UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 1, 2021 (September 28, 2021)

 

 

SYLVAMO CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

1-40718

(Commission

File Number)

 

86-2596371

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, Tennessee

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

38197

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (901) 519-8000

 

 

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:

☐ 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))

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading Symbol

 

Name of Exchange on which Registered

Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share   SLVM   New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.12b-2).

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 October 1, 2021, the previously announced spin-off (the “Spin-Off”) of Sylvamo Corporation (the “Company”) by International Paper Company (“International Paper”) was completed. In connection with the Spin-Off, the Company entered into the following agreements, forms of which were previously filed as exhibits to the registration statement on Form 10, as amended (File No. 001-40718) (the “Registration Statement”):

 

   

Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2021, between International Paper and the Company (the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”), a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 2.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein; and

 

   

Transition Services Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and the Company, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Tax Matters Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and the Company, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.2 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Employee Matters Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and the Company, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.3 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and the Company, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.4 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Supply and Offtake Agreement (Georgetown), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Sylvamo North America, LLC (“Sylvamo NA”), a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.5 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Supply and Offtake Agreement (Riverdale), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Sylvamo NA, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.6 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Tax Exempt Bond Agreement (Eastover), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Sylvamo NA, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.7 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Tax Exempt Bond Agreement (Ticonderoga) (Series 2015 Bonds), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Sylvamo NA, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.8 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Tax Exempt Bond Agreement (Ticonderoga) (Series 2019 Bonds), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Sylvamo NA, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.9 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Retained Intellectual Property License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Global Holdings II, Inc. (“Global Holdings II”), a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.10 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Retained Copyright License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Global Holdings II, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.11 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Retained Know-How and Technology License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Global Holdings II, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.12 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

2


   

Transferred IP License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Global Holdings II, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.13 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Transitional Trademark License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and Global Holdings II, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.14 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

 

   

Brazil Payment Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper and the Company, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.15 hereto and incorporated by reference herein.

The terms and conditions of such agreements are the same as the terms and conditions of such agreements as previously reported in the Registration Statement under “The Distribution—Relationships Between Sylvamo and International Paper Following the Distribution,” which descriptions are incorporated herein by reference. The descriptions of such agreements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of such agreements which are filed as Exhibits 2.1 and 10.1 through 10.15 hereto, respectively, and are incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 2.01

Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

On September 29, 2021, pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, International Paper contributed its printing papers business, as described in the Registration Statement under “Business” and incorporated by reference herein, to the Company (the “Contribution”) in consideration for cash transfers to International Paper in the aggregate amount of approximately $1.6 billion and 44,107,155 shares of the Company’s common stock. On October 1, 2021, International Paper distributed 35,329,912 shares, or approximately 80.1%, of the Company’s common stock to International Paper’s shareholders and retained 8,777,343 shares, or approximately 19.9%, of the Company’s common stock.

 

Item 2.03

Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

In connection with the Spin-Off, on September 29, 2021, the Company borrowed $1,070.0 million comprising (i) $100.0 million under the Company’s revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”), (ii) $450.0 million under the Company’s term loan “B” facility (the “Term Loan B Facility”) and (iii) $520.0 million under the Company’s term loan “F” facility (the “Term Loan F Facility” and, together with the Term Loan B Facility and the Revolving Credit Facility, the “Senior Secured Credit Facilities”), in each case pursuant to the credit agreement, dated as of September 13, 2021, among the Company, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and the other financial institutions and lenders from time to time party thereto (the “Credit Agreement”).

The Senior Secured Credit Facilities and the Credit Agreement were previously described in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (the “Form 8-K”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 15, 2021, which descriptions are incorporated herein by reference. The description of the Credit Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Credit Agreement, which was filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 3.02

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

On September 29, 2021, the Company issued 44,107,155 shares of its common stock, par value $1.00 per share, to International Paper in partial consideration for the Contribution. This issuance was exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) thereof because the issuance did not involve any public offering of securities.

 

Item 3.03.

Material Modifications to Rights of Security Holders.

In connection with the Spin-Off, on September 28, 2021, the Company amended and restated its certificate of incorporation and, on September 29, 2021, the Company amended and restated its by-laws. The descriptions of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Amended and Restated By-laws are the same as the descriptions thereof as previously reported in the Registration Statement under “Description of Capital Stock,” which descriptions are incorporated herein by reference.

 

3


The descriptions of the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-laws are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-laws, which are filed as Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2 hereto, respectively, and are incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 5.03.

Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

Item 3.03 of this report with respect to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-laws is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(a) Financial Statements of Business Acquired

The financial statements required by Item 9.01(a) of Form 8-K were filed with the Registration Statement and are incorporated herein by reference.

(b) Pro Forma Financial Information

The pro forma financial information required by Item 9.01(b) of Form 8-K was filed with the Registration Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description

2.1

   Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo Corporation

3.1

   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Sylvamo Corporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Form S-8 (Registration No. 333- 259869) filed on September 28, 2021)

3.2

   Amended and Restated By-Laws of Sylvamo Corporation

10.1

   Transition Services Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo Corporation

10.2

   Tax Matters Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo Corporation

10.3

   Employee Matters Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo Corporation

10.4

   Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo Corporation

10.5

   Supply and Offtake Agreement (Georgetown), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo North America, LLC

10.6

   Supply and Offtake Agreement (Riverdale), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo North America, LLC

10.7

   Tax Exempt Bond Agreement (Eastover), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo North America, LLC

10.8

   Tax Exempt Bond Agreement (Ticonderoga) (Series 2015 Bonds), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo North America, LLC

 

4


10.9

   Tax Exempt Bond Agreement (Ticonderoga) (Series 2019 Bonds), dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo North America, LLC

10.10

   Retained Intellectual Property License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Global Holdings II, Inc.

10.11

   Retained Copyright License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Global Holdings II, Inc.

10.12

   Retained Know-How and Technology License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Global Holdings II, Inc.

10.13

   Transferred IP License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Global Holdings II, Inc.

10.14

   Transitional Trademark License Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Global Holdings II, Inc.

10.15

   Brazil Payment Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company and Sylvamo Corporation

 

5


SIGNATURES

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

 

SYLVAMO CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ Matthew Barron

Name: Matthew Barron
Title: Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Date: October 1, 2021

Exhibit 2.1

EXECUTION VERSION

SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

BY AND BETWEEN

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

AND

SYLVAMO CORPORATION

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

       Page  

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

     2  

ARTICLE II THE SEPARATION

     16  

2.1

  Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities      16  

2.2

  SpinCo Assets; Parent Assets      18  

2.3

  SpinCo Liabilities; Parent Liabilities      20  

2.4

  Approvals and Notifications      23  

2.5

  Novation of Liabilities      27  

2.6

  Release of Guarantees      28  

2.7

  Termination of Agreements      29  

2.8

  Treatment of Shared Contracts      30  

2.9

  Bank Accounts; Cash Balances      31  

2.10

  Ancillary Agreements      32  

2.11

  Disclaimer of Representations and Warranties      32  

2.12

  Financial Information Certifications      33  

2.13

  Transition Management      33  

2.14

  SpinCo Financing Arrangements; Cash Transfer      33  

ARTICLE III THE DISTRIBUTION

     34  

3.1

  Sole and Absolute Discretion; Cooperation      34  

3.2

  Actions Prior to the Distribution      34  

3.3

  Conditions to the Distribution      36  

3.4

  The Distribution      37  

ARTICLE IV MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION

     39  

4.1

  Release of Pre-Distribution Claims      39  

4.2

  Indemnification by SpinCo      41  

4.3

  Indemnification by Parent      41  

4.4

  Indemnification Obligations Net of Insurance Proceeds and Other Amounts      42  

4.5

  Procedures for Indemnification of Third-Party Claims      43  

4.6

  Additional Matters      45  

4.7

  Right of Contribution      47  

4.8

  Covenant Not to Sue      47  

4.9

  Remedies Cumulative      47  

4.10

  Survival of Indemnities      48  

4.11

  Environmental Matters      48  

4.12

  Ancillary Agreements Govern      49  

ARTICLE V CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS

     50  

5.1

  Insurance Matters Generally      50  


5.2

  Treatment of Payments for Tax Purposes      53  

5.3

  Inducement      53  

5.4

  Post-Effective Time Conduct      53  

5.5

  Certain Businesses      53  

ARTICLE VI EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY

     56  

6.1

  Agreement for Exchange of Information and Cooperation      56  

6.2

  Financial Information; Public Filings      57  

6.3

  Ownership of Information      60  

6.4

  Compensation for Providing Information      60  

6.4

  Record Retention      60  

6.6

  Limitations of Liability      60  

6.7

  Other Agreements Providing for Exchange of Information      61  

6.8

  Production of Witnesses; Records; Cooperation      61  

6.9

  Privileged Matters      62  

6.10

  Confidentiality      64  

6.11

  Protective Arrangements      66  

ARTICLE VII DISPUTE RESOLUTION

     66  

7.1

  Good-Faith Negotiation      66  

7.2

  Arbitration      67  

7.4

  Litigation and Unilateral Commencement of Arbitration      68  

7.5

  Conduct During Dispute Resolution Process      68  

ARTICLE VIII FURTHER ASSURANCES AND ADDITIONAL COVENANTS

     68  

8.1

  Further Assurances      68  

8.3

  Domain Name Use      69  

ARTICLE IX TERMINATION

     69  

9.1

  Termination      69  

9.2

  Effect of Termination      69  

ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS

     69  

10.1

  Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power      69  

10.2

  Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial      70  

10.3

  Assignability      71  

10.4

  Third-Party Beneficiaries      72  

10.5

  Notices      72  

10.6

  Severability      73  

10.7

  Force Majeure      73  

10.8

  No Set-Off      73  

10.9

  Publicity      73  

10.10

  Expenses      74  

 

ii


10.11

  Headings      74  

10.12

  Survival of Covenants      74  

10.13

  Waivers of Default      74  

10.14

  Specific Performance      74  

10.15

  Amendments      74  

10.16

  Interpretation      75  

10.17

  Limitations of Liability      76  

10.18

  Performance      76  

10.19

  Mutual Drafting      76  

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A    Employee Matters Agreement
Exhibit B    Amended and Restated Bylaws of Sylvamo Corporation
Exhibit C    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Sylvamo Corporation
Exhibit D    Registration Rights Agreement
Exhibit E    Tax Matters Agreement
Exhibit F    Transition Services Agreement

 

 

iii


SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

This SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT, dated as of September 29, 2021 (this “Agreement”), is by and between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“Parent”), and Sylvamo Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in Article I.

R E C I T A L S

WHEREAS, SpinCo is a wholly owned, direct Subsidiary of Parent;

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

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

WHEREAS, Parent plans to dispose of the SpinCo Shares that it retains following the Distribution through sales of shares for cash;

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

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the contribution by Parent of the SpinCo Assets to SpinCo and the assumption of the SpinCo Liabilities by SpinCo in exchange for (i) the actual or deemed issuance by SpinCo to Parent of SpinCo Shares and (ii) the distribution by SpinCo to Parent of the Cash Transfer (the “Contribution”) and the Distribution, taken together, are intended to qualify as a transaction that is tax-free under Sections 355(a) and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code, and this Agreement, together with the other documents effecting the Separation and the Distribution, is intended to constitute a plan of reorganization within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.368-2(g);

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

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


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

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

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

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

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

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

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

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

Ancillary Agreements” shall mean the following agreements entered into by the Parties or members of their respective Groups in connection with the Separation, the Distribution or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement: (a) the Transition Services Agreement, (b) the Tax Matters Agreement, (c) the Employee Matters Agreement, (d) the Intellectual Property Agreements, (e) the Bond Agreements, (f) the Commercial Agreements, (g) the Leases, (h) the Registration Rights Agreement and (i) the Transfer Documents.

 

2


Approvals or Notifications” shall mean any consents, waivers, approvals, permits or authorizations to be obtained from, notices, registrations or reports to be submitted to, or other filings to be made with, any Third Party, including any Governmental Authority, in connection with the Separation, the Distribution or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

Arbitration Request” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(a).

Assets” shall mean, with respect to any Person, the assets, properties, claims and rights (including goodwill) of such Person, wherever located (including in the possession of vendors or other Third Parties or elsewhere), of every kind, character and description, whether real, personal or mixed, tangible, intangible or contingent, in each case whether or not recorded or reflected or required to be recorded or reflected on the books and records or financial statements of such Person, including rights and benefits pursuant to any contract, license, permit, indenture, note, bond, mortgage, agreement, concession, franchise, instrument, undertaking, commitment, understanding or other arrangement.

Bond Agreements” shall mean (a) the Ticonderoga Bond Agreement entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo NA, relating to the Series 2015 Bonds, (b) the Ticonderoga Bond Agreement entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo NA, relating to the Series 2019 Bonds and (c) the Eastover Bond Agreement entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo NA, relating to the Series 2014 Bonds.

Box Supply Agreements” shall mean (a) the Global Sourcing Agreement – IP EMEA, effective as of May 1, 2020, by and between Papeteries d’Espaly and IP Belgian Services Company SRL, and (b) the Supply Agreement, dated as of September 1, 2021, by and between SpinCo NA and Parent.

Business Employees” shall have the meaning set forth in the Employee Matters Agreement.

Cash Transfer” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(a).

