exchange of Dioriga Shares or Positive Shipping Shares, as applicable, in accordance with the terms hereof shall be deemed to have been delivered in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to such Dioriga Shares or Positive Shipping Shares, as applicable.

(d) If at any time during the period between the date of this Agreement and the Closing, any change in the number of outstanding shares of Parent Common Stock shall occur as a result of any stock split (including a reverse stock split) or combination, or any stock dividend or stock distribution (including any dividend or distribution of securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Parent Common Stock) is declared with a record date during such period, then the Aggregate Consideration, the Aggregate Dioriga Consideration, the Aggregate Positive Shipping Consideration and any other provisions hereunder that reference a fixed number of shares of Parent Common Stock shall be equitably adjusted to reflect such change; provided , that the Per Share Price shall be subject to adjustment pursuant to this Section 3.1(d) until the Subject Shares Release Date.

SECTION 3.2. Withholding Rights. Notwithstanding any provision contained herein to the contrary, Parent shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from any consideration otherwise payable under this Agreement to any Person such amounts as it is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under the Code or any provision of applicable state, local or foreign Tax Law and shall timely pay such withholding

 

9


amount to the appropriate Governmental Authority. If Parent so withholds amounts, to the extent timely remitted to the appropriate Governmental Authority, such amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to such Person in respect of which Parent made such deduction and withholding.

ARTICLE IV

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLER PARTIES

SECTION 4.1. Representations and Warranties .

Except as set forth in the Seller Disclosure Letter, the Sellers and the Holdco (each a “ Seller Party ” and, collectively the “ Seller Parties ”), jointly and severally represent and warrant to Parent with respect to the Seller Parties as follows:

(a) Organization, Existence and Good Standing . Each Seller Party is duly organized, existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or formation, as the case may be.

(b) Power and Authority . Each Seller Party has full corporate (or equivalent) power and authority to execute and perform this Agreement and, if applicable, the Registration Rights Agreement. Each Seller Party’s execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and the performance by it of all of its obligations hereunder and thereunder has been duly approved prior to the date of this Agreement by all requisite action of its board of directors, shareholders, or trustees, as the case may be, and no other corporate (or equivalent) proceedings are necessary on the part of such Seller Party to authorize the execution, delivery and performance by such Seller Party of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.

(c) Enforceability . This Agreement has been and the Registration Rights Agreement will be duly executed and delivered by each Seller Party party thereto and, assuming due execution and delivery by the other parties hereto and thereto, constitute and will constitute a legal, valid, and binding agreement of each Seller Party party thereto, enforceable against each such Seller Party party thereto in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that the enforceability thereof may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or similar Laws from time to time in effect affecting generally the enforcement of creditors’ rights and remedies; and (ii) general principles of equity (clauses (i) and (ii), collectively, the “ Equitable Exceptions ”).

(d) Consents . Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 6.2(b) , no consent, authorization, order or approval of, or filing or registration with, any Governmental Authority is required for or in connection with the consummation by the Seller Parties of the Transactions, other than (i) the filing and recordation of appropriate transfer or other documents as required by the MIBCA and by relevant authorities of other jurisdictions in which each Seller is qualified to do business and (ii) compliance with any applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other applicable U.S. state or federal securities laws and the rules and requirements of Nasdaq.

(e) Conflicts Under Constituent Documents or Laws . Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Registration Rights Agreement, nor the consummation by any Seller Party party thereto of the Transactions will conflict with or constitute a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of such Seller Party’s certificate or articles of incorporation or formation, by-laws, agreement of limited partnership, operating agreement, trust agreement or declaration of trust, or other organizational documents, as the case may be. Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Registration Rights Agreement by any Seller Party party thereto, nor the consummation by such Seller Party of the Transactions will, assuming the compliance with the matters referred to in Section 4.1(d) , conflict with or constitute a breach of any Law, except for any such conflicts or breaches which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent the consummation of the Transactions.

 

10


(f) Conflicts Under Contracts . No Seller Party is a party to, or bound by, any unexpired, undischarged, or unsatisfied written or oral Contract under the terms of which either the execution, delivery and performance by such Seller Party of this Agreement or, if applicable, the Registration Rights Agreement, or the consummation of the Transactions by such Seller Party, will require a consent, approval, or notice or result in a lien on any Shares owned by such Seller Party.

(g) Title to Shares . The Dioriga Seller has good and valid title to the Dioriga Shares, and the Positive Shipping Seller has good and valid title to the Positive Shipping Shares, as applicable, free and clear of all Liens, except Permitted Liens, all of which Permitted Liens or other Liens (other than restrictions on transfer under applicable securities laws and Liens created by Parent or its Affiliates under this Agreement or in connection with the Transactions) will be discharged at or prior to the Closing. Such Seller Party has no other equity interests or rights to acquire equity interests in any Company.

(h) Contracts Relating to Shares; Parent Common Stock . A list of all Contracts restricting or otherwise relating to the voting, dividend rights or disposition of Dioriga Shares and/or Positive Shipping Shares is set forth on Section 4.1(h) of the Seller Disclosure Letter , and all such contracts, agreements or arrangements shall be terminated at or prior to Closing. Section 4.1(h) of the Seller Disclosure Letter also sets forth each Seller Party’s (and each of its Affiliates’) record and beneficial ownership of shares of Parent Common Stock as of the date hereof and as of immediately prior to the Closing.

(i) Litigation . There is no claim, action, suit or legal proceeding pending or, to the Knowledge of Sellers, threatened against any Seller Party by any Person (including any Affiliates of such Person) not a party to this Agreement, before any Governmental Authority which seeks to prevent such Seller Party from consummating the Transactions.

ARTICLE V

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SELLER PARTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPANIES

Except as set forth in the Seller Disclosure Letter, or accurately disclosed in the Oceanbulk F-1 (other than the Exhibits to the Oceanbulk F-1 and other than any risk factor disclosure or forward-looking statements included in the Oceanbulk F-1 and any other disclosures included therein to the extent that such statements are cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature), the Seller Parties jointly and severally represent and warrant to Parent that:

SECTION 5.1. Organization, Qualification and Corporate Power . Each Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and has all requisite corporate power and authority and all Governmental Authorizations, directly or indirectly, to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. Each Company is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign corporation to do business, and is in good standing (where applicable) or has equivalent status, in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties or assets owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed and in good standing or to have equivalent status would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. The Companies have heretofore made available to Parent true and complete copies of the articles of incorporation and other organization documents of each of the Companies (the “ Company Charter Documents ”) as currently in effect as of the date hereof.

SECTION 5.2. Noncontravention . The execution, delivery and performance by each Seller Party of this Agreement, and the consummation by the Seller Parties of the Transactions do not and will not (i) violate any provision of the certificate of incorporation or Memorandum and Articles of Association (or comparable organization documents, as applicable) of any Company, (ii) assuming compliance with the matters referred to in

 

11


Section 4.1(d) , contravene, conflict with or result in a violation or breach of any provision of any applicable Law, (iii) assuming compliance with the matters referred to in Section 4.1(d) , require any consent or other action by any Person under, result in a violation or breach of, constitute a default, or an event that, with or without notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under, or cause or permit the termination, cancellation, acceleration or other change of any right or obligation or the loss of any benefit of any Company under any provision of any Material Contract or any Governmental Authorization of any Company or (iv) result in the loss of, or creation or imposition of any Lien, other than Permitted Liens or Liens created by Parent or its Affiliates, on, any asset of any Company.

SECTION 5.3. Capitalization .

(a) The Shares represent all of the authorized capital stock of the Companies which are authorized and which are issued and outstanding. All of the Shares have been duly authorized. All of the Shares are validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable, and free of preemptive or similar rights under any provision of the Marshall Islands Business Corporations Act (“ MIBCA ”) and the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the Companies or any agreement to which the Companies are a party or otherwise bound.

(b) There are no issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding (i) shares of capital stock of or other voting securities of or ownership interests in the Companies, (ii) securities of the Companies convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, the Companies, (iii) warrants, calls, options or other rights to acquire from the Companies, or other obligation of the Companies to issue, any capital stock or other voting securities or ownership interests in or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock or other voting securities or ownership interests in, the Companies, or (iv) restricted shares, stock appreciation rights, performance units, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any capital stock or voting securities of the Companies (the items in clauses (i) through (iv) being referred to collectively as the “ Company Securities ”). There are no outstanding obligations of the Companies to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the Company Securities. The Companies are not a party to any voting agreements, voting trusts, proxies or other similar agreements or understandings with respect to the voting of any capital stock of the Companies or other Company Securities. Except as may be required by applicable securities Laws and regulations and other than the Company Charter Documents, the Companies are not bound by any obligations or commitments of any character restricting the transfer of, or requiring the registration for sale of, any capital stock of the Companies or other Company Securities.

(c) There is no outstanding Indebtedness of the Companies having the right to vote (or convertible into or exchangeable for securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which shareholders of Companies may vote.

(d) The Companies do not have any class of equity securities that is subject to registration with the SEC under Section 12(g) of the 1934 Act. At no time has any class of securities issued by the Companies been held of record by five hundred (500) or more Persons.

SECTION 5.4. Subsidiaries . None of the Companies has any Subsidiaries or owns, directly or indirectly, any equity or other ownership interests in any Person. None of the Companies is subject to any obligation or requirement to provide funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any Person.

SECTION 5.5. Disclosure Documents . The information with respect to the Companies or the Seller Parties that any of the Companies and/or the Seller Parties supply in writing to Parent specifically for use in the Parent Disclosure Documents, at the time of the filing of such Parent Disclosure Documents or any amendment or supplement thereto and at the time of any distribution or dissemination of such Parent Disclosure Documents,

 

12


will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

SECTION 5.6. Taxes .

(a) All material Tax Returns required by applicable Law to have been filed by each Company have been filed when due (taking into account any extensions), and each such Tax Return is complete and accurate and correctly reflects the liability for Taxes in all material respects. All material Taxes that are due and payable have been paid.

(b) There is no audit or other proceeding pending against or with respect to any Company, with respect to any material amount of Tax. There are no material Liens on any of the assets of any Company that arose in connection with any failure (or alleged failure) to pay any Tax, other than Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable.

(c) Each Company has withheld and paid all material Taxes required to have been withheld and paid in connection with amounts paid or owing to any third-party.

(d) None of the Companies has waived any statute of limitations in respect of Taxes or agreed to any extension of time with respect to any Taxes.

(e) None of the Companies is a party to any Tax allocation or sharing agreement.

(f) None of the Companies has been included in any “consolidated,” “unitary” or “combined” Tax Return provided for under the Law with respect to Taxes for any taxable period for which the statute of limitations has not expired (other than a group of which the Companies are the only members).

(g) None of the Companies has any liability for the Taxes of any Person (other than any of the Companies) under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of any state, local, or foreign Law), as a transferee or successor, by contract, or otherwise.

(h) None of the Companies is or has been a party to any “listed transaction” as defined in Section 6707A(c)(2) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).

(i) None of the Companies has been either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” in a distribution in which the parties to such distribution treated the distribution as one to which Section 355 of the Code is applicable within the prior two (2) years.

(j) None of the Companies has, or since its date of incorporation has had, a permanent establishment in any country other than the country of its organization.

(k) Each Company has complied in all material respects with the intercompany transfer pricing provisions of each applicable Law relating to Taxes, including the contemporaneous documentation and disclosure requirements thereunder.

(l) No written claim has ever been made by any Governmental Authority in a jurisdiction where any Company does not file Tax Returns that any Company is or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.

 

13


SECTION 5.7. Compliance with Laws; Governmental Authorizations .

(a) Each Company is, and since the date of its incorporation has been, in compliance with all Laws and Governmental Authorizations to which such entity, or the Owned Vessel or other material assets, is subject (including Maritime Guidelines), except where such failure to comply would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Each Company owns, holds, possesses or lawfully uses in the operation of its business all Governmental Authorizations (including those required by Maritime Guidelines) that are necessary or required for it to conduct its business as now conducted, except where the failure to own, hold, possess or lawfully use such Governmental Authorization would not have an Company Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.8. Absence of Certain Changes; No Undisclosed Liabilities .

(a) Since their respective dates of incorporation, (i) the Companies have conducted their respective businesses only in the ordinary course of business and (ii) there has not been a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Other than as expressly required by this Agreement, from December 31, 2013 through the date hereof, there has not been any action taken by any Company that, had such action occurred after the date of this Agreement without Parent’s consent, would constitute a breach of Section 7.1 .

(c) There are no liabilities of any Company of any kind whatsoever, whether accrued, contingent, known or unknown, absolute, determined, determinable or otherwise, other than: (i) liabilities disclosed on Section 5.8(c) of the Seller Disclosure Letter , (ii) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business since the date of each Company’s incorporation and which are not, individually or in the aggregate, material to the Companies, taken as a whole, (iii) liabilities incurred in connection with the Transactions, and (iv) liabilities that would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. None of the Companies is a party to, nor do the Companies have any commitment to become a party to, any joint venture, off-balance sheet partnership or any similar Contract (including any Contract relating to any transaction or relationship between any Company, on the one hand, and any unconsolidated Affiliate, including any structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity or Person, on the other hand, or any “off-balance sheet arrangements” (as defined in Item 303(a) of Regulation S-K of the SEC)), where the results, purpose or effect of such Contract is to avoid disclosure of any material transaction involving, or material liabilities of, any Company in the Oceanbulk F-1.

SECTION 5.9. Tangible Personal Assets . The Companies, in the aggregate, have good and valid title to, or a valid interest in, all of their respective tangible personal assets, free and clear of all Liens, other than (i) Permitted Liens or (ii) Liens that individually or in the aggregate, do not materially interfere with the ability of any Company to conduct its business as currently conducted.

