UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 26, 2018
Arsanis, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 001-38295 | 27-3181608 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation) |
(Commission
File Number) |
(IRS Employer
Identification No.) |
890 Winter Street, Suite 230
Waltham, Massachusetts |
02451 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (781) 819-5704
Not applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions ( see General Instruction A.2. below):
☒ |
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ |
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ |
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ |
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒
Item 1.01. |
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
On November 26, 2018, Arsanis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (Arsanis or the Company), Artemis AC Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Arsanis (Merger Sub), and X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation (X4), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement), pursuant to which, among other matters, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into X4, with X4 continuing as a wholly owned subsidiary of Arsanis and the surviving corporation of the merger (the Merger). The Merger is intended to qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). At the effective time of the Merger, each outstanding share of X4 common stock and X4 preferred stock will be converted into the right to receive shares of Arsanis common stock as set forth in the Merger Agreement.
Subject to the terms and conditions of, and the calculation of the exchange ratios for the X4 common stock and X4 preferred stock pursuant to, the Merger Agreement, it is currently anticipated that upon the closing of the Merger, current Arsanis stockholders will own approximately 30% of the combined company and current X4 stockholders will own approximately 70% of the combined company on a pro forma basis, based on each companys respective equity ownership as of November 26, 2018 and Arsanis expected net cash as of the closing of the Merger.
The provisions for calculating the exchange ratios for the X4 common stock and X4 preferred stock are set forth in the Merger Agreement, and assume a pre-transaction valuation of $115 million for X4s business and $50 million for Arsanis business. In the case of Arsanis, the pre-transaction valuation is subject to downward or upward adjustment to the extent Arsanis net cash as of the business day prior to the closing is above or below $20 million. In addition, Arsanis will assume the (i) outstanding warrants of X4, (ii) outstanding stock option awards of X4, and (iii) insofar as they relate to such stock option awards of X4, each stock option plan or other stock or equity-related plans of X4, each of which will be adjusted to reflect the exchange ratios for the Merger. The exchange ratios are also based on the relative capitalizations of Arsanis and X4, which, in the case of X4, includes all then outstanding X4 options and warrants (whether or not exercisable) and, in the case of Arsanis, includes options for approximately 800,000 shares currently outstanding or proposed to be granted in connection with the Merger.
Each of Arsanis and X4 has agreed to customary representations, warranties and covenants in the Merger Agreement including, among others, covenants relating to (1) using reasonable best efforts to obtain the requisite approvals of its stockholders, which, in the case of Arsanis, includes the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals (each as described below), as applicable, (2) non-solicitation of alternative acquisition proposals, (3) conduct of their respective businesses during the period between the date of signing the Merger Agreement and the effective time of the Merger, (4) Arsanis using reasonable best efforts to maintain the existing listing of the Companys common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (Nasdaq) and to cause shares of the Companys common stock being issued in connection with the Merger to be approved for listing on Nasdaq prior to the effective time of the Merger, and (4) Arsanis filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and causing to become effective a registration statement to register the shares of Arsanis common stock to be issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement (the Registration Statement).
Consummation of the Merger is subject to certain closing conditions, including, among other things, the (1) approval by the stockholders of Arsanis of the issuance of the shares of Arsanis common stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement (the Public Company Voting Proposal), (2) approval by the stockholders of X4 to adopt the Merger Agreement, (3) continued listing of the Companys common stock on Nasdaq and (4) effectiveness of the Registration Statement. Each partys obligation to consummate the Merger is also subject to other specified customary conditions, including the
representations and warranties of the other party being true and correct as of the date of the Merger Agreement and as of the closing date of the Merger, generally subject to an overall material adverse effect qualification, and the performance in all material respects by the other party of its obligations under the Merger Agreement required to be performed on or prior to the date of the closing of the Merger. X4s obligation to consummate the Merger is also subject to satisfaction of a $19 million minimum net cash threshold by Arsanis.
In connection with the Merger, if so requested by X4, Arsanis will also seek the approval of its stockholders to (i) amend its certificate of incorporation to effect a reverse split of Arsanis common stock at a ratio to be determined by Arsanis, which is intended to ensure that Nasdaq listing requirements are satisfied, (ii) change the Companys name to X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. immediately following the effective time of the Merger and (iii) issue securities in a private placement to close following the effective time of the Merger (collectively, the Other Public Company Voting Proposals).
The Merger Agreement contains certain termination rights for both Arsanis and X4, including the ability for Arsanis and X4 each to terminate the Merger Agreement in order to enter into an agreement to consummate an unsolicited alternative transaction with a third party that is deemed superior to the Merger. Upon termination of the Merger Agreement under specified circumstances (including the termination of the Merger Agreement by a party to accept an unsolicited superior proposal or following a change or withdrawal of the recommendation to stockholders to approve the proposed transactions by a party), that party may be required to pay the other party a termination fee of $600,000. Upon termination of the Merger Agreement under specified circumstances (including a failure to obtain the approval of a partys stockholders or the occurrence of a material adverse effect with respect to a party), that party may be required to reimburse the other partys expenses up to a maximum of $175,000.
Arsanis has agreed to take all action necessary such that, as of the effective time of the Merger, the Board of Directors of Arsanis (the Board) will consist of seven members, five of whom will be designated by X4 and two of whom will be designated by Arsanis. In addition, Arsanis has agreed to take all action necessary to cause certain persons to be appointed as executive officers of the Company.
In accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, (i) certain executive officers, directors and stockholders of X4 (solely in their respective capacities as X4 stockholders) holding approximately 17% of the outstanding X4 capital stock have entered or are expected to enter into support agreements with Arsanis to vote all of their shares of X4 capital stock in favor of adoption of the Merger Agreement (the X4 Support Agreements) and (ii) certain stockholders of Arsanis (solely in their respective capacities as Arsanis stockholders) holding approximately 48% of the outstanding Arsanis common stock have entered into support agreements with X4 to vote all of their shares of Arsanis common stock in favor of the issuance of shares of Arsanis common stock in connection with the Merger and approval of the Merger Agreement (the Arsanis Support Agreements, and together with the X4 Support Agreements, the Support Agreements). The Support Agreements place certain restrictions on the transfer of the shares of Arsanis and X4 capital stock held by the respective signatories for the 180-day period following the closing of the Merger, and include covenants as to the voting of such shares in favor of approving the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and against taking specified actions that could adversely affect the consummation of the Merger.
The preceding summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement, the form of Arsanis Support Agreements and the form of X4 Support Agreements, which are filed as Exhibits 2.1, 10.1 and 10.2, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and which are incorporated herein by reference. The Merger Agreement and Support Agreements have been attached as exhibits to this Current Report on Form 8-K to provide investors and securityholders with information regarding their terms. They are not intended to provide any other factual information about
X4 or Arsanis or to modify or supplement any factual disclosures about Arsanis in its public reports filed with the SEC. The Merger Agreement includes representations, warranties and covenants of X4 and Arsanis made solely for the purpose of the Merger Agreement and solely for the benefit of the parties thereto in connection with the negotiated terms of the Merger Agreement. Investors should not rely on the representations, warranties and covenants in the Merger Agreement or any descriptions thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or conditions of X4, Arsanis or any of their respective affiliates. Moreover, certain of those representations and warranties may not be accurate or complete as of any specified date, may be subject to a contractual standard of materiality different from those generally applicable to SEC filings or may have been used for purposes of allocating risk among the parties to the Merger Agreement, rather than establishing matters of fact.
Item 5.01. |
Changes in Control of Registrant. |
The completion of the Merger, which is described in Item 1.01 of this report and which is incorporated by reference into this Item 5.01, is expected to constitute a change in control of Arsanis.
Item 5.02. |
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
(b)
On November 27, 2018, Arsanis announced that René Russo, PharmD, BCPS, the President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Arsanis, is stepping down from the Company, effective as of November 26, 2018. Dr. Russo will remain a director of Arsanis.
On November 26, 2018, each of Michael Gray, William Clark, Claudio Nessi, Michael Ross, Amy Schulman, Tillman U. Gerngross, Carl Gordon and Terrance McGuire notified Arsanis of his or her decision to resign as a director contingent upon the closing of the pending Merger as described in detail in Item 1.01 above. The effective date of such resignations has not yet been set.
(c)
On November 27, 2018, Arsanis announced that Michael P. Gray, M.B.A., C.P.A., was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective as of November 27, 2018. Mr. Gray will also continue to serve as the Companys Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Gray, age 48, has served as Arsanis Chief Financial Officer since March 2016 and as Arsanis Chief Operating Officer since September 2017. Mr. Gray also served as Arsanis Chief Business Officer from March 2016 to September 2017. Prior to joining Arsanis, Mr. Gray served in various leadership positions from August 2000 through February 2016 at Curis, Inc., a publicly held oncology drug development company. He served as Curis Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer from February 2014 to February 2016 and as its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer from December 2006 to February 2014. From December 2003 until December 2006, Mr. Gray served as Curis Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer and from August 2000 until December 2003, served as its Senior Director of Finance and Controller. Previously, Mr. Gray received his M.B.A. in corporate finance and entrepreneurial management from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and a B.S. in accounting from Bryant College.
In connection with Mr. Grays appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of Arsanis, on November 26, 2018, Arsanis entered into a 2018 amended and restated employment agreement with Mr. Gray, which agreement became effective as of November 27, 2018 and replaced his October 10, 2017 amended and restated letter agreement. Under the 2018 amended and restated employment agreement, Mr. Grays base salary, which is subject to adjustment from time to time at the discretion of the Board,
was set at $450,000 per annum. The agreement also provides that Mr. Gray would be granted a restricted stock award with respect to 250,000 shares of Arsanis common stock, which grant became effective on November 27, 2018. The restricted stock award will vest as to 25% of the shares subject to the award on the one-year anniversary of the date of grant, with the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments until the fourth anniversary of the date of grant, subject to Mr. Grays continued service with Arsanis. The restricted stock award will vest in full upon a change of control of the Company, which includes the closing of the Merger. In addition, upon a change of control, which includes the closing of the Merger, all equity awards granted to Mr. Gray before the closing date of Arsanis initial public offering will vest in full. Under the agreement, Mr. Gray is entitled to participate in Arsanis medical and other benefits programs, and may be entitled to receive an annual bonus based on his individual performance and Arsanis performance during the applicable year, all as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, at a target bonus rate of 55% of his annualized base salary. Mr. Gray is also eligible to receive severance benefits under the agreement in the event of his termination by Arsanis without cause (as defined in the agreement) or by Mr. Gray for good reason (as defined in the agreement) comprised of (i) 12 months pay at his then-current base salary, (ii) a portion of the same years target bonus, pro-rated to reflect the portion of the year elapsed, and (iii) COBRA premium benefits for up to 12 months. In the event of his termination by Arsanis without cause or termination for good reason by Mr. Gray within 18 months following a change in control of Arsanis, Mr. Gray is eligible to receive (i) an amount equal to the sum of (x) 1.5 times his then-current base salary and (y) 1.5 times his target bonus for the year of termination, and (ii) COBRA premium benefits for up to 12 months. In addition, all unvested stock options and other equity awards then held by Mr. Gray would vest in full, and the period during which Mr. Gray may exercise certain stock options granted to him in June 2017 would be extended for up to two years following his separation date. The agreement also provides for a limitation on payments under the agreement if limiting the payments would leave Mr. Gray in a better net position than bearing the tax penalties under Section 280G of the Code.
The foregoing summary of Mr. Grays employment agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such employment agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and which is incorporated herein by reference.
(d)
On November 26, 2018, the Board increased the size of the Board from nine to ten directors and elected Mr. Gray to serve as a class II director until the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and thereafter until his successor is duly elected and qualified.
(e)
Reference is made to the disclosure in Item 5.02(c) above regarding the 2018 amended and restated employment agreement with Mr. Gray, which is incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02(e).
In connection with Dr. Russo stepping down from her position as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, on November 26, 2018, Dr. Russo signed a letter agreement (the Severance Agreement), which upon expiration of the revocation period replaces Dr. Russos existing severance benefits as set forth in that certain amended and restated letter agreement, dated October 10, 2017, by and between Dr. Russo and Arsanis. Under the Severance Agreement, in exchange for, among other things, her general release of claims in favor of Arsanis as set forth in the Severance Agreement, Dr. Russo will be entitled to severance benefits comprised of (i) a lump-sum payment of $1,046,250, (ii) COBRA premium benefits for up to 18 months and (ii) the vesting in full of all unvested stock options then held by Dr. Russo. In addition, Arsanis has agreed to extend the period during which Dr. Russo may exercise certain stock options granted to her in June 2017 for up to two years following her separation date, and also to waive Dr. Russos post-employment non-competition obligations.
On November 26, 2018, Arsanis also entered into a retention bonus agreement (the Retention Bonus Agreement) with Christopher Stevens, the Companys Chief Medical Officer, which replaces Dr. Stevens existing bonus and severance benefits as set forth in that certain amended and restated offer letter, dated October 10, 2017, by and between Dr. Stevens and Arsanis (the Stevens Offer Letter). Under the Retention Bonus Agreement, Dr. Stevens is eligible for a retention bonus payment of $494,000 upon the earliest to occur of the following, subject to Dr. Stevens continued service with Arsanis on such date: (i) March 31, 2019, (ii) the closing of a change of control of the Company (as defined in the agreement), which would include the closing of the Merger, or (iii) the termination of Dr. Stevens employment by Arsanis without cause (as defined in the agreement). Dr. Stevens receipt of the retention bonus payment is conditioned upon his entering into a release of claims agreement in favor of Arsanis. Except as expressly modified by the Retention Bonus Agreement, the Stevens Offer Letter remains in full force and effect.
The foregoing summaries of Dr. Russos Severance Agreement and Dr. Stevens Retention Bonus Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of each such agreement, which are filed as Exhibit 10.4 and Exhibit 10.5 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, respectively, and which are incorporated herein by reference.
In addition, on November 21, 2018, the Compensation Committee of the Board approved and adopted a form of restricted stock agreement for the grant of shares of restricted stock under Arsanis 2017 Equity Incentive Plan. The form of restricted stock agreement is filed as Exhibit 10.6 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
Item 7.01. |
Regulation FD Disclosure. |
Arsanis and X4 will host a joint conference call on November 27, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the proposed Merger. A live audio webcast of the management presentation will be available on the Events and Presentations page of Arsanis website at www.arsanis.com. Alternatively, callers may listen to the conference call by phone by dialing (866) 688-4431 (U.S.) or (409) 217-8327. The conference ID number is 4067628. The webcast will be archived on Arsanis website for at least 30 days.
The slide presentation to be used by Arsanis and X4 during the joint conference call is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.
The information in this Item 7.01 of this Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed to be filed for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of such section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, the Companys website is not a part of this filing.
Item 8.01. |
Other Events. |
A copy of the joint press release issued by Arsanis and X4 on November 27, 2018 to announce the execution of the Merger Agreement is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated by reference herein. The information contained on the websites referenced in the press release is not incorporated herein.
Item 9.01. |
Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits
* |
All schedules (or similar attachments) have been omitted from this filing pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Company will furnish copies of any schedules to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. |
** |
Denotes a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. |
PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION
Arsanis, X4 and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the holders of Arsanis common stock in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about Arsanis directors and executive officers is set forth in Arsanis Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on March 9, 2018, and the proxy statement for Arsanis 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 23, 2018. Other information regarding the interests of such individuals, as well as information regarding X4s directors and executive officers and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction, will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement, which will be included in Arsanis registration statement when it is filed with the SEC. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the paragraph below.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC
In connection with the proposed Merger, Arsanis will file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that will include a proxy statement of Arsanis, a prospectus of Arsanis and an information statement of X4 and certain of its affiliates (the X4 Parties), and the parties may file with the SEC other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. Arsanis will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus/information statement to the Arsanis stockholders and the X4 Parties equity holders.
ARSANIS STOCKHOLDERS AND X4 PARTIES EQUITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS/INFORMATION STATEMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement (when available) and other filings containing information about Arsanis at the SECs website at www.sec.gov. The proxy statement/prospectus/information statement (when available) and the other filings may also be obtained free of charge by contacting: Arsanis, Inc., 890 Winter Street, Suite 230, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, Attention: Investor Relations.
Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement regarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available. Free copies of this document may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraphs.
NO OFFERS OR SOLICITATIONS
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K and the exhibits attached hereto regarding both the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions (including statements relating to satisfaction of the conditions to and consummation of the proposed merger; the expected ownership of the combined company; the alternatives to the proposed merger; the expected benefits of the merger; the management and organization of the combined company; the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of X4s development activities, nonclinical studies and clinical trials; the potential benefits that may be derived from any product candidates; X4s strategy to advance strategic collaborations; and the strategies, goals, prospects, plans, expectations, forecasts or objectives of Arsanis, X4 or the combined company) constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and are usually identified by the use of words such as anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, intends, may, plans, projects, seeks, should, will, would, and variations of such words or similar expressions. Arsanis intends for these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and is making this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements reflect Arsanis current views about its plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to Arsanis and on assumptions it has made. Although Arsanis believes that its plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, Arsanis can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of important risks and factors that are beyond Arsanis control.
Risks and uncertainties for Arsanis, X4 and the combined company include, but are not limited to, the: inability to complete the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions; liquidity and trading market for shares prior to and following the consummation of the proposed merger; costs and potential litigation associated with the proposed merger; failure or delay in obtaining required approvals by the SEC or any other governmental or quasi-governmental entity necessary to consummate the proposed merger, including Arsanis ability to file an effective proxy statement/prospectus/information statement in connection with the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions, which may also result in unexpected additional transaction expenses and operating cash expenditures on the parties; failure to obtain the necessary stockholder approvals or to satisfy other conditions to the closing of the proposed merger and the other contemplated transactions; a superior proposal being submitted to either party; failure to issue Arsanis or the combined companys common stock in other contemplated transactions exempt from registration or qualification requirements under applicable state securities laws; risks related to the costs, timing and regulatory review of the combined companys nonclinical studies and clinical trials; uncertainties in obtaining successful clinical results for product candidates such as X4s X4P-001 and unexpected costs that may result therefrom; inability or the delay in obtaining required regulatory approvals for product candidates such as X4P-001, which may result in unexpected cost expenditures; failure to realize any value of certain product candidates developed and being developed, in light of inherent risks and difficulties involved in successfully bringing product candidates to market; inability to develop new product candidates; inability to commercialize and launch any product candidate that receives regulatory approval, including X4P-001; the combined companys anticipated capital expenditures, its estimates regarding its capital requirements and its need for future capital; uncertainties of cash flows and inability to meet working capital needs; cost reductions that may not result in anticipated level of cost savings or cost reductions prior to or after the consummation of the proposed merger; the approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency and any other similar foreign regulatory authorities of other competing or superior products brought to market; risks resulting from unforeseen side effects; risk that the market for the combined companys products may not be as large as expected; inability to obtain, maintain and enforce patents and other intellectual property rights or the unexpected costs associated with such enforcement or litigation; inability to obtain and maintain commercial manufacturing arrangements with third party manufacturers or establish commercial scale manufacturing capabilities; inability to establish and maintain licensing, collaboration or similar arrangements on favorable terms and the inability to attract collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise; inability to successfully commercialize any approved product candidates, including their rate and degree of market acceptance; unexpected cost increases and pricing pressures; the possibility of economic recession and its negative impact on customers, vendors or suppliers; and risks associated with the possible failure to realize certain benefits of the proposed merger, including future financial, tax, accounting treatment, and operating results. Many of these factors that will determine actual results are beyond Arsanis, X4s, or the combined companys ability to control or predict.
Other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in Arsanis Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC, and in other filings that Arsanis makes and will make with the SEC in connection with the proposed transactions, including the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement described herein under Important Additional Information About the Transaction Will be Filed with the SEC. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The statements made in this Current Report on Form 8-K and the exhibits attached hereto speak only as of the date stated herein, and subsequent events and developments may cause Arsanis expectations and beliefs to change. While Arsanis may elect to update these forward-looking statements publicly at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Arsanis views as of any date after the date stated herein.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
ARSANIS, INC. | ||||||
Date: November 27, 2018 | By: |
/s/ Michael P. Gray |
||||
Michael P. Gray | ||||||
President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer |
Exhibit 2.1
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
by and among
Arsanis, Inc.,
Artemis AC Corp.,
and
X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Dated as of November 26, 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE I |
THE MERGER | 2 | ||||
1.1 |
Effective Time of the Merger | 2 | ||||
1.2 |
Closing | 2 | ||||
1.3 |
Effects of the Merger | 2 | ||||
1.4 |
Directors and Officers of the Surviving Corporation | 3 | ||||
1.5 |
Name of Public Company | 3 | ||||
ARTICLE II |
CONVERSION OF SECURITIES | 3 | ||||
2.1 |
Conversion of Capital Stock | 3 | ||||
2.2 |
Exchange of Certificates | 6 | ||||
2.3 |
Merger Partner Stock Plans and Merger Partner Warrants | 9 | ||||
2.4 |
Dissenting Shares | 10 | ||||
ARTICLE III |
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF MERGER PARTNER | 11 | ||||
3.1 |
Organization, Standing and Power | 11 | ||||
3.2 |
Capitalization | 13 | ||||
3.3 |
Subsidiaries | 15 | ||||
3.4 |
Authority; No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents | 16 | ||||
3.5 |
Financial Statements; Information Provided | 18 | ||||
3.6 |
No Undisclosed Liabilities | 19 | ||||
3.7 |
Absence of Certain Changes or Events | 19 | ||||
3.8 |
Taxes | 20 | ||||
3.9 |
Owned and Leased Real Properties | 23 | ||||
3.10 |
Intellectual Property | 23 | ||||
3.11 |
Contracts | 27 | ||||
3.12 |
Litigation | 29 | ||||
3.13 |
Environmental Matters | 29 | ||||
3.14 |
Employee Benefit Plans | 30 | ||||
3.15 |
Compliance With Laws | 32 | ||||
3.16 |
Permits and Regulatory Matters | 32 | ||||
3.17 |
Employees | 34 | ||||
3.18 |
Insurance | 35 | ||||
3.19 |
[Intentionally omitted] | 35 | ||||
3.20 |
Brokers; Fees and Expenses | 36 | ||||
3.21 |
Certain Business Relationships With Affiliates | 36 | ||||
3.22 |
Controls and Procedures, Certifications and Other Matters | 36 | ||||
3.23 |
Books and Records | 37 | ||||
3.24 |
Ownership of Public Company Common Stock | 37 | ||||
3.25 |
Subsidies | 37 |
- i -
3.26 |
Data Protection | 37 | ||||
3.27 |
No Other Representations or Warranties | 37 | ||||
ARTICLE IV |
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PUBLIC COMPANY AND THE MERGER SUB | 38 | ||||
4.1 |
Organization, Standing and Power | 38 | ||||
4.2 |
Capitalization | 39 | ||||
4.3 |
Subsidiaries | 41 | ||||
4.4 |
Authority; No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents | 42 | ||||
4.5 |
SEC Filings; Financial Statements; Information Provided | 44 | ||||
4.6 |
No Undisclosed Liabilities | 47 | ||||
4.7 |
Absence of Certain Changes or Events | 47 | ||||
4.8 |
Taxes | 47 | ||||
4.9 |
Owned and Leased Real Properties | 50 | ||||
4.10 |
Intellectual Property | 51 | ||||
4.11 |
Contracts | 53 | ||||
4.12 |
Litigation | 55 | ||||
4.13 |
Environmental Matters | 55 | ||||
4.14 |
Employee Benefit Plans | 56 | ||||
4.15 |
Compliance With Laws | 58 | ||||
4.16 |
Permits and Regulatory Matters | 58 | ||||
4.17 |
Employees | 59 | ||||
4.18 |
Insurance | 60 | ||||
4.19 |
Opinion of Financial Advisor | 61 | ||||
4.20 |
Section 203 of the DGCL | 61 | ||||
4.21 |
Brokers; Fees and Expenses | 61 | ||||
4.22 |
Operations of Merger Sub | 61 | ||||
4.23 |
Controls and Procedures, Certifications and Other Matters | 61 | ||||
4.24 |
Books and Records | 62 | ||||
4.25 |
Subsidies | 62 | ||||
4.26 |
Data Protection | 62 | ||||
4.27 |
Certain Business Relationships With Affiliates | 63 | ||||
4.28 |
No Other Representations or Warranties | 63 | ||||
ARTICLE V |
CONDUCT OF BUSINESS | 63 | ||||
5.1 |
Covenants of Merger Partner | 63 | ||||
5.2 |
Covenants of Public Company | 67 | ||||
5.3 |
Confidentiality | 70 | ||||
ARTICLE VI |
ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS | 70 | ||||
6.1 |
No Solicitation | 70 | ||||
6.2 |
Proxy Statement/Prospectus; Registration Statement | 75 | ||||
6.3 |
Nasdaq Listing | 76 |
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6.4 |
Access to Information | 77 | ||||
6.5 |
Stockholder Approval | 77 | ||||
6.6 |
Legal Conditions to Merger | 79 | ||||
6.7 |
Public Disclosure | 80 | ||||
6.8 |
Tax Matters | 80 | ||||
6.9 |
Affiliate Legends | 80 | ||||
6.10 |
Indemnification | 81 | ||||
6.11 |
Notification of Certain Matters | 82 | ||||
6.12 |
Corporate Identity | 83 | ||||
6.13 |
Succession | 83 | ||||
6.14 |
Board of Directors of Public Company | 83 | ||||
6.15 |
Employee Communications | 83 | ||||
6.16 |
FIRPTA Tax Certificates | 83 | ||||
6.17 |
State Takeover Laws | 83 | ||||
6.18 |
Security Holder Litigation | 83 | ||||
6.19 |
Section 16 Matters | 84 | ||||
6.20 |
Other Public Company Voting Proposals | 84 | ||||
6.21 |
Termination of Certain Agreements and Rights | 84 | ||||
6.22 |
Calculation of Net Cash | 85 | ||||
6.23 |
Monthly Net Cash | 88 | ||||
ARTICLE VII |
CONDITIONS TO MERGER | 88 | ||||
7.1 |
Conditions to Each Partys Obligation To Effect the Merger | 88 | ||||
7.2 |
Additional Conditions to the Obligations of Public Company and Merger Sub | 89 | ||||
7.3 |
Additional Conditions to the Obligations of Merger Partner | 90 | ||||
ARTICLE VIII |
TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT | 91 | ||||
8.1 |
Termination | 91 | ||||
8.2 |
Effect of Termination | 94 | ||||
8.3 |
Fees and Expenses | 95 | ||||
8.4 |
Amendment | 97 | ||||
8.5 |
Extension; Waiver | 97 | ||||
8.6 |
Procedure for Termination, Amendment, Extension or Waiver | 97 | ||||
ARTICLE IX |
MISCELLANEOUS | 97 | ||||
9.1 |
Nonsurvival of Representations, Warranties and Agreements | 97 | ||||
9.2 |
Notices | 98 | ||||
9.3 |
Entire Agreement | 99 | ||||
9.4 |
No Third Party Beneficiaries | 99 | ||||
9.5 |
Assignment | 99 | ||||
9.6 |
Severability | 99 | ||||
9.7 |
Counterparts and Signature | 99 | ||||
9.8 |
Interpretation | 100 |
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9.9 |
Governing Law | 100 | ||||
9.10 |
Remedies | 100 | ||||
9.11 |
Submission to Jurisdiction | 101 | ||||
9.12 |
WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL | 101 | ||||
9.13 |
Disclosure Schedule | 101 |
Exhibit A-1 | Form of Merger Partner Support Agreement | |
Exhibit A-2 | Form of Public Company Support Agreement | |
Exhibit B-1 | Form of Surviving Corporation Certificate of Incorporation | |
Exhibit B-2 | Form of Surviving Corporation Bylaws | |
Annex A | Illustration of Common Stock Exchange Ratio | |
Annex B | Illustration of Net Cash Calculation |
TABLE OF DEFINED TERMS
Terms |
Cross Reference
|
|
Accounting Firm | Section 6.22(e) | |
Acquisition Proposal | Section 6.1(f) | |
Adjusted Warrant | Section 2.3(e) | |
Affiliate | Section 3.2(e) | |
Agreement | Preamble | |
Aggregate Valuation | Section 2.1(c)(i) | |
Alternative Acquisition Agreement | Section 6.1(b)(ii) | |
Anticipated Closing Date | Section 6.22(a) | |
Bankruptcy and Equity Exception | Section 3.4(a) | |
Business Day | Section 1.2 | |
Cash Determination Time | Section 6.22(a) | |
Certificate of Merger | Section 1.1 | |
Certificates | Section 2.2(a) | |
Closing | Section 1.2 | |
Closing Date | Section 1.2 | |
Code | Preamble | |
Common Stock Exchange Ratio | Section 2.1(c) | |
Confidentiality Agreement | Section 5.3 | |
Contract | Section 3.11(f) | |
Delivery Date | Section 6.22(a) | |
DGCL | Preamble | |
Dispute Notice | Section 6.22(b) | |
Dissenting Shares | Section 2.4(a) | |
Effective Time | Section 1.1 | |
Employee Benefit Plan | Section 3.14(i)(i) |
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Terms |
Cross Reference
|
|
Environmental Law | Section 3.13(d) | |
ERISA | Section 3.14(i)(ii) | |
ERISA Affiliate | Section 3.14(i)(iii) | |
Exchange Act | Section 3.4(c) | |
Exchange Agent | Section 2.2(a) | |
Exchange Fund | Section 2.2(a) | |
FDA | Section 3.16(a) | |
Financial Statements | Section 3.5(a) | |
GAAP | Section 3.5(a) | |
Governmental Entity | Section 3.4(c) | |
Hazardous Substance | Section 3.13(e) | |
Indebtedness | Section 6.22(f)(iii) | |
Indemnified Persons | Section 6.10(a) | |
Intellectual Property | Section 3.10(l)(i) | |
Intellectual Property Registrations | Section 3.10(l)(ii) | |
Intervening Event | Section 6.1(f) | |
Investor Agreements | Section 6.21 | |
IRS | Section 3.14(b) | |
Law | Section 3.10(l)(iii) | |
Liens | Section 3.4(b) | |
Merger | Preamble | |
Merger Partner | Preamble | |
Merger Partner Allocation Percentage | Section 2.1(c)(ii) | |
Merger Partner Authorizations | Section 3.16(b) | |
Merger Partner Balance Sheet | Section 3.5(a) | |
Merger Partner Board | Preamble | |
Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change | Section 6.1(b)(i) | |
Merger Partner Capital Stock | Section 2.1(b)(i) | |
Merger Partner Common Stock | Section 2.1(b)(ii) | |
Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule | Article III | |
Merger Partner Employee Plans | Section 3.14(a) | |
Merger Partner Expenses | Section 8.3(h) | |
Merger Partner Insurance Policies | Section 3.18 | |
Merger Partner Intellectual Property | Section 3.10(l)(iv) | |
Merger Partner Leases | Section 3.9(b) | |
Merger Partner Licensed Intellectual Property | Section 3.10(l)(v) | |
Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect | Section 3.1 | |
Merger Partner Merger Shares | Section 2.1(c)(iii) | |
Merger Partner Outstanding Shares | Section 2.1(c)(iv) | |
Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property | Section 3.10(l)(vi) | |
Merger Partner Preferred Stock | Section 2.1(b)(iii) | |
Merger Partner Registrations | Section 3.10(l)(vii) | |
Merger Partner Stock Options | Section 2.3(a) | |
Merger Partner Stock Plans | Section 2.3(a) |
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Terms |
Cross Reference
|
|
Merger Partner Stockholder Approval | Section 3.4(a) | |
Merger Partner Support Agreement | Preamble | |
Merger Partner Termination Fee | Section 8.3(b) | |
Merger Partner Valuation | Section 2.1(c)(v) | |
Merger Partner Voting Proposal | Section 3.4(a) | |
Merger Partner Warrants | Section 3.2(d) | |
Merger Sub | Preamble | |
Mintz | Section 6.2(d) | |
Most Recent Balance Sheet Date | Section 3.5(a) | |
Nasdaq | Section 2.2(c) | |
Nasdaq Listing Application | Section 4.4(c) | |
Net Cash | Section 6.22(f)(i) | |
Net Cash Calculation | Section 6.22(a) | |
Net Cash Schedule | Section 6.22(a) | |
Other Public Company Voting Proposals | Section 3.5 | |
Ordinary Course of Business | Section 3.3(d) | |
Outside Date | Section 8.1(b) | |
Outstanding Lease Obligations | Section 6.22(f)(iv) | |
Patent Rights | Section 3.10(l)(viii) | |
Permits | Section 3.16(a) | |
Post-Closing Financing | Section 6.20 | |
Post-Closing Public Company Shares | Section 2.1(c)(vi) | |
Preferred Stock Exchange Ratio | Section 2.1(d) | |
Proxy Statement/Prospectus | Section 3.5(c) | |
Public Company | Preamble | |
Public Company Allocation Percentage | Section 2.1(c)(vii) | |
Public Company Authorizations | Section 4.16(a) | |
Public Company Balance Sheet | Section 4.5(b) | |
Public Company Board | Preamble | |
Public Company Board Recommendation Change | Section 6.1(b)(i) | |
Public Company Common Stock | Section 2.1(c) | |
Public Company Disclosure Schedule | Article IV | |
Public Company Employee Plans | Section 4.14(a) | |
Public Company Expenses | Section 8.3(g) | |
Public Company ESPP | Section 4.2(b) | |
Public Company Financial Advisor | Section 4.19 | |
Public Company Insurance Policies | Section 4.18 | |
Public Company Intellectual Property | Section 4.10(l)(i) | |
Public Company Leases | Section 4.9(b) | |
Public Company Licensed Intellectual Property | Section 4.10(l)(ii) | |
Public Company Material Adverse Effect | Section 4.1 | |
Public Company Meeting | Section 3.5(c) | |
Public Company Outstanding Shares | Section 2.1(c)(viii) | |
Public Company Owned Intellectual Property | Section 4.10(l)(iii) |
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Terms |
Cross Reference
|
|
Public Company Preferred Stock | Section 4.2(a) | |
Public Company Registrations | Section 4.10(l)(iv) | |
Public Company SEC Reports | Section 4.5(a) | |
Public Company Stock Options | Section 4.2(b) | |
Public Company Stock Plans | Section 4.2(b) | |
Public Company Stockholder Approval | Section 3.5(c) | |
Public Company Support Agreement | Preamble | |
Public Company Termination Fee | Section 8.3(c) | |
Public Company Transaction Expenses | Section 6.22(f)(ii) | |
Public Company Valuation | Section 2.1(c)(ix) | |
Public Company Voting Proposal | Section 3.5(c) | |
Public Company Warrants | Section 4.2(c) | |
Qualified Person | Section 6.1(f) | |
Recommendation Change Notice | Section 6.1(b) | |
Registration Statement | Section 3.5(c) | |
Regulating Authority | Section 3.16(a) | |
Regulation M-A Filing | Section 3.5(c) | |
Representatives | Section 6.1(a) | |
Response Date | Section 6.22(b) | |
Reverse Stock Split | Section 6.20 | |
Rule 145 Affiliates | Section 6.9 | |
SEC | Section 3.4(c) | |
Securities Act | Section 3.2(e) | |
Specified Time | Section 6.1(f) | |
Subsidiary | Section 3.3(a) | |
Superior Proposal | Section 6.1(f) | |
Surviving Corporation | Section 1.3 | |
Tax Returns | Section 3.8(a) | |
Taxes | Section 3.8(a) | |
Trademarks | Section 3.10(l)(ix) | |
Vienna Lease | Section 6.22(f)(i) | |
Wilmer | Section 6.2(d) | |
Worker | Section 3.10(l)(x) | |
Written Consents | Section 3.4(d) |
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AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (this Agreement ), dated as of November 26, 2018, is entered into by and among Arsanis, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Public Company ); Artemis AC Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger Sub ); and X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Merger Partner ).
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of Public Company (the Public Company Board ) and the Board of Directors of Merger Partner (the Merger Partner Board ) have each (i) determined that the Merger is fair to, and in the best interests of, their respective corporations and stockholders, (ii) approved this Agreement, the Merger and the actions contemplated by this Agreement and (iii) determined to recommend that the stockholders of their respective corporations vote, in the case of Merger Partner, to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Merger and such other actions as are contemplated by this Agreement and, in the case of Public Company, to approve the issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement and to approve such other actions as set forth in this Agreement;
WHEREAS, the combination of Public Company and Merger Partner shall be effected through a merger (the Merger ) of Merger Sub into Merger Partner in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL ), as a result of which Merger Partner will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company;
WHEREAS, concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to Public Companys willingness to enter into this Agreement, the stockholders of Merger Partner listed on Section A of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule have entered into a support agreement, dated as of the date of this Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A-1 (the Merger Partner Support Agreement ), pursuant to which such stockholders have, among other things, agreed (i) to vote all of their shares of capital stock in favor of the adoption of this Agreement and against any competing proposals and (ii) not to sell, transfer, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of Merger Partner, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for such shares of capital stock, that such stockholders own or, for 180 days after the Effective Time, any shares of Public Company Common Stock received in exchange therefor pursuant to the Merger;
WHEREAS, concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and as a condition and inducement to Merger Partners willingness to enter into this Agreement, the stockholders of Public Company listed on Section A of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule have entered into a support agreement, dated as of the date of this Agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A-2 (the Public Company Support Agreement ), pursuant to which such stockholders have, among other things, agreed (i) to vote all of their shares of capital stock in favor of the issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement and against any competing proposals and (ii) not to sell, transfer, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of Public Company for 180 days after the Effective Time; and
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WHEREAS, for United States federal income tax purposes, it is intended that the Merger shall qualify as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code ).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the respective representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth below, Public Company, Merger Sub and Merger Partner agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
THE MERGER
1.1 Effective Time of the Merger . Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, on the Closing Date the parties hereto will cause the Merger to be consummated by executing and filing a certificate of merger (the Certificate of Merger ) in accordance with the relevant provisions of the DGCL. The Merger shall become effective upon the due filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or at such subsequent time or date as Public Company and Merger Partner shall agree and specify in the Certificate of Merger (the Effective Time ).
1.2 Closing . Subject to the satisfaction or waiver (to the extent permitted by law) of the conditions set forth in Article VII, the closing of the Merger (the Closing ) will take place at 10:00 a.m., Eastern time, on a date to be specified by Public Company and Merger Partner (the Closing Date ), which shall be no later than the second Business Day after satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article VII (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the fulfillment or waiver of such conditions), at the offices of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, 60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, unless another date, place or time is agreed to in writing by Public Company and Merger Partner. For the purposes of this Agreement, the term Business Day shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or permitted by law to be closed.
1.3 Effects of the Merger .
(a) At the Effective Time, (i) the separate existence of Merger Sub shall cease and Merger Sub shall be merged with and into Merger Partner (Merger Partner as the surviving corporation following the Merger is sometimes referred to herein as the Surviving Corporation) and (ii) the certificate of incorporation of Merger Partner as in effect as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be amended and restated in its entirety to read as set forth in Exhibit B-1, and, as so amended, shall be the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation. In addition, the bylaws of Merger Partner, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be amended and restated to read as set forth in Exhibit B-2, and, as so amended, shall be the bylaws of the Surviving Corporation. The Merger shall have the effects set forth in Section 259 of the DGCL.
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(b) At and after the Effective Time, the officers and directors of the Surviving Corporation shall be authorized to execute and deliver, in the name and on behalf of the Surviving Corporation, Merger Sub or Merger Partner, any deeds, bills of sale, assignments or assurances and to take and do, in the name and on behalf of the Surviving Corporation, Merger Sub or Merger Partner, any other actions and things necessary to vest, perfect or confirm of record or otherwise in the Surviving Corporation any and all right, title and interest in, to and under any of the rights, properties or assets acquired or to be acquired by the Surviving Corporation as a result of, or in connection with, the Merger.
1.4 Directors and Officers of the Surviving Corporation .
(a) The persons identified on Section 1.4(a) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule shall be the initial directors of the Surviving Corporation as of the Effective Time, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation.
(b) The persons identified on Section 1.4(b) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule shall be the initial officers of the Surviving Corporation as of the Effective Time, each to hold office in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation.
1.5 Name of Public Company . In connection with the Closing, Public Company shall file a certificate of amendment to its certificate of incorporation immediately following the Effective Time to change the name of Public Company to X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
ARTICLE II
CONVERSION OF SECURITIES
2.1 Conversion of Capital Stock . As of the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of the holder of any shares of capital stock of Merger Partner or the holder of any shares of capital stock of Merger Sub:
(a) Capital Stock of Merger Sub . Each share of the common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into and become one fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Surviving Corporation.
(b) Cancellation of Treasury Stock and Public Company Owned Stock . All shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock that are held in treasury or by any Subsidiary of Merger Partner and any shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock owned by Public Company, Merger Sub or any other Subsidiary of Public Company immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and shall cease to exist and no stock of Public Company or other consideration shall be delivered in exchange therefor. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(i) Merger Partner Capital Stock means Merger Partner Common Stock and Merger Partner Preferred Stock, collectively.
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(ii) Merger Partner Common Stock means the common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Merger Partner.
(iii) Merger Partner Preferred Stock means the preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Merger Partner, consisting of the Series Seed Preferred Stock, the Series A Preferred Stock and the Series B Preferred Stock.
(c) Exchange Ratio for Merger Partner Common Stock . Subject to Section 2.2, each share of Merger Partner Common Stock (other than shares to be cancelled in accordance with Section 2.1(b) and any Dissenting Shares) shall be automatically converted into the right to receive the number of shares (the Common Stock Exchange Ratio ) of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Public Company ( Public Company Common Stock ) equal to the Common Stock Exchange Ratio. As of the Effective Time, all such shares of Merger Partner Common Stock shall cease to be outstanding and shall automatically be cancelled and shall cease to exist, and each holder of a certificate representing any such shares of Merger Partner Common Stock shall cease to have any rights with respect thereto, except the right to receive the shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to this Section 2.1(c) and any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Public Company Common Stock to be issued or paid in consideration therefor and any amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.2(d) upon the surrender of such certificate in accordance with Section 2.2, without interest. For purposes of this Agreement, Common Stock Exchange Ratio means, subject to Section 2.1(e), the following ratio (rounded to four decimal places): the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the Merger Partner Merger Shares by (b) the Merger Partner Outstanding Shares, in which:
(i) Aggregate Valuation means the sum of (a) the Merger Partner Valuation, plus (b) the Public Company Valuation.
(ii) Merger Partner Allocation Percentage the quotient (rounded to two decimal places) determined by dividing (i) the Merger Partner Valuation by (ii) the Aggregate Valuation.
(iii) Merger Partner Merger Shares means the product determined by multiplying (i) the Post-Closing Public Company Shares by (ii) the Merger Partner Allocation Percentage.
(iv) Merger Partner Outstanding Shares means, subject to Section 2.1(e), the total number of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time expressed on a fully-diluted and as-converted to Merger Partner Common Stock basis and assuming, without limitation or duplication, (i) the exercise of all Merger Partner Options and Merger Partner Warrants outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time and (ii) the issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock in respect of all other options, warrants or rights to receive such shares that will be outstanding immediately after the Effective Time.
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(v) Merger Partner Valuation means $115.0 million.
(vi) Post-Closing Public Company Shares mean the quotient determined by dividing (i) the Public Company Outstanding Shares by (ii) the Public Company Allocation Percentage.
(vii) Public Company Allocation Percentage the quotient (rounded to two decimal places) determined by dividing (i) the Public Company Valuation by (ii) the Aggregate Valuation.
(viii) Public Company Outstanding Shares means, subject to Section 2.1(e), the total number of shares of Public Company Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, expressed on an as-converted to Public Company Common Stock basis, and assuming the exercise of all options listed on Section 2.1(c)(viii) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule.
(ix) Public Company Valuation means $50.0 million; provided , however, that such amount shall be (i) increased by the amount by which Net Cash as of the Cash Determination Time is greater than $20.0 million and (ii) decreased by the amount by which Net Cash as of the Cash Determination Time is less than $20.0 million.
(x) For the avoidance of doubt and for illustrative purposes only, a sample Common Stock Exchange Ratio calculation is attached hereto as Annex A .
(d) Exchange Ratio for Merger Partner Preferred Stock. Subject to Section 2.2, each share of Merger Partner Preferred Stock (other than shares to be cancelled in accordance with Section 2.1(b) and Dissenting Shares) shall be automatically converted into the right to receive such number of shares of Public Company Common Stock (the Preferred Stock Exchange Ratio ) as is equal to the result obtained by multiplying the Common Stock Exchange Ratio by the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock into which each share of Merger Partner Preferred Stock is convertible immediately prior to the Effective Time. As of the Effective Time, all such shares of Merger Partner Preferred Stock shall no longer be outstanding and shall automatically be cancelled and shall cease to exist, and each holder of a certificate representing any such shares of Merger Partner Preferred Stock shall cease to have any rights with respect thereto, except the right to receive the shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to this Section 2.1(d) and any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Public Company Common Stock to be issued or paid in consideration therefor upon the surrender of such certificate in accordance with Section 2.2, without interest.
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(e) Adjustments to Exchange Ratio . The Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Preferred Stock Exchange Ratio shall be adjusted, as applicable and appropriate, to reflect fully the effect of any reclassification, stock split, reverse split, stock dividend (including any dividend or distribution of securities convertible into Public Company Common Stock or Merger Partner Common Stock), reorganization, recapitalization or other like change with respect to Public Company Common Stock or Merger Partner Common Stock occurring (or for which a record date is established) after the date hereof and prior to the Effective Time. Nothing in this Section 2.1(e) shall be construed to permit Public Company or Merger Partner to take any action with respect to its securities that is prohibited by the terms of this Agreement.
(f) Unvested Stock . At the Effective Time, any shares of Public Company Common Stock issued in accordance with Section 2.1(c) with respect to any unvested shares of Merger Partner Common Stock awarded to employees, directors or consultants pursuant to any of Merger Partners plans or arrangements and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall remain subject to the same terms, restrictions and vesting schedule as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, except to the extent by their terms such unvested shares of Merger Partner Common Stock vest at the Effective Time. Merger Partner shall not take or permit any action which would accelerate vesting of any unvested shares, except to the extent required by their terms as in effect on the date hereof. Copies of the relevant agreements governing such shares and the vesting thereof have been made available to Public Company. All outstanding rights that Merger Partner may hold immediately prior to the Effective Time to repurchase unvested shares of Merger Partner Common Stock shall be assigned to Public Company in the Merger and shall thereafter be exercisable by Public Company upon the same terms and conditions in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, except that the shares purchasable pursuant to such rights and the purchase price payable per share shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the Common Stock Exchange Ratio. Merger Partner shall, prior to the Closing, take all steps necessary to cause the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.1(f) to occur.
2.2 Exchange of Certificates . The procedures for exchanging outstanding shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock for Public Company Stock pursuant to the Merger are as follows:
(a) Exchange Agent . At or immediately prior to the Effective Time, Public Company shall deposit with Computershare Trust Company, N.A. or another bank or trust company designated by Public Company and reasonably acceptable to Merger Partner (the Exchange Agent ), for the benefit of the holders of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock, for exchange in accordance with this Section 2.2, through the Exchange Agent, (i) certificates representing the shares of Public Company Common Stock (such shares of Public Company Common Stock, together with any dividends or distributions with respect thereto with a record date after the Effective Time, being hereinafter referred to as the Exchange Fund ) issuable pursuant to Section 2.1 in exchange for outstanding shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock, (ii) cash in an amount sufficient to make payments for fractional shares required pursuant to Section 2.2(c) and (iii) any dividends or distributions to which holders of certificates that, as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, represented outstanding shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock (the Certificates ), whose shares were converted pursuant to Section 2.1 into the right to receive shares of Public Company Common Stock, may be entitled pursuant to Section 2.2(d).
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(b) Exchange Procedures . As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time, the Exchange Agent shall mail to each holder of record of a Certificate (i) a letter of transmittal in customary form specifying that delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to the Certificates shall pass, only upon delivery of the Certificates to the Exchange Agent, and (ii) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the Certificates in exchange for certificates representing shares of Public Company Common Stock (plus cash in lieu of fractional shares, if any, of Public Company Common Stock and any dividends or distributions as provided below). Upon surrender of a Certificate for cancellation to the Exchange Agent or to such other agent or agents as may be appointed by Public Company, together with such letter of transmittal, duly executed, and such other documents as may reasonably be required by the Exchange Agent and Public Company, the holder of such Certificate shall be entitled to receive in exchange therefor a certificate or book entry account representing that number of whole shares of Public Company Common Stock which such holder has the right to receive pursuant to the provisions of this Article II plus cash in lieu of fractional shares pursuant to Section 2.2(c) and any dividends or distributions then payable pursuant to Section 2.2(d), and the Certificate so surrendered shall immediately be cancelled. In the event of a transfer of ownership of Merger Partner Capital Stock which is not registered in the transfer records of Merger Partner, a certificate representing the proper number of whole shares of Public Company Common Stock plus cash in lieu of fractional shares pursuant to Section 2.2(c) and any dividends or distributions pursuant to Section 2.2(d) may be issued or paid to a person other than the person in whose name the Certificate so surrendered is registered, only if such Certificate is presented to the Exchange Agent, accompanied by all documents required to evidence and effect such transfer and by evidence that any applicable stock transfer taxes have been paid. Until surrendered as contemplated by this Section 2.2, each Certificate shall be deemed at any time after the Effective Time to represent only the right to receive shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to the provisions of this Article II plus cash in lieu of fractional shares pursuant to Section 2.2(c) and any dividends or distributions then payable pursuant to Section 2.2(d) as contemplated by this Section 2.2.
(c) No Fractional Shares . No certificate or scrip representing fractional shares of Public Company Common Stock shall be issued upon the surrender for exchange of Certificates, and such fractional share interests shall not entitle the owner thereof to vote or to any other rights of a stockholder of Public Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, each holder of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock converted pursuant to the Merger who would otherwise have been entitled to receive a fraction of a share of Public Company Common Stock (after taking into account all Certificates delivered by such holder and the aggregate number of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock represented thereby) shall receive, in lieu thereof, cash (without interest and subject to applicable Tax withholding) in an amount equal to such fractional part of a share of Public Company Common Stock multiplied by the average of the last reported sales prices of Public Company Common Stock at the 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, end of regular trading hours on The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ( Nasdaq ) during the ten consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day prior to the Effective Time.
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(d) Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Shares . No dividends or other distributions declared or made after the Effective Time with respect to Public Company Common Stock with a record date after the Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any unsurrendered Certificate until the holder of record of such Certificate shall surrender such Certificate in accordance with this Section 2.2. Subject to the effect of applicable laws, following surrender of any such Certificate, there shall be issued and paid to the record holder of the Certificate, at the time of such surrender the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the Effective Time previously paid with respect to such whole shares of Public Company Common Stock, without interest, and at the appropriate payment date, the amount of dividends or other distributions having a record date after the Effective Time but prior to surrender and a payment date subsequent to surrender that are payable with respect to such whole shares of Public Company Common Stock.
(e) No Further Ownership Rights in Merger Partner Capital Stock . All shares of Public Company Common Stock issued upon the surrender for exchange of Certificates in accordance with the terms hereof (including any cash or dividends or other distributions paid pursuant to Section 2.2(c) or 2.2(d)) shall be deemed to have been issued (and paid) in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to such shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock, and from and after the Effective Time there shall be no further registration of transfers on the stock transfer books of the Surviving Corporation of the shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time. If, after the Effective Time, Certificates are presented to the Surviving Corporation or the Exchange Agent for any reason, they shall be cancelled and exchanged as provided in this Article II, subject to applicable law in the case of Dissenting Shares.
(f) Termination of Exchange Fund . Any portion of the Exchange Fund that remains undistributed to the holders of Merger Partner Capital Stock for one year after the Effective Time shall be delivered to Public Company, upon demand, and any holder of Merger Partner Capital Stock immediately prior to the Effective Time who has not previously complied with this Section 2.2 shall thereafter look only to Public Company, as a general unsecured creditor, for payment of its claim for Public Company Common Stock, any cash in lieu of fractional shares of Public Company Common Stock and any dividends or distributions with respect to Public Company Common Stock.
(g) No Liability . To the extent permitted by applicable law, none of Public Company, Merger Sub, Merger Partner, the Surviving Corporation or the Exchange Agent shall be liable to any holder of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock or Public Company Common Stock, as the case may be, for such shares or any cash amounts required to be delivered to a public official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar law. If any Certificate shall not have been surrendered immediately prior to such date on which any shares of Public Company Common Stock, and any cash payable to the holder of such Certificate or any dividends or distributions payable to the holder of such Certificate pursuant to this Article II would otherwise escheat to or become the property of any Governmental Entity, such Certificate and any such shares of Public Company Common Stock or cash, dividends or distributions in respect of such Certificate shall, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, become the property of the Surviving Corporation, free and clear of all claims or interest of any person previously entitled thereto.