Change of Control” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any occurrence resulting in (a) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities entitled to vote in the election of members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person having 50% or more of the then-outstanding voting power of such Person, in each case determined irrespective of whether such Person is subject to the Exchange Act; (b) such Person becoming a party to a merger, consolidation, share exchange, reorganization, sale of assets or other similar extraordinary transaction, or being the subject of a proxy contest, in each case as a consequence of which members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person in office immediately prior to such transaction or event constitute less than a majority of such board or other body thereafter; or (c) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of such Person.

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

 

3


Commercial Agreements” shall mean (a) the Offtake Agreements, (b) the Fiber Purchase Agreement, effective as of September 1, 2021, by and between Parent and SpinCo NA, (c) the Box Supply Agreements, and (d) the Recyclable Material Master Purchase Agreement, effective as of September 1, 2021, by and between Parent and SpinCo, in each case to be entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo or members of their respective Groups in connection with the Separation, the Distribution and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time.

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

CPR Rules” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(a).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Distribution Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(b).

Eastover” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(a).

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

Election Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(c).

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

 

4


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

Environmental Liabilities” shall mean all Liabilities (except for Latent Injury Liabilities) relating to, arising out of or resulting from (a) the presence or Release of, or exposure to, Hazardous Materials, (b) violations of, or noncompliance with, any Environmental Law or Environmental Permit, (c) the off-site transportation, storage, disposal or arrangement for disposal of Hazardous Materials or (d) other environmental matters, including all investigation, remediation, monitoring, cleanup or other response costs, natural resources damages, indemnity, contribution and similar obligations and all costs and expenses, interest, fines, penalties and other monetary sanctions in connection with any of the foregoing, including the Parent Environmental Liabilities and the SpinCo Environmental Liabilities.

Environmental Permit” shall mean any Permit arising under Environmental Laws.

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

Fair Market Value” shall mean the total consideration that would be received for the sale of Eastover in an arm’s length sale between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither acting under compulsion, after taking into account the provisions set forth in Section 5.5(b) to the extent applicable.

Force Majeure” shall mean, with respect to a Party, an event beyond the reasonable control of such Party (or any Person acting on its behalf), which event (a) does not arise or result from the fault or negligence of such Party (or any Person acting on its behalf) and (b) by its nature would not reasonably have been foreseen by such Party (or such Person) or, if it would reasonably have been foreseen, was beyond the control of such Party, and includes acts of God, acts of civil or military authority, embargoes, pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), epidemics, wars, riots, protests or civil unrest, insurrections, fires, explosions, earthquakes, floods, government shutdowns, shortage of adequate power or transportation facilities, travel restrictions, unusually severe weather conditions, labor problems, unavailability of supplies or the response of any Governmental Authority to any of the foregoing, or, in the case of computer systems, any significant and prolonged failure in electrical or air conditioning equipment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the receipt by a Party of an unsolicited takeover offer or other acquisition proposal, even if unforeseen or unavoidable, and such Party’s response thereto shall not be deemed an event of Force Majeure.

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

 

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Georgetown” shall mean Parent’s Georgetown mill located in Georgetown, South Carolina.

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

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

Hammermill Operations” shall mean any premises owned or operated by, or the operations of (including any product manufactured, distributed, or sold in such operations) Hammermill Paper Company or any entity or business acquired by Hammermill Paper Company, in each case, that are not being retained by Parent following the Effective Time. A partial listing of such Hammermill Operations, not intended to be comprehensive and for illustration only, is set forth on Schedule 1.1(a) and Schedule 1.1(b).

Hazardous Material” shall mean any material or substance that is defined, identified or regulated as “toxic” or “hazardous” or as a “pollutant” or “contaminant” or words of similar import under any Environmental Law, including petroleum, petroleum products and byproducts, asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and polychlorinated biphenyls.

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

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

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

Information” shall mean information, in written, oral, electronic or other forms, stored in any medium, including studies, reports, records, books, contracts, instruments, surveys, specifications, drawings, blueprints, diagrams, models, flow charts, data, computer data, disks, diskettes, tapes, marketing plans, customer names, communications by or to attorneys (including attorney-client privileged communications), memos and other materials prepared by attorneys or under their direction (including attorney work product), and other technical, financial, employee or business information or data.

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

Initial Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.

 

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Insurance Policies” shall mean insurance policies and insurance contracts of any kind, including primary, excess and umbrella policies, commercial general liability policies, directors’ and officers’ liability policies, fiduciary liability policies, automobile policies, aircraft policies, property and casualty policies, workers’ compensation policies, employer’s liability policies, employment practices liability policies, cyber liability policies, crime policies, and self-insurance and captive insurance company arrangements, in each case together with the rights, benefits and privileges thereunder.

Insurance Proceeds” shall mean those monies:

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

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

in any such case net of any applicable premium adjustments (including reserves and retrospectively rated premium adjustments) and net of any costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof; provided, however, that with respect to a captive insurance arrangement, Insurance Proceeds shall consist only of amounts received by the captive insurer as claim reimbursement under any reinsurance arrangement.

Intellectual Property” shall mean all of the following whether arising under the Laws of the United States or of any foreign or multinational jurisdiction: (a) patents, patent applications (including patents issued thereon), utility models, and industrial design registrations, including reissues, divisions, continuations, continuations in part, substitutions, renewals, extensions and reexaminations of any of the foregoing, and all rights in any of the foregoing provided by international treaties or conventions, (b) trademarks, service marks, trade names, service names, trade dress, logos and other source or business identifiers, including all goodwill associated with any of the foregoing, and all common law rights in and to any of the foregoing, registrations and applications for registration of any of the foregoing, all rights in and to any of the foregoing provided by international treaties or conventions, and all reissues, extensions and renewals of any of the foregoing, (c) Internet domain names, accounts with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and similar social media platforms, (d) copyrights, moral rights, mask work rights, database rights and design rights, whether or not registered, and all registrations and applications for registration of any of the foregoing, and all rights in and to any of the foregoing provided by international treaties or conventions, (e) Know-How and (f) any other intellectual property rights.

Intellectual Property Agreements” shall mean the Transferred Intellectual Property License Agreement, the Transitional Trademark License Agreement, the Retained Intellectual Property License Agreement, the Retained Know-How and Technology License Agreement, and the Retained Copyright License Agreement, in each case to be entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo or members of their respective Groups in connection with the Separation, the Distribution and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as it may be amended from time to time.

Internal Reorganization” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a).

 

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Know-How” shall mean all technology, designs, formulae, algorithms, procedures, methods, discoveries, processes, techniques, ideas, know-how, research and development, technical data, tools, materials, specifications, processes, inventions (whether patentable or unpatentable and whether or not reduced to practice), apparatus, creations, improvements, works of authorship in any media, confidential, proprietary or nonpublic information, and other similar materials, and all recordings, graphs, drawings, reports, analyses and other writings, and other tangible embodiments of the foregoing in any form whether or not listed herein.

Kwidzyn Purchase Agreement” shall mean the Share Purchase Agreement, dated August 4, 2021, by and among Parent, International Paper (Poland) Holdings SP. z.o.o., Mayr-Melnhof Cartonboard International GmbH and Mayr-Melnhof Karton AG.

Latent Injury Liabilities” shall mean all Liabilities arising out of or related to Third-Party Claims alleging latent personal injury, including claims arising out of or relating to exposure to silica, industrial talc, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances a/k/a PFAS, asbestos and asbestos-containing material or any other Hazardous Material.

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

Leases” shall mean the Temporary Occupancy Agreement, and the other leasing or subleasing agreements to be entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo or members of their respective Groups in connection with the Separation, the Distribution or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

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

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

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

Non-Performing Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.11(a)(i).

 

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NYSE” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange.

Offtake Agreements” shall mean those Supply and Offtake Agreements to be entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo NA with respect to Georgetown and Riverdale.

Overlapping Fiscal Year” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.2(a).

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

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

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

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

Parent Business” shall mean the containerboard, linerboard, medium recycled linerboard, recycled medium, saturating kraft, and fluff, market and specialty pulps businesses, operations, related processes and activities, and any other businesses, operations and activities not specifically included in the SpinCo Business, including the Industrial Packaging and Global Cellulose Fibers segments of Parent, in each case as conducted at any time prior to the Effective Time by either Party or any current or former member of its Group, but excluding the business, operations and activities primarily related to the SpinCo Assets and those businesses, operations or activities set forth on Schedule 1.3.

Parent Employees” shall have the meaning set forth in the Employee Matters Agreement.

Parent Environmental Liabilities” shall mean (a) the Liabilities set forth on Schedule 1.4 and (b) all Environmental Liabilities of any member of the Parent Group or a member of the SpinCo Group relating to, arising out of or resulting from the actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time, other than the SpinCo Environmental Liabilities.

Parent Guarantees” shall mean guarantees, letters of credit, surety bonds and similar credit support obligations of any member of the SpinCo Group for the benefit of any member of the Parent Group.

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

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

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

Parent Policies” shall mean those Insurance Policies in effect at any time prior to the Effective Time (a) where the first or primary named insured is or was a member of the Parent Group (including any predecessor entity of a member of the Parent Group) or (b) that were issued under global programs of Parent. A partial listing of such Insurance Policies, not intended to be comprehensive and for illustration only, is set forth on Schedule 1.5.

 

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Parent Shares” shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of Parent.

Parties” shall mean Parent and SpinCo.

Performing Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.11(a)(i).

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

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

Printing Paper Products” shall mean uncoated freesheet, including cut size, forms and envelopes, commercial printing papers, converting papers, digital papers and office papers.

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

Project Managers” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.13.

Proposed Transfer” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(c).

Public Filings” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.2(d).

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

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

Registration Rights Agreement” shall mean the Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement to be entered into by and between Parent and SpinCo in connection with the Separation, the Distribution or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit D, as it may be amended from time to time.

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

 

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Remediation Work” shall mean all actions required to (a) clean up, remove, treat or remediate Hazardous Materials, (b) prevent the Release of Hazardous Materials so that they do not migrate, endanger or threaten to endanger public health or welfare or the indoor or outdoor environment, (c) perform pre-remedial studies and investigations and post-remedial monitoring and care or (d) respond to requests of any Governmental Authority for information relating to cleanup, removal, treatment or remediation of Hazardous Materials.

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

Riverdale” shall mean Parent’s Riverdale mill located in Selma, Alabama.

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

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

Seller” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(c).

Self-Insurance” shall mean deductibles, self-insured retentions, captive participation or other forms of self-insurance, including related fees and expenses.

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

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

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

Specified Ancillary Agreements” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10.16(b).

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

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

SpinCo Annual Financial Statements” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.2(c).

 

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

SpinCo Balance Sheet” shall mean the pro forma combined balance sheet of the SpinCo Business, including any notes and sub-ledgers thereto, as of June 30, 2021, as presented in the Information Statement.

SpinCo Business” shall mean the uncoated freesheet papers, the commercial printing papers, the converting papers, the digital papers, the office papers, bristols, the specialty papers, liquid packaging board and coated unbleached kraft papers businesses, operations and activities, including the Printing Papers segment of Parent and those businesses, operations and activities set forth on Schedule 1.6, in each case as conducted at any time prior to the Effective Time by either Party or any current or former member of its Group, but excluding the business, operations and activities primarily related to the Parent Assets (including Riverdale and Georgetown).

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

SpinCo Certificate of Incorporation” shall mean the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of SpinCo, substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit C.

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

(a) (i) any customer or distribution contract or agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time exclusively related to the SpinCo Business and (ii) with respect to any customer or distribution contract or agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time that relates to the SpinCo Business but is not exclusively related to the SpinCo Business, that portion of any such customer or distribution contract or agreement that relates to the SpinCo Business;

(b) (i) any supply or vendor contract or agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time exclusively related to the SpinCo Business and (ii) with respect to any supply or vendor contract or agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time that relates to the SpinCo Business but is not exclusively related to the SpinCo Business, that portion of any such supply or vendor contract or agreement that relates to the SpinCo Business;

(c) any Intellectual Property or Software license agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time that is exclusively related to the SpinCo Business;

(d) any contract that is, or portion of any contract containing, any guarantee, indemnity, representation, covenant, warranty or other Liability of either Party or any member of its Group in respect of any other SpinCo Contract, any SpinCo Liability or the SpinCo Business;

 

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

(f) any contract or agreement that is otherwise expressly contemplated pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements to be assigned to SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group;

(g) any interest rate, currency, commodity or other swap, collar, cap or other hedging or similar agreements or arrangements related exclusively to the SpinCo Business or entered into by or on behalf of any division, business unit or member of the SpinCo Group;

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

(i) any other contract or agreement that is (x) related to the SpinCo Business or SpinCo Assets and (y) not used in the Parent Business in any material respect; and

(j) any contracts, agreements or settlements listed on Schedule 1.7, including the right to recover any amounts under such contracts, agreements or settlements.

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

SpinCo Discontinued Operations” shall mean all businesses, operations and activities terminated or discontinued prior to the Effective Time that (x) were primarily related to the SpinCo Business and (y) are not businesses, operations or activities of any Parent Asset as of the Effective Time. A partial listing of such SpinCo Discontinued Operations, not intended to be comprehensive and for illustration only, is set forth on Schedule 1.8.

SpinCo Divested Operations” shall mean all businesses, operations and activities sold, divested or otherwise disposed of prior to the Effective Time that (x) were primarily related to the SpinCo Business and (y) are not businesses, operations or activities of any Parent Asset as of the Effective Time; but excluding those businesses, operations or activities listed on Schedule 1.9(a). A partial listing of such SpinCo Divested Operations, not intended to be comprehensive and for illustration only, is set forth on Schedule 1.9(b).