SECTION 5.10. Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash . The aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness, and the aggregate cash and cash equivalents, of the Companies as of March 31, 2014 is set forth in Section 5.10 of the Seller Disclosure Letter .

SECTION 5.11. Vessels; Maritime Matters .

(a) Section 5.11(a) of the Seller Disclosure Letter contains a list of all vessels owned by any Company (the “ Owned Vessel ”), including the name, registered owner, capacity (gross tonnage or deadweight tonnage, as specified therein), year built, classification society, official number, flag state, and whether such Owned Vessel is currently operating in the spot market or time chartered market, of the Owned Vessel. There is no vessel chartered-in by any Company pursuant to a charter arrangement. The Owned Vessel is operated in compliance with all applicable Maritime Guidelines and Laws, except where such failure to be in compliance would not have

 

14


a Company Material Adverse Effect. Each Company is qualified to own and operate the Owned Vessel under applicable Laws, including the Laws of the Owned Vessel’s flag state, except where such failure to be qualified would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. The Owned Vessel is seaworthy and in good operating condition, has all national and international operating and trading certificates and endorsements, each of which is valid, that are required for the operation of such Owned Vessel in the trades and geographic areas in which it is operated, except where such failure to be qualified would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(b) The Owned Vessel is classed by a classification society which is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies and is materially in class with all class and trading certificates valid through the date of this Agreement and, to the Knowledge of Sellers, (i) no event has occurred and no condition exists that would cause such Owned Vessel’s class to be suspended or withdrawn, and (ii) is free of average damage affecting its class.

(c) With respect to the Owned Vessel, one of the Companies, as applicable, is the sole owner of such Owned Vessel and has good title to such Owned Vessel free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens.

(d) Prior to the date of this Agreement, the Companies have delivered and made available to Parent accurate, complete and correct copies of the most recent inspection reports relating to the Owned Vessel.

SECTION 5.12. Contracts .

(a) Except as set forth on Section 5.12 (a) of the Seller Disclosure Letter , neither Company is a party to any Contract involving consideration in excess of $100,000.

(b) The Companies have heretofore made available to Parent true and complete copies of the Material Contracts as in effect as of the date hereof. Except for breaches, violations or defaults which would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) each of the Material Contracts is valid, binding, enforceable and in full force and effect with respect to the Companies, and to the Knowledge of Sellers, the other parties thereto, except to the extent that the enforceability thereof may be limited by the Equitable Exceptions and except for any Material Contracts that have expired or been terminated after the date hereof in accordance with their terms, and (ii) none of the Companies, nor to the Knowledge of Sellers, any other party to a Material Contract, has violated any provision of, or taken or failed to take any act which, with or without notice, lapse of time, or both, would constitute a breach or default under, or give rise to any right of cancellation or termination of or consent under, such Material Contract, and none of the Companies has received written notice that it has breached, violated or defaulted under any Material Contract.

SECTION 5.13. Litigation . Except as set forth in Section 5.13 of the Seller Disclosure Letter , there is no Action pending or, to the Knowledge of Sellers, threatened against any Company. No officer or director of any Company is a defendant in any Action commenced by any equityholder of any Company with respect to the performance of his duties as an officer or a director of any Company under any applicable Law. There is no material unsatisfied judgment, penalty or award against any Company or any of its Subsidiaries. None of the Companies is subject to any Orders.

SECTION 5.14. Employee Benefits .

(a) Since their respective dates of incorporation, neither Company has (i) maintained, sponsored or contributed to or had any actual or potential liability or obligation with respect to any Company Benefit Plan, or (ii) employed or engaged any Person as an employee, consultant or independent contractor of such Company.

(b) Except as set forth in Section 5.14(b) of the Seller Disclosure Letter , the execution of, and performance of the Transactions will not (either alone or upon the occurrence of any additional or subsequent events) result in any payment, compensation or benefits (whether of severance pay or otherwise), acceleration,

 

15


forgiveness of indebtedness, vesting, distribution, increase in benefits or obligation to fund benefits with respect to any current or former director, officer, employee, consultant or independent contractor or trigger the right of any current or former director, officer, employee, consultant or independent contractor to terminate any employment or contractual relationship with any Company.

SECTION 5.15. Labor and Employment Matters . There are no material pending or, to the Knowledge of Sellers, threatened, labor disputes, work stoppages, requests for representation, pickets, work slow-downs due to labor disagreements or any legal actions or arbitrations that involve the labor or employment relations of any Company. Since their respective dates of incorporation, there has been no labor strike, dispute, work stoppage, request for representation, picket or work slow-down in respect of any of the Companies, except where such strike, dispute, work stoppage, request, picket or work slow-down would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. None of the Companies is party to any collective bargaining agreement or any other type of collective agreement with any type of local, national or supranational workers’ representatives. To the Knowledge of Sellers, there is not pending or underway any union, or any other type of workers’ representatives, organizational activities or requests or elections for representation with respect to employees of any Company.

SECTION 5.16. Environmental . Except for any matter that would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (a) each Company is and has been in compliance with all Environmental Laws, (b) each Company possesses and is and has been in compliance with all Governmental Authorizations required under Environmental Law for the conduct of their respective operations, (c) there are no actions pending against any Company alleging a violation of or liability under any Environmental Law, (d) to the Knowledge of Sellers, there are no currently known conditions that would reasonably be expected to result in any liability pursuant to any Environmental Law, and (e) each Company has provided to Parent all material documents in its possession related to compliance with or liability under Environmental Laws.

SECTION 5.17. Insurance . The Companies maintain protection and indemnity, hull and machinery and war risks insurance policies and club entries covering the Owned Vessel in such amounts and types as are customary in the shipping industry (collectively, the “ Policies ”). Section 5.17 of the Seller Disclosure Letter includes a list of all such Policies. None of the Companies is in violation or breach of or default under any of its obligations under any such Policy, except where such default would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect. None of the Companies has received any written notice that any Policy has been cancelled. There are no material claims individually or in the aggregate by any Company pending under any of the Policies as to which coverage has been questioned, denied or disputed by the underwriters of such Policy, as applicable, in writing or in respect of which such underwriters have reserved their rights in writing.

SECTION 5.18. Fees . There is no investment banker, broker, finder or other intermediary that has been retained by or is authorized to act on behalf of the Seller Parties or the Companies who might be entitled to any fee or commission in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions.

SECTION 5.19. Interested Party Transactions . Except as set forth in Section 5.19 of the Seller Disclosure Letter , any Company Benefit Plan or any travel or expense reimbursement of officers or directors in the ordinary course, (a) there are no Contracts or arrangements between any Company, on the one hand, and any current or former officer or director of any Company or any of such officer’s or director’s immediate family members or Affiliates, any other Affiliates of such Company (other than the other Company), or any Seller Party or any of its Affiliates (other than any Company), on the other hand (any such Contract or arrangement, an “ Interested Party Transaction ”), and (b) no Seller Party or Affiliate of any Company or Seller Party possesses, directly or indirectly, any material financial interest in, or is a director or officer of, any Person which is a material supplier, customer, lessor or lessee of any Company.

SECTION 5.20. Certain Business Practices . None of the Companies nor (to the Knowledge of Sellers), any director, officer, agent or employee of any Company (a) used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other expenses relating to the business of any Company, (b) made any bribe or kickback, illegal

 

16


political contribution, unlawful payment from corporate funds which was incorrectly recorded on the books and records of any Company, unlawful payment from corporate funds to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns or violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or other anti-corruption laws, in each case relating to the business of the Companies or (c) made any other unlawful payment relating to the business of any Company.

SECTION 5.21. Investment in Parent Common Stock . Each Seller is acquiring the Parent Common Stock for its own account for the purpose of investment and not with a view to or for sale in connection with a distribution. Except for the transactions contemplated by the Registration Rights Agreement, the Sellers do not have an arrangement (whether or not legally binding) to effect any distribution of the Parent Common Stock to or through any Person. Each Seller understands that the Parent Common Stock to be delivered to such Seller at Closing will not be registered under the 1933 Act or any other United States state securities laws by reason of specified exemption from the registration provisions thereof, which depends upon, among other things, the bona fide nature of its investment intent as expressed herein, and that such Parent Common Stock may not be transferred or sold except pursuant to the registration provisions of the 1933 Act and any applicable United States state securities laws, or pursuant to an applicable exemption therefrom. Each Seller is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the 1933 Act. No Seller is required to be registered as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the 1934 Act, and no Seller is a broker-dealer. The Sellers are not purchasing the Parent Common Stock and the Parent Common Stock were not offered to the Sellers by means of any form of general or public solicitation or general advertising, or publicly disseminated advertisements or sales literature, including (a) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar media, or broadcast over television or radio, or (b) any seminar or meeting to which the Sellers were invited by any of the foregoing means of communications. Without limiting the representations, warranties, agreements and covenants of Parent set forth in this Agreement or the Registration Rights Agreement, each Seller acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the books and records and other information regarding Parent that it has deemed necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment and has been afforded (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of Parent concerning the terms and conditions of the acquisition of the Parent Common Stock and the merits and risks of investing in the Parent Common Stock; (ii) access to information about Parent and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that Parent possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense. Each Seller (together with his, her or its advisors, if any) has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Parent Common Stock. Each Seller has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an informed decision with respect to its acquisition of the Parent Common Stock.

SECTION 5.22. No Other Representations or Warranties . The Seller Parties have conducted their own independent investigation, review and analysis of the business, operations, assets, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) and prospects of Parent, which investigation, review and analysis was done by the Seller Parties and their respective representatives. In entering into this Agreement, each of the Seller Parties acknowledges that it has relied solely upon the aforementioned investigation, review and analysis and not on any representations or opinions (whether written or oral) of Parent or its Affiliates (except the specific representations made in Article VI ). Except for the representations and warranties contained in Article VI and in the certificate delivered by the Parent pursuant to Section 10.2(e) , each of the Seller Parties acknowledges that (a) none of Parent or any other Person on behalf of Parent makes any other representation or warranty, express or implied, written or oral, at law or in equity, with respect to Parent or its business, operations, assets, liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects, including with respect to (i) merchantability or fitness for any particular use or purpose or (ii) the probable success or profitability of Parent or the business thereof after the Closing and (b) except in the case of fraud, neither the Parent or any other Person will have or be subject to any liability or indemnification obligation to the Seller Parties or any other Person resulting from the distribution to the Seller Parties or any other Person, or their use of, any information provided in connection with the

 

17


Transactions, including any information, documents, projections, forecasts or other material made available to them in certain “data rooms” or management presentations or in any other form in expectation of, or in connection with, the Transactions.

ARTICLE VI

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT

Except as set forth in the Parent Disclosure Letter, or accurately disclosed in any report, schedule, form or document filed with, or furnished to, the SEC by Parent and publicly available during the period beginning on or after January 1, 2013 and ending five (5) days prior to the date hereof (other than any risk factor disclosure or forward-looking statements included in such reports, schedules, forms or documents and any other disclosures included therein to the extent that such statements are cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature), Parent represents and warrants to the Seller Parties that:

SECTION 6.1. Organization, Qualification and Corporate Power . Parent is an entity duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Parent has all requisite corporate power and authority and all Governmental Authorizations, directly or indirectly, to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted. Parent is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign corporation to do business, and is in good standing (where applicable) or has equivalent status, in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties or assets owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed and in good standing or to have equivalent status would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Each of (a) the third amended and restated articles of incorporation of Parent filed as Exhibit 1 to Parent’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on October 15, 2012 and (b) the second amended and restated bylaws of Parent filed as Exhibit 3.1 to Parent’s Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on July 30, 2013, is currently in effect, true and complete and has not been amended, supplemented or otherwise modified as of the date hereof.

SECTION 6.2. Authorization .

(a) The execution, delivery and performance by Parent of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the consummation by Parent of the Transactions are within the corporate powers of Parent and, except for the Transactions Approval (as defined below), have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Parent. The only votes of the holders of any of Parent’s capital stock necessary in connection with the Transactions are the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of Parent Common Stock present (in person or by proxy) and voting at the Parent Stockholders Meeting to approve this Agreement, the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement (the “ Transactions Approval ”). This Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement constitutes or will constitute a valid and binding agreement of Parent enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that the enforceability thereof may be limited by the Equitable Exceptions.

(b) Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4.1(d) , the execution, delivery and performance by Parent of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the consummation by Parent of the Transactions require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Governmental Authority, other than compliance with any applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, any other applicable state or federal securities laws and the rules and requirements of Nasdaq, including the filing of the Parent Disclosure Documents with the SEC.

SECTION 6.3. Noncontravention . The execution, delivery and performance by Parent of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the consummation by Parent of the Transactions do not and will not (i) contravene, conflict with, or result in any violation or breach of any provision of the articles of incorporation

 

18


or bylaws (or comparable organization documents, as applicable) of Parent or its Subsidiaries, (ii) assuming compliance with the matters referred to in Section 6.2(b) , contravene, conflict with, or result in a violation or breach of any provision of any applicable Law, (iii) assuming compliance with matters referred to in Section 6.2(b) , require any consent or other action by any Person under, result in a violation or breach of, constitute a default or an event that, with or without notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under or cause or permit the termination, cancellation, acceleration or other change of any right or obligation or the loss of any benefit to Parent or its Subsidiaries under any provision of any material Contract to which Parent or its Subsidiaries is a party or any Governmental Authorization of Parent or its Subsidiaries, or (iv) result in the loss of, or creation or imposition of any Lien, other than Parent Permitted Liens, on any asset of the Parent or its Subsidiaries.