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(h) Withholding Rights . Each of the Exchange Agent, Public Company and the Surviving Corporation shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the amounts otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement to any holder of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock and any other recipient of payments hereunder such amounts as it reasonably determines that it is required to deduct and withhold with respect to the making of such payment under the Code, or any other applicable provision of law. To the extent that amounts are so withheld by the Surviving Corporation or Public Company, as the case may be, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the holder of the shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock or other recipient of payments hereunder in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made by the Surviving Corporation or Public Company, as the case may be.
(i) Lost Certificates . If any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and, if required by the Surviving Corporation, the posting by such person of a bond in such reasonable amount as the Surviving Corporation may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against it with respect to such Certificate, the Exchange Agent shall issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate the shares of Public Company Common Stock and any cash in lieu of fractional shares, and unpaid dividends and distributions on shares of Public Company Common Stock deliverable in respect thereof pursuant to this Agreement.
2.3 Merger Partner Stock Plans and Merger Partner Warrants .
(a) At the Effective Time, each outstanding option to purchase Merger Partner Common Stock (each, a Merger Partner Stock Option and collectively, the Merger Partner Stock Options ), whether vested or unvested, and all stock option plans or other stock or equity-related plans of Merger Partner (the Merger Partner Stock Plans ) themselves, insofar as they relate to outstanding Merger Partner Stock Options, shall be assumed by Public Company and shall become an option to acquire, on the same terms and conditions as were applicable under such Merger Partner Stock Option immediately prior to the Effective Time, such number of shares of Public Company Common Stock as is equal to the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock subject to the unexercised portion of such Merger Partner Stock Option immediately prior to the Effective Time multiplied by the Common Stock Exchange Ratio (rounded down to the nearest whole share number), at an exercise price per share equal to the exercise price per share of such Merger Partner Stock Option immediately prior to the Effective Time divided by the Common Stock Exchange Ratio (rounded up to the nearest whole cent); provided that the assumption of each Merger Partner Stock Option pursuant to this Section 2.3(a) shall comply with all requirements of Sections 424 and 409A of the Code and the U.S. Department of Treasury regulations issued thereunder, as applicable. Such Merger Partner Stock Options shall continue in effect on the same terms and conditions to which they are currently subject (subject to the adjustments required by this Section 2.3 after giving effect to the Merger). Merger Partner shall, prior to the Effective Time, take all actions necessary or desirable (as reasonably determined by the Merger Partner) in connection with the treatment of Merger Partner Stock Options contemplated by this Section 2.3(a), including obtaining the consent from each holder of any Merger Partner Stock Options (if such consent is required under the terms of the applicable agreement, instrument or plan).
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(b) As soon as practicable after the Effective Time, Public Company shall deliver to the participants in Merger Partner Stock Plans appropriate notice setting forth such participants rights pursuant to Merger Partner Stock Options, as provided in this Section 2.3.
(c) Public Company shall take all corporate action necessary to reserve for issuance a sufficient number of shares of Public Company Common Stock for delivery upon exercise of Merger Partner Stock Options assumed in accordance with this Section 2.3. As promptly as practicable after the Effective Time but in no event later than five (5) Business Days following the Effective Time, Public Company shall file a registration statement on Form S-8 (or any successor form) or another appropriate form with respect to the shares of Public Company Common Stock subject to such options and shall use reasonable best efforts to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement or registration statements (and maintain the current status of the prospectus or prospectuses contained therein) for so long as such options remain outstanding.
(d) Merger Partner shall terminate any employee stock purchase plans in accordance with their terms as of or prior to the Effective Time.
(e) At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger, each Merger Partner Warrant outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be automatically assumed by Public Company and shall become a warrant to acquire, on the same terms and conditions as were applicable under such Merger Partner Warrant, such number of shares of Public Company Common Stock as is equal to the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock subject to the unexercised portion of such Merger Partner Warrant immediately prior to the Effective Time multiplied by the Common Stock Exchange Ratio or the Preferred Stock Exchange Ratio, as the case may be (in each case, rounded down to the nearest whole share number, or as otherwise provided in the applicable Merger Partner Warrant), at an exercise price per share equal to the exercise price per share of such Merger Partner Warrant immediately prior to the Effective Time divided by the Common Stock Exchange Ratio or the Preferred Stock Exchange Ratio, as the case may be (in each case, rounded up to the nearest whole cent, or as otherwise provided in the applicable Merger Partner Warrant) (each, as so adjusted, an Adjusted Warrant ). Merger Partner shall, prior to the Effective Time, take all actions necessary or desirable in connection with the treatment of Merger Partner Stock Warrants contemplated by this Section 2.3(e). Public Company shall take all corporate actions necessary to reserve for issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock that will be subject to the Adjusted Warrants.
2.4 Dissenting Shares .
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, Dissenting Shares shall mean shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time that are held as of the Effective Time by a holder who has not voted in favor of the Merger or consented thereto in writing and who has made a proper demand for appraisal of such shares in accordance with Section 262 of the DGCL (until such time as such holder fails to perfect or
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otherwise loses such holders appraisal rights under the DGCL with respect to such shares, at which time such shares shall cease to be Dissenting Shares). Dissenting Shares will only entitle the holder thereof to such rights as are granted by the DGCL to a holder thereof and shall not be converted into or represent the right to receive Public Company Common Stock unless the stockholder holding such Dissenting Shares shall have forfeited his, her or its right to appraisal under the DGCL or properly withdrawn his, her or its demand for appraisal. If such stockholder has so forfeited or withdrawn his, her or its right to appraisal of Dissenting Shares, then (i) as of the occurrence of such event, such holders Dissenting Shares shall cease to be Dissenting Shares and shall be deemed to have been converted, as of the Effective Time, into and represent the right to receive Public Company Common Stock issuable in respect of such Merger Partner Capital Stock pursuant to Section 2.1(c) or Section 2.1(d), as the case may be, without interest, and (ii) promptly following the occurrence of such event, Public Company shall deliver to the Exchange Agent a certificate representing Public Company Common Stock to which such stockholder is entitled pursuant to Section 2.1(c) or Section 2.1(d) as well as any cash or other distributions to which such holder of Merger Partner Capital Stock may be entitled to under this Article II if not previously delivered to the Exchange Agent.
(b) Merger Partner shall give Public Company (i) prompt notice of any written demands for appraisal of any Merger Partner Capital Stock, withdrawals of such demands and any other instruments that relate to such demands received by Merger Partner and (ii) the opportunity to direct all negotiations and proceedings with respect to demands for appraisal under the DGCL. Merger Partner shall not, except with the prior written consent of Public Company (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) or where required by applicable law, make any payment with respect to any demands for appraisal of Merger Partner Capital Stock or settle or offer to settle any such demands.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF MERGER PARTNER
Merger Partner represents and warrants to Public Company and Merger Sub that the statements contained in this Article III are true and correct, except as expressly set forth herein or in the disclosure schedule delivered or made available by Merger Partner to Public Company and Merger Sub on the date of this Agreement (the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule ). For purposes hereof, the phrase to the knowledge of Merger Partner and similar expressions mean the actual knowledge of the persons identified on Section K of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule for this purpose, and such knowledge as such persons would reasonably be expected to have obtained in the course of their performance of their positions at Merger Partner (after due inquiry).
3.1 Organization, Standing and Power . Merger Partner is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction listed on Section 3.1 of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule, which jurisdictions constitute the only
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jurisdictions in which the character of the properties it owns, operates or leases or the nature of its activities makes such qualification necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, that have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this Agreement, the term Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect means any material adverse change, effect, event, circumstance or development that is materially adverse to or has a material adverse effect on the business, assets, liabilities, capitalization, financial condition, or results of operations of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; provided , however , that none of the following, to the extent arising after the date of this Agreement, either alone or in combination, shall be deemed to be a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect and none of the following shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been or will be a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect: any change or event caused by or resulting from (A) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Merger, or the announcement or pendency thereof, (B) changes in prevailing economic or market conditions in the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such entity has substantial business operations (except to the extent those changes have a disproportionate effect on Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries operate), (C) changes or events affecting the industry or industries in which Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries operate generally or compete (except to the extent those changes or events have a disproportionate effect on Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries operate), (D) changes in generally accepted accounting principles or requirements (except to the extent those changes have a disproportionate effect on Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries operate), (E) changes in laws, rules or regulations of general applicability or interpretations thereof by any Governmental Entity (except to the extent those changes have a disproportionate effect on Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries operate), (F) any natural disaster or any outbreak of major hostilities in which the United States is involved or any act of terrorism within the United States or directed against its facilities or citizens wherever located or any governmental response to any of the foregoing (except to the extent those changes or events have a disproportionate effect on Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries operate), or (G) any failure by Merger Partner to meet any internal guidance, budgets, plans, projections or forecasts of its revenues, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations (but not, in the case of Clause G, the underlying cause of such changes or failures, unless such changes or failures would otherwise be excepted from this definition). For the avoidance of doubt, the parties agree that the terms material, materially and materiality as used in this Agreement with an initial lower case m shall have their respective customary and ordinary meanings, without regard to the meanings ascribed to Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect or Public Company Material Adverse Effect, in each case as defined in this Agreement. Merger Partner has made available to Public Company complete and accurate copies of its certificate of incorporation and bylaws and is not in material default under or in material violation of any provision of either such document.
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3.2 Capitalization .
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, the authorized capital stock of Merger Partner consists of 116,500,000 shares of Merger Partner Common Stock and 49,413,523 shares of Merger Partner Preferred Stock, of which 2,313,523 shares are designated as Series Seed Preferred Stock, 22,000,000 shares are designated as Series A Preferred Stock and 25,100,000 shares are designated as Series B Preferred Stock. The rights and privileges of each class of Merger Partners capital stock are as set forth in Merger Partners certificate of incorporation, as amended. As of the date of this Agreement, (i) 4,830,406 shares of Merger Partner Common Stock were issued and outstanding, (ii) no shares of Merger Partner Common Stock were held in the treasury of Merger Partner or by Subsidiaries of Merger Partner and (iii) 40,079,567 shares of Merger Partner Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding, of which 1,516,136 shares of Series Seed Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding, 19,946,862 shares of Series A Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding, and 18,616,569 shares of Series B Preferred Stock were issued or outstanding.
(b) Section 3.2(b) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list, as of the date of this Agreement, of the holders of Merger Partner Capital Stock, showing the number of shares of capital stock, and the class or series of such shares, held by each stockholder and (for shares other than Merger Partner Common Stock) the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock (if any) into which such shares are convertible. Section 3.2(b) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule also sets forth a complete and accurate list of all issued and outstanding shares of Merger Partner Common Stock that constitute restricted stock or that are otherwise subject to a repurchase or redemption right or right of first refusal in favor of Merger Partner, indicating the name of the applicable stockholder, the vesting schedule for any such shares, including the extent to which any such repurchase or redemption right or right of first refusal has lapsed as of the date of this Agreement, whether (and to what extent) the vesting will be accelerated in any way by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or by termination of employment or change in position following consummation of the Merger, and whether such holder has the sole power to vote and dispose of such shares.
(c) Section 3.2(c) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list, as of the date of this Agreement, of: (i) all Merger Partner Stock Plans, indicating for each Merger Partner Stock Plan, as of the date of this Agreement, the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock issued to date under such Plan, the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock subject to outstanding options under such Plan and the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock reserved for future issuance under such Plan; and (ii) all outstanding Merger Partner Stock Options, indicating with respect to each such Merger Partner Stock Option the name of the holder thereof, the Merger Partner Stock Plan under which it was granted, the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock subject to such Merger Partner Stock Option, the exercise price, the date of grant and the vesting schedule, including whether (and to what extent) the vesting will be accelerated in any way by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or by termination of employment or change in position following consummation of the Merger, and whether such Merger Partner Stock Option is intended to be an incentive stock option. Merger Partner has made available to Public Company complete and accurate copies of all Merger Partner Stock Plans and the forms of all stock option agreements evidencing Merger Partner Stock Options.
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(d) Section 3.2(d) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule sets forth the number of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock and Merger Partner Preferred Stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to warrants or other outstanding rights (other than Merger Partner Stock Options) to purchase shares of Merger Partner Common Stock and Merger Partner Preferred Stock outstanding as of the date of this Agreement (such outstanding warrants or other rights, the Merger Partner Warrants ) and the agreement or other document under which such Merger Partner Warrants were granted and sets forth a complete and accurate list of all holders of Merger Partner Warrants indicating the number and type of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock subject to each Merger Partner Warrant, and the exercise price, the date of grant and the expiration date thereof. Merger Partner has made available to Public Company complete and accurate copies of the forms of agreements evidencing all Merger Partner Warrants.
(e) Except (i) as set forth in this Section 3.2 and (ii) as reserved for future grants under Merger Partner Stock Plans, (A) there are no equity securities of any class of Merger Partner, or any security exchangeable into or exercisable for such equity securities, issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding and (B) there are no options, warrants, equity securities, calls, rights, commitments or agreements of any character to which Merger Partner is a party or by which Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries is bound obligating Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries to issue, exchange, transfer, deliver or sell, or cause to be issued, exchanged, transferred, delivered or sold, additional shares of capital stock or other equity interests of Merger Partner or any security or rights convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any such shares or other equity interests, or obligating Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries to grant, extend, accelerate the vesting of, otherwise modify or amend or enter into any such option, warrant, equity security, call, right, commitment or agreement. Merger Partner does not have any outstanding stock appreciation rights, phantom stock, performance based rights or similar rights or obligations. Other than the Merger Partner Support Agreement, except as set forth in Section 3.2(e) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule, neither Merger Partner nor any of its Affiliates is a party to or is bound by any, and to the knowledge of Merger Partner, there are no, agreements or understandings with respect to the voting (including voting trusts and proxies) or sale or transfer (including agreements imposing transfer restrictions) of any shares of capital stock or other equity interests of Merger Partner. For purposes of this Agreement, the term Affiliate when used with respect to any party shall mean any person who is an affiliate of that party within the meaning of Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act ). Except as contemplated by this Agreement or described in this Section 3.2(e), there are no registration rights to which Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or they are bound with respect to any equity security of any class of Merger Partner.
(f) All outstanding shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock are, and all shares of Merger Partner Common Stock subject to issuance as specified in Sections 3.2(c), 3.2(d), and 3.2(e) upon issuance on the terms and conditions specified in the instruments pursuant to which they are issuable, will be, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and not subject to or otherwise issued in violation of any purchase option, call option, right of first
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refusal, preemptive right, subscription right or any similar right under any provision of the DGCL, Merger Partners certificate of incorporation or bylaws, each as amended, or any agreement to which Merger Partner is a party or is otherwise bound. There are no obligations, contingent or otherwise, of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock. All outstanding shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock have been offered, issued and sold by Merger Partner in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws.
(g) No consent of the holders of Merger Partner Stock Options or Merger Partner Warrants is required in connection with the actions contemplated by Section 2.3.
3.3 Subsidiaries .
(a) Section 3.3(a) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule sets forth, for each Subsidiary of Merger Partner: (i) its name; (ii) the number and type of outstanding equity securities and a list of the holders thereof; and (iii) the jurisdiction of organization. For purposes of this Agreement, the term Subsidiary means, with respect to any party, any corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company or other non-corporate business enterprise in which such party (or another Subsidiary of such party) owns or controls, directly or indirectly, securities or other ownership interests representing (A) more that 50% of the voting power of all outstanding stock or ownership interests of such entity or (B) the right to receive more than 50% of the net assets of such entity available for distribution to the holders of outstanding stock or ownership interests upon a liquidation or dissolution of such entity.
(b) Each Subsidiary of Merger Partner is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation (to the extent such concepts are applicable in such jurisdiction), has all requisite corporate (or similar, in the case of a non-corporate entity) power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation (to the extent such concepts are applicable) in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties owned, operated or leased or the nature of its activities makes such qualification necessary, except for such failures to be so organized, qualified or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, that have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock and other equity securities or interests of each Subsidiary of Merger Partner are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, nonassessable and free of preemptive rights and all such shares (other than directors qualifying shares in the case of non-U.S. Subsidiaries, all of which Merger Partner has the power to cause to be transferred for no or nominal consideration to Merger Partner or Merger Partners designee) are owned, of record and beneficially, by Merger Partner or another of its Subsidiaries free and clear of all Liens, claims, agreements or limitations in Merger Partners voting rights. There are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants, rights, agreements or commitments to which Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or which are binding on any of them providing for the issuance, disposition or acquisition of any capital stock of any Subsidiary of Merger Partner. There are no outstanding stock appreciation, phantom stock or similar rights with respect to any Subsidiary of Merger Partner. There are no voting trusts, proxies or other agreements or understandings with respect to the voting of any capital stock of any Subsidiary of Merger Partner.
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(c) Merger Partner has made available to Public Company complete and accurate copies of the charter, bylaws or other organizational documents, each as amended, of each Subsidiary of Merger Partner.
(d) Merger Partner does not control directly or indirectly or have any direct or indirect equity participation or similar interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other business association or entity which is not a Subsidiary of Merger Partner. There are no obligations, contingent or otherwise, of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary of Merger Partner or to provide funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any Subsidiary of Merger Partner or any other entity, other than guarantees of bank obligations of Subsidiaries of Merger Partner entered into in the ordinary course of business consistent in all, with respect to Merger Partner only, material respects with past practice (as applicable to a party, the Ordinary Course of Business ).
3.4 Authority; No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents .
(a) Merger Partner has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and, subject only to the adoption of this Agreement (the Merger Partner Voting Proposal ) by Merger Partners stockholders under the DGCL and Merger Partners certificate of incorporation, as amended (the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval ), to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Merger Partner Board has unanimously (as among all directors in attendance) (i) determined that the Merger is fair to, and in the best interests of, Merger Partner and its stockholders, (ii) approved this Agreement, the Merger and the actions contemplated by this Agreement in accordance with the provisions of the DGCL, (iii) declared this Agreement advisable, and (iv) determined to recommend that the stockholders of Merger Partner vote to adopt this Agreement and thereby approve the Merger and such other actions as contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement by Merger Partner have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Merger Partner, subject only to the required receipt of the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Merger Partner and, assuming the due execution and delivery by Public Company, constitutes the valid and binding obligation of Merger Partner, enforceable against such party in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors rights and to general equity principles (the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception ).
(b) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by Merger Partner does not, and the consummation by Merger Partner of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall not, (i) conflict with, or result in any violation or breach of, any provision of the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of Merger Partner or of the charter, bylaws or other organizational document of any Subsidiary of Merger Partner, each as amended, (ii) conflict with, or result in
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any violation or breach of, or constitute (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) a default (or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or loss of any material benefit) under, or require a consent or waiver under, constitute a change in control under, require the payment of a penalty under or result in the imposition of any mortgage, security interest, pledge, lien, charge or encumbrance of any nature ( Liens ) on Merger Partners or any of its Subsidiaries assets under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any Contract required to be disclosed in Section 3.11(d) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedules, or (iii) subject to obtaining the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval and compliance with the requirements specified in clauses (i) through (iv) of Section 3.4(c), conflict with or violate any permit, concession, franchise, license, judgment, injunction, order, decree, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or any of its or their properties or assets, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) of this Section 3.4(b) for any such conflicts, violations, breaches, defaults, terminations, cancellations, accelerations or losses that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to result in, the loss of a material benefit to, or in the creation of any material liability for, Merger Partner, or would not reasonably be expected to result in a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect. Section 3.4(b) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule lists all consents, waivers and approvals under any of Merger Partners or any of its Subsidiaries agreements, licenses or leases required to be obtained in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, which, if individually or in the aggregate were not obtained, would result in a loss of a material benefit to, or the creation of any material liability for, Merger Partner, Public Company or the Surviving Corporation as a result of the Merger.
(c) No consent, approval, license, permit, order or authorization of, or registration, declaration, notice or filing with, any court, arbitrational tribunal, administrative agency or commission or other governmental or regulatory authority or Regulating Authority, agency or instrumentality (a Governmental Entity ) is required by or with respect to Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Merger Partner or the consummation by Merger Partner of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for (i) the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Delaware Secretary of State and appropriate corresponding documents with the appropriate authorities of other states in which Merger Partner is qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business, (ii) the filing of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus (and any related registration statements) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC ) in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act ) and filings or notifications related to compliance with the rules and regulations of Nasdaq, (iii) such consents, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations and filings as may be required under applicable state securities laws and the laws of any foreign country and (iv) such other consents, authorizations, orders, filings, approvals and registrations that, individually or in the aggregate, if not obtained or made, would not result in a loss of a material benefit to, or the creation of any material liability for, Merger Partner, Public Company or the Surviving Corporation as a result of the Merger.
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(d) The affirmative vote in favor of the Merger Partner Voting Proposal by the holders of a majority of the votes represented by the outstanding shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock and the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of the Merger Partner Preferred Stock, which is to be delivered pursuant to written consents of stockholders in lieu of a meeting (collectively, the Written Consents ), is the only vote of the holders of any class or series of Merger Partners capital stock or other securities necessary to adopt this Agreement and for consummation by Merger Partner of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement required under the DGCL and the Merger Partners certificate of incorporation, as amended. There are no bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of Merger Partner having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which stockholders of Merger Partner may vote.
3.5 Financial Statements; Information Provided .
(a) Merger Partner has made available to Public Company copies of the Financial Statements which are correct and complete in all material respects. The Financial Statements (i) comply as to form in all material respects with all applicable accounting requirements, (ii) were prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles ( GAAP ) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby (except as may be indicated in the notes to such financial statements) and (iii) fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and the consolidated assets, liabilities, business, financial condition, results of its operations and cash flows for the periods indicated, consistent with the books and records of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries, except that the unaudited interim financial statements do not contain footnotes and are subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments which will not be material in amount or effect. For purposes of this Agreement, Financial Statements means (i) the audited consolidated balance sheets and statements of income, changes in stockholders equity and cash flows of Merger Partner as of the end of and for the 2015 and 2016 fiscal years, together with the preliminary consolidated balance sheets and statements of income, changes in stockholders equity and cash flows of Merger Partner for fiscal year 2017 and (ii) the unaudited consolidated balance sheet of Merger Partner (the Merger Partner Balance Sheet ) as of June 30, 2018 (the Most Recent Balance Sheet Date ) and the unaudited consolidated statements of income, changes in stockholders equity and cash flows for the six months ended as of the Most Recent Balance Sheet Date.
(b) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Merger Partners current auditor, is and has been at all times since its engagement by Merger Partner since the corporate inception of Merger Partner (x) independent with respect to Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries within the meaning of Regulation S-X and (y) in compliance with subsections (g) through (l) of Section 10A of the Exchange Act (to the extent applicable) and the related rules of the SEC and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(c) The information to be supplied by or on behalf of Merger Partner for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed by Public Company pursuant to which shares of Public Company Common Stock issued in connection with the Merger shall be registered under the Securities Act (the Registration Statement ), or to be included or supplied by or on behalf of Merger Partner for inclusion in any filing pursuant to Rule 165 and Rule 425 under the Securities Act or Rule 14a-12 under the
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Exchange Act (each a Regulation M-A Filing ), shall not at the time the Registration Statement or any such Regulation M-A Filing is filed with the SEC, at any time it is amended or supplemented or at the time the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, as applicable, 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 not misleading. The information to be supplied by or on behalf of Merger Partner for inclusion in the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement (the Proxy Statement/Prospectus ) to be sent to the stockholders of Public Company in connection with the meeting of Public Companys stockholders (the Public Company Meeting ) to consider the issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to the Merger (the Public Company Voting Proposal ) and, if provided for under the term of this Agreement, to consider amendments to Public Companys certificate of incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split and to change the name of Public Company to X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. immediately following the Effective Time, and approval of the issuance of the securities of Public Company in the Post-Closing Financing (the Other Public Company Voting Proposals ) under Nasdaq rules and the DGCL, as applicable (the Public Company Stockholder Approval ), which information shall be deemed to include all information about or relating to Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries and/or the Merger Partner Voting Proposal, shall not, on the date the Proxy Statement/Prospectus is first mailed to stockholders of Public Company, or at the time of the Public Company Meeting or as of the Effective Time, contain any statement that, at such time and in light of the circumstances under which it shall be made, is false or misleading with respect to any material fact, or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus not false or misleading; or omit to state any material fact necessary to correct any statement in any earlier communication with respect to the solicitation of proxies for the Public Company Meeting that has become false or misleading.
3.6 No Undisclosed Liabilities . Merger Partner does not have any liability that is required to be set forth on a balance sheet of Merger Partner prepared in accordance with GAAP, which are, individually or in the aggregate, material to the business, results of operations or financial condition of Merger Partner, except for (a) liabilities shown on the Most Recent Balance Sheet, (b) liabilities that have arisen or have been incurred since the Most Recent Balance Sheet Date in the Ordinary Course of Business, (c) liabilities for transaction expenses incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (d) contractual and other liabilities incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business that are not required by GAAP to be reflected on a balance sheet.
3.7 Absence of Certain Changes or Events . During the period beginning on the Most Recent Balance Sheet Date and ending on the date hereof, Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries have conducted their respective businesses only in the Ordinary Course of Business and, since such date, there has not been (i) any change, event, circumstance, development or effect that, individually or in the aggregate, has had, or is reasonably likely to have, a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect; or (ii) except for the execution and delivery of this Agreement, any other action or event that would have required the consent of Public Company pursuant to Section 5.1 (other than clause (A) of paragraph (j) or paragraphs (k) or (l) thereof) had such action or event occurred after the date of this Agreement.
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3.8 Taxes .
(a) Each of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries has properly filed on a timely basis all income and other material Tax Returns that it was required to file, and all such Tax Returns were true, correct and complete in all material respects. Each of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries has paid on a timely basis all Taxes, whether or not shown on any Tax Return, that were due and payable. The unpaid Taxes of Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries for Tax periods through the date of the Merger Partner Balance Sheet do not exceed the accruals and reserves for Taxes (excluding accruals and reserves for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax income) set forth on the Merger Partner Balance Sheet and all unpaid Taxes of Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries for all Tax periods commencing after the date of the Merger Partner Balance Sheet arose in the Ordinary Course of Business. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has ever been a member of an affiliated group with which it has filed (or been required to file) consolidated, combined, unitary or similar Tax Returns, other than a group of which the common parent is Merger Partner. With the exception of customary commercial leases or contracts that are not primarily related to Taxes entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business and liabilities thereunder, neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has any actual or potential liability under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any comparable or similar provision of federal, state, local or foreign law), as a transferee or successor, pursuant to any contractual obligation, or otherwise for any Taxes of any person other than Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries, or (ii) is a party to or bound by any Tax indemnity, Tax sharing, Tax allocation or similar agreement. All material Taxes that Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries was required by law to withhold or collect have been duly withheld or collected and, to the extent required, have been properly paid to the appropriate Governmental Entity, and each of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries has complied with all information reporting and backup withholding requirements, including the maintenance of required records with respect thereto, in connection with amounts paid to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, or other third party. For purposes of this Agreement, (i) Taxes shall mean any and all taxes, charges, fees, duties, contributions, levies or other similar assessments or liabilities in the nature of a tax, including, without limitation, income, gross receipts, corporation, ad valorem, premium, value-added, net worth, capital stock, capital gains, documentary, recapture, alternative or add-on minimum, disability, estimated, registration, recording, excise, real property, personal property, sales, use, license, lease, service, service use, transfer, withholding, employment, unemployment, insurance, social security, national insurance, business license, business organization, environmental, workers compensation, payroll, profits, severance, stamp, occupation, windfall profits, customs duties, franchise and other taxes of any kind whatsoever imposed by the United States of America or any state, local or foreign government, or any agency or political subdivision thereof, and any interest, fines, penalties, assessments or additions to tax imposed with respect to such items, and (ii) Tax Returns shall mean any and all reports, returns (including information returns), declarations, or statements relating to Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto and any amendment thereof, filed with or submitted to a Governmental Entity in connection with the determination, assessment, collection or payment of Taxes or in connection with the administration, implementation or enforcement of or compliance with any legal requirement relating to any Tax.
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(b) Merger Partner has delivered or made available to Public Company (i) complete and correct copies of all Tax Returns of Merger Partner and any of its Subsidiaries relating to Taxes for all taxable periods for which the applicable statute of limitations has not yet expired, (ii) complete and correct copies of all private letter rulings, revenue agent reports, information document requests, notices of proposed deficiencies, deficiency notices, protests, petitions, closing agreements, settlement agreements, pending ruling requests and any similar documents submitted by, received by, or agreed to by or on behalf of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries relating to Taxes for all taxable periods for which the statute of limitations has not yet expired, and (iii) complete and correct copies of all material agreements, rulings, settlements or other Tax documents with or from any Governmental Entity relating to Tax incentives of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries. No examination or audit of any Tax Return of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries by any Governmental Entity is currently in progress or, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, threatened or contemplated. No deficiencies for Taxes of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries have been claimed, proposed or assessed by any Governmental Entity in writing. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has been informed in writing by any jurisdiction in which Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries does not file a Tax Return that the jurisdiction believes that Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries was required to file any Tax Return that was not filed or is subject to Tax in such jurisdiction. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) waived any statute of limitations with respect to Taxes or agreed to extend the period for assessment or collection of any Taxes, which waiver or extension is still in effect, (ii) requested any extension of time within which to file any Tax Return, other than routine extensions available as a matter of right which Tax Return has not yet been filed, or (iii) executed or filed any power of attorney with any taxing authority, which is still in effect.
(c) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has made any payment, is obligated to make any payment, or is a party to any agreement that could obligate it to make any payment that may be treated as an excess parachute payment under Section 280G of the Code (without regard to Sections 280G(b)(4) and 280G(b)(5) of the Code).
(d) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(l)(A)(ii) of the Code.
(e) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has distributed to its stockholders or security holders stock or securities of a controlled corporation, nor has stock or securities of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries been distributed, in a transaction to which Section 355 of the Code applies (i) in the two years prior to the date of this Agreement or (ii) in a distribution that could otherwise constitute part of a plan or series of related transactions (within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code) that includes the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(f) There are no Liens with respect to Taxes upon any of the assets or properties of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries, other than with respect to Taxes not yet due and payable.
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(g) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries will be required to include any item of income in, or exclude any item of deduction from, taxable income for any period (or any portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any (i) adjustments under Section 481 of the Code (or any similar adjustments under any provision of the Code or the corresponding foreign, state or local Tax laws), (ii) deferred intercompany gain or any excess loss account described in Treasury Regulations under Section 1502 of the Code (or any corresponding provision of state, local or foreign Tax law), (iii) closing agreement as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign Tax law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date, (iv) installment sale or other open transaction disposition made on or prior to the Closing Date, (v) prepaid amount received on or prior to the Closing Date, or (vi) any election made pursuant to Section 108(i) of the Code on or prior to the Closing Date.
(h) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has participated in any reportable transaction as defined in section 1.6011-4(b) of the Treasury Regulations or a listed transaction as set forth in section 301.6111-2(b)(2) of the Treasury Regulations or any analogous provision of state or local law.
(i) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) is a party to any joint venture, partnership, or other arrangement that is treated as a partnership for federal income Tax purposes or (ii) has made an entity classification (check-the-box) election under Section 7701 of the Code.
(j) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) is a stockholder of a specified foreign corporation (other than the Subsidiaries of Merger Partner) as defined in Section 965(e) of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law), or (ii) is a stockholder in a passive foreign investment company as defined in Section 1297 of the Code. None of Merger Partners Subsidiaries that are or have at any time been controlled foreign corporations (within the meaning of Section 957(c) of the Code) (i) has derived (or been treated for U.S. federal income Tax purposes as deriving) any material item of subpart F income (within the meaning of Section 952(a) of the Code, as determined after the application of Section 952(c) of the Code) in any year, or (ii) has made any investment in United States property (within the meaning of Section 956(c) of the Code) at any time. None of Merger Partners Subsidiaries was a deferred foreign income corporation as defined in Section 965(d)(1) of the Code with respect to Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries.
(k) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to Tax in any country other than its country of incorporation, organization or formation by virtue of having employees, a permanent establishment or other place of business in that country.
(l) All related party transactions involving Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries have been conducted at arms length in compliance with Section 482 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and any comparable provisions of any other Tax law. Each of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries has maintained documentation (including any applicable transfer pricing studies) in connection with such related party transactions in accordance with Sections 482 and 6662 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and any comparable provisions of any other Tax law.
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(m) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Affiliates has taken or agreed to take any action, has omitted to take any action, or has any knowledge of any fact or circumstance, the taking, omission, or existence of which, as the case may be, that would reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from constituting a transaction qualifying as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code.
(n) Neither Merger Partner nor any Subsidiary is an investment company as defined in Section 368(a)(2)(F)(iii) and (iv) of the Code.
3.9 Owned and Leased Real Properties .
(a) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries owns or has ever owned any real property.
(b) Section 3.9(b) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of all real property leased, subleased or licensed by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries as of the date of this Agreement (collectively, the Merger Partner Leases ) and the location of the premises of such real property. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, any other party, is in breach or default and no event has occurred, is pending or, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, is threatened, which, after the giving of notice, with lapse of time, or otherwise, would constitute any such breach or default under any of Merger Partner Leases, except where the existence of such breaches or defaults, individually or in the aggregate, has not had, and is not reasonably likely to result in, the loss of a material right or in a material liability of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries leases, subleases or licenses any real property to any person other than Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries. Merger Partner has made available to Public Company complete and accurate copies of all Merger Partner Leases.
3.10 Intellectual Property .
(a) Section 3.10(a) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule lists all Merger Partner Registrations, in each case enumerating specifically the applicable filing or registration number, title, jurisdiction in which filing was made or from which registration issued, date of filing or issuance, and names of all current applicant(s) and registered owners(s), as applicable. All assignments of Merger Partner Registrations to Merger Partner have been properly executed and recorded, or are in process, and all issuance, renewal, maintenance and other payments that have become due with respect thereto have been timely paid by or on behalf of Merger Partner. To the knowledge of Merger Partner, all Merger Partner Registrations are valid and enforceable.
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(b) There are no inventorship challenges, inter partes proceedings, opposition or nullity proceedings or interferences declared, commenced or provoked, or, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, threatened, with respect to any Patent Rights included in the Merger Partner Registrations. To the Knowledge of Merger Partner, Merger Partner has complied with its duty of candor and disclosure to the United States Patent and Trademark Office and any relevant foreign patent office with respect to all patent and trademark applications filed by or on behalf of Merger Partner and has made no material misrepresentation in such applications. Merger Partner has no knowledge of any information that would preclude Merger Partner from having clear title to the Merger Partner Registrations.
(c) Merger Partner is the sole and exclusive owner of all Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property, free and clear of any Liens, other than any joint owners of the Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property that are listed in Section 3.10(c) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule.
(d) To Merger Partners knowledge, the Merger Partner Intellectual Property constitutes all Intellectual Property necessary to conduct Merger Partners business in the manner currently conducted and currently proposed by Merger Partner to be conducted in the future.
(e) Merger Partner has taken reasonable measures to protect the proprietary nature of each item of Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property, and to maintain in confidence all trade secrets and confidential information comprising a part thereof. To Merger Partners knowledge, there has been no unauthorized disclosure of any third party proprietary or confidential information in the possession, custody or control of Merger Partner.
(f) To the knowledge of Merger Partner, the operations of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted do not and have not in the past five years infringe(d) or misappropriate(d) the Intellectual Property rights of any individual or entity, or constitute(d) unfair competition or trade practices under the Laws of the jurisdiction in which such operations are conducted. To Merger Partners knowledge, no individual or entity has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated the Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property or any rights under the Merger Partner Licensed Intellectual Property that are exclusively licensed to Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries, and neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has filed or threatened in writing any claims alleging that a third party or Worker has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any Merger Partner Intellectual Property. No individual or entity has filed and served upon Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or, to Merger Partners knowledge, threatened or otherwise filed any action or proceeding alleging that Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any individuals or entitys Intellectual Property rights nor has Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries received any written notification that a license under any other individuals or entitys Intellectual Property is or may be required.
(g) To the knowledge of Merger Partner, no individual or entity (including any current or former Worker of Merger Partner) is infringing, violating, misappropriating, using in an unauthorized manner or disclosing in an unauthorized manner any of the Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property or any Merger Partner Licensed Intellectual Property. Merger Partner has made available copies of all correspondence, analyses, legal opinions, complaints, claims, notices or threats prepared or received by Merger Partner concerning the infringement, violation or misappropriation of any Merger Partner Intellectual Property.
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(h) Section 3.10(h) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule identifies each license, covenant or other agreement pursuant to which Merger Partner has assigned, transferred, licensed, distributed or otherwise granted any right or access to any individual or entity, or covenanted not to assert any right, with respect to any past, existing or future Merger Partner Intellectual Property.
(i) Section 3.10(i) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule identifies (i) each license or agreement pursuant to which Merger Partner has obtained rights to any Merger Partner Licensed Intellectual Property (excluding generally available, off the shelf software programs that are licensed by Merger Partner pursuant to shrink wrap licenses, the total fees associated with which are less than $10,000) and (ii) each agreement, contract, assignment or other instrument pursuant to which Merger Partner has obtained any joint or sole ownership interest in or to each item of Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property.
(j) To Merger Partners knowledge, no Worker of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries is in material default or breach of any term of any employment Contract, non-disclosure Contract, assignment of invention Contract or similar Contract between such Worker and Merger Partner or its Subsidiary, as applicable, relating to the protection, ownership, development, use or transfer of Merger Partner Intellectual Property. Each Worker of Merger Partner or its Subsidiary has executed an employment Contract, non-disclosure Contract, assignment of invention Contract or similar Contract assigning to Merger Partner or its Subsidiary, as the case may be, of any Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property that was conceived, developed or created for Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries by such Worker.
(k) Neither the negotiation, execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, will result in (i) a material breach of or default under any agreement to which Merger Partner is a party governing any Merger Partner Intellectual Property, (ii) a material impairment of the rights of Merger Partner in or to any Merger Partner Intellectual Property or portion thereof, (iii) the grant or transfer to any third party of any new license or other interest under, the abandonment, assignment to any third party, or modification or loss of any right with respect to, or the creation of any Lien on, any Merger Partner Intellectual Property, (iv) Merger Partner or any of its Affiliates being obligated to pay any penalty or new or increased royalty or fee to any individual or entity under any agreement governing any Merger Partner Intellectual Property, or (v) Merger Partner or any of its Affiliates being (A) bound by or subject to any noncompete or licensing obligation or covenant not to sue or (B) obligated to license any of its Intellectual Property to (or obligated not to assert its Intellectual Property against) any individual or entity, except in the case of clauses (i) and (ii) of this Section 3.10(k) for any such breach, default or impairment that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to result in, the loss of a material benefit to, or in the creation of any material liability for, Merger Partner.
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(l) For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(i) Intellectual Property shall mean the following subsisting throughout the world: (i) Patent Rights; (ii) Trademarks and all goodwill in the Trademarks; (iii) copyrights, designs, data and database rights and registrations and applications for registration thereof, including moral rights of authors; (iv) mask works and registrations and applications for registration thereof and any other rights in semiconductor topologies under the Laws of any jurisdiction; (v) inventions, invention disclosures, statutory invention registrations, trade secrets and confidential business information, know-how, scientific and technical information, data and technology, including medical, clinical, toxicological and other scientific data, manufacturing and product processes, algorithms, techniques and analytical methodology, research and development information, financial, marketing and business data, pricing and cost information, business and marketing plans and customer and supplier lists and information, whether patentable or nonpatentable, whether copyrightable or noncopyrightable and whether or not reduced to practice; and (vi) other proprietary rights relating to any of the foregoing (including remedies against infringement thereof and rights of protection of interest therein under the Laws of all jurisdictions).
(ii) Intellectual Property Registrations shall mean applications and registrations for Patent Rights, Trademarks, copyrights and designs, and mask works.
(iii) Law shall mean each applicable transnational, domestic or foreign federal, state or local law (statutory, common or otherwise) law, order, judgment, rule, code, statute, regulation, requirement, variance, decree, writ, injunction, award, ruling, Permit or ordinance of any Governmental Entity, including any applicable stock exchange rule or requirement.
(iv) Merger Partner Intellectual Property shall mean the Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property and the Merger Partner Licensed Intellectual Property.
(v) Merger Partner Licensed Intellectual Property shall mean all Intellectual Property that is licensed to Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries by any individual or entity other than Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries.
(vi) Merger Partner Owned Intellectual Property shall mean all Intellectual Property owned or purported to be owned by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries, in whole or in part.
(vii) Merger Partner Registrations shall mean Intellectual Property Registrations that are registered or filed in the name of Merger Partner, alone or jointly with others.
(viii) Patent Rights shall mean all patents, patent applications, utility models, design registrations and certificates of invention and other governmental grants for the protection of inventions or industrial designs (including all related continuations, continuations-in-part, divisionals, reissues and reexaminations).
(ix) Trademarks shall mean all registered trademarks and service marks, logos, Internet domain names, social media accounts and identifiers, corporate names and doing business designations and all registrations and applications for registration of the foregoing, common law trademarks and service marks and trade dress.
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(x) Worker means any individual who is an officer, director, employee (regular, temporary, part-time or otherwise), consultant or independent contractor of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as applicable.
3.11 Contracts .
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, there are no Contracts that are material contracts (as defined in Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K) with respect to Merger Partner (assuming Merger Partner was subject to the requirements of the Exchange Act), other than those Contracts identified in Section 3.11(a) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule.
(b) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered into any transaction that would be subject to proxy statement disclosure pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K (assuming Merger Partner was subject to the requirements of the Exchange Act), other than as disclosed in Section 3.11(b) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule.
(c) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any agreement under which a third party would be entitled to receive a license or any other right to Merger Partner Intellectual Property as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Section 3.11(d) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule lists the following Contracts of Merger Partner in effect as of the date of this Agreement:
(i) any Contract (or group of related Contracts) for the purchase or sale of products or for the furnishing or receipt of services (A) which calls for performance over a period of more than 180 days from the date of this Agreement, (B) which involves an aggregate of more than $150,000 or (C) in which Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries has granted manufacturing rights, most favored nation pricing provisions or marketing or distribution rights relating to any products or territory or has agreed to purchase a minimum quantity of goods or services or has agreed to purchase goods or services exclusively from a particular party;
(ii) any Contract under which the consequences of a default or termination would reasonably be likely to have a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect;
(iii) any Contract that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or impairing the conduct of the business of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries as currently conducted;
(iv) any Contract under which Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries is restricted from selling, licensing or otherwise distributing any of its technology or products, or providing services to, customers or potential customers or any class of customers, in any geographic area, during any period of time or any segment of the market or line of business;
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(v) any dealer, distribution, joint marketing, joint venture, joint development, partnership, strategic alliance, collaboration, development agreement or outsourcing arrangement;
(vi) any Contract for the conduct of research studies, pre-clinical or clinical studies, manufacturing, distribution, supply, marketing or co-promotion of any products in development by or which has been or which is being marketed, distributed, supported, sold or licensed out, in each case by or on behalf of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries; and
(vii) any Contract that would entitle any third party to receive a license or any other right to Intellectual Property of Public Company or any of Public Companys Affiliates following the Closing.
(e) Merger Partner has made available to Public Company a complete and accurate copy of each Contract listed in Sections 3.10(a), 3.10(h), 3.10(i), 3.11(a), 3.11(b) and 3.11(d) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule. With respect to each Contract so listed: (i) the Contract is legal, valid, binding and enforceable and in full force and effect against Merger Partner and/or its Subsidiaries party thereto, as applicable, and, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, against each other party thereto, as applicable, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception; (ii) the Contract will continue to be legal, valid, binding and enforceable and in full force and effect against Merger Partner and/or its Subsidiaries party thereto, as applicable, and, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, against each other party thereto, immediately following the Closing in accordance with the terms thereof as in effect immediately prior to the Closing (other than any such Contracts that expire or terminate before such time in accordance with their terms and not as a result of a breach or default by Merger Partner or its Subsidiaries), in each such case subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception and except to the extent the failure to be in full force and effect, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be likely to have a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) none of Merger Partner, its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, any other party, is in breach or violation of, or default under, any such Contract, and no event has occurred, is pending or, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, is threatened, which, with or without notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a breach or default by Merger Partner, its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, any other party under such Contract, except for such breaches, violations or defaults that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect.
(f) For purposes of this Agreement, the term Contract shall mean, with respect to any person, any written, oral or other agreement, contract, subcontract, lease (whether for real or personal property), mortgage, understanding, arrangement, instrument, note, option, warranty, license, sublicense, insurance policy, benefit plan or commitment or undertaking of any nature to which such person is a party or by which such person or any of its assets are bound under applicable law.
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3.12 Litigation . There is no action, suit, proceeding, claim, arbitration or investigation before any Governmental Entity or before any arbitrator that is pending or, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, threatened or reasonably anticipated against Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries that (a) seeks either damages in excess of $100,000 or equitable relief or (b) in any manner challenges or seeks to prevent, enjoin, alter or delay the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for such actions, suits, proceedings, claims, arbitrations or investigations first arising after the date of this Agreement that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect. There are no material judgments, orders or decrees outstanding against Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.13 Environmental Matters .
(a) Except for such matters that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect:
(i) Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable Environmental Laws;
(ii) to the knowledge of Merger Partner, the properties currently owned, leased or operated by Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries (including soils, groundwater, surface water, buildings or other structures) are not contaminated with any Hazardous Substances;
(iii) to the knowledge of Merger Partner, the properties formerly owned, leased or operated by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries were not contaminated with Hazardous Substances during the period of ownership, use or operation by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries;
(iv) neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries are subject to liability for any Hazardous Substance disposal or contamination on the property of any third party; and
(v) neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries have released any Hazardous Substance into the environment.
(b) As of the date of this Agreement, neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notice, demand, letter, claim or request for information alleging that Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries may be in violation of, liable under or have obligations under, any Environmental Law.
(c) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any written orders, decrees, injunctions or other arrangements with any Governmental Entity or is subject to any indemnity or other written agreement with any third party relating to liability under any Environmental Law or relating to Hazardous Substances.
(d) For purposes of this Agreement, the term Environmental Law means any law, regulation, order, decree, permit, authorization, opinion, common law or agency requirement of any jurisdiction relating to: (i) the protection, investigation or restoration of the environment, human health and safety or natural resources, (ii) the handling, use, storage, treatment, presence, disposal, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Substance or (iii) noise, odor, wetlands, pollution, contamination or any injury or threat of injury to persons or property.
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(e) For purposes of this Agreement, the term Hazardous Substance means any substance that is: (i) listed, classified, regulated or which falls within the definition of a hazardous substance, hazardous waste or hazardous material pursuant to any Environmental Law; (ii) any petroleum product or by-product, asbestos-containing material, lead-containing paint or plumbing, polychlorinated biphenyls, radioactive materials or radon; or (iii) any other substance that is the subject of regulatory action by any Governmental Entity pursuant to any Environmental Law.
3.14 Employee Benefit Plans .
(a) Section 3.14(a) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of all Employee Benefit Plans maintained, or contributed to, by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA Affiliates for the benefit of any current or former employee or other service provider of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries (collectively, the Merger Partner Employee Plans ).
(b) Each Merger Partner Employee Plan has been established, maintained and administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms, ERISA, the Code and all other applicable laws and the regulations thereunder and each of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries and their respective ERISA Affiliates has performed all material obligations with respect to such Merger Partner Employee Plan and has made all required contributions thereto (or reserved such contributions on the Merger Partner Balance Sheet). Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries and each of their respective ERISA Affiliates and each Merger Partner Employee Plan are in compliance in all material respects with the currently applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code and the regulations thereunder (including Section 4980B of the Code, Subtitle K, Chapter 100 of the Code and Sections 601 through 608 and Section 701 et seq. of ERISA). All filings and reports as to each Merger Partner Employee Plan required to have been submitted to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the IRS ) or to the United States Department of Labor have been timely submitted. There is no audit, investigation or other proceeding (including any voluntary correction application) pending against or involving any Merger Partner Employee Plan. There have been no events with respect to any Merger Partner Employee Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in payment or assessment by or against Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries of any Taxes, including (but without limitation) any excise Taxes under Sections 4972, 4975, 4976, 4977, 4979, 4980B, 4980D, 4980E, 4980H or 5000 of the Code. With respect to Merger Partner Employee Plans, no event has occurred, and to the knowledge of Merger Partner, there exists no condition or set of circumstances (other than routine claims for benefits) in connection with which Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries could be subject to any liability that is reasonably likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect under ERISA, the Code or any other applicable law.
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(c) With respect to Merger Partner Employee Plans, there are no benefit obligations for which contributions have not been made or properly accrued and there are no benefit obligations that have not been accounted for by reserves, or otherwise properly footnoted in accordance with GAAP, on the financial statements of Merger Partner, which obligations are reasonably likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect. The assets of each Merger Partner Employee Plan that is funded are reported at their fair market value on the books and records of such Merger Partner Employee Plan.
(d) All Merger Partner Employee Plans that are intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code have received determination letters from the IRS to the effect that such Merger Partner Employee Plans are qualified and the plans and trusts related thereto are exempt from federal income taxes under Sections 401(a) and 501(a), respectively, of the Code, no such determination letter has been revoked and revocation has not been threatened, and no such Merger Partner Employee Plan has been amended or operated since the date of its most recent determination letter or application therefor in any respect, and no act or omission has occurred, that would adversely affect its qualification or materially increase its cost.
(e) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective ERISA Affiliates has (i) ever maintained an Employee Benefit Plan that was ever subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA or (ii) ever been obligated to contribute to a multiemployer plan (as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA). No Merger Partner Employee Plan is funded by, associated with or related to a voluntary employees beneficiary association within the meaning of Section 501(c)(9) of the Code. No Merger Partner Employee Plan holds securities issued by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA Affiliates. No Merger Partner Employee Plan is a multiple employer plan within the meaning of Section 413(c) of the Code or a multiple employer welfare arrangement as defined in Section 3(40) of ERISA.
(f) There are no loans or extensions of credit by Merger Partner, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA Affiliate to any employee or any other service provider to Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries.
(g) Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including reporting requirements and all requirements relating to eligibility waiting periods and the offer of or provision of minimum essential coverage that is compliant with Section 36B(c)(2)(C) of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder to full-time employees as defined in Section 4980H(b)(4) of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder. No material excise tax or penalty under the Affordable Care Act, including Section 4980H of the Code, is outstanding, has accrued, or has arisen and there has been no change in health plan terms or coverage that would reasonably be expected to attract an excise tax under Section 4980H of the Code for the current year. None of Merger Partner nor its Subsidiaries has received any written notification from any Governmental Entity concerning potential liability under the Affordable Care Act.
(h) Each Merger Partner Employee Plan that is a nonqualified deferred compensation plan (as defined in Section 409A(d)(1) of the Code) complies in form and operation with Section 409A of the Code and all IRS regulations and other guidance promulgated thereunder. No event has occurred that would be treated by Section 409A(b) of the
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Code as a transfer of property for purposes of Section 83 of the Code. No stock option or equity unit option granted under any Merger Partner Employee Plan has an exercise price that has been or may be less than the fair market value of the underlying stock or equity units (as the case may be) as of the date such option was granted or has any feature for the deferral of compensation other than the deferral of recognition of income until the later of exercise or disposition of such option. No nonqualified deferred compensation plan has been administered in a manner that would cause an excise tax to apply to payments to plan participants.
(i) For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(i) Employee Benefit Plan means any employee pension benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), any employee welfare benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA) and any other written or oral plan, agreement or arrangement involving direct or indirect compensation, including insurance coverage, severance benefits, disability benefits, fringe benefits, perquisites, change in control benefits, deferred compensation, bonuses, stock options, stock purchase, phantom stock, stock appreciation or other forms of incentive compensation or post-retirement compensation and all unexpired severance agreements, written or otherwise.
(ii) ERISA means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
(iii) ERISA Affiliate means any entity (whether or not incorporated) that is, or at any applicable time was, treated as a single employer with Merger Partner or Public Company, as applicable, or with any of such persons Subsidiaries within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code or Section 4001 of ERISA.
3.15 Compliance With Laws . Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with, is not in material violation of, and, as of the date of this Agreement, has not received any written notice alleging any material violation with respect to, any applicable provisions of any statute, law or regulation with respect to the conduct of its business, or the ownership or operation of its properties or assets.