 

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SpinCo Environmental Liabilities” shall mean (a) the Liabilities set forth on Schedule 1.10, (b) all Environmental Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from the SpinCo Assets, (c) all Environmental Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from SpinCo Discontinued Operations, (d) all Environmental Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from SpinCo Divested Operations and (e) Liabilities that are otherwise allocated to a member of the SpinCo Group pursuant to this Agreement, in each case excluding the Liabilities set forth on Schedule 1.4.

SpinCo Financing Arrangements” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14(a).

SpinCo Guarantees” shall mean guarantees, letters of credit, surety bonds and similar credit support obligations of any member of the Parent Group for the benefit of any member of the SpinCo Group, including those obligations set forth on Schedule 1.11.

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

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

SpinCo Intellectual Property” shall mean the registered Intellectual Property set forth on Schedule 1.12.

SpinCo Know-How” shall mean all Know-How owned or licensed by either Party or any member of its Group exclusively used or exclusively held for use in the SpinCo Business as of the Effective Time, except as set forth on Schedule 1.13.

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

SpinCo NA” shall mean Sylvamo North America, LLC.

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

SpinCo Policies” shall mean those Insurance Policies in effect at the Effective Time (a) where the first or primary named insured is a member of the SpinCo Group, (b) that do not provide coverage for any member of Parent Group and (c) that are not Parent Policies. A partial listing of such Insurance Policies, not intended to be comprehensive and for illustration only, is set forth on Schedule 1.14.

SpinCo Quarterly Financial Statements” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.2(b).

SpinCo Shares” shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of SpinCo.

 

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SpinCo Software” shall mean all Software owned by either Party or member of its Group exclusively used in the SpinCo Business as of the Effective Time.

Straddle Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.12.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ticonderoga” shall mean SpinCo’s Ticonderoga paper mill located at 568 Shore-Airport Rd, Ticonderoga, NY 12883.

Transfer” shall mean any direct or indirect sale, assignment, conveyance, lease, license, gift or other disposition (by operation of law or otherwise). “Transferee” shall have a correlative meaning.

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

Transfer Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(c).

Transferred Entities” shall mean the entities set forth on Schedule 1.15.

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

 

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

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

ARTICLE II

THE SEPARATION

2.1 Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities.

(a) At or prior to the Effective Time, in accordance with the plan set forth on Schedule 2.1(a) (the “Internal Reorganization”), but subject to Section 2.4:

(i) Transfer and Assignment of SpinCo Assets. Parent shall, and shall cause the applicable members of its Group to, contribute, assign, transfer, convey or deliver to SpinCo, or the applicable SpinCo Designees, or take such steps as may be necessary for SpinCo or such SpinCo Designees to succeed to, and SpinCo or such SpinCo Designees shall accept from Parent and the applicable members of the Parent Group, all of Parent’s and such Parent Group member’s respective direct or indirect right, title and interest in and to all of the SpinCo Assets (it being understood that if any SpinCo Asset shall be held by a Transferred Entity, such SpinCo Asset shall have been assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered to SpinCo as a result of the transfer of all of the equity interests in such Transferred Entity from Parent or the applicable members of the Parent Group to SpinCo or the applicable SpinCo Designee);

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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receive or otherwise assume any Liability that is allocated to the other Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) pursuant to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, such Party shall promptly transfer, or cause to be transferred, such Liability to the Party responsible therefor (or to any member of such Party’s Group), and such Party (or member of such Party’s Group) shall accept, assume and agree to faithfully perform such Liability.

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

(e) Ticonderoga Mill. The Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that Ticonderoga is being contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed or delivered by Parent to SpinCo, or the applicable SpinCo Designee, subject to covenants applicable to Ticonderoga as the “New Mill” set forth in the Agreement of Settlement, dated September 23, 1974, by and between the State of Vermont and Parent, and SpinCo hereby agrees to comply with such covenants in its ownership of Ticonderoga.

2.2 SpinCo Assets; Parent Assets.

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

(vi) all SpinCo Intellectual Property, SpinCo Know-How and SpinCo Software as of the Effective Time and all rights, interests or claims of either Party or any of the members of its Group thereunder as of the Effective Time;

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

(viii) all Assets (other than Intellectual Property) of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time (x) related to, held for use in, arising from or produced by the operation of the SpinCo Business and (y) not used in the Parent Business in any material respect;

(ix) all rights, interests and claims of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time with respect to Information that is exclusively related to the SpinCo Assets, the SpinCo Liabilities, the SpinCo Business or the Transferred Entities and, subject to the provisions of the applicable Ancillary Agreements, a non-exclusive right to all Information that is related to, but not exclusively related to, the SpinCo Assets, the SpinCo Liabilities, the SpinCo Business or the Transferred Entities;

(x) all fixtures, machinery, equipment and furniture of either Party or any of the members of its Group located on real property owned by a member of the SpinCo Group;

(xi) all rights and interests in and to bank accounts used or held for use exclusively in the SpinCo Business, including any cash and cash equivalents held therein as of the Effective Time;

(xii) all rights and interests in and to the SpinCo Policies; and

(xiii) all Assets set forth on Schedule 2.2(a)(xiii).

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

 

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

(i) all Assets that are expressly contemplated by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement as Assets to be retained by Parent or any other member of the Parent Group, including Riverdale and Georgetown and the Assets related to such properties;

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

(iii) other than the SpinCo Intellectual Property, SpinCo Know-How and SpinCo Software, all Intellectual Property and Software owned by either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time, including the Intellectual Property set forth on Schedule 2.2(b)(iii);

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

(v) all cash or cash equivalents of the Parties or any member of their respective Groups as of the Effective Time other than the cash or cash equivalents described in Section 2.2(a)(xi);

(vi) all Insurance Proceeds from claims under any Insurance Policy made by any of the Parties or any member of their respective Groups at any time prior to the Effective Time, including any such Insurance Proceeds collected from insurers after the Effective Time;

(vii) all proceeds (including Insurance Proceeds) from, and all other rights, interests and claims in or pursuant to, any settlement of claims entered into by the Parties or any member of their respective Groups with respect to the matters as set forth on Schedule 2.2(b)(vii); and

(viii) all Assets set forth on Schedule 2.2(b)(viii).

2.3 SpinCo Liabilities; Parent Liabilities.

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

(i) all Liabilities included or reflected as liabilities or obligations of SpinCo or the members of the SpinCo Group on the SpinCo Balance Sheet, subject to any discharge of such Liabilities subsequent to the date of the SpinCo Balance Sheet; provided that the amounts set forth on the SpinCo Balance Sheet with respect to any Liabilities shall not be treated as minimum amounts or limitations on the amount of such Liabilities that are included in the definition of SpinCo Liabilities pursuant to this clause (i);

 

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

(iii) other than with respect to the other business, operations, activities or Liabilities addressed in clauses (iv), (v), (vi), (vii) and (viii) of this Section 2.3(a), all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from the actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time (whether or not such Liabilities cease being contingent, mature, become known, are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time), in each case to the extent that such Liabilities relate to, arise out of or result from the SpinCo Business or a SpinCo Asset;

(iv) all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from any businesses sold, divested or otherwise disposed of by any member of the SpinCo Group or any SpinCo Divested Operations;

(v) all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from the SpinCo Discontinued Operations;

(vi) the applicable portion of all Liabilities set forth on Schedule 2.3(a)(vi);

(vii) all SpinCo Environmental Liabilities;

(viii) all Latent Injury Liabilities (A) arising out of or relating to exposure to any product or premises associated with the SpinCo Business, including all such Liabilities arising out of Hammermill Operations, (B) arising out of or relating to exposure to a SpinCo Asset or (C) arising out of or relating to SpinCo Discontinued Operations or SpinCo Divested Operations, in each case including those Liabilities set forth on Schedule 2.3(a)(viii);

(ix) all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from business, operations or activities in the jurisdictions set forth on Schedule 2.3(a)(ix) of any member of the SpinCo Group or, prior to the Effective Time, any member of the Parent Group;

 

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(x) all Liabilities that are expressly provided by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement as Liabilities to be assumed by SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group, including all Liabilities under the SpinCo Financing Arrangements, and all agreements, obligations and Liabilities of any member of the SpinCo Group under this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements; and

(xi) (A) all Liabilities arising out of litigation or other claims made by any Third Party (including Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents) against, or any investigations, sanctions or orders of any Governmental Authority in respect of or binding upon, any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group to the extent (1) the facts underlying such litigation, claim, investigation, sanction or order relate to, arise out of or result from the conduct of the SpinCo Business, the SpinCo Assets or the other business, operations, activities or Liabilities referred to in clauses (i) through (x) of this Section 2.3(a), or (2) such litigation, claim, investigation, sanction or order includes or is based on allegations relating to, arising out of or resulting from any member of the Parent Group’s or of the SpinCo Group’s direct or indirect beneficial ownership of the equity interests of any member of the SpinCo Group prior to the Effective Time or any member of the Parent Group’s or of the SpinCo Group’s management, oversight, supervision or operation of the SpinCo Business, the SpinCo Assets, the Business Employees or the SpinCo Liabilities prior to the Effective Time, and (B) all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from any matter set forth on Schedule 2.3(a)(x); it being understood that to the extent any such litigation, claim, investigation, sanction or order includes or is based on allegations relating to, arising out of or resulting from any member of the SpinCo Group’s direct or indirect beneficial ownership of the capital stock of any member of the Parent Group prior to the Effective Time, any such Liabilities shall be Parent Liabilities, and not SpinCo Liabilities;

provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, all Liabilities set forth on Schedule 2.3(b)(i), Schedule 2.3(b)(iii), Schedule 2.3(b)(v), Schedule 1.4 and any Liabilities of any member of the Parent Group pursuant to the Ancillary Agreements shall not be SpinCo Liabilities but instead shall be Parent Liabilities.

(b) Parent Liabilities. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Parent Liabilities” shall mean all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time (whether or not such Liabilities cease being contingent, mature, become known, are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time) of any member of the Parent Group and, prior to the Effective Time, any member of the SpinCo Group, in each case that are not SpinCo Liabilities, including:

(i) all Liabilities set forth on Schedule 2.3(b)(i);

(ii) all Parent Environmental Liabilities;

(iii) all Latent Injury Liabilities arising out of the businesses, operations and activities set forth on Schedule 2.3(b)(iii);

 

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

(v) (A) all Liabilities arising out of litigation or other claims made by any Third Party (including Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective, directors, officers, stockholders, employees and agents) against, or any investigations, sanctions or orders of any Governmental Authority in respect of or binding upon, any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group to the extent the facts underlying such litigation, claim, investigation, sanction or order, relate to, arise out of or result from the conduct of the Parent Business, the Parent Assets, the Parent Employees or the other Liabilities of Parent referred to in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), and (B) all Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from any matter set forth on Schedule 2.3(b)(v).

2.4 Approvals and Notifications.

(a) Approvals and Notifications for SpinCo Assets. To the extent that the contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to any SpinCo Asset, or the acceptance or assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of, or succession to any SpinCo Liability, in each case under Section 2.1, is determined to be a transfer or assignment that requires any Approvals or Notifications, or to the extent that the Separation, or the Distribution requires any Approvals or Notifications, the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain or make such Approvals or Notifications as soon as reasonably practicable; provided, however, that, except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements or as otherwise agreed between Parent and SpinCo, neither Parent nor SpinCo shall be obligated to contribute capital or pay any consideration in any form (including providing any letter of credit, guaranty or other financial accommodation) to any Person in order to obtain or make such Approvals or Notifications.

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

 

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(c) Treatment of Delayed SpinCo Assets and Delayed SpinCo Liabilities. (i) If any contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to any SpinCo Asset or any acceptance or assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession to any SpinCo Liability intended to be contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed, delivered, succeeded to, accepted, assumed, or performed, discharged or fulfilled hereunder, as the case may be, is not consummated at or prior to the Effective Time, whether as a result of the provisions of Section 2.4(b) or for any other reason, and (ii) with respect to the agreements set forth on Schedule 2.4(c), which such agreements shall not be contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed, delivered, succeeded to, accepted, assumed, or performed, discharged or fulfilled pursuant to Section 2.1(a) (notwithstanding anything therein to the contrary) (any such SpinCo Asset, a “Delayed SpinCo Asset” and any such SpinCo Liability, a “Delayed SpinCo Liability”), then, insofar as reasonably possible and subject to applicable Law, the member of the Parent Group retaining such Delayed SpinCo Asset or such Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, shall thereafter hold such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, for the use and benefit of the member of the SpinCo Group entitled thereto (at the expense of the member of the SpinCo Group entitled thereto), and such member of the SpinCo Group shall be afforded all the benefits and burdens of such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, as applicable. In addition, the member of the Parent Group retaining such Delayed SpinCo Asset or such Delayed SpinCo Liability shall, insofar as reasonably possible and to the extent permitted by applicable Law, treat such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability in the ordinary course of business in accordance with past practice and take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the member of the SpinCo Group to whom such Delayed SpinCo Asset is to be contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed or succeeded to, or which is to accept or assume, perform, discharge and fulfill or succeed to, such Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, in order to place such member of the SpinCo Group in a substantially similar position as if such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability had been contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed, succeeded to, accepted, assumed or performed, discharged or fulfilled as contemplated hereby and so that all the benefits and burdens relating to such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, including use, risk of loss, potential for gain, and dominion, control and command over such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, and all costs and expenses related thereto, shall inure from and after the Effective Time to the SpinCo Group.