SECTION 6.4. Fees . Except for Evercore Group L.L.C., whose fees will be paid by Parent, there is no investment banker, broker, finder or other intermediary that has been retained by or is authorized to act on behalf of Parent who might be entitled to any fee or commission in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement or the Transactions. Parent has furnished to Representatives of the Companies true, correct and complete copies of engagement letters relating to any such services, and there have been no amendments or revisions to such engagement letters.

SECTION 6.5. Capitalization of Parent .

(a) The authorized capital stock of Parent consists of (i) 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Parent Common Stock ”) and (ii) 25,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (“ Parent Preferred Stock ”). As of the date of this Agreement, (i) 29,493,769 shares of Parent Common Stock are issued and outstanding, and (ii) no shares of Parent Common Stock are held in the treasury of Parent. As of the date hereof, no shares of Parent Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding. All outstanding shares of capital stock of Parent and all shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement have been duly authorized. All outstanding shares of capital stock of Parent have been, and, upon issuance, all shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued to the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement will be, validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable, and free of preemptive or similar rights under any provision of the MIBCA and the articles of incorporation or bylaws of Parent or any agreement to which Parent is a party or otherwise bound.

(b) No antidilution or similar adjustments with respect to any Parent Securities will occur or be required as a result of the issuance and sale of the Parent Common Stock to the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement. Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties set forth in Section 5.21 , the offer and sale of the Parent Common Stock to the Sellers pursuant to this Agreement shall be qualified or exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and the registration and/or qualification requirements of all applicable state securities Laws.

(c) There is no outstanding Indebtedness of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries having the right to vote (or convertible into or exchangeable for securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which stockholders of Parent may vote.

(d) Except as set forth in Section 6.6(d-1) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , as of the date hereof, there are no issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding (i) shares of capital stock of or other voting securities of or ownership interests in Parent, (ii) securities of Parent convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of capital stock or other voting securities of or ownership interests in Parent, (iii) warrants, calls, options or other rights to acquire from Parent, or other obligation of Parent to issue, any capital stock or other voting securities or ownership interests in or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock or other voting securities or ownership interests in Parent, or (iv) restricted shares, stock appreciation rights, performance units, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any capital stock or voting securities of

 

19


Parent (the items in clauses (i) through (iv) being referred to collectively as the “ Parent Securities ”). There are no outstanding obligations of Parent to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the Parent Securities. Except for the Oaktree Stockholders Agreement and the Pappas Stockholders Agreement (each, as defined in the Merger Agreement), Parent is not a party to any voting agreements, voting trusts, proxies or other similar agreements or understandings with respect to the voting of any shares of Parent Common Stock or other Parent Securities. Except as may be required by applicable securities Laws and regulations and other than Parent’s third amended and restated articles of incorporation and second amended and restated bylaws currently in effect, Parent is not bound by any obligations or commitments of any character restricting the transfer of, or, except as set forth in Section 6.6(d-2) of the Parent Disclosure Letter , requiring the registration for sale of, any shares of Parent Common Stock or other Parent Securities.

SECTION 6.6. Subsidiaries .

(a) Section 6.7(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter sets forth a complete and correct list of each Subsidiary of Parent together with the jurisdiction of incorporation or formation of each such Subsidiary, the form of organization of each such Subsidiary, the authorized and issued capital stock, voting securities or other ownership interests of each such Subsidiary and the name of each holder thereof.

(b) Each Subsidiary of Parent has been duly organized, is validly existing and in good standing (except with respect to jurisdictions that do not recognize the concept of good standing) under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation, and has all requisite power, Governmental Authorizations and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted, except where the failure to be in good standing or possess such Governmental Authorizations would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Each such Subsidiary of Parent is duly qualified or licensed as a foreign corporation or other entity to do business, and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties or assets owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or licensed and in good standing would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect. Parent has heretofore made available to the Seller Parties true and complete copies of the articles of incorporation, bylaws, certificates of formation, certificate of incorporation, limited liability company agreement (or comparable organization documents, as applicable) of each of its Subsidiaries.

(c) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of, or voting securities of, or other ownership interests in, each Subsidiary of Parent, is owned by Parent directly or indirectly, free and clear of any Liens (other than Parent Permitted Liens). There are no issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding (i) securities of any of Parent’s Subsidiaries convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, shares of capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Parent Subsidiary, (ii) warrants, calls, options or other rights to acquire from any of Parent’s Subsidiaries, or other obligations of any of Parent’s Subsidiaries to issue, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, or any securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Subsidiary of Parent, or (iii) restricted shares, stock appreciation rights, performance units, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any capital stock or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, any Subsidiary of Parent (the items in clauses (i) through (iii), together with all of the outstanding capital stock of, or other voting securities of, or ownership interests in, each Subsidiary of Parent, being referred to collectively as the “ Parent Subsidiary Securities ”). Except as set forth in Section 6.7(c) of the Parent Disclosure Letter, none of the Subsidiaries of Parent owns, directly or indirectly, any equity or other ownership interests in any Person, except for other Subsidiaries of Parent as set forth in Section 6.7(a) of the Parent Disclosure Letter. There are no outstanding obligations of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the Parent Subsidiary Securities. Except as set forth in Section 6.7(c) of the Parent Disclosure Letter, neither Parent nor the Subsidiaries of Parent are subject to any obligation or requirement to provide funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any Person.

 

20


SECTION 6.7. Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash . The aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness, and the aggregate cash and cash equivalents, of Parent and its Subsidiaries as of March 31, 2014 is set forth in Section 6.24 of the Parent Disclosure Letter .

SECTION 6.8. Representations and Warranties . Sections 6.2(b) , 6.4 , 6.8 through 6.20 , 6.22 , 6.23 and 6.25 (the “ Parent Merger Representations ”) of the Merger Agreement are hereby incorporated into this Agreement, mutatis mutandis , and Parent hereby makes the Parent Merger Representations to the Seller Parties.

ARTICLE VII

CONDUCT PENDING THE CLOSING

SECTION 7.1. Operation of the Business .

(a) Except (A) as set forth in Section 7.1(a) of the Seller Disclosure Letter , (B) as expressly required by this Agreement, or (C) with the prior written consent of Parent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided , that Parent shall respond as soon as reasonably practicable in the manner set forth in the last sentence of this Section 7.1 and shall be deemed to have consented if it does not respond within five (5) Business Days following receipt of the Seller Representative’s written request for such response), from the date hereof until the Closing, each of the Companies shall, and the Seller Parties shall cause each of the Companies to, carry on its business in the ordinary course and in a manner consistent with past practice and to use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) preserve intact its present business organization, goodwill and material assets, (ii) maintain in effect all Governmental Authorizations required to carry on its business as now conducted, (iii) keep available the services of its present officers and employees, if any ( provided that they shall not be obligated to increase the compensation of, or make any other payments or grant any concessions to, such officers and employees), and (iv) preserve its present relationships with customers, suppliers and other Persons with which it has a business relationship ( provided , that they shall not be obligated to make any payments or grant any concessions to such Persons other than payments in the ordinary course consistent with past practice).

(b) Without limiting the generality of Section 7.1(a) , except (A) as set forth in Section 7.1(b) of the Seller Disclosure Letter , (B) as expressly required by this Agreement, or (C) with the prior written consent of Parent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided , that Parent shall respond as soon as reasonably practicable in the manner set forth in the last sentence of this Section 7.1 and shall be deemed to have consented if it does not respond within five (5) Business Days following receipt of the Seller Representative’s written request for such response), from the date hereof until the Closing, each of the Companies shall not, and the Seller Parties shall cause the Companies not to, do any of the following:

(i) amend its certificate of incorporation, articles of incorporation, bylaws or other comparable charter or organizational documents (whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise);

(ii) (A) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other distributions (whether in cash, stock, property or otherwise) in respect of, any of its equity or equity-linked securities, (B) split, combine or reclassify any of its equity or equity-linked securities, (C) issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for, any of its equity or equity-linked securities, (D) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its equity or equity-linked securities, or (E) take any action that would result in any material amendment, modification or change of any term of, or material default under, any Indebtedness of any Company;

(iii) (A) issue, deliver, sell, grant, pledge, transfer, subject to any Lien or otherwise encumber or dispose of, any of its equity or equity-linked securities, or (B) amend any term of any of its equity or equity-linked securities (in each case, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise);

 

21


(iv) accelerate or delay (A) the payment of any accounts payable or other liability or (B) the collection of notes or accounts receivable, in each case, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

(v) incur more than $1,000,000 of capital expenditures, in the aggregate (other than capital expenditures constituting extras under a Material Contract for Newbuildings);

(vi) acquire or commit to acquire (A) all or any substantial portion of a business or Person or division thereof (whether by purchase of stock, purchase of assets, merger, consolidation, or otherwise), or (B) any assets or properties involving a price in excess of $1,000,000 in the aggregate, other than pursuant to Material Contracts existing as of the date hereof;

(vii) enter into any contract, that, if in existence on the date hereof, would be a Material Contract, or materially amend, modify, extend or terminate any Material Contract or any Interested Party Transaction (other than renewals of any Material Contracts in the ordinary course of business, the expiration of any such Contract in accordance with its terms, and the termination of any such Contract in connection with any breach by the applicable counterparty);

(viii) sell, lease, license, pledge, transfer, subject to any Lien or otherwise dispose of, any of its assets or properties except (A) sales of used equipment in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (B) Permitted Liens incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

(ix) adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of any Company or enter into any agreement with respect to the voting of its capital stock or other securities held by any Company;

(x) (A) grant to any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant any increase or enhancement in compensation, bonus or other benefits, (B) grant to any current or former director or executive officer or employee any right to receive severance, change in control, retention or termination pay or benefits or any increase in severance, change of control or termination pay or benefits, except to the extent required under applicable Law or existing Company Benefit Plans or existing policy, or (C) adopt, enter into or amend or commit to adopt, enter into or amend any Company Benefit Plan except for amendments as required under applicable Law or pursuant to the terms of such plan;

(xi) except as required by GAAP or Regulation S-X under the 1934 Act, make any change in any method of accounting principles, method or practices;

(xii) (A) incur or issue any Indebtedness (other than accrual of interest and drawdowns under Material Contracts existing as of the date hereof), (B) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (other than pursuant to Material Contracts existing as of the date hereof), or (C) repay or satisfy any Indebtedness other than repayment of Indebtedness in accordance with the terms thereof;

(xiii) change any method of Tax accounting, make or change any material Tax election, file any material amended return, settle or compromise any material Tax liability, fail to complete and file, consistent with past practice, all Tax Returns required to be filed by any Company, fail to pay all amounts shown due on such Tax Returns, agree to an extension or waiver of the statute of limitations with respect to the assessment or determination of material Taxes, enter into any closing agreement with respect to any material Tax, surrender any right to claim a material Tax refund, offset or otherwise reduce Tax liability or take into account on any Tax Return required to be filed prior to the Closing any adjustment or benefit arising from the Transactions;

(xiv) institute, settle, or agree to settle any action, suit, litigation, investigation or proceeding pending or threatened before any arbitrator, court or other Governmental Authority, in each case in excess of $300,000 or that imposes material injunctive or other non-monetary relief;

 

22


(xv) disclose, or consent to the disclosure of, any of its trade secrets or other proprietary information, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and pursuant to an appropriate non-disclosure agreement;

(xvi) waive, release or assign any claims or rights having a value of $300,000 individually or $1,000,000 in the aggregate;

(xvii) fail to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the current insurance (or re-insurance) policies maintained by any Company, including directors’ and officers’ insurance, not to be cancelled or terminated or any of the coverage thereunder to lapse, unless simultaneously with such termination, cancellation or lapse, replacement policies underwritten by insurance or re-insurance companies of nationally recognized standing having comparable deductions and providing coverage equal to or greater than the coverage under the cancelled, terminated or lapsed policies for substantially similar premiums or less are in full force and effect; provided that none of the Companies shall obtain or renew any insurance (or reinsurance) policy for a term exceeding twelve (12) months;

(xviii) directly or indirectly (A) purchase or construct any vessel or enter into any Contract for the purchase or construction of any vessel, other than pursuant to Material Contracts existing as of the date hereof, (B) sell or otherwise dispose of the Owned Vessel, or enter into any contract for the sale or disposal of the Owned Vessel, (C) enter into any contract for the bareboat or time charter-out of the Owned Vessel, (D) defer scheduled maintenance of the Owned Vessel, or (E) depart from any normal drydock and maintenance practices or discontinue replacement of spares in operating the Owned Vessel, provided , that none of the Companies will enter into any contract for the drydocking or repair of the Owned Vessel where the estimated cost thereof is in excess of $1,000,000 unless, in the case of this clause (E), such work is set forth in Section 7.1(b) of the Seller Disclosure Letter , or cannot prudently be deferred and is required to preserve the safety and seaworthiness of the Owned Vessel; or

(xix) authorize or enter into a Contract or arrangement to take any of the actions described in clauses (i) through (xviii) of this Section 7.1(b) .

If a Seller Party or any Company desires to take an action which would be prohibited pursuant to this Section 7.1 without the written consent of Parent, prior to taking such action the Seller’s Representative may request such written consent of Parent by sending an e-mail to all of the individuals set forth in Section 7.1 of the Parent Disclosure Letter . Any of the individuals set forth in Section 7.1 of the Parent Disclosure Letter may grant consent on behalf of Parent to the taking of any action that would otherwise be prohibited pursuant to this Section 7.1 by e-mail or such other notice that complies with the provisions of Section 12.2 .