3.16 Permits and Regulatory Matters .
(a) Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries have submitted all applications and obtained all permits, licenses, registrations, authorizations, certificates, orders, approvals, franchises, variances and other similar rights issued by or obtained from any Governmental Entities (collectively, Permits ) that are material to the conduct of its business as currently conducted, including all such Permits required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA ), and any other federal, state or foreign agencies or bodies (together with the FDA, the Regulating Authority ) engaged in the regulation of pharmaceuticals or biohazardous materials.
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(b) All Permits that are necessary for the conduct of the business of Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries as currently conducted ( Merger Partner Authorizations ) are in full force and effect, and to the knowledge of Merger Partner, Merger Partner has not received notice of any violations or notices of failure to comply in respect of any such Merger Partner Authorization. No such Merger Partner Authorization shall cease to be effective as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects under any of such Merger Partner Authorizations. All applications, reports, notices and other documents required to be filed by Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries with all Governmental Entities have been timely filed and are complete and correct in all material respects as filed or as amended prior to the date of this Agreement. None of Merger Partner, any Subsidiary of Merger Partner, and to Merger Partners knowledge, any officer, employee or agent of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries has been convicted of any crime or engaged in any conduct that has previously caused or would reasonably be expected to result in (A) disqualification or debarment by the FDA under 21 U.S.C. Sections 335(a) or (b), or any similar law, rule or regulation of any other Governmental Entity, or (B) exclusion under 42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7 or any similar law, rule or regulation of any Governmental Entity.
(c) Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries: (i) is and at all times has been in material compliance, to the extent applicable, with all statutes, rules, regulations (including all requirements relating to Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices), and with all orders and administered or issued by the FDA or any other Governmental Entity exercising comparable authority, applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product tested, developed, promoted, marketed, manufactured or distributed by Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries; (ii) has not received any notice or correspondence from any Governmental Entity alleging or asserting any material noncompliance with any Merger Partner Authorizations; and (iii) has not received notice that any Governmental Entity has taken or is intending to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any Merger Partner Authorizations and, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, there is no action or proceeding pending or threatened (including any prosecution, injunction, seizure, civil fine, suspension or recall), in each case alleging that such Governmental Entity is considering such action. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective officers, employees or agents have made an untrue statement of a material fact or fraudulent statement to any Governmental Entity relating to the Merger Party Authorizations or failed to disclose a material fact required to be disclosed to any Government Entity relating to the Merger Partner Authorizations.
(d) To Merger Partners knowledge, all preclinical studies and clinical trials sponsored by Merger Partner are being conducted in compliance in all material respects with applicable laws, including, as applicable, Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices requirements and privacy laws. Merger Partner has not received any written notices from any Government Entity, institutional review board, independent ethics committee, data and safety monitoring board, or other oversight body with respect to any clinical trials or pre-clinical studies requiring the termination, suspension or material modification of such studies or trials and, to Merger Partners knowledge, there are no facts that would reasonably give rise to such an action.
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(e) There are no seizures, recalls, market withdrawals, field notifications or corrective actions, notifications of misbranding or adulteration, destruction orders, safety alerts or similar actions relating to the safety or efficacy of any products marketed or sold by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries being conducted, requested in writing or, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, threatened by the FDA or any other Governmental Entity. Merger Partner has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued any recall, market withdrawal, safety alert or other similar notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any products marketed or sold by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries.
(f) The preclinical studies and clinical trials, if any, conducted by or on behalf of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries are being conducted or have been conducted in all material respects in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to accepted professional and scientific standards for products or product candidates comparable to those being developed by Merger Partner or its Subsidiaries and all applicable laws and regulations. The descriptions of, protocols for, and data and other results of, any such studies, tests and/or trials that have been furnished or made available to Public Company are accurate and complete in all material respects. Merger Partner is not aware of any studies, or trials the results of which reasonably call into question the results of the studies and trials conducted by or on behalf of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries, and neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notices or other correspondence from the FDA or any other Governmental Entity exercising comparable authority or any institutional review board or comparable authority requiring the termination, clinical hold or partial clinical hold, suspension or material modification of any preclinical studies or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries.
3.17 Employees .
(a) All current and past key employees of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries have entered into confidentiality and assignment of inventions agreements with Merger Partner or such Subsidiary, a copy or form of which has previously been made available to Public Company. To the knowledge of Merger Partner, as of the date of this Agreement, no employee of Merger Partner or any Subsidiary of Merger Partner is in violation of any term of any patent disclosure agreement, non-competition agreement, or any restrictive covenant to a former employer relating to the right of any such employee to be employed by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries because of the nature of the business currently conducted by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or to the use of trade secrets or proprietary information of others. To the knowledge of Merger Partner, as of the date of this Agreement, no key employee or group of key employees has any plans to terminate employment with Merger Partner or its Subsidiaries.
(b) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has been a party to or otherwise bound by any collective bargaining agreement, contract or other agreement or understanding with a labor union or labor organization. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has been the subject of any proceeding asserting that Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries has committed an unfair labor practice or is seeking to compel it to bargain with any labor union or labor organization, nor is there or has there been pending or, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, threatened, any labor strike, dispute, walkout, work stoppage, slow-down or lockout involving Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries.
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(c) To the knowledge of Merger Partner, Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries are and have been in material compliance with all applicable Laws related to employment (including verification of employment eligibility), employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours (including, without limitation, classification of employees) with respect to any employee (as defined by, or determined in accordance with, applicable Laws). To the knowledge of Merger Partner, all employees of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States.
(d) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has received written notice of any charge or complaint pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or other Governmental Entity alleging unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation or any other violation of or non-compliance with applicable Law relating to the employment, treatment, or termination of any employees of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of Merger Partner, has any such charge been threatened. No current or former employee of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries has, pursuant to internal complaint procedures, made a written complaint of discrimination, retaliation or harassment, nor to Merger Partners knowledge, has an oral complaint of any of the foregoing been made.
(e) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has caused a plant closing as defined in the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (the WARN Act ) affecting any site of employment or one or more operating units within any site of employment, or a mass layoff as defined in the WARN Act, nor have any of the foregoing been affected by any transaction or engaged in layoffs or employment terminations sufficient in number to trigger application of any similar foreign, state or local Law.
3.18 Insurance . Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries maintain insurance policies (the Merger Partner Insurance Policies ), including insurance covering directors and officers for securities law and other customary liabilities, with reputable insurance carriers against all risks of a character and in such amounts as are usually insured against by similarly situated companies in the same or similar businesses. Each Merger Partner Insurance Policy is in full force and effect. None of the Merger Partner Insurance Policies shall terminate or lapse (or be affected in any other adverse manner) by reason of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with the provisions of each Merger Partner Insurance Policy under which it is the insured party. No insurer under any Merger Partner Insurance Policy has cancelled or generally disclaimed liability under any such policy or indicated to Merger Partner any written intent to do so or not to renew any such policy. All claims under the Merger Partner Insurance Policies have been filed in a timely fashion.
3.19 [Intentionally omitted]
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3.20 Brokers; Fees and Expenses . Except as set forth in Section 3.20 of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedules, no agent, broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other firm or person is or shall be entitled, as a result of any action, agreement or commitment of Merger Partner or any of its Affiliates, to any brokers, finders, financial advisors or other similar fee or commission in connection with any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Merger Partner is not a party to any agreements with any agent, broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other similar firm or person that have not been made available to Public Company and which grant to such person rights after the Closing.
3.21 Certain Business Relationships With Affiliates . No Affiliate of Merger Partner or of any of its Subsidiaries (a) owns any property or right, tangible or intangible, which is used in the business of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries, (b) to the knowledge of Merger Partner, has any claim or cause of action against Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or (c) owes any money to, or is owed any money by, Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries. Section 3.21 of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule describes any material Contracts between Merger Partner and any Affiliate thereof which were entered into or have been in effect at any time since July 15, 2014, other than (i) any employment Contracts, invention assignment agreements and other Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business relating to employment, or (ii) Contracts relating to stock purchases and awards, stock options and other equity arrangements, in each case relating to compensation.
3.22 Controls and Procedures, Certifications and Other Matters .
(a) Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries maintains accurate books and records reflecting its assets and liabilities and maintains proper and adequate internal control over financial reporting that provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed with managements authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the consolidated financial statements of Merger Partner and to maintain accountability for Merger Partners consolidated assets, (iii) access to assets of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries is permitted only in accordance with managements authorization, (iv) the reporting of assets of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries is compared with existing assets at regular intervals and (v) accounts, notes and other receivables and inventory were recorded accurately, and proper and adequate procedures are implemented to effect the collection thereof on a current and timely basis.
(b) Merger Partner maintains adequate disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that material information relating to Merger Partner is made known to the President and the Chief Financial Officer of Merger Partner.
(c) Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, modified or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan or otherwise, to or for any director or executive officer of Merger Partner. Section 3.22(c) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule identifies any loan or extension of credit maintained by Merger Partner to which the second sentence of Section 13(k)(1) of the Exchange Act applies.
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3.23 Books and Records . The minute books and other similar records of Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries contain complete and accurate records of all actions taken at any meetings of Merger Partners or such Subsidiarys stockholders, Board of Directors or any committee thereof and of all written consents executed in lieu of the holding of any such meeting. The books and records of Merger Partner and each of its Subsidiaries accurately reflect in all material respects the assets, liabilities, business, financial condition and results of operations of Merger Partner or such Subsidiary and have been maintained in accordance with good business and bookkeeping practices.
3.24 Ownership of Public Company Common Stock . None of Merger Partner nor any of Merger Partners Affiliates or Associates directly or indirectly owns, beneficially or otherwise, and at all times during the three-year period prior to the date of this Agreement, none of Merger Partners Affiliates or Associates directly or indirectly has owned, beneficially or otherwise, any of the outstanding Public Company Common Stock, as those terms are defined in Section 203 of the DGCL
3.25 Subsidies . All governmental, state or regional subsidies granted to Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries were used in accordance with applicable provisions of any statute, law or regulation or any other public orders or conditions imposed or related to them in conjunction with their granting and, in particular, all conditions imposed by the respective Governmental Entities have been fulfilled and observed. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries is under any further obligation to perform any services with regard to such subsidies and no such subsidies have to be repaid by Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries as a result of the negotiation, execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or any other reason.
3.26 Data Protection . Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries have fully complied at all material times and currently fully comply with any data protection and privacy legislation applicable to their businesses including (i) the requirements relating to notification and/or registration of processing of personal data with any applicable national data protection regulator, (ii) all subject information requests from data subjects, (iii) where necessary, the obtaining of consent to data processing and/or direct marketing activity, and (iv) where necessary, the obtaining of any approval, consultation and/or agreement of any applicable works councils or such similar worker representation bodies. Neither Merger Partner nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice or complaint from any individual, third party and/or regulatory authority alleging non-compliance with any applicable data protection and privacy legislation (including any prohibition or restriction on the transfer of data to any jurisdiction) or claiming compensation for or an injunction in respect of non-compliance with any applicable data protection and privacy legislation.
3.27 No Other Representations or Warranties . Merger Partner hereby acknowledges and agrees that, except for the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, none of Public Company, Merger Sub nor any other person on behalf of Public Company or Merger Sub makes any express or implied representation or warranty with respect to Public Company, Merger Sub or with respect to any other information provided to Merger Partner or any of its Affiliates in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, and (subject to the express
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representations and warranties of Public Company and Merger Sub set forth in Article IV (in each case as qualified and limited by the Public Company Disclosure Schedule)) none of Merger Partner or any of its Affiliates, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives or advisors, or any other person, has relied on any such information (including the accuracy or completeness thereof).
ARTICLE IV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PUBLIC COMPANY AND THE MERGER SUB
Public Company and Merger Sub represent and warrant to Merger Partner that the statements contained in this Article IV are true and correct, except (a) as disclosed in the Public Company SEC Reports filed or furnished prior to the date of this Agreement (but excluding any disclosures under the heading Risk Factors and any disclosure of risks included in any forward looking statements disclaimers or in any other section to the extent they are forward-looking statements or cautionary, predictive or forward-looking in nature) or (b) as expressly set forth herein or in the disclosure schedule delivered by Public Company and Merger Sub to Merger Partner on the date of this Agreement (the Public Company Disclosure Schedule ). For purposes hereof, the phrase to the knowledge of Public Company and similar expressions mean the actual knowledge of the persons identified on Section K of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule for this purpose, and such knowledge as such persons would reasonably be expected to have obtained in the course of their performance of their positions at Public Company (after due inquiry).
4.1 Organization, Standing and Power . Each of Public Company and Merger Sub is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction listed on Section 4.1 of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule, which jurisdictions constitute the only jurisdictions in which the character of the properties it owns, operates or leases or the nature of its activities makes such qualification necessary, except for such failures to be so qualified or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, that have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Public Company Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this Agreement, the term Public Company Material Adverse Effect means any material adverse change, effect, event, circumstance or development that is materially adverse to or has a material adverse effect on (i) the business, assets, liabilities, capitalization, financial condition, or results of operations of Public Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (b) the ability of Public Company to consummate the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or to perform any of its covenants or obligations under this Agreement; provided , however , that none of the following, to the extent arising after the date of this Agreement, either alone or in combination, shall be deemed to be a Public Company Material Adverse Effect and none of the following shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been or will be a Public Company Material Adverse Effect: any change or event caused by or resulting from (A) changes in prevailing economic or market conditions in the United States or any other
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jurisdiction in which such entity has substantial business operations (except to the extent those changes have a disproportionate effect on Public Company and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Public Company and its Subsidiaries operate), (B) changes or events affecting the industry or industries in which Public Company and its Subsidiaries operate generally (except to the extent those changes or events have a disproportionate effect on Public Company and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Public Company and its Subsidiaries operate), (C) changes in generally accepted accounting principles or requirements (except to the extent those changes have a disproportionate effect on Public Company and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Public Company and its Subsidiaries operate), (D) changes in laws, rules or regulations of general applicability or interpretations thereof by any Governmental Entity (except to the extent those changes have a disproportionate effect on Public Company and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Public Company and its Subsidiaries operate), (E) any natural disaster or any outbreak of major hostilities in which the United States is involved or any act of terrorism within the United States or directed against its facilities or citizens wherever located or any governmental response to any of the foregoing (except to the extent those changes or events have a disproportionate effect on Public Company and its Subsidiaries relative to the other participants in the industry or industries in which Public Company and its Subsidiaries operate), (F) a change in the public trading price of Public Company Common Stock or the implications thereof, (G) a change in the trading volume of Public Company Common Stock, (H) any failure by Public Company to meet any public estimates or expectations of Public Companys revenue, earnings or other financial performance or results of operations for any period, or (I) any failure by Public Company to meet any guidance, budgets, plans or forecasts of its revenues, earnings, or other financial performance or results of operations (but not, in the case of Clauses (F) through (I), the underlying cause of such changes or failures, unless such changes or failures would otherwise be excepted from this definition), (J) any failure to receive consents or approvals in connection with the agreements listed on Section 4.4(b) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule or (K) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Merger, or the announcement or pendency thereof. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties agree that the terms material, materially and materiality as used in this Agreement with an initial lower case m shall have their respective customary and ordinary meanings, without regard to the meanings ascribed to Public Company Material Adverse Effect or Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect, in each case as defined in this Agreement. Public Company has made available to Merger Partner complete and accurate copies of its certificate of incorporation and bylaws and is not in material default under or in material violation of any provision of any such documents.
4.2 Capitalization .
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, the authorized capital stock of Public Company consists of 200,000,000 shares of Public Company Common Stock and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share ( Public Company Preferred Stock ). The rights and privileges of each class of Public Companys capital stock are as set forth in Public Companys certificate of incorporation, as amended. As of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the date of this Agreement, (i) 14,315,410 shares of Public Company Common Stock were issued or outstanding, (ii) no shares of Public Company Common Stock were held in the treasury of Public Company or by Subsidiaries of Public Company, and (iii) no shares of Public Company Preferred Stock were issued or outstanding.
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(b) Section 4.2(b) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of the number of shares of Public Company Common Stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to stock options granted and outstanding as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the date of this Agreement, the plans under which such options were granted (collectively, Public Company Stock Plans ) and the total number of outstanding options to purchase shares of Public Company Common Stock (such outstanding options, Public Company Stock Options ) under the Public Company Stock Plans as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the date of this Agreement, indicating, as of the date of this Agreement, with respect to each such Public Company Stock Option the name of the holder thereof, the Public Company Stock Plan under which it was granted, the number of shares of Public Company Common Stock subject to such Public Company Stock Option, the exercise price, the date of grant and the vesting schedule, including whether (and to what extent) the vesting will be accelerated in any way by the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or by termination of employment or change in position following consummation of the Transaction, and whether such Public Company Stock Option is intended to be an incentive stock option. As of the date of this Agreement, Public Company has reserved 219,748 shares of Public Company Common Stock for issuance to employees pursuant to Public Companys 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the Public Company ESPP ), of which 219,748 shares remain available for issuance thereunder as of the date hereof. Public Company has not granted, issued or authorized the grant or issuance of any Public Company Stock Options on the Business Day prior to the date of this Agreement or on the date of this Agreement. Public Company has made available to Merger Partner accurate and complete copies of all Public Company Stock Plans and the forms of all stock option agreements evidencing Public Company Stock Options.
(c) Section 4.2(c) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule lists the number of shares of Public Company Common Stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to warrants or other outstanding rights (other than Public Company Stock Options) to purchase shares of Public Company Common Stock outstanding as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the date of this Agreement (such outstanding warrants or other rights, the Public Company Warrants ) and the agreement or other document under which such Public Company Warrants were granted, and the exercise price, the date of grant and the expiration date thereof. Public Company has made available to Merger Partner accurate and complete copies of the forms of agreements evidencing all Public Company Warrants.
(d) Except (i) as set forth in this Section 4.2 or in Article II, (ii) as reserved for future grants under Public Company Stock Plans, outstanding as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the date of this Agreement and (iii) for the rights to acquire shares pursuant to the Public Company ESPP, (A) there are no equity securities of any class of Public Company, or any security exchangeable into or exercisable for such equity securities, issued, reserved for issuance or outstanding and (B) there are no options, warrants, equity securities, calls, rights, commitments or agreements of any character to which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound obligating Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries to issue, exchange, transfer, deliver or sell, or cause to
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be issued, exchanged, transferred, delivered or sold, additional shares of capital stock or other equity interests of Public Company or any security or rights convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any such shares or other equity interests, or obligating Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries to grant, extend, accelerate the vesting of, otherwise modify or amend or enter into any such option, warrant, equity security, call, right, commitment or agreement. Public Company does not have any outstanding stock appreciation rights, phantom stock, performance based rights or similar rights or obligations. Other than the Public Company Support Agreement, neither Public Company nor any of its Affiliates is a party to or is bound by any, and to the knowledge of Public Company, there are no, agreements or understandings with respect to the voting (including voting trusts and proxies) or sale or transfer (including agreements imposing transfer restrictions) of any shares of capital stock or other equity interests of Public Company. Except as contemplated by this Agreement or described in this Section 4.2(d), there are no registration rights to which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or they are bound with respect to any equity security of any class of Public Company. Stockholders of Public Company are not entitled to dissenters or appraisal rights under applicable state law in connection with the Merger.
(e) All outstanding shares of Public Company Common Stock are, and all shares of Public Company Common Stock subject to issuance as specified in Sections 4.2(b) and 4.2(c) or pursuant to Article II, upon issuance on the terms and conditions specified in the instruments pursuant to which they are issuable, will be, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and not subject to or otherwise issued in violation of any purchase option, call option, right of first refusal, preemptive right, subscription right or any similar right under any provision of the DGCL, Public Companys certificate of incorporation or bylaws, each as amended, or any agreement to which Public Company is a party or is otherwise bound. There are no obligations, contingent or otherwise, of Public Company or Merger Sub or any of their Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of Public Company capital stock. All outstanding shares of Public Company Common Stock have been offered, issued and sold by Public Company in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws.
4.3 Subsidiaries .
(a) Section 4.3(a) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth, for each Subsidiary of Public Company: (i) its name; (ii) the number and type of outstanding equity securities and a list of the holders thereof; and (iii) the jurisdiction of organization.
(b) Each Subsidiary of Public Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted, and is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction where the character of its properties owned, operated or leased or the nature of its activities makes such qualification necessary, except for such failures to be so organized, qualified or in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, that have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Public Company Material Adverse Effect. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock and other equity securities or interests of each Subsidiary of Public Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid, nonassessable
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and free of preemptive rights and all such shares (other than directors qualifying shares in the case of non-U.S. Subsidiaries, all of which Public Company has the power to cause to be transferred for no or nominal consideration to Public Company or Public Companys designee) are owned, of record and beneficially, by Public Company or another of its Subsidiaries free and clear of all Liens, claims, pledges, agreements or limitations in Public Companys voting rights. There are no outstanding or authorized options, warrants, rights, agreements or commitments to which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or which are binding on any of them providing for the issuance, disposition or acquisition of any capital stock of any Subsidiary of Public Company. There are no outstanding stock appreciation, phantom stock or similar rights with respect to any Subsidiary of Public Company. There are no voting trusts, proxies or other agreements or understandings with respect to the voting of any capital stock of any Subsidiary of Public Company.
(c) Public Company has made available to Merger Partner complete and accurate copies of the charter, bylaws or other organizational documents, each as amended, of each Subsidiary of Public Company.
(d) Public Company does not control directly or indirectly or have any direct or indirect equity participation or similar interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other business association or entity which is not a Subsidiary of Public Company. There are no obligations, contingent or otherwise, of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary of Public Company or to provide funds to or make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any Subsidiary of Public Company or any other entity, other than guarantees of bank obligations of Subsidiaries of Public Company entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business.
4.4 Authority; No Conflict; Required Filings and Consents .
(a) Each of Public Company and Merger Sub has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and, subject only to the Public Company Stockholder Approval and the adoption of this Agreement by Public Company in its capacity as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Public Company Board, at a meeting duly called and held, by the unanimous vote of all directors in attendance, (i) determined that the Merger is fair to, and in the best interests of Public Company and its stockholders and (ii) directed that the Public Company Voting Proposal and, as applicable, the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, be submitted to the stockholders of Public Company for their approval and resolved to recommend that the stockholders of Public Company vote in favor of the approval of Public Company Voting Proposal and, as applicable, the Other Public Company Voting Proposals. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement by Public Company and Merger Sub have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of each of Public Company and Merger Sub, subject only to the required receipt of the Public Company Stockholder Approval and the adoption of this Agreement by Public Company in its capacity as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by each of Public Company
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and Merger Sub and, assuming the due execution and delivery by Merger Partner, constitutes the valid and binding obligation of each of Public Company and Merger Sub, enforceable against Public Company and Merger Sub in accordance with its terms, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception.
(b) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of Public Company and Merger Sub do not, and the consummation by Public Company and Merger Sub of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall not, (i) conflict with, or result in any violation or breach of, any provision of the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of Public Company or Merger Sub or of the charter, bylaws or other organizational document of any other Subsidiary of Public Company, each as amended, (ii) conflict with, or result in any violation or breach of, or constitute (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) a default (or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation or loss of any material benefit) under, or require a consent or waiver under, constitute a change in control under, require the payment of a penalty under or result in the imposition of any Lien on Public Companys or any of its Subsidiaries assets under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any Contract required to be disclosed in Section 4.11(d) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule, or (iii) subject to obtaining the Public Company Stockholder Approval and compliance with the requirements specified in clauses (i) through (vii) of Section 4.4(c), conflict with or violate any permit, concession, franchise, license, judgment, injunction, order, decree, statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of its or their properties or assets, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) of this Section 4.4(b), for any such conflicts, violations, breaches, defaults, terminations, cancellations, accelerations or losses that, individually or in the aggregate have not had, and are not reasonably likely to result in, the loss of a material benefit to, or in the creation of a material liability for, Public Company or would not reasonably be expected to result in a Public Company Material Adverse Effect. Section 4.4(b) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule lists all consents, waivers and approvals under any of Public Companys or any of its Subsidiaries agreements, licenses or leases required to be obtained in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, which, if individually or in the aggregate were not obtained, would result in a loss of a material benefit to, or the creation of any material liability for, Public Company, Merger Partner or the Surviving Corporation as a result of the Merger.
(c) No consent, approval, license, permit, order or authorization of, or registration, declaration, notice or filing with, any Governmental Entity or any stock market or stock exchange on which shares of Public Company Common Stock are listed for trading is required by or with respect to Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation by Public Company or Merger Sub of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for (i) the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Delaware Secretary of State, (ii) the filing of the Registration Statement with the SEC in accordance with the Securities Act, (iii) the filing of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus with the SEC in accordance with the Exchange Act, (iv) the filing of such reports, schedules or materials under Section 13 of or Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act and materials under Rule 165 and Rule 425 under the Securities Act as may be required in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, (v) such consents, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations and filings as may be
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required under applicable state securities laws and the laws of any foreign country, (vi) the filing of an initial listing application for the Public Company Common Stock on Nasdaq with respect to the shares of Public Company Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement (the Nasdaq Listing Application ) and (vii) such other consents, authorizations, orders, filings, approvals and registrations that, individually or in the aggregate, if not obtained or made, would not result in a loss of a material benefit to, or the creation of any material liability for, Public Company or Merger Partner as a result of the Merger.
(d) The affirmative vote in favor of (i) Public Company Voting Proposal and the approval of the issuance of the securities of Public Company in the Post-Closing Financing, by the holders of a majority of the shares of Public Company Common Stock present or represented by proxy and voting at the Public Company Meeting and (ii) the Other Public Company Voting Proposals with respect to amendments to Public Companys certificate of incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split and to change the name of Public Company to X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. immediately following the Effective Time, by the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of Public Company Common Stock as of the record date for the Public Company Meeting is the only vote of the holders of any class or series of Public Companys capital stock or other securities of Public Company necessary to approve the Public Company Voting Proposal and the applicable Other Public Company Voting Proposals. There are no bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of Public Company having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matters on which stockholders of Public Company may vote.
4.5 SEC Filings; Financial Statements; Information Provided .
(a) Public Company has filed all registration statements, forms, reports, certifications and other documents required to be filed by Public Company with the SEC since October 20, 2017. All such registration statements, forms, reports and other documents, as amended prior to the date hereof, and those that Public Company may file after the date hereof until the Closing, are referred to herein as the Public Company SEC Reports . All of the Public Company SEC Reports (A) were or will be filed on a timely basis, (B) at the time filed (or if amended prior to the date hereof, when so amended), complied, or will comply when filed, as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act applicable to such Public Company SEC Reports and (C) did not or will not at the time they were filed (or if amended prior to the date hereof, when so amended) or are filed contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such Public Company SEC Reports or necessary in order to make the statements in such Public Company SEC Reports, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in any material respect.
(b) Each of the consolidated financial statements (including, in each case, any related notes and schedules) contained or to be contained in the Public Company SEC Reports at the time filed (or if amended prior to the date hereof, when so amended) (i) complied or will comply as to form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto, (ii) were or will be prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved and at the
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dates involved (except as may be indicated in the notes to such financial statements or, in the case of unaudited interim financial statements, as permitted by the SEC on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act) and (iii) fairly presented or will fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of Public Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the consolidated assets, liabilities, business, financial condition, results of its operations and cash flows for the periods indicated, consistent with the books and records of Public Company and its Subsidiaries, except that the unaudited interim financial statements were or are subject to normal and recurring year-end adjustments. The consolidated balance sheet of Public Company as of September 30, 2018 is referred to herein as the Public Company Balance Sheet .
(c) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Public Companys current auditors, is and has been at all times since its engagement by Public Company (i) independent with respect to Public Company within the meaning of Regulation S-X and (ii) in compliance with subsections (g) through (l) of Section 10A of the Exchange Act (to the extent applicable) and the related rules of the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(d) The information in the Registration Statement to be supplied by or on behalf of Public Company for inclusion or incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement or to be included or supplied by or on behalf of Public Company for inclusion in any Regulation M-A Filing, shall not at the time the Registration Statement or any such Regulation M-A filing is filed with the SEC, at any time it is amended or supplemented or at the time the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC, as applicable, 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 not misleading. The information to be supplied by or on behalf of Public Company for inclusion in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus to be sent to the stockholders of Public Company and Merger Partner in connection with the Public Company Meeting, which information shall be deemed to include all information about or relating to Public Company, the Public Company Voting Proposal, the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable, or the Public Company Meeting, shall not, on the date the Proxy Statement/Prospectus is first mailed to stockholders of Public Company or Merger Partner, or at the time of the Public Company Meeting or at the Effective Time, contain any statement that, at such time and in light of the circumstances under which it shall be made, is false or misleading with respect to any material fact, or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus not false or misleading; or omit to state any material fact necessary to correct any statement in any earlier communication with respect to the solicitation of proxies for the Public Company Meeting that has become false or misleading.
(e) Public Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (e) and (f), respectively, of Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act) as required by Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act. Public Companys disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that all material information required to be disclosed by Public Company in the reports that it files or furnishes under the Exchange 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 Public Companys management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the
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certifications required pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Since October 20, 2017, Public Companys principal executive officer and its principal financial officer have disclosed to Public Companys auditors and the audit committee of the Public Company Board all known (i) significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adverse and materially affect the Companys ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information, (ii) material weaknesses in the design and operation of internal controls over financial reporting, and (iii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves the management or other employees who have a significant role in the Public Companys internal controls over financial reporting. Each of the Public Company and its Subsidiaries have materially complied with or substantially addressed such deficiencies, material weaknesses and or fraud.
(f) Public Company is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Each required form, report and document containing financial statements that has been filed with or submitted to the SEC was accompanied by any certifications required to be filed or submitted by Public Companys principal executive officer and principal financial officer pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and, at the time of filing or submission of each such certification, any such certification complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Neither Public Company nor any of its executive officers has received written notice from any Governmental Entity challenging or questioning the accuracy, completeness, form or manner of filing of such certifications.
(g) Public Company is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable listing and other rules and regulations of Nasdaq.
(h) As of the date of this Agreement, the Public Company has timely responded to all comment letters of the staff of the SEC relating to the Public Company SEC Reports, and the SEC has not advised the Public Company that any final responses are inadequate, insufficient or otherwise non-responsive. The Public Company has made available to the Merger Partner true, correct and complete copies of all comment letters, written inquiries and enforcement correspondence between the SEC, on the one hand, and the Public Company and any of its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, occurring since October 20, 2017 and will, reasonably promptly following the receipt thereof, make available to the Company any such correspondence sent or received after the date hereof. To the knowledge of the Public Company, as of the date of this Agreement, none of the Public Company SEC Reports is the subject of ongoing SEC review or outstanding SEC comment.
(i) Each of the principal executive officer of the Public Company and the principal financial officer of the Public Company (or each former principal executive officer of the Public Company and each former principal financial officer of the Public Company, as applicable) has made all certifications required by Rule 13a-14 or 15d-14 under the Exchange Act or Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder with respect to the Public Company SEC Reports, and the statements contained in such certifications were true and correct on the date such certifications were made. For purposes of this Section 4.2(g), principal executive officer and principal financial officer has the meanings given to such terms in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
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(j) Neither the Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Public Company, any director, officer, employee, or internal or external auditor of the Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries has received or otherwise had or obtained actual knowledge of any substantive material complaint, allegation, assertion or claim, whether written or oral, that the Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries has engaged in questionable accounting or auditing practices.
4.6 No Undisclosed Liabilities . Public Company does not have any liability that is required to be set forth on a balance sheet of Public Company prepared in accordance with GAAP, which are, individually or in the aggregate, material to the business, results in operations or the financial condition of Public Company except for (a) liabilities shown on the Public Company Balance Sheet, (b) liabilities that have arisen or have been incurred since the date of the Public Company Balance Sheet in the Ordinary Course of Business, (c) liabilities for transaction expenses incurred in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and alternatives to such transactions, and (d) contractual and other liabilities incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business that are not required by GAAP to be reflected on a balance sheet.
4.7 Absence of Certain Changes or Events . During the period beginning on the date of the Public Company Balance Sheet and ending on the date hereof, Public Company and its Subsidiaries have conducted their respective businesses only in the Ordinary Course of Business and, since such date, there has not been (i) any change, event, circumstance, development or effect that, individually or in the aggregate, has had, or is reasonably likely to have, a Public Company Material Adverse Effect or (ii) except for the execution and delivery of this Agreement, any other action or event that would have required the consent of Merger Partner pursuant to Section 5.2 (other than clause (A) of paragraph (j) or paragraphs (k) or (l) thereof) had such action or event occurred after the date of this Agreement.
4.8 Taxes .
(a) Each of Public Company and its Subsidiaries has properly filed on a timely basis all income and other material Tax Returns that it was required to file, and all such Tax Returns were true, correct and complete in all material respects. Each of Public Company and its Subsidiaries has paid on a timely basis all Taxes, whether or not shown on any Tax Return, that were due and payable. The unpaid Taxes of Public Company and each of its Subsidiaries for Tax periods through the date of the Public Company Balance Sheet do not exceed the accruals and reserves for Taxes (excluding accruals and reserves for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax income) set forth on the Public Company Balance Sheet, and all unpaid Taxes of Public Company and each of its Subsidiaries for all Tax periods commencing after the date of the Public Company Balance Sheet arose in the Ordinary Course of Business. Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has ever been a member of an affiliated group with which it has filed (or been required to file) consolidated, combined, unitary or similar Tax Returns, other than a group of which the
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common parent is Public Company. With the exception of customary commercial leases or contracts that are not primarily related to Taxes entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business and liabilities thereunder, neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has any actual or potential liability under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any comparable or similar provision of federal, state, local or foreign law), as a transferee or successor, pursuant to any contractual obligation, or otherwise for any Taxes of any person other than Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (ii) is a party to or bound by any Tax indemnity, Tax sharing, Tax allocation or similar agreement. All material Taxes that Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries was required by law to withhold or collect have been duly withheld or collected and, to the extent required, have been properly paid to the appropriate Governmental Entity, and each of Public Company and its Subsidiaries has complied with all information reporting and backup withholding requirements, including the maintenance of required records with respect thereto, in connection with amounts paid to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, or other third party.
(b) Public Company has delivered or made available to Merger Partner (i) complete and correct copies of all Tax Returns of Public Company and any of its Subsidiaries relating to Taxes for all taxable periods for which the applicable statute of limitations has not yet expired, (ii) complete and correct copies of all private letter rulings, revenue agent reports, information document requests, notices of proposed deficiencies, deficiency notices, protests, petitions, closing agreements, settlement agreements, pending ruling requests and any similar documents submitted by, received by, or agreed to by or on behalf of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries relating to Taxes for all taxable periods for which the statute of limitations has not yet expired, and (iii) complete and correct copies of all material agreements, rulings, settlements or other Tax documents with or from any Governmental Entity relating to Tax incentives of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries. No examination or audit of any Tax Return of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries by any Governmental Entity is currently in progress or, to the knowledge of Public Company, threatened or contemplated. No deficiencies for Taxes of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries have been claimed, proposed or assessed by any Governmental Entity in writing. Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been informed in writing by any jurisdiction in which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries does not file a Tax Return that the jurisdiction believes that Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries was required to file any Tax Return that was not filed or is subject to Tax in such jurisdiction. Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) waived any statute of limitations with respect to Taxes or agreed to extend the period for assessment or collection of any Taxes, which waiver or extension is still in effect, (ii) requested any extension of time within which to file any Tax Return, other than routine extensions available as a matter of right which Tax Return has not yet been filed, or (iii) executed or filed any power of attorney with any taxing authority, which is still in effect.
(c) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has made any payment, is obligated to make any payment, or is a party to any agreement that could obligate it to make any payment that may be treated as an excess parachute payment under Section 280G of the Code (without regard to Sections 280G(b)(4) and 280G(b)(5) of the Code).
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(d) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been a United States real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code during the applicable period specified in Section 897(c)(l)(A)(ii) of the Code.
(e) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has distributed to its stockholders or security holders stock or securities of a controlled corporation, nor has stock or securities of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries been distributed, in a transaction to which Section 355 of the Code applies (i) in the two years prior to the date of this Agreement or (ii) in a distribution that could otherwise constitute part of a plan or series of related transactions (within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code) that includes the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(f) There are no Liens with respect to Taxes upon any of the assets or properties of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than with respect to Taxes not yet due and payable.
(g) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will be required to include any item of income in, or exclude any item of deduction from, taxable income for any period (or any portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any (i) adjustments under Section 481 of the Code (or any similar adjustments under any provision of the Code or the corresponding foreign, state or local Tax laws), (ii) deferred intercompany gain or any excess loss account described in Treasury Regulations under Section 1502 of the Code (or any corresponding provision of state, local or foreign Tax law), (iii) closing agreement as described in Section 7121 of the Code (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local or foreign Tax law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date, (iv) installment sale or other open transaction disposition made on or prior to the Closing Date, (v) prepaid amount received on or prior to the Closing Date, or (vi) any election made pursuant to Section 108(i) of the Code on or prior to the Closing Date.
(h) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has participated in any reportable transaction as defined in section 1.6011-4(b) of the Treasury Regulations or a listed transaction as set forth in section 301.6111-2(b)(2) of the Treasury Regulations or any analogous provision of state or local law.
(i) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) is a party to any joint venture, partnership, or other arrangement that is treated as a partnership for federal income Tax purposes or (ii) has made an entity classification (check-the-box) election under Section 7701 of the Code.
(j) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) is a stockholder of a specified foreign corporation (other than the Subsidiaries of Public Company) as defined in Section 965(e) of the Code (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law), or (ii) is a stockholder in a passive foreign investment company as defined in Section 1297 of the Code. None of Public Companys Subsidiaries that are or have at any time been controlled foreign corporations (within the meaning of Section 957(c) of the Code) (i) has derived (or been treated for U.S. federal income Tax purposes as deriving) any material item of subpart F income (within
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the meaning of Section 952(a) of the Code, as determined after the application of Section 952(c) of the Code) in any year, or (ii) has made any investment in United States property (within the meaning of Section 956(c) of the Code) at any time. None of Public Companys Subsidiaries was a deferred foreign income corporation as defined in Section 965(d)(1) of the Code with respect to Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(k) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to Tax in any country other than its country of incorporation, organization or formation by virtue of having employees, a permanent establishment or other place of business in that country.
(l) All related party transactions involving Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries have been conducted at arms length in compliance with Section 482 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and any comparable provisions of any other Tax law. Each of Public Company and its Subsidiaries has maintained documentation (including any applicable transfer pricing studies) in connection with such related party transactions in accordance with Sections 482 and 6662 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and any comparable provisions of any other Tax law.
(m) Neither Public Company nor any of its Affiliates has taken or agreed to take any action, has omitted to take any action, or has any knowledge of any fact or circumstance, the taking, omission, or existence of which, as the case may be, that would reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from constituting a transaction qualifying as a reorganization under Section 368(a) of the Code.
(n) Neither Public Company nor Merger Subsidiary is an investment company as defined in Section 368(a)(2)(F)(iii) and (iv) of the Code.
4.9 Owned and Leased Real Properties .
(a) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns or has ever owned any real property.
(b) Section 4.9(b) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of all real property leased, subleased or licensed by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries as of the date of this Agreement (collectively, the Public Company Leases ) and the location of the premises of such real property. Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of Public Company, any other party is in breach or default and no event has occurred, is pending or, to the knowledge of Public Company, is threatened, which, after the giving of notice, with lapse of time, or otherwise, would constitute any such breach or default under any of under any of the Public Company Leases, except where the existence of such defaults, individually or in the aggregate, has not had, and is not reasonably likely to result in, the loss of a material right or in a material liability of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries leases, subleases or licenses any real property to any person other than Public Company and its Subsidiaries. Public Company has made available to Merger Partner complete and accurate copies of all Public Company Leases.
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4.10 Intellectual Property .
(a) Section 4.10(a) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule lists all Public Company Registrations, in each case enumerating specifically the applicable filing or registration number, title, jurisdiction in which filing was made or from which registration issued, date of filing or issuance, and names of all current applicant(s) and registered owners(s), as applicable. All assignments of Public Company Registrations to Public Company have been properly executed and recorded, or are in process, and all issuance, renewal, maintenance and other payments that have become due with respect thereto have been timely paid by or on behalf of Public Company. To the knowledge of Public Company, all Public Company Registrations are valid and enforceable.
(b) There are no inventorship challenges, inter partes proceedings, opposition or nullity proceedings or interferences declared, commenced or provoked, or, to the knowledge of Public Company, threatened, with respect to any Patent Rights included in the Public Company Registrations. To the Knowledge of Public Company, Public Company has complied with its duty of candor and disclosure to the United States Patent and Trademark Office and any relevant foreign patent office with respect to all patent and trademark applications filed by or on behalf of Public Company and has made no material misrepresentation in such applications. Public Company has no knowledge of any information that would preclude Public Company from having clear title to the Public Company Registrations.
(c) Public Company is the sole and exclusive owner of all Public Company Owned Intellectual Property, free and clear of any Liens, other than any joint owners of the Public Company Owned Intellectual Property are listed in Section 4.10(c) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule.
(d) To Public Companys knowledge, the Public Company Intellectual Property constitutes all Intellectual Property necessary to conduct Public Companys business in the manner currently conducted and currently proposed by Public Company to be conducted in the future.
(e) Public Company has taken reasonable measures to protect the proprietary nature of each item of Public Company Owned Intellectual Property, and to maintain in confidence all trade secrets and confidential information comprising a part thereof. To Public Companys knowledge, there has been no unauthorized disclosure of any third party proprietary or confidential information in the possession, custody or control of Public Company.
(f) To the knowledge of Public Company, the operations of Public Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted do not and have not in the past five years infringe(d) or misappropriate(d) the Intellectual Property rights of any individual or entity, or constitute(d) unfair competition or trade practices under the Laws of the jurisdiction in which such operations are conducted. To Public Companys knowledge, no individual or entity has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated the Public Company Owned Intellectual Property or any rights under the Public Company Licensed Intellectual Property that are exclusively licensed to Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and neither Public Company nor any of its
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Subsidiaries has filed or threatened in writing any claims alleging that a third party or Worker has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any Public Company Intellectual Property. No individual or entity has filed and served upon Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, to Public Companys knowledge, threatened or otherwise filed any action or proceeding alleging that Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any individuals or entitys Intellectual Property rights nor has Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries received any written notification that a license under any other individuals or entitys Intellectual Property is or may be required.
(g) To the knowledge of Public Company, no individual or entity (including any current or former Worker of Public Company) is infringing, violating, misappropriating, using in an unauthorized manner or disclosing in an unauthorized manner any of the Public Company Owned Intellectual Property or any Public Company Licensed Intellectual Property. Public Company has made available copies of all correspondence, analyses, legal opinions, complaints, claims, notices or threats prepared or received by Public Company concerning the infringement, violation or misappropriation of any Public Company Intellectual Property.
(h) Section 4.10(h) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule identifies each license, covenant or other agreement pursuant to which Public Company has assigned, transferred, licensed, distributed or otherwise granted any right or access to any individual or entity, or covenanted not to assert any right, with respect to any past, existing or future Public Company Intellectual Property.
(i) Section 4.10(i) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule identifies (i) each license or agreement pursuant to which Public Company has obtained rights to any Public Company Licensed Intellectual Property (excluding generally available, off the shelf software programs that are licensed by Public Company pursuant to shrink wrap licenses, the total fees associated with which are less than $10,000) and (ii) each agreement, contract, assignment or other instrument pursuant to which Public Company has obtained any joint or sole ownership interest in or to each item of Public Company Owned Intellectual Property.
(j) To Public Companys knowledge, no Worker of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries is in material default or breach of any term of any employment Contract, non-disclosure Contract, assignment of invention Contract or similar Contract between such Worker and Public Company or its Subsidiary, as applicable, relating to the protection, ownership, development, use or transfer of Public Company Intellectual Property. Each Worker of Public Company or its Subsidiary has executed an employment Contract, non-disclosure Contract, assignment of invention Contract or similar Contract assigning to Public Company or its Subsidiary, as the case may be, of any Public Company Owned Intellectual Property that was conceived, developed or created for Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries by such Worker.
(k) Neither the negotiation, execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, will result in (i) a material breach of or default under any agreement to which Public Company is a party governing any Public Company Intellectual Property, (ii) an impairment of the rights of Public Company in or to any Public Company Intellectual Property or portion thereof, (iii) the grant or transfer to
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any third party of any new license or other interest under, the abandonment, assignment to any third party, or modification or loss of any right with respect to, or the creation of any Lien on, any Public Company Intellectual Property, (iv) Public Company or any of its Affiliates being obligated to pay any penalty or new or increased royalty or fee to any individual or entity under any agreement governing any Public Company Intellectual Property, or (v) Public Company or any of its Affiliates being (A) bound by or subject to any noncompete or licensing obligation or covenant not to sue or (B) obligated to license any of its Intellectual Property to (or obligated not to assert its Intellectual Property against) any individual or entity, except in the case of clauses (i) and (ii) of this Section 4.10(k), for any such breach, default or impairment that, individually or in the aggregate have not had, and are not reasonably likely to result in, the loss of a material benefit to, or in the creation of a material liability for, Public Company.
(l) For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(i) Public Company Intellectual Property shall mean the Public Company Owned Intellectual Property and the Public Company Licensed Intellectual Property.
(ii) Public Company Licensed Intellectual Property shall mean all Intellectual Property that is licensed to Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries by any individual or entity other than Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(iii) Public Company Owned Intellectual Property shall mean all Intellectual Property owned or purported to be owned by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, in whole or in part.
(iv) Public Company Registrations shall mean Intellectual Property Registrations that are registered or filed in the name of Public Company, alone or jointly with others.
4.11 Contracts .
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, there are no Contracts that are material contracts (as defined in Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K) with respect to Public Company, other than those Contracts identified or described in the Public Company SEC Reports filed prior to the date hereof.
(b) Public Company has not entered into any transaction that would be subject to proxy statement disclosure pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K other than as disclosed in an SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof.
(c) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any agreement under which a third party would be entitled to receive a license or any other right to Public Company Intellectual Property as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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(d) Section 4.11(d) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule lists the following Contracts of Public Company and its Subsidiaries in effect as of the date of this Agreement:
(i) any Contract (or group of related Contracts) for the purchase or sale of products or for the furnishing or receipt of services (A) which calls for performance over a period of more than 180 days from the date of this Agreement, (B) which involves an aggregate of more than $150,000 or (C) in which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries has granted manufacturing rights, most favored nation pricing provisions or marketing or distribution rights relating to any products or territory or has agreed to purchase a minimum quantity of goods or services or has agreed to purchase goods or services exclusively from a particular party;
(ii) any Contract under which the consequences of a default or termination would reasonably be likely to have a Public Company Material Adverse Effect;
(iii) any Contract that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or impairing the conduct of the business of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries as currently conducted;
(iv) any Contract under which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries is restricted from selling, licensing or otherwise distributing any of its technology or products, or providing services to, customers or potential customers or any class of customers, in any geographic area, during any period of time or any segment of the market or line of business;
(v) any dealer, distribution, joint marketing, joint venture, joint development, partnership, strategic alliance, collaboration, development agreement or outsourcing arrangement;
(vi) any Contract for the conduct of research studies, pre-clinical or clinical studies, manufacturing, distribution, supply, marketing or co-promotion of any products in development by or which has been or which is being marketed, distributed, supported, sold or licensed out, in each case by or on behalf of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and
(vii) any Contract that would entitle any third party to receive a license or any other right to Intellectual Property of Merger Partner or any of Merger Partners Affiliates following the Closing.
(e) Public Company has made available to Merger Partner a complete and accurate copy of each Contract listed in Sections 4.10(a), 4.10(h), 4.10(i) and 4.11(d) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule. With respect to each Contract so listed and those Contracts identified or described in the Public Company SEC Reports filed prior to the date hereof: (i) the Contract is legal, valid, binding and enforceable and in full force and effect against Public Company and/or its Subsidiaries, as applicable, and, to the knowledge of Public Company, against each other party thereto, as applicable, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception; (ii) the Contract will continue to be legal, valid, binding and enforceable and in full force and effect against Public Company and/or its Subsidiaries, as applicable, and, to the
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knowledge of Public Company, against each other party thereto, immediately following the Closing in accordance with the terms thereof as in effect immediately prior to the Closing (other than any such Contracts that expire or terminate before such time in accordance with their terms and not as a result of a breach or default by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries), in each case subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception and except to the extent the failure to be in full force and effect, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be likely to have a Public Company Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) none of Public Company, its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of Public Company, any other party, is in breach or violation of, or default under, any such Contract, and no event has occurred, is pending or, to the knowledge of Public Company, is threatened, which, with or without notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a breach or default by Public Company, its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of Public Company, any other party under such Contract, except for such breaches, violations or defaults that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Public Company Material Adverse Effect.
4.12 Litigation . There is no action, suit, proceeding, claim, arbitration or investigation before any Governmental Entity or before any arbitrator that is pending or, to the knowledge of Public Company, threatened or reasonably anticipated against Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries that (a) seeks either damages in excess of $100,000 or equitable relief or (b) in any manner challenges or seeks to prevent, enjoin, alter or delay the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for such actions, suits, proceedings, claims, arbitrations or investigations first arising after the date of this Agreement that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Public Company Material Adverse Effect. There are no material judgments, orders or decrees outstanding against Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
4.13 Environmental Matters . Except for such matters that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had, and are not reasonably likely to have, a Public Company Material Adverse Effect:
(i) Public Company and its Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable Environmental Laws;
(ii) to the knowledge of Public Company, the properties currently owned, leased or operated by Public Company and its Subsidiaries (including soils, groundwater, surface water, buildings or other structures) are not contaminated with any Hazardous Substances;
(iii) to the knowledge of Public Company, the properties formerly owned, leased or operated by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries were not contaminated with Hazardous Substances during the period of ownership, use or operation by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(iv) neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries are subject to liability for any Hazardous Substance disposal or contamination on the property of any third party; and
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(v) neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have released any Hazardous Substance into the environment.
(b) As of the date of this Agreement, neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notice, demand, letter, claim or request for information alleging that Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries may be in violation of, liable under or have obligations under, any Environmental Law.
(c) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any written orders, decrees, injunctions or other arrangements with any Governmental Entity or is subject to any indemnity or other written agreement with any third party relating to liability under any Environmental Law or relating to Hazardous Substances.
4.14 Employee Benefit Plans .
(a) Section 4.14(a) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of all Employee Benefit Plans maintained, or contributed to, by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA Affiliates for the benefit of, any current or former employee or other service provider of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries (together, the Public Company Employee Plans ).
(b) Each Public Company Employee Plan has been established, maintained and administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms, ERISA, the Code and all other applicable laws and the regulations thereunder and each of Public Company and its Subsidiaries and their respective ERISA Affiliates has performed all material obligations with respect to such Public Company Employee Plan and has made all required contributions thereto (or reserved such contributions on the Public Company Balance Sheet). Public Company and its Subsidiaries and each of their respective ERISA Affiliates and each Public Company Employee Plan are in compliance in all material respects with the currently applicable provisions of ERISA and the Code and the regulations thereunder (including Section 4980B of the Code, Subtitle K, Chapter 100 of the Code and Sections 601 through 608 and Section 701 et seq. of ERISA). All filings and reports as to each Public Company Employee Plan required to have been submitted to the IRS or to the United States Department of Labor have been timely submitted. There is no audit, investigation or other proceeding (including any voluntary correction application) pending against or involving any Public Company Employee Plan. There have been no events with respect to any Public Company Employee Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in payment or assessment by or against Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any Taxes, including (but without limitation) any excise Taxes under Sections 4972, 4975, 4976, 4977, 4979, 4980B, 4980D, 4980E, 4980H or 5000 of the Code. With respect to the Public Company Employee Plans, no event has occurred, and to the knowledge of Public Company, there exists no condition or set of circumstances (other than routine claims for benefits) in connection with which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries could be subject to any liability that is reasonably likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Public Company Material Adverse Effect under ERISA, the Code or any other applicable law.
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(c) With respect to the Public Company Employee Plans, there are no benefit obligations for which contributions have not been made or properly accrued and there are no benefit obligations that have not been accounted for by reserves, or otherwise properly footnoted in accordance with GAAP, on the financial statements of Public Company, which obligations are reasonably likely, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Public Company Material Adverse Effect. The assets of each Public Company Employee Plan that is funded are reported at their fair market value on the books and records of such Public Company Employee Plan.
(d) All Public Company Employee Plans that are intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code have received determination letters from the IRS to the effect that such Public Company Employee Plans are qualified and the plans and trusts related thereto are exempt from federal income taxes under Sections 401(a) and 501(a) of the Code, respectively, of the Code, no such determination letter has been revoked and revocation has not been threatened, and no such Public Company Benefit Plan has been amended or operated since the date of its most recent determination letter or application therefor in any respect, and no act or omission has occurred, that would adversely affect its qualification or materially increase its cost.