(d) Transfer of Delayed SpinCo Assets and Delayed SpinCo Liabilities. Other than with respect to the agreements set forth on Schedule 2.4(c), if and when the Approvals or Notifications, the absence of which caused the deferral of contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to any Delayed SpinCo Asset or the deferral of acceptance or assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession to any Delayed SpinCo Liability pursuant to Section 2.4(b), are obtained or made, and, if and when any other legal impediments for the transfer or assignment of any Delayed SpinCo Asset or the assumption of any Delayed SpinCo Liability have been removed, the contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to the applicable Delayed SpinCo Asset or the acceptance and assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession to the applicable Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, shall be effected in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or the applicable Ancillary Agreement.

 

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(e) Costs for Delayed SpinCo Assets and Delayed SpinCo Liabilities. Any member of the Parent Group retaining a Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability as a result of the deferral of the contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to such Delayed SpinCo Asset or the deferral of the acceptance or assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession to such Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, shall not be obligated, in connection with the foregoing, to expend any money unless the necessary funds are advanced (or otherwise made available) by SpinCo or the member of the SpinCo Group entitled to the Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, other than reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, attorneys’ fees and recording or similar fees, all of which shall be promptly reimbursed by SpinCo or the member of the SpinCo Group entitled to such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability.

(f) Approvals and Notifications for Parent Assets. To the extent that the contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to any Parent Asset or the acceptance or assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment, or succession to any Parent Liability, in each case under Section 2.1, requires any Approvals or Notifications, the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain or make such Approvals or Notifications as soon as reasonably practicable; provided, however, that, except to the extent expressly provided in this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements or as otherwise agreed between Parent and SpinCo, neither Parent nor SpinCo shall be obligated to contribute capital or pay any consideration in any form (including providing any letter of credit, guaranty or other financial accommodation) to any Person in order to obtain or make such Approvals or Notifications.

(g) Delayed Parent Transfers. If and to the extent that the valid, complete and perfected contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery to or succession of the Parent Group of any Parent Asset or acceptance or assumption by, performance, discharge and fulfillment by, or succession by the Parent Group of any Parent Liability would be a violation of applicable Law or requires any Approval or Notification that has not been obtained or made by the Effective Time, then, unless the Parties otherwise agree, the contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance, delivery or succession to the Parent Group of such Parent Assets or the acceptance or assumption by, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession by the Parent Group to such Parent Liability, as the case may be, shall be automatically deemed deferred, and any of the foregoing shall be null and void until such time as all legal impediments are removed or such Approval or Notification has been obtained or made. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any such Parent Assets or Parent Liabilities shall continue to constitute Parent Assets and Parent Liabilities for all other purposes of this Agreement.

 

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(h) Treatment of Delayed Parent Assets and Delayed Parent Liabilities. (i) If any contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to any Parent Asset or any acceptance or assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession to any Parent Liability intended to be contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed, delivered, succeeded to, accepted, assumed, or performed, discharged or fulfilled hereunder, as the case may be, is not consummated at or prior to the Effective Time whether as a result of the provisions of Section 2.4(g) or for any other reason, and (ii) with respect to the agreements set forth on Schedule 2.4(h), which such agreements shall not be contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed, delivered, succeeded to, accepted, assumed, or performed, discharged or fulfilled pursuant to Section 2.1(a) (notwithstanding anything therein to the contrary) (any such Parent Asset, a “Delayed Parent Asset” and any such Parent Liability, a “Delayed Parent Liability”), then, subject to applicable Law, the member of the SpinCo Group retaining such Delayed Parent Asset or such Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, shall thereafter hold such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, for the use and benefit of the member of the Parent Group entitled thereto (with associated costs being for the account of the member of the Parent Group entitled thereto), and such member of the Parent Group shall be afforded all the benefits and burdens of such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability, as applicable. In addition, the member of the SpinCo Group retaining such Delayed Parent Asset or such Delayed Parent Liability shall, insofar as reasonably possible and to the extent permitted by applicable Law, treat such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability in the ordinary course of business in accordance with past practice. Such member of the SpinCo Group shall also take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the member of the Parent Group to which such Delayed Parent Asset is to be contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed or succeeded to, or which is to accept or assume, perform, discharge and fulfill or succeed to, such Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, in order to place such member of the Parent Group in a substantially similar position as if such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability had been contributed, assigned, transferred, conveyed, succeeded to, accepted, assumed or performed, discharged or fulfilled and so that all the benefits and burdens relating to such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, and all costs and expenses related thereto, shall inure from and after the Effective Time to the Parent Group.

(i) Transfer of Delayed Parent Assets and Delayed Parent Liabilities. Other than with respect to the agreements set forth on Schedule 2.4(h), if and when the Approvals or Notifications, the absence of which caused the deferral of contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to any Delayed Parent Asset or the deferral of acceptance or assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession to any Delayed Parent Liability, are obtained or made, and, if and when any other legal impediments for the contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to any Delayed Parent Asset or the acceptance and assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession to any Delayed Parent Liability have been removed, the transfer or assignment of the applicable Delayed Parent Asset or the assumption of the applicable Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, shall be effected in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or the applicable Ancillary Agreement.

 

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(j) Costs for Delayed Parent Assets and Delayed Parent Liabilities. Any member of the SpinCo Group retaining a Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability as a result of the deferral of the contribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance or delivery of or succession to such Delayed Parent Asset or the deferral of the acceptance or assumption of, performance, discharge and fulfillment of or succession to such Delayed Parent Liability, as the case may be, shall not be obligated, in connection with the foregoing, to expend any money unless the necessary funds are advanced (or otherwise made available) by Parent or the member of the Parent Group entitled to the Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability, other than reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, attorneys’ fees and recording or similar fees, all of which shall be promptly reimbursed by Parent or the member of the Parent Group entitled to such Delayed Parent Asset or Delayed Parent Liability.

2.5 Novation of Liabilities.

(a) Novation of SpinCo Liabilities.

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

(ii) If Parent or SpinCo is unable to obtain, or to cause to be obtained, any consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release referred to in clause (i) of this Section 2.5(a) and the applicable member of the Parent Group continues to be bound by such agreement, lease, license or other obligation or Liability (each, an “Unreleased SpinCo Liability”), SpinCo shall, to the extent not prohibited by Law, as indemnitor, guarantor, agent or subcontractor for such member of the Parent Group, as the case may be, (A) pay, perform and discharge fully all the obligations or other Liabilities of such member of the Parent Group that constitute Unreleased SpinCo Liabilities from and after the Effective Time and (B) use commercially reasonable efforts to effect such payment, performance or discharge prior to any demand for such payment, performance or discharge that is permitted to be made by the obligee thereunder on any member of the Parent Group. If and when any such consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release shall be obtained or the Unreleased SpinCo Liabilities shall otherwise become assignable or able to be novated, Parent shall promptly assign, or cause to be assigned, and SpinCo or the applicable SpinCo Group member shall assume, such Unreleased SpinCo Liabilities without exchange of further consideration.

(b) Novation of Parent Liabilities.

 

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

(ii) If Parent or SpinCo is unable to obtain, or to cause to be obtained, any consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release referred to in clause (i) of this Section 2.5(b) and the applicable member of the SpinCo Group continues to be bound by such agreement, lease, license or other obligation or Liability (each, an “Unreleased Parent Liability”), Parent shall, to the extent not prohibited by Law, as indemnitor, guarantor, agent or subcontractor for such member of the SpinCo Group, as the case may be, (A) pay, perform and discharge fully all the obligations or other Liabilities of such member of the SpinCo Group that constitute Unreleased Parent Liabilities from and after the Effective Time and (B) use commercially reasonable efforts to effect such payment, performance or discharge prior to any demand for such payment, performance or discharge that is permitted to be made by the obligee thereunder on any member of the SpinCo Group. If and when any such consent, substitution, approval, amendment or release shall be obtained, or the Unreleased Parent Liabilities shall otherwise become assignable or able to be novated, SpinCo shall promptly assign, or cause to be assigned, and Parent or the applicable Parent Group member shall assume, such Unreleased Parent Liabilities without exchange of further consideration.

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

(a) Other than with respect to the guarantees set forth on Schedule 2.6, at or prior to the Effective Time or as soon as practicable thereafter, each of Parent and SpinCo shall, at the request of the other Party and with the reasonable cooperation of such other Party and the applicable member(s) of such other Party’s Group, use commercially reasonable efforts to (i) have any member(s) of the Parent Group removed as guarantor of or obligor for any SpinCo Guarantee, including the removal of any Security Interest on or in any Parent Asset that may serve as collateral or security for any such SpinCo Guarantee; and (ii) have any member(s) of the SpinCo Group removed as guarantor of or obligor for any Parent Guarantee, including the removal of any Security Interest on or in any SpinCo Asset that may serve as collateral or security for any such Parent Guarantee.

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

 

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

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

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

2.7 Termination of Agreements.

(a) Except as set forth in Section 2.7(b), in furtherance of the releases and other provisions of Section 4.1, SpinCo and each member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, and Parent and each member of the Parent Group, on the other hand, hereby terminate all agreements, arrangements, commitments or understandings, whether or not in writing, between or among SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, and Parent or any member of the Parent Group, on the other hand, effective as of the Effective Time. No such terminated agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding (including any provision thereof which purports to survive termination) shall be of any further force or effect after the Effective Time. Each Party shall, at the reasonable request of the other Party, take, or cause to be taken, such other actions as may be necessary to effect the foregoing.

 

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

(c) Except as set forth on Schedule 2.7(c), all of the intercompany accounts receivable and accounts payable between any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, and any member of the SpinCo Group, on the other hand, outstanding as of the Effective Time shall, as promptly as practicable after the Effective Time, be repaid, settled or otherwise eliminated by means of cash payments, a dividend, capital contribution, a combination of the foregoing or otherwise, as determined by Parent in its sole and absolute discretion. If, for any reason, any intercompany accounts receivable and accounts payable between any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, and any member of the SpinCo Group, on the other hand, outstanding as of the Effective Time (other than those set forth on Schedule 2.7(c)) is not repaid, settled or otherwise eliminated promptly after the Effective Time, each of the Parties shall use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable to repay, settle or otherwise eliminate such intercompany accounts receivable or accounts payable in a manner that would have a substantially similar effect (including with respect to Taxes) on the Parent Group and the SpinCo Group as if such repayment, settlement or elimination occurring promptly after the Effective Time.

2.8 Treatment of Shared Contracts.

(a) Subject to applicable Law and without limiting the generality of the obligations set forth in Section 2.1, unless the Parties otherwise agree, or the benefits of any contract, agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding described in this Section 2.8 are expressly conveyed to the applicable Party pursuant to this Agreement or an Ancillary Agreement, any contract or agreement, a portion of which is a SpinCo Contract, but the remainder of which is a Parent Asset (any such contract or agreement, a “Shared Contract”), shall be assigned in relevant part to the applicable member(s) of the applicable Group, if so assignable, or appropriately amended prior to, at or after the

 

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Effective Time, so that each Party or the member of its Group shall, as of the Effective Time, be entitled to the rights and benefits and shall assume the related portion of any Liabilities, inuring to its respective businesses; provided, however, that (i) in no event shall any member of any Group be required to assign (or amend) any Shared Contract in its entirety or to assign a portion of any Shared Contract which is not assignable (or cannot be amended) by its terms (including any terms imposing consents or conditions on an assignment where such consents or conditions have not been obtained or fulfilled) and (ii) if any Shared Contract cannot be so partially assigned by its terms or otherwise or cannot be amended or if such assignment or amendment would impair the benefit the parties thereto derive from such Shared Contract, then the Parties shall, and shall cause each of the members of their respective Groups to, take such other reasonable and permissible actions (including by providing prompt notice to the other Party with respect to any relevant claim of Liability or other relevant matters arising in connection with a Shared Contract so as to allow such other Party the ability to exercise any applicable rights under such Shared Contract) to cause a member of the SpinCo Group or the Parent Group, as the case may be, to receive the rights and benefits of that portion of each Shared Contract that relates to the SpinCo Business or the Parent Business, as the case may be (in each case, to the extent so related), as if such Shared Contract had been assigned to a member of the applicable Group pursuant to this Section 2.8 (or appropriately amended), and to bear the burden of the corresponding Liabilities (including any Liabilities that may arise by reason of such arrangement), as if such Liabilities had been assumed by a member of the applicable Group pursuant to this Section 2.8 (or appropriately amended).

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

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

2.9 Bank Accounts; Cash Balances.

(a) Each Party shall take, or cause the members of its Group to take, at the Effective Time (or such earlier time as the Parties may agree), all actions necessary to amend all contracts or agreements governing each bank and brokerage account owned by SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group (collectively, the “SpinCo Accounts”) and all contracts or agreements governing each bank or brokerage account owned by Parent or any other member of the Parent Group (collectively, the “Parent Accounts”) so that each such SpinCo Account and Parent Account, if currently linked (whether by automatic withdrawal, automatic deposit or any other authorization to transfer funds from or to, hereinafter “Linked”) to any Parent Account or SpinCo Account, respectively, is no longer Linked to such Parent Account or SpinCo Account, respectively.

 

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

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

2.10 Ancillary Agreements. Effective at or prior to the Effective Time, each of Parent and SpinCo shall, or shall cause the applicable members of their Groups to, execute and deliver all Ancillary Agreements and the agreements set forth on Schedule 2.10 to which it or such member, as applicable, is a party.