SECTION 7.2. Transfer of Shares . Until the termination of this Agreement in accordance with Article XI hereof or except as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement, none of the Sellers shall sell, dispose of or otherwise transfer, directly or indirectly, any Shares.

SECTION 7.3. Access to Information . After the date hereof until the Closing and subject to applicable Law and the Confidentiality Agreement, dated as of February 3, 2014, among Parent, Oceanbulk Shipping LLC and Oceanbulk Carriers LLC (the “ Confidentiality Agreement ”) the terms of which the Seller Parties hereby agree to be bound by as if a party thereto and to which Parent hereby agrees to be bound as if the Seller Parties were the disclosing party thereunder, the Seller Parties and Parent shall (i) give each other and their respective counsel, financial advisors, auditors and other authorized representatives, upon reasonable notice, reasonable access to the offices, properties, books and records of Parent, its Subsidiaries and the Companies, as applicable; provided , however , that any such access shall be conducted during normal business hours in a manner not to interfere with the businesses or operations of the Companies or Parent, as applicable, and without the prior written consent of the other applicable party, none of Parent, the Seller Parties, the Companies nor any of their Affiliates will contact any employee, customer, landlord, supplier, distributor or other material business relation of the other

 

23


party or its Subsidiaries (in each case, in their capacity as such) prior to the Closing (other than contacts in the ordinary course of business unrelated to the Transactions), (ii) furnish to each other and their respective counsel, financial advisors, auditors and other authorized representatives such financial and operating data and other information as such Persons may reasonably request, and (iii) instruct the employees, counsel, financial advisors, auditors and other authorized representatives of Parent, its Subsidiaries, the Seller Parties and the Companies, as applicable, to cooperate with Parent and the Seller Parties in the matters described in clauses (i) and (ii) above. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, no party shall be required to provide such access or disclose any information if doing so is reasonably likely to (A) result in a waiver of attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine or similar privilege or (B) violate any Contract to which it is a party to which it is subject or applicable Law.

SECTION 7.4. Litigation .

(a) Parent shall promptly advise the Sellers’ Representative of any Action commenced or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened against or involving Parent, any of its Subsidiaries or any of its officers or directors, or the Special Committee, relating to this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement or the Transactions and shall keep the Sellers’ Representative informed and consult with the Sellers’ Representative regarding the status of such Action on an ongoing basis. Parent shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, cooperate with and give the Sellers’ Representative the opportunity to consult with respect to the defense or settlement of any such Action, and shall not agree to any settlement without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative.

(b) The Sellers’ Representative shall promptly advise Parent of any Action commenced or, to the Knowledge of Sellers, threatened against or involving any of the Seller Parties or any of the Companies or any of their respective officers or directors, relating to this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement or the Transactions and shall keep Parent informed and consult with Parent regarding the status of the Action on an ongoing basis. Each of the Seller Parties (including the Sellers’ Representative) and the Companies shall cooperate with and give Parent the opportunity to consult with respect to the defense or settlement of any such Action, and shall not agree to any settlement without the prior written consent of Parent.

ARTICLE VIII

COVENANTS OF PARENT AND THE SELLER PARTIES

SECTION 8.1. Obligations of Seller Parties . The Holdco shall take all action necessary to cause the Sellers to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and shall be liable for any breach of this Agreement by the Sellers.

SECTION 8.2. Stock Exchange Listing . Parent shall use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and do or cause to be done all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable on its part under applicable Laws and rules and policies of Nasdaq to ensure that the shares of Parent Common Stock comprising the Aggregate Consideration are listed on Nasdaq prior to or as of the Closing.

SECTION 8.3. Registration Rights Agreement; Opinion . At or prior to the Closing, Parent and the Holdco shall execute and deliver the Registration Rights Agreement. At or prior to the Closing, Parent shall deliver to the Sellers a true and correct copy of an opinion issued by Seward & Kissel in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Sellers that when the shares of Parent Common Stock are issued as contemplated in this Agreement, they will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable (the “ S&K Opinion ”).

SECTION 8.4. Affiliate Contracts . Except as set forth in Section 8.6 and except as set forth in Section 5.19 of the Seller Disclosure Letter , at or prior to the Closing, after giving at least three (3) Business Days’ prior notice to Parent, each of the Seller Parties shall (and shall cause their respective Affiliates to) terminate any

 

24


Contract or transaction between any Seller Party (or any Affiliate thereof), on the one hand, and any Company, on the other hand (an “ Affiliate Contract ”), or amend such Affiliate Contract so as to eliminate any further liability or obligation of any Company thereunder, and shall provide to the Parent evidence of such termination in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Parent, unless Parent provides written notice to the Sellers’ Representative prior to the end of the 3 Business Day period that it does not object to the continuation of such Contract or transaction.

SECTION 8.5. Retention of Parent Common Stock .

(a) Without the prior written consent of Parent (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), except as set forth in Section 8.5(c) , no Seller will, directly or indirectly, other than distributions to the Holdco, in which case the Holdco will be subject to the provisions of this Section 8.5 , during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the Survival Date (the “ Subject Shares Release Date ”), (i) offer, issue, assign, pledge, hypothecate, grant a security interest in, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, make any short sale, or otherwise transfer, encumber or dispose of any of the Subject Shares or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement or arrangement (including a monetization arrangement or hedging or similar transaction) that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Subject Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above (each, a “ Transfer ”) is to be settled by delivery of shares of Parent Common Stock or other securities convertible into Parent Common Stock, in cash or otherwise provided , however , that if at the Subject Shares Release Date there is an outstanding claim for indemnification pursuant to Section 12.1(b) that has been asserted pursuant to a valid notice of claim delivered in good faith by Parent pursuant to Section 12.1(e) but has not been satisfied by such date, a number of Subject Shares reasonably sufficient to satisfy such claim shall be retained by the Sellers and remain subject to the restrictions of this Section 8.5 until such claim is resolved. It is understood that (A) any securities issued to a Seller upon any exchange, stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or the like in respect of the Subject Shares shall be considered part of the “Subject Shares” and shall be subject to the terms of this Section 8.5 in the same manner, and shall be restricted for the same period, as the Subject Shares in respect of which they were issued and (B) the restrictions set forth in this Section 8.5 shall not apply to any Transfer of any shares of Parent Common Stock owned by a Seller that is in excess of such Seller’s Subject Shares.

(b) As used herein, the “ Subject Shares ” shall mean the excess of (i) 359,273 of the shares of Parent Common Stock delivered to each Seller at Closing over (ii) a number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the aggregate amount of any cash payments made by such Seller to a Parent Indemnified Person pursuant to Section 12.1(b) as of such date divided by the Per Share Price.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8.5 , without limitation of any restrictions on Transfer (if any) set forth in the Pappas Stockholders Agreement, either Seller shall be entitled to Transfer all or a portion of their Subject Shares without Parent’s prior written consent if either:

(i) the greater of (x) the net proceeds received upon the Transfer of such Subject Shares and (y) the Per Share Price multiplied by the number of such Subject Shares is placed by such Seller into an escrow account reasonably acceptable to Parent until the Subject Shares Release Date to satisfy such Seller’s indemnification obligations pursuant to Section 12.1(b) ; or

(ii) such Seller causes to be delivered to Parent a guaranty of such Seller’s indemnification obligations pursuant to Section 12.1(b) from a Person with liquidity characteristics and a net worth reasonably satisfactory to the Special Committee (on behalf of Parent), which guaranty shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Special Committee (on behalf of Parent). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such prospective guarantor must own assets with liquidity characteristics that are the same or better than the liquidity characteristics of the Subject Shares. Substantially concurrently with the delivery of such guaranty, the parties hereto shall cause any amounts placed by such Seller into escrow pursuant to the preceding clause (i) to be released to such Seller.

 

25


(d) Each Seller hereby authorizes Parent and any duly appointed transfer agent to apply an appropriate legend to any certificates or book entries representing the Subject Shares to reflect the existence and general terms of this Section 8.5 . Each Seller also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with Parent’s transfer agent against the transfer of any Subject Shares held by such Seller except in compliance with the restrictions contained herein. Parent, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the Subject Shares, are hereby authorized to decline to make or recognize any transfer of Subject Shares or other transaction relating to the Subject Shares if such transfer or transaction would constitute a violation or breach of this Section 8.5 .

SECTION 8.6. Management Agreements . The Seller Parties shall (or shall cause Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A. to) consent to the termination of any existing ship management agreement to which it (or Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A.) is the ship manager with respect to the Owned Vessel that as of the date hereof is not managed by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, which termination shall be effective no later than 60 days after the Closing. From the date hereof until no later than 60 days after the Closing, Parent shall pay no more than $750 per day as a management fee for such Owned Vessel for which services are provided under such management agreement following the Closing, and the Seller Parties shall (or shall cause Oceanbulk Maritime, S.A. to) agree to waive all other fees (including without limitation termination fees designated as “severance” pursuant to the terms of such ship management agreement), costs or expenses that are payable by Parent to the Seller Parties or Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. under such management agreement for services provided prior to or, as the case may be, following the Closing or that otherwise arise from the consummation of the Transactions, provided, that Parent shall be responsible for (i) any crew severance fees incurred as a result of such termination (but Oceanbulk Maritime S.A. and the Seller Parties agree that they shall take no actions that would result in such crew severance fees) and (ii) any out-of-pocket costs and expenses of the applicable manager related to such Owned Vessel.

ARTICLE IX

COVENANTS OF THE PARTIES

SECTION 9.1. Covenants of Parties . Parent hereby agrees to comply with its covenants and agreements set forth in the Merger Agreement, including Sections 7.1 , 7.2 , 7.6 , 8.1 , 8.6 , 8.10 and 9.1 of the Merger Agreement, which sections shall apply mutatis mutandis to this Agreement. Each of the Seller Parties shall furnish all information concerning such Seller Party and its Affiliates to Parent required to be included in the Proxy Statement (as defined in the Merger Agreement), and provide such other assistance as may be reasonably requested in connection with the preparation, filing and distribution of the Proxy Statement.

SECTION 9.2. Regulatory Undertaking .

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the parties hereto shall, and cause their respective Affiliates to, use their respective reasonable best efforts 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 Law to consummate the Transactions, including (i) preparing and filing as promptly as practicable with any Governmental Authority or other Third Party all documentation to effect all necessary filings, notices, petitions, statements, registrations, submissions of information, applications and other documents that are necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the Transactions, including the Parent Disclosure Documents, (ii) obtaining and maintaining any approvals, consents, registrations, permits, authorizations and other confirmations required to be obtained from any Governmental Authority or other Third Party that are necessary, proper or advisable to consummate the Transactions, (iii) making any other submissions required in connection with the consummation of the Transactions under the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the MIBCA, applicable state or federal securities laws or the Nasdaq rules and regulations and (iv) taking or causing to be taken all other actions necessary, proper or advisable consistent with this Section 9.2 to cause the expiration of the applicable waiting periods, or receipt of required consents, approvals or authorizations under such Laws as soon as practicable; provided that the obligations set forth in this sentence shall not be deemed to have been breached as a result of actions by Parent or its Subsidiaries expressly permitted by Sections 7.6(b) or 9.1 of the Merger Agreement.

 

26


(b) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 9.2 or otherwise in this Agreement, none of the parties hereto shall be required or permitted, without the prior written consent of all of the parties hereto, to consent to any requirement, condition, limitation, understanding, agreement or order of a Governmental Authority (x) to sell, divest, license, assign, transfer, hold separate or otherwise dispose of any material portion of the assets or business of such party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or (y) that materially limits the freedom of action with respect to, or ability to retain, any of the businesses, services, or assets of such party or any of their respective Subsidiaries, in order to be permitted by such Governmental Authority to consummate the Transactions.

SECTION 9.3. Certain Filings . The parties hereto shall cooperate and consult with each other in connection with the making of all such filings and notifications, including by providing copies of all relevant documents to the non-filing party and its advisors before filing and shall cooperate in determining whether any action by or filing with or approvals, consents, registrations, permits, authorizations and other confirmations are required in connection with the consummation of the Transactions. No party shall consent to any voluntary extension of any statutory deadline or waiting period or to any voluntary delay of the consummation of the Transactions at the behest of any Governmental Authority without the consent of the other parties to this Agreement, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned.

SECTION 9.4. Public Announcements . Subject to Section 7.6 of the Merger Agreement, Parent and the Sellers’ Representative shall consult with each other before issuing any press release, having any communication with the press (whether or not for attribution) or making any other public statement, or scheduling any press conference or conference call with investors or analysts, with respect to this Agreement or the Transactions and neither the Seller Parties nor Parent shall issue any such press release or make any such other public statement (including statements to the employees of any Company or Parent, as the case may be, or any of their respective Subsidiaries) or schedule any such press conference or conference call without the consent of Parent (in the case of the Seller Parties) or the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of Parent). Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) the parties hereto each hereby consent to the filing of Parent’s Form 6-K on the date of this Agreement in the form previously provided by Parent to the Seller’s Representative and (b) that nothing herein will prohibit the making of any public statement or press release to the extent that it is required by applicable Law or any listing agreement with or rule of any national securities exchange or association, in which case, the party making such determination will, if practicable in the circumstances, use reasonable commercial efforts to allow the other parties reasonable time to comment on such release or announcement in advance of its issuance.

SECTION 9.5. Further Assurances . From and after the Closing, upon the request of a party, the other parties will execute and deliver such instruments, documents or other writings as may be reasonably necessary or desirable to confirm and carry out and to effectuate fully the intent and purposes of this Agreement (it being understood that such instruments shall not require the Sellers or any other Person to make any representations, warranties, covenants or agreements not expressly set forth in this Agreement).