(e) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective ERISA Affiliates has (i) ever maintained a Public Company Employee Benefit Plan that was ever subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA or (ii) ever been obligated to contribute to a multiemployer plan (as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA). No Public Company Employee Plan is funded by, associated with or related to a voluntary employees beneficiary association within the meaning of Section 501(c)(9) of the Code. No Public Company Employee Plan holds securities issued by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA Affiliates. No Public Company Employee Plan is a multiple employer plan within the meaning of Section 413(c) of the Code or a multiple employer welfare arrangement as defined in Section 3(40) of ERISA.
(f) There are no loans or extensions of credit by Public Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective ERISA Affiliate to any employee or any other service provider to Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(g) Public Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including reporting requirements and all requirements relating to eligibility waiting periods and the offer of or provision of minimum essential coverage that is compliant with Section 36B(c)(2)(C) of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder to full-time employees as defined in Section 4980H(b)(4) of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder. No material excise tax or penalty under the Affordable Care Act, including Section 4980H of the Code, is outstanding, has accrued, or has arisen and there has been no change in health plan terms or coverage that would reasonably be expected to attract an excise tax under Section 4980H of the Code for the current year. None of Public Company nor its Subsidiaries has received any notification from any Governmental Entity concerning potential liability under the Affordable Care Act.
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(h) Each Public Company Employee Plan that is a nonqualified deferred compensation plan (as defined in Section 409A(d)(1) of the Code) materially complies in form and operation with Section 409A of the Code and all IRS regulations and other guidance thereunder. No event has occurred that would be treated by Section 409A(b) of the Code as a transfer of property for purposes of Section 83 of the Code. Since January 1, 2005, no stock option or equity unit option granted under any Public Company Employee Plan has an exercise price that has been or may be less than the fair market value of the underlying stock or equity units (as the case may be) as of the date such option was granted or has any feature for the deferral of compensation other than the deferral of recognition of income until the later of exercise or disposition of such option. No nonqualified deferred compensation plan has been administered in a manner that would cause an excise tax to apply to payments to plan participants.
4.15 Compliance With Laws . Public Company and each of its Subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with, is not in material violation of, and, as of the date of this Agreement, has not received any notice alleging any material violation with respect to, any applicable provisions of any statute, law or regulation with respect to the conduct of its business, or the ownership or operation of its properties or assets.
4.16 Permits and Regulatory Matters .
(a) Public Company and each of its Subsidiaries have all material Permits required to conduct their businesses as currently conducted, including all such Permits required by any Regulatory Authority, or any other Governmental Entity exercising comparable authority (the Public Company Authorizations ).
(b) Public Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with the terms of the Public Company Authorizations. No Public Company Authorization shall cease to be effective as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(c) All manufacturing, processing, distribution, labeling, storage, testing, clinical trials, specifications, sampling, sale or marketing of products performed by or on behalf of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws, rules, regulations (including all requirements relating to Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices) or orders issued by the FDA or any other Governmental Entity exercising comparable authority. As of the date of this Agreement, neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notices or other correspondence from the FDA or any other Governmental Entity exercising comparable authority, and to the knowledge of Public Company there is no action or proceeding pending or threatened (including any prosecution, injunction, seizure, civil fine, suspension or recall), in each case alleging that Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries is in material noncompliance with any and all applicable laws, regulations or orders implemented by the FDA or any other Governmental Entity exercising comparable authority.
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(d) To Public Companys knowledge, all preclinical studies and clinical trials sponsored by Public Company are being conducted in compliance in all material respects with applicable laws, including, as applicable, Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices requirements and privacy laws. Public Company has not received any written notices from any Government Entity, institutional review board, independent ethics committee, data and safety monitoring board, or other oversight body with respect to any clinical trials or pre-clinical studies requiring the termination, suspension or material modification of such studies or trials and, to Public Companys knowledge, there are no facts that would reasonably give rise to such an action.
(e) There are no seizures, recalls, market withdrawals, field notifications or corrective actions, notifications of misbranding or adulteration, destruction orders, safety alerts or similar actions relating to the safety or efficacy of any products marketed or sold by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries being conducted, requested in writing or, to the knowledge of Public Company, threatened by the FDA or any other Governmental Entity exercising comparable authority. Public Company has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued any recall, market withdrawal, safety alert or other similar notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any products marketed or sold by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(f) The preclinical studies and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to, where applicable, accepted professional and scientific standards; and, as of the date of this Agreement, neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notices or correspondence from the FDA or any other Governmental Entity exercising comparable authority requiring the termination, clinical hold or partial clinical hold, suspension or material modification of any preclinical studies or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
4.17 Employees .
(a) All current and past key employees of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries have entered into confidentiality and assignment of inventions agreements with Public Company, a copy or form of which has previously been made available to Merger Partner. To the knowledge of Public Company, as of the date of this Agreement, no employee of Public Company or any Subsidiary of Public Company is in violation of any term of any patent disclosure agreement, non-competition agreement, or any restrictive covenant to a former employer relating to the right of any such employee to be employed by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries because of the nature of the business currently conducted by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries or to the use of trade secrets or proprietary information of others. To the knowledge of Public Company, as of the date of this Agreement, no key employee or group of employees has any plans to terminate employment with Public Company or its Subsidiaries.
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(b) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has been a party to or otherwise bound by any collective bargaining agreement, contract or other agreement or understanding with a labor union or labor organization. Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is or has been the subject of any proceeding asserting that Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries has committed an unfair labor practice or is seeking to compel it to bargain with any labor union or labor organization, nor is there or has there been pending or, to the knowledge of Public Company, threatened, any labor strike, dispute, walkout, work stoppage, slow-down or lockout involving Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(c) To the knowledge of Public Company, Public Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been in material compliance with all applicable Laws related to employment (including verification of employment eligibility), employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours (including, without limitation, classification of employees) with respect to any employee (as defined by, or determined in accordance with, applicable Laws). To the knowledge of Public Company, all employees of Public Company and its Subsidiaries are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States.
(d) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received written notice of any charge or complaint pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or other Governmental Entity alleging unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation or any other violation of or non-compliance with applicable Law relating to the employment, treatment, or termination of any employees of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of Public Company, has any such charge been threatened. No current or former employee of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, pursuant to internal complaint procedures, made a written complaint of discrimination, retaliation or harassment, nor to Public Companys knowledge, has an oral complaint of any of the foregoing been made.
(e) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has caused a plant closing as defined in the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (the WARN Act ) affecting any site of employment or one or more operating units within any site of employment, or a mass layoff as defined in the WARN Act, nor have any of the foregoing been affected by any transaction or engaged in layoffs or employment terminations sufficient in number to trigger application of any similar foreign, state or local Law.
4.18 Insurance . Public Company and its Subsidiaries maintain insurance policies (the Public Company Insurance Policies ), including insurance covering directors and officers for securities law and other customary liabilities, with reputable insurance carriers against all risks of a character and in such amounts as are usually insured against by similarly situated companies in the same or similar businesses. Each Public Company Insurance Policy is in full force and effect. None of the Public Company Insurance Policies shall terminate or lapse (or be affected in any other adverse manner) by reason of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Public Company and each of its Subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with the provisions of each Public Company Insurance Policy under which it is the insured party. No insurer under any Public Company Insurance Policy has cancelled or generally disclaimed liability under any such policy or indicated to Public Company any written intent to do so or not to renew any such policy. All claims under the Public Company Insurance Policies have been filed in a timely fashion.
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4.19 Opinion of Financial Advisor . The financial advisor of Public Company, Leerink Partners LLC (the Public Company Financial Advisor ), has delivered to Public Company an opinion dated the date of this Agreement to the effect, as of such date, that the number of shares of Public Company Common Stock to be paid by Public Company to holders of Merger Partner Capital Stock pursuant to this Agreement is fair to Public Company from a financial point of view, a signed copy of which opinion will be delivered to Merger Partner within one (1) Business Day following the date of this Agreement.
4.20 Section 203 of the DGCL . Assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of Merger Partner in Section 3.24, the Public Company Board has taken all actions so that the restrictions contained in Section 203 of the DGCL applicable to a business combination (as defined in Section 203) shall not apply to the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, the Public Company Support Agreement or the consummation of the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Public Company Support Agreement.
4.21 Brokers; Fees and Expenses . No agent, broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other firm or person is or shall be entitled, as a result of any action, agreement or commitment of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, to any brokers, finders, financial advisors or other similar fee or commission in connection with any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the Public Company Financial Advisor. Public Company has made available to Merger Partner a complete and accurate copy of all agreements pursuant to which the Public Company Financial Advisor is entitled to any fees and expenses in connection with any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Public Company is not a party to any agreements with the Public Company Financial Advisor providing the Public Company Financial Advisor with any rights after the Closing that have not been made available to Merger Partner. In addition, Public Company is not a party to any other agreements with any agent, broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other similar firm or person that have not been made available to Merger Partner and which grant to such person rights after the Closing.
4.22 Operations of Merger Sub . Merger Sub was formed solely for the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, has engaged in no other business activities and has conducted its operations only as contemplated by this Agreement.
4.23 Controls and Procedures, Certifications and Other Matters .
(a) Public Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains accurate books and records reflecting its assets and liabilities and maintains proper and adequate internal control over financial reporting designed to provide assurance that (i) transactions are executed with managements authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the consolidated financial statements of Public Company and to maintain accountability for Public Companys consolidated assets, (iii) access to assets of Public Company and its Subsidiaries is permitted only in accordance with managements authorization, (iv) the reporting of assets of Public Company and its Subsidiaries is compared with existing assets at regular intervals and (v) accounts, notes and other receivables and inventory were recorded accurately, and proper and adequate procedures are implemented to effect the collection thereof on a current and timely basis.
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(b) Public Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures required by Rules 13a-15 or 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, and such controls and procedures are effective to ensure that all material information concerning Public Company and its Subsidiaries is made known on a timely basis to the individuals responsible for the preparation of Public Companys filings with the SEC and other public disclosure documents.
(c) Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has, since Public Company became subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, modified or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan or otherwise, to or for any director or executive officer of Public Company. Section 4.23(c) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule identifies any loan or extension of credit maintained by Public Company to which the second sentence of Section 13(k)(1) of the Exchange Act applies.
4.24 Books and Records . The minute books and other similar records of Public Company contain complete and accurate records of all actions taken at any meetings of Public Companys stockholders, Board of Directors or any committee thereof and of all written consents executed in lieu of the holding of any such meeting. The books and records of Public Company accurately reflect in all material respects the assets, liabilities, business, financial condition and results of operations of Public Company and have been maintained in accordance with good business and bookkeeping practices.
4.25 Subsidies . All governmental, state or regional subsidies granted to Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries were used in accordance with applicable provisions of any statute, law or regulation or any other public orders or conditions imposed or related to them in conjunction with their granting and, in particular, all conditions imposed by the respective Governmental Entities have been fulfilled and observed. Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is under any further obligation to perform any services with regard to such subsidies and no such subsidies have to be repaid by Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries as a result of the negotiation, execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or any other reason.
4.26 Data Protection . Public Company and its Subsidiaries have fully complied at all material times and currently fully comply with any data protection and privacy legislation applicable to their businesses including (i) the requirements relating to notification and/or registration of processing of personal data with any applicable national data protection regulator, (ii) all subject information requests from data subjects, (iii) where necessary, the obtaining of consent to data processing and/or direct marketing activity, and (iv) where necessary, the obtaining of any approval, consultation and/or agreement of any applicable works councils or such similar worker representation bodies. Neither Public Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice or complaint from any individual, third party and/or regulatory authority alleging non-compliance with any applicable data protection and privacy legislation (including any prohibition or restriction on the transfer of data to any jurisdiction) or claiming compensation for or an injunction in respect of non-compliance with any applicable data protection and privacy legislation.
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4.27 Certain Business Relationships With Affiliates . No Affiliate of Public Company or of any of its Subsidiaries (a) owns any property or right, tangible or intangible, which is used in the business of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (b) to the knowledge of Public Company, has any claim or cause of action against Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (c) owes any money to, or is owed any money by, Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Section 4.27 of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule describes any material Contracts between Public Company and any Affiliate thereof which were entered into or have been in effect at any time since July 15, 2014, other than (i) any employment Contracts, invention assignment agreements and other Contracts entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business relating to employment, or (ii) Contracts relating to stock purchases and awards, stock options and other equity arrangements, in each case relating to compensation.
4.28 No Other Representations or Warranties . Each of Public Company and Merger Sub hereby acknowledges and agrees that, except for the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, none of Merger Partner nor any other person on behalf of Merger Partner makes any express or implied representation or warranty with respect to Merger Partner or with respect to any other information provided to Public Company, Merger Sub or any of their Affiliates in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, and (subject to the express representations and warranties of Merger Partner set forth in Article III (in each case as qualified and limited by the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule)) none of Public Company, Merger Sub or any of their respective Affiliates, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives or advisors, or any other person, has relied on any such information (including the accuracy or completeness thereof).
ARTICLE V
CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
5.1 Covenants of Merger Partner . Except as set forth in Section 5.1 of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule or as expressly provided herein or as consented to in writing by Public Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), from and after the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms and the Effective Time, Merger Partner shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, act and carry on its business in the Ordinary Course of Business, pay its debts and Taxes and perform its other obligations when due (subject to good faith disputes over such debts, Taxes or obligations), comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and use commercially reasonable efforts, consistent in all material respects with past practices, to maintain and preserve its and each of its Subsidiaries business organization, assets and properties, keep available the services of its present officers and key employees and preserve its advantageous business relationships with customers, strategic partners, suppliers, distributors and others having business dealings with it. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as set forth in Section 5.1 of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule, from and after the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms and the Effective Time, Merger Partner shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, do any of the following without the prior written consent of Public Company (which consent shall not, in the case of the actions set forth in clauses (k) and (l) of this Section 5.1, be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed):
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(a) (i) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other distributions (whether in cash, securities or other property) in respect of, any of its capital stock (other than dividends and distributions by a direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of Merger Partner to its parent); (ii) split, combine or reclassify any of its capital stock or issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for shares of its capital stock or any of its other securities; or (iii) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of its capital stock or any other of its securities or any rights, warrants or options to acquire any such shares or other securities, other than, in the case of this clause (iii), from former employees, directors and consultants in accordance with agreements in effect on the date of this Agreement providing for the repurchase of shares at no more than the purchase price thereof in connection with any termination of services to Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries;
(b) except as permitted by Section 5.1(l), issue, deliver, sell, grant, pledge or otherwise dispose of or encumber any shares of its capital stock, any other voting securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire, any such shares, voting securities or convertible or exchangeable securities (other than the issuance of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock upon the exercise of Merger Partner Stock Options or shares of Merger Partner Common Stock or Merger Partner Preferred Stock upon exercise of Merger Partner Warrants, in each case, outstanding on the date of this Agreement and set forth in Section 3.2(c) or Section 3.2(d) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule in accordance with their present terms (including cashless exercises), or Merger Partner Stock Options granted as contemplated by Section 5.1(l));
(c) amend its certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other comparable charter or organizational documents, or effect or be a party to any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split or reverse stock split or form any new Subsidiary or acquire any equity interest or other interest in any other person;
(d) except for purchases of inventory, raw materials and equipment in the Ordinary Course of Business, acquire (i) by merging or consolidating with, or by purchasing all or a substantial portion of the assets or any stock of, or by any other manner, any business or any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, association or other business organization or division thereof or (ii) any assets that are material, in the aggregate, to Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
(e) sell, lease, license, pledge, or otherwise dispose of or encumber any properties or assets of Merger Partner or of any of its Subsidiaries;
(f) whether or not in the Ordinary Course of Business, sell, dispose of or otherwise transfer any assets material to Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (including any accounts, leases, contracts or Intellectual Property or any assets or the stock of any of its Subsidiaries, but excluding the sale or license of products in the Ordinary Course of Business);
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(g) (i) incur or suffer to exist any indebtedness for borrowed money other than such indebtedness that existed as of the date of the Merger Partner Balance Sheet to the extent reflected on the Merger Partner Balance Sheet or guarantee any such indebtedness of another person, (ii) issue, sell or amend any debt securities or warrants or other rights to acquire any debt securities of Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries, guarantee any debt securities of another person, enter into any keep well or other agreement to maintain any financial statement condition of another person or enter into any arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing, (iii) make any loans, advances (other than routine advances to employees of Merger Partner in the Ordinary Course of Business) or capital contributions to, or investment in, any other person, other than Merger Partner or any of its direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiaries or (iv) enter into any hedging agreement or other financial agreement or arrangement designed to protect Merger Partner or its Subsidiaries against fluctuations in commodities prices or exchange rates;
(h) make any capital expenditures or other expenditures with respect to property, plant or equipment in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate for Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than as set forth in Merger Partners budget for capital expenditures previously made available to Public Company or the specific capital expenditures disclosed and set forth in Section 5.1(h) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule;
(i) make any changes in accounting methods, principles or practices, except insofar as may have been required by a change in GAAP or, except as so required, change any assumption underlying, or method of calculating, any bad debt, contingency or other reserve;
(j) except (i) in the Ordinary Course of Business or (ii) terminations as a result of the expiration of any contract that expires in accordance with its terms, (A) modify or amend in any material respect, or terminate, any material contract or agreement to which Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries is party, or (B) knowingly waive, release or assign any material rights or claims (including any write-off or other compromise of any accounts receivable of Merger Partner of any of its Subsidiaries);
(k) (i) enter into any material contract or agreement relating to the rendering of services or the distribution, sale or marketing by third parties of the products, of, or products licensed by, Merger Partner or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) license any material Intellectual Property rights to or from any third party;
(l) except as required to comply with applicable law or agreements, plans or arrangements existing on the date hereof and either disclosed in the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedules or not required by this Agreement to be so disclosed, (i) take any action with respect to, adopt, enter into, terminate (other than terminations for cause) or amend any employment, severance or similar agreement or benefit plan for the benefit or welfare of any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant or any collective bargaining agreement, (ii) increase in any material respect the compensation or fringe benefits of, or pay any material bonus to, any
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director, officer, employee or consultant (except for annual increases of the salaries of non-officer employees in the Ordinary Course of Business), (iii) amend or accelerate the payment, right to payment or vesting of any compensation or benefits, including any outstanding options or restricted stock awards, (iv) pay any material benefit not provided for as of the date of this Agreement under any benefit plan, (v) grant any awards under any bonus, incentive, performance or other compensation plan or arrangement or benefit plan (including the grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock based or stock related awards, performance units or restricted stock, or the removal of existing restrictions in any benefit plans or agreements or awards made thereunder), except for the grant of options to purchase Merger Partner Common Stock to new hires, which grants shall not exceed 2,200,000 shares in the aggregate and 500,000 shares to any one person, and which options shall have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of Merger Partner Common Stock on the date of grant (determined in a manner consistent with Merger Partners existing practice for establishing fair market value for option grants and which options shall otherwise be upon Merger Partners customary terms) or (vi) take any action other than in the Ordinary Course of Business to fund or in any other way secure the payment of compensation or benefits under any employee plan, agreement, contract or arrangement or benefit plan;
(m) make or change any material Tax election, change an annual accounting period, enter into any closing agreement, waive or extend any statute of limitations with respect to Taxes, settle or compromise any material Tax liability, claim or assessment, surrender any right to claim a refund of material Taxes, or amend any income or other material Tax Return;
(n) commence any offering of shares of Merger Partner Common Stock pursuant to any Employee Stock Purchase Plan;
(o) initiate, compromise or settle any material litigation or arbitration proceeding;
(p) open or close any facility or office;
(q) fail to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain insurance at levels substantially comparable to levels existing as of the date of this Agreement;
(r) fail to pay accounts payable and other obligations in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(s) suspend any clinical trials sponsored by Merger Partner or involving any products marketed or in development by Merger Partner; or
(t) authorize any of, or commit or agree, in writing or otherwise, to take any of, the foregoing actions or any action that would make any representation or warranty of Merger Partner in this Agreement untrue or incorrect in any material respect, or would materially impair, delay or prevent the satisfaction of any conditions in Article VII hereof.
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5.2 Covenants of Public Company . Except as set forth in Section 5.2 of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule or as expressly provided herein or as consented to in writing by Merger Partner (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), from and after the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms and the Effective Time, Public Company shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, act and carry on its business in the Ordinary Course of Business, pay its debts and Taxes and perform its other obligations when due (subject to good faith disputes over such debts, Taxes or obligations), comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and, use commercially reasonable efforts, consistent in all material respects with past practices, to maintain and preserve its and each of its Subsidiaries business organization, assets and properties, keep available the services of its present officers and key employees and preserve its advantageous business relationships with customers, strategic partners, suppliers, distributors and others having business dealings with it. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as set forth in Section 5.2 of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule from and after the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms and the Effective Time, Public Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly, do any of the following without the prior written consent of Merger Partner (which consent shall not, in the case of the actions set forth in clauses (k) and (l) of this Section 5.2, be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed):
(a) (i) declare, set aside, or pay any dividends on, or make any other distributions (whether in cash, securities, or other property) in respect of, any of its capital stock; (ii) split, combine or reclassify any of its capital stock or issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for shares of its capital stock or any of its other securities; or (iii) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of its capital stock or any other of its securities or any rights, warrants or options to acquire any such shares or other securities, other than, in the case of this clause (ii), from former employees, directors and consultants in accordance with agreements in effect on the date of this Agreement providing for the repurchase of shares in connection with any termination of services to Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(b) issue, deliver, sell, grant, pledge or otherwise dispose of or encumber any shares of its capital stock, any other voting securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire, any such shares, voting securities or convertible or exchangeable securities (in each case other than the issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock upon the exercise of Public Company Stock Options or Public Company Warrants outstanding on the date of this Agreement and set forth in Section 4.2(b) or Section 4.2(c) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule in accordance with their present terms (including cashless exercises);
(c) amend its certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other comparable charter or organizational documents, or effect or be a party to any merger, consolidation, share exchange, business combination, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split or reverse stock split or form any new Subsidiary or acquire any equity interest or other interest in any other person;
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(d) except for purchases of inventory and raw materials in the Ordinary Course of Business, acquire (i) by merging or consolidating with, or by purchasing all or a substantial portion of the assets or any stock of, or by any other manner, any business or any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, association or other business organization or division thereof or (ii) any assets that are material, in the aggregate, to Public Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;
(e) sell, lease, license, pledge, or otherwise dispose of or encumber any properties or assets of Public Company or of any of its Subsidiaries;
(f) whether or not in the Ordinary Course of Business, sell, dispose of or otherwise transfer any assets material to Public Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (including any accounts, leases, contracts or Intellectual Property or any assets or the stock of any of its Subsidiaries, but excluding the sale or license of products in the Ordinary Course of Business);
(g) (i) incur or suffer to exist any indebtedness for borrowed money other than such indebtedness that existed as of the date of the Public Company Balance Sheet to the extent reflected on the Public Company Balance Sheet or guarantee any such indebtedness of another person, (ii) issue, sell or amend any debt securities or warrants or other rights to acquire any debt securities of Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries, guarantee any debt securities of another person, enter into any keep well or other agreement to maintain any financial statement condition of another person or enter into any arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing, (iii) make any loans, advances (other than routine advances to employees of Public Company in the Ordinary Course of Business) or capital contributions to, or investment in, any other person, other than Public Company or any of its direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiaries or (iv) enter into any hedging agreement or other financial agreement or arrangement designed to protect Public Company or its Subsidiaries against fluctuations in commodities prices or exchange rates;
(h) make any capital expenditures or other expenditures with respect to property, plant or equipment in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate for Public Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than as set forth in Public Companys budget for capital expenditures previously made available to Merger Partner or the specific capital expenditures disclosed and set forth in Section 5.2 of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule;
(i) make any changes in accounting methods, principles or practices, except insofar as may have been required by the SEC or a change in GAAP or, except as so required, change any assumption underlying, or method of calculating, any bad debt, contingency or other reserve;
(j) except (i) in the Ordinary Course of Business or (ii) terminations as a result of the expiration of any contract that expires in accordance with its terms, (A) modify or amend in any material respect, or terminate, any material contract or agreement to which Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries is party, or (B) knowingly waive, release or assign any material rights or claims (including any write-off or other compromise of any accounts receivable of Public Company of any of its Subsidiaries);
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(k) (i) enter into any material contract or agreement relating to the rendering of services or the distribution, sale or marketing by third parties of the products, of, or products licensed by, Public Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) license any material Intellectual Property rights to or from any third party;
(l) except as required to comply with applicable law or agreements, plans or arrangements existing on the date hereof and either disclosed in the Public Company Disclosure Schedules, not required by this Agreement to be so disclosed or disclosed in the Public Company SEC Reports filed or furnished prior to the date of this Agreement,, (i) take any action with respect to, adopt, enter into, terminate (other than terminations for cause) or amend any employment, severance or similar agreement or benefit plan for the benefit or welfare of any current or former director, officer, employee or consultant or any collective bargaining agreement, (ii) increase in any material respect the compensation or fringe benefits of, or pay any material bonus to, any director, officer, employee or consultant (except for annual increases of the salaries of non-officer employees in the Ordinary Course of Business), (iii) amend or accelerate the payment, right to payment or vesting of any compensation or benefits, including any outstanding options or restricted stock awards, (iv) pay any material benefit not provided for as of the date of this Agreement under any benefit plan, (v) grant any awards under any bonus, incentive, performance or other compensation plan or arrangement or benefit plan (including the grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock based or stock related awards, performance units or restricted stock, or the removal of existing restrictions in any benefit plans or agreements or awards made thereunder), (vi) hire any additional officers or other employees, or any consultants or independent contractors, in each case, other than as set forth on Section 5.2(l) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedules and employees, consultants or independent contractors hired to fill open position created as a result of the separation of service of an officer, employee, consultant or independent contractor, as applicable, after the date of this Agreement, or (vii) take any action other than in the Ordinary Course of Business to fund or in any other way secure the payment of compensation or benefits under any employee plan, agreement, contract or arrangement or benefit plan;
(m) make or change any material Tax election, change an annual accounting period, enter into any closing agreement, waive or extend any statute of limitations with respect to Taxes, settle or compromise any material Tax liability, claim or assessment, surrender any right to claim a refund of material Taxes, or amend any income or other material Tax Return;
(n) commence any offering of shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to any Employee Stock Purchase Plan;
(o) initiate, compromise or settle any material litigation or arbitration proceeding;
(p) open or close any facility or office;
(q) fail to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain insurance at levels substantially comparable to levels existing as of the date of this Agreement;
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(r) fail to pay accounts payable and other obligations in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(s) suspend any clinical trials sponsored by Public Company or involving any products marketed or in development by Public Company; or
(t) authorize any of, or commit or agree, in writing or otherwise, to take any of, the foregoing actions or any action that would make any representation or warranty of Public Company in this Agreement untrue or incorrect in any material respect, or would materially impair, delay or prevent the satisfaction of any conditions in Article VII hereof.
5.3 Confidentiality . The parties acknowledge that Public Company and Merger Partner have previously executed a confidentiality agreement, effective as of September 20, 2018 (the Confidentiality Agreement ), which Confidentiality Agreement shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with its terms, except as expressly modified by this Agreement.
ARTICLE VI
ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS
6.1 No Solicitation .
(a) No Solicitation or Negotiation . Except as set forth in this Section 6.1, until the Effective Time, each of Merger Partner, Public Company and their respective Subsidiaries shall not, and each of Merger Partner and Public Company shall use reasonable best efforts to cause their respective directors, officers, members, employees, agents, attorneys, consultants, contractors, accountants, financial advisors and other authorized representatives ( Representatives ) not to, directly or indirectly:
(i) solicit, seek or initiate or knowingly take any action to facilitate or encourage any offers, inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, any Acquisition Proposal, or engage, participate in, or knowingly facilitate, any discussions or negotiations regarding, or furnish any nonpublic information to any person in connection with any inquiries, proposals or offers that constitute or could reasonably be expected to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal;
(ii) enter into, continue or otherwise participate or engage in any discussions or negotiations regarding any Acquisition Proposal, or furnish to any person any non-public information or afford any person other than Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, access to such partys property, books or records (except pursuant to a request by a Governmental Entity) in connection with any offers, inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, any Acquisition Proposal;
(iii) take any action to make the provisions of any takeover statute inapplicable to any transactions contemplated by an Acquisition Proposal; or
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(iv) publicly propose to do any of the foregoing described in clauses (i) through (iii).
Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, subject to compliance with Section 6.1(c), prior to the Specified Time, each of Public Company and Merger Partner may (A) furnish non-public information with respect to Public Company and its Subsidiaries or Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, to any Qualified Person (and the Representatives of such Qualified Person), or (B) engage in discussions or negotiations (including solicitation of revised Acquisition Proposals) with any Qualified Person (and the Representatives of such Qualified Person) regarding any such Acquisition Proposal; provided , (x) that either Merger Partner or Public Company (as applicable) receives from the Qualified Person an executed confidentiality agreement on the terms not less restrictive than exist in the Confidentiality Agreement and continuing additional provisions that expressly permit such party to comply with this terms of this Section 6.1 (a copy of which shall be provided to the other party), (y) the party seeking to make use of this proviso has not otherwise materially breached this Section 6.1 with respect to such Acquisition Proposal or the person making such Acquisition Proposal, and (z) the Merger Partner Board or Public Company Board (as applicable) has determined that taking such actions would be required to prevent a breach of its fiduciary duties under applicable law. It is understood and agreed that any violation of the restrictions in this Section 6.1 (or action that, if taken by Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, would constitute such a violation) by any Representatives of Public Company or Merger Partner shall be deemed to be a breach of this Section 6.1 by Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable.
(b) No Change in Recommendation or Alternative Acquisition Agreement .
Prior to the Effective Time:
(i) (A) Merger Partner Board shall not, except as set forth in this Section 6.1, withhold, withdraw or modify, or publicly propose to withhold, withdraw or modify, the approval or recommendation by the Merger Partner Board with respect to the Merger, fail to recommend against acceptance of a tender offer within ten (10) Business Days after commencement or propose publicly to approve, adopt or recommend any Acquisition Proposal (a Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change ) and (B) the Public Company Board shall not, except as set forth in this Section 6.1, withhold, withdraw or modify, or publicly propose to withhold, withdraw or modify, the approval or recommendation by the Public Company Board with respect to the issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement, fail to recommend against acceptance of a tender offer within ten (10) Business Days after commencement or propose publicly to approve, adopt or recommend any Acquisition Proposal (a Public Company Board Recommendation Change )
(ii) each of Public Company and Merger Partner shall not enter into any letter of intent, memorandum of understanding, agreement in principle, acquisition agreement, merger agreement or similar agreement (an Alternative Acquisition Agreement ) providing for the consummation of a transaction contemplated by any Acquisition Proposal (other than a confidentiality agreement referred to in Section 6.1(a) entered into in the circumstances referred to in Section 6.1(a)); and
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(iii) each of the Public Company Board and the Merger Partner Board, and each committee thereof, shall not, except as set forth in this Section 6.1, adopt, approve or recommend, or publicly propose to adopt, approve or recommend, any Acquisition Proposal.
Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement (including the provisions of this Section 6.1), at any time prior to the Specified Time, the Public Company Board or the Merger Partner Board, as the case may be ( provided , that the applicable party has not materially breached its obligations as set forth in this Agreement), may effect a Public Company Board Recommendation Change or Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change, as the case may be, (A) with respect to a Superior Proposal or (B) in response to an Intervening Event (in the case of either clause (A) or clause (B)) if: (i) such board of directors shall have determined (after consultation with outside legal counsel) that such Public Company Board Recommendation Change or Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change, as applicable, would be required to comply with its fiduciary obligations under applicable law; (ii) such party has provided at least four Business Days prior written notice to the other party that it intends to effect a Public Company Board Recommendation Change or Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change, as applicable, including a description in reasonable detail of the reasons for such recommendation change, and written copies of any relevant proposed transactions agreements with any party making a potential Superior Proposal (including the identity of the person making such Superior Proposal) (a Recommendation Change Notice ) (it being understood that the Recommendation Change Notice shall not constitute a Public Company Board Recommendation Change or Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change for purposes of this Agreement); (iii) such party has complied in all material respects with the requirements of this Section 6.1 in connection with any potential Superior Proposal or Intervening Event; and (iv) if the other party shall have delivered to such party a written, binding and irrevocable offer to alter the terms or conditions of this Agreement during the four Business Day period referred to in clause (ii) above, such partys board of directors shall have determined in good faith (after consultation with outside legal counsel), after considering the terms of such offer by the other party, that the Acquisition Proposal is still a Superior Proposal and a Public Company Board Recommendation Change or Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change, as the case may be, would still be required to comply with its fiduciary obligations under applicable law. In the event of any material amendment to any Superior Proposal (including any revision in the amount, form or mix of consideration such partys stockholders would receive as a result of such potential Superior Proposal), such party shall be required to provide the other party with notice of such material amendment and there shall be a new two Business Day period following such notification during which the parties shall comply again with the requirements of this Section 6.1(b) and the board of directors of such party shall not make a Public Company Board Recommendation Change or Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change, as applicable, prior to the end of any such period as so extended.
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(c) Notices of Proposals . Each party will as promptly as reasonably practicable (and in any event within twenty four (24) hours after receipt) (i) notify the other party of its receipt of any Acquisition Proposal and (ii) provide to the other party a copy of such Acquisition Proposal (if written), or a summary of the material terms and conditions of such Acquisition Proposal (if oral), including the identity of the person making such Acquisition Proposal, and copies of all written communications with such person with respect to such actual or potential Acquisition Proposal. Such party in receipt of an Acquisition Proposal shall notify the other party, in writing, of any decision of its board of directors as to whether to consider any Acquisition Proposal or to enter into discussions or negotiations concerning any Acquisition Proposal or to provide non-public information with respect to such to any person, which notice shall be given as promptly as practicable after such determination was reached (and in any event no later than 24 hours after such determination was reached). Such party in receipt of an Acquisition Proposal will (A) provide the other party with written notice setting forth such information as is reasonably necessary to keep such other party informed of the material terms of any such Acquisition Proposal and of any material amendments or modifications thereto, (B) keep such other party informed as promptly as practicable with respect to any changes to the material terms of an Acquisition Proposal submitted to such party (and in any event within 24 hours following any such changes), including by providing a copy of all written proposals and a summary of all oral proposals or material oral modifications to an earlier written proposal, in each case relating to any Acquisition Proposal, (C) prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the provision of any non-public information of such party to any such person, provide such information the other party (including by posting such information to an electronic data room), to the extent such information has not previously been made available the other party, and (D) promptly (and in any event within 24 hours of such determination) notify the other party of any determination by such partys board of directors that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal.
(d) Certain Permitted Disclosure . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall prohibit Merger Partner or Public Company or their respective Boards of Directors from complying with Rules 14d-9 and 14e-2(a) promulgated under the Exchange Act; provided , however , that any disclosure made by Merger Partner or Public Company or their respective Boards of Directors pursuant to Rules 14d-9 and 14e-2(a) shall be limited to a statement that Merger Partner or Public Company, as applicable, is unable to take a position with respect to the bidders tender offer unless the respective Board of Directors determines in good faith, after consultation with its outside legal counsel, that such statement would be a breach of its fiduciary duties under applicable law; provided , further , that any such disclosures (other than a stop, look and listen communication or similar communication of the type contemplated by Section 14d-9(f) under the Exchange Act) shall be deemed to be a Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change or Public Company Board Recommendation Change, as applicable, unless the respective Board of Directors expressly publicly reaffirms its recommendation for the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby within five (5) Business Days after being requested in writing to do so by the other party, it being understood that any such request in writing by the other party may only be made once by each party with respect to a particular disclosure.
(e) Cessation of Ongoing Discussions . Each of Public Company and Merger Partner shall, and shall direct its Representatives to, cease immediately all discussions and negotiations that commenced prior to the date of this Agreement regarding any proposal that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal; provided , however , that the foregoing shall not in any way limit or modify the rights of any party hereto
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under the other provisions of this Section 6.1. Public Company and Merger Partner will each immediately revoke or withdraw access of any person (other than Public Company, Merger Partner and their respective Representatives) to any data room (virtual or actual) containing any non-public information with respect to Public Company and request from each third party (other than Public Company, Merger Partner and their Representatives) the prompt return or destruction of all non-public information with respect to Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, previously provided to such person.
(f) Definitions . For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Acquisition Proposal means, with respect to Public Company or Merger Partner, (a) any inquiry, proposal or offer for a merger, consolidation, dissolution, sale of substantial assets, recapitalization, share exchange, tender offer or other business combination involving such party and its Subsidiaries (other than mergers, consolidations, recapitalizations, share exchanges or other business combinations involving solely such party and/or one or more Subsidiaries of such party), (b) any proposal for the issuance by such party of 15% or more of its equity securities or (c) any proposal or offer to acquire in any manner, directly or indirectly, 15% or more of the equity securities or consolidated total assets of such party and its Subsidiaries, in each case other than the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, provided , that commitments to participate in the Post-Closing Financing shall not be considered an Acquisition Proposal.
Intervening Event means a material event, change in circumstances or development (other than any event, change, circumstance or development resulting from a material breach of this Agreement by the party seeking to claim an Intervening Event) that (a) is materially adverse to Public Company or Merger Partner (as applicable), (b) with respect to Public Company that neither occurred nor was reasonably foreseeable to the Public Company Board prior to the date of this Agreement and with respect to Merger Partner was not reasonably foreseeable to Merger Partner Board prior to the date of this Agreement and (c) does not relate to an Acquisition Proposal; provided, however, the receipt, existence or terms of an Acquisition Proposal or Superior Proposal or any matter relating thereto shall not constitute an Intervening Event.
Qualified Person means any person making an unsolicited Acquisition Proposal that the Public Company Board or the Merger Partner Board, as applicable, determines in good faith (after consultation with outside counsel and its financial advisors) is, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, a Superior Proposal, and such Acquisition Proposal has not resulted from a breach by Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, of its obligations under Section 6.1(a).
Specified Time means the earliest to occur of (a) the Effective Time, (b) in the case of Public Company, the date on which the stockholders of Public Company shall have approved the Public Company Voting Proposal, (c) in the case of Merger Partner, the date on which the stockholders of Merger Partner shall have approved the Merger Partner Voting Proposal and (d) the time at which this Agreement is terminated in accordance with the terms hereof.
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Superior Proposal means, with respect to Public Company or Merger Partner, any bona fide , unsolicited written proposal made by a third party to acquire 50% or more of the equity securities or consolidated total assets of such party and its Subsidiaries, pursuant to a tender or exchange offer, a merger, a consolidation, business combination or recapitalization or a sale or exclusive license of its assets, (a) on terms which the board of directors of such party determines in its good faith judgment to be more favorable to the holders of such partys capital stock from a financial point of view than the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (after consultation with its financial and legal advisors), taking into account all the terms and conditions of such proposal and this Agreement (including any termination or break-up fees and conditions to consummation, as well as any written, binding offer by the other party hereto to amend the terms of this Agreement, which offer is not revocable for at least four Business Days) that the board of directors of such party determines to be relevant, (b) is not subject to any financing condition (and if financing is required, such financing is then fully committed to the third party), (c) is reasonably capable of being completed on the terms proposed without unreasonable delay and (d) includes termination rights no less favorable than the terms set forth in this Agreement, and in all respects from a third party capable of performing such terms.
6.2 Proxy Statement/Prospectus; Registration Statement .
(a) As promptly as practical after the execution of this Agreement, Public Company, with the cooperation of Merger Partner, shall prepare and file with the SEC the Registration Statement, in which the Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be included as a prospectus. Merger Partner, Merger Sub and Public Company shall (i) provide to the other parties as promptly as practical all information, including financial statements and descriptions of its business and financial condition, as Public Company as such other parties may reasonably request for preparation of the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and (ii) cause the timely cooperation of its independent public accountants in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, including by causing such accountants to provide a consent to the inclusion of such accountants reports in respect of the financial statements of the applicable party in the Registration Statement and/or in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus (as applicable) and to the reference to such accountant firm as an expert therein. Public Company shall respond to any comments of the SEC and shall use reasonable best efforts to have the Registration Statement declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as practicable after such filing, and Public Company shall cause the Proxy Statement/Prospectus to be mailed to its stockholders at the earliest practicable time after the Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act. Public Company shall notify Merger Partner promptly upon the receipt of any comments from the SEC or its staff and of any request by the SEC or its staff for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement/Prospectus or any filing pursuant to Section 6.2(b) or for additional information and shall supply Merger Partner with copies of all correspondence between Public Company or any of its representatives, on the one hand, and the SEC, or its staff, on the other hand, with respect to the Registration Statement, the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, the Merger or any filing pursuant to Section 6.2(b). Public Company shall use commercially
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reasonable efforts to cause all documents that it is responsible for filing with the SEC under this Section 6.2 to comply in all material respects with all applicable requirements of law and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Whenever either Public Company or Merger Partner shall become aware of the occurrence of any event which is required to be set forth in an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, the Registration Statement or any filing pursuant to Section 6.2(b), Public Company or Merger Partner, as the case may be, shall promptly inform the other of such occurrence and cooperate in filing with the SEC or its staff, and/or mailing to stockholders of Public Company and Merger Partner, such amendment or supplement.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary stated above, prior to filing and mailing, as applicable, the Registration Statement or Proxy Statement/Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or responding to any comments of the SEC with respect thereto, Public Company shall provide Merger Partner a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on such document or response and shall consider in good faith any such comments proposed by Merger Partner. Public Company will advise Merger Partner, promptly after Merger Partner receives notice thereof, of the time when the Registration Statement has become effective or any supplement or amendment has been filed, of the issuance of any stop order or the suspension of the qualification of Public Company Common Stock for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the SEC for the amendment or supplement of the Registration Statement or for additional information.
(c) Public Company and Merger Partner shall promptly make all necessary filings with respect to the Merger and the issuance of the Public Company Common Stock under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, applicable state blue sky laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
(d) Prior to filing of the Registration Statement or Proxy Statement/Prospectus, Public Company (and Merger Sub) and Merger Partner shall use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to execute and deliver to Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP ( Wilmer ) and to Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C. ( Mintz ) the applicable Tax Representation Letters referenced in Section 6.8(b). Following the delivery of the Tax Representation Letters pursuant to the preceding sentence, Public Company and Merger Partner shall use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to cause Wilmer to deliver to Public Company, and to cause Mintz to deliver to Merger Partner, a tax opinion satisfying the requirements of Item 601 of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act. In rendering such opinions, each of such counsel shall be entitled to rely on the Tax Representation Letters referred to in this Section 6.2(d) and Section 6.8(b).
6.3 Nasdaq Listing . Public Company agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to continue the listing of Public Company Common Stock on Nasdaq during the term of this Agreement and to cause the shares of Public Company Common Stock being issued in connection with the Merger to be approved for listing (subject to notice of issuance) on Nasdaq at or prior to the Effective Time, including by filing the Nasdaq Listing Application. Merger Partner will cooperate with Public Company to cause the Nasdaq Listing Application to be
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approved and shall promptly furnish to Public Company all information concerning Merger Partner and its equityholders that may be required or reasonably requested in connection with any action contemplated by this Section 6.3. Public Company will also reasonably cooperate with Merger Partner in preparing and filing a Nasdaq listing application, if needed, with respect to the issuance of the securities of the Public Company in the Post-Closing Financing and obtaining approval of Nasdaq with respect thereto.
6.4 Access to Information . Subject to compliance with applicable confidentiality obligations owed to third parties in effect as of the date of this Agreement, each of Public Company and Merger Partner shall (and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to) afford to the other partys officers, employees, accountants, counsel and other representatives, reasonable access, during normal business hours during the period prior to the Effective Time, to all its properties, books, contracts, commitments, personnel and records and, during such period, each of Public Company and Merger Partner shall (and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to) furnish promptly to the other party all information concerning its business, properties, assets and personnel as the other party may reasonably request. Each of Public Company and Merger Partner will hold any such information which is nonpublic in confidence in accordance with the Confidentiality Agreement. No information or knowledge obtained in any investigation pursuant to this Section 6.4 or otherwise shall affect or be deemed to modify any representation or warranty contained in this Agreement or the conditions to the obligations of the parties to consummate the Merger. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, from the date of this Agreement until the Effective Time, each of Public Company and Merger Partner shall promptly provide the other party with copies of: (a) unaudited monthly financial statements or management accounts, when available; (b) any written materials or communications sent by or on behalf of such party to its stockholders; (c) any notice, report or other document filed with or sent to, or received from, any Governmental Entity in connection with the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and (d) any material notice, report or other document received from any Governmental Entity.
6.5 Stockholder Approval .
(a) Not later than the fifth Business Day after the Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act (but in no event before (1) the information statement contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus shall have been delivered to Merger Partners stockholders and (2) the Registration Statement shall have been declared effective), Merger Partner shall solicit the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval by the Written Consents (in a form reasonably acceptable to Public Company) to be executed and delivered by Merger Partners stockholders for the purposes of (i) evidencing the adoption of this Agreement and the approval of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) acknowledging that the approval given thereby is irrevocable and that such stockholder is aware of its rights to demand appraisal for its shares pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL, a copy of which was attached to the Written Consent, and that such stockholder has received and read a copy of Section 262 of the DGCL and (iii) acknowledging that by its approval of the Merger it is not entitled to appraisal rights with respect to its shares in connection with the Merger and thereby waives any rights to receive payment in cash of the fair value of its Merger Partner Capital Stock under Section 262 the DGCL. In connection with the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval, Merger
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Partner shall comply with all disclosure and other obligations to its stockholders under the DGCL and any other applicable laws. Merger Partner shall take all action that is both reasonable and lawful to obtain the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Merger Partner agrees that its obligations under this Section 6.5(a) shall not be affected by the commencement, public proposal, public disclosure or communication to Merger Partner of any Acquisition Proposal or a Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change. Any solicitation or similar disclosure circulated to Merger Partners stockholders in connection with this Agreement and the Merger shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Public Company and, except in the case of a Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change, any solicitation or similar disclosure, if the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval has not already been obtained, shall include the recommendation of Merger Partner Board that it is in favor of adoption of this Agreement and approval of the Merger.
(b) Public Company, acting through the Public Company Board, shall take all actions in accordance with applicable law, its certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Nasdaq rules to duly call, give notice of, convene and hold as promptly as practicable, after the declaration of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Public Company Stockholders Meeting for the purpose of considering and voting upon the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable. Subject to Section 6.1(b), the Public Company Board shall include in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus the recommendation of the Public Company Board in favor of approval of the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable. Subject to Section 6.1(b), Public Company shall take all action that is both reasonable and lawful to solicit from its stockholders proxies in favor of the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable. The Public Company Meeting shall be held as promptly as practicable after the effective date of the Registration Statement (on a date selected by Public Company in consultation with Merger Partner) but in no event later than forty-five (45) days after the effective date of the Registration Statement. If sufficient votes to obtain the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable, have not been obtained as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the scheduled date of the Public Company Meeting, Public Company shall have the right to adjourn or postpone the Public Company Meeting to a later date or dates, such later date or dates not to exceed thirty (30) days in the aggregate from the original date that the Public Company Meeting was scheduled.
(c) Unless the Public Company Board has effected a Public Company Board Recommendation Change in accordance with Section 6.1 and terminated this Agreement to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to a Superior Proposal pursuant to Section 8.1, Public Companys obligation to call, give notice of and hold the Public Company Meeting in accordance with Section 6.5(b) shall not be limited or otherwise affected by the commencement, disclosure, announcement or submission of any Acquisition Proposal, or by any Public Company Board Recommendation Change.
(i) Except in the case of a Public Company Board Recommendation Change made in compliance with Section 6.1, Public Company agrees that the Public Company Board shall recommend that the Public Company Stockholders approve the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable, and Public Company shall include such recommendation in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
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(d) Except in the case of a Public Company Board Recommendation Change made in compliance with Section 6.1, Public Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to solicit from the Public Company Stockholders proxies in favor of the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable, and shall take all other action necessary or advisable to secure the approvals of the stockholders of Public Company. Public Company shall ensure that all proxies solicited in connection with the Public Company Meeting are solicited in material compliance with all applicable laws. Public Company, in its capacity as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, shall approve the Merger.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall limit a partys right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.1.
6.6 Legal Conditions to Merger .
(a) Subject to the terms hereof, including Section 6.6(b), Merger Partner and Public Company shall each use reasonable best efforts to (i) take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and do, or cause to be done, and to assist and cooperate with the other parties in doing, all things necessary, proper or advisable to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated hereby as promptly as practicable, (ii) as promptly as practicable, obtain from any Governmental Entity or any other third party any consents, licenses, permits, waivers, approvals, authorizations, or orders required to be obtained or made by Merger Partner or Public Company or any of their Subsidiaries in connection with the authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, (iii) as promptly as practicable, make all necessary filings, and thereafter make any other required submissions, with respect to this Agreement and the Merger required under (A) the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and any other applicable federal or state securities laws, and (B) any other applicable law and (iv) execute or deliver any additional instruments necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by, and to fully carry out the purposes of, this Agreement. Merger Partner and Public Company shall reasonably cooperate with each other in connection with the making of all such filings. Merger Partner and Public Company shall use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to furnish to each other all information required for any application or other filing to be made pursuant to the rules and regulations of any applicable law (including all information required to be included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and the Registration Statement) in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(b) Each of Merger Partner and Public Company shall give (or shall cause their respective Subsidiaries to give) any notices to third parties, and use, and cause their respective Subsidiaries to use, their reasonable best efforts to obtain any third party consents related to or required in connection with the Merger that are (i) necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) disclosed or required to be disclosed in the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule or the Public Company Disclosure Schedule, as the case may be, or (iii) required to prevent the occurrence of an event that may have a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect or a Public Company Material Adverse Effect from occurring prior to or after the Effective Time.
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6.7 Public Disclosure . Except as may be required by applicable law or stock market regulations, (i) the press release announcing the execution of this Agreement shall be issued only in such form as shall be mutually agreed upon by Public Company and Merger Partner and, (ii) both Merger Partner and Public Company shall use reasonable best efforts to consult with one another before issuing any press release or otherwise making any public statement with respect to the Merger or this Agreement and shall not issue any such press release or make any such public statement prior to using such efforts ( provided , however , that these restrictions shall not apply to any communications by Public Company with respect to any Acquisition Proposal, Superior Proposal, Recommendation Change Notice, Public Company Board Recommendation Change or Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change).
6.8 Tax Matters .
(a) Each of Public Company, Merger Sub and Merger Partner shall use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Merger to qualify, and agree not to, and not to permit or cause any of their Affiliates or Subsidiaries to, take any action which to its knowledge could reasonably be expected to prevent or impede the Merger from qualifying, as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. This Agreement is intended to constitute, and the parties hereto hereby adopt this Agreement as, a plan of reorganization within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a). Each of Public Company, Merger Sub and Merger Partner shall report the Merger as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code unless otherwise required pursuant to a determination within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code, including attaching the statement described in Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-3(a) on or with its Tax Return for the taxable year of the Merger.
(b) Merger Partner shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to deliver to Wilmer and Mintz a Tax Representation Letter , dated as of the date of the tax opinions referenced in Section 6.2(d) and signed by an officer of Merger Partner, containing representations of Merger Partner, and Public Company (and Merger Sub) shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to deliver to Wilmer and Mintz a Tax Representation Letter , dated as of the date of the tax opinions referenced in Section 6.2(d) and signed by an officer of Public Company (and Merger Sub), containing representations of Public Company (and Merger Sub), in each case as shall be reasonably necessary or appropriate to enable Wilmer and Mintz to render the applicable tax opinions described in Section 6.2(d) of this Agreement.
6.9 Affiliate Legends . Section 6.9 of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule sets forth a list of those persons who are, in Merger Partners reasonable judgment, affiliates of Merger Partner within the meaning of Rule 145 promulgated under the Securities Act ( Rule 145 Affiliates ). Merger Partner shall notify Public Company in writing regarding any change in the identity of its Rule 145 Affiliates prior to the Closing Date. Public Company shall be entitled to place appropriate legends on the certificates evidencing any shares of Public Company Common Stock to be received by Rule 145 Affiliates of Merger Partner in the Merger reflecting the restrictions set forth in Rule 145 promulgated under the Securities Act and to issue appropriate stop transfer instructions to the transfer agent for Public Company Common Stock.
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6.10 Indemnification .