2.11 Disclaimer of Representations and Warranties. Each of Parent (on behalf of itself and each member of the Parent Group) and SpinCo (on behalf of itself and each member of the SpinCo Group) acknowledges and agrees that, except as expressly set forth herein or in any Ancillary Agreement, no party to this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or any other agreement or document contemplated by this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or otherwise, is representing or warranting in any way as to the assets, businesses or liabilities transferred or assumed as contemplated hereby or thereby, as to any consents or approvals required in connection herewith or therewith, as to the value or freedom from any security interests of, or any other matter concerning, any assets of such party, or as to the absence of any defenses or right of setoff or freedom from counterclaim with respect to any claim or other asset, including any accounts receivable, of any party, or as to the legal sufficiency of any assignment, document or instrument delivered hereunder or thereunder to convey title to any asset, right or property upon the execution, delivery and filing hereof or thereof. EXCEPT AS MAY EXPRESSLY BE SET FORTH HEREIN OR IN ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT, ALL SUCH ASSETS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS (AND, IN THE CASE OF ANY REAL PROPERTY, BY MEANS OF A QUITCLAIM OR SIMILAR FORM OF DEED OR CONVEYANCE) AND THE RESPECTIVE TRANSFEREES SHALL BEAR THE ECONOMIC AND LEGAL RISKS THAT (A) ANY CONVEYANCE WILL PROVE TO BE INSUFFICIENT TO VEST IN THE TRANSFEREE GOOD AND MARKETABLE TITLE, FREE AND CLEAR OF ANY SECURITY INTEREST, AND (B) ANY NECESSARY APPROVALS OR NOTIFICATIONS ARE NOT OBTAINED OR MADE OR THAT ANY REQUIREMENTS OF LAWS OR JUDGMENTS ARE NOT COMPLIED WITH.

 

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

2.13 Transition Management. Prior to the Effective Time, the Parties shall appoint one or more project managers (the “Project Managers”) who shall be responsible for monitoring and managing all matters related to any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements. The Project Managers shall establish general procedures for managing the responsibilities delegated to it under this Section 2.13, and may modify such procedures from time to time. All decisions by the Project Managers shall be effective only if agreed by Project Managers of both Parties. The Parties shall utilize the procedures set forth in Article VII to resolve any matters as to which the Project Managers are not able to reach a decision.

2.14 SpinCo Financing Arrangements; Cash Transfer.

(a) Prior to the Effective Time, (i) SpinCo or other member(s) of the SpinCo Group shall enter into one or more financing arrangements and agreements, on such terms and conditions as determined by Parent in its sole discretion, pursuant to which it or they shall borrow a principal amount of up to $1,520,000,000 (the “SpinCo Financing Arrangements”), (ii) SpinCo or such other member(s) of the SpinCo Group that entered into the SpinCo Financing Arrangements shall distribute, convey or otherwise transfer in the manner determined by Parent all or a portion of the net proceeds from the SpinCo Financing Arrangements plus available cash on hand to Parent or other member(s) of the Parent Group (the “Cash Transfer”).

(b) Parent and SpinCo shall take all necessary actions to ensure the full release and discharge of Parent and the other members of the Parent Group from all obligations pursuant to the SpinCo Financing Arrangements as of no later than the Effective Time. The Parties agree that SpinCo or another member of the SpinCo Group, as the case may be, and not Parent or any member of the Parent Group, are and shall be responsible for all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the SpinCo Financing Arrangements (other than legal fees and expenses that are allocated in accordance with Section 10.10).

 

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(c) Prior to the Effective Time, Parent and SpinCo shall cooperate in the preparation of all materials as may be necessary or advisable to execute the SpinCo Financing Arrangements. Without limiting the foregoing, prior to the Effective Time, Parent and SpinCo shall participate in the preparation of all materials and presentations as may be reasonably necessary to obtain funding pursuant to the SpinCo Financing Arrangements, including rating agency presentations necessary to obtain the requisite ratings needed to obtain the financing under any of the SpinCo Financing Arrangements.

ARTICLE III

THE DISTRIBUTION

3.1 Sole and Absolute Discretion; Cooperation.

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

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

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

(a) Notice to NYSE. Parent shall, to the extent possible, give the NYSE advance notice of the Record Date in compliance with Rule 10b-17 under the Exchange Act.

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

 

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

(d) NYSE Listing. SpinCo shall prepare and file, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to have approved, an application for the listing of the SpinCo Shares to be distributed in the Distribution on the NYSE, subject to official notice of distribution.

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

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

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

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

(i) Certain Tax Filings. On or prior to the Distribution Date, SpinCo shall provide to Parent (A) a completed and executed IRS Form 8832 electing to classify Global Holdings I, LLC as an association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to section 301.7701-3 of the Treasury Regulations as of a date prior to the Distribution specified by Parent, (B) a completed and executed IRS

 

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Form 8832 electing to classify International Paper Investment (France) S.A.S. as an association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to section 301.7701-3 of the Treasury Regulations as of a date prior to the Distribution specified by Parent and (C) a completed and executed IRS Form 1122 for each of SpinCo, Global Holdings I, LLC and Global Holdings II, LLC, consenting to the inclusion of each of SpinCo, Global Holdings I LLC and Global Holdings II, LLC in Parent’s 2021 U.S. consolidated federal income tax return.

3.3 Conditions to the Distribution.

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

(i) The SEC shall have declared effective the Form 10, and the Form 10 shall not be the subject of any stop order or any legal, administrative, arbitral or other action, suit, investigation, proceeding, complaint, indictment or litigation by the SEC seeking a stop order.

(ii) The Information Statement shall have been sent or otherwise made available to holders of Parent Shares.

(iii) Parent shall have received an opinion from a nationally recognized accounting firm or tax counsel or a private letter ruling from the IRS satisfactory to the Parent Board, subject to the accuracy of and compliance with certain representations, assumptions and covenants, regarding the qualification of the Distribution and certain related transactions as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes to Parent, SpinCo and Parent’s shareholders.

(iv) The transfer of the SpinCo Assets (other than any Delayed SpinCo Asset) and SpinCo Liabilities (other than any Delayed SpinCo Liability) contemplated to be transferred from Parent to SpinCo on or prior to the Distribution shall have occurred as contemplated by Section 2.1, and the transfer of the Parent Assets (other than any Delayed Parent Asset) and Parent Liabilities (other than any Delayed Parent Liability) contemplated to be transferred from SpinCo to Parent on or prior to the Distribution Date shall have occurred as contemplated by Section 2.1, in each case pursuant to the Internal Reorganization.

(v) Parent shall have received one or more opinions (which have not been withdrawn or adversely modified) in customary form from one or more nationally recognized valuation or accounting firms or investment banks as to (A) the adequacy of surplus under Delaware Law with respect to SpinCo to effect the Cash Transfer and the solvency of SpinCo after giving effect to the Cash Transfer and (B) the adequacy of surplus under New York Law with respect to Parent to effect the Distribution and the solvency of Parent after giving effect to the Distribution.

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

 

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

(viii) No Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction shall have issued or entered into any injunction or other decree, order, judgment, writ, stipulation, award or temporary restraining order, and no applicable Law shall have been enacted or promulgated, in each case that (whether temporary or permanent) has the effect of enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Separation, the Distribution or any of the transactions related thereto.

(ix) The SpinCo Shares to be distributed in the Distribution shall have been accepted for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice of distribution.

(x) (A) SpinCo or other members of its Group shall have assumed or entered into the SpinCo Financing Arrangements and incurred at least an aggregate of $1,500,000,000 of new indebtedness pursuant thereto, and (B) Parent shall have received the proceeds from the Cash Transfer and shall be satisfied in its sole and absolute discretion that, as of the Effective Time, it and the members of its Group shall have no further Liability under the SpinCo Financing Arrangements.

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

(b) The foregoing conditions are for the sole benefit of Parent and shall not give rise to or create any duty on the part of Parent or the Parent Board to waive or not waive any such condition or in any way limit Parent’s right to terminate this Agreement as set forth in Article IX or alter the consequences of any such termination from those specified in Article IX. Any determination made by the Parent Board prior to the Distribution concerning the satisfaction or waiver of any or all of the conditions set forth in Section 3.3(a) shall be conclusive and binding on the Parties. If Parent waives any material condition, it shall promptly issue a press release disclosing such fact and file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC describing such waiver.

3.4 The Distribution.

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

 

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(b) Subject to Sections 3.3 and 3.4(c), each Record Holder shall be entitled to receive in the Distribution one whole SpinCo Share for every eleven Parent Shares held by such Record Holder on the Record Date, rounded down to the nearest whole number (the “Distribution Ratio”).

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

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

(e) Until the SpinCo Shares are duly transferred in accordance with this Section 3.4 and applicable Law, from and after the Effective Time, SpinCo shall regard the Persons entitled to receive such SpinCo Shares as record holders of SpinCo Shares in accordance with the terms of the Distribution without requiring any action on the part of such Persons. SpinCo agrees that, subject to any transfers of such shares, from and after

 

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the Effective Time, (i) each such holder shall be entitled to receive all dividends payable on, and exercise voting rights and all other rights and privileges with respect to, the SpinCo Shares then held by such holder and (ii) each such holder shall be entitled, without any action on the part of such holder, to receive evidence of ownership of the SpinCo Shares then held by such holder.

ARTICLE IV

MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION

4.1 Release of Pre-Distribution Claims.

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

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

 

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

(i) any Liability provided in or resulting from any agreement among any members of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group which Section 2.7(b) provides shall not terminate as of the Effective Time, or any other Liability which Section 2.7(b) provides shall not terminate as of the Effective Time;

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

(a) any SpinCo Liability;

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

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

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

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

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

 

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(a) any Parent Liability;

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

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

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

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

4.4 Indemnification Obligations Net of Insurance Proceeds and Other Amounts.

(a) The Parties intend that any Liability subject to indemnification, contribution or reimbursement pursuant to this Article IV or Article V will be net of Insurance Proceeds or other amounts actually recovered (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) from any Person by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in respect of any indemnifiable Liability. Accordingly, the amount that either Party (an “Indemnifying Party”) is required to pay to any Person entitled to indemnification or contribution hereunder (an “Indemnitee”) shall be reduced by any Insurance Proceeds or other amounts actually recovered (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) from any Person by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in respect of the related Liability. If an Indemnitee receives a payment (an “Indemnity Payment”) required by this Agreement from an Indemnifying Party in respect of any Liability and subsequently receives Insurance Proceeds or any other amounts in respect of such Liability, then, within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of such Insurance Proceeds, the Indemnitee shall pay to the Indemnifying Party an amount equal to the excess of the Indemnity Payment received over the amount of the Indemnity Payment that would have been due if the Insurance Proceeds or such other amounts (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) had been received, realized or recovered before the Indemnity Payment was made.

 

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

4.5 Procedures for Indemnification of Third-Party Claims.

(a) Notice of Claims. If, on or following the date of this Agreement, an Indemnitee shall receive notice or otherwise learn of the assertion by any Third Party (including any Governmental Authority) of any claim or of the commencement by any such Third Party of any Action (collectively, a “Third-Party Claim”) with respect to which an Indemnifying Party may be obligated to provide indemnification to such Indemnitee pursuant to Section 4.2 or 4.3, or any other Section of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, such Indemnitee shall give such Indemnifying Party written notice thereof as soon as practicable, but in any event within twenty one (21) days (or sooner if the nature of the Third-Party Claim so requires) after becoming aware of such Third-Party Claim. Any such notice shall describe the Third-Party Claim in reasonable detail, including the facts and circumstances giving rise to such claim, and include copies of all notices and documents (including court papers) received by the Indemnitee relating to the Third-Party Claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of an Indemnitee to provide notice in accordance with this Section 4.5(a) shall not relieve an Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations under Section 4.2 or 4.3 of this Agreement, except to the extent the Indemnifying Party is actually and materially prejudiced by the Indemnitee’s failure to provide notice in accordance with this Section 4.5(a).

 

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

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

(d) Right to Monitor and Participate. Except as otherwise described on Schedule 4.5, an Indemnitee that does not conduct and control the defense of any Third-Party Claim, or an Indemnifying Party that has failed to elect to defend any Third-Party Claim as contemplated hereby, nevertheless shall have the right to employ separate outside counsel (including local counsel as necessary) of its own choosing to monitor and

 

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participate in (but not control) the defense of any Third-Party Claim for which it is a potential Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party, as applicable, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party, as the case may be, and the provisions of Section 4.5(c) shall not apply to such fees and expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, but subject to Sections 6.8 and 6.9, such Party shall cooperate with the Party entitled to conduct and control the defense of such Third-Party Claim in such defense and make available to the controlling Party, at the non-controlling Party’s expense, all witnesses, information and materials in such Party’s possession or under such Party’s control relating thereto as are reasonably required by the controlling Party. In addition to the foregoing, if any Indemnitee shall in good faith determine that such Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party have actual or potential differing defenses or conflicts of interest between them that make joint representation in connection with a Third-Party Claim inappropriate, then the Indemnitee shall have the right to employ separate outside counsel (including local counsel as necessary) and to participate in (but not control) the defense, compromise or settlement thereof, and the Indemnifying Party shall bear the reasonable fees and expenses of such outside counsel for all Indemnitees.