SECTION 9.6. Notices of Certain Events . Prior to the Closing or the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 11.1 , each of the Sellers’ Representative (on behalf of the Seller Parties) and Parent shall promptly notify the other if to the Knowledge of Sellers or the Knowledge of Parent, as the case may be:

(a) any written notice or other written communication is received from any Person alleging that the consent of such Person (or another Person) is or may be required in connection with the Transactions;

(b) any written notice or other written communication is received from any Governmental Authority in connection with the Transactions;

(c) any action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding is commenced or, to the Knowledge of Sellers or the Knowledge of Parent, as the case may be, threatened against, relating to or involving or otherwise affecting any Company or Parent and any of its Subsidiaries, as applicable, that, if pending on the date of this Agreement, would have been required to have been disclosed pursuant to any Section of this Agreement;

 

27


(d) any inaccuracy of any representation or warranty of such party contained in this Agreement occurs at any time during the term hereof that would or would reasonably be expected to cause any of the conditions set forth in Article X not to be satisfied;

(e) any failure of such party to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it hereunder occurs that would or would reasonably be expected to cause any of the conditions set forth in Article X not to be satisfied; and

(f) any event occurs that has had a Company Material Adverse Effect or Parent Material Adverse Effect, as applicable;

provided , that no notification provided in accordance with this Section 9.6 shall be deemed to cure any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made in this Agreement.

SECTION 9.7. Transfer Taxes . The parties to this Agreement shall cooperate in the preparation, execution and filing of all returns, questionnaires, applications or other documents regarding any property transfer or gains, sales, use, transfer, value added, stock transfer or stamp taxes, any transfer, recording, registration and other fees and any similar taxes that become payable in connection with the Transactions (together with any related interests, penalties or additions to Tax, “ Transfer Taxes ”), and shall cooperate in attempting to minimize the amount of Transfer Taxes. From and after the Closing, Parent shall pay or cause to be paid all Transfer Taxes.

ARTICLE X

CONDITIONS TO THE CLOSING

SECTION 10.1. Conditions to Obligations of Each Party . The respective obligations of each party hereto to consummate the Transactions are subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

(a) all of the conditions to the closing of the Merger Agreement set forth in Article X thereof, including the Transactions Approval, shall have been satisfied or, to the extent permissible, waived by the party or parties entitled to the benefit of such conditions and the Merger shall have been consummated;

(b) no applicable Law preventing or prohibiting the consummation of the Transactions shall be in effect; and

(c) the shares of Parent Common Stock included in the Aggregate Consideration and shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq, subject to completion of the Transactions.

SECTION 10.2. Conditions to Obligations of the Seller Parties . The obligations of the Seller Parties to consummate the Transactions are further subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Seller Parties of the following conditions:

(a) (i) the representations and warranties of Parent contained in Section 6.1 , Section 6.2 , Section 6.5 and Section 6.6 of this Agreement (other than Section 6.5(a) , the first sentence of Section 6.5(d) , Section 6.6(a) and the first sentence of Section 6.6(c) ) (disregarding all materiality and Parent Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained therein) shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct in all material respects as of such other time), and (ii) the representations and warranties of Parent contained in Section 6.5(a) , the first sentence of Section 6.5(d) , Section 6.6(a) and the first sentence of Section 6.6(c) of this Agreement shall be true and correct (except for de minimis exceptions) as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its

 

28


terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct (except for de minimis exceptions) as of such other time) and (iii) all of the other representations and warranties of Parent contained in this Agreement or in any certificate or other writing delivered by Parent pursuant hereto (disregarding all materiality and Parent Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained therein) shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such other time), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct would not have a Parent Material Adverse Effect;

(b) Parent shall have performed and complied with in all material respects all of the covenants and obligations required to be performed or complied with by them under this Agreement on or prior to the Closing Date;

(c) from the date hereof and through the Closing Date, there shall not have occurred a Parent Material Adverse Effect;

(d) the Seller Parties shall have received the duly executed S&K Opinion and Parent shall have delivered to the Sellers’ Representative the other items to be delivered by Parent pursuant to Section 8.3 ;

(e) Parent shall have delivered to the Sellers’ Representative as of the Closing Date, a certificate, dated as of such date, executed by an executive officer of Parent to the effect that the conditions set forth in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 10.2 have been satisfied as of the Closing Date; and

(f) Parent shall have delivered to the Sellers’ Representative as of the Closing Date, a certificate, dated as of such date, executed by an executive officer of Parent, certifying as to the aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness, and the aggregate cash and cash equivalents, of Parent and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date (without giving effect to the Transactions).

SECTION 10.3. Conditions to Obligations of Parent . The obligations of Parent to consummate the Transactions is further subject to the satisfaction or waiver by Parent of the following conditions:

(a) (i) the representations and warranties of the Seller Parties contained in Section 5.8(a)(ii) shall be true and correct in all respects, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Seller Parties contained in Article IV , Section 5.1 , Section 5.3 (other than Section 5.3(a) , the first sentence of Section 5.3(b) and Section 5.4 ) of this Agreement (disregarding all materiality and Company Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained therein) shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct in all material respects as of such other time), (iii) the representations and warranties of Seller Parties contained in Section 5.3(a) , the first sentence of Section 5.3(b) , and Section 5.4 of this Agreement shall be true and correct (except for de minimis exceptions) as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct (except for de minimis exceptions) as of such other time), and (iv) all of the other representations and warranties of the Seller Parties contained in this Agreement or in any certificate or other writing delivered by Sellers’ Representative pursuant hereto (disregarding all materiality and Company Material Adverse Effect qualifications contained therein) shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such other time), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct would not have an Company Material Adverse Effect;

 

29


(b) all of the consents, authorizations, waivers, approvals, notices, expirations, filings and registrations set forth on Section 10.3(b) of the Seller Disclosure Letter shall have been obtained or made, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Parent, on or prior to, and shall be in full force and effect on, the Closing Date;

(c) each of the Seller Parties shall have performed and complied with in all material respects all of the covenants and obligations required to be performed by it under this Agreement on or prior to the Closing Date;

(d) from the date hereof through the Closing Date, there shall not have occurred a Company Material Adverse Effect;

(e) the Sellers’ Representative shall have delivered to Parent as of the Closing Date, a certificate, dated as of such date, executed by an executive officer of the Sellers’ Representative to the effect that the conditions set forth in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section 10.3 have been satisfied;

(f) the Sellers’ Representative shall have delivered to Parent duly signed resignations in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Parent, dated as of the Closing Date, of (i) all members of the board of directors of each Company of their positions as directors and (ii) of all the officers of the Company of their positions as officers; and

(g) the Sellers’ Representative shall have delivered to Parent as of the Closing Date, a certificate, dated as of such date, executed by an executive officer of Sellers’ Representative, certifying as to the aggregate outstanding Borrowed Indebtedness, and the aggregate cash and cash equivalents, of the Companies as of the Closing Date (without giving effect to the Transactions).

SECTION 10.4. Frustration of Closing Conditions . Neither Parent, on the one hand, nor the Seller Parties, on the other hand, may rely, either as a basis for not consummating the Transactions or for terminating this Agreement and abandoning the Transactions, on the failure of any condition set forth in Section 10.2 or Section 10.3 , as the case may be, to be satisfied if such failure was caused by such party’s breach of any provision of this Agreement or failure to use its reasonable best efforts to consummate the Transactions as required by and subject to Section 9.2 and Section 9.5 .

ARTICLE XI

TERMINATION; AMENDMENT; WAIVER

SECTION 11.1. Termination . This Agreement may be terminated any time prior to the Closing (notwithstanding the receipt of the Transactions Approval) ( provided that approval of the Special Committee shall be necessary for termination by Parent, and the Special Committee may prosecute any Action related to this Agreement on behalf of Parent):

(a) by mutual written agreement of the Sellers’ Representative and Parent;

(b) by either the Sellers’ Representative or Parent, if:

(i) the Closing shall not have occurred on or before 14 days following the closing of the Merger (the “ End Date ”); provided , however , that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 11.1(b)(i) shall not be available to any party whose breach of this Agreement has materially contributed to, or resulted in, the failure to consummate the Transactions on or prior to the End Date;

(ii) the Merger Agreement shall have been validly terminated; or

 

30


(iii) there shall be any applicable Law that prohibits the Seller Parties or Parent from consummating the Transactions and such prohibition shall have become final and nonappealable; or

(c) by the Sellers’ Representative, if Parent shall have breached or failed to perform any of its covenants or obligations set forth in this Agreement, if any representation or warranty of Parent shall have become untrue, in each case which breach or failure to perform or to be true, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in a failure of a condition set forth in Section 10.2(a) or Section 10.2(b) (such circumstance, a “ Material Parent Breach ”), and such Material Parent Breach cannot be or, to the extent curable by Parent, has not been cured by the earlier of (1) the End Date and (2) twenty (20) days after the giving of written notice to Parent of such breach or failure; provided , that the Sellers’ Representative shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this paragraph if any Seller Party is then in breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement, which breach would result in the failure of any of the conditions set forth in Section 10.3(a) or Section 10.3(c) ; and

(d) by Parent, if any of the Seller Parties shall have breached or failed to perform any of its covenants or obligations set forth in this Agreement, if any representation or warranty of any of the Seller Parties shall have become untrue, in each case which breach or failure to perform or to be true, individually or in the aggregate has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in a failure of a condition set forth in Section 10.3(a) or Section 10.3(c) (such circumstance, a “ Material Seller Breach ”), and such Material Seller Breach cannot be or, to the extent curable by the Seller Parties, has not been cured by the earlier of (1) the End Date and (2) twenty (20) days after the giving of written notice to the Sellers’ Representative of such breach or failure; provided , that Parent shall not have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this paragraph if Parent is then in breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement, which breach would result in the failure of any of the conditions set forth in Section 10.2(a) or Section 10.2(b) .

The party desiring to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11.1 (other than pursuant to Section 11.1(a) ) shall give written notice of such termination to the other parties.

SECTION 11.2. Effect of Termination . If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11.1 , this Agreement shall become void and of no effect without liability of any party (or any stockholder, director, officer, employee, agent, consultant or representative of such party) to the other party hereto; provided , that if such termination shall result from the intentional breach by a party of its obligations hereunder, such party shall be fully liable for any and all liabilities and damages incurred or suffered by the other party as a result of such failure. For purposes hereof, an “intentional breach” means a material breach that is a consequence of an act undertaken by the breaching party with the intention of breaching the applicable obligation. The provisions of this Section 11.2 and Article XII (other than Section 12.1 ) shall survive any termination hereof pursuant to Section 11.1 .

ARTICLE XII

INDEMNIFICATION; MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 12.1. Indemnification .

(a) The representations and warranties contained herein and in any certificate or other writing delivered pursuant hereto shall not survive the Closing, except that each of (i) the representations and warranties of the Seller Parties in Section 4.1(a) ( Organization, Existence and Good Standing ), Section 4.1(b) ( Power and Authority ), Section 4.1(c) ( Enforceability ) and Section 4.1(g) ( Title to Shares ) (the “ Seller Fundamental Representations ”) and (ii) each of (x) the representations and warranties of the Seller Parties in Section 5.1 ( Organization, Qualification and Corporate Power ), Section 5.3 ( Capitalization ), Section 5.4 ( Subsidiaries ), Section 5.10 ( Indebtedness and Cash ), and Section 5.18 ( Fees ) (the “ Company Fundamental Representations ”) and (y) the representations and warranties of Parent in Section 6.1 ( Organization, Qualification and Corporate

 

31


Power ), Section 6.2 ( Authorization ), Section 6.4 ( Fees ), Section 6.5 ( Capitalization of Parent ), Section 6.6(a) and (c)  ( Subsidiaries ) and Section 6.7 ( Borrowed Indebtedness and Cash ) (the “ Parent Fundamental Representations ”), shall survive for twelve (12) months after the Closing (the “ Survival Date ”). Each of the covenants and agreements set forth herein to be performed on or prior to the Closing Date shall survive until the Survival Date; provided , that the covenants and agreements contained herein requiring performance after the Closing shall survive the Closing in accordance with their terms. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a valid notice of claim for indemnification relating to a breach of a Seller Fundamental Representation, a Company Fundamental Representation, a Parent Fundamental Representation or a covenant or agreement shall have been delivered in good faith in accordance with the terms of Section 12.1(e) on or prior to the Survival Date or such other applicable survival expiration date, the claims specifically set forth in such notice shall survive until such time as such claim is finally resolved.

(b) Subject to the limitations set forth herein, from and after the Closing, the Seller Parties shall jointly and severally save and keep Parent, its Affiliates (including the Companies) and each of their respective officers, directors, managers, partners, members, agents, representatives, successors, assigns and employees (collectively, the “ Parent Indemnified Persons ”) harmless against and from all Damages sustained or incurred by any Parent Indemnified Person as a result of, or arising out of, (i) any breach or inaccuracy of, as of the Closing Date (or, to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, as of such other time) any Seller Fundamental Representations, (ii) any breach or inaccuracy of, as of the Closing Date (or, to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, as of such other time) any of the Company Fundamental Representations, or (iii) any breach of any covenant or agreement made by a Seller Party under this Agreement (other than the covenants and agreements set forth in Section 9.6 ). “ Damages ” means all liabilities, obligations, liens, assessments, levies, losses, damages, fines, penalties and reasonable out-of-pocket costs of any investigation, response, or remedial or corrective action, whether or not arising from third party claims, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, in each case taking into account the interests held by the Sellers and their respective Affiliates in Parent; provided , that under no circumstances shall any Indemnified Person be entitled to be indemnified for special, consequential (including diminution in value, lost profits, lost revenues, business interruptions, or loss of business opportunity or reputation), indirect, multiple, punitive or other similar damages, except as finally awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction and actually paid to a Third Party pursuant to a Third Party Claim.