(a) From the Effective Time through the sixth anniversary of the date on which the Effective Time occurs, each of Public Company and the Surviving Corporation shall, jointly and severally, indemnify and hold harmless each person who is now, or has been at any time prior to the date hereof, or who becomes prior to the Effective Time, a director or officer of Merger Partner, Public Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries (the Indemnified Persons ), against all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, judgments, fines and reasonable fees, costs and expenses, including attorneys fees and disbursements, incurred in connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or pertaining to the fact that the Indemnified Person is or was an officer, director, employee or agent of Merger Partner, Public Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries, or, while a director or officer of Merger Partner, Public Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries, is or was serving at the request of Merger Partner, Public Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries as a director, officer, employee or agent of another person, whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Effective Time, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. Each Indemnified Person will be entitled to advancement of expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred in the defense of any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation from each of Public Company and the Surviving Corporation following receipt by Public Company or the Surviving Corporation from the Indemnified Party of a request therefor; provided that any person to whom expenses are advanced provides an undertaking, to the extent then required by the DGCL or applicable governing document of Public Company or Surviving Corporation, as applicable, to repay such advances if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to indemnification. For a period of six (6) years following the Closing Date, the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Surviving Corporation will contain provisions at least as favorable as the provisions relating to the indemnification, advance of expenses and elimination of liability for monetary damages set forth in the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Merger Partner and Public Company immediately before the Effective Time.
(b) Public Company shall either (A) maintain in effect for six years after the Closing Date, Public Companys existing directors and officers insurance policies in place as of the date hereof, or (B) prior to the Closing, purchase a six-year tail policy under its own existing directors and officers liability insurance policy, with an effective date as of the Closing ( provided , that Public Company may substitute therefor a policy of at least the same coverage containing terms and conditions that are not less favorable in any material respect); provided , however, that in no event shall Public Company be required to expend for an annual premium pursuant to this Section 6.10(b) more than an amount equal to 200% of the current annual premiums paid by Public Company for such insurance; provided , further , that during the term of the tail policy, neither Public Company nor the Surviving Corporation shall take any action following the Closing to cause such tail policy to be cancelled or any provision therein to be amended or waived in any manner that would adversely affect in any material respect the rights of their former and current officers and directors.
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(c) Public Company shall pay all expenses, including reasonable attorneys fees, that may be incurred by a person in successfully enforcing such persons rights provided in this Section 6.10.
(d) Public Company and Merger Partner agree that all rights to exculpation, indemnification and advancement of expenses for acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the Effective Time, whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Effective Time, existing in favor of the current or former directors, officers or employees, as the case may be, of Public Company, Merger Partner or any of their respective Subsidiaries as provided in their respective certificates of incorporation or by-laws or other organization documents or in any agreement in existence immediately before the Effective Time, shall survive the Merger and shall continue in full force and effect. The provisions of this Section 6.10 are intended to be in addition to the rights otherwise available to the current officers and directors of Public Company, Merger Partner or any of their respective Subsidiaries by law, charter, statute, by-law or agreement, and shall operate for the benefit of, and shall be enforceable by, each of the Indemnified Persons, their heirs and their representatives. The obligations set forth in this Section 6.10 shall not be terminated, amended or otherwise modified in any manner that adversely affects any Indemnified Person, or any person who is a beneficiary under the policies referred to in this Section 6.10 and their heirs and representatives, without the prior written consent of such affected Indemnified Person or other person.
(e) If the Surviving Corporation or Public Company or any of their respective successors or assigns shall (i) consolidate with or merge into any other person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, or (ii) transfer all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any person, then, and in each such case, proper provisions shall be made so that the successors and assigns of such person shall assume all of the obligations of such person set forth in this Section 6.10.
(f) Nothing in this Agreement is intended to, shall be construed to or shall release, waive or impair any rights to directors and officers insurance claims under any policy that is or has been in existence with respect to Merger Partner, Public Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries for any of their respective directors, officers or other employees, it being understood and agreed that the indemnification provided for in this Section 6.10 is not prior to or in substitution for any such claims under such policies.
6.11 Notification of Certain Matters . Public Company shall give prompt notice to Merger Partner, and Merger Partner shall give prompt notice to Public Company, upon becoming aware of the occurrence, or failure to occur, of any event, which occurrence or failure to occur would be reasonably likely to cause (a) (i) any representation or warranty of such party contained in this Agreement that is qualified as to materiality to be untrue or inaccurate in any respect or (ii) any other representation or warranty of such party contained in this Agreement to be untrue or inaccurate in any material respect, in each case, at any time from and after the date of this Agreement until the Effective Time, or (b) any material failure of Public Company and Merger Sub or Merger Partner, as the case may be, or of any officer, director, employee or agent thereof, to comply with or satisfy any covenant, condition or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it under this Agreement.
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6.12 Corporate Identity . Public Company shall take all action necessary to cause its certificate of incorporation to be amended immediately following the Effective Time to reflect a change in Public Companys name to X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
6.13 Succession . Public Company shall take all action necessary to cause the persons identified on Schedule 6.13 of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule to be appointed as executive officers of Public Company as of the Effective Time.
6.14 Board of Directors of Public Company . Public Company shall take all action necessary to cause as of the Effective Time the number of members of the Public Company Board to be fixed at seven (7) to cause the persons identified on Section 6.14(i) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule to be appointed to the Public Company Board as directors of the class set forth opposite their respective names on Section 6.14(i) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule and to obtain the resignations of the directors identified on Section 6.14(ii) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule effective as of the Effective Time. If any person identified on Section 6.14(i) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule is unable or unwilling to serve in such capacity, the party making such appointment shall designate a successor.
6.15 Employee Communications . Public Company and Merger Partner will use reasonable best efforts to consult with each other, and will consider in good faith each others advice, prior to sending any notices or other communication materials to its employees regarding this Agreement, the Merger or the effects thereof on the employment, compensation or benefits of its employees.
6.16 FIRPTA Tax Certificates . On or prior to the Closing, Merger Partner shall deliver to Public Company a properly executed certification that shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock are not U.S. real property interests in accordance with the Treasury Regulations under Sections 897 and 1445 of the Code, together with a notice to the IRS (which shall be filed by Public Company with the IRS following the Closing) in accordance with the provisions of Section 1.897-2(h)(2) of the Treasury Regulations. If Public Company does not receive the certification and notice described above on or before the Closing Date, Public Company shall be permitted to withhold from the payments to be made pursuant to this Agreement any required withholding tax under Section 1445 of the Code.
6.17 State Takeover Laws . If any fair price, business combination or control share acquisition statute or other similar statute or regulation is or may become applicable to any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the parties hereto shall use their respective reasonable best efforts to (a) take such actions as are reasonably necessary so that the transactions contemplated hereunder may be consummated as promptly as practicable on the terms contemplated hereby and (b) otherwise take all such actions as are reasonably necessary to eliminate or minimize the effects of any such statute or regulation on such transactions.
6.18 Security Holder Litigation . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (a) Public Company shall have the right to control the defense and settlement of any litigation related to this Agreement, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement brought by any stockholder or any holder of other securities of Public Company against Public
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Company and/or its directors or officers, provided , that Public Company shall give Merger Partner the opportunity to participate in the defense of any such litigation and shall not settle any such litigation (other than any settlement not requiring the payment of any amount to any third party in excess of the retentions or deductibles under any applicable insurance policies of Public Company) without the prior written consent of Merger Partner (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), and (b) Merger Partner shall have the right to control the defense and settlement of any litigation related to this Agreement, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement brought by any stockholder or any holder of other securities of Merger Partner against Merger Partner and/or its directors or officers, provided , that Merger Partner shall give Public Company the opportunity to participate in the defense of any such litigation and shall not settle any such litigation (other than any settlement not requiring the payment of any amount to any third party in excess of the retentions or deductibles under any applicable insurance policies of Merger Partner) without the prior written consent of Public Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).
6.19 Section 16 Matters . Prior to the Effective Time, Public Company shall take all such steps as may be required to cause any acquisitions of Public Company Common Stock (and any options to purchase the same) in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, by each individual who is reasonably expected to become subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to Public Company following the Merger, to be exempt under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.
6.20 Other Public Company Voting Proposals . At the written request of Merger Partner, Public Company shall submit to the Public Company stockholders at the Public Company Meeting (i) a proposal to approve and adopt an amendment to the Public Company certificate of incorporation to authorize the Public Company Board to effect a reverse stock split of all outstanding shares of Public Company Common Stock at a reverse stock split ratio in the range mutually agreed to by Public Company and Merger Partner (the Reverse Stock Split ), (ii) a proposal to approve and adopt an amendment to the Public Company certificate of incorporation to change the name of Public Company to X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. immediately following the Effective Time, and (iii) a proposal to approve the issuance of the securities of Public Company in a private placement to close following the Effective Time of the Merger on the terms and conditions provided to Public Company by Merger Partner (the Post-Closing Financing ), and shall take such other actions as shall be reasonably necessary to effectuate each such proposal, as applicable.
6.21 Termination of Certain Agreements and Rights . Merger Partner shall cause any stockholders agreements, voting agreements, registration rights agreements, co-sale agreements and any other similar agreements between Merger Partner and any holders of Merger Partner Capital Stock set forth in Section 3.2(c) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule, including any such agreement granting any Person investor rights, rights of first refusal, registration rights or director election rights (collectively, the Investor Agreements ), to be terminated immediately prior to the Effective Time.
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6.22 Calculation of Net Cash .
(a) Not less than five calendar days prior to the anticipated date for Closing (the Anticipated Closing Date ), Public Company will deliver to Merger Partner a schedule (the Net Cash Schedule ) setting forth, in reasonable detail, Public Companys good faith, estimated calculation of Net Cash, including each component thereof (the Net Cash Calculation and the date of delivery of such schedule, the Delivery Date ), and as of the close of business on the last Business Day prior to the Anticipated Closing Date (the Cash Determination Time ) prepared and certified by Public Companys Chief Financial Officer (or if there is no Chief Financial Officer, the principal accounting officer for Public Company). Public Company shall make available to Merger Partner, as requested by Merger Partner, the work papers and back-up materials used or useful in preparing the Net Cash Schedule and, if requested by Merger Partner, Public Companys accountants and counsel at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice.
(b) Within three (3) calendar days after the Delivery Date (the last day of such period, the Response Date ), Merger Partner shall have the right to dispute any part of the Net Cash Calculation by delivering a written notice to that effect to Public Company (a Dispute Notice ). Any Dispute Notice shall identify in reasonable detail and to the extent known the nature and amounts of any good faith, proposed revisions to the Net Cash Calculation. A Dispute Notice may only be given if, after giving the Dispute Notice full effect, the Net Cash at the Cash Determination Time would be less than the amount set forth in Section 7.3(i).
(c) If, on or prior to the Response Date, Merger Partner notifies Public Company in writing that it has no objections to the Net Cash Calculation or, if on the Response Date, Merger Partner fails to deliver a Dispute Notice as provided in Section 6.22(b), then the Net Cash Calculation as set forth in the Net Cash Schedule shall be deemed to have been finally determined for purposes of this Agreement and to represent the Net Cash at the Cash Determination Time for purposes of this Agreement.
(d) If Merger Partner delivers a Dispute Notice on or prior to the Response Date, then representatives of Public Company and Merger Partner shall promptly meet and attempt in good faith to resolve the disputed item(s) and negotiate an agreed-upon determination of Net Cash, which agreed upon Net Cash amount shall be deemed to have been finally determined for purposes of this Agreement and to represent the Net Cash at the Cash Determination Time for purposes of this Agreement.
(e) If representatives of Public Company and Merger Partner are unable to negotiate an agreed-upon determination of Net Cash as of the Cash Determination Time pursuant to Section 6.22(c) within three calendar days after delivery of the Dispute Notice (or such other period as Public Company and Merger Partner may mutually agree upon), then any remaining disagreements as to the calculation of Net Cash shall be referred to an independent auditor of recognized national standing jointly selected by Public Company and Merger Partner (the Accounting Firm ). Public Company shall promptly deliver to the Accounting Firm the work papers and back-up materials used in preparing the Net Cash Schedule, and Public Company and Merger Partner shall use reasonable best efforts to cause the Accounting Firm to make its determination within ten (10) calendar days of accepting its selection. Merger Partner and Public
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Company shall be afforded the opportunity to present to the Accounting Firm any material related to the unresolved disputes and to discuss the issues with the Accounting Firm; provided , however , that no such presentation or discussion shall occur without the presence of a representative of each of Merger Partner and Public Company. The determination of the Accounting Firm shall be limited to the disagreements submitted to the Accounting Firm. The determination of the amount of Net Cash made by the Accounting Firm shall be made in writing delivered to each of Public Company and Merger Partner, shall be final and binding on Public Company and Merger Partner and shall be deemed to have been finally determined for purposes of this Agreement and to represent the Net Cash at the Cash Determination Time for purposes of this Agreement. The parties shall delay the Closing until the resolution of the matters described in this Section 6.22(e). The fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm shall be allocated between Public Company and Merger Partner in the same proportion that the disputed amount of the Net Cash that was unsuccessfully disputed by such party (as finally determined by the Accounting Firm) bears to the total disputed amount of the Net Cash amount. If this Section 6.22(e) applies as to the determination of the Net Cash at the Cash Determination Time described in Section 6.21(a), upon resolution of the matter in accordance with this Section 6.22(e), the parties shall not be required to determine Net Cash again even though the Closing Date may occur later than the Anticipated Closing Date, except that either Public Company or Merger Partner may request a redetermination of Net Cash if the Closing Date is more than fifteen (15) calendar days after the Anticipated Closing Date.
(f) For purposes of this Agreement:
(i) Net Cash shall mean (A) (without duplication) in each case of the Cash Determination Time, Public Companys unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, determined in a manner consistent with the manner in which such items were historically determined and in accordance with GAAP and Public Companys audited financial statements and unaudited interim balance sheet (it being understood that any outstanding letters of credit shall constitute unrestricted cash and cash equivalents), plus (B) the sum of (without duplication) in each case as of the Cash Determination Time (1) any amounts payable to Pubic Company without contingency within nine (9) months after the Closing Date pursuant to the term sheet referenced on Section 6.22(f)(i) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule, (2) any reimbursements to which Public Company is entitled from the Austrian government without contingency within twelve (12) months after the Closing Date for qualifying research and development expenses incurred by a Subsidiary of Public Company in 2018, (3) any reduction in future financial obligations by Public Company of amounts owed pursuant to Public Companys lease at Helmut-Qualtinger-Gasse 2/1, 1030 Vienna, Austria (the Vienna Lease ), whether by assignment or sublet or otherwise and (4) any amounts payable to Public Company without contingency within six (6) months after the Closing Date for sale of equipment at the facility leased under the Vienna Lease (provided that, in each case of the foregoing clauses (1), (3) and (4), only to the extent that any such amount payable, reimbursement, reduction or other amount is payable to or otherwise receivable by the Public Company pursuant to the specific terms of a written Contract which is in full force and effect as of the Closing (which, for purposes of clause (1), shall not include the term sheet referred to in such clause) and no party thereto has provided any notice, taken any action to or otherwise threatened to terminate such Contract or otherwise dispute any such payment obligation or the amount thereof which forms the basis for the
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inclusion of any amounts in the calculation of Net Cash), minus (C) the sum of (without duplication) in each case as of the Cash Determination Time (1) Public Companys accounts payable and accrued expenses (other than accrued expenses which are Public Company Transaction Expenses), Public Companys and its Subsidiaries other liabilities (short term and long term), in each case determined in a manner consistent with the manner in which such items were historically determined and in accordance with GAAP and Public Companys audited financial statements and unaudited interim balance sheet, (2) without regard to treatment in the Companys financial statements, any amounts (other than amounts which are Public Company Transaction Expenses) that are then owed and payable to current or former employees, officers, directors, consultants, service providers or other persons pursuant to any indemnification, contribution, reimbursement obligations or similar commitments (whether under an indemnification agreement or otherwise), (3) any unpaid Public Company Transaction Expenses, (4) any notice, termination or consent payments, fines or other payments to be made by Public Company in order to terminate any existing Contract to which Public Company is a party, including the Contracts set forth in Section 7.3(i) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedules (assuming in each case that Public Company has provided any required notice under the applicable Contract), (5) unpaid amounts owed or which become owing (or otherwise payable) to Adimab LLC pursuant to that certain Collaboration Agreement by and between Public Company and Adimab LLC dated May 1, 2011, as amended, solely as a result of consummation of the Merger, (6) unpaid Indebtedness, other than up to 8.505 million (Euros) of unpaid Indebtedness outstanding under Public Companys existing funding agreements with Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH, (7) any Outstanding Lease Obligations, and (8) all accrued and unpaid Taxes of Public Company and its Subsidiaries (estimated with respect to current Tax liabilities) and all Tax liabilities attributable to Public Company Transaction Expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no case shall Net Cash be reduced for any costs or expenses, including attorneys fees or settlement costs, incurred in connection with any Dissenting Shares. A sample calculation of Net Cash and its corresponding definitions including Public Company Transaction Expenses and Indebtedness is set forth in Annex B for illustrative purposes only.
(ii) Public Company Transaction Expenses shall mean the sum of (A) the cash cost of any change of control, bonus, severance (voluntary or otherwise) (including a reasonable estimate of payment or reimbursement for continued coverage under any employee benefit plan), retention or similar payments (whether single trigger or double trigger) whether or not matured or paid or payable as of the time of the Closing by Public Company or its affiliates regardless of whether they are or become due in connection with the consummation of the Merger or the termination of any such persons and that are unpaid as of the Closing, (B) all costs, fees and expenses associated with obtaining the tail policy under Section 6.10(b), and (C) all costs, fees and expenses for which Public Company is liable, in connection with the negotiation, preparation and execution of this Agreement or any agreements, documents, certificates, opinions or other items contemplated hereby and the consummation of the Merger or the other transactions contemplated hereby and that are unpaid as of the Closing, including brokerage fees and commissions, finders fees or financial advisory fees, or any fees and expenses of counsel, exchange agent, proxy solicitor, transfer agent, consultants, representatives or accountants payable by Public Company after application of Section 8.3(a).
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(iii) Indebtedness means any liabilities (A) for borrowed money, (B) evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (C) upon which interest charges are customarily paid (other than obligations accepted in connection with the purchase of products or services in the ordinary course of business), (D) of others secured by (or which the holder of such liabilities has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien or security interest on property owned or acquired by the person in question whether or not the obligations secured thereby have been assumed, (E) under leases required to be accounted for as capital leases under GAAP, or (F) guarantees relating to any such liabilities.
(iv) Outstanding Lease Obligations means $200,000.
6.23 Monthly Net Cash . Within ten (10) Business Days of the end of each calendar month before the Closing Date, Public Company shall provide Merger Partner in writing a calculation of Net Cash.
ARTICLE VII
CONDITIONS TO MERGER
7.1 Conditions to Each Party s Obligation To Effect the Merger . The respective obligations of each party to this Agreement to effect the Merger shall be subject to the satisfaction prior to the Closing Date of the following conditions:
(a) Stockholder Approvals . The Merger Partner Voting Proposal shall have been approved by means of the Written Consents by the requisite vote of the stockholders of Merger Partner under applicable law and Merger Partners certificate of incorporation, as amended. The Public Company Voting Proposal shall have been approved at the Public Company Meeting, at which a quorum is present, by the requisite vote of the stockholders of Public Company under applicable law, Public Companys certificate of incorporation, as amended, and stock market regulations.
(b) [Intentionally omitted]
(c) Governmental Approvals . Other than the filing of the Certificate of Merger, all authorizations, consents, orders or approvals of, or declarations or filings with, or expirations of waiting periods imposed by, any Governmental Entity in connection with the Merger and the consummation of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Registration Statement; Proxy Statement/Prospectus . The Registration Statement shall have become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose, and no similar proceeding with respect to the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, shall have been initiated or threatened in writing by the SEC or its staff.
(e) No Injunctions . No Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any order, executive order, stay, decree, judgment or injunction (preliminary or permanent) or statute, rule or regulation which is in effect and which has the effect of making the Merger illegal or otherwise prohibiting consummation of the Merger.
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(f) Nasdaq Notification . (i) The existing Public Company Common Stock has been listed on Nasdaq as of and from the date of this Agreement through the Closing Date, (ii) the Nasdaq Listing Application shall have been approved, and (iii) the share of the Public Company Common Stock to be issued in the Merger pursuant to this Agreement, upon the exercise of Adjusted Warrants and Merger Partner Stock Options shall have been approved for listing (subject to official notice of issuance) on Nasdaq.
7.2 Additional Conditions to the Obligations of Public Company and Merger Sub . The obligations of Public Company and Merger Sub to effect the Merger shall be subject to the satisfaction on or prior to the Closing Date of each of the following additional conditions, any of which may be waived in writing exclusively by Public Company and Merger Sub:
(a) Representations and Warranties . The representations and warranties of Merger Partner set forth in this Agreement and in any certificate or other writing delivered by Merger Partner pursuant hereto shall be true and correct (i) as of the date of this Agreement (except in the case of this clause (i), (A) to the extent such representations and warranties are specifically made as of a particular date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct as of such date and (B) where the failure to be true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, has not had, and is not reasonably likely to have, a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect) and (ii) as of the Closing Date as though made on and as of the Closing Date (except in the case of this clause (ii), (A) to the extent such representations and warranties are specifically made as of a particular date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct as of such date, (B) for changes expressly provided for in this Agreement and (C) where the failure to be true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, has not had, and is not reasonably likely to have, a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect); provided , however , that the representations and warranties made by Merger Partner in Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3(b), 3.4(a), 3.4(d), 3.7(i) and 3.20 shall not be subject to the qualifications set forth in clauses (i)(B) and (ii)(C) above; provided , further , that the representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2(a) shall be true and correct except for such inaccuracies as are in the aggregate de minimis ; provided , further , that for purposes of determining accuracy of such representations and warranties, any update of or modification to the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule made or purported to have been after the date of this Agreement shall be disregarded.
(b) Performance of Obligations of Merger Partner . Merger Partner shall have performed in all material respects all obligations required to be performed by it under this Agreement on or prior to the Closing Date.
(c) No Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect . No Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred since the date of this Agreement and be continuing.
(d) Third Party Consents . Merger Partner shall have obtained any required consent or approval of any third party (other than a Governmental Entity) the failure of which to obtain, individually or in the aggregate, is reasonably likely to have a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect.
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(e) Resignations . Public Company shall have received copies of the resignations, effective as of the Effective Time, of each director of Merger Partner and its Subsidiaries listed in Section 7.2(e) of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule.
(f) Dissenting Shares . The number of Dissenting Shares shall not exceed 5% of the number of outstanding shares of Merger Partner Common Stock as of the Effective Time (after giving effect to the conversion into Merger Partner Common Stock of all outstanding shares of Merger Partner Preferred Stock).
(g) Officers Certificate . Public Company shall have received an officers certificate duly executed by each of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Merger Partner to the effect that the conditions of Sections 7.2(a), (b) and (c) have been satisfied.
(h) Investor Agreements . The Investor Agreements shall have been terminated.
7.3 Additional Conditions to the Obligations of Merger Partner . The obligation of Merger Partner to effect the Merger shall be subject to the satisfaction on or prior to the Closing Date of each of the following additional conditions, any of which may be waived, in writing, exclusively by Merger Partner:
(a) Representations and Warranties . The representations and warranties of Public Company and Merger Sub set forth in this Agreement and in any certificate or other writing delivered by Public Company or Merger Sub pursuant hereto shall be true and correct (i) as of the date of this Agreement (except in the case of this clause (i), (A) to the extent such representations and warranties are specifically made as of a particular date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct as of such date and (B) where the failure to be true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, has not had, and is not reasonably likely to have, a Public Company Material Adverse Effect) and (ii) as of the Closing Date as though made on and as of the Closing Date (except in the case of this clause (ii), (A) to the extent such representations and warranties are specifically made as of a particular date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct as of such date, (B) for changes contemplated by this Agreement and (C) where the failure to be true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, has not had, and is not reasonably likely to have, a Public Company Material Adverse Effect); provided , however , that the representations and warranties made by Public Company and Merger Sub in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3(b), 4.4(a), 4.4(d), 4.7(i) and 4.21 shall not be subject to the qualifications set forth in clauses (i)(B) and (ii)(C) above; provided , further , that the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4.2(a) shall be true and correct except for such inaccuracies as are in the aggregate de minimis ; provided , further , that for purposes of determining accuracy of such representations and warranties, any update of or modification to the Public Company Disclosure Schedule made or purported to have been after the date of this Agreement shall be disregarded.
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(b) Performance of Obligations of Public Company and Merger Sub . Public Company and Merger Sub shall have performed in all material respects all obligations required to be performed by them under this Agreement on or prior to the Closing Date.
(c) No Public Company Material Adverse Effect . No Public Company Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred since the date of this Agreement and be continuing.
(d) Third Party Consents . Public Company shall have obtained any consent or approval of any third party (other than a Governmental Entity) the failure of which to obtain, individually or in the aggregate, is reasonably likely to have an Public Company Material Adverse Effect (it being understood and agreed that the failure to obtain or effect any or all of the consents and approvals listed in Section 7.3(d) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule will not be reasonably likely to have a Public Company Material Adverse Effect).
(e) Officers Certificate . Merger Partner shall have received an officers certificate duly executed by each of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Public Company to the effect that the conditions of Sections 7.3(a), (b), and (c) have been satisfied
(f) Director Resignations . Merger Partner shall have received copies of the resignations, effective as of the Effective Time, of each director of Public Company and its Subsidiaries listed in Section 7.2(f) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule.
(g) Officer Resignations . Merger Partner shall have received copies of the resignations, effective as of the Effective Time, of each officer of Public Company and its Subsidiaries listed in Section 7.2(g) of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule.
(h) Board of Directors . The Board of Directors of the Surviving Corporation shall be constituted as set forth pursuant to Section 6.14 of this Agreement effective as of the Effective Time.
(i) [Intentionally omitted]
(j) Net Cash . The Net Cash calculation shall be finally determined in accordance with Section 6.22 and such Net Cash calculation shall be at least equal to $19.0 million.
ARTICLE VIII
TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT
8.1 Termination . This Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Effective Time (with respect to Sections 8.1(b) through 8.1(k), by written notice by the terminating party to the other party), whether before or, subject to the terms hereof, after approval of the Merger Partner Voting Proposal by the stockholders of Merger Partner or approval of the Public Company Voting Proposal by the stockholders of Public Company:
(a) by mutual written consent of Public Company and Merger Partner;
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(b) by either Public Company or Merger Partner if the Merger shall not have been consummated by May 26, 2019 (the Outside Date ) ( provided , that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 8.1(b) shall not be available to any party whose failure to fulfill any obligation under this Agreement has been a principal cause of or resulted in the failure of the Merger to occur on or before the Outside Date), provided , however , that, in the event that, subsequent to the Outside Date, Net Cash is still being determined in accordance with Section 6.22, Merger Partner shall be entitled to extend the date for termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 8.1(b) until the date that is two (2) Business Days from the date that Net Cash is finally determined pursuant to Section 6.22; provided , further , however , that, in the event that the Registration Statement and/or Proxy Statement/Prospectus is still being reviewed or commented on by the SEC, Merger Partner shall be entitled to extend the date for termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 8.1(b) for an additional thirty (30) days);
(c) by either Public Company or Merger Partner if a Governmental Entity of competent jurisdiction shall have issued a nonappealable final order, decree or ruling or taken any other nonappealable final action, in each case having the effect of permanently restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the Merger; provided , however , that a party hereto shall not be permitted to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 8.1(c) if the issuance of any such order, decree, ruling or other action is attributable to the failure of such party (or any Affiliate of such party) to perform in any material respect any covenant in this Agreement required to be performed by such party (or any Affiliate of such party) at or prior to the Effective Time;
(d) by either Public Company or Merger Partner if at the Public Company Meeting (including any adjournment or postponement), at which a vote on the Public Company Voting Proposal is taken, the requisite vote of the stockholders of Public Company in favor of Public Company Voting Proposal shall not have been obtained;
(e) by Public Company, if at any time prior to the receipt of the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval: (i) the Merger Partner Board shall have failed to give its recommendation to the approval of the Merger Partner Voting Proposal or shall have withdrawn or modified in a manner adverse to Public Company its recommendation of the Merger Partner Voting Proposal; (ii) after the receipt by Merger Partner of an Acquisition Proposal, Public Company requests in writing that Merger Partner Board reconfirm its recommendation of this Agreement or the Merger and Merger Partner Board fails to do so within ten Business Days after its receipt of Public Companys request; (iii) the Merger Partner Board (or any committee thereof) shall have approved or recommended to the stockholders of Merger Partner an Acquisition Proposal; (iv) a tender offer or exchange offer for outstanding shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock is commenced (other than by Public Company or an Affiliate of Public Company), and Merger Partner Board (or any committee thereof) recommends that the stockholders of Merger Partner tender their shares in such tender or exchange offer or, within ten Business Days after the commencement of such tender offer or exchange offer, Merger Partner Board fails to recommend against acceptance of such offer; or (v) Merger Partner shall have materially breached its obligations under Section 6.1 or Section 6.5(a) of this Agreement;
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(f) by Merger Partner, at any time prior to the receipt of the Public Company Stockholder Approval with respect to the issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to the Merger, if: (i) the Public Company Board shall have failed to include its recommendation to the approval of the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable, in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus or shall have withdrawn or modified in a manner adverse to Merger Partner its recommendation of the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable; (ii) after the receipt by Public Company of an Acquisition Proposal, Merger Partner requests in writing that the Public Company Board reconfirm its recommendation of the Public Company Voting Proposal and the Other Public Company Voting Proposals, as applicable, and the Public Company Board fails to do so within ten Business Days after its receipt of Merger Partners request; (iii) the Public Company Board (or any committee thereof) shall have approved or recommended to the stockholders of Public Company an Acquisition Proposal; (iv) a tender offer or exchange offer for outstanding shares of Public Company Common Stock is commenced (other than by Merger Partner or an Affiliate of Merger Partner), and the Public Company Board (or any committee thereof) recommends that the stockholders of Public Company tender their shares in such tender or exchange offer or, within ten Business Days after the commencement of such tender offer or exchange offer, the Public Company Board fails to recommend against acceptance of such offer; or (v) Public Company shall have materially breached its obligations under Section 6.1 or Section 6.5(b) of this Agreement;
(g) by Public Company, if there has been a material breach of or material failure to perform any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement (other than those referred to elsewhere in this Section 8.1) on the part of Merger Partner, which breach would cause the conditions set forth in Section 7.2(a) or (b) not to be satisfied; provided , that neither Public Company nor Merger Sub is then in material breach of any representation, warranty or covenant under this Agreement and provided , further , that if such breach or failure to perform is curable by Merger Partner, as applicable, then this Agreement shall not terminate pursuant to this Section 8.1(g) as a result of such particular breach or failure until the earlier of (i) the expiration of a thirty (30) day period commencing upon delivery of written notice from Public Company to Merger Partner of such breach or failure and (ii) Merger Partner ceasing to exercise commercially reasonable efforts to cure such breach or failure following delivery of written notice from Public Company of such breach or failure and its intention to terminate pursuant to this Section 8.1(g) (it being understood that, in each case, this Agreement shall not terminate pursuant to this Section 8.1(g) as a result of such particular breach or failure if such breach or failure is cured prior to such termination becoming effective);
(h) by Merger Partner, if there has been a material breach of or material failure to perform any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement (other than those referred to elsewhere in this Section 8.1) on the part of Public Company, which breach would cause the conditions set forth in Section 7.3(a) or (b) not to be satisfied; provided , that Merger Partner is not then in material breach of any representation, warranty or covenant under this Agreement and provided , further , that if such breach or failure to perform is curable by Public Company, then this Agreement shall not terminate pursuant to this Section 8.1(h) as a result of such particular breach or failure until the earlier of (i) the expiration of a thirty (30) day period commencing upon delivery of written notice from Merger Partner to
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Public Company of such breach or failure and (ii) Public Company or Merger Sub (as applicable) ceasing to exercise commercially reasonable efforts to cure such breach or failure following delivery of written notice from Merger Partner of such breach or failure and its intention to terminate pursuant to this Section 8.1(h) (it being understood that, in each case, this Agreement shall not terminate pursuant to this Section 8.1(h) as a result of such particular breach or failure if such breach or failure is cured prior to such termination becoming effective);
(i) by Public Company, if the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval is not obtained by delivery of the Written Consents on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the day prior to the day on which the Public Company Meeting is held;
(j) by Merger Partner if, at any time prior to the receipt of the Merger Partner Stockholder Approval, each of the following occur: (A) Merger Partner shall have received a Superior Proposal; (B) Merger Partner shall have complied in all material respects with its obligations under Section 6.1, including with respect to making a Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change with respect to such Superior Proposal; (C) the Merger Partner Board approves, and Merger Partner concurrently with the termination of this Agreement enters into, a definitive agreement with respect to such Superior Proposal; and (D) prior to or concurrently with such termination, Merger Partner pays to Public Company the amount contemplated by Section 8.3(b); or
(k) by Public Company if, at any time prior to the receipt of the Public Company Stockholder Approval with respect to the issuance of shares of Public Company Common Stock pursuant to the Merger, each of the following occur: (A) Public Company shall have received a Superior Proposal; (B) Public Company shall have complied in all material respects with its obligations under Section 6.1, including with respect to making a Public Company Board Recommendation Change with respect to such Superior Proposal; (C) the Public Company Board approves, and Public Company concurrently with the termination of this Agreement enters into, a definitive agreement with respect to such Superior Proposal; and (D) prior to or concurrently with such termination, Public Company pays to Merger Partner the amount contemplated by Section 8.3(c).
8.2 Effect of Termination . In the event of termination of this Agreement as provided in Section 8.1, this Agreement shall immediately become void and there shall be no liability or obligation on the part of Public Company, Merger Partner, Merger Sub or their respective officers, directors, stockholders or Affiliates; provided that (a) any such termination shall not relieve any party from liability for any knowing and intentional breach of this Agreement, fraud or intentional misconduct and (b) the provisions of Section 5.3 (Confidentiality), this Section 8.2 (Effect of Termination), Section 8.3 (Fees and Expenses) and Article IX (Miscellaneous) of this Agreement and the Confidentiality Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and survive any termination of this Agreement.
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8.3 Fees and Expenses .
(a) Except as set forth in this Section 8.3, all fees and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the party incurring such expenses, whether or not the Merger is consummated; provided, however , that Merger Partner and Public Company shall share equally all fees and expenses, other than accountants and attorneys fees, incurred with respect to the printing, filing and mailing of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus (including any related preliminary materials) and the Registration Statement and any amendments or supplements thereto.
(b) Merger Partner shall pay Public Company a termination fee of $600,000 (the Merger Partner Termination Fee ) in the event of the termination of this Agreement:
(i) by Public Company pursuant to Section 8.1(e);
(ii) by Merger Partner pursuant to Section 8.1(j); or
(iii) by Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, pursuant to Sections 8.1(b) or 8.1(g), so long as (A) prior to the termination of this Agreement, any person makes an Acquisition Proposal or amends an Acquisition Proposal made prior to the date of this Agreement with respect to Merger Partner; and (B) within 12 months after such termination Merger Partner enters into a definitive agreement to consummate (which is consummated, whether or not within or after the 12 month period), or consummates, any Acquisition Proposal (regardless of whether made before or after the termination of this Agreement); provided that for purposes of this Section 8.3(b)(iii), the references to 15% in the definition of Acquisition Proposal shall be deemed to be 50%.
(c) Public Company shall pay Merger Partner a termination fee of $600,000 (the Public Company Termination Fee ) in the event of the termination of this Agreement:
(i) by Merger Partner pursuant to Section 8.1(f);
(ii) by Public Company pursuant to Section 8.1(k); or
(iii) by Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, pursuant to Sections 8.1(b) or 8.1(h), so long as (A) prior to the termination of this Agreement, any person makes an Acquisition Proposal or amends an Acquisition Proposal made prior to the date of this Agreement with respect to Public Company; and (B) within 12 months after such termination Public Company enters into a definitive agreement to consummate, or consummates, any Acquisition Proposal (regardless of whether made before or after the termination of this Agreement); provided that for purposes of this Section 8.3(c)(iii), the references to 15% in the definition of Acquisition Proposal shall be deemed to be 50%.
(d) Any fee due under Section 8.3(b) or 8.3(c) shall be paid by wire transfer within two (2) Business Days of the date of termination of this Agreement to an account designated by the party entitled to such amount. If either party fails to promptly pay to the other any expense reimbursement or termination fee due pursuant to this Section 8.3, the defaulting party shall pay the costs and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) in connection with any action, including the filing of any lawsuit or other legal action, taken to collect payment, together with interest on the amount of any unpaid fee at the publicly announced prime rate of Bank of America, N.A. plus five percent per annum, compounded quarterly, from the date such expense reimbursement or fee was required to be paid.
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(e) The parties hereto acknowledge that the agreements contained in this Section 8.3 are an integral part of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and that, without these agreements, the parties hereto would not enter into this Agreement. Notwithstanding Section 8.2 or any other provision of this Agreement, payment of the termination fees described in, and under the circumstances provided for in, this Section 8.3 shall constitute the sole and exclusive remedy of Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable in connection with any termination of this Agreement in the circumstances in which such fees became payable. In the event that Public Company or Merger Partner shall receive the payment of a termination fee under the circumstances provided for in this Section 8.3, the receipt of such fee shall be deemed to be liquidated damages for any and all losses or damages suffered or incurred by Public Company and any of its Affiliates or Merger Partner and any of its Affiliates, as applicable, or any other person in connection with this Agreement (and the termination hereof), the transactions contemplated hereby (and the abandonment thereof) or any matter forming the basis for such termination, and none of Public Company, Merger Sub any of their respective Affiliates or Merger Partner or any of its Affiliates, as applicable, or any other person, shall be entitled to bring or maintain any other claim, action or proceeding against Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, or any of their respective Affiliates arising out of this Agreement, any of the transactions contemplated hereby or any matters forming the basis for such termination.
(f) The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that (i) in no event shall Merger Partner be required to pay Merger Partner Termination Fee on more than one occasion, nor shall Public Company be required to pay Public Company Termination Fee on more than one occasion and (ii) in each case whether or not such fee may be payable under more than one provision of this Agreement at the same or at different times and the occurrence of different events. Payment of either the Merger Partner Termination Fee or Public Company Termination Fee shall be an exclusive remedy hereunder for the party that actually receives such fee, and if this Agreement is terminated pursuant to a provision that does not require payment of either the Merger Partner Termination Fee or Public Company Termination Fee, then the parties may pursue any remedies available hereunder.
(g) If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8.1(i) or in the event the transactions contemplated at the Closing by this Agreement fail to be consummated solely as a result of the failure of the condition set forth in Section 7.2(c) to be satisfied ( provided , in each case, that at such time all of the other conditions have been satisfied, met or waived), then Merger Partner shall reimburse Public Company for all reasonable out-of-pocket fees and expenses incurred by Public Company in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby in an amount up to $175,000 (such expenses, collectively, the Public Company Expenses ) by wire transfer of same-day funds within ten (10) Business Days following the date on which Public Company submits to Merger Partner true and correct copies of reasonable documentation supporting such Public Company Expenses.
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(h) If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8.1(d) or in the event the transactions contemplated at the Closing by this Agreement fail to be consummated solely as a result of the failure of the condition set forth in Section 7.3(c) to be satisfied ( provided , in each case, that at such time all of the other conditions have been satisfied, met or waived), then Public Company shall reimburse Merger Partner for all reasonable out-of-pocket fees and expenses incurred by Merger Partner in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby in an amount up to $175,000 (such expenses, collectively, the Merger Partner Expenses ) by wire transfer of same-day funds within ten (10) Business Days following the date on which Merger Partner submits to Public Company true and correct copies of reasonable documentation supporting such Merger Partner Expenses.
8.4 Amendment . This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto, by action taken or authorized by their respective Boards of Directors, at any time before or after approval of the matters presented in connection with the Merger by the stockholders of any of the parties, but, after any such approval, no amendment shall be made which by law requires further approval by such stockholders without such further approval. This Agreement may not be amended except by an instrument in writing signed on behalf of each of the parties hereto.
8.5 Extension; Waiver . At any time prior to the Effective Time, the parties hereto, by action taken or authorized by their respective Boards of Directors, may, to the extent legally allowed, (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other parties hereto, (b) waive any inaccuracies in the representations and warranties contained herein or in any document delivered pursuant hereto and (c) waive compliance with any of the agreements or conditions contained herein. Any agreement on the part of a party hereto to any such extension or waiver shall be valid only if set forth in a written instrument signed on behalf of such party. Such extension or waiver shall not be deemed to apply to any time for performance, inaccuracy in any representation or warranty, or noncompliance with any agreement or condition, as the case may be, other than that which is specified in the extension or waiver. The failure of any party to this Agreement to assert any of its rights under this Agreement or otherwise shall not constitute a waiver of such rights.
8.6 Procedure for Termination, Amendment, Extension or Waiver . A termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.1, an amendment, modification or supplement of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.4 or an extension or waiver of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.5 shall, in order to be effective, require action by the respective boards of directors of the applicable parties.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
9.1 Nonsurvival of Representations, Warranties and Agreements . None of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in this Agreement shall survive the Effective Time, except for the agreements contained in Article I, Article II, Section 6.10, 6.13 and 6.14, Article VIII and this Article IX. This Section 9.1 shall have no effect upon any other obligations of the parties hereto, whether to be performed before or after the consummation of the Merger.
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9.2 Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly delivered (i) three Business Days after being sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (ii) one Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable overnight courier service, in each case to the intended recipient as set forth below:
(a) if to Public Company or Merger Sub, to
Arsanis, Inc.
890 Winter Street, Suite 230
Waltham, MA 02451
Attn: Michael Gray
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
60 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
Attn: Jay E. Bothwick, Esq.
Cynthia T. Mazareas, Esq.
Telecopy: (617) 526-5000
(b) if to Merger Partner:
X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
955 Massachusetts Avenue, 4 th Floor
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Attn: Paula Ragan
Adam Mostafa
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C.
One Financial Center
Boston, Massachusetts 02111
Attn: John J. Cheney, Esq.
Daniel T. Kajunski, Esq.
Telecopy: (617) 542-2241
Any party to this Agreement may give any notice or other communication hereunder using any other means (including personal delivery, messenger service, telecopy, ordinary mail or electronic mail), but no such notice or other communication shall be deemed to have been duly given unless and until it actually is received by the party for whom it is intended. Any party to this Agreement may change the address to which notices and other communications hereunder are to be delivered by giving the other parties to this Agreement notice in the manner herein set forth.
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9.3 Entire Agreement . This Agreement (including the Schedules, Annexes and Exhibits hereto and the documents and instruments referred to herein that are to be delivered at the Closing) constitutes the entire agreement among the parties to this Agreement and supersedes any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties hereto, or any of them, written or oral, with respect to the subject matter hereof and the parties hereto expressly disclaim reliance on any such prior understandings, agreements or representations to the extent not embodied in this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Confidentiality Agreement shall remain in effect in accordance with its terms.
9.4 No Third Party Beneficiaries . This Agreement is not intended to, and shall not, confer upon any other person any rights or remedies hereunder, except as set forth in or contemplated by the terms and provisions of Section 6.10.
9.5 Assignment . No party may assign any of its rights or delegate any of its performance obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise without the prior written consent of the other parties, and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any purported assignment of rights or delegation of performance obligations in violation of this Section 9.5 is void.
9.6 Severability . Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision hereof is invalid or unenforceable, the parties hereto agree that the court making such determination shall have the power to limit the term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified. In the event such court does not exercise the power granted to it in the prior sentence, the parties hereto agree to replace such invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such invalid or unenforceable term.
9.7 Counterparts and Signature . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts (including by facsimile or by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart. This Agreement may be executed and delivered by facsimile or by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail.
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9.8 Interpretation . When reference is made in this Agreement to an Article or a Section, such reference shall be to an Article or Section of this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The table of contents, table of defined terms and headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa. Any reference to any federal, state, local or foreign statute or law shall be deemed also to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise. Whenever the words include, includes or including are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation. Where this Agreement refers to information that was made available, that means that such information was either (i) provided directly to Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, by the other party, (ii) included in the virtual data rooms established by Public Company and Merger Partner created for the purposes of providing information to the other party in connection with this Agreement at least three Business Days prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement or (iii) solely with respect to information made available by Public Company, filed with and publicly available on the SECs EDGAR system prior to the date of this Agreement. When used in the agreement, person shall mean any natural person, corporation, exempted company, limited liability company, partnership, exempted limited partnership, association, trust or other entity, including a Governmental Entity, as applicable. No summary of this Agreement prepared by any party shall affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
9.9 Governing Law . All matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including its interpretation, construction, performance and enforcement) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of laws of any jurisdictions other than those of the State of Delaware.
9.10 Remedies . Except as otherwise provided herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a party will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such party, and the exercise by a party of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.
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9.11 Submission to Jurisdiction . Each of the parties to this Agreement (a) consents to submit itself to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, New Castle County, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, a federal court sitting in Wilmington, Delaware in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (b) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined in any such court, (c) agrees that it shall not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court and (d) agrees not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transaction contemplated by this Agreement in any other court. Each of the parties hereto waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other party with respect thereto. Any party may make service on another party by sending or delivering a copy of the process to the party to be served at the address and in the manner provided for the giving of notices in Section 9.2. Nothing in this Section 9.11, however, shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by law.
9.12 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF PUBLIC COMPANY, THE MERGER SUB AND MERGER PARTNER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THE ACTIONS OF PUBLIC COMPANY, THE MERGER SUB OR MERGER PARTNER IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT.
9.13 Disclosure Schedule . Each of the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule and the Public Company Disclosure Schedule shall be arranged in sections corresponding to the numbered sections contained in this Agreement, and the disclosure in any section shall qualify only (a) the corresponding section of this Agreement and (b) the other sections of this Agreement, to the extent that it is reasonably apparent from a reading of such disclosure that it also qualifies or applies to such other sections. The inclusion of any information in the Merger Partner Disclosure Schedule or the Public Company Disclosure Schedule, as applicable, shall not be deemed to be an admission or acknowledgment, in and of itself, that such information is required by the terms hereof to be disclosed, is material, has resulted in or would result in a Merger Partner Material Adverse Effect or a Public Company Material Adverse Effect, as applicable, or is outside the Ordinary Course of Business. The parties acknowledge that Section 6.14 of the Public Company Disclosure Schedule may be updated prior to the Effective Time to reflect any changes in the individuals to be appointed to the Public Company Board and the class such individual is to serve or from whom resignations shall be obtained.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.
ARSANIS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Michael Gray | |
Name: Michael Gray | ||
Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer |
ARTEMIS AC CORP. | ||
By: | /s/ Michael Gray | |
Name: Michael Gray | ||
Title: President |
X4 PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
By: | /s/ Paula Ragan |
Name: Paula Ragan, Ph.D. |
Title: President & Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger]
Exhibit A-1
FORM OF SUPPORT AGREEMENT
This Support Agreement (this Agreement ) is made and entered into as of November ___, 2018, by and among X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Merger Partner ), Arsanis, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Public Company ), and the undersigned stockholder (the Stockholder ) of Merger Partner.
RECITALS
A. Concurrently with the execution and delivery hereof, Public Company, Merger Partner and [__________], a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger Sub ), have entered into an agreement and plan of merger (as such agreement may be amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to the terms thereof, the Merger Agreement ), pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into Merger Partner, with Merger Partner as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger ).
B. Stockholder is the beneficial owner of such number of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock as indicated in Appendix A to this Agreement.
C. As an inducement to the willingness of Public Company to enter into the Merger Agreement, Public Company has required that the Stockholder enter into this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, intending to be legally bound, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions . Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Merger Agreement. For all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
Constructive Sale means, with respect to any security, a short sale with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a derivative contract with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a futures or forward contract to deliver such security or entering into any other hedging or other derivative transaction that has the effect of either directly or indirectly materially changing the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such security.
Shares means, with respect to a Stockholder, (i) all shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock owned, beneficially or of record, by such Stockholder as of the date hereof, (ii) all additional shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock acquired by such Stockholder, beneficially or of record, during the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Closing Date, and (iii) all shares of Public Company Common Stock received by such Stockholder in connection with the Merger.
Transfer means, with respect to any security, the direct or indirect assignment, sale, transfer, tender, exchange, pledge or hypothecation, or the grant, creation or suffrage of a lien, security interest or encumbrance in or upon, or the gift, grant or placement in trust, or the Constructive Sale or other disposition of such security (including transfers by testamentary or intestate succession, by domestic relations order or other court order, or otherwise by operation of law) or any right, title or interest therein (including any right or power to vote to which the holder thereof may be entitled, whether such right or power is granted by proxy or otherwise), or the record or beneficial ownership thereof, the offer to make such a sale, transfer, Constructive Sale or other disposition, and each agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, to effect any of the foregoing.
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2. Transfer and Voting Restrictions . Stockholder covenants to Public Company as follows:
(a) During the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Lock-Up Termination Date (as defined below), such Stockholder shall not Transfer any of such Stockholders Shares, or publicly announce its intention to Transfer any of its Shares.
(b) Except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction, such Stockholder will not commit any act that would restrict such Stockholders legal power, authority and right to vote all of the Shares held by such Stockholder or otherwise prevent or disable such Stockholder from performing any of his, her or its obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except for this Agreement and as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, such Stockholder shall not enter into any voting agreement with any person or entity with respect to any of such Stockholders Shares, grant any person or entity any proxy (revocable or irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of such Stockholders Shares, deposit any of such Stockholders Shares in a voting trust or otherwise enter into any agreement or arrangement with any person or entity limiting or affecting such Stockholders legal power, authority or right to vote such Stockholders Shares in favor of the approval of the Merger.
(c) Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, Stockholder may, at any time, Transfer its Shares (i) by will or other testamentary document or by intestacy, (ii) to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by such Stockholder, (iii) to any member of such Stockholders immediate family or (iv) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of such Stockholder or the immediate family of such Stockholder or otherwise for estate planning purposes; provided , that the applicable transferee shall have executed and delivered a support agreement substantially identical to this Agreement.
3. Agreement to Vote Shares . Stockholder covenants to Public Company as follows:
(a) Until the Expiration Date (as defined below), at any meeting of the stockholders of Merger Partner, however called, and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of Merger Partner: (i) if no Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change has occurred, such Stockholder shall be present (in person or by proxy) and vote, or exercise its right to consent with respect to, all Shares held by such Stockholder (A) in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the approval of the Merger and (B) against any Acquisition Proposal; and (ii) if a Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change has occurred, such Stockholder shall be present (in person or by proxy) and vote, or exercise its right to consent with respect to, all Shares held by such Stockholder (A) in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the approval of the Merger and (B) against any Acquisition Proposal.
(b) If the Stockholder is the beneficial owner, but not the record holder, of Shares, such Stockholder agrees to take all actions necessary to cause the record holder and any nominees to be present (in person or by proxy) and vote all such Stockholders Shares in accordance with this Section 3.
(c) In the event of a stock split, stock dividend or distribution, or any change in the capital stock of Public Company by reason of any split-up, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, reincorporation, exchange of shares or the like, the term Shares shall be deemed to refer to and include such shares as well as all such stock dividends and distributions and any securities into which or for which any or all of such shares may be changed or exchanged or which are received in such transaction.
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(d) The Stockholder hereby waives and agrees not to exercise any rights of appraisal or any dissenters rights (including under Section 262 of the DGCL) that the Stockholder may have (whether under applicable law or otherwise) or could potentially have or acquire in connection with the Merger.
4. Action in Stockholder Capacity Only . Stockholder is entering into this Agreement solely in such Stockholders capacity as a record holder and beneficial owner, as applicable, of its Shares and not in such Stockholders capacity as a director or officer of Merger Partner. Nothing herein shall limit or affect any Stockholders ability to act as an officer or director of Merger Partner.
5. Irrevocable Proxy . Stockholder hereby revokes (or agrees to cause to be revoked) any proxies that such Stockholder has heretofore granted with respect to its Shares. In the event and to the extent that any Stockholder fails to vote its Shares in accordance with Section 3 at any applicable meeting of the stockholders of Merger Partner or pursuant to any applicable written consent of the stockholders of Merger Partner, such Stockholder shall be deemed to have irrevocably granted to, and appointed, Public Company, and any individual designated in writing by it, and each of them individually, as his, her or its proxy and attorney-in-fact (with full power of substitution), for and in its name, place and stead, to vote his, her or its Shares in any action by written consent of Merger Partner stockholders or at any meeting of the Merger Partner stockholders called with respect to any of the matters specified in, and in accordance and consistent with, Section 3 of this Agreement. Public Company agrees not to exercise the proxy granted herein for any purpose other than the purposes described in this Agreement. Except as otherwise provided for herein, such Stockholder hereby affirms that the irrevocable proxy is coupled with an interest and may under no circumstances be revoked and that such irrevocable proxy is executed and intended to be irrevocable. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, the irrevocable proxy granted hereunder shall automatically terminate upon the termination of this Agreement.