(e) No Settlement. Neither Party shall settle or compromise any Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed unless such settlement or compromise is solely for monetary damages that are fully payable by the settling or compromising Party, does not involve any admission, finding or determination of wrongdoing or violation of Law by the other Party and provides for a full, unconditional and irrevocable release of the other Party and its Indemnitees from all Liability in connection with the Third-Party Claim. The Parties hereby agree that if a Party presents the other Party with a written notice containing a proposal to settle or compromise a Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder and the Party receiving such proposal does not respond in any manner to the Party presenting such proposal within twenty (20) days or such longer period, not to exceed thirty (30) days, as may be agreed by the Parties (or within any such shorter time period that may be required by applicable Law or court order) of receipt of such proposal, then the Party receiving such proposal shall be deemed to have consented to the terms of such proposal.

4.6 Additional Matters.

(a) Timing of Payments. Indemnification or contribution payments in respect of any Liabilities for which an Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Article IV shall be paid reasonably promptly (but in any event within thirty (30) days of the final determination of the amount that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Article IV) by the Indemnifying Party to the Indemnitee as such Liabilities are incurred upon demand by the Indemnitee, including reasonably satisfactory documentation setting forth the basis for the amount of such indemnification or contribution payment, including documentation with respect to calculations made and consideration of any Insurance Proceeds that actually reduce the amount of such Liabilities. The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Article IV shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Indemnitee, and (ii) the knowledge by the Indemnitee of Liabilities for which it might be entitled to indemnification hereunder.

 

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

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

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

(e) Substitution. In the event of an Action in which the Indemnifying Party is not a named defendant, if either the Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party shall so request, the Parties shall endeavor to substitute the Indemnifying Party for the named defendant. If such substitution or addition cannot be achieved for any reason or is not requested, the named defendant shall allow the Indemnifying Party to manage the Action as set forth in Section 4.5 and this Section 4.6, and the Indemnifying Party shall fully indemnify the named defendant against all costs of defending the Action (including court costs, sanctions imposed by a court, attorneys’ fees, experts’ fees and all other external expenses), the costs of any judgment or settlement and the cost of any interest or penalties relating to any judgment or settlement.

 

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4.7 Right of Contribution.

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

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

4.8 Covenant Not to Sue. Each Party hereby covenants and agrees that neither it nor the members of its Group nor any Person claiming through it or them shall bring suit or otherwise assert any claim against any Indemnitee, or assert a defense against any claim asserted by any Indemnitee, before any court, arbitrator, mediator or administrative agency anywhere in the world, alleging that: (a) the assumption of any SpinCo Liabilities by SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements is void or unenforceable for any reason; (b) the retention of any Parent Liabilities by Parent or a member of the Parent Group on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements is void or unenforceable for any reason; or (c) any of the provisions of this Article IV is void or unenforceable for any reason.

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

 

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

4.11 Environmental Matters.

(a) Management of Environmental Liabilities.

(i) The Party designated or otherwise deemed to be the Party responsible for an Environmental Liability under this Agreement shall be the Party responsible for managing such Environmental Liability (the “Performing Party”) and the other Party shall be the non-performing Party with respect to such Environmental Liability (the “Non-Performing Party”). With respect to any Environmental Liability, the Performing Party shall be required to perform all Remediation Work and other remediation and compliance activities required by applicable Environmental Laws or the requirements of any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over such Environmental Liability or Remediation Work or to comply with any obligations of either Party to indemnify any Third Party with respect to Environmental Liabilities or avoid Liability to any Third Party under applicable Environmental Law.

(ii) With regard to any Remediation Work to be performed following the date of this Agreement that could reasonably result in Environmental Liability to the Non-Performing Party, upon written request by the Non-Performing Party (A) all proposals for Remediation Work and all decisions as to Remediation Work shall be made by the Performing Party in reasonable consultation with the Non-Performing Party and (B) the Performing Party shall provide to the Non-Performing Party, as promptly as reasonably practicable, a copy of all final written correspondence, reports and other documents submitted to, filed with or received from any Governmental Authority, but, in each case, only to the extent the Non-Performing Party submits a written request to the Performing Party to receive such documents.

(b) Substitution.

(i) Each Party shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain any consents, transfers, assignments, assumptions, waivers or other legal instruments necessary to cause such Party or the appropriate Subsidiary of such Party to be fully substituted for the other Party or any other applicable member of the other Party’s Group with respect to any Environmental Permits, financial assurance obligations or instruments, or other environmental approvals or filings associated with the SpinCo Assets, in the case of SpinCo, or the Parent Assets, in the case of Parent. Each Party shall use its reasonable best efforts to provide necessary assistance or signatures to the other Party to achieve the purposes of this Section 4.11(b).

 

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(ii) Until such time as SpinCo and Parent complete the substitutions outlined in this Section 4.11(b), each Party shall comply with all applicable Environmental Laws, including all reporting obligations, and the terms and conditions of all orders, decrees, judgments, agreements, actions, Environmental Permits, financial assurances, obligations, instruments or other environmental approvals or filings that remain in the other Party’s name but for which substitutions are to be made pursuant to this Section 4.11(b).

(iii) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 4.11(b) to the contrary, nothing in this Section 4.11(b) shall require either Party to take any actions that would reasonably be expected to increase the overall collective Liabilities of Parent and SpinCo, in the aggregate, to any Third Party.

(c) Standards for Remediation.

(i) The Performing Party shall perform all Remediation Work and other remediation and compliance activities contemplated by this Section 4.11, at a minimum, up to but not beyond the standards applicable to commercial/industrial uses.

(ii) The Parties shall implement deed restrictions, engineering and other institutional controls, and risk-based corrective action to manage or close out any Remediation Work or other remediation and compliance activities contemplated by this Section 4.11, provided that such deed restrictions, engineering and other institutional controls do not materially limit or materially increase the cost of operations.

(iii) The Performing Party may take additional measures beyond the minimum required by this Section 4.11, but at the sole expense of Performing Party, unless such additional measures are required by a Governmental Authority.

4.12 Ancillary Agreements Govern.

(a) Notwithstanding any provisions of this Article IV to the contrary, the indemnification and contribution obligations contained herein shall not apply to any Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from any matters addressed by the Tax Matters Agreement and instead the indemnification obligations or contribution obligations set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement shall govern with regard to such Liabilities. In the case of any conflict between Article IV of this Agreement and the Tax Matters Agreement in relation to any matters addressed by the Tax Matters Agreement, the Tax Matters Agreement shall prevail. For the avoidance of doubt, Section 4.5, Section 4.6 and Section 4.7 do not apply to Taxes, which shall be governed by the Tax Matters Agreement.

(b) Notwithstanding any provisions of this Article IV to the contrary, the indemnification and contribution obligations contained herein shall not apply to any Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from any matters addressed by the Employee Matters Agreement and instead the indemnification obligations or contribution

 

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obligations set forth in the Employee Matters Agreement shall govern with regard to such Liabilities. In the case of any conflict between Article IV of this Agreement and the Employee Matters Agreement in relation to any matters addressed by the Employee Matters Agreement, the Employee Matters Agreement shall prevail.

(c) Notwithstanding any provisions of this Article IV to the contrary, the indemnification obligations and contribution obligations contained herein shall not apply to any Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from the rights and obligations of the Parties under the Transition Services Agreement and instead the indemnification obligations or contribution obligations set forth in the Transition Services Agreement shall govern with regard to such Liabilities. In the case of any conflict between Article IV of this Agreement and the Transition Services Agreement in relation to any matters addressed by the Transition Services Agreement, the Transition Services Agreement shall prevail.

(d) Notwithstanding any provisions of this Article IV to the contrary, to the extent the Registration Rights Agreement contains any indemnification obligations or contribution obligations relating to any Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from information contained in any registration statement (other than the Form 10 (including any amendments or supplements thereto) and the Information Statement (as amended or supplemented), to which this Section 4.12(d) shall not apply), the indemnification obligations and contribution obligations contained herein shall not apply to such Liabilities and instead the indemnification obligations or contribution obligations set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement shall govern with regard to such Liabilities.

ARTICLE V

CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS

5.1 Insurance Matters Generally.

(a) SpinCo does hereby, for itself and each other member of the SpinCo Group, acknowledge and agree that from and after the Effective Time (i) no member of the Parent Group or any Parent Indemnified Party shall have any liability whatsoever as a result of the Insurance Policies, insurance practices and insurance programs of the Parent Group as in effect at any time prior to the Effective Time, including as a result of the level or scope of any such insurance, the creditworthiness of any insurance carrier, the terms and conditions of any policy, the adequacy or timeliness of any notice to any insurance carrier with respect to any claim or potential claim or otherwise, any professional or other advice with respect to the initial policies for SpinCo, any handling of claims for SpinCo, or any oversight or advice with respect to risk management or other insurance-related issues, and (ii) neither SpinCo nor any member of the SpinCo Group shall have any rights to or under any Insurance Policies or other insurance programs of Parent, including the Parent Policies, other than (x) any SpinCo Policies or (y) as expressly provided in Section 5.1.

(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in Section 5.1(a), Parent acknowledges that SpinCo and the other members of the SpinCo Group as of the

 

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Effective Time have or may have certain interests and rights as insureds or beneficiaries or in other capacities under occurrence-based Parent Policies (and under claims-made Parent Policies for incidents occurring prior to the Effective Time but only to the extent that an extended reporting period or tail coverage has been purchased to insure claims by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group) in respect of the period prior to the Effective Time, and that those interests and rights survive the Effective Time; provided, that the interests and rights of SpinCo and the other members of the SpinCo Group shall be subject to the terms and conditions of such Insurance Policies and insurance programs, including any limits on coverage or scope, any Self-Insurance and other fees and expenses and Parent’s allocation of the cost of claims to its business units, including SpinCo, according to any allocation program in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time. Any claim for recovery by a member of the SpinCo Group under any Parent Policies shall be subject to the following additional conditions:

(i) in the case of any claim for recovery (whether solely by a member of the SpinCo Group or jointly with any member of the Parent Group), SpinCo shall report to Parent, as promptly as practicable, any claims, for which it believes it is entitled to recover under Parent Policies, and Parent shall report such claims on behalf of the parties seeking recovery to the applicable insurance carriers in accordance with the Parent Group’s claim-reporting procedures then in effect and control the administration of all such claims, including the timing of any assertion and pursuit of coverage;

(ii) SpinCo and the other members of the SpinCo Group shall indemnify, hold harmless and reimburse Parent and the other members of the Parent Group for (x) any premiums, retrospectively rated premiums, defense costs, indemnity payments, Self-Insurance, claim expenses and claim handling fees or other expenses incurred by members of the Parent Group in connection with this Section 5.1 and (y) any Liabilities arising out of or resulting from, directly or indirectly, Parent and the other members of the Parent Group handling or administering claims on behalf of SpinCo and the other members of the SpinCo Group pursuant to this Section 5.1;

(iii) SpinCo shall, and shall cause other members of the SpinCo Group to, cooperate and assist with Parent and other members of the Parent Group and share such information as is reasonably necessary in order to permit Parent and members of the Parent Group to manage and conduct the insurance matters contemplated by this Section 5.1, including, without limitation, the production of witnesses in accordance with Section 6.8;

(iv) Neither SpinCo nor any member of its Group, in connection with making a claim under any Parent Policy this Section 5.1, shall take any action that would be reasonably likely to (i) have a material and adverse impact on the then-current relationship between Parent or any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, and the applicable insurance company, on the other hand; (ii) result in the applicable insurance company terminating or materially reducing coverage, or materially increasing the amount of any premium owed by Parent or any member of the Parent Group under the applicable Parent Policy; or (iii) otherwise compromise, jeopardize or interfere in any material respect with the rights of Parent or any member of the Parent Group under the applicable Parent Policy; and

 

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(v) SpinCo and the other members of the SpinCo Group shall exclusively bear (and neither Parent nor any member of the Parent Group shall have any obligation to repay or reimburse SpinCo or any other member of the SpinCo Group for) and shall be liable for all excluded, uninsured, uncovered, unavailable or uncollectible amounts of all such claims made by SpinCo or any other member of its Group under Parent Policies in accordance with this Section 5.1.

(c) Subject to Section 5.1(b), Parent shall retain the exclusive right to control the Parent Policies, including the right to defend, exhaust, settle, release, commute, buy-back or otherwise resolve disputes with respect to any Parent Policies and to amend, modify or waive any rights under any Parent Policies, notwithstanding whether any such policies or programs apply to any SpinCo Liabilities and/or claims SpinCo has made or could make in the future, and no member of the SpinCo Group shall, without the prior written consent of Parent, erode, exhaust, settle, release, commute, buy-back or otherwise resolve disputes with insurers of Parent or other members of the Parent Group with respect to any of the Parent Policies, or amend, modify or waive any rights under any such Parent Policies. Neither Parent nor any other members of the Parent Group shall have any obligation to secure extended reporting for any claims under any of Parent Policies for any acts or omissions by any member of the SpinCo Group incurred prior to the Effective Time.

(d) All payments and reimbursements by SpinCo pursuant to this Section 5.1 shall be made within thirty (30) days after its receipt of an invoice therefor from Parent.

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

(f) The obligations of Parent under this Section 5.1 shall terminate on the date that is two (2) years after the Effective Time, other than in respect of (i) any joint claim for recovery by any member of the SpinCo Group and any member of the Parent Group initiated and reported by Parent and (ii) any insurance claims for Latent Injury Liabilities or Environmental Liabilities under occurrence-based policies that do not contain an asbestos exclusion or an absolute pollution exclusion (generally, pre-1986 policies). Following the date that is five (5) years after the Effective Time, Parent may, at its option with prior written notice to SpinCo, terminate its obligations under this Section 5.1 with respect to insurance claims for Latent Injury Liabilities or Environmental Liabilities.