(c) From and after the Closing, Parent shall indemnify, save, and keep each of the Sellers and their respective Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, managers, partners, members, agents, representatives, successors, assigns and employees (collectively, “ Seller Indemnified Persons ,” and together with the Parent Indemnified Persons, the “ Indemnified Persons ” and each an “ Indemnified Person ”) harmless against and from all Damages sustained or incurred by any Seller Indemnified Person as a result of, or arising out of, (i) the breach or inaccuracy of, as of the Closing Date (or, to the extent any such representation and warranty by its terms addresses matters only as of another specified time, as of such other time) any of the Parent Fundamental Representations, or (ii) any breach of any covenant or agreement made by Parent under this Agreement (other than the covenants and agreements set forth in Section 9.6 ).

(d) Following the Closing, the Special Committee shall have the authority to institute and prosecute any Action on behalf of the Parent Indemnified Persons to enforce the terms of this Agreement, and on behalf of the Parent to defend any claim for indemnification against the Parent hereunder, and in connection therewith the Special Committee shall have the authority to retain such counsel (which may include current counsel to the Parent) and other advisors at the expense of the Parent as reasonably determined appropriate by the Special Committee. In the event that following the Closing no members of the Special Committee remain for any reason whatsoever, the directors of the Parent Board that are not nominees or designees of the Oaktree Seller or their respective Affiliates shall designate one or more Persons who shall not be an Affiliate, shareholder, member, manager or employee of a Seller, Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to fill such vacancies and each such Person shall be appointed as a member of the Special Committee.

 

32


(e) Any claims for indemnification either by a Parent Indemnified Person or a Seller Indemnified Person shall be asserted and resolved in accordance with this Section 12.1(e) .

(i) If a Parent Indemnified Person or a Seller Indemnified Person seeks indemnification under this Section 12.1 , the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons) or the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons) shall (x) promptly, but in no event more than fifteen (15) calendar days following such party’s knowledge of any action, lawsuit, proceeding, investigation, or other claim against it (if by a third party) (collectively, “ Third Party Claims ”), give written notice to the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, respectively, describing such claim for indemnification in reasonable detail and the amount of the estimated Damages, and (y) promptly upon discovering the Damages or facts giving rise to such claim for indemnification (to the extent not involving a third party), deliver a written notice to the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, respectively, (A) describing such claim for indemnification in reasonable detail and the amount of the estimated Damages, (B) stating that the Indemnified Person has paid or properly accrued Damages or anticipates that it will incur liability for Damages for which such Indemnified Person is entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Agreement, and (C) the date such item was paid or accrued; provided , that any failure or delay in so notifying the Sellers’ Representative or Special Committee, as applicable, shall not relieve the Seller Parties or Parent of their obligations hereunder except to the extent such failure or delay shall have materially prejudiced the Seller Parties or Parent, respectively.

(ii) The Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons) or the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons) shall be entitled to assume and control the defense of any Third Party Claim if the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, respectively, shall give written notice to the Special Committee or the Sellers’ Representative, respectively, stating that it intends to assume such defense within 30 days after notice from the other party of such Third Party Claim. If the Sellers’ Representative or Special Committee assumes and controls the defense of any such Third Party Claim, (A) the applicable Indemnified Persons shall reasonably cooperate in the defense thereof, (B) the Special Committee (on behalf of the Parent Indemnified Persons) and the Sellers’ Representative (on behalf of the Seller Indemnified Persons) shall have the right, at their sole expense ( provided , that the fees and expenses of such counsel employed by the Special Committee shall be at the expense of the Parent), to employ counsel separate from counsel employed by the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, as applicable, in any such action and to participate in the defense thereof, but the Special Committee or the Sellers’ Representative, respectively, shall control the investigation, defense and settlement thereof, and (C) the Sellers’ Representative or Special Committee, as applicable, shall obtain the prior written consent of the Special Committee or Sellers’ Representative, respectively (which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) before entering into any settlement of a claim or ceasing to defend such claim if, pursuant to or as a result of such settlement or cessation (x) injunctive or other equitable relief will be imposed against any Indemnified Person, or (y) such settlement does not expressly unconditionally release the Indemnified Persons from all Damages with respect to such claim and all other claims arising out of the same or similar facts and circumstances, with prejudice. The parties shall act in good faith in responding to, defending against, settling or otherwise dealing with Third Party Claims, and cooperate in any such defense and give each other reasonable access to all information relevant thereto. Whether or not the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, as applicable, has assumed the defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Person shall not be entitled to indemnification hereunder with respect to any settlement entered into or any judgment consented to without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons), or the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons).

(iii) If the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons) or the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons) does not assume the defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Person will be entitled to assume such defense, at its sole cost and expense (unless the Indemnified Person incurs Damages with

 

33


respect to the matter in question for which the Indemnified Person is entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 12.1 , in which case the Indemnified Person shall be entitled to indemnification with respect to such costs and expenses pursuant to this Section 12.1 ), upon delivery of notice to such effect to the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, as applicable; provided , however , that the Sellers’ Representative or the Special Committee, as applicable, (A) shall have the right to participate in the defense of the Third Party Claim at its sole cost and expense; (B) may at any time thereafter assume defense of the Third Party Claim; and (C) shall not be obligated to indemnify the Indemnified Person hereunder for any settlement entered into or any judgment consented to without the prior written consent of the Sellers’ Representative (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Parent Indemnified Persons) or the Special Committee (in the case of indemnification claims sought by Seller Indemnified Persons).

(f) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, except with respect to fraud, the indemnification provisions of this Section 12.1 shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of the parties following the Closing for any and all breaches or alleged breaches of any representations, warranties, covenants or agreements (whether written or oral) of the parties and for any and all other claims arising under, out of or related to this Agreement or the negotiation or execution hereof, and no party or any of its respective Affiliates (including, in the case of Parent after the Closing, the Companies) shall have any other entitlement, remedy or recourse, at law or in equity, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, it being agreed that all of such other remedies, entitlements and recourse are expressly waived and released by the parties, on behalf of themselves and their respective Affiliates (including, in the case of Parent after the Closing, the Companies), to the fullest extent permitted by Law; provided , that nothing in this Section 12.1(f) shall limit the right of any party to specific performance pursuant to Section 12.13 .

SECTION 12.2. Notices . All notices, requests and other communications to any party hereunder shall be in writing (including facsimile transmission) and shall be given,

if to Parent or the Special Committee, to:

Transaction Committee

Attention: Roger Schmitz / Tom Søfteland

c/o Star Bulk Carriers Corp.

Aethrion Center

40, Agiou Konstantinou Str., Maroussi 15124, Athens, Greece

Email: tom@spinnaker.as

and

c/o Monarch Alternative Capital

535 Madison Ave., Floor 26

New York, NY 10022

Email: roger.schmitz@monarchlp.com

with a copy to:

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

51 W. 52 nd St.

New York, New York 10019

Attention: Steven A. Cohen, Esq. / Ante Vucic, Esq.

Facsimile No.: (212) 403-2000

and

Seward & Kissel LLP

One Battery Park Plaza

New York, NY 10004

Attention: James Abbott, Esq. / Robert E. Lustrin, Esq.

Facsimile No.: (212) 480-8421

 

34


if to the Seller Parties or the Sellers’ Representative, to:

Mirach Shipping Company Limited

Bluesea Invest and Holding Limited

Mirabel Shipholding & Invest Limited

c/o Sophia Damigou

Legal Counsel

Aethrion Centre

40, Agiou Konstantinou A v,

151 24 Maroussi,

Greece

Email: sdamigou@oceanbulk.gr

with a copy to:

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019

Attention: Kenneth M. Schneider, Esq. / Neil Goldman, Esq.

Facsimile No.: (212) 492-0303

or to such other address or facsimile number as such party may hereafter specify for the purpose by notice to the other parties hereto. All such notices, requests and other communications shall be deemed received on the date of receipt by the recipient thereof if received prior to 5:00 p.m. on a Business Day. Otherwise, any such notice, request or communication shall be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day.

SECTION 12.3. Amendments and Waivers .

(a) Any provision of this Agreement may be amended or waived if, but only if, such amendment or waiver is in writing and is signed, in the case of an amendment, by each party to this Agreement or, in the case of a waiver, by each party against whom the waiver is to be effective; provided that (i) any such amendment or waiver on behalf of Parent shall require the approval of a majority of the Special Committee, and (ii) after the Transactions Approval has been obtained there shall be no amendment or waiver that would require the further approval of the stockholders of Parent under the MIBCA unless such amendment is subject to stockholder approval.

(b) No waiver shall be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach or failure of the same term or condition, or a waiver of any other term or condition of this Agreement. No failure or delay by any party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. Except as set forth in Section 12.1(f) , the rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by applicable Law.

SECTION 12.4. Expenses . Except as expressly otherwise provided herein, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions shall be paid by the party incurring such cost or expense.

SECTION 12.5. Exhibits; Disclosure Letters . All Exhibits annexed hereto are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Agreement as if set forth in full herein. References to this Agreement shall include the Seller Disclosure Letter and the Parent Disclosure Letter. The parties hereto agree that any reference in a particular Section of the Seller Disclosure Letter or Parent Disclosure Letter, as applicable, shall be deemed to be an exception to (or, as applicable, a disclosure for purposes of) the applicable representations and warranties (or applicable covenants) that are contained in the corresponding Section of this Agreement and any other representations and warranties that are contained in this Agreement to which the relevance of such item thereto is

 

35


reasonably apparent on its face or specified herein. The mere inclusion of an item in Seller Disclosure Letter or Parent Disclosure Letter, as applicable, as an exception to (or, as applicable, a disclosure for purposes of) a representation or warranty shall not be deemed an admission that such item represents a material exception or material fact, event or circumstance or that such item would have a Company Material Adverse Effect or Parent Material Adverse Effect, as applicable or establish any standard of materiality to define further the meaning of such terms for purposes of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.6. Waiver . Subject to Section 12.3 hereof, at any time prior to the Closing, whether before or after the Parent Stockholders Meeting, Parent (only with the approval of the Special Committee) may (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the covenants, obligations or other acts of the Seller Parties, or (b) waive any inaccuracy of any representations or warranties or compliance with any of the agreements or covenants of the Seller Parties or with any conditions to its own obligations. Any agreement on the part of Parent to any such extension or waiver will be valid only if such waiver is set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of Parent by its duly authorized officer and signed by a member of the Special Committee (on behalf of the Special Committee). Subject to Section 12.3 hereof, at any time prior to the Closing, whether before or after the Parent Stockholders Meeting, the Sellers’ Representative (on behalf of itself and the Seller Parties) may (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the covenants, obligations or other acts of Parent, or (b) waive any inaccuracy of any representations or warranties or compliance with any of the agreements or covenants of Parent, or with any conditions to its own obligations. Any agreement on the part of the Sellers’ Representative to any such extension or waiver will be valid only if such waiver is set forth in an instrument in writing signed on behalf of the Sellers’ Representative by its duly authorized officer. The failure of any party to this Agreement to assert any of its rights under this Agreement or otherwise will not constitute a waiver of such rights. The waiver of any such right with respect to particular facts and other circumstances will not be deemed a waiver with respect to any other facts and circumstances, and each such right will be deemed an ongoing right that may be asserted at any time and from time to time.

SECTION 12.7. Governing Law . This Agreement will be deemed to be made in and in all respects will be interpreted, construed and governed by and in accordance with the Laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice of Law or conflict of Law provision or rule that would cause the application of the Laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York, except to the extent that the law of the Marshall Islands is mandatorily applicable to the Transactions.

SECTION 12.8. JURISDICTION . EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO CONSENTS TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY STATE OR FEDERAL COURT SITTING IN MANHATTAN IN NEW YORK CITY OR IN THE FEDERAL SOUTHERN DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND ANY APPELLATE COURT THEREFROM LOCATED IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK AND IRREVOCABLY AGREES THAT ALL ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE LITIGATED IN SUCH COURTS. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO ACCEPTS FOR ITSELF AND IN CONNECTION WITH ITS RESPECTIVE PROPERTIES, GENERALLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY, THE JURISDICTION OF THE AFORESAID COURTS AND WAIVES ANY DEFENSE OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS, AND IRREVOCABLY AGREES TO BE BOUND BY ANY FINAL AND NONAPPEALABLE JUDGMENT RENDERED THEREBY IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO FURTHER IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO THE SERVICE OF PROCESS OUT OF ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COURTS IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING BY THE MAILING OF COPIES THEREOF BY REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL, POSTAGE PREPAID, TO SUCH PARTY AT THE ADDRESS SPECIFIED IN THIS AGREEMENT, SUCH SERVICE TO BECOME EFFECTIVE 15 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER SUCH MAILING. NOTHING HEREIN WILL IN ANY WAY BE DEEMED TO LIMIT THE ABILITY OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE ANY SUCH LEGAL PROCESS, SUMMONS, NOTICES AND DOCUMENTS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR TO

 

36


OBTAIN JURISDICTION OVER OR TO BRING ACTIONS, SUITS OR PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY HERETO IN SUCH OTHER JURISDICTIONS, AND IN SUCH MANNER, AS MAY BE PERMITTED BY ANY APPLICABLE LAW.