6. No Solicitation . Subject to Section 4 , Stockholder agrees not to, directly or indirectly, including through any of its officers, directors or agents, (a) solicit, seek or initiate or knowingly take any action to facilitate or encourage, any offers, inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, any Acquisition Proposal or (b) enter into, continue or otherwise participate or engage in any discussions or negotiations regarding any Acquisition Proposal, or furnish to any person any non-public information or afford any person, other than Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, access to such partys property, books or records (except pursuant to a request by a Governmental Entity) in connection with, any Acquisition Proposal; provided , however , that nothing in this Section 6 shall prevent Stockholder from referring a person to this Section 6 or to the Merger Agreement.
7. Representations and Warranties of the Stockholder . Stockholder hereby represents and warrants to Public Company as follows:
(a) (i) The Stockholder is the beneficial or record owner of the shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock indicated in Appendix A to this Agreement (each of which shall be deemed to be held by Stockholder for purposes of Section 3 unless otherwise expressly stated with respect to any shares in Appendix A ), free and clear of any and all Liens; and (ii) the Stockholder does not beneficially own any securities of Merger Partner other than the shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock and rights to purchase shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock set forth in Appendix A to this Agreement.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Stockholder has full power and authority to (i) make, enter into and carry out the terms of this Agreement and (ii) vote all of its Shares in the manner set forth in this Agreement without the consent or approval of, or any other action on the part of, any other person or entity (including any Governmental Entity). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Stockholder has not entered into any voting agreement (other than this Agreement) with any person with respect to any of such Stockholders Shares, granted any person any proxy (revocable or
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irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of such Stockholders Shares, deposited any of such Stockholders Shares in a voting trust or entered into any arrangement or agreement with any person limiting or affecting such Stockholders legal power, authority or right to vote such Stockholders Shares on any matter.
(c) This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by such Stockholder and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto) constitutes a valid and binding agreement of such Stockholder enforceable against such Stockholder in accordance with its terms, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Stockholder and the performance by such Stockholder of the agreements and obligations hereunder will not result in any breach or violation of or be in conflict with or constitute a default under any term of any Contract or if applicable any provision of an organizational document (including a certificate of incorporation) to or by which Stockholder is a party or bound, or any applicable law to which such Stockholder (or any of such Stockholders assets) is subject or bound, except for any such breach, violation, conflict or default which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to materially impair or adversely affect such Stockholders ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(d) The Stockholder has had the opportunity to review the Merger Agreement and this Agreement with such Stockholders legal counsel. The Stockholder understands and acknowledges that Public Company is entering into the Merger Agreement in reliance upon the Stockholders execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.
(e) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Stockholder do not and will not require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, action by, filing with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, except for any such consent, approval, authorization, permit, action, filing or notification the failure of which to make or obtain, individually or in the aggregate, has not and would not materially impair the Stockholders ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(f) With respect to the Stockholder, as of the date hereof, there is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending against, or, to the knowledge of such Stockholder, threatened against, such Stockholder or any of such Stockholders properties or assets (including the Shares) that would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or impair the ability of the Stockholder to perform its obligations hereunder or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.
8. Termination . This Agreement shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earlier of (a) such date and time as the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to the terms thereof or (b) the date on which the Merger Partner Voting Proposal shall have been approved by the requisite holders of Merger Partner Capital Stock (the Expiration Date ); provided , however , that (i) Section 9 shall survive the termination of this Agreement, (ii) Section 2(a) (and, to the extent relating to thereto, Section 2(c) ) shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earlier of (A) such date and time as the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to the terms thereof or (B) the date which is one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days following the Closing Date (the Lock-Up Termination Date ), and (iii) the termination of this Agreement shall not relieve any party hereto from any liability for any material and willful breach of this Agreement prior to the Expiration Date.
9. Miscellaneous Provisions .
(a) Amendments . No amendment of this Agreement shall be effective against any party unless it shall be in writing and signed by each of the parties hereto.
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(b) Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all other prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(c) Governing Law . All matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including its interpretation, construction, performance and enforcement) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of laws of any jurisdictions other than those of the State of Delaware.
(d) Jurisdiction . Each of the parties to this Agreement (i) consents to submit itself to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, New Castle County, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, a federal court sitting in Wilmington, Delaware in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined in any such court, (iii) agrees that it shall not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court and (iv) agrees not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any other court. Each of the parties hereto waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other party with respect thereto. Any party may make service on another party by sending or delivering a copy of the process to the party to be served at the address and in the manner provided for the giving of notices in Section 9(j) . Nothing in this Section 9(d) , however, shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by law.
(e) WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT.
(f) Assignment . Except as otherwise provided in Section 2(c) hereof, no party may assign any of its rights or delegate any of its performance obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto, and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any purported assignment of rights or delegation of performance obligations in violation of this Section 9(f) is void.
(g) No Third Party Rights . This Agreement is not intended to, and shall not, confer upon any other person any rights or remedies hereunder other than the parties hereto to the extent expressly set forth herein.
(h) Severability . Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision hereof is invalid or unenforceable, the parties hereto agree that the court
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making such determination shall have the power to limit the term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified. In the event such court does not exercise the power granted to it in the prior sentence, the parties hereto agree to replace such invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such invalid or unenforceable term.
(i) Specific Performance . The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.
(j) Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly delivered (i) three Business Days after being sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (ii) one Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable overnight courier service, in each case to the intended recipient as follows: (A) if to Merger Partner or Public Company, to the address, electronic mail address or facsimile provided in the Merger Agreement, including to the persons designated therein to receive copies; and/or (B) if to any Stockholder, to such Stockholders address, electronic mail address or facsimile shown below Stockholders signature to this Agreement.
(k) Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts (including by facsimile, by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail or any electronic signature), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart. This Agreement may be executed and delivered by facsimile, by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail or by delivery of any electronic signature.
(l) Interpretation . When reference is made in this Agreement to a Section, such reference shall be to a Section of this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa. Any reference to any federal, state, local or foreign statute or law shall be deemed also to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise. Whenever the words include, includes or including are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation.
[Remainder of Page Left Intentionally Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
MERGER PARTNER: [Merger Partner] |
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By: |
Title: |
PUBLIC COMPANY: [Public Company] |
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By: |
Title: |
[STOCKHOLDER], in his/her capacity as a Stockholder: |
Signature: | ||
Address: |
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
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Appendix A
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Exhibit A-2
FORM OF SUPPORT AGREEMENT
This Support Agreement (this Agreement ) is made and entered into as of November [_], 2018, by and among X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Merger Partner ), Arsanis, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Public Company ), and the undersigned stockholder (the Stockholder ) of Public Company.
RECITALS
A. Concurrently with the execution and delivery hereof, Public Company, Merger Partner and Artemis AC Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger Sub ), have entered into an agreement and plan of merger (as such agreement may be amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to the terms thereof, the Merger Agreement ), pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into Merger Partner, with Merger Partner as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger ).
B. The Stockholder is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of such number of shares of Public Company Common Stock as indicated in Appendix A to this Agreement.
C. As an inducement to the willingness of Merger Partner to enter into the Merger Agreement, Merger Partner has required that certain stockholders of Public Company (including the Stockholder) enter into this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, intending to be legally bound, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions . Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Merger Agreement. For all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
Constructive Sale means, with respect to any security, a short sale with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a derivative contract with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a futures or forward contract to deliver such security or entering into any other hedging or other derivative transaction that has the effect of either directly or indirectly materially changing the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such security.
Recommendation Change Requirement means 70% of the Shares held by the Stockholder.
Shares means (i) all shares of Public Company Common Stock owned, beneficially or of record, by the Stockholder as of the date hereof, and (ii) all additional shares of Public Company Common Stock acquired by the Stockholder, beneficially or of record, during the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Closing Date.
Transfer means, with respect to any security, the direct or indirect assignment, sale, transfer, tender, exchange, pledge or hypothecation, or the grant, creation or suffrage of a lien, security interest or encumbrance in or upon, or the gift, grant or placement in trust, or the Constructive Sale or other disposition of such security (including transfers by testamentary or intestate succession, by domestic relations order or other court order, or otherwise by operation of law) or any right, title or interest therein (including any right or power to vote to which the holder
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thereof may be entitled, whether such right or power is granted by proxy or otherwise), or the record or beneficial ownership thereof, the offer to make such a sale, transfer, Constructive Sale or other disposition, and each agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, to effect any of the foregoing.
2. Transfer and Voting Restrictions . The Stockholder covenants to Merger Partner as follows:
(a) During the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Lock-Up Termination Date (as defined below), such Stockholder shall not Transfer any of such Stockholders Shares, or publicly announce its intention to Transfer any of its Shares.
(b) Except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction, the Stockholder will not commit any act that would restrict the Stockholders legal power, authority and right to vote all of the Shares held by the Stockholder or otherwise prevent or disable the Stockholder from performing any of his, her or its obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except for this Agreement and as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, the Stockholder shall not enter into any voting agreement with any person or entity with respect to any of the Stockholders Shares, grant any person or entity any proxy (revocable or irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of the Stockholders Shares, deposit any of the Stockholders Shares in a voting trust or otherwise enter into any agreement or arrangement with any person or entity limiting or affecting the Stockholders legal power, authority or right to vote the Stockholders Shares in favor of the approval of the Merger.
(c) Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, the Stockholder may, at any time, Transfer its Shares (i) by will or other testamentary document or by intestacy, (ii) to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the Stockholder, (iii) to any member of the Stockholders immediate family or (iv) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the Stockholder or the immediate family of the Stockholder or otherwise for estate planning purposes; provided , that the applicable transferee shall have executed and delivered a support agreement substantially identical to this Agreement.
3. Agreement to Vote Shares . The Stockholder covenants to Merger Partner as follows:
(a) Until the Expiration Date (as defined below), at any meeting of the stockholders of Public Company, however called, and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of Public Company: (i) if no Public Company Board Recommendation Change has occurred, the Stockholder shall be present (in person or by proxy) and vote, or exercise its right to consent with respect to, all Shares held by the Stockholder (A) in favor of the issuance of shares of common stock of Public Company in connection with the Merger, as well as the adoption of the Merger Agreement and (B) against any Acquisition Proposal; and (ii) if a Public Company Board Recommendation Change has occurred, the Stockholder shall be present (in person or by proxy) and vote, or exercise its right to consent with respect to, at least the Recommendation Change Requirement (rounded up to the nearest whole number of Shares) of Shares held by the Stockholder (A) in favor of the issuance of shares of common stock of Public Company in connection with the Merger, as well as the adoption of the Merger Agreement and (B) against any Acquisition Proposal.
(b) If the Stockholder is the beneficial owner, but not the record holder, of Shares, the Stockholder agrees to take all actions necessary to cause the record holder and any nominees to be present (in person or by proxy) and vote all of the Stockholders Shares in accordance with this Section 3.
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(c) In the event of a stock split, stock dividend or distribution, or any change in the capital stock of Public Company by reason of any split-up, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, reincorporation, exchange of shares or the like, the term Shares shall be deemed to refer to and include such shares as well as all such stock dividends and distributions and any securities into which or for which any or all of such shares may be changed or exchanged or which are received in such transaction.
(d) The Stockholder hereby waives and agrees not to exercise any rights of appraisal or any dissenters rights (including under Section 262 of the DGCL) that the Stockholder may have (whether under applicable law or otherwise) or could potentially have or acquire in connection with the Merger.
4. Action in Stockholder Capacity Only . The Stockholder is entering into this Agreement solely in the Stockholders capacity as a record holder and beneficial owner, as applicable, of its Shares and not in the Stockholders capacity as a director or officer of Public Company. Nothing herein shall limit or affect any Stockholders ability to act as an officer or director of Public Company.
5. Irrevocable Proxy . The Stockholder hereby revokes (or agrees to cause to be revoked) any proxies that the Stockholder has heretofore granted with respect to its Shares. In the event and to the extent that the Stockholder fails to vote its Shares in accordance with Section 3 at any applicable meeting of the stockholders of Public Company or pursuant to any applicable written consent of the stockholders of Public Company, the Stockholder shall be deemed to have irrevocably granted to, and appointed, Merger Partner, and any individual designated in writing by it, and each of them individually, as his, her or its proxy and attorney-in-fact (with full power of substitution), for and in its name, place and stead, to vote his, her or its Shares in any action by written consent of Public Company stockholders or at any meeting of the Public Company stockholders called with respect to any of the matters specified in, and in accordance and consistent with, Section 3 of this Agreement; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, if a Public Company Board Recommendation Change has occurred the Stockholder shall only be deemed to have granted proxies to the extent of the Recommendation Change Requirement. Merger Partner agrees not to exercise the proxy granted herein for any purpose other than the purposes described in this Agreement. Except as otherwise provided for herein, the Stockholder hereby affirms that the irrevocable proxy is coupled with an interest and may under no circumstances be revoked and that such irrevocable proxy is executed and intended to be irrevocable. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, the irrevocable proxy granted hereunder shall automatically terminate upon the termination of this Agreement.
6. No Solicitation . Subject to Section 4 , the Stockholder agrees not to, directly or indirectly, including through any of its officers, directors or agents, (a) solicit, seek or initiate or knowingly take any action to facilitate or encourage, any offers, inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, any Acquisition Proposal or (b) enter into, continue or otherwise participate or engage in any discussions or negotiations regarding any Acquisition Proposal, or furnish to any person any non-public information or afford any person, other than Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, access to such partys property, books or records (except pursuant to a request by a Governmental Entity) in connection with, any Acquisition Proposal; provided , however , that nothing in this Section 6 shall prevent the Stockholder from referring a person to this Section 6 or to the Merger Agreement.
7. Representations and Warranties of the Stockholder . The Stockholder hereby represents and warrants to Merger Partner as follows:
(a) (i) The Stockholder is the beneficial or record owner of the shares of Public Company Common Stock indicated in Appendix A to this Agreement (each of which shall be deemed to be held by the Stockholder for purposes of Section 3 unless otherwise expressly stated with respect to any shares in Appendix A ), free and clear of any and all Liens; and (ii) the Stockholder does not beneficially own any securities of Public Company other than the shares of Public Company Common Stock and rights to purchase shares of Public Company Common Stock set forth in Appendix A to this Agreement.
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(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Stockholder has full power and authority to (i) make, enter into and carry out the terms of this Agreement and (ii) vote all of its Shares in the manner set forth in this Agreement without the consent or approval of, or any other action on the part of, any other person or entity (including any Governmental Entity). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Stockholder has not entered into any voting agreement (other than this Agreement) with any person with respect to any of the Stockholders Shares, granted any person any proxy (revocable or irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of the Stockholders Shares, deposited any of the Stockholders Shares in a voting trust or entered into any arrangement or agreement with any person limiting or affecting the Stockholders legal power, authority or right to vote the Stockholders Shares on any matter.
(c) This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Stockholder and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto) constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Stockholder enforceable against the Stockholder in accordance with its terms, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Stockholder and the performance by the Stockholder of the agreements and obligations hereunder will not result in any breach or violation of or be in conflict with or constitute a default under any term of any Contract or if applicable any provision of an organizational document (including a certificate of incorporation) to or by which the Stockholder is a party or bound, or any applicable law to which the Stockholder (or any of the Stockholders assets) is subject or bound, except for any such breach, violation, conflict or default which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to materially impair or adversely affect the Stockholders ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(d) The Stockholder has had the opportunity to review the Merger Agreement and this Agreement with the Stockholders legal counsel. The Stockholder understands and acknowledges that Merger Partner is entering into the Merger Agreement in reliance upon the Stockholders execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.
(e) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Stockholder do not and will not require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, action by, filing with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, except for any such consent, approval, authorization, permit, action, filing or notification the failure of which to make or obtain, individually or in the aggregate, has not and would not materially impair the Stockholders ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(f) With respect to the Stockholder, as of the date hereof, there is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending against, or, to the knowledge of the Stockholder, threatened against, the Stockholder or any of the Stockholders properties or assets (including the Shares) that would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or impair the ability of the Stockholder to perform its obligations hereunder or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.
8. Termination . This Agreement shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earlier of (a) such date and time as the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to the terms thereof or (b) the date on which the Public Company Voting Proposal shall have been approved by the requisite holders of Public Company Common Stock (the Expiration Date ); provided , however , that (i) Section 9 shall survive the termination of this Agreement, (ii) Section 2(a) (and, to the extent relating to thereto, Section 2(c) ) shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earlier of (A) such date and time as the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to
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the terms thereof or (B) the date which is one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days following the Closing Date (the Lock-Up Termination Date ) and (iii) the termination of this Agreement shall not relieve any party hereto from any liability for any material and willful breach of this Agreement prior to the Expiration Date.
9. Miscellaneous Provisions .
(a) Amendments . No amendment of this Agreement shall be effective against any party unless it shall be in writing and signed by each of the parties hereto.
(b) Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all other prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(c) Governing Law . All matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including its interpretation, construction, performance and enforcement) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of laws of any jurisdictions other than those of the State of Delaware.
(d) Jurisdiction . Each of the parties to this Agreement (i) consents to submit itself to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, New Castle County, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, a federal court sitting in Wilmington, Delaware in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined in any such court, (iii) agrees that it shall not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court and (iv) agrees not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any other court. Each of the parties hereto waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other party with respect thereto. Any party may make service on another party by sending or delivering a copy of the process to the party to be served at the address and in the manner provided for the giving of notices in Section 9(j) . Nothing in this Section 9(d) , however, shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by law.
(e) WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT.
(f) Assignment . Except as otherwise provided in Section 2(c) hereof, no party may assign any of its rights or delegate any of its performance obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto, and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any purported assignment of rights or delegation of performance obligations in violation of this Section 9(f) is void.
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(g) No Third Party Rights . This Agreement is not intended to, and shall not, confer upon any other person any rights or remedies hereunder other than the parties hereto to the extent expressly set forth herein.
(h) Severability . Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision hereof is invalid or unenforceable, the parties hereto agree that the court making such determination shall have the power to limit the term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified. In the event such court does not exercise the power granted to it in the prior sentence, the parties hereto agree to replace such invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such invalid or unenforceable term.
(i) Specific Performance . The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.
(j) Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly delivered (i) three Business Days after being sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (ii) one Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable overnight courier service, in each case to the intended recipient as follows: (A) if to Merger Partner or Public Company, to the address, electronic mail address or facsimile provided in the Merger Agreement, including to the persons designated therein to receive copies; and/or (B) if to the Stockholder, to the Stockholders address, electronic mail address or facsimile shown below the Stockholders signature to this Agreement.
(k) Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts (including by facsimile, by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail or any electronic signature), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart. This Agreement may be executed and delivered by facsimile, by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail or by delivery of any electronic signature.
(l) Interpretation . When reference is made in this Agreement to a Section, such reference shall be to a Section of this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa. Any reference to any federal, state, local or foreign statute or law shall be deemed also to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires
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otherwise. Whenever the words include, includes or including are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation.
[Remainder of Page Left Intentionally Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
MERGER PARTNER: |
X4 PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. |
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By: |
Title: |
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
PUBLIC COMPANY: |
ARSANIS, INC. |
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By: |
Title: |
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
[STOCKHOLDER], in its capacity as the Stockholder: |
|
By: |
Title: |
Address: |
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
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Appendix A
Name of Beneficial Owner |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned* |
* |
Based on 14,315,410 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding as of October 31, 2018. |
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Exhibit B-1
F ORM OF A MENDED AND R ESTATED C ERTIFICATE OF I NCORPORATION
OF
[S URVIVING C ORPORATION ]
FIRST: The name of the Corporation is: [Surviving Corporation]
SECOND: The address of the Corporations registered office in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.
THIRD: The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted by the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the Delaware General Corporate Law (DGCL).
FOURTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 1,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share.
The number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.
FIFTH: In furtherance of and not in limitation of powers conferred by statute, it is further provided:
1. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors.
2. Election of directors need not be by written ballot.
3. The Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the By-Laws of the Corporation.
SIXTH: To the fullest extent permitted by law, a director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. If the DGCL or any other law of the State of Delaware is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article Sixth to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended.
Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article Sixth by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of, or increase the liability of any director of the Corporation with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to, such repeal or modification.
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SEVENTH: The following indemnification provisions shall apply to the persons enumerated below.
1. Right to Indemnification of Directors and Officers . The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person (an Indemnified Person) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a Proceeding), by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys fees) reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Person in such Proceeding. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 3 of this Article Seventh, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify an Indemnified Person in connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such Indemnified Person only if the commencement of such Proceeding (or part thereof) by the Indemnified Person was authorized in advance by the Board of Directors.
2. Prepayment of Expenses of Directors and Officers . The Corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred by an Indemnified Person in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, to the extent required by law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the Indemnified Person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article Seventh or otherwise.
3. Claims by Directors and Officers . If a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article Seventh is not paid in full within thirty (30) days after a written claim therefor by the Indemnified Person has been received by the Corporation, the Indemnified Person may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.
4. Indemnification of Employees and Agents . The Corporation may indemnify and advance expenses to any person who was or is made or is threatened to be made or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation or, while an employee or agent of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys fees) reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such Proceeding. The ultimate determination of entitlement to indemnification of persons who are non-director or officer employees or agents shall be made in such manner as is determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such person if the Proceeding was not authorized in advance by the Board of Directors.
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5. Advancement of Expenses of Employees and Agents . The Corporation may pay the expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred by an employee or agent in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Board of Directors.
6. Non-Exclusivity of Rights . The rights conferred on any person by this Article Seventh shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation, these by-laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.
7. Other Indemnification . The Corporations obligation, if any, to indemnify any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer or employee of another Corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, organization or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification from such other Corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, organization or other enterprise.
8. Insurance . The Board of Directors may, to the full extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists, or may hereafter be amended from time to time, authorize an appropriate officer or officers to purchase and maintain at the Corporations expense insurance: (a) to indemnify the Corporation for any obligation which it incurs as a result of the indemnification of directors, officers and employees under the provisions of this Article Seventh; and (b) to indemnify or insure directors, officers and employees against liability in instances in which they may not otherwise be indemnified by the Corporation under the provisions of this Article Seventh.
9. Amendment or Repeal . Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article Seventh shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification. The rights provided hereunder shall inure to the benefit of any Indemnified Person and such persons heirs, executors and administrators.
EIGHTH: The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute and this Certificate of Incorporation, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation as of this _____ day of [ ], 2019.
|
Name: |
Title: |
[Signature Page to Certificate of Incorporation]
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Exhibit B-2
FORM OF BY-LAWS
OF
[SURVIVING CORPORATION]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||||||
ARTICLE I |
||||||
STOCKHOLDERS |
1 | |||||
1.1 |
Place of Meetings |
1 | ||||
1.2 |
Annual Meeting |
1 | ||||
1.3 |
Special Meetings |
1 | ||||
1.4 |
Notice of Meetings |
1 | ||||
1.5 |
Voting List |
1 | ||||
1.6 |
Quorum |
2 | ||||
1.7 |
Adjournments |
2 | ||||
1.8 |
Voting and Proxies |
2 | ||||
1.9 |
Action at Meeting |
3 | ||||
1.10 |
Conduct of Meetings |
3 | ||||
1.11 |
Action without Meeting |
4 | ||||
ARTICLE II |
||||||
DIRECTORS |
5 | |||||
2.1 |
General Powers |
5 | ||||
2.2 |
Number, Election and Qualification |
5 | ||||
2.3 |
Chairman of the Board; Vice Chairman of the Board |
5 | ||||
2.4 |
Tenure |
5 | ||||
2.5 |
Quorum |
5 | ||||
2.6 |
Action at Meeting |
5 | ||||
2.7 |
Removal |
5 | ||||
2.8 |
Vacancies |
6 | ||||
2.9 |
Resignation |
6 | ||||
2.10 |
Regular Meetings |
6 | ||||
2.11 |
Special Meetings |
6 | ||||
2.12 |
Notice of Special Meetings |
6 | ||||
2.13 |
Meetings by Conference Communications Equipment |
6 | ||||
2.14 |
Action by Consent |
7 | ||||
2.15 |
Committees |
7 | ||||
2.16 |
Compensation of Directors |
7 | ||||
ARTICLE III |
||||||
OFFICERS |
7 | |||||
3.1 |
Titles |
7 | ||||
3.2 |
Election |
7 |
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3.3 |
Qualification |
8 | ||||
3.4 |
Tenure |
8 | ||||
3.5 |
Resignation and Removal |
8 | ||||
3.6 |
Vacancies |
8 | ||||
3.7 |
President; Chief Executive Officer |
8 | ||||
3.8 |
Vice Presidents |
8 | ||||
3.9 |
Secretary and Assistant Secretaries |
9 | ||||
3.10 |
Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers |
9 | ||||
3.11 |
Salaries |
9 | ||||
3.12 |
Delegation of Authority |
9 | ||||
ARTICLE IV |
||||||
CAPITAL STOCK |
10 | |||||
4.1 |
Issuance of Stock |
10 | ||||
4.2 |
Stock Certificates; Uncertificated Shares |
10 | ||||
4.3 |
Transfers |
11 | ||||
4.4 |
Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates |
11 | ||||
4.5 |
Record Date |
11 | ||||
4.6 |
Regulations |
12 | ||||
ARTICLE V |
||||||
GENERAL PROVISIONS |
12 | |||||
5.1 |
Fiscal Year |
12 | ||||
5.2 |
Corporate Seal |
12 | ||||
5.3 |
Waiver of Notice |
12 | ||||
5.4 |
Voting of Securities |
12 | ||||
5.5 |
Evidence of Authority |
12 | ||||
5.6 |
Certificate of Incorporation |
12 | ||||
5.7 |
Severability |
12 | ||||
5.8 |
Pronouns |
12 | ||||
ARTICLE VI |
||||||
INDEMNIFICATION |
13 | |||||
6.1 |
Actions other than by or in the Right of the Corporation |
13 | ||||
6.2 |
Actions by or in the Right of the Corporation |
13 | ||||
6.3 |
Success on the Merits |
13 | ||||
6.4 |
Specific Authorization |
14 | ||||
6.5 |
Advance Payment |
14 | ||||
6.6 |
Non-Exclusivity |
14 | ||||
6.7 |
Insurance |
14 | ||||
6.8 |
Continuation of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses |
14 |
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6.9 |
Severability |
14 | ||||
6.10 |
Intent of Article |
14 | ||||
ARTICLE VII |
||||||
AMENDMENTS |
15 | |||||
7.1 |
By the Board of Directors |
15 | ||||
7.2 |
By the Stockholders |
15 |
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ARTICLE I
STOCKHOLDERS
1.1 Place of Meetings . All meetings of stockholders shall be held at such place as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President or, if not so designated, at the principal office of the corporation. The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication in a manner consistent with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
1.2 Annual Meeting . The annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting shall be held on a date and at a time designated by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President (which date shall not be a legal holiday in the place where the meeting is to be held).
1.3 Special Meetings . Special meetings of stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by only the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, and may not be called by any other person or persons. The Board of Directors may postpone or reschedule any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting.
1.4 Notice of Meetings . Except as otherwise provided by law, notice of each meeting of stockholders, whether annual or special, shall be given not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting. Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given to stockholders, any notice shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to (in a manner consistent with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware) by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. The notices of all meetings shall state the place, if any, date and time of the meeting and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting. The notice of a special meeting shall state, in addition, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. If notice is given by mail, such notice shall be deemed given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholders address as it appears on the records of the corporation. If notice is given by electronic transmission, such notice shall be deemed given at the time specified in Section 232 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
1.5 Voting List . The Secretary shall prepare, at least 10 days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, for a period of at least 10 days prior to the meeting: (a) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (b) during ordinary business hours, at the principal place of business of the corporation. If the meeting is to
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be held at a physical location (and not solely by means of remote communication), then the list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. The list shall presumptively determine the identity of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and the number of shares held by each of them.
1.6 Quorum . Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-laws, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of the capital stock of the corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person, present by means of remote communication in a manner, if any, authorized by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; provided, however, that where a separate vote by a class or classes or series of capital stock is required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of such class or classes or series of the capital stock of the corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote on such matter, present in person, present by means of remote communication in a manner, if any, authorized by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to the vote on such matter. A quorum, once established at a meeting, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum.
1.7 Adjournments . Any meeting of stockholders may be adjourned from time to time to any other time and to any other place at which a meeting of stockholders may be held under these By-laws by the chairman of the meeting or by the stockholders present or represented at the meeting and entitled to vote, although less than a quorum. It shall not be necessary to notify any stockholder of any adjournment of less than 30 days if the time and place, if any, of the adjourned meeting, and the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting, are announced at the meeting at which adjournment is taken, unless after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting. At the adjourned meeting, the corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting.
1.8 Voting and Proxies . Each stockholder shall have one vote for each share of stock entitled to vote held of record by such stockholder and a proportionate vote for each fractional share so held, unless otherwise provided by law or the Certificate of Incorporation. Each stockholder of record entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders, or to express consent or dissent to corporate action without a meeting, may vote or express such consent or dissent in person (including by means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting) or may authorize another person or persons to vote or act for such stockholder by a proxy executed or transmitted in a manner permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware by the stockholder or such stockholders authorized agent and delivered (including by electronic transmission) to the Secretary of the corporation. No such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from the date of its execution, unless the proxy expressly provides for a longer period.
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1.9 Action at Meeting . When a quorum is present at any meeting, any matter other than the election of directors to be voted upon by the stockholders at such meeting shall be decided by the vote of the holders of shares of stock having a majority in voting power of the votes cast by the holders of all of the shares of stock present or represented at the meeting and voting affirmatively or negatively on such matter (or if there are two or more classes or series of stock entitled to vote as separate classes, then in the case of each such class or series, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of stock of that class or series present or represented at the meeting and voting affirmatively or negatively on such matter), except when a different vote is required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-laws. When a quorum is present at any meeting, any election by stockholders of directors shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election.
1.10 Conduct of Meetings .
(a) Chairman of Meeting . Meetings of stockholders shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the Chairmans absence by the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the Vice Chairmans absence by the Chief Executive Officer, or in the Chief Executive Officers absence, by the President, or in the Presidents absence by a Vice President, or in the absence of all of the foregoing persons by a chairman designated by the Board of Directors, or in the absence of such designation by a chairman chosen by vote of the stockholders at the meeting. The Secretary shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in the Secretarys absence the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.
(b) Rules, Regulations and Procedures . The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules, regulations and procedures for the conduct of any meeting of stockholders of the corporation as it shall deem appropriate including, without limitation, such guidelines and procedures as it may deem appropriate regarding the participation by means of remote communication of stockholders and proxyholders not physically present at a meeting. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules, regulations and procedures as adopted by the Board of Directors, the chairman of any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chairman, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the chairman of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders of record of the corporation, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as shall be determined; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
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1.11 Action without Meeting .
(a) Taking of Action by Consent . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the corporation may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote on such action were present and voted. Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, stockholders may act by written consent to elect directors; provided, however, that, if such consent is less than unanimous, such action by written consent may be in lieu of holding an annual meeting only if all of the directorships to which directors could be elected at an annual meeting held at the effective time of such action are vacant and are filled by such action.
(b) Electronic Transmission of Consents . A telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission consenting to an action to be taken and transmitted by a stockholder or proxyholder, or by a person or persons authorized to act for a stockholder or proxyholder, shall be deemed to be written, signed and dated for the purposes of this section, provided that any such telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission sets forth or is delivered with information from which the corporation can determine (i) that the telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission was transmitted by the stockholder or proxyholder or by a person or persons authorized to act for the stockholder or proxyholder and (ii) the date on which such stockholder or proxyholder or authorized person or persons transmitted such telegram, cablegram or electronic transmission. The date on which such telegram, cablegram or electronic transmission is transmitted shall be deemed to be the date on which such consent was signed. No consent given by telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission shall be deemed to have been delivered until such consent is reproduced in paper form and until such paper form shall be delivered to the corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business or an officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to a corporations registered office shall be made by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. Notwithstanding the foregoing limitations on delivery, consents given by telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission may be otherwise delivered to the principal place of business of the corporation or to an officer or agent of the corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded if, to the extent and in the manner provided by resolution of the Board of Directors. Any copy, facsimile or other reliable reproduction of a consent in writing may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing for any and all purposes for which the original writing could be used, provided that such copy, facsimile or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction of the entire original writing.
(c) Notice of Taking of Corporate Action . Prompt notice of the taking of corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take the action were delivered to the corporation.
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ARTICLE II
DIRECTORS
2.1 General Powers . The business and affairs of the corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of a Board of Directors, who may exercise all of the powers of the corporation except as otherwise provided by law or the Certificate of Incorporation.
2.2 Number, Election and Qualification . The number of directors of the corporation shall be established from time to time by the stockholders or the Board of Directors. The directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of stockholders by such stockholders as have the right to vote on such election. Election of directors need not be by written ballot. Directors need not be stockholders of the corporation.
2.3 Chairman of the Board; Vice Chairman of the Board . The Board of Directors may appoint from its members a Chairman of the Board and a Vice Chairman of the Board, neither of whom need be an employee or officer of the corporation. If the Board of Directors appoints a Chairman of the Board, such Chairman shall perform such duties and possess such powers as are assigned by the Board of Directors and, if the Chairman of the Board is also designated as the corporations Chief Executive Officer, shall have the powers and duties of the Chief Executive Officer prescribed in Section 3.7 of these By-laws. If the Board of Directors appoints a Vice Chairman of the Board, such Vice Chairman shall perform such duties and possess such powers as are assigned by the Board of Directors. Unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or, in the Chairmans absence, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors.
2.4 Tenure . Each director shall hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until a successor is elected and qualified, or until such directors earlier death, resignation or removal.
2.5 Quorum . The greater of (a) a majority of the directors at any time in office and (b) one-third of the number of directors fixed pursuant to Section 2.2 of these By-laws shall constitute a quorum of the Board of Directors. If at any meeting of the Board of Directors there shall be less than such a quorum, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.
2.6 Action at Meeting . Every act or decision done or made by a majority of the directors present at a meeting of the Board of Directors duly held at which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the Board of Directors, unless a greater number is required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation.
2.7 Removal . Except as otherwise provided by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, any one or more or all of the directors of the corporation may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, except that the directors elected by the holders of a particular class or series of stock may be removed without cause only by vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class or series.
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2.8 Vacancies . Unless and until filled by the stockholders, any vacancy or newly-created directorship on the Board of Directors, however occurring, may be filled by vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. A director elected to fill a vacancy shall be elected for the unexpired term of such directors predecessor in office, and a director chosen to fill a position resulting from a newly-created directorship shall hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until a successor is elected and qualified, or until such directors earlier death, resignation or removal.
2.9 Resignation . Any director may resign by delivering a resignation in writing or by electronic transmission to the corporation at its principal office or to the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon delivery unless it is specified to be effective at some later time or upon the happening of some later event.
2.10 Regular Meetings . Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and place as shall be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors; provided that any director who is absent when such a determination is made shall be given notice of the determination. A regular meeting of the Board of Directors may be held without notice immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders.
2.11 Special Meetings . Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time and place designated in a call by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, two or more directors, or by one director in the event that there is only a single director in office.
2.12 Notice of Special Meetings . Notice of the date, place, if any, and time of any special meeting of directors shall be given to each director by the Secretary or by the officer or one of the directors calling the meeting. Notice shall be duly given to each director (a) in person or by telephone at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, (b) by sending written notice by reputable overnight courier, telecopy, facsimile or electronic transmission, or delivering written notice by hand, to such directors last known business, home or electronic transmission address at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting, or (c) by sending written notice by first-class mail to such directors last known business or home address at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. A notice or waiver of notice of a meeting of the Board of Directors need not specify the purposes of the meeting.
2.13 Meetings by Conference Communications Equipment . Directors may participate in meetings of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
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2.14 Action by Consent . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, consent to the action in writing or by electronic transmission, and the written consents or electronic transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.
2.15 Committees . The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the corporation with such lawfully delegable powers and duties as the Board of Directors thereby confers, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members of the committee present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors and subject to the provisions of law, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the corporation and may authorize the seal of the corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it. Each such committee shall keep minutes and make such reports as the Board of Directors may from time to time request. Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise determine, any committee may make rules for the conduct of its business, but unless otherwise provided by the directors or in such rules, its business shall be conducted as nearly as possible in the same manner as is provided in these By-laws for the Board of Directors. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-laws, or the resolution of the Board of Directors designating the committee, a committee may create one or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.
2.16 Compensation of Directors . Directors may be paid such compensation for their services and such reimbursement for expenses of attendance at meetings as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the corporation or any of its parent or subsidiary entities in any other capacity and receiving compensation for such service.
ARTICLE III
OFFICERS
3.1 Titles . The officers of the corporation shall consist of a Chief Executive Officer, a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and such other officers with such other titles as the Board of Directors shall determine. The Board of Directors may appoint such other officers as it may deem appropriate.
3.2 Election . The Chief Executive Officer, President, Treasurer and Secretary shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at its first meeting following the annual meeting of stockholders. Other officers may be appointed by the Board of Directors at such meeting or at any other meeting.
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3.3 Qualification . No officer need be a stockholder. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.
3.4 Tenure . Except as otherwise provided by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-laws, each officer shall hold office until such officers successor is elected and qualified, unless a different term is specified in the resolution electing or appointing such officer, or until such officers earlier death, resignation or removal.
3.5 Resignation and Removal . Any officer may resign by delivering a written resignation to the corporation at its principal office or to the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be effective at some later time or upon the happening of some later event. Any officer may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by vote of a majority of the directors then in office. Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise determine, no officer who resigns or is removed shall have any right to any compensation as an officer for any period following such officers resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal, whether such officers compensation be by the month or by the year or otherwise, unless such compensation is expressly provided for in a duly authorized written agreement with the corporation.
3.6 Vacancies . The Board of Directors may fill any vacancy occurring in any office for any reason and may, in its discretion, leave unfilled for such period as it may determine any offices other than those of Chief Executive Officer, President, Treasurer and Secretary. Each such successor shall hold office for the unexpired term of such officers predecessor and until a successor is elected and qualified, or until such officers earlier death, resignation or removal.
3.7 President; Chief Executive Officer . Unless the Board of Directors has designated another person as the corporations Chief Executive Officer, the President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the corporation. The Chief Executive Officer shall have general charge and supervision of the business of the corporation subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, and shall perform all duties and have all powers that are commonly incident to the office of chief executive or that are delegated to such officer by the Board of Directors. The President shall perform such other duties and shall have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer (if the President is not the Chief Executive Officer) may from time to time prescribe. In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of the Chief Executive Officer or the President (if the President is not the Chief Executive Officer), the Vice President, if any (or if there shall be more than one, the Vice Presidents in the order determined by the Board of Directors), or another officer appointed by the Board of Directors, shall perform the duties of the Chief Executive Officer and when so performing such duties shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chief Executive Officer.
3.8 Vice Presidents . Any Vice President shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe. The Board of Directors may assign to any Vice President the title of Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President or any other title selected by the Board of Directors.
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3.9 Secretary and Assistant Secretaries . The Secretary shall perform such duties and shall have such powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe. In addition, the Secretary shall perform such duties and have such powers as are incident to the office of the secretary, including without limitation the duty and power to give notices of all meetings of stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, to attend all meetings of stockholders and the Board of Directors and keep a record of the proceedings, to maintain a stock ledger and prepare lists of stockholders and their addresses as required, to be custodian of corporate records and the corporate seal and to affix and attest to the same on documents.
Any Assistant Secretary shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary may from time to time prescribe. In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary, if any (or if there shall be more than one, the Assistant Secretaries in the order determined by the Board of Directors), or another officer appointed by the Board of Directors, shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary.
In the absence of the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary at any meeting of stockholders or directors, the chairman of the meeting shall designate a temporary secretary to keep a record of the meeting.
3.10 Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers . The Treasurer shall perform such duties and shall have such powers as may from time to time be assigned by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the Treasurer shall perform such duties and have such powers as are incident to the office of treasurer, including without limitation the duty and power to keep and be responsible for all funds and securities of the corporation, to deposit funds of the corporation in depositories selected in accordance with these By-laws, to disburse such funds as ordered by the Board of Directors, to make proper accounts of such funds, and to render as required by the Board of Directors statements of all such transactions and of the financial condition of the corporation.
Any Assistant Treasurers shall perform such duties and possess such powers as the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the Treasurer may from time to time prescribe. In the event of the absence, inability or refusal to act of the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, if any (or if there shall be more than one, the Assistant Treasurers in the order determined by the Board of Directors), or another officer appointed by the Board of Directors, shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer.
3.11 Salaries . Officers of the corporation shall be entitled to such salaries, compensation or reimbursement as shall be fixed or allowed from time to time by the Board of Directors.
3.12 Delegation of Authority . The Board of Directors may from time to time delegate the powers or duties of any officer to any other officer or agent, notwithstanding any provision hereof.
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ARTICLE IV
CAPITAL STOCK
4.1 Issuance of Stock . Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, the whole or any part of any unissued balance of the authorized capital stock of the corporation or the whole or any part of any shares of the authorized capital stock of the corporation held in the corporations treasury may be issued, sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of by vote of the Board of Directors in such manner, for such lawful consideration and on such terms as the Board of Directors may determine.
4.2 Stock Certificates; Uncertificated Shares . The shares of the corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of the corporations stock shall be uncertificated shares. Every holder of stock of the corporation represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate, in such form as may be prescribed by law and by the Board of Directors, representing the number of shares held by such holder registered in certificate form. Each such certificate shall be signed in a manner that complies with Section 158 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
Each certificate for shares of stock which are subject to any restriction on transfer pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-laws, applicable securities laws or any agreement among any number of stockholders or among such holders and the corporation shall have conspicuously noted on the face or back of the certificate either the full text of the restriction or a statement of the existence of such restriction.
If the corporation shall be authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of each certificate representing shares of such class or series of stock, provided that in lieu of the foregoing requirements there may be set forth on the face or back of each certificate representing shares of such class or series of stock a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests a copy of the full text of the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated shares, the corporation shall send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to Sections 151, 202(a) or 218(a) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or, with respect to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.
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4.3 Transfers . Shares of stock of the corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these By-laws. Transfers of shares of stock of the corporation shall be made only on the books of the corporation or by transfer agents designated to transfer shares of stock of the corporation. Subject to applicable law, shares of stock represented by certificates shall be transferred only on the books of the corporation by the surrender to the corporation or its transfer agent of the certificate representing such shares properly endorsed or accompanied by a written assignment or power of attorney properly executed, and with such proof of authority or the authenticity of signature as the corporation or its transfer agent may reasonably require. Except as may be otherwise required by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-laws, the corporation shall be entitled to treat the record holder of stock as shown on its books as the owner of such stock for all purposes, including the payment of dividends and the right to vote with respect to such stock, regardless of any transfer, pledge or other disposition of such stock until the shares have been transferred on the books of the corporation in accordance with the requirements of these By-laws.
4.4 Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates . The corporation may issue a new certificate of stock in place of any previously issued certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors may prescribe, including the presentation of reasonable evidence of such loss, theft or destruction and the giving of such indemnity and posting of such bond as the Board of Directors may require for the protection of the corporation or any transfer agent or registrar.
4.5 Record Date . The Board of Directors may fix in advance a date as a record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or to express consent (or dissent) to corporate action without a meeting, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action. Such record date shall not precede the date on which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and such record date shall not be more than 60 nor less than 10 days before the date of such meeting, nor more than 10 days after the date of adoption of a record date for a consent without a meeting, nor more than 60 days prior to any other action to which such record date relates.
If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day before the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day before the day on which the meeting is held. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is necessary, shall be the day on which the first consent is properly delivered to the corporation. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any other purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating to such purpose.
A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.
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4.6 Regulations . The issue, transfer, conversion and registration of shares of stock of the corporation shall be governed by such other regulations as the Board of Directors may establish.
ARTICLE V
GENERAL PROVISIONS
5.1 Fiscal Year . Except as from time to time otherwise designated by the Board of Directors, the fiscal year of the corporation shall begin on the first day of January of each year and end on the last day of December in each year.
5.2 Corporate Seal . The corporate seal shall be in such form as shall be approved by the Board of Directors.
5.3 Waiver of Notice . Whenever notice is required to be given by law, by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these By-laws, a written waiver, signed by the person entitled to notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before, at or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice required to be given to such person. Neither the business nor the purpose of any meeting need be specified in any such waiver. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
5.4 Voting of Securities . Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise designate, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Treasurer may waive notice of, vote, or appoint any person or persons to vote, on behalf of the corporation at, and act as, or appoint any person or persons to act as, proxy or attorney-in-fact for this corporation (with or without power of substitution) at, any meeting of stockholders or securityholders of any other entity, the securities of which may be held by this corporation.
5.5 Evidence of Authority . A certificate by the Secretary, or an Assistant Secretary, or a temporary Secretary, as to any action taken by the stockholders, directors, a committee or any officer or representative of the corporation shall as to all persons who rely on the certificate in good faith be conclusive evidence of such action.
5.6 Certificate of Incorporation . All references in these By-laws to the Certificate of Incorporation shall be deemed to refer to the Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation, as amended and in effect from time to time.
5.7 Severability . Any determination that any provision of these By-laws is for any reason inapplicable, illegal or ineffective shall not affect or invalidate any other provision of these By-laws.
5.8 Pronouns . All pronouns used in these By-laws shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as the identity of the person or persons may require.
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ARTICLE VI
INDEMNIFICATION
The following provisions shall apply with respect to the indemnification of, and advancement of expenses to, certain parties as set forth below:
6.1 Actions other than by or in the Right of the Corporation . The corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.
6.2 Actions by or in the Right of the Corporation . The corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or such other court shall deem proper.
6.3 Success on the Merits . To the extent that any person described in Section 6.1 or Section 6.2 of this Article has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in said Sections, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he or she shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection therewith.
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6.4 Specific Authorization . Any indemnification under Section 6.1 or Section 6.2 of this Article (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of any person described in said Sections is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in said Sections. Such determination shall be made (1) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, or (2) if such a quorum is not obtainable, or, even if obtainable, a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (3) by the stockholders of the corporation.
6.5 Advance Payment . Expenses incurred in defending any civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of any person described in said Section to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification by the corporation as authorized in this Article.
6.6 Non-Exclusivity . The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other Sections of this Article shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those provided indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such persons official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.
6.7 Insurance . The Board of Directors may authorize, by a vote of the majority of the full board, the corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of this Article.
6.8 Continuation of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses . The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
6.9 Severability . If any word, clause or provision of this Article or any award made hereunder shall for any reason be determined to be invalid, the provisions hereof shall not otherwise be affected thereby but shall remain in full force and effect.
6.10 Intent of Article . The intent of this Article is to provide for indemnification and advancement of expenses to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. To the extent that such Section or any successor section may be amended or supplemented from time to time, this Article shall be amended automatically and construed so as to permit indemnification and advancement of expenses to the fullest extent from time to time permitted by law.
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ARTICLE VII
AMENDMENTS
7.1 By the Board of Directors . These By-laws may be altered, amended or repealed, in whole or in part, or new by-laws may be adopted by the Board of Directors.
7.2 By the Stockholders . These By-laws may be altered, amended or repealed, in whole or in part, or new by-laws may be adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of the capital stock of the corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at any annual meeting of stockholders, or at any special meeting of stockholders, provided notice of such alteration, amendment, repeal or adoption of new by-laws shall have been stated in the notice of such special meeting.
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Exhibit 10.1
FORM OF SUPPORT AGREEMENT
This Support Agreement (this Agreement ) is made and entered into as of November [_], 2018, by and among X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Merger Partner ), Arsanis, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Public Company ), and the undersigned stockholder (the Stockholder ) of Public Company.
RECITALS
A. Concurrently with the execution and delivery hereof, Public Company, Merger Partner and Artemis AC Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger Sub ), have entered into an agreement and plan of merger (as such agreement may be amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to the terms thereof, the Merger Agreement ), pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into Merger Partner, with Merger Partner as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger ).
B. The Stockholder is the beneficial owner (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of such number of shares of Public Company Common Stock as indicated in Appendix A to this Agreement.
C. As an inducement to the willingness of Merger Partner to enter into the Merger Agreement, Merger Partner has required that certain stockholders of Public Company (including the Stockholder) enter into this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, intending to be legally bound, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions . Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Merger Agreement. For all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
Constructive Sale means, with respect to any security, a short sale with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a derivative contract with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a futures or forward contract to deliver such security or entering into any other hedging or other derivative transaction that has the effect of either directly or indirectly materially changing the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such security.
Recommendation Change Requirement means 70% of the Shares held by the Stockholder.
Shares means (i) all shares of Public Company Common Stock owned, beneficially or of record, by the Stockholder as of the date hereof, and (ii) all additional shares of Public Company Common Stock acquired by the Stockholder, beneficially or of record, during the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Closing Date.
Transfer means, with respect to any security, the direct or indirect assignment, sale, transfer, tender, exchange, pledge or hypothecation, or the grant, creation or suffrage of a lien, security interest or encumbrance in or upon, or the gift, grant or placement in trust, or the Constructive Sale or other disposition of such security (including transfers by testamentary or intestate succession, by domestic relations order or other court order, or otherwise by operation of law) or any right, title or interest therein (including any right or power to vote to which the holder
thereof may be entitled, whether such right or power is granted by proxy or otherwise), or the record or beneficial ownership thereof, the offer to make such a sale, transfer, Constructive Sale or other disposition, and each agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, to effect any of the foregoing.
2. Transfer and Voting Restrictions . The Stockholder covenants to Merger Partner as follows:
(a) During the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Lock-Up Termination Date (as defined below), such Stockholder shall not Transfer any of such Stockholders Shares, or publicly announce its intention to Transfer any of its Shares.
(b) Except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction, the Stockholder will not commit any act that would restrict the Stockholders legal power, authority and right to vote all of the Shares held by the Stockholder or otherwise prevent or disable the Stockholder from performing any of his, her or its obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except for this Agreement and as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, the Stockholder shall not enter into any voting agreement with any person or entity with respect to any of the Stockholders Shares, grant any person or entity any proxy (revocable or irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of the Stockholders Shares, deposit any of the Stockholders Shares in a voting trust or otherwise enter into any agreement or arrangement with any person or entity limiting or affecting the Stockholders legal power, authority or right to vote the Stockholders Shares in favor of the approval of the Merger.
(c) Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, the Stockholder may, at any time, Transfer its Shares (i) by will or other testamentary document or by intestacy, (ii) to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the Stockholder, (iii) to any member of the Stockholders immediate family or (iv) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the Stockholder or the immediate family of the Stockholder or otherwise for estate planning purposes; provided , that the applicable transferee shall have executed and delivered a support agreement substantially identical to this Agreement.
3. Agreement to Vote Shares . The Stockholder covenants to Merger Partner as follows:
(a) Until the Expiration Date (as defined below), at any meeting of the stockholders of Public Company, however called, and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of Public Company: (i) if no Public Company Board Recommendation Change has occurred, the Stockholder shall be present (in person or by proxy) and vote, or exercise its right to consent with respect to, all Shares held by the Stockholder (A) in favor of the issuance of shares of common stock of Public Company in connection with the Merger, as well as the adoption of the Merger Agreement and (B) against any Acquisition Proposal; and (ii) if a Public Company Board Recommendation Change has occurred, the Stockholder shall be present (in person or by proxy) and vote, or exercise its right to consent with respect to, at least the Recommendation Change Requirement (rounded up to the nearest whole number of Shares) of Shares held by the Stockholder (A) in favor of the issuance of shares of common stock of Public Company in connection with the Merger, as well as the adoption of the Merger Agreement and (B) against any Acquisition Proposal.
(b) If the Stockholder is the beneficial owner, but not the record holder, of Shares, the Stockholder agrees to take all actions necessary to cause the record holder and any nominees to be present (in person or by proxy) and vote all of the Stockholders Shares in accordance with this Section 3.
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(c) In the event of a stock split, stock dividend or distribution, or any change in the capital stock of Public Company by reason of any split-up, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, reincorporation, exchange of shares or the like, the term Shares shall be deemed to refer to and include such shares as well as all such stock dividends and distributions and any securities into which or for which any or all of such shares may be changed or exchanged or which are received in such transaction.
(d) The Stockholder hereby waives and agrees not to exercise any rights of appraisal or any dissenters rights (including under Section 262 of the DGCL) that the Stockholder may have (whether under applicable law or otherwise) or could potentially have or acquire in connection with the Merger.
4. Action in Stockholder Capacity Only . The Stockholder is entering into this Agreement solely in the Stockholders capacity as a record holder and beneficial owner, as applicable, of its Shares and not in the Stockholders capacity as a director or officer of Public Company. Nothing herein shall limit or affect any Stockholders ability to act as an officer or director of Public Company.