(g) Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to restrict any member of the SpinCo Group from acquiring at its own expense any insurance policy in respect of any Liabilities or covering any period.

 

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5.2 Treatment of Payments for Tax Purposes. For all Tax purposes, the Parties agree to treat (i) any payment required by this Agreement as either a contribution by Parent to SpinCo or a distribution by SpinCo to Parent, as the case may be, occurring immediately prior to the Effective Time or as a payment of an assumed or retained Liability and (ii) any payment of interest as taxable or deductible, as the case may be, to the Party entitled under this Agreement to retain such payment or required under this Agreement to make such payment, in either case except as otherwise required by applicable Law.

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

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

5.5 Certain Businesses.

(a) Acknowledgement. Parent and SpinCo each acknowledge that the provisions of this Section 5.5 are necessary to protect Parent’s vested interest in having SpinCo’s Eastover paper mill, located at 4001 McCords Ferry Rd, Eastover, South Carolina (“Eastover”), continue to produce Printing Paper Products following the Separation and Distribution in the same manner as prior to the Separation and Distribution, including in light of:

(i) Parent’s substantial investment in the transactions contemplated by the Offtake Agreements, pursuant to which SpinCo is obligated to sell and market Printing Paper Products produced by Georgetown and Riverdale, the economic success of which is dependent upon Printing Paper Products being produced at Eastover following the Separation and Distribution in the same manner as prior to the Separation and Distribution;

(ii) potential damage to Parent from use by SpinCo of its residual knowledge of Parent’s customers, markets, strategy, technology, intellectual property and know-how, suppliers and personnel; and

(iii) the purpose of the Separation and Distribution, which is to create a separate company from Parent for the production, manufacture and sale of Printing Paper Products.

 

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(b) No Conversion. From and after the Effective Time until the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Distribution Date, neither SpinCo nor any of SpinCo’s Affiliates shall cause or permit Eastover to alter its production capabilities such that it would produce, design, manufacture or sell products other than Printing Paper Products and those products manufactured using the production capabilities of Eastover existing as of the Distribution Date.

(c) ROFR. If, at any time following the Effective Time, SpinCo or any of its Affiliates (the “Seller”) proposes to Transfer Eastover to a third party purchaser (the “Proposed Transfer”), then SpinCo shall promptly give Parent written notice of the Proposed Transfer (the “Transfer Notice”). The Transfer Notice shall include (w) a description of the Proposed Transfer, (x) the name and address of the proposed purchaser, (y) the purchase price proposed to be paid for Eastover if specifically ascribed by the proposed purchaser as part of the Proposed Transfer, and (z) the other material terms and conditions upon which the Proposed Transfer is to be made. The Transfer Notice shall also include a copy of any written proposal, term sheet or letter of intent or other agreement and any appraisals prepared for Eastover relating to the Proposed Transfer.

(i) Parent shall have an option for a period of forty-five (45) days from receipt of the Transfer Notice to elect to purchase Eastover at the same purchase price contemplated by the Proposed Transfer (subject to the provisions of clause (ii) below) and upon the same material terms and conditions described in the Transfer Notice. Parent may exercise such purchase option by notifying SpinCo in writing prior to the expiration of such forty-five (45)-day period (the “Election Notice”).

(ii) In the event that (x) Parent has delivered the Election Notice and (y) the Proposed Transfer contemplates the sale of assets or businesses additional to Eastover, then SpinCo and Parent shall promptly, and in any event within twenty (20) days of delivery of the Election Notice, each select an appraisal firm that has experience in valuing real property assets of similar type to Eastover. Both appraisal firms shall independently determine and deliver their appraisal of the Fair Market Value of Eastover within thirty (30) days of having been engaged to do so. If the appraised value delivered by Parent’s appraisal firm varies by less than 10% from the appraised value delivered by SpinCo’s appraisal firm, then an average of the two appraised values shall be deemed to be the purchase price for the purchase of Eastover by Parent. If the appraised value delivered by Parent’s appraisal firm varies by 10% or more from the appraised value delivered by SpinCo’s appraisal firm, then the appraisal firms shall mutually agree on a third independent appraisal firm within twenty (20) days. If the two appraisal firms cannot agree on the third appraisal firm within the twenty (20)-day period, SpinCo and Parent shall promptly submit the choice of the third appraisal firm to be finally resolved by a sole independent arbitrator appointed pursuant to the CPR Rules, who shall name a third appraisal firm that has experience valuing real property of similar type to Eastover. Parent and SpinCo shall use their reasonable best efforts to cause the third appraisal firm, within twenty (20) days after its appointment, to select one of the appraised values presented by SpinCo’s and Parent’s appraisal firms. The third appraisal firm shall be limited to awarding only one of the appraised values submitted by the SpinCo’s and Parent’s appraisal firms. The determination of the third appraisal firm shall be final and binding on the parties for purposes of the purchase of Eastover by Parent from SpinCo. Each party shall be responsible for the fees, costs and expenses of its own appraisal firm, and the fees, costs and expenses of the third appraisal firm shall be borne 50% by SpinCo and 50% by Parent.

 

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(iii) If Parent delivers the Election Notice, then Parent shall purchase Eastover at the purchase price contemplated by the Transfer Notice (or if applicable, the purchase price determined in accordance with Section 5.5(c)(ii)) and upon the same material terms and conditions as described in the Transfer Notice. The closing of the purchase of Eastover by Parent shall occur at such time and place as mutually agreed by Parent and SpinCo.

(iv) If Parent does not deliver the Election Notice within such forty-five (45)-day period, then the Seller shall have one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date of the Transfer Notice to consummate the Proposed Transfer upon the same material terms and conditions described in the Transfer Notice and subject to Section 5.5(d)(ii), if applicable; provided that such one hundred and twenty (120)-day period may be extended if such Proposed Transfer is subject to regulatory approval, until any such approvals have been received, but in no event later than three hundred (300) days from the date of the Transfer Notice. If the Seller proposes to Transfer Eastover after such one hundred and twenty (120)-day (or three hundred (300)-day) period, then SpinCo shall again comply with the procedures set forth in this Section 5.5(c).

(v) Solely for purposes of this Section 5.5(c), the term “material terms and conditions” shall not be construed to include provisions (A) related to the allocation of risk of regulatory approval or (B) termination fees related to the failure to obtain regulatory approval from any Government Authority.

(vi) The provisions of this Section 5.5(c) shall not apply to any Transfer of Eastover that occurs as a result of a Change of Control of SpinCo or any Person (and its Affiliates) that directly or indirectly owns a majority of the capital stock or assets of SpinCo as a result of any other Change of Control.

(vii) The provisions of this Section 5.5(c) shall expire and no longer have any effect following the consummation of the Proposed Transfer.

(d) Change of Control; Transfers.

(i) Sections 5.5(b) and 5.5(c) shall survive any Change of Control of SpinCo and, for the avoidance of doubt, SpinCo’s Affiliates thereafter shall include, without limitation, any Person (and its Affiliates) that directly or indirectly owns a majority of the capital stock or assets of SpinCo as a result of such Change of Control.

(ii) SpinCo shall not Transfer Eastover prior to the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Distribution Date to any Person other than Parent, unless the Transferee shall have agreed, in form and substance satisfactory to Parent, to assume the obligations of SpinCo pursuant to Section 5.5(b).

 

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(e) Recordation. The provisions set forth in Sections 5.5(b) and 5.5(c) shall be recorded on the title of Eastover.

(f) Existing Covenants. Following the Effective Time, SpinCo hereby agrees to comply with, and cause its Affiliates to comply with, (i) certain covenants and obligations required to be performed by Affiliates of Parent with respect to the SpinCo Business pursuant to the Kwidzyn Purchase Agreement and set forth on Schedule 5.5(f) and (ii) non-competition and non-solicitation covenants restricting the operation of the SpinCo Business in effect as of the Effective Time, including pursuant to those Contracts set forth on Schedule 5.5(f)(ii).

(g) Each Party acknowledges and agrees that the agreements and covenants set forth in this Section 5.5 are (i) necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of Parent, (ii) reasonable as to time, geographic area and scope of activity and do not impose a greater restraint on the activities of SpinCo than is reasonably necessary to protect such legitimate interests of Parent, and (iii) reasonable in light of the consideration and other value provided, directly or indirectly, to SpinCo by Parent pursuant to this Agreement, the Ancillaries Agreements and the Separation. SpinCo hereby waives all rights to contest the validity of the agreements and covenants set forth in this Section 5.5 on the ground of the reasonableness of the length of their term or the breadth of their geographic area or scope of activity. If the final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares any term or provision of this Section 5.5 invalid or unenforceable, the Parties agree that the court making the determination of invalidity or unenforceability shall have the power to and shall reform this Section 5.5 to reduce the time, geographic area or scope of activity, 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.

ARTICLE VI

EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY

6.1 Agreement for Exchange of Information and Cooperation.

(a) Subject to Section 6.10 and any other applicable confidentiality obligations, each of Parent and SpinCo, on behalf of itself and each member of its Group, agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to provide or make available, or cause to be provided or made available, to the other Party and the members of such other Party’s Group, at any time before, at or after the Effective Time, as soon as reasonably practicable after request therefor, any Information (or a copy thereof) in the possession or under the control of such Party or its Group that the requesting Party or its Group requests to the extent that (a) such Information relates to the SpinCo Business, or any SpinCo Asset or SpinCo Liability, if SpinCo is the requesting Party, or to the Parent Business, or any Parent Asset or Parent Liability, if Parent is the requesting Party; (b) such Information is reasonably requested in connection with the requesting Party’s compliance with its obligations under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, or under any contract, agreement, obligation, indenture, instrument, lease, promise,

 

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arrangement, release, warranty, commitment or undertaking to which it or any member of its Group is a party or by which any of their respective properties or assets are bound; or (c) such Information is reasonably requested in connection with the requesting Party’s compliance with any obligation imposed by any Governmental Authority or under any applicable Law or securities exchange rule; provided, however, that, in the event that the Party to whom the request has been made determines that any such provision of Information could be commercially detrimental to the Party providing the Information, violate any Law or agreement, or waive any privilege available under applicable Law, including any attorney-client privilege, then the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to permit compliance with such obligations to the extent and in a manner that avoids any such harm or consequence. The Party providing Information pursuant to this Section 6.1 shall be obligated to provide Tangible Information only in the form, condition and format in which it then exists, and in no event shall such Party be required to perform any improvement, modification, conversion, updating or reformatting of any such Tangible Information, and nothing in this Section 6.1 shall expand the obligations of a Party under Section 6.5.

(b) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, following the Effective Time, each Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the other Party in its information requests and other reasonable requests to enable (i) the other Party to meet its applicable financial reporting and related obligations under applicable Laws and securities exchange rules and timetable for dissemination of its earnings releases, financial statements, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures and its internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Items 307 and 308, respectively, of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act; (ii) the other Party’s accountants to timely complete their review of the quarterly financial statements and audit of the annual financial statements, including, to the extent applicable to such Party, its auditor’s audit of its internal control over financial reporting and management’s assessment thereof in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC’s and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s rules and auditing standards thereunder and any other applicable Laws; (iii) the other Party to meet its other applicable obligations imposed by any Governmental Authority or under any applicable Law or securities exchange rule; and (iv) the other Party to meet its applicable obligations under any contract, agreement, obligation, indenture, instrument, lease, promise, arrangement, release, warranty, commitment or undertaking to which it or any member of its Group is a party or by which any of their respective properties or assets are bound.

6.2 Financial Information; Public Filings.

(a) Without limiting the generality of Section 6.1, during the period beginning on the Distribution Date and ending following a reasonable period of time after the end of the first full fiscal year following the Distribution Date as required for any member of either Group to prepare consolidated financial statements (including presenting the operations of the SpinCo Business distributed as discontinued operations) or complete a financial statement audit for the fiscal year during which the Distribution Date occurs (the “Overlapping Fiscal Year”), each Party shall, and shall cause the members of its

 

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respective Group to, use its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with any requests from any member of the other Group, in each case to enable the requesting Person to meet its timetable for dissemination of its earnings releases and financial statements and to enable such requesting Person’s auditors to timely complete their integrated audit of the annual financial statements and internal control over financial reporting.

(b) During the Overlapping Fiscal Year, as soon as practicable, and in any event no later than the earlier of (i) thirty-five (35) days after the end of the applicable fiscal quarter, (ii) five (5) days before Parent is required to post, pursuant to SEC filing requirements, its quarterly financial statements and (iii) five (5) days before SpinCo publicly files its first quarterly report with the SEC that includes its consolidated financial statements for such fiscal quarter (the “SpinCo Quarterly Financial Statements”), SpinCo shall deliver to Parent the substantially final draft of the SpinCo Quarterly Financial Statements. Following such delivery, (x) SpinCo and Parent shall actively consult with each other regarding any changes (whether or not substantive) which SpinCo may consider making to the SpinCo Quarterly Financial Statements, with particular focus on any changes which would have any effect upon Parent’s financial statements or related disclosures and (y) SpinCo shall deliver all material revisions to such drafts as soon as any such revisions are prepared or made. The substantially final draft (including any revisions resulting from the prior sentence) of the SpinCo Quarterly Financial Statements shall be certified by the chief financial officer of SpinCo as presenting fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the SpinCo Group.