SECTION 12.9. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

SECTION 12.10. Counterparts; Effectiveness . This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement shall become effective when each party hereto shall have received a counterpart hereof signed by all of the other parties hereto. Until and unless each party has received a counterpart hereof signed by the other party hereto, this Agreement shall have no effect and no party shall have any right or obligation hereunder (whether by virtue of any other oral or written agreement or other communication). Facsimile signatures or signatures received as a pdf attachment to electronic mail shall be treated as original signatures for all purposes of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.11. Entire Agreement . This Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Confidentiality Agreement constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both oral and written, between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.12. Severability . If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such a determination, the parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.

SECTION 12.13. Specific Performance . The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur if any provision of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with the terms hereof, that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred in connection therewith, and that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement or to enforce specifically the performance of the terms and provisions hereof in any federal court located in the State of New York or any New York state court, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity, and the parties to this Agreement hereby waive any requirement for the posting of any bond or similar collateral in connection therewith. The parties hereby agree to waive in any action for specific performance of any such obligation (other than in connection with any action for temporary restraining order) the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.

SECTION 12.14. Headings . The descriptive headings contained in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and will not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.15. Construction . The parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement, and, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

37


SECTION 12.16. Binding Effect; Benefit; Assignment .

(a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and, except as provided in Section 12.1 , shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. Except as provided in Section 12.1 , no provision of this Agreement is intended to confer any rights, benefits, remedies, obligations or liabilities hereunder upon any Person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

(b) No party may assign, delegate or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the consent of each other party hereto, except that Parent may transfer or assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement after the Closing to any Affiliate of Parent; provided, that no such assignment shall relieve Parent of any obligations under this Agreement. Any purported assignment without such prior written consents shall be void.

SECTION 12.17. Sellers’ Representative .

(a) By virtue of the adoption of this Agreement, the Sellers’ Representative is hereby authorized, directed and appointed to act as sole and exclusive agent, attorney-in-fact and representative of the Seller Parties, with full power of substitution with respect to all matters under this Agreement, including determining, giving and receiving notices and processes hereunder, executing and delivering, on behalf of the Seller Parties, any and all documents or certificates to be executed by the Seller Parties, in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Transactions, granting any waiver, consent or approval on behalf of the Seller Parties under this Agreement, appointing one or more successor Sellers’ Representatives, contesting and settling any and all claims for indemnification pursuant to Section 12.1 , resolving any other disputes hereunder, performing the duties expressly assigned to the Sellers’ Representative hereunder and to engage and employ agents and representatives and to incur such other expenses as the Sellers’ Representative shall reasonably deem necessary or prudent in connection with the foregoing. The Sellers’ Representative shall have the sole and exclusive right on behalf of any Seller Parties to take any action or provide any waiver, or receive any notice with respect to any claims for indemnification under Section 12.1 and to settle any claim or controversy arising with respect thereto. Any such actions taken, exercises of rights, power or authority, and any decision or determination made by the Sellers’ Representative consistent herewith, shall be absolutely and irrevocably binding on each Seller Party as if such Person personally had taken such action, exercised such rights, power or authority or made such decision or determination in such Person’s individual capacity, and no such Person shall have the right to object, dissent, protest or otherwise contest the same.

(b) The appointment of the Sellers’ Representative as the attorney-in-fact of each of the Seller Parties revokes any power of attorney heretofore granted that authorized any other person or persons to represent such Person with regard to this Agreement. The appointment of the Sellers’ Representative as attorney-in-fact pursuant hereto is coupled with an interest and is irrevocable. The obligations of each of the Seller Parties pursuant to this Agreement (i) will not be terminated by operation of law, death, mental or physical incapacity, liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, insolvency or similar event with respect to such Person or any proceeding in connection therewith, or in the case of a trust, by the death of any trustee or trustees or the termination of such trust, or any other event, and (ii) shall survive the delivery of an assignment by any such Person of the whole or any fraction of its interest in any payment due to it under this Agreement.

(c) The Sellers’ Representative hereby accepts the foregoing appointment and agrees to serve as Sellers’ Representative, subject to the provisions hereof, for the period of time from and after the date hereof without compensation except for the reimbursement from the Seller Parties of fees and expenses incurred by Sellers’ Representative in its capacity as such.

(d) For all purposes of this Agreement, Parent, the Special Committee and the Parent Board shall be entitled to rely conclusively on the instructions and decisions of the Sellers’ Representative as to the settlement of any claims for indemnification by any Parent Indemnified Person pursuant to Section 12.1 or any other actions required or permitted to be taken by the Sellers’ Representative hereunder or in connection with the Transactions.

 

38


(e) The Sellers’ Representative shall not, in the absence of bad faith, willful misconduct or gross negligence, have any liability to the Seller Parties whatsoever with respect to its actions, decisions and determinations, and shall be entitled to assume that all actions, decisions and determinations are fully authorized by each and every one of the Seller Parties.

(f) The Sellers’ Representative shall be entitled to rely upon any Order, certification, demand, notice, instrument or other writing delivered to it hereunder without being required to determine the authenticity or the correctness of any fact stated therein or the propriety or validity of the service thereof. The Sellers’ Representative may act in reliance upon any instrument or signature believed by it to be genuine and may assume that the Person purporting to give receipt or advice or make any statement or execute any document in connection with the provisions hereof has been duly authorized to do so. The Sellers’ Representative may conclusively presume that the undersigned representative of any party hereto which is an entity other than a natural person has full power and authority to instruct the Sellers’ Representative on behalf of that party unless written notice to the contrary is delivered to the Sellers’ Representative.

(g) The Sellers’ Representative may act pursuant to the advice of counsel with respect to any matter relating to this Agreement and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with such advice.

(h) Parent hereby agrees that the Sellers’ Representative shall not, in its capacity as such, have any liability to Parent whatsoever with respect to its actions, decisions or determinations.

(i) The rights, powers and benefits of the Sellers’ Representative under this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

SECTION 12.18. No Third Party Beneficiaries . Except as provided in Section 12.1 , Section 12.19 or Section 12.20 (each of which provisions is intended to be for the benefit of the Persons referred to therein, and may be enforced by any such Person), the parties hereto hereby agree that their respective representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein are solely for the benefit of the other party hereto, in accordance with and subject to the terms of this Agreement, and this Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any Person other than the parties hereto any rights or remedies hereunder, including the right to rely upon the representations and warranties.

SECTION 12.19. Waiver of Conflicts . Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (“ Sellers’ Counsel ”) has acted as legal counsel to the Seller Parties and their respective Affiliates prior to the Closing in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The parties recognize the community of interest that exists and will continue to exist until the Closing, and the parties agree and acknowledge that such community of interest should continue to be recognized after the Closing. Specifically, the parties agree that (a) neither the Parent nor any Company shall seek to have any Sellers’ Counsel disqualified from representing a Seller Party or its Affiliates (or any other equityholder of a Seller Party) in any dispute (whether in contract or tort) that may arise between a Company or its Affiliates formerly represented by Sellers’ Counsel, on the one hand, and a Seller Party or its Affiliates (or any other equityholder of a Seller Party), on the other hand, based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in whole or in part and (b) in connection with any dispute that may arise between a Company or its Affiliates formerly represented by Sellers’ Counsel, on the one hand, and a Seller Party or its Affiliates (or any other equityholder of a Seller Party), on the other hand, a Seller Party and its Affiliates shall have the right to decide whether or not to waive any attorney-client privilege that may apply to any communications between a Company or its Affiliates formerly represented by Sellers’ Counsel or a Seller Party and its Affiliates, on the one hand, and any Sellers’ Counsel, on the other hand, that occurred on or prior to the Closing, provided that the foregoing shall not extend to any communication or file not involving the negotiation, documentation and consummation of the Transactions or the matters contemplated hereby. The covenants contained in this Section 12.19 are intended to be for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, Sellers’ Counsel and its legal representatives and shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Sellers’ Counsel is entitled, whether pursuant to law, contract or otherwise.

 

39


SECTION 12.20. Non-Recourse . Except as set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement (and then only with respect to the entities expressly named as parties therein and then only with respect to the specific obligations of such party set forth therein), (i) this Agreement may be enforced only against, and any Action based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the Transactions may be brought only against, the entities that are expressly named as parties and then only with respect to the specific obligations set forth herein with respect to such party and (ii) with respect to each party, no past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, member, partner, shareholder, agent, attorney, advisor, lender or representative or Affiliate of such named party shall have any liability (whether in contract or tort, at law or in equity or otherwise, or based upon any theory that seeks to impose liability of an entity party against its owners or Affiliates) for any one or more of the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements or other obligations or liabilities of such named party or for any Action or claim based on, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the Transactions. The provisions of this Section 12.20 are intended to be for the benefit of, and enforceable by the directors, officers, employees, incorporators, members, partners, stockholders, agents, attorneys, advisors, lenders and other representatives and Affiliates referenced in this Section 12.20 and each such Person shall be a third party beneficiary of this Section 12.20 .

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

40


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the date first above written.

 

STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
By:   /s/ Spyros Capvalos
 

Name: Spyros Capvalos

Title:  Chief Executive Officer

MIRABEL SHIPHOLDING & INVEST LIMITED
By:   /s/ Paul Andy Williams
  Name: Paul Andy Williams
  Title:   Director
MIRACH SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED
By:   /s/ Stavve Kananes
  Name: Stavve Kananes
  Title:   Director
BLUESEA INVEST AND HOLDING LIMITED
By:   /s/ Kenneth M. Hands
  Name: Kenneth M. Hands
  Title:   Director

Exhibit 99.4

 

LOGO

 

NASDAQ: SBLK

Creating the Largest U.S. Listed Drybulk Company

June 16, 2014


LOGO

 

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, this presentation contains among other things, certain forward-looking statements, that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements identified by words such as “may”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “intends”, “plans” or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, including, without limitation, operating or financial results, if any, may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond the Company s control).

Forward-looking statements include statements regarding:

The effectuation of Star Bulk s recently announced subsidiary merger transaction;

The delivery to and operation of assets by Star Bulk;

Star Bulk’s future operating or financial results;

Future, pending or recent acquisitions, business strategy. Areas of possible expansion, and expected capital spending or operating expenses; and

Dry bulk market trends, including charter rates and factors affecting vessel supply and demand.

Certain financial information and data contained in this presentation is unaudited and does not conform to GAAP (as defined below) or to Securities and Exchange Commission Regulations. We may also from time to time make forward-looking statements in our periodic reports that we will furnish to or file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in other information sent to our security holders, and in other written materials. We caution that assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events may and often do vary from actual results and the differences can be material. This presentation includes certain estimated financial information and forecasts that are not derived in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Company believes that the presentation of these non-GAAP measures provides information that is useful to the Company’s shareholders as they indicate the ability of Star Bulk, to meet capital expenditures, working capital requirements and other obligations, and make distributions to its stockholders.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this presentation, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In light of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this presentation might not occur, and our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

2


LOGO

 

Additional Information

This report does not constitute a solicitation of materials of any vote or approval in respect of the proposed merger or the proposed transactions involving Star Bulk or otherwise contemplated herein. In connection with the proposed merger and the proposed transaction, a special stockholder meeting has been announced and will be held on or about July 11, 2014 to obtain stockholder approval. In connection with the Merger and the Transaction, Star Bulk intends to furnish relevant materials, including a proxy statement, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Form 6-K. Investors and security holders of Star Bulk are urged to read the proxy statement and other relevant materials when they become available because they will contain important information about Star Bulk, Oceanbulk and the proposed transactions. The proxy statement and other relevant materials (when they become available), and any other documents filed by Star Bulk with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, at Star Bulk s website at www.starbulk.com or by sending a written request to Star Bulk at c/o Star Bulk Management Inc. 40, Agiou Konstantinou Str., Maroussi 15124, Athens, Greece, Attention: Investor Relations.

Star Bulk and its directors, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in soliciting proxies from the stockholders of Star Bulk in favor of the Merger. Information regarding the persons who may be considered to be participants in the solicitation of Star Bulk’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction and their ownership of Star Bulk’s common stock will be set forth in Star Bulk s proxy statement for its special meeting. Investors can find more information about Star Bulk and its executive officers and directors in its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and in its proxy

statement, when available, that will be furnished with the SEC on Form 6-K.

3


LOGO

 

Acquisition Highlights

Star Bulk announces agreement to enter into a subsidiary merger transaction with Oceanbulk and acquire assets controlled by members of the Pappas family and affiliates(1) and assets owned by an affiliated joint-venture (collectively, “Acquisition Fleet”) for a total stock consideration of 54.104 million Star Bulk

shares

Purchase price value is based on broker fleet valuation with a $35 million adjustment in favor of Star Bulk

Acquisition of a high-quality, modern and fuel efficient drybulk fleet

15 ships currently on-the-water

Fleet of 41 modern vessels, of which 28 are “Eco design” fuel efficient vessels

26 newbuild contracts from reputable shipyards with an expected delivery schedule mostly between Q3 2014 and Q4 2015

(1) Includes Milena Maria Pappas, one of our directors.