5. Irrevocable Proxy . The Stockholder hereby revokes (or agrees to cause to be revoked) any proxies that the Stockholder has heretofore granted with respect to its Shares. In the event and to the extent that the Stockholder fails to vote its Shares in accordance with Section 3 at any applicable meeting of the stockholders of Public Company or pursuant to any applicable written consent of the stockholders of Public Company, the Stockholder shall be deemed to have irrevocably granted to, and appointed, Merger Partner, and any individual designated in writing by it, and each of them individually, as his, her or its proxy and attorney-in-fact (with full power of substitution), for and in its name, place and stead, to vote his, her or its Shares in any action by written consent of Public Company stockholders or at any meeting of the Public Company stockholders called with respect to any of the matters specified in, and in accordance and consistent with, Section 3 of this Agreement; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, if a Public Company Board Recommendation Change has occurred the Stockholder shall only be deemed to have granted proxies to the extent of the Recommendation Change Requirement. Merger Partner agrees not to exercise the proxy granted herein for any purpose other than the purposes described in this Agreement. Except as otherwise provided for herein, the Stockholder hereby affirms that the irrevocable proxy is coupled with an interest and may under no circumstances be revoked and that such irrevocable proxy is executed and intended to be irrevocable. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, the irrevocable proxy granted hereunder shall automatically terminate upon the termination of this Agreement.
6. No Solicitation . Subject to Section 4 , the Stockholder agrees not to, directly or indirectly, including through any of its officers, directors or agents, (a) solicit, seek or initiate or knowingly take any action to facilitate or encourage, any offers, inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, any Acquisition Proposal or (b) enter into, continue or otherwise participate or engage in any discussions or negotiations regarding any Acquisition Proposal, or furnish to any person any non-public information or afford any person, other than Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, access to such partys property, books or records (except pursuant to a request by a Governmental Entity) in connection with, any Acquisition Proposal; provided , however , that nothing in this Section 6 shall prevent the Stockholder from referring a person to this Section 6 or to the Merger Agreement.
7. Representations and Warranties of the Stockholder . The Stockholder hereby represents and warrants to Merger Partner as follows:
(a) (i) The Stockholder is the beneficial or record owner of the shares of Public Company Common Stock indicated in Appendix A to this Agreement (each of which shall be deemed to be held by the Stockholder for purposes of Section 3 unless otherwise expressly stated with respect to any shares in Appendix A ), free and clear of any and all Liens; and (ii) the Stockholder does not beneficially own any securities of Public Company other than the shares of Public Company Common Stock and rights to purchase shares of Public Company Common Stock set forth in Appendix A to this Agreement.
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(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Stockholder has full power and authority to (i) make, enter into and carry out the terms of this Agreement and (ii) vote all of its Shares in the manner set forth in this Agreement without the consent or approval of, or any other action on the part of, any other person or entity (including any Governmental Entity). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Stockholder has not entered into any voting agreement (other than this Agreement) with any person with respect to any of the Stockholders Shares, granted any person any proxy (revocable or irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of the Stockholders Shares, deposited any of the Stockholders Shares in a voting trust or entered into any arrangement or agreement with any person limiting or affecting the Stockholders legal power, authority or right to vote the Stockholders Shares on any matter.
(c) This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Stockholder and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto) constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Stockholder enforceable against the Stockholder in accordance with its terms, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Stockholder and the performance by the Stockholder of the agreements and obligations hereunder will not result in any breach or violation of or be in conflict with or constitute a default under any term of any Contract or if applicable any provision of an organizational document (including a certificate of incorporation) to or by which the Stockholder is a party or bound, or any applicable law to which the Stockholder (or any of the Stockholders assets) is subject or bound, except for any such breach, violation, conflict or default which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to materially impair or adversely affect the Stockholders ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(d) The Stockholder has had the opportunity to review the Merger Agreement and this Agreement with the Stockholders legal counsel. The Stockholder understands and acknowledges that Merger Partner is entering into the Merger Agreement in reliance upon the Stockholders execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.
(e) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Stockholder do not and will not require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, action by, filing with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, except for any such consent, approval, authorization, permit, action, filing or notification the failure of which to make or obtain, individually or in the aggregate, has not and would not materially impair the Stockholders ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(f) With respect to the Stockholder, as of the date hereof, there is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending against, or, to the knowledge of the Stockholder, threatened against, the Stockholder or any of the Stockholders properties or assets (including the Shares) that would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or impair the ability of the Stockholder to perform its obligations hereunder or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.
8. Termination . This Agreement shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earlier of (a) such date and time as the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to the terms thereof or (b) the date on which the Public Company Voting Proposal shall have been approved by the requisite holders of Public Company Common Stock (the Expiration Date ); provided , however , that (i) Section 9 shall survive the termination of this Agreement, (ii) Section 2(a) (and, to the extent relating to thereto, Section 2(c) ) shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earlier of (A) such date and time as the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to the terms thereof or (B) the date which is one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days following the Closing Date (the Lock-Up Termination Date ) and (iii) the termination of this Agreement shall not relieve any party hereto from any liability for any material and willful breach of this Agreement prior to the Expiration Date.
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9. Miscellaneous Provisions .
(a) Amendments . No amendment of this Agreement shall be effective against any party unless it shall be in writing and signed by each of the parties hereto.
(b) Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all other prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(c) Governing Law . All matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including its interpretation, construction, performance and enforcement) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of laws of any jurisdictions other than those of the State of Delaware.
(d) Jurisdiction . Each of the parties to this Agreement (i) consents to submit itself to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, New Castle County, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, a federal court sitting in Wilmington, Delaware in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined in any such court, (iii) agrees that it shall not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court and (iv) agrees not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any other court. Each of the parties hereto waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other party with respect thereto. Any party may make service on another party by sending or delivering a copy of the process to the party to be served at the address and in the manner provided for the giving of notices in Section 9(j) . Nothing in this Section 9(d) , however, shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by law.
(e) WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT.
(f) Assignment . Except as otherwise provided in Section 2(c) hereof, no party may assign any of its rights or delegate any of its performance obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto, and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any purported assignment of rights or delegation of performance obligations in violation of this Section 9(f) is void.
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(g) No Third Party Rights . This Agreement is not intended to, and shall not, confer upon any other person any rights or remedies hereunder other than the parties hereto to the extent expressly set forth herein.
(h) Severability . Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision hereof is invalid or unenforceable, the parties hereto agree that the court making such determination shall have the power to limit the term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified. In the event such court does not exercise the power granted to it in the prior sentence, the parties hereto agree to replace such invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such invalid or unenforceable term.
(i) Specific Performance . The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.
(j) Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly delivered (i) three Business Days after being sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (ii) one Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable overnight courier service, in each case to the intended recipient as follows: (A) if to Merger Partner or Public Company, to the address, electronic mail address or facsimile provided in the Merger Agreement, including to the persons designated therein to receive copies; and/or (B) if to the Stockholder, to the Stockholders address, electronic mail address or facsimile shown below the Stockholders signature to this Agreement.
(k) Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts (including by facsimile, by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail or any electronic signature), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart. This Agreement may be executed and delivered by facsimile, by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail or by delivery of any electronic signature.
(l) Interpretation . When reference is made in this Agreement to a Section, such reference shall be to a Section of this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa. Any reference to any federal, state, local or foreign statute or law shall be deemed also to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires
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otherwise. Whenever the words include, includes or including are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation.
[Remainder of Page Left Intentionally Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
MERGER PARTNER:
X4 PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
|
By: |
Title: |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
PUBLIC COMPANY:
ARSANIS, INC.
|
By: |
Title: |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
[STOCKHOLDER],
in its capacity as the Stockholder:
|
By: |
Title: |
Address: |
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Appendix A
Name of Beneficial Owner |
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned |
Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned* |
||
* |
Based on 14,315,410 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding as of October 31, 2018. |
Exhibit 10.2
FORM OF SUPPORT AGREEMENT
This Support Agreement (this Agreement ) is made and entered into as of November ___, 2018, by and among X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Merger Partner ), Arsanis, Inc., a Delaware corporation ( Public Company ), and the undersigned stockholder (the Stockholder ) of Merger Partner.
RECITALS
A. Concurrently with the execution and delivery hereof, Public Company, Merger Partner and Artemis AC Corp., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger Sub ), have entered into an agreement and plan of merger (as such agreement may be amended or supplemented from time to time pursuant to the terms thereof, the Merger Agreement ), pursuant to which Merger Sub will merge with and into Merger Partner, with Merger Partner as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Public Company (the Merger ).
B. Stockholder is the beneficial owner of such number of shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock as indicated in Appendix A to this Agreement.
C. As an inducement to the willingness of Public Company to enter into the Merger Agreement, Public Company has required that the Stockholder enter into this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, intending to be legally bound, the parties hereby agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions . Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Merger Agreement. For all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:
Constructive Sale means, with respect to any security, a short sale with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a derivative contract with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a futures or forward contract to deliver such security or entering into any other hedging or other derivative transaction that has the effect of either directly or indirectly materially changing the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such security.
Shares means, with respect to a Stockholder, (i) all shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock owned, beneficially or of record, by such Stockholder as of the date hereof, (ii) all additional shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock acquired by such Stockholder, beneficially or of record, during the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Closing Date, and (iii) all shares of Public Company Common Stock received by such Stockholder in connection with the Merger.
Transfer means, with respect to any security, the direct or indirect assignment, sale, transfer, tender, exchange, pledge or hypothecation, or the grant, creation or suffrage of a lien, security interest or encumbrance in or upon, or the gift, grant or placement in trust, or the Constructive Sale or other disposition of such security (including transfers by testamentary or intestate succession, by domestic relations order or other court order, or otherwise by operation of law) or any right, title or interest therein (including any right or power to vote to which the holder thereof may be entitled, whether such right or power is granted by proxy or otherwise), or the record or beneficial ownership thereof, the offer to make such a sale, transfer, Constructive Sale or other disposition, and each agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, to effect any of the foregoing.
2. Transfer and Voting Restrictions . Stockholder covenants to Public Company as follows:
(a) During the period commencing with the execution and delivery of this Agreement and expiring on the Lock-Up Termination Date (as defined below), such Stockholder shall not Transfer any of such Stockholders Shares, or publicly announce its intention to Transfer any of its Shares.
(b) Except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction, such Stockholder will not commit any act that would restrict such Stockholders legal power, authority and right to vote all of the Shares held by such Stockholder or otherwise prevent or disable such Stockholder from performing any of his, her or its obligations under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except for this Agreement and as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, such Stockholder shall not enter into any voting agreement with any person or entity with respect to any of such Stockholders Shares, grant any person or entity any proxy (revocable or irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of such Stockholders Shares, deposit any of such Stockholders Shares in a voting trust or otherwise enter into any agreement or arrangement with any person or entity limiting or affecting such Stockholders legal power, authority or right to vote such Stockholders Shares in favor of the approval of the Merger.
(c) Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, Stockholder may, at any time, Transfer its Shares (i) by will or other testamentary document or by intestacy, (ii) to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by such Stockholder, (iii) to any member of such Stockholders immediate family or (iv) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of such Stockholder or the immediate family of such Stockholder or otherwise for estate planning purposes; provided , that the applicable transferee shall have executed and delivered a support agreement substantially identical to this Agreement.
3. Agreement to Vote Shares . Stockholder covenants to Public Company as follows:
(a) Until the Expiration Date (as defined below), at any meeting of the stockholders of Merger Partner, however called, and at every adjournment or postponement thereof, and on every action or approval by written consent of the stockholders of Merger Partner: (i) if no Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change has occurred, such Stockholder shall be present (in person or by proxy) and vote, or exercise its right to consent with respect to, all Shares held by such Stockholder (A) in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the approval of the Merger and (B) against any Acquisition Proposal; and (ii) if a Merger Partner Board Recommendation Change has occurred, such Stockholder shall be present (in person or by proxy) and vote, or exercise its right to consent with respect to, all Shares held by such Stockholder (A) in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the approval of the Merger and (B) against any Acquisition Proposal.
(b) If the Stockholder is the beneficial owner, but not the record holder, of Shares, such Stockholder agrees to take all actions necessary to cause the record holder and any nominees to be present (in person or by proxy) and vote all such Stockholders Shares in accordance with this Section 3.
(c) In the event of a stock split, stock dividend or distribution, or any change in the capital stock of Public Company by reason of any split-up, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, reincorporation, exchange of shares or the like, the term Shares shall be deemed to refer to and include such shares as well as all such stock dividends and distributions and any securities into which or for which any or all of such shares may be changed or exchanged or which are received in such transaction.
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(d) The Stockholder hereby waives and agrees not to exercise any rights of appraisal or any dissenters rights (including under Section 262 of the DGCL) that the Stockholder may have (whether under applicable law or otherwise) or could potentially have or acquire in connection with the Merger.
4. Action in Stockholder Capacity Only . Stockholder is entering into this Agreement solely in such Stockholders capacity as a record holder and beneficial owner, as applicable, of its Shares and not in such Stockholders capacity as a director or officer of Merger Partner. Nothing herein shall limit or affect any Stockholders ability to act as an officer or director of Merger Partner.
5. Irrevocable Proxy . Stockholder hereby revokes (or agrees to cause to be revoked) any proxies that such Stockholder has heretofore granted with respect to its Shares. In the event and to the extent that any Stockholder fails to vote its Shares in accordance with Section 3 at any applicable meeting of the stockholders of Merger Partner or pursuant to any applicable written consent of the stockholders of Merger Partner, such Stockholder shall be deemed to have irrevocably granted to, and appointed, Public Company, and any individual designated in writing by it, and each of them individually, as his, her or its proxy and attorney-in-fact (with full power of substitution), for and in its name, place and stead, to vote his, her or its Shares in any action by written consent of Merger Partner stockholders or at any meeting of the Merger Partner stockholders called with respect to any of the matters specified in, and in accordance and consistent with, Section 3 of this Agreement. Public Company agrees not to exercise the proxy granted herein for any purpose other than the purposes described in this Agreement. Except as otherwise provided for herein, such Stockholder hereby affirms that the irrevocable proxy is coupled with an interest and may under no circumstances be revoked and that such irrevocable proxy is executed and intended to be irrevocable. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, the irrevocable proxy granted hereunder shall automatically terminate upon the termination of this Agreement.
6. No Solicitation . Subject to Section 4 , Stockholder agrees not to, directly or indirectly, including through any of its officers, directors or agents, (a) solicit, seek or initiate or knowingly take any action to facilitate or encourage, any offers, inquiries or the making of any proposal or offer that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, any Acquisition Proposal or (b) enter into, continue or otherwise participate or engage in any discussions or negotiations regarding any Acquisition Proposal, or furnish to any person any non-public information or afford any person, other than Public Company or Merger Partner, as applicable, access to such partys property, books or records (except pursuant to a request by a Governmental Entity) in connection with, any Acquisition Proposal; provided , however , that nothing in this Section 6 shall prevent Stockholder from referring a person to this Section 6 or to the Merger Agreement.
7. Representations and Warranties of the Stockholder . Stockholder hereby represents and warrants to Public Company as follows:
(a) (i) The Stockholder is the beneficial or record owner of the shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock indicated in Appendix A to this Agreement (each of which shall be deemed to be held by Stockholder for purposes of Section 3 unless otherwise expressly stated with respect to any shares in Appendix A ), free and clear of any and all Liens; and (ii) the Stockholder does not beneficially own any securities of Merger Partner other than the shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock and rights to purchase shares of Merger Partner Capital Stock set forth in Appendix A to this Agreement.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Stockholder has full power and authority to (i) make, enter into and carry out the terms of this Agreement and (ii) vote all of its Shares in the manner set forth in this Agreement without the consent or approval of, or any other action on the part of, any other person or entity (including any Governmental Entity). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Stockholder has not entered into any voting agreement (other than this Agreement) with any person with respect to any of such Stockholders Shares, granted any person any proxy (revocable or
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irrevocable) or power of attorney with respect to any of such Stockholders Shares, deposited any of such Stockholders Shares in a voting trust or entered into any arrangement or agreement with any person limiting or affecting such Stockholders legal power, authority or right to vote such Stockholders Shares on any matter.
(c) This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by such Stockholder and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties hereto) constitutes a valid and binding agreement of such Stockholder enforceable against such Stockholder in accordance with its terms, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Stockholder and the performance by such Stockholder of the agreements and obligations hereunder will not result in any breach or violation of or be in conflict with or constitute a default under any term of any Contract or if applicable any provision of an organizational document (including a certificate of incorporation) to or by which Stockholder is a party or bound, or any applicable law to which such Stockholder (or any of such Stockholders assets) is subject or bound, except for any such breach, violation, conflict or default which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to materially impair or adversely affect such Stockholders ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(d) The Stockholder has had the opportunity to review the Merger Agreement and this Agreement with such Stockholders legal counsel. The Stockholder understands and acknowledges that Public Company is entering into the Merger Agreement in reliance upon the Stockholders execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement.
(e) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Stockholder do not and will not require any consent, approval, authorization or permit of, action by, filing with or notification to, any Governmental Entity, except for any such consent, approval, authorization, permit, action, filing or notification the failure of which to make or obtain, individually or in the aggregate, has not and would not materially impair the Stockholders ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.
(f) With respect to the Stockholder, as of the date hereof, there is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending against, or, to the knowledge of such Stockholder, threatened against, such Stockholder or any of such Stockholders properties or assets (including the Shares) that would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or impair the ability of the Stockholder to perform its obligations hereunder or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.
8. Termination . This Agreement shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earlier of (a) such date and time as the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to the terms thereof or (b) the date on which the Merger Partner Voting Proposal shall have been approved by the requisite holders of Merger Partner Capital Stock (the Expiration Date ); provided , however , that (i) Section 9 shall survive the termination of this Agreement, (ii) Section 2(a) (and, to the extent relating to thereto, Section 2(c) ) shall terminate and shall cease to be of any further force or effect as of the earlier of (A) such date and time as the Merger Agreement shall have been terminated pursuant to the terms thereof or (B) the date which is one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days following the Closing Date (the Lock-Up Termination Date ), and (iii) the termination of this Agreement shall not relieve any party hereto from any liability for any material and willful breach of this Agreement prior to the Expiration Date.
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9. Miscellaneous Provisions .
(a) Amendments . No amendment of this Agreement shall be effective against any party unless it shall be in writing and signed by each of the parties hereto.
(b) Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all other prior agreements, arrangements and understandings, both written and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(c) Governing Law . All matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including its interpretation, construction, performance and enforcement) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of laws of any jurisdictions other than those of the State of Delaware.
(d) Jurisdiction . Each of the parties to this Agreement (i) consents to submit itself to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, New Castle County, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, a federal court sitting in Wilmington, Delaware in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) agrees that all claims in respect of such action or proceeding shall be heard and determined in any such court, (iii) agrees that it shall not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any such court and (iv) agrees not to bring any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any other court. Each of the parties hereto waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety or other security that might be required of any other party with respect thereto. Any party may make service on another party by sending or delivering a copy of the process to the party to be served at the address and in the manner provided for the giving of notices in Section 9(j) . Nothing in this Section 9(d) , however, shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by law.
(e) WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL . EACH OF THE PARTIES TO THIS AGREEMENT HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT.
(f) Assignment . Except as otherwise provided in Section 2(c) hereof, no party may assign any of its rights or delegate any of its performance obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other parties hereto, and any such assignment without such prior written consent shall be null and void. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any purported assignment of rights or delegation of performance obligations in violation of this Section 9(f) is void.
(g) No Third Party Rights . This Agreement is not intended to, and shall not, confer upon any other person any rights or remedies hereunder other than the parties hereto to the extent expressly set forth herein.
(h) Severability . Any term or provision of this Agreement that is invalid or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions hereof or the validity or enforceability of the offending term or provision in any other situation or in any other jurisdiction. If the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision hereof is invalid or unenforceable, the parties hereto agree that the court
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making such determination shall have the power to limit the term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified. In the event such court does not exercise the power granted to it in the prior sentence, the parties hereto agree to replace such invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a valid and enforceable term or provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such invalid or unenforceable term.
(i) Specific Performance . The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity.
(j) Notices . All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly delivered (i) three Business Days after being sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (ii) one Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable overnight courier service, in each case to the intended recipient as follows: (A) if to Merger Partner or Public Company, to the address, electronic mail address or facsimile provided in the Merger Agreement, including to the persons designated therein to receive copies; and/or (B) if to any Stockholder, to such Stockholders address, electronic mail address or facsimile shown below Stockholders signature to this Agreement.
(k) Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts (including by facsimile, by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail or any electronic signature), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other parties, it being understood that all parties need not sign the same counterpart. This Agreement may be executed and delivered by facsimile, by an electronic scan delivered by electronic mail or by delivery of any electronic signature.
(l) Interpretation . When reference is made in this Agreement to a Section, such reference shall be to a Section of this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party. Whenever the context may require, any pronouns used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns and pronouns shall include the plural, and vice versa. Any reference to any federal, state, local or foreign statute or law shall be deemed also to refer to all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the context requires otherwise. Whenever the words include, includes or including are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation.
[Remainder of Page Left Intentionally Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.
MERGER PARTNER: [Merger Partner] |
|
By: |
Title: |
PUBLIC COMPANY: [Public Company] |
|
By: |
Title: |
[STOCKHOLDER], in his/her capacity as a Stockholder: |
Signature: | ||
Address: |
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
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Appendix A
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|
Exhibit 10.3 |
2018 Amended and Restated Employment Agreement for Michael Gray
November 26, 2018
Dear Mr. Gray,
This letter (the Employment Agreement ) amends and restates the terms and conditions of your employment with Arsanis, Inc. ( Arsanis or Company ), as set forth in the Amended and Restated Letter Agreement dated October 10, 2017 (the Existing Agreement ), and will take effect as of November 27, 2018 (the Effective Date ), provided that you remain employed by the Company as of the Effective Date. Until the Effective Date, the Existing Agreement will remain in force and effect and continue to govern your employment with the Company. This Employment Agreement contains the following terms:
1. Employment : You will be employed to serve as the Companys President and Chief Executive Officer, effective as of the Effective Date. You will report directly to the Companys Board of Directors (the Board ) and will have those duties as are customarily performed by a president and chief executive officer, and such other duties as may be assigned by the Board. You agree to devote your full business time, best efforts, skill, knowledge, attention and energies to the advancement of the Companys business and interests and to the performance of your duties and responsibilities as an employee of the Company. You agree to abide by the rules, regulations, personnel practices and policies of the Company and any changes therein that may be adopted from time to time by the Company.
2. Time Commitment : The time commitment for this position will continue to be a full-time professional commitment. You will be expected to work a minimum of 40 hours per week. You may be required to work more than 40 hours per week as needed. Arsanis, however, believes in a flexible schedule policy that encourages employees to work hard but allows flexibility around when work is done, consistent with the Companys business needs and the approval of the Board. As an exempt employee, you are not eligible for overtime pay.
3. Base Salary : Your base salary will be at the rate of $18,750 per bi-monthly pay period (annualized rate of $ 450,000) (the Base Salary ), subject to deductions for taxes and other withholdings as required by law or the standard and lawful policies of the Company. Such Base Salary may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with normal business practice and in the sole discretion of the Board.
4. Bonus Potential : At the sole discretion of the Company, you will be eligible to receive an annual retention and performance bonus of up to 55% of your Base Salary, which will be dependent upon your individual performance and the Companys performance during the applicable year, all as determined by the Board in its sole discretion. Any bonus that may be awarded to you hereunder will be paid no later than March 15 th of the year following the calendar
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
year to which the bonus relates, subject to your continuous employment through the end of the calendar year to which such bonus relates. The foregoing shall be construed and applied so that any bonus payable to you hereunder qualifies as a short-term deferral under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ( Section 409A ). For the avoidance of doubt, the bonus (if any) for calendar year 2018 would be calculated based on (i) your base salary and target bonus percentage under the Existing Agreement for the portion of 2018 prior to the Effective Date (the Prior Period), and (ii) your Base Salary and target bonus percentage under this Employment Agreement for the remainder of 2018 (the Current Period) ( i.e ., the bonus (if any) would be calculated at the rate of up to 40% of an annualized rate of $400,000 for the Prior Period, and at the rate of up to 55% of an annualized rate of $450,000 for the Current Period).
5. Restricted Stock . The Company shall, subject to the approval of the Board (or the Compensation Committee of the Board), grant you a restricted stock award with respect to 250,000 shares of the Companys common stock (the Restricted Stock Award ), which Restricted Stock Award shall (i) vest with respect to 25% of the shares subject to the award on the one-year anniversary of the Effective Date, and, with respect to 2.0833% of the shares subject to the award, monthly thereafter until the fourth anniversary of the Effective Date, (ii) vest in full on a Change of Control of the Company (as defined below), and (iii) be granted under the Companys 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the Plan ) and be subject to the terms and conditions set forth the Plan and a restricted stock agreement.
6. Vacation and Other Paid Time Off : You will receive paid holiday, vacation, and sick time, on an annualized basis, as follows:
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up to eleven (11) paid holidays per calendar year, such days to be allocated to those official U.S. federal and/or state holidays observed in Massachusetts, unless otherwise mutually agreed upon between you and Arsanis; |
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up to twenty-five (25) days of paid vacation per calendar year, (accruing at a rate of 2.08 days per month), subject to the Companys vacation policy and to be taken at such times as may be approved by the Company; and |
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paid sick leave as required, subject to the Companys sick leave policy and applicable law. |
7. Location : You will be primarily located in the Companys Boston area offices (currently located at 890 Winter Street, Suite 230, Waltham, MA 02451), but, consistent with the Companys business needs, you will also be required to travel as directed by the Company to other locations, including, without limitation, to the Companys offices in Vienna, Austria.
8. Benefits : You may participate in any and all benefit programs that the Company establishes and makes available to its employees from time to time, provided you are eligible under (and subject to all provisions of) the plan documents governing those programs. The benefit programs made available by the Company, and the rules, terms and conditions for participation in such benefit programs, may be changed by the Company at any time without advance notice (other than as required by such programs or under law).
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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9. Expense Reimbursement : Arsanis will reimburse you for all reasonable and necessary out-of-pocket expenses incurred in the course of your employment, subject in certain circumstances to approval, and in accordance with all Company policies and procedures regarding documentation and accounting for such expenses.
10. Termination of Employment : You or the Company may terminate your employment at any time for any reason, with or without cause, subject to the following provisions:
a. Termination for Cause : The Company may terminate your employment for Cause, as defined below, upon written notice to you setting forth in reasonable detail the nature of the Cause. The following, as determined by the Board in its reasonable judgment, shall constitute Cause for termination:
(i) the commission of, or indictment or conviction for, any felony, or any other crime involving dishonesty;
(ii) participation in any fraud, deliberate and substantial misconduct, breach of duty of loyalty or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company;
(iii) intentional and substantial damage to any property of the Company;
(iv) failure of performance of your duties hereunder (not attributable to sickness, disability or death) after reasonable written notice no later than thirty (30) days following the occurrence of the failure and a 30-day opportunity to cure, provided, however, that such opportunity to cure shall only apply to any failure that the Board, in its reasonable discretion, deems susceptible to cure; or
(v) your breach of any material provision of this Employment Agreement, your Invention, Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Non-Disclosure Agreement (as defined below, the Non-Disclosure Agreement ), or any other agreement to which you and the Company are both parties, after reasonable written notice no later than thirty (30) days following the occurrence of the breach and a 30-day opportunity to cure, provided, however, that such opportunity to cure shall only apply to any breach that the Board, in its reasonable discretion, deems susceptible to cure, and that any breach by you of your obligations of confidentiality or non-competition under the Non-Disclosure Agreement shall be deemed not susceptible to cure.
Termination of your employment by the Company for Cause will result in no severance pay or benefits.
b. Termination without Cause : The Company may terminate your employment at any time other than for Cause upon written notice to you.
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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c. Termination for Good Reason : You may terminate your employment hereunder for Good Reason, as defined below, by providing written notice to the Company of the condition giving rise to the Good Reason, specifying in reasonable detail the basis for such claim of Good Reason, no later than thirty (30) days following the occurrence of the condition, by giving the Company thirty (30) days to remedy the condition and by terminating employment for Good Reason within thirty (30) days thereafter if the Company fails to remedy the condition. The following, if occurring without your consent, shall constitute Good Reason for termination by you:
(i) a material and adverse diminution of your duties and responsibilities with the Company, provided that such change is not in connection with a termination of your employment relationship with the Company;
(ii) a material diminution of your then Base Salary, provided that such change is not in connection with a termination of your employment relationship with the Company;
(iii) relocation of your principal place of employment outside a thirty (30) mile radius from Boston, Massachusetts, if such relocation increases your daily commuting distance; or
(iv) a material breach by the Company of this Employment Agreement.
d. Termination without Good Reason : You may terminate your employment with the Company other than for Good Reason at any time subject to your provision of thirty (30) days advance written notice to the Company (the Applicable Notice Period ), provided, however, that the Company may, in its sole discretion, in lieu of all or part of the Applicable Notice Period, pay you an amount equal to the Base Salary that would otherwise have been payable to you had you remained employed for the duration of the Applicable Notice Period. In such instance, your termination will become effective on the date set forth in a written notice of termination to be provided by the Company (the Early Termination Date ), and you will be paid an amount equal to the Base Salary you would have received had you remained employed by the Company between the Early Termination Date and the end of the Applicable Notice Period (the Early Termination Payment ), with the Early Termination Payment to be made no later than the 30 th day following the end of the Applicable Notice Period. For the avoidance of doubt, except for the Early Termination Payment, you will not be entitled to receive any severance pay or benefits.
e. Termination Due to Death or Disability : Your employment shall automatically terminate in the event of your death during employment. The Company may terminate your employment, upon notice to you, in the event you become disabled during employment through any illness, accident, injury or condition of either a physical or psychological nature and, as a result, are unable to continue to perform substantially all of your duties and responsibilities (notwithstanding the provision of any reasonable accommodation) for 180 days (whether or not consecutive) during any period of 365 consecutive calendar days. If any question shall arise as to whether you are disabled to the extent that you are unable to perform substantially all of your duties and responsibilities for the Company, you shall, at the Companys request and expense, submit to a medical examination by a mutually acceptable physician in the Boston area who is board-certified in the area of practice involved in the disability and such determination shall, for the purposes of this Employment Agreement, be conclusive of the issue. If such a question arises and you fail to submit to the requested medical examination, the Companys determination of the issue shall be binding on you.
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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11. Severance and other Matters Related to Termination; Change of Control :
a. Termination by the Company without Cause or by You for Good Reason : Subject to Sections 11(b) and 11(f) below and Section 409A, in the event that your employment is terminated by the Company without Cause pursuant to Section 10(b) of this Employment Agreement or by you for Good Reason pursuant to Section 10(c) of this Employment Agreement, in addition to the Accrued Compensation (as defined below), the Company shall provide you with the severance payments and benefits specified below:
(i) the Company shall pay you an amount equal to your annualized Base Salary, at the rate then in effect and payable in equal installments in accordance with the Companys standard payroll policy as then in effect, for a period of twelve (12) months commencing at the time set forth in Section 11(f) hereof (the Severance Period );
(ii) the Company shall pay you in one lump sum, on the date that annual bonuses are paid to active and similarly situated employees, a pro-rata annual bonus for the year in which your termination occurs in such amount, if any, as you would have received based on your actual performance during such calendar year, had you remained employed through the end of such calendar year, calculated by multiplying the full bonus amount (based on actual performance) for such year by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days you were employed during such year and the denominator of which is 365 (the Lump Sum Pro-Rata Performance Bonus ); and
(iii) subject to your timely election to continue participation in the Companys group health and dental plans under COBRA or Massachusetts law, and only for so long as you are eligible for such coverage through COBRA or Massachusetts law, the Company shall pay , on a monthly and taxable basis, an amount equal to the full monthly premium cost of such participation until the conclusion of the Severance Period, or, if earlier, until the date you become eligible to enroll in such plans of any new employer.
b. Termination by the Company without Cause or by You for Good Reason in Connection with a Change of Control : Subject to Section 11(f) and Section 409A, in the event that your employment is terminated by the Company without Cause pursuant to Section 10(b) of this Employment Agreement or by you for Good Reason pursuant to 10(c) of this Employment Agreement, in either case within eighteen (18) months following a Change of Control (as defined below), in addition to the Accrued Compensation (as defined below), in lieu of any payments and benefits provided in Section 11(a) above, the Company shall provide you with the severance payments and benefits specified below:
(i) the Company shall pay you an amount equal to the sum of (A) one and one-half times your annualized Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, and (B) one and one-half times your target annual bonus for the year in which your termination of employment occurs, payable in equal installments and in accordance with the Companys standard payroll policy as then in effect, for a period of eighteen (18) months commencing at the time set forth in Section 10(f) hereof (the Change of Control Severance Period );
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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(ii) subject to your timely election to continue participation in the Companys group health and dental plans under COBRA, and only for so long as you are eligible for such coverage through COBRA (or Massachusetts laws), the Company shall pay , on a monthly and taxable basis, an amount equal to the full monthly premium cost of such participation until the conclusion of the twelve-month period commencing at the time set forth in Section 11(f) hereof (the Change of Control COBRA Period ), or, if earlier, until the date you become eligible to enroll in such plans of any new employer; and
(iii) all outstanding and unvested stock options and other equity awards then held by you shall become fully vested and exercisable and, with respect to any stock options then held by you other than those granted to you in June of 2017 (the June Grant ), those options shall remain exercisable for the period of time set forth in the applicable grant agreement. The Company will extend until the date that is the earlier of (i) two years following the date of your termination from employment and (ii) the final exercise date, the period during which you may exercise the June Grant. You understand that the stock options subject to this extended exercise period shall cease to be treated for tax purposes as incentive stock options.
c. Termination by the Company Due to Your Disability or Death : Subject to Section 11(f) and Section 409A, in the event your employment with the Company is terminated by the Company due to your disability or is terminated due to your death pursuant to Section 10(e) of this Employment Agreement, in addition to the Accrued Compensation (as defined below), the Company shall pay you in a lump sum a pro-rata amount of your target annual bonus for the year in which your death or disability occurs, calculated by multiplying your target annual bonus for such year by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days you were employed during such year and the denominator of which is 365 (the Pro-Rata Bonus ) payable at the time set forth in Section 11(f) hereof.
d. Any Other Termination : In the event your employment with the Company terminates for any reason other than by the Company without Cause pursuant to Section10(b) of this Employment Agreement, by you for Good Reason pursuant to Section 10(c) of this Employment Agreement, or by the Company due to your disability or death pursuant to Section 10(e) of this Employment Agreement, the Company shall pay you the Accrued Compensation. For purposes of this Employment Agreement, Accrued Compensation means any base salary earned but not paid through the date of the termination of employment and an amount equal to the value of any vacation time accrued but unused as of such date.
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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e. Parachute Payments :
(i) In the event of the consummation of a change in ownership or control within the meaning of Section 280G (a 280G Change in Control ) of the Company following the time that the Company has stock readily tradeable on an established securities market (within the meaning of Section 280G and the regulations thereunder), if all or a portion of the payments and benefits under this Employment Agreement, together with any other payments and benefits provided to you by the Company or its Affiliates (including, without limitation, any accelerated vesting of stock options and other equity awards) (the Total Payments ), would constitute an excess parachute payment within the meaning of Section 280G (the aggregate of such payments (or portions thereof) being hereinafter referred to as the Excess Parachute Payments ), you will be entitled to receive (A) an amount limited so that no portion thereof shall fail to be tax deductible under Section 280G (the Limited Amount ), or (B) if the amount otherwise payable hereunder or otherwise (without regard to clause (A)) reduced by all taxes applicable thereto (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the excise tax levied under Section 4999 of the Code (the Excise Tax )) would be greater than the Limited Amount reduced by all taxes applicable thereto, the amount otherwise payable hereunder or otherwise.
(ii) The determination as to whether the Total Payments include Excess Parachute Payments and, if so, the amount of such Excess Parachute Payments, the amount of any Excise Tax with respect thereto, and the amount of any reduction in Total Payments shall be made at the Companys expense by the independent public accounting firm most recently serving as the Companys outside auditors or such other accounting, law or benefits consulting group or firm as the Company may designate (the Accountants ). In the event that any payments under this Employment Agreement or otherwise are required to be reduced as described in Section 11(e)(i) of this Employment Agreement, the adjustment will be made, first, by reducing the amount of base salary payable pursuant to Section 11(a)(i) or 11(b)(i), as applicable; second, if additional reductions are necessary, by reducing the payment of the amounts due to you pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) as applicable; and third, if additional reductions are still necessary, by eliminating the accelerated vesting of stock option awards and other equity awards, if any, starting with those awards for which the amount required to be taken into account under Section 280G is the greatest.
(iii) In the event that there has been an underpayment or overpayment under this Employment Agreement or otherwise as determined by the Accountants, the amount of such underpayment or overpayment shall forthwith be paid to you or refunded to the Company, as the case may be, with interest at the applicable federal rate provided for in Section 7872(f)(2) of the Code.
f. Release : Any obligation of the Company to provide you severance payments or other benefits (including accelerated vesting of stock options and other equity awards) or any Pro-Rata Bonus or Lump Sum Pro-Rata Performance Bonus (for the avoidance of doubt, other than Accrued Compensation), is conditioned on your (or your legal representative, if applicable, in the case of a termination due to your disability) signing within a period of time not to exceed forty-five (45) days following the date of such termination of employment (or such shorter period as may be directed by the Company) a separation and release of claims agreement in the form provided by the Company (the Release ) following the termination of your
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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employment, and on your (or your legal representative, if applicable) not revoking the Release within any revocation period provided therein following your (or your legal representatives, if applicable) execution of the Release, which Release shall not require you to release (i) claims for indemnification in your capacity as an officer or director of the Company under the Companys Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, insurance or other written agreements, if any, providing for director or officer indemnification, (ii) rights to receive insurance payments under any policy maintained by the Company, (iii) vested rights as an equity holder or option holder, (iv) rights to receive retirement and other benefits that are accrued and fully vested at the time of your termination, and (v) any other claims that cannot be released as a matter of law. Except as otherwise provided in Section 409A, any payments to be made in either in a lump sum or in the form of salary continuation pursuant to the terms of this Employment Agreement shall be payable in accordance with the normal payroll practices of the Company, with such payment or, as may be applicable, the first such payment (which shall be retroactive to the day immediately following the date of your termination of employment) due and payable as soon as administratively practicable following the date the Release becomes effective, but not later than the date that is sixty (60) days following the date your employment terminates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the date your employment terminates occurs in one taxable year and the date that is sixty (60) days following such termination date occurs in a second taxable year, to the extent required by Section 409A, such payment or, as may be applicable, first payment shall not be made prior to the first day of the second taxable year. For the avoidance of doubt, if you (or your legal representative, if applicable) do not execute a Release within the period specified in this Section 10(f), or if you (or your legal representative, if applicable) revoke the executed Release within the time period permitted by law, you will not be entitled to any payments or benefits (including the accelerated vesting of stock options or other equity awards) or any Pro-Rata Bonus or Lump Sum Pro-Rata Performance Bonus set forth herein (other than the Accrued Compensation), any stock options and other equity awards that vested on account of such termination as provided for in this Employment Agreement shall be cancelled with no consideration due to you, and the Company will not have any further obligations to you under this Employment Agreement or otherwise. You agree that, should you become eligible to participate in the health and, if applicable, dental, plan of any subsequent employer prior to the conclusion of the Severance Period or Change of Control COBRA Period, as may be applicable, you will provide the Company with written notice thereof within five (5) business days of such eligibility. You further agree to repay any overpayment of health and, if applicable, dental, benefit premiums made by the Company hereunder. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in the event that the Companys payment of the amounts described in Section 10(a)(iii) or (b)(ii), as applicable, would subject the Company to any tax or penalty under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (as amended from time to time, the ACA ) or Section 105(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ( Section 105(h) ), or applicable regulations or guidance issued under the ACA or Section 105(h), you and the Company agree to work together in good faith to restructure such benefit.
g. Survival, Conditions to Severance : Provisions of this Employment Agreement shall survive any termination if so provided in this Employment Agreement or if necessary or desirable to accomplish the purposes of other surviving provisions of the Employment Agreement and the Non-Disclosure Agreement. The obligation of the Company to make severance payments to you or on your behalf is expressly conditioned upon (i) your full performance, and continued
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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performance during any applicable severance periods, of your material obligations under this Employment Agreement, the Non-Disclosure Agreement, and any subsequent agreement between you and the Company relating to, without limitation, confidentiality, non-competition, proprietary information or the like, and (ii) your (or your legal representatives, if applicable, in the case of a termination due to your disability) execution and non-revocation of the Release as set forth above.
h. Change of Control: In the event of a Change of Control, the vesting of all equity awards granted to you before the closing date of the Companys first initial public offering ( IPO ) of its common stock shall accelerate in full and with respect to any stock options then held by you, those options shall remain exercisable for the period of time set forth in the applicable grant agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, any equity awards granted to you on or after the closing of the IPO shall not be entitled to the accelerated vesting benefits set forth in this Section 11(h).
12. Definitions : For purposes of this Employment Agreement, the following definitions apply:
a. Change of Control means the first to occur of any of the following: (i) a merger or consolidation, business combination, acquisition or similar transaction (a Transaction) in which (A) the Company is a constituent party, or (B) a subsidiary of the Company is a constituent party and the Company issues shares of its capital stock pursuant to such Transaction, except in the case of either clause (A) or (B) any such Transaction involving the Company or a subsidiary of the Company in which the beneficial owners of the shares of capital stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such Transaction continue beneficially to own, immediately following such Transaction, at least a majority by voting power of the capital stock of (x) the surviving or resulting corporation or (y) if the surviving or resulting corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of another corporation immediately following such Transaction, the parent corporation of such surviving or resulting corporation; (ii) the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Company or a Company subsidiary of all or substantially all the assets of the Company and the Company subsidiaries taken as a whole (except in connection with a Transaction not constituting a Change of Control under clause (i) or where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly owned Company subsidiary); or (iii) the sale or transfer, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the stockholders of the Company of more than 50% by voting power of the then-outstanding capital stock of the Company to any Person or entity or group of affiliated Persons or entities.
b. Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
c. Person means an individual, a corporation, an association, a partnership, an estate, a trust and any other entity or organization, other than the Company.
d. Section 280G means Section 280G of the Code, together with the regulations thereunder.
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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13. Section 409A .
a. You and the Company agree that this Employment Agreement shall be interpreted to comply with or be exempt from Section 409A, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder to the extent applicable, and all provisions of this Employment Agreement shall be construed in a manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A.
b. A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Employment Agreement providing for the payment of any amounts or benefits considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A (after giving effect to the presumptions contained therein) and, for purposes of any such provision of this Employment Agreement, references to a termination, termination of employment or like terms shall mean separation from service. If you are deemed on the date of termination to be a specified employee within the meaning of that term under Section 409A(a)(2)(B), then with regard to any payment or the provision of any benefit that is considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A payable on account of a separation from service, such payment or benefit shall be made or provided at the date which is the earlier of (a) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of such separation from service, and (b) the date of your death (the Delay Period ). Upon the expiration of the Delay Period, all payments and benefits delayed pursuant to this Section 13(b) (whether they would have otherwise been payable in a single sum or in installments in the absence of such delay) shall be paid or reimbursed on the first business day following the expiration of the Delay Period to you in a lump sum, and any remaining payments and benefits due under this Employment Agreement shall be paid or provided in accordance with the normal payment dates specified for them herein.
c. With regard to any provision herein that provides for payment or reimbursement of costs and expenses or in-kind benefits, except as permitted by Section 409A, (a) the right to payment, reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit; (b) the amount of expenses eligible for payment or reimbursement, or in-kind benefits, provided during any taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for payment or reimbursement, or in-kind benefits, to be provided in any other taxable year; and (c) such payments shall be made on or before the last day of your taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense occurred.
d. For purposes of Section 409A, your right to receive any installment payments pursuant to this Employment Agreement shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate and distinct payments.
e. In no event shall the Company have any liability relating to the failure or alleged failure of any payment or benefit under this Employment Agreement to comply with, or be exempt from, the requirements of Section 409A.
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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14. At-Will Status : As is true for all Company employees, your employment with Arsanis will be at-will . This means that your employment is for no specified period of time, and may be terminated at any time by either you or the Company, with or without cause, subject only to the provisions of this Employment Agreement. This Employment Agreement is not meant to be a contract of employment for any specific duration. You agree that although your title, duties, compensation or benefits may change from time to time, such changes will not change the at-will nature of your employment, which may only be changed by an express written agreement that is signed by you and the Board.
15. Conditions/Required Documentation : The Companys premises, including all workspaces, furniture, documents, and other tangible materials, and all information technology resources of the Company (including computers, data and other electronic files, and all internet and email) are subject to oversight and inspection by the Company at any time, and employees should have no expectation of privacy with regard to any Arsanis premises, materials, resources, or information. Further, you hereby acknowledge that your continued employment with the Company as its President and Chief Executive Officer, the increases in your current compensation and bonus, and the Restricted Stock Award hereunder, are conditioned on your signing and returning this Employment Agreement and your continued compliance with the Invention, Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Non-Disclosure Agreement that you previously executed in connection with your employment (the Non-Disclosure Agreement ).
16. No Inconsistent Obligations : You represent and warrant to the Company that you are under no obligations or commitments, whether contractual or otherwise, that are inconsistent with your obligations set forth in this Employment Agreement or that would be violated by your employment by the Company. You agree that you will not take any action on behalf of the Company or cause the Company to take any action that will violate any agreement that you have with a prior employer or any other third party.
17. Miscellaneous : Your rights and obligations under this Employment Agreement shall be neither assignable nor delegable by you, except to the extent that any rights to compensation hereunder may be assigned to your estate or legal representative in the event of your death or disability. This Employment Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of you and the Company and your and its respective permitted successors and assigns. The terms of this Employment Agreement and the resolution of any disputes as to the meaning, effect, performance or validity of this letter or arising out of, related to, or in any way connected with this letter, your employment with the Company or any other relationship between you and the Company (the Disputes ) will be governed by Massachusetts law, without regard to conflict of laws provisions. You and the Company submit to the exclusive personal jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in connection with any Dispute or any claim related to any Dispute. As of the Effective Date, this Employment Agreement supersedes all prior understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the terms of your employment, including without limitation the Existing Agreement.
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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If you would like to accept this offer of continued employment on the terms set forth herein as of the Effective Date, please sign and return this Employment Agreement by the end of the day on November 26, 2018.
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Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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We look forward to your continuing contributions to the Arsanis team.
Sincerely, |
/s/ Tillman U. Gerngross |
Tillman U. Gerngross |
Chairman of the Board of Directors |
AGREED TO: |
/s/ Michael Gray |
Michael Gray |
November 26, 2018 |
Date |
Arsanis, Inc. | 890 Winter Street Suite 230 Waltham, MA 02451 | Phone: (781) 819-5153 | www.arsanis.com
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|
Exhibit 10.4 |
VIA HAND DELIVERY
November 26, 2018
Rene Russo
Dear Rene:
As we have discussed, in connection with your separation from employment with, and all offices in, Arsanis, Inc. (the Company) (and, as may be applicable, any and all of its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries (together, the Affiliates)), effective November 26, 2018 (the Separation Date), you will be eligible to receive the severance benefits described in paragraph 1 below if you sign and return this letter agreement to me no later than December 18, 2018, but no earlier than close of business on the Separation Date, and do not revoke your agreement (as described below).
By signing and returning this letter agreement and not revoking your acceptance, you will be entering into a binding agreement with the Company and will be agreeing to the terms and conditions set forth in the numbered paragraphs below, including the release of claims set forth in paragraph 2. Therefore, you are advised to consult with an attorney before signing this letter agreement and you have been given at least twenty-one (21) days to do so. If you sign this letter agreement, you may change your mind and revoke your agreement during the seven (7) day period after you have signed it (the Revocation Period) by notifying me in writing. If you do not so revoke, this letter agreement will become a binding agreement between you and the Company upon the expiration of the Revocation Period.
Although your receipt of the severance benefits is expressly conditioned on your entering into this letter agreement, the following will apply regardless of whether or not you do so:
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As of the Separation Date, all salary payments from the Company will cease and any benefits you had as of the Separation Date under Company-provided benefit plans, programs, or practices will terminate, except as required by federal or state law. |
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You will receive payment for your final wages and any unused vacation time accrued through the Separation Date. |
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You may, if eligible and at your own cost, elect to continue receiving group medical insurance pursuant to the COBRA law. Please consult the COBRA materials to be provided under separate cover for details regarding these benefits. |
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You are obligated to keep confidential and not to use or disclose any and all non-public information concerning the Company that you acquired during the course of your employment with the Company, including any non-public information concerning the Companys business affairs, business prospects, and financial condition, except as otherwise permitted by paragraph 8 below. Further, you remain subject to your continuing obligations to the Company as set forth in the Invention, Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Non-Disclosure Agreement that you previously executed for the benefit of the Company (the Non-Disclosure Agreement), which remain in full force and effect, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraph 3 below. |
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You must immediately return to the Company no later than the Separation Date all Company property. |
If you elect to timely sign and return this letter agreement and do not revoke your acceptance within the Revocation Period, the following terms and conditions will also apply:
Severance Benefits The Company will provide you with the following severance benefits (the severance benefits):
a. |
Severance Pay . The Company shall pay you one million forty-six thousand two hundred fifty dollars ($1,046,250), less applicable taxes and withholdings, as severance pay (the Severance Pay). The Severance Pay shall be payable to you in one lump sum, as soon as administratively practicable following the date that this letter agreement becomes effective and irrevocable. |
b. |
COBRA Benefits . Provided that you are eligible for and timely elect to continue participation in the Companys group health and dental plans under applicable COBRA law, the Company will, subject to and in accordance with the terms set forth in Section 10(b)(ii) of the Amended and Restated Letter Agreement dated as of October 10, 2017 between you and the Company (the Employment Agreement), pay, on a monthly basis, the full monthly premium cost of such participation. |
c. |
Option Acceleration . Effective immediately after this letter agreement becomes effective and irrevocable, all outstanding and unvested options to purchase shares of the Companys common stock which you hold as of the Separation Date shall become fully vested and exercisable, and shall remain exercisable for the period of time set forth in paragraph 1(d) below. |
d. |
Extension of Exercise Period . Effective immediately after this letter agreement becomes effective and irrevocable, the Company will extend until the date that is the earlier of (i) two years following the Separation Date and (ii) the final exercise date, the period during which you may exercise those stock options granted to you in June of 2017 and in which you have vested as of the Separation Date (including those in which you have vested pursuant to paragraph 2(c) above), subject to the terms of the applicable agreement(s) and plan(s) governing such options. You understand that the stock options subject to this extended exercise period shall cease to be treated for tax purposes as incentive stock options. |
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You will not be eligible for, nor shall you have a right to receive, any payments or benefits from the Company following the Separation Date other than as set forth in this paragraph.
Release of Claims In consideration of the severance benefits, which you acknowledge you would not otherwise be entitled to receive, you hereby fully, forever, irrevocably and unconditionally release, remise and discharge the Company, its Affiliates, predecessors, and successors, and all of their respective past and present officers, directors, stockholders, partners, members, employees, agents, representatives, plan administrators, attorneys, insurers and fiduciaries (each in their individual and corporate capacities) (collectively, the Released Parties) from any and all claims, charges, complaints, demands, actions, causes of action, suits, rights, debts, sums of money, costs, accounts, reckonings, covenants, contracts, agreements, promises, doings, omissions, damages, executions, obligations, liabilities, and expenses (including attorneys fees and costs), of every kind and nature that you ever had or now have against any or all of the Released Parties, whether known or unknown, including, but not limited to, any and all claims arising out of or relating to your employment with and/or separation from the Company, including, but not limited to, all claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Rehabilitation Act, Executive Order 11246, Executive Order 11141, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, all as amended; all claims arising out of the Massachusetts Fair Employment Practices Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151B, § 1 et seq. , the Massachusetts Wage Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 148 et seq. (Massachusetts law regarding payment of wages and overtime), the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 12, §§ 11H and 11I, the Massachusetts Equal Rights Act, Mass. Gen. Laws. ch. 93, § 102 and Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 214, § 1C, the Massachusetts Labor and Industries Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 1 et seq. , Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 214, § 1B (Massachusetts right of privacy law), the Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 105D, and the Massachusetts Small Necessities Leave Act, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 149, § 52D, all as amended; all common law claims including, but not limited to, actions in defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, misrepresentation, fraud, wrongful discharge, and breach of contract (including, without limitation, any claims arising out of or related to the Employment Agreement); all claims to any non-vested ownership interest in the Company, contractual or otherwise; all state and federal whistleblower claims to the maximum extent permitted by law; and any claim or damage arising out of your employment with and/or separation from the Company (including a claim for retaliation) under any common law theory or any federal, state or local statute or ordinance not expressly referenced above; provided, however, that this release of claims does not prevent you from filing a charge with, cooperating with, or participating in any investigation or proceeding before, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or a state fair employment practices agency (except that you acknowledge that you may not recover any monetary benefits in connection with any such charge, investigation, or proceeding, and you further waive any rights or claims to any payment, benefit, attorneys fees or other remedial relief in connection with any such charge, investigation or proceeding). Further, nothing herein shall release (i) any claims you may have for indemnification under the Companys certificate of
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incorporation, by-laws, insurance and/or any written agreement between you and the Company for director or officer indemnification (recognizing that any such indemnification is not guaranteed by this letter agreement and shall be governed by the instrument, if any, providing for such indemnification), (ii) any rights you may have to receive insurance payments under any policy maintained by the Company; (iii) any vested rights you may have as an equity holder or option holder, (iv) any rights you may have to receive retirement and other benefits that are accrued and fully vested as of the Separation Date, or (v) any other claims that cannot be released as a matter of law.
Continuing Obligations You acknowledge and reaffirm your confidentiality and non-disclosure obligations discussed above in this letter agreement, as well as the obligations set forth in the Non-Disclosure Agreement, which survive your separation from employment with the Company; provided, however, that in consideration of your entering into this letter agreement, the Company will waive the post-employment non-competition restriction set forth in Section 4(a) thereof.
Non-Disparagement You understand and agree that, to the extent permitted by law and except as otherwise permitted by paragraph 8 below, you will not, in public or private, make any false, disparaging, derogatory or defamatory statements, online (including, without limitation, on any social media, networking, or employer review site) or otherwise, to any person or entity, including, but not limited to, any media outlet, industry group, financial institution or current or former employee, board member, consultant, client or customer of the Company, regarding the Company or any of the other Released Parties, or regarding the Companys business affairs, business prospects, or financial condition. In turn, the Company will instruct those with knowledge of this letter agreement not to make, in public or private, any false, disparaging, derogatory or defamatory statements about you.
Return of Company Property You confirm that you have returned to the Company all keys, files, records (and copies thereof), equipment (including, but not limited to, computer hardware, software, printers, flash drives and other storage devices, wireless handheld devices, cellular phones, tablets, etc.), Company identification, and any other Company owned property in your possession or control, and that you have left intact all, and have otherwise not destroyed, deleted, or made inaccessible to the Company, any electronic Company documents, including, but not limited to, those that you developed or helped to develop during your employment, and that you have not (a) retained any copies in any form or media; (b) maintained access to any copies in any form, media, or location; (c) stored any copies in any physical or electronic locations that are not readily accessible or not known to the Company or that remain accessible to you; or (d) sent, given, or made accessible any copies to any persons or entities that the Company has not authorized to receive such electronic or hard copies. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may retain possession and assume ownership of the iPhone, MacBook, and iPad you have been using in connection with your employment; provided, however, that you hereby represent that you have deleted from such devices all documents, e-mails, files, information, and data related to the Company. You further confirm that you have cancelled all accounts for your benefit, if any, in the Company names, including but not limited to, credit cards, telephone charge cards, cellular phone accounts, and computer accounts.
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Business Expenses and Final Compensation You acknowledge that you have been reimbursed by the Company for all business expenses incurred in conjunction with the performance of your employment and that no other reimbursements are owed to you. You further acknowledge that you have received payment in full for all services rendered in conjunction with your employment by the Company, including payment for all wages, bonuses, and accrued, unused vacation time, and that no other compensation is owed to you except as provided herein.
Confidentiality You understand and agree that, to the extent permitted by law and except as otherwise permitted by paragraph 8 below, the contents of the negotiations and discussions resulting in this letter agreement, shall be maintained as confidential by you and your agents and representatives and shall not be disclosed except as otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company.
Scope of Disclosure Restrictions Nothing in this letter agreement prohibits you from communicating with government agencies about possible violations of federal, state, or local laws or otherwise providing information to government agencies, filing a complaint with government agencies, or participating in government agency investigations or proceedings. You are not required to notify the Company of any such communications; provided, however, that nothing herein authorizes the disclosure of information you obtained through a communication that was subject to the attorney-client privilege. Further, notwithstanding your confidentiality and nondisclosure obligations, you are hereby advised as follows pursuant to the Defend Trade Secrets Act: An individual shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that (A) is made (i) in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney; and (ii) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (B) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal. An individual who files a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer for reporting a suspected violation of law may disclose the trade secret to the attorney of the individual and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if the individual (A) files any document containing the trade secret under seal; and (B) does not disclose the trade secret, except pursuant to court order.
Cooperation You agree that, to the extent permitted by law, you shall cooperate fully with the Company in the investigation, defense or prosecution of any claims or actions which already have been brought, are currently pending, or which may be brought in the future against the Company by a third party or by or on behalf of the Company against any third party, whether before a state or federal court, any state or federal government agency, or a mediator or arbitrator. Your full cooperation in connection with such claims or actions shall include, but not be limited to, being available to meet with the Companys counsel, at reasonable times and locations designated by the Company, to investigate or prepare the Companys claims or defenses, to prepare for trial or discovery or an administrative hearing, mediation, arbitration or other proceeding and to act as a witness when requested by the Company. You further agree that, to the extent permitted by law, you will notify the Company promptly in the event that you are served with a subpoena (other than a subpoena issued by a government agency), or in the event that you are asked to provide a third party (other than a government agency) with information concerning any actual or potential complaint or claim against the Company. All
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reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by you in providing such reasonable cooperation under this paragraph 9 shall be reimbursed by the Company, and shall be paid promptly upon request no later than 30 days after submission of documentation thereof. In addition, the Company shall continue to indemnify you as and to the extent set forth in any indemnification provision that may exist in the Companys certificate of incorporation, by-laws, insurance and/or any written agreement between you and the Company for director or officer indemnification.
Amendment and Waiver This letter agreement shall be binding upon the parties and may not be modified in any manner, except by an instrument in writing of concurrent or subsequent date signed by duly authorized representatives of the parties hereto. This letter agreement is binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective agents, assigns, heirs, executors, successors and administrators. No delay or omission by the Company in exercising any right under this letter agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent given by the Company on any one occasion shall be effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar to or waiver of any right on any other occasion.
Validity Should any provision of this letter agreement be declared or be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal or invalid, the validity of the remaining parts, terms or provisions shall not be affected thereby and said illegal or invalid part, term or provision shall be deemed not to be a part of this letter agreement.
Nature of Agreement You understand and agree that this letter agreement is a severance agreement and does not constitute an admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part of the Company.
Acknowledgments You acknowledge that you have been given at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this letter agreement, and that the Company is hereby advising you to consult with an attorney of your own choosing prior to signing this letter agreement. You understand that you may revoke this letter agreement for a period of seven (7) days after you sign this letter agreement by notifying me in writing, and the letter agreement shall not be effective or enforceable until the expiration of this seven (7) day revocation period. You understand and agree that by entering into this letter agreement, you are waiving any and all rights or claims you might have under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, and that you have received consideration beyond that to which you were previously entitled.
Voluntary Assent You affirm that no other promises or agreements of any kind have been made to or with you by any person or entity whatsoever to cause you to sign this letter agreement, and that you fully understand the meaning and intent of this letter agreement. You further state and represent that you have carefully read this letter agreement, understand the contents herein, freely and voluntarily assent to all of the terms and conditions hereof, and sign your name of your own free act.
Applicable Law This letter agreement shall be interpreted and construed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to conflict of laws provisions. You hereby irrevocably submit to and acknowledge and recognize the jurisdiction of the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or if appropriate, a federal court located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (which courts, for purposes of this letter agreement, are the only courts of competent jurisdiction), over any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of, under or in connection with this letter agreement or the subject matter hereof.
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Entire Agreement This letter agreement contains and constitutes the entire understanding and agreement between the parties hereto with respect to your severance benefits and the settlement of claims against the Company and cancels all previous oral and written negotiations, agreements, and commitments in connection therewith.
Tax Acknowledgement In connection with the severance benefits provided to you pursuant to this letter agreement, the Company shall withhold and remit to the tax authorities the amounts required under applicable law, and you shall be responsible for all applicable taxes with respect to such severance benefits under applicable law. You acknowledge that you are not relying upon the advice or representation of the Company with respect to the tax treatment of any of the severance benefits set forth in paragraph 1 of this letter agreement.
Section 409A This letter agreement, and all payments hereunder, are intended to be exempt from, or if not so exempt, to comply with the requirements of, Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the guidance issued thereunder (Section 409A), and this letter agreement shall be interpreted and administered accordingly. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this letter agreement, if at the time of your termination of employment or otherwise when any severance benefit is payable hereunder, you are a specified employee as defined under Section 409A, any and all amounts payable hereunder on account of such termination of employment that would (but for this provision) be payable within six (6) months following the Separation Date, shall instead be paid on the next business day following the expiration of such six (6) month period or, if earlier, upon your death; except to the extent of amounts that do not constitute a deferral of compensation within the meaning of Treasury regulation Section 1.409A 1(b) or other amounts or benefits that are exempt from or otherwise not subject to the requirements of Section 409A. For purposes of this letter agreement, whether or not a termination of employment has occurred shall be determined consistently with Section 409A. In addition, each payment made pursuant to the letter agreement shall be treated as a separate payment and the right to a series of installment payments hereunder is to be treated as a right to a series of separate payments. Neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any of its or their respective agents shall have any liability to you should the benefits and payments hereunder that are intended to be exempt from or compliant with Section 409A, not be so exempt or compliant.
[ Remainder of page is intentionally left blank ]
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If you have any questions about the matters covered in this letter agreement, please call me.
Very truly yours, | ||
By: | /s/ Tillman U. Gerngross | |
Tillman U. Gerngross | ||
Chairman of the Board of Directors |
I hereby agree to the terms and conditions set forth above. I have been given at least twenty-one (21) days to consider this letter agreement, and I have chosen to execute this on the date below. I intend that this letter agreement will become a binding agreement between me and the Company if I do not revoke my acceptance in seven (7) days.
/s/ René Russo | 11-26-18 | |||
René Russo | Date |
To be returned in a timely manner as set forth on the first page of this letter agreement.
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Exhibit 10.5
November 26, 2018
Dr. Christopher Stevens
Retention Bonus Agreement
Dear Chris,
On behalf of Arsanis, Inc. (the Company ), I would like to thank you for your continued service to the Company and emphasize your importance to our organization and its success. I am pleased to inform you that, as an incentive for your continued service to the Company, the Company is making you eligible for a special retention bonus, subject to the satisfaction of the terms and conditions described in this letter agreement.
1. |
Retention Bonus You are eligible to receive a retention bonus in an amount equal to $494,000, less all applicable taxes and withholdings, (the Retention Bonus ) upon the earliest to occur of the following (the date on which the earliest of the following to occur, the Payment Eligibility Date ), provided you remain employed by the Company through the Payment Eligibility Date and that you otherwise satisfy the terms and conditions of this letter agreement: |
(i) |
March 31, 2019; |
(ii) |
the closing of a Change of Control (as defined in Exhibit A to this letter agreement) (the Closing ); or |
(iii) |
the termination of your employment by the Company without Cause (as defined in Exhibit A to this letter agreement). |
2. |
Interaction with Terms of Employment Letter Agreement You agree and acknowledge that, in order to receive the Retention Bonus, you hereby relinquish your rights to receive any and all severance pay and bonus amounts you would otherwise be entitled to receive upon a termination of your employment (together, the Severance Payments ) pursuant to Sections 10(a), 10(b) or 10(c) of the Amended and Restated Letter Agreement between you and the Company dated October 10, 2017 (the Employment Letter ), whether or not the Retention Bonus is paid to you as a result of the termination of your employment by the Company without Cause. For the avoidance of doubt, you shall continue to be eligible to receive payment from the Company for benefits continuation and any equity acceleration described in the Employment Letter, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Employment Letter. The terms of your Employment Letter shall otherwise remain in full force and effect. By signing this agreement, you agree and acknowledge that you shall have no further rights with respect to the Severance Payments. |
3. |
Conditions to Payment Release, Compliance, and Cooperation . In order to receive payment of the Retention Bonus, you must sign a release and, if applicable, separation agreement in a form with customary terms to be supplied by the Company at or promptly following the Payment Eligibility Date that includes, among other provisions, (i) a release of claims in favor of the Company and its agents, (ii) confirmation of continued compliance with the Invention, Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Non-Disclosure Agreement you previously signed in connection with your employment with the Company (the NDA ), and, (iii) if the payment of the Retention Bonus is as a result of a termination without Cause, an agreement to provide post-employment cooperation to the Company, and which release (the Release ) becomes enforceable within 60 days (or such shorter period as the Company specifies) following the Payment Eligibility Date. For the avoidance of doubt, the Retention Bonus will be paid pursuant to the timing provision set forth in Section 4 below, and you may sign the Release at any time prior to the date by which it must become enforceable. The Release Effective Date is the date the Release becomes enforceable, provided that if the 60-day period for providing an enforceable Release extends into a calendar year subsequent to the year containing the Payment Eligibility Date, the Release Effective Date will be treated, solely for payment timing purposes, as occurring no earlier than the first business day of such subsequent year unless payment may be made earlier consistent with Section 409A (as defined below). |
You must continue to comply with all of the provisions of your NDA in order to be eligible for this program; provided, however, that the Company agrees that, in consideration of the Release, it will waive the post-employment non-competition restriction set forth in Section 4(a) of the NDA. You must also, while employed, perform the material duties assigned to you that are consistent with your position (or those of a position to which you have been transferred by the Company or that are reasonably required of you in connection with a Closing transition, if applicable) and must assist the Company to the best of your ability in any efforts to effect a Change of Control or to transition services thereafter, if applicable.
4. |
Payment Timing Assuming you satisfy the conditions to payment, you will receive the Retention Bonus in a single lump sum, less all applicable taxes and withholdings, on the first regular payroll date occurring after the Release Effective Date. |
5. |
Amendment This letter agreement shall be binding upon the parties and may not be modified in any manner, except by an instrument in writing of concurrent or subsequent date signed by duly authorized representatives of the parties hereto. |
6. |
Withholding; Section 409A . All payments and benefits hereunder will be subject to reduction for applicable tax withholdings. Any payments made over time are to be treated as a series of separate payments for purposes of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ( Section 409A of the Code ). This letter agreement is intended to provide for payments that are exempt from or comply with the provisions of Section 409A and this letter agreement must, to the extent practicable, be construed in accordance therewith. Terms defined in this letter agreement will have the |
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meanings given such terms under Section 409A if and to the extent required to comply with Section 409A. In any event, the Company makes no representations or warranty and will have no liability to you or any other person if any provisions of or payments under this letter agreement are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A but not to satisfy the conditions of that section. |
7. |
Payment to Heirs . If you should die after satisfaction of the conditions to payment under this letter agreement have been met, any unpaid amounts will be paid in accordance with the terms of this letter agreement to the executors, personal representatives, or administrators of your estate. The Company may determine whether the estate or other such recipient must provide a Release if you had not previously done so. |
8. |
Source of Payment . Nothing herein may be construed as establishing a trust or as requiring the Company to set aside funds to meet its obligations hereunder. |
9. |
Notices . Any notice, request, demand, and other communication provided for by this letter agreement must be in writing and will be effective when delivered in person or three business days after it is deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, registered or certified, or one business day after it is provided to a national overnight carrier, and addressed to you at your last known address on the books of the Company or, in the case of the Company, at its principal place of business, attention of the President and Chief Executive Officer, or to such other address as either party may specify by notice in the manner provided in this Section 9. |
10. |
Severability . Each provision of this letter agreement must be considered severable such that if any one provision or clause conflicts with existing or future applicable law, or may not be given full effect because of such law, this will not affect any other provision of the letter agreement, which, consistent with such law, will remain in full force and effect. All surviving clauses must be construed so as to effectuate the purpose and intent of the parties. |
11. |
Interpretation . The parties agree that this letter agreement will be construed without regard to any presumption or rule requiring construction or interpretation against the drafting party. References in this letter agreement to include or including should be read as though they said without limitation or equivalent forms. |
12. |
Counterparts . This letter agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which will be an original and all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. |
13. |
Binding Effect; Assignment and Assumption . This letter agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties, any successors or assigns of the Company and your heirs and the personal representative(s) or executor(s) of your estate. The Company may assign this letter agreement in connection with a Change of Control to an acquirer in a Change of Control (the Acquirer ). Any obligation of the Company to pay |
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any compensation under this letter agreement will be deemed to have been appropriately satisfied if the Acquirer assumes the obligations under this letter agreement. You may not assign this letter agreement to others, provided, however, that nothing precludes you from designating beneficiaries to receive compensation or benefits, if any, payable under this letter agreement upon your death. |
14. |
Governing Law; Jury Trial Waiver . This letter agreement will be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without regard to its conflicts of laws principles. Any action, suit or other legal proceeding arising under or relating to any provision of this letter agreement must be commenced only in a court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (or, if appropriate, a federal court located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Company and you each consents to the jurisdiction of such a court. IF AND TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH OF THE COMPANY AND YOU HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, SUIT OR OTHER LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING UNDER OR RELATING TO ANY PROVISION OF THIS LETTER AGREEMENT OR THE RELEASE IT CONTEMPLATES. |
15. |
Effect of this Letter Agreement Nothing in this letter agreement imposes any requirement on the Company or the Companys shareholders to complete any Change of Control with respect to the Company. Nothing in this letter agreement restricts either your or the Companys rights to terminate your employment at any time, with or without Cause or notice, and for any or no reason, nor does it change your status as an at-will employee. This letter agreement supersedes any written or oral communications between the Company and you with respect to retention bonuses. For the avoidance of doubt, notwithstanding the terms of the Employment Letter, you will not be eligible for, nor shall you have a right to receive, the Severance Payments. |
If you have any questions about the matters covered in this letter agreement, please contact Sheila Daly at sheila.daly@arsanis.com.
Very truly yours, | ||
By: |
/s/ Michael Gray |
|
Michael Gray | ||
Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer |
Intending to be legally bound, I have signed this letter agreement as of the date set forth below.
/s/ Christopher Stevens |
Date: |
November 26, 2018 |
||||
Christopher Stevens |
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Exhibit A
Cause means, for purposes of this letter agreement, the following, as determined by the Board in its reasonable judgment:
(i) |
the commission of, or indictment or conviction for, any felony, or any other crime involving dishonesty; |
(ii) |
participation in any fraud, deliberate and substantial misconduct, breach of duty of loyalty or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company; |
(iii) |
intentional and substantial damage to any property of the Company; |
(iv) |
failure of performance of your duties (not attributable to sickness, disability or death) after reasonable written notice no later than thirty (30) days following the occurrence of the failure and a 30-day opportunity to cure, provided, however, that such opportunity to cure shall only apply to any failure that the Board, in its reasonable discretion, deems susceptible to cure; or |
(v) |
your breach of any material provision of your Employment Letter, the NDA, or any other agreement to which you and the Company are both parties, after reasonable written notice no later than thirty (30) days following the occurrence of the breach and a 30-day opportunity to cure, provided, however, that such opportunity to cure shall only apply to any breach that the Board, in its reasonable discretion, deems susceptible to cure, and that any breach by you of your obligations of confidentiality or non-competition under the NDA shall be deemed not susceptible to cure. |
Change of Control means the first to occur of any of the following: (i) a merger or consolidation, business combination, acquisition or similar transaction (a Transaction) in which (A) the Company is a constituent party, or (B) a subsidiary of the Company is a constituent party and the Company issues shares of its capital stock pursuant to such Transaction, except in the case of either clause (A) or (B) any such Transaction involving the Company or a subsidiary of the Company in which the beneficial owners of the shares of capital stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such Transaction continue beneficially to own, immediately following such Transaction, at least a majority by voting power of the capital stock of (x) the surviving or resulting corporation or (y) if the surviving or resulting corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of another corporation immediately following such Transaction, the parent corporation of such surviving or resulting corporation; (ii) the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Company or a Company subsidiary of all or substantially all the assets of the Company and the Company subsidiaries taken as a whole (except in connection with a Transaction not constituting a Change of Control under clause (i) or where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly owned Company subsidiary); or (iii) the sale or transfer, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the stockholders of the Company of more than 50% by voting power of the then-outstanding capital stock of the Company to any Person or entity or group of affiliated Persons or entities. For purposes of this definition, Person means an individual, a corporation, an association, a partnership, an estate, a trust and any other entity or organization, other than the Company.
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Exhibit 10.6
ARSANIS, INC.
RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT
Arsanis, Inc. (the Company ) has selected you to receive the following restricted stock award pursuant to its 2017 Equity Incentive Plan. The terms and conditions attached hereto are also a part hereof.
Notice of Grant
Name of recipient (the Recipient ): | ||
Grant Date: | ||
Number of shares of the restricted common stock awarded: | ||
Vesting Start Date: |
Vesting Schedule:
First Anniversary of Vesting Start Date | 25% | |
Each Monthly Anniversary Thereafter | 2.0833% | |
All vesting is dependent on the Recipient remaining employed by the Company, as provided herein. |
Please confirm your acceptance of this restricted stock award and of the terms and conditions of this Agreement by signing a copy of this Agreement where indicated below.
ARSANIS, INC. |
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By: | ||
Name of Officer |
||
Title: |
Accepted and Agreed: |
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Signature of Recipient
|
Street Address
|
City/State/Zip Code |
ARSANIS, INC.
Restricted Stock Agreement
Incorporated Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions of the award of shares of restricted common stock of the Company (the Restricted Shares ) made to the Recipient, as set forth in the Notice of Grant that forms part of this agreement (the Notice of Grant ), are as follows:
1. Issuance of Restricted Shares .
(a) The Restricted Shares are issued to the Recipient, effective as of the Grant Date set forth in the Notice of Grant, in consideration of services rendered and to be rendered by the Recipient to the Company.
(b) The Restricted Shares will initially be issued by the Company in book entry form only, in the name of the Recipient. Following the vesting of any Restricted Shares pursuant to Section 2 below, the Company shall, if requested by the Recipient, issue and deliver to the Recipient a certificate representing the vested Restricted Shares. The Recipient agrees that the Restricted Shares shall be subject to the forfeiture provisions set forth in Section 3 of this Agreement and the restrictions on transfer set forth in Section 4 of this Agreement.
2. Vesting . Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement in the Companys 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the Plan ) or in another agreement between the Recipient and the Company, the Restricted Shares shall vest in accordance with the vesting schedule set forth in the Notice of Grant. Any fractional number of Restricted Shares resulting from the application of the vesting schedule shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Restricted Shares.
3. Forfeiture of Unvested Restricted Shares Upon Employment Termination .
In the event that the Recipient ceases to be employed by the Company for any reason or no reason, with or without cause, all of the Restricted Shares that are unvested as of the time of such employment termination shall be forfeited immediately and automatically to the Company, without the payment of any consideration to the Recipient, effective as of such termination of employment. The Recipient shall have no further rights with respect to any Restricted Shares that are so forfeited. If the Recipient is employed by a subsidiary of the Company, any references in this Agreement to employment with the Company shall instead be deemed to refer to employment with such subsidiary.
4. Restrictions on Transfer .
Except as set forth in the Plan, the Recipient shall not sell, assign, transfer, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of, by operation of law or otherwise (collectively transfer ) any Restricted Shares, or any interest therein, until such Restricted Shares have vested. The Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any of the Restricted Shares which have been transferred in violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement or the Plan or (ii) to treat as owner of such Restricted Shares or to pay dividends to any transferee to whom such Restricted Shares have been transferred in violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement or the Plan.
5. Restrictive Legends .
The book entry account reflecting the issuance of the Restricted Shares in the name of the Recipient shall bear a legend or other notation upon substantially the following terms:
These shares of stock are subject to forfeiture provisions and restrictions on transfer set forth in a certain Restricted Stock Agreement between the corporation and the registered owner of these shares (or his or her predecessor in interest), and such Agreement is available for inspection without charge at the office of the Secretary of the corporation.
6. Rights as a Shareholder .
Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, for so long as the Recipient is the registered owner of the Restricted Shares, the Recipient shall have all rights as a shareholder with respect to the Restricted Shares, whether vested or unvested, including, without limitation, rights to vote the Restricted Shares and act in respect of the Restricted Shares at any meeting of shareholders; provided that, as provided in the Plan, the payment of dividends on unvested Restricted Shares shall be deferred until the vesting of such shares.
7. Provisions of the Plan .
This Agreement is subject to the provisions of the Plan, a copy of which is furnished to the Recipient with this Agreement.
8. Tax Matters .
(a) Acknowledgments; Section 83(b) Election . The Recipient acknowledges that he or she is responsible for obtaining the advice of the Recipients own tax advisors with respect to the acquisition of the Restricted Shares and the Recipient is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents with respect to the tax consequences relating to the Restricted Shares. The Recipient understands that the Recipient (and not the Company) shall be responsible for the Recipients tax liability that may arise in connection with the acquisition, vesting and/or disposition of the Restricted Shares. The Recipient acknowledges that he or she has been informed of the availability of making an election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (a Section 83(b) Election ) with respect to the issuance of the Restricted Shares. The Recipient agrees to promptly deliver written notice to the Company in the event the Recipient makes a Section 83(b) Election with respect to the Restricted Shares.
(b) Withholding . The Recipient acknowledges and agrees that the Company has the right to deduct from payments of any kind otherwise due to the Recipient any federal, state, local or other taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to the issuance or vesting of the Restricted Shares.
9. Miscellaneous .
(a) No Right to Continued Employment . The Recipient acknowledges and agrees that, notwithstanding the fact that the vesting of the Restricted Shares is contingent upon his or her continued employment by the Company, this Agreement does not constitute an express or implied promise of continued employment or confer upon the Recipient any rights with respect to continued employment by the Company.
(b) Governing Law . This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without regard to any applicable conflicts of laws provisions.
(c) Recipients Acknowledgments . The Recipient acknowledges that he or she has read this Agreement, has received and read the Plan, and understands the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan.
Arsanis and X4 Pharmaceuticals Merger November 27, 2018 Exhibit 99.1
Forward Looking Statements Certain statements in this communication regarding the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions (including statements relating to satisfaction of the conditions to and consummation of the proposed merger; the expected ownership of the combined company; the alternatives to the proposed merger; the expected benefits of the merger; the management and organization of the combined company; the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“X4”)’s development activities, nonclinical studies and clinical trials; the potential benefits that may be derived from any product candidates; X4’s strategy to advance strategic collaborations; and the strategies, goals, prospects, plans, expectations, forecasts or objectives of Arsanis, Inc. (“Arsanis”), X4 or the combined company) constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and are making this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of important risks and factors that are beyond our control. Risks and uncertainties for Arsanis and X4 and the combined company include, but are not limited to, the: inability to complete the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions; liquidity and trading market for shares prior to and following the consummation of the proposed merger; costs and potential litigation associated with the proposed merger; failure or delay in obtaining required approvals by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or any other governmental or quasi-governmental entity necessary to consummate the proposed merger, including our ability to file an effective proxy statement/prospectus/information statement in connection with the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions, which may also result in unexpected additional transaction expenses and operating cash expenditures on the parties; failure to obtain the necessary stockholder approvals or to satisfy other conditions to the closing of the proposed merger and the other contemplated transactions; a superior proposal being submitted to either party; failure to issue Arsanis’ or the combined company’s common stock in other contemplated transactions exempt from registration or qualification requirements under applicable state securities laws; risks related to the costs, timing and regulatory review of the combined company’s nonclinical studies and clinical trials; uncertainties in obtaining successful clinical results for product candidates such as X4P-001 and unexpected costs that may result therefrom; inability or the delay in obtaining required regulatory approvals for product candidates such as X4P-001, which may result in unexpected cost expenditures; failure to realize any value of certain product candidates developed and being developed, in light of inherent risks and difficulties involved in successfully bringing product candidates to market; inability to develop new product candidates; inability to commercialize and launch any product candidate that receives regulatory approval, including X4P-001; the combined company’s anticipated capital expenditures, its estimates regarding its capital requirements and its need for future capital; uncertainties of cash flows and inability to meet working capital needs; cost reductions that may not result in anticipated level of cost savings or cost reductions prior to or after the consummation of the proposed merger; the approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency and any other similar foreign regulatory authorities of other competing or superior products brought to market; risks resulting from unforeseen side effects; risk that the market for the combined company’s products may not be as large as expected; inability to obtain, maintain and enforce patents and other intellectual property rights or the unexpected costs associated with such enforcement or litigation; inability to obtain and maintain commercial manufacturing arrangements with third party manufacturers or establish commercial scale manufacturing capabilities; inability to establish and maintain licensing, collaboration or similar arrangements on favorable terms and the inability to attract collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise; inability to successfully commercialize any approved product candidates, including their rate and degree of market acceptance; unexpected cost increases and pricing pressures; the possibility of economic recession and its negative impact on customers, vendors or suppliers; and risks associated with the possible failure to realize certain benefits of the proposed merger, including future financial, tax, accounting treatment, and operating results. Many of these factors that will determine actual results are beyond Arsanis’s, X4’s, or the combined company’s ability to control or predict. Other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in Arsanis’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC, and in other filings that Arsanis makes and will make with the SEC in connection with the proposed transactions, including the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement described herein under “Important Additional Information Will be Filed with the SEC.” Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The statements made in this presentation speak only as of the date stated herein, and subsequent events and developments may cause our expectations and beliefs to change. While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements publicly at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date after the date stated herein. 2
Participants and Additional Information No Offer or Solicitation: This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No public offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Participants in the Solicitation: Arsanis, Inc. (Arsanis), X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (X4 Pharma) and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the holders of Arsanis common stock in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about Arsanis’s directors and executive officers is set forth in Arsanis’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 9, 2018, and the proxy statement for Arsanis’s 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 23, 2018. Other information regarding the interests of such individuals, as well as information regarding X4 Pharma’s directors and executive officers and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction, will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement relating to the proposed transaction, which will be included in Arsanis’s registration statement when it is filed with the SEC. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the paragraph below. Important Additional Information Will be Filed with the SEC: This presentation may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed transaction between Arsanis and X4 Pharma. In connection with the proposed transaction between Arsanis and X4 Pharma, Arsanis intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a registration statement that will contain a proxy statement and prospectus of Arsanis and an information statement of X4 Pharma and certain of its affiliates. Arsanis urges investors and stockholders to read these materials carefully and in their entirety when they become available because they will contain important information about Arsanis, X4 Pharma, the proposed transaction, and related matters. This presentation is not a substitute for the registration statement, proxy statement, prospectus, information statement or any other document that Arsanis may file with the SEC or send to Arsanis stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Investors and stockholders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement and other documents filed by Arsanis with the SEC (when they become available) through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and stockholders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement and other documents filed by Arsanis with the SEC by contacting Investor Relations by mail at Arsanis, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 890 Winter Street, Suite 230, Waltham, MA 02451-1472. Investors and stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement and the other relevant materials when they become available before making any voting or investment decision with respect to the proposed transaction. 3
Transaction Overview X4 Pharmaceuticals to merge with Arsanis in stock for stock transaction Combined company will operate as X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Paula Ragan, X4’s president and chief executive officer, will maintain this role and the remainder of the management team at X4 are expected to continue in such roles at the combined company Board of directors will include 5 members from X4 (including chairperson of the board) and 2 members from Arsanis X4 strengthening infrastructure with Arsanis’ clinical development/regulatory employees and Vienna R&D facility Will be a Nasdaq listed, late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases and cancer Transaction expected to close 1Q 2019, subject to the approval of the stockholders of each company and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary conditions Approved by boards of directors of both companies Expected ownership split subject to adjustment based on each Company’s equity ownership and Arsanis’ net cash at closing1: X4 Pharma Shareholders: 69.7% Arsanis Shareholders: 30.3% (1) Based on each Company’s equity ownership as of November 26, 2018 and expected Arsanis net cash as of closing.
X4 Pharmaceuticals: Company Overview Developing treatments designed to have a clear and profound impact for patients suffering with rare diseases, including WHIM syndrome, and patients with rare cancers. Founded in 2014, $75 million in capital raised to-date (Cormorant Asset Management largest investor) Headquarters in Cambridge, MA Novel therapeutics designed to improve immune cell trafficking Phase 3 clinical trial for lead product candidate, X4P-001 in WHIM syndrome, anticipated to start in the first half of 2019
X4 Pharmaceuticals: Building a Global Rare Disease Franchise Rare disease focus provides opportunity for rapid path to global commercialization with disease-modifying lead $1B+ market potential across multiple rare diseases Multiple clinical trials planned while building towards Phase 3 top-line results Experienced leadership team in rare disease – includes several former members of Genzyme leadership team Potential expansion opportunities across the rare disease landscape
Proven Leadership Team with Rare Disease Expertise Key management and advisors involved with R&D and launch of only approved CXCR4 antagonist - Mozobil Paula Ragan, PhD CEO Ken Gorelick, MD CMO Adam Mostafa CFO Mary DiBiase, PhD VP of Technical Operations and Quality Celeste DiJohnson VP of Clinical Operations Tarek Ebrahim, MD VP of Medical Affairs Michael Wyzga Board Chair Gary Bridger, PhD Director Key Founders and Investors Michael Bonney Investor & Advisor Bihua Chen CEO and Portfolio Manager, Cormorant Henri Termeer Founder
Product Candidate Indication Stage of Development Next Anticipated Milestone(s) Preclinical Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 X4P-001 WHIM syndrome 1H:2019 – Initiate Phase 3 trial 2021 – Top-line Phase 3 data Severe Congenital Neutropenia (SCN) 1H:2019 – Initiate Phase 1/2 1H:2020 – Data from Phase 1/2 Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (WM) 1H:2019 – Initiate Phase 1/2 1H:2020 – Data from Phase 1/2 Renal cell carcinoma* (Combination with Inlyta®) Mid 2019 – Announce full Phase 1/2 efficacy data 2019 – Advance Strategic Partnership discussions X4P-003 Primary immuno-deficiencies (PID) IND – 2H:2019 Phase 1b data 2H 2020 X4P-002 Brain Cancers IND – 2H:2019 Phase 1b data 2H 2020 Phase 2/3 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 Pipeline * Two oncology trials have concluded: P1b biomarker in melanoma and P1b in RCC. Final publications expected in 4Q19 Phase 2a
Strategy Focused on Strong and Steady Value Build Towards a Diversified Commercial Rare Disease Business 2021 1H19 1H19 2H19 1H20 2H20 003 PID P1B Data Initiate WHIM P3 Trial Initiate WM P1/2 Trial WM P1/P2 Data 003 PID IND Initiate SCN P1/2 Trial SCN P1/P2 Data WHIM P3 Topline Data 002 GBM P1B Data 002 GBM IND
CXCR4/CXCL12 and Immune System Responses Infection Response Bacterial Viruses Fungal/Other Homeostasis Neutrophil homing Lymphocyte homing Dendritic cell trafficking Cancer Chemo-resistance/mets CTL trafficking Suppressor cell trafficking Adapted from Blood 2013 121:1501-1509 CXCL12 CHEMOKINE GRADIENTS pO2 CXCL12
Overview: X4P-001 for WHIM WHIM Disease results from “gain-of-function” mutations in the CXC chemokine receptor 4 gene X4P-001 Phase 2 studies complete; expected to enter Phase 3 in 1H19 Proof of concept in WHIM previously demonstrated with Mozobil (twice-daily injectable CXCR4 antagonist)1 We believe WHIM represents a $500M market opportunity X4 is Partnering with World Class Organizations to Increase WHIM Awareness and Build Patient Registries Warts Hypogammaglobulinemia Infections Myelokathexis 11 1. McDermott et al; Blood, 2014
>1,000 WHIM Patients Estimated in US: X4 Primary Research (2017) MDs from 5 specialties self-identified having genetically confirmed or highly suspected WHIM patients Extrapolated Prevalence from WHIM Genetically Confirmed Patients Per MD Subset analysis - 24 MDs care for 62 genetically confirmed WHIM patients; established prevalence per specialty 212 MDs report 1,772 WHIM Patients average 8.4 patients per specialists 24 MDs - 62 genetically confirmed WHIM patients average 2.6 patients per specialist >1000 estimated WHIM patients in US
Blood Stream Bone Marrow WHIM Disease Goal: Treatment with X4P-001 Normal CXCR4 Signaling Hyperactive CXCR4 Signaling Corrected CXCR4 Signaling Normal WHIM: Genetic Mutations in CXCR4 Create Abnormal Trafficking of White Blood Cells (WBCs) 1. McDermott et al; Blood, 2014 Proof of Concept in WHIM Previously Demonstrated with Mozobil (Twice-Daily Injectable CXCR4 antagonist)1
Phase 2 Study Design: Neutrophil Counts Biomarker Phase 2 Goal: Daily Neutrophil and Lymphocyte Counts Exceed Target Thresholds Intra-Patient Dose Escalation Inclusion Criteria Endpoints Open label 50 mg to 400 mg QD n=4-10 patients Neutrophil count: ANC ≤400/μL or Lymphocyte count: ALC ≤650/μL or both Safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) Biomarker: 24-hr Blood Counts of Neutrophils (ANC) & Lymphocytes (ALC) Cells/ml Pre-defined Threshold (600 cells/ul) NEUTROPHIL COUNT (ANC) Baseline counts – typical WHIM patient Treatment goal
Phase 2: Achieved Threshold Targets In Most Patients Neutrophil and Lymphocytes Mobilized; Pan-Leukopenia Addressed Patients Started with an ANC of 50 – 100 cells/ul Prior to Treatment DRC Recommended 400 mg QD for Phase 3 Trial 300 mg QD (n=7) 400 mg QD (n=3) Neutrophil Threshold = 600 cells/mL 3 pts below target increased to 400 mg dose Assessments Result Neutrophil Counts > Threshold 5 of 7 patients (71%) exceeded target Lymphocyte Counts > Threshold 6 of 7 patients (85%) exceeded target Safety Acceptable; no Grade 3/4 Infection rates Improvements reported by patients and KOLs Wart Burden Two patients with reductions Data as of April 26, 2018
Dramatic Reduction in Wart Burden Consistent with Disease Modifying MOA Hands: Pre-Rx Hands: At 26-wks Rx Right Thumb Pre-Rx Right Thumb At 26-wks Rx Right Middle Finger Pre-Rx Right Middle Finger at 26-wks Rx Patient Remains on Treatment Patient 001-006
Phase 3 Trial of X4P-001 in WHIM – Expected Initiation in 1H 2019 Meets entry criteria X4P-001 (n=9) Placebo (n=9) 52 weeks Establish AUC Baseline 1:1 Random-ization Roll-over to Open-label Study
X4P-001: Additional Opportunities Severe Congenital Neutropenias (SCN) Rare blood disorder Prevalence of 2,000-3,000 patients in US and EU Characterized by abnormally low levels of certain white blood cells (neutrophils <500 cell/ul) Genetic drivers: May be inherited as either an autosomal dominant or an autosomal recessive genetic trait. Many cases of SCN are the result of spontaneous, random mutations. Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia (WM) Rare Form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Estimated prevalence of >13,000 in US and EU Genetic drivers: >90% have mutations in MYD88 gene 30-40% have WHIM-like mutations in CXCR4 gene Current Treatment Imbruvica ($136,000 per year) – used in all lines (NCCN guidelines) Chemo and Rituxan in certain lines/settings
IO Strategy: Leveraging Biological Expertise Via Partnering Three On-Going Trials: Demonstrating PoC Phase 1b – melanoma biomarker with pembrolizumab Phase 1b – clear cell renal cell carcinoma with nivolumab Phase 1b/2a – clear cell renal cell carcinoma with axitinib Clinical collaboration with Pfizer Additional clinical collaboration expected near term for CPI 2019: Strategy to advance strategic collaborations by: Leveraging partners oncology development infrastructure Optimizing non-dilutive funding to advance programs & retain optionality
Key Benefits of the Merger Leverages X4’s deep experience in rare disease products and its advanced pipeline with Arsanis’ European infrastructure and related scientific research expertise Provides near-term capital to support the Phase 3 trial of X4P-001, a potentially disease modifying treatment for WHIM syndrome, and enable future financing opportunities Strengthens the combined team, capabilities and infrastructure Enables growth to pursue our strategy of becoming a global commercial business grounded in a rare disease franchise
Exhibit 99.2
Arsanis and X4 Pharmaceuticals Agree to Merger
Merger Expected to Create NASDAQ-listed, Late-stage Biopharmaceutical Company Focused on Rare Diseases and Cancer
Phase 3 Clinical Trial for X4P-001, a Novel CXCR4 Antagonist, Anticipated to Start 1H 2019
Conference call to be held today at 8:30 AM ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., WALTHAM, Mass., and VIENNA, Austria, November 27, 2018 Arsanis, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASNS) and privately-held X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapeutics designed to improve immune cell trafficking to treat rare diseases and cancer, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which X4 Pharmaceuticals is expected to merge with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arsanis in an all-stock transaction. The merger would result in a combined company operating under the X4 Pharmaceuticals name that will focus on the development and commercialization of X4s lead product candidate, X4P-001, and the advancement of X4s pipeline of treatments for rare diseases of the immune system and rare cancers.
X4 has pioneered the development of novel, oral drug candidates targeting pathways that have been demonstrated to improve immune cell trafficking and restore healthy immunity in genetically-driven rare diseases and lymphomas. Our lead product candidate, X4P-001, is expected to begin a Phase 3 trial in WHIM syndrome in the first half of 2019, said Paula Ragan, PhD, president and chief executive officer of X4 Pharmaceuticals. WHIM syndrome is a serious, genetic primary immunodeficiency disease that is caused by a mutation in the CXCR4 receptor, the precise pathway targeted by X4P-001. X4P-001 has been shown in a Phase 2 clinical trial to increase neutrophils and lymphocytes in the blood and decrease wart lesions, a hallmark symptom of WHIM syndrome. In addition to WHIM syndrome, we believe there are other primary immunodeficiencies in which the CXCR4 receptor is implicated and therefore may be treatable with X4P-001.
Dr. Ragan continued, The merger with Arsanis would provide X4 with additional financial resources, bolster our management, clinical development and regulatory teams and enhance our research and development capabilities in Europe through Arsanis Vienna facility. We believe this merger has the potential to be a transformative transaction for X4 that would position us well as we embark on the initiation of our global Phase 3 program and develop commercialization plans in WHIM syndrome and as we further develop our pipeline for other rare disease indications.
X4 Pharmaceuticals is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company developing oral, small molecule drug candidates that inhibit the binding of chemokine CXCL12 to C-X-C receptor type 4 (CXCR4), a receptor-ligand pair that plays an essential role in normal immune surveillance. X4s lead product candidate, X4P-001, is expected to enter a Phase 3 clinical trial in the first half of 2019 for the potential treatment of Warts, Hypogammaglobulinemia, Immunodeficiency, and Myelokathexis (WHIM) syndrome, a rare genetic, primary immunodeficiency disease where
patients become susceptible to certain types of viral and bacterial infections due to genetic mutations in the CXCR4 receptor gene. X4 also has additional rare disease programs based on CXCR4 biology in its development pipeline, including programs targeting other primary immunodeficiency diseases and rare lymphomas. In addition, X4 is exploring the use of X4P-001 in immuno-oncology, having completed Phase 1b studies for the treatment of melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC), including in combination therapy, and has an ongoing Phase 2a study in RCC expected to read out in mid-2019.
In addition to the merger agreement, Arsanis announced today that Michael P. Gray has been appointed to the position of president and chief executive officer, effectively immediately. Mr. Gray will also join the Arsanis Board of Directors and will continue to serve in his existing role as chief financial officer. Mr. Gray succeeds René Russo, PharmD who has resigned as president and chief executive officer to pursue other opportunities. Dr. Russo will remain on the Arsanis Board of Directors.
I would like to thank René for her leadership at Arsanis, both as chief development officer previously and more recently as president and chief executive officer, and wish her the best in her future endeavors, said Tillman U. Gerngross, Chairman of the Arsanis Board of Directors.
Michael Gray, president and chief executive officer of Arsanis, said, Following an extensive review of strategic alternatives, we believe the proposed merger with X4 Pharmaceuticals would provide Arsanis stockholders the opportunity to potentially realize value as X4 continues to execute on its promising new approach to rare disease and cancer therapy via the CXCR4 immune pathway. We are confident that X4s experienced senior management team will lead the combined company to future success. We are also pleased that X4 has expressed interest in retaining certain members of our clinical development and regulatory staff as well as our scientific team in Vienna, Austria, a team which has deep expertise in the research of virally-mediated infections, as demonstrated by Arsanis on-going ASN500 collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
About the Transaction:
On a pro forma basis and based upon the number of Arsanis shares to be issued in the merger, current X4 Pharmaceuticals stockholders are expected to own approximately 70% of the combined company and current Arsanis stockholders are expected to own approximately 30% of the combined company. The actual allocation will be subject to adjustment based on each companys outstanding equity ownership and Arsanis net cash balance at the time of closing of the merger.
The transaction has been approved by the board of directors of both companies. The merger is currently expected to close in the first quarter of 2019, subject to the approval of the stockholders of each company and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary conditions.
Leerink Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor and WilmerHale LLP served as legal counsel to Arsanis. Stifel acted as exclusive financial advisor and Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. served as legal counsel to X4 Pharmaceuticals.
Management and Organization:
Following the merger, Paula Ragan, X4 Pharmaceuticals president and chief executive officer, is expected to become president and chief executive officer of the combined company. The board of directors is expected to be comprised of seven directors, including Rene Russo and David McGirr, both currently serving on Arsanis board. Upon closing of the transaction, the merged company will operate under the X4 Pharmaceuticals name and the companys common stock is expected to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under a ticker symbol to be announced at a later date. The corporate headquarters will be located in Cambridge, Massachusetts at X4 Pharmaceuticals existing facility, and X4 will maintain Arsanis research and development facility in Vienna, Austria.
Conference Call and Webcast:
The companies will host a conference call to discuss the proposed transaction as well as X4s platform and pipeline assets on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. U.S. EST. The live webcast can be accessed on the Events & Presentations page of Arsanis website or by dialing (866) 688-4431 (U.S.) or (409) 217-8327 using the conference ID number 4067628. The conference call and webcast will include presentation slides that can be viewed through the webcast; please log-in to the webcast in order to view the accompanying presentation. The conference call and corresponding webcast will be archived on the Arsanis website for 30 days following the call and can be accessed on the Events & Presentations page of Arsanis website or by dialing (855) 859-2056 (U.S.) or (404) 537-3406.
About X4 Pharmaceuticals
X4 Pharmaceuticals is developing novel therapeutics designed to improve immune cell trafficking to treat rare diseases and cancer. X4s oral small molecule drug candidates antagonize the CXCR4 pathway, which plays a central role in immune surveillance. X4s most advanced product candidate, X4P-001, is in a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with WHIM syndrome, a rare genetic, primary immunodeficiency disease, and is currently under investigation in multiple clinical trials in solid tumors. X4P-001 is expected to begin a Phase 3 trial in WHIM syndrome in the first half of 2019. X4 was founded and is led by a team with deep product development and commercialization expertise, including several former members of the Genzyme leadership team, and is located in Cambridge, MA. For more information, visit www.x4pharma.com.
About Arsanis
Arsanis, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on applying monoclonal antibody (mAb) immunotherapies to address serious infectious diseases. Arsanis possesses a deep understanding of the pathogenesis of infection, paired with access to what Arsanis believes to be some of the most advanced mAb discovery techniques and platforms available today. Arsanis pipeline is comprised of mAbs targeting multiple serious bacterial and viral pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus.
Arsanis is a U.S. company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, with a wholly owned subsidiary that is primarily focused on discovery research in Vienna, Austria (Arsanis Biosciences GmbH).
For more information, please visit the Arsanis website at www.arsanis.com.
Participants in the Solicitation:
Arsanis, X4 Pharmaceuticals and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the holders of Arsanis common stock in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about Arsanis directors and executive officers is set forth in Arsanis Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, which was filed with the SEC on March 9, 2018, and the proxy statement for Arsanis 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 23, 2018. Other information regarding the interests of such individuals, as well as information regarding X4 Pharmas directors and executive officers and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction, will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement, which will be included in Arsanis registration statement when it is filed with the SEC. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the paragraph below.
Important Additional Information About the Transaction Will be Filed with the SEC:
In connection with the proposed transaction, Arsanis will file with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that will include a proxy statement and a prospectus of Arsanis and an information statement of X4 Pharmaceuticals and certain of its affiliates (the X4 Pharmaceuticals Parties), and the parties may file with the SEC other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. Arsanis will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus/information statement to the Arsanis stockholders and the X4 Pharmaceuticals Parties equity holders. ARSANIS STOCKHOLDERS AND X4 PHARMACEUTICALS PARTIES EQUITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS/INFORMATION STATEMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement (when available) and other filings containing information about Arsanis at the SECs website at www.sec.gov. The proxy statement/prospectus/information statement (when available) and the other filings may also be obtained free of charge by contacting: Arsanis, Inc., 890 Winter Street, Suite 230, Waltham, MA 02451, Attention: Investor Relations.
Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement regarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available. Free copies of this document may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraphs.
NO OFFERS OR SOLICITATIONS
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this communication regarding the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions (including statements relating to satisfaction of the conditions to and consummation of the proposed merger; the expected ownership of the combined company; the alternatives to the proposed merger; the expected benefits of the merger; the management and organization of the combined company; the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of X4s development activities, nonclinical studies and clinical trials; the potential benefits that may be derived from any product candidates; X4s strategy to advance strategic collaborations; and the strategies, goals, prospects, plans, expectations, forecasts or objectives of Arsanis, X4 or the combined company) constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and are usually identified by the use of words such as anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, intends, may, plans, projects, seeks, should, will, would, and variations of such words or similar expressions. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and are making this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of important risks and factors that are beyond our control.
Risks and uncertainties for Arsanis, X4 and the combined company include, but are not limited to, the: inability to complete the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions; liquidity and trading market for shares prior to and following the consummation of the proposed merger; costs and potential litigation associated with the proposed merger; failure or delay in obtaining required approvals by the SEC or any other governmental or quasi-governmental entity necessary to consummate the proposed merger, including our ability to file an effective proxy statement/prospectus/information statement in connection with the proposed merger and other contemplated transactions, which may also result in unexpected additional transaction expenses and operating cash expenditures on the parties; failure to obtain the necessary stockholder approvals or to satisfy other conditions to the closing of the proposed merger and the other contemplated transactions; a superior proposal being submitted to either party; failure to issue Arsanis or the combined companys common stock in other contemplated transactions exempt from registration or qualification requirements under applicable state securities laws; risks related to the costs, timing and regulatory review of the combined companys nonclinical studies and clinical trials; uncertainties in obtaining successful clinical results for product candidates such as X4P-001 and unexpected costs that may result therefrom; inability or the delay in obtaining required regulatory approvals for product candidates such as X4P-001, which may result in unexpected cost expenditures; failure to realize any value of certain product candidates developed and being developed, in light of inherent risks and difficulties involved in successfully bringing product candidates to market; inability to develop new product candidates; inability to
commercialize and launch any product candidate that receives regulatory approval, including X4P-001; the combined companys anticipated capital expenditures, its estimates regarding its capital requirements and its need for future capital; uncertainties of cash flows and inability to meet working capital needs; cost reductions that may not result in anticipated level of cost savings or cost reductions prior to or after the consummation of the proposed merger; the approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency and any other similar foreign regulatory authorities of other competing or superior products brought to market; risks resulting from unforeseen side effects; risk that the market for the combined companys products may not be as large as expected; inability to obtain, maintain and enforce patents and other intellectual property rights or the unexpected costs associated with such enforcement or litigation; inability to obtain and maintain commercial manufacturing arrangements with third party manufacturers or establish commercial scale manufacturing capabilities; inability to establish and maintain licensing, collaboration or similar arrangements on favorable terms and the inability to attract collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise; inability to successfully commercialize any approved product candidates, including their rate and degree of market acceptance; unexpected cost increases and pricing pressures; the possibility of economic recession and its negative impact on customers, vendors or suppliers; and risks associated with the possible failure to realize certain benefits of the proposed merger, including future financial, tax, accounting treatment, and operating results. Many of these factors that will determine actual results are beyond Arsanis, X4s, or the combined companys ability to control or predict.
Other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in Arsanis Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC, and in other filings that Arsanis makes and will make with the SEC in connection with the proposed transactions, including the proxy statement/prospectus/information statement described above under Important Additional Information About the Transaction Will be Filed with the SEC.
Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The statements made in this press release speak only as of the date stated herein, and subsequent events and developments may cause our expectations and beliefs to change. While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements publicly at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date after the date stated herein.
Arsanis Media Contact:
W2O Group
Elliot Fox, 212-257-6724
efox@purecommunications.com
Arsanis Investor Contact:
Michael Gray, 781-819-5201
President and Chief Executive Officer
mike.gray@arsanis.com
X4 Pharmaceuticals Contact:
Kathryn Morris
914-204-6412
kathryn@theyatesnetwork.com