4


LOGO

 

Experienced Management Team

Chairman of the Board of Directors: Spyros Capralos

CEO: Petros Pappas

President: Hamish Norton

COO: Nicos Rescos

Co-CFOs: Simos Spyrou & Christos Begleris

5


LOGO

 

Significant Merger Benefits

Seeks to create the largest U.S. listed drybulk company

69 vessels approximating 8.7 million deadweight tons

Dry bulk fleet of 39 eco will be one of the largest eco fleets in the world when delivered Acquired ships built or being built at high-quality Japanese and Chinese shipyards Acquisition of sister ships will create an advantage in operational and technical management

Consolidation seeks to create a market leader in drybulk with strong sponsorship

Aligned interest of managers and shareholders through transparent fully-owned structure Platform for significant additional acquisitions as opportunities arise

Significant earnings and cash flow upside potential

Large fleet with spot exposure provides for significant upside Efficient cost structure

Eco vessel type helps to mitigate downside cash flow and residual risk

Significant market capitalization and enhanced liquidity

Star Bulk believes the transaction should result in a pro forma equity value greater than $1,009.0 (1) million and combined fully-delivered fleet value of $2,780.4 (2) million Enhanced access to equity and debt capital markets for delivery payments and additional growth capital

(1) Unaudited, based on SBLK share price of $12.07 as of June 13, 2014 and pro forma share count of 83.598 million (29.494 million SBLK standalone shares plus 54.104 million shares issued to Oceanbulk and other Sellers in the transaction.) (2) Unaudited, based on asset values as of May 2014 from VesselsValue.com

6


LOGO

 

Acquisition of Oceanbulk (I)

Stock-for-stock consideration

Share issuance at a modest discount to Acquisition Fleet s NAV

48.396 million shares issued to acquire Oceanbulk’s existing 12 on-the-water vessels and 25 newbuild contracts 3.593 million shares issued to members of the Pappas family and affiliates to purchase one Capesize and one Kamsarmax 2.116 million shares issued into an escrow account, subject to future delivery, to purchase two Kamsarmaxes from an Oceanbulk-affiliated joint venture Pro forma for the transaction, Oaktree would own 61.3%, Petros Pappas’ family and certain affiliates 12.5% and other existing shareholders 26.2% of Star Bulk’s outstanding common stock Star Bulk will enter into a shareholder agreement with Oaktree and Petros Pappas, respectively, regarding key governance provisions, including, but not limited to (i) board representation, (ii) voting restrictions, (iii) standstill provisions and (iv) limitation on share ownership Following the issuance of shares, Star Bulk would have 83.598 million shares outstanding

Source: Merger Agreement

7


LOGO

 

Acquisition of Oceanbulk (II)

Merger agreement approved by Star Bulk’s Board of Directors

Negotiated and approved by Star Bulk’s Transaction Committee (disinterested directors)

Conditioned on affirmative vote of the holders (other than Oceanbulk, Pappas and their respective affiliates) of a majority of Star Bulk shares present (in person or by proxy) and voting at the stockholder meeting

Expected closing in July 2014

Source: Merger Agreement

8


LOGO

 

Acquiring High-Quality, Ultra-Modern Fleet

Highlights Acquisition Fleet

On-the-water (OTW) fleet:

15 vessels

Newbuilds: 26 vessels

5 Capesize 6 Kamsarmax 2 Post Panamax 2 Supramax

28 of 41 vessels are eco-

friendly design

Newbuilds

Vessel Type:

Supramax to Newcastlemax

55,742 dwt to 209,000 dwt

December 2014 ITW Fleet

age: 4.9 years

Fleet age upon all

scheduled deliveries by 8 Newcastlemax 8 Capesize 10 Ultramax

2016: 3.6 years

Note: Includes assets owned by members of the Pappas family and affiliates and affiliated joint-venture Average age calculations weighted by dwt

9


LOGO

 

Pro Forma Star Bulk Fleet

Diversified but concentration on larger vessels Average age decreases from 8.0 years to 4.7 years (1)

Million DWT Ultramax 999 Supramax 536 Kamsarmax 492 New castlemax 2,708 Post Panamax 395 Capesize 3,572

11% 6% 31% 6% 5% 41%

25 13 20 2

20 8 13 2

15 5 7 6 6 16 10 6 10 2 8

10 4

New castlemax Capesize Post Panamax Kamsarmax Ultramax Supramax

SBLK Fleet Acquired Fleet

Source: SBLK management

(1) Represents 2015E dwt weighted average age

10


LOGO

 

Modern Fleet Focused on Larger Vessels

DWT

10,000,000

69

9,000,000

10

8,000,000 61 16

7,000,000 10 6

4

6,000,000 16

6

5,000,000

35 4 20

4,000,000 32

10

2

3,000,000 10 6 19

2

6 4

2,000,000 4

13

1,000,000 10 13

6

- — —

Current Q4 2014 Q4 2015 Q2 2016

Newcastlemax Capesize Post Panamax Kamsarmax Ultramax Supramax

On a fully-delivered basis, our fleet will consist of 69 vessels with a weighted average age of 4.7 years (1) and 8.7 million dwt, making us the largest U.S. listed dry bulk company

Source: SBLK management

(1) Represents 2015E dwt weighted average age

11


LOGO

 

Industry Leading Owner of Drybulk

Star Bulk is expected to become the largest owner (by dwt) of drybulk vessels and a leading Newcastlemax and Capesize player with 33 vessels

Owned Newcastlemax / Capesize Vessels

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

39(1)

33

28

12

12

11

9

9

4

3

0

VLCCF

SALT

DSX

DRYS

NM

GNK

NMM

BALT

SB

EGLE

10,000

9,000

8,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

8,701

8,664

6,985(1)

4,627

4,379

3,981

3,904

3,810

2,502

2,451

1,351

SALT VLCCF DSX DRYS NM SB GNK NMM EGLE BALT

Deadweight Tons (‘000 DWT)

Source: Company filings

(1) Includes 25 Capesize vessels (180,000 dwt) acquired from Frontline 2012 on April 24, 2014

12


LOGO

 

Strategic Focus

Capitalize on increases in demand for dry bulk shipping

Operate vessels in spot and short term time charter market to benefit from increase in rates

Active vessel employment Charter vessels in an active and sophisticated manner

Voyage employment tailored to our fuel efficient fleet

Expanding fleet through vessel acquisition at attractive prices

Fleet growth Contracts for 37 newbuild vessels with aggregate capacity of ~5.4m dwt

Continue to opportunistically acquire young, modern secondhand tonnage at attractive

prices

Leverage management’s experience and relationships

Industry relationships Leverage our management’s operational experience and relationships to expand the fleet,

optimize our cost of capital and maximize shareholder value

Minimize operating costs and corporate overhead

Our opex per vessel is expected to be among the lowest in the industry due to our focus on

Operating efficiency building the most sophisticated technical, commercial and procurement management

We expect increased cost efficiencies due to the increased number of sister ships in our fleet

Our remote vessel monitoring system will allow us to constantly monitor vessel parameters

including consumption of fuel and lubricants to minimize costs

Maintain a strong balance sheet through moderate use of leverage

Maintain moderate levels of leverage (<60% LTV) over time to retain greater flexibility than

Balance sheet more leveraged competitors to operate vessels under shorter spot or period charters

A focus on ample liquidity and moderate leverage will allow us to be more nimble when

secondhand vessel acquisition opportunities arise

13


LOGO

 

Differentiating Operating Approach: Vessel Performance Monitoring Dept

Real time remote monitoring of 200+ operating system functions on board vessel

Sophisticated software and experienced personnel ashore receiving and analyzing

How does it work data, locating operational inefficiencies

Particular emphasis on fuel consumption metrics, lubricants, operational

parameters of critical equipment

Operational efficiencies achieved across the vessel systems reducing fuel bills and other

consumables

Speed optimization in relation to vessels draft and prevailing weather during sea passage

Benefits Significant cost savings: for example 2 tons of fuel oil / day saving at $600 x 70% sailing

days x 69 vessels x 365 days = $21.2 million of annual savings

Better maintenance of vessels: ability to identify equipment operational problems and

enhance preventive maintenance, minimizing interruptions and repair costs

Dept led by senior executive with prior experience of vessel performance monitoring for

large public company

Implementation Monitoring equipment to be installed on vessels within the next 8 months (and on new

buildings as those are delivered)

Vessel Monitoring will require a period of 8-12 months to be fully operational

14


LOGO

 

Newcastlemax Vessels Offer Many Commercial Benefits

Newcastlemax designs will offer significant benefits for charterers and major exporters

Port operations efficiency due to the reduction of bottlenecks & congestion and an increase of export volumes Significant reduction of dollar per ton cost on major routes during a high Bunker environment

To achieve a time charter equivalent of $31,000 per day, the Newcastlemax would require

On the Brazil-China round voyage ~$23.5 per ton versus $27.8 per ton for the New Baltic Capesize On the Australia-China round voyage ~$9.5 per ton versus $10.8 per ton for the New Baltic Capesize

Newcastlemaxes have become popular with AAA-rated charterers who are willing to charter based on index-linked consecutive voyages paying full intake

$80,000

69,691

New Baltic Cape JMU Cape SWS Newcastlemax 61,752

$60,000 53,395

$40,000

21,929 24,325

$20,000 14,016

$0

$20 per ton $40 per ton

Note: For the Old Baltic Capesize vessel, the company used the Eco speed cited by an actual ship in operation with specifications that were similar to the Old Baltic Capesize vessel

15


LOGO

 

Fleet Employment Profile -Leverage to Upside

Current Fleet Coverage(1) : 26% for remaining 2014 – 17% for 2015- 7% for 2016 Capesize Fleet Coverage : 20% for remaining 2014 – 9% for 2015

Post Panamax/ Kamsarmax Fleet Coverage (1) : 57% for remaining 2014 – 50% for 2015 – 26 % for 2016 Supramax Fleet Coverage: 11% for remaining 2014 Total contracted gross revenue of approximately $65.03 million

2014 2015

Vessel Charterer Gross TC Rate

1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q

Star Aurora Major Mining Company $17,000

Star Big Major Mining Company $25,000

Big Bang Major Trading Company $12,000 + GBB 1,000,000

Big Fish Major Trading Company $23,500 + GBB 725,000

Star Borealis Major Trading Company $27.75 / ton

Star Mega Major Mining Company $24,500

Kymopolia SPOT SPOT

Obelix Major Trading Company $18.25 / ton

Pantagruel Major Trading Company $18.40 / ton

Star Polaris SPOT SPOT

Amami Glocal Maritime Jun-16 $15,000

Madredeus Glocal Maritime Jun-16 $15,000

Star Sirius Glocal Maritime Jun-16 $15,000

Star Vega Glocal Maritime Jun-16 $15,000

Magnum Opus Short term TC $10,900

Mercurial Virgo Short term TC $14,500 + GBB 450,000

Pendulum Short term TC $14,750 + GBB 475,000

Tsu Ebisu Short term TC $10,900

Star Challenger Short term TC $11,250

Star Fighter Short term TC $13,400

Star Cosmo Short term TC $7,500

Star Delta Short term TC $14,500

$8,200 for the first 65 days/

Star Epsilon Short term TC

$12,500 thereafter

Star Gamma Major Trading Company $9,400

Star Kappa Short term TC $10,000+$300,000 GBB

Maiden Voyage Short term TC $11,650

Star Omicron Short term TC $8,000

Strange Attractor Short term TC $9,500

Star Theta Short term TC $12,500+$250,000 GBB

Star Zeta Short term TC $12,500

(1) Does not include Heron Vessels, which are expected to be acquired within Q3 2014.

16


LOGO

 

Significant Operating Leverage

30,000 Fleet Spot Days(1)

25,006

25,000 23,434

20,000 9,446

9,408

15,162

15,000

3,650

6,867 2,825

10,000

5,365 2,190

5,000 2,176 11,201 11,910

1,117 6,105

- 2,072

FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017

Capesize / Newcastlemax Post Panamax Supramax / Ultramax

Change in EBITDA / Free Cash Flow ($ in millions)

Change in Freight Rates FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017

Capesize TCE Panamax/Supramax TCE

$1,000 $400 $3.4 $9.7 $16.1 $17.1

5,000 2,000 16.9 48.6 80.5 85.7

10,000 4,000 33.9 97.3 160.9 171.5

15,000 6,000 50.8 145.9 241.4 257.2

20,000 8,000 67.8 194.6 321.9 343.0

40,000 16,000 135.6 389.1 643.8 685.9

Source: SBLK management

Note: Figures above are based on Company estimates

(1) Excluding off hire days due to dry docking

17


LOGO

 

Balance Sheet and Stable Leverage Profile

Total Pro Forma Remaining NB CAPEX Payment Schedule

Outstanding Debt (1) $ 495.6 m

$ MM

Pro Forma Cash (1) $ 140.9m 900 881

Net Outstanding Debt (1) $ 354.6m

800

Newbuilds Total Cost $ 1,599.1m

700 375

Advances Paid for Vessels

Under Construction (1) $ 229.4m 600

Committed Debt Financing $ 530.7m

500

Target Remaining Debt Financing

(60% of vessel cost) $ 532.1m 400

280 326

Funding Gap 300

(excl. working capital): $ 166.0m 229 124

200 163

Funding Gap 33

(incl. working capital): $ 203.0m 100 229 65 226 186

Note: Figures above are based on Company estimates

(1) As of 3/31/2014 based on Pro Forma Balance Sheet and including the drawdown of the $ 86.6 million HSBC 65 16

facility. —

The Pro Forma Balance Sheet is based on the debt and cash balances as of 31/03/2014 and incorporates Paid Remaining 2014 2015 2016

debt/cash Adjustments to account for i) the delivery of Tsu Ebisu & Magnum Opus and drawdown of $ 40 million

total debt ii) The assumption of new debt of $25 million to finance the cash portion of the purchase Total Equity Capex Total Committed Debt Total Assumed Debt

consideration of the 2 Heron Vessels by Star Bulk iii) Estimated Transaction Expenses of $ 7.5 million and iv)

The payment of $1.285 million in arrangement fees for committed debt financing. All figures approximate

18


LOGO

 

Expected Timetable

Key Dates

Execution of Merger Agreements: June 16, 2014

Record date for special meeting of shareholders for approve transactions: June 17, 2014 Date of special meeting: July 11, 2014 Closing Date: Upon satisfaction of conditions to the transactions

19


LOGO

 

Thank you