(c) As soon as practicable, and in any event no later than the earlier of (x) sixty-five (65) days after the end of the applicable fiscal year, (y) ten (10) days before Parent is required to post, pursuant to SEC filing requirements, its annual financial statements for the Overlapping Fiscal Year and (z) ten (10) days before SpinCo publicly files its first annual report with the SEC that includes its audited consolidated financial statements for the Overlapping Fiscal Year (the “SpinCo Annual Financial Statements”), SpinCo shall deliver to Parent the substantially final draft of the SpinCo Annual Financial Statements. Following such delivery, (i) SpinCo and Parent shall actively consult with each other regarding any changes (whether or not substantive) which SpinCo may consider making to the SpinCo Annual Financial Statements, with particular focus on any changes which would have any effect upon Parent’s financial statements or related disclosures and (ii) SpinCo shall deliver all material revisions to such drafts as soon as any such revisions are prepared or made. The substantially final draft (including any revisions resulting from the prior sentence) of the SpinCo Annual Financial Statements shall be certified by the chief financial officer of SpinCo as presenting fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the SpinCo Group.

(d) With respect to Public Filings (i) by Parent, until the date on which its annual financial statements for the Overlapping Fiscal Year are posted, and (ii) by SpinCo, until the date on which the SpinCo Annual Financial Statements are filed, SpinCo and Parent shall cooperate, and shall cause their respective Representatives to cooperate, to the extent requested by the other, in the preparation of such other Person’s public earnings releases, annual report on Form 10-K, annual financial statements,

 

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quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, quarterly financial statements, current reports on Form 8-K and other proxy, information and registration statements, reports, notices, prospectuses and filings made with the SEC or any national securities exchange or otherwise made publicly available (collectively, the “Public Filings”). SpinCo and Parent agree to provide each other all Information that the other reasonably requests in connection with any Public Filings or that, in either such Person’s judgment, is required to be disclosed or incorporated by reference therein under any Law. Such Information shall be provided by such Person in a timely manner to enable such other Person to prepare, print and release all Public Filings on such dates as such Person shall determine. SpinCo and Parent shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to cause their respective auditors to consent to any reference to them as experts in any Public Filings required under any Law. If and to the extent requested by either SpinCo or Parent, such other Person shall diligently and promptly review all drafts of such Public Filings.

(e) To the extent it relates to a pre-Effective Time period, SpinCo and Parent shall each authorize its respective auditors to make available to the other Party’s auditors both the personnel who performed or are performing the annual audit of the providing Party and work papers related to the annual audit of the providing Party, in all cases within a reasonable time prior to the opinion date of such other Party’s auditors, so that such other Party’s auditors are able to perform the procedures they consider necessary to take responsibility for the work of the providing Party’s auditors as it relates to such other Party’s auditors’ report on such other Party’s annual financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, all within sufficient time to enable such other Party to meet its timetable for the printing, filing and public dissemination of such other Party’s audited annual financial statements.

(f) To the extent it relates to a pre-Effective Time period, SpinCo and Parent shall each provide access to personnel and records of members of its respective Group to the other Party’s auditors and management so that such other Party may conduct reasonable audits relating to the financial statements provided by the providing Party pursuant to the provisions of this Section 6.2.

(g) To the extent it relates to a pre-Effective Time period, (i) each of the Parties shall give the other Party as much prior notice as is reasonably practicable of any changes to, or proposed determination of, its accounting estimates or accounting principles from those in effect as of immediately prior to the Effective Time or of any other action with regard to its accounting estimates or accounting principles or previously reported financial results which may affect the other Party’s financial results, (ii) each of the Parties will consult with the other and, if requested by the Party contemplating such changes, with such Party’s auditors and (iii) unless required by generally accepted accounting principles, Law or a Governmental Authority, SpinCo shall not make such determination or changes which would affect Parent’s previously reported financial results without Distributing’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. Further, SpinCo will give Parent prompt notice of any amendments or restatements of accounting statements with respect to the pre-Effective Time period, and will provide Parent with access as provided in this Section 6.2 as promptly as possible such that Parent will be able to satisfy its financial reporting requirements.

 

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(h) Until the end of the Overlapping Fiscal Year, SpinCo shall, and shall cause each member of its Group to, maintain a fiscal year that commences and ends on the same calendar days as Parent’s fiscal year commences and ends, and to maintain monthly accounting periods that commence and end on the same calendar days as Parent’s monthly accounting periods commence and end.

(i) Each Party agrees and acknowledges, on behalf of itself and members of its Group, that it is aware and will advise its Representatives who receive information provided hereunder and are otherwise not aware, that (i) the information provided hereunder may contain material, non-public information concerning the other Party or member of such other Party’s Group and (ii) United States securities laws prohibit any person who has material non-public information concerning a publicly traded Person from purchasing or selling securities of such Person, or from communicating such information to any other Person under circumstances in which it is reasonably foreseeable that such Person is likely to purchase or sell such securities.

6.3 Ownership of Information. The provision of any Information pursuant to Section 6.1, 6.2 or 6.8 shall not affect the ownership of such Information (which shall be determined solely in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements), or constitute a grant of rights in or to any such Information.

6.4 Compensation for Providing Information. A Party requesting Information shall reimburse the other Party for any non-de minimis, reasonable costs, if any, of creating, gathering, copying, transporting and otherwise complying with the request with respect to such Information (including any reasonable costs and expenses incurred in any review of Information for purposes of protecting the Privileged Information of the providing Party or in connection with the restoration of backup media for purposes of providing the requested Information). Except as may be otherwise specifically provided elsewhere in this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or any other agreement between the Parties, such costs shall be computed in accordance with the providing Party’s standard methodology and procedures.

6.5 Record Retention. To facilitate the possible exchange of Information pursuant to this Article VI and other provisions of this Agreement after the Effective Time, each Party agrees to use reasonable best efforts, which shall be no less rigorous than those used for retention of such Party’s own Information, to retain all Information in its possession or control at the Effective Time for no less than six (6) years following the Effective Time and otherwise in accordance with the policies of Parent as in effect at the Effective Time or such other policies as may be adopted by Parent after the Effective Time (provided that Parent notifies SpinCo in writing of any such change); provided, however, that in the case of any Information relating to Taxes, employee benefits or Environmental Liabilities, such retention period shall be extended to the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations (giving effect to any extensions thereof). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Section 8.1 of the Tax Matters Agreement shall govern the retention of Records (as defined in the Tax Matters Agreement).

6.6 Limitations of Liability. Neither Party shall have any Liability to the other Party in the event that any Information exchanged or provided pursuant to this Agreement is found to be inaccurate in the absence of gross negligence or intentional misconduct by the Party providing such Information. Neither Party shall have any Liability to any other Party if any Information is destroyed after commercially reasonable efforts by such Party to comply with the provisions of Section 6.5.

 

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6.7 Other Agreements Providing for Exchange of Information.

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

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

6.8 Production of Witnesses; Records; Cooperation.

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

(b) In connection with the defense of any Third-Party Claim by a Party, the other Party shall make available to such Party, upon written request, the former, current and future directors, officers, employees, other personnel and agents of the members of its respective Group as witnesses and any books, records or other documents within its control or which it otherwise has the ability to make available without unreasonable burden, to the extent that any such person (giving consideration to business demands of such directors, officers, employees, other personnel and agents) or books, records or other documents may reasonably be required in connection with such defense or any related settlement or compromise, and shall otherwise cooperate in such defense or any related settlement or compromise.

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

 

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(d) The obligation of the Parties to provide witnesses pursuant to this Section 6.8 is intended to be interpreted in a manner so as to facilitate cooperation and shall include the obligation to provide as witnesses directors, officers, employees, other personnel and agents without regard to whether such person could assert a possible business conflict (subject to the exception set forth in the first sentence of Section 6.8(a)).

6.9 Privileged Matters.

(a) The Parties recognize that legal and other professional services that have been and will be provided prior to the Effective Time have been and will be rendered for the collective benefit of each of the members of the Parent Group and the SpinCo Group, and that each of the members of the Parent Group and the SpinCo Group should be deemed to be the client with respect to such services for the purposes of asserting all privileges and immunities that may be asserted under applicable Law in connection therewith. The Parties recognize that legal and other professional services will be provided following the Effective Time, which services shall be rendered solely for the benefit of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, as the case may be.

(b) The Parties agree as follows:

(i) Parent shall be entitled, in perpetuity, to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges and immunities in connection with any Privileged Information that relates:

(A) solely to the Parent Business or to any member of the Parent Group and not to the SpinCo Business or to a member of the SpinCo Group;

(B) solely to any Parent Liabilities resulting from any Actions that are now pending or may be asserted in the future;

(C) to any individual who served as a director or officer of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries prior to the Effective Time, other than any individual who was also a director, employee or officer of a member of the SpinCo Group except to the extent such Privileged Information relates solely to such individual’s role as a director or officer of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries;

(D) to any communications between internal or outside counsel, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, Parent, any director, employee or officer of Parent, or any member of the Parent Group in connection with this Agreement, any of the Ancillary Agreements, the Separation and Distribution, the Internal Reorganization or any matters relating to such agreements, the Separation or Distribution or the Internal Reorganization, including in connection with a Dispute between a member of the Parent Group and a member of the SpinCo Group; or

 

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(E) solely to the Actions and other matters set forth in Schedule 6.9(b)(i);

in each case, whether or not the Privileged Information is in the possession or under the control of any member of the Parent Group or any member of the SpinCo Group.

(ii) SpinCo shall be entitled, in perpetuity, to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges and immunities in connection with any Privileged Information (other than the Privileged Information relating solely to the Actions and other matters set forth on Schedule 6.9(b)(i)) that relates:

(A) solely to the SpinCo Business or to a member of the SpinCo Group and not to the Parent Business or a member of the Parent Group;

(B) solely to any SpinCo Liabilities resulting from any Actions that are now pending or may be asserted in the future; or

(C) to any individual who serves as a director or officer of SpinCo prior to the Effective Time, other than any individual who was also a director, employee or officer of a member of the Parent Group except to the extent such Privileged Information relates solely to such individual’s role as a director or officer of SpinCo;

in each case, whether or not the Privileged Information is in the possession or under the control of any member of the SpinCo Group or any member of the Parent Group.

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

(c) Subject to the remaining provisions of this Section 6.9, the Parties agree that they shall have a shared privilege or immunity with respect to all privileges and immunities not allocated pursuant to Section 6.9(b) and all privileges and immunities relating to any Actions or other matters that involve both Parties (or one or more members of their respective Groups) and in respect of which both Parties have Liabilities under this Agreement, and that no such shared privilege or immunity may be waived by either Party without the consent of the other Party.

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

 

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(e) In the event of any adversarial Action between Parent and SpinCo, or any members of their respective Groups, either Party may waive a privilege in which the other Party or member of such other Party’s Group has a shared privilege, without obtaining consent pursuant to Section 6.9(c); provided that such waiver of a shared privilege shall be effective only as to the use of Privileged Information with respect to the Action between the Parties or the applicable members of their respective Groups, and shall not operate as a waiver of the shared privilege with respect to any Third Party.

(f) Upon receipt by either Party, or by any member of its Group, of any subpoena, discovery or other request that may reasonably be expected to result in the production or disclosure of Privileged Information subject to a shared privilege or immunity or as to which the other Party has the sole right hereunder to assert a privilege or immunity, or if either Party obtains knowledge that any of its, or any member of its respective Group’s, current or former directors, officers, agents or employees has received any subpoena, discovery or other request that may reasonably be expected to result in the production or disclosure of such Privileged Information, such Party shall promptly notify the other Party of the existence of the request (which notice shall be delivered to such other Party no later than ten (10) Business Days before production is required to occur, to the extent practicable) and shall provide the other Party a reasonable opportunity to review the Privileged Information and to assert any rights it or they may have under this Section 6.9 or otherwise to prevent the production or disclosure of such Privileged Information.

(g) Any furnishing of, or access or transfer of, any Information pursuant to this Agreement is made in reliance on the agreement of Parent and SpinCo set forth in this Section 6.9 and in Section 6.10 to maintain the confidentiality of Privileged Information and to assert and maintain all applicable privileges and immunities. The Parties agree that (i) their respective rights to any access to Information, witnesses and other Persons, the furnishing of notices and documents and other cooperative efforts between the Parties contemplated by this Agreement, and the transfer of Privileged Information between the Parties and members of their respective Groups pursuant to this Agreement, shall not be deemed a waiver of any privilege or immunity that has been or may be asserted under this Agreement or otherwise, and (ii) in the event of any exchange by one Party to the other Party of any Privileged Information that should not have been transferred pursuant to the terms of this Article VI, the Party receiving such Privileged Information shall promptly return such Privileged Information to and at the request of the Party that has the right to assert the privilege or immunity.

(h) In connection with any matter contemplated by Section 6.8 or this Section 6.9, the Parties agree to, and to cause the applicable members of their Group to, use reasonable efforts to maintain their respective separate and joint privileges and immunities, including by executing joint defense or common interest agreements to implement or supersede the provisions of Section 6.8 or this Section 6.9 where necessary or useful for this purpose.

6.10 Confidentiality.

 

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(a) Confidentiality. Subject to Section 6.11 and, and without prejudice to any longer period that may be provided for in any of the Ancillary Agreements, from and after the Effective Time until the fifth (5th) anniversary of the Effective Time, each of Parent and SpinCo, on behalf of itself and each member of its Group, agrees to hold, and to cause its respective Representatives to hold, in strict confidence, with at least the same degree of care that applies to Parent’s confidential and proprietary Information pursuant to policies in effect as of the Effective Time, all confidential and proprietary Information concerning the other Party or any member of the other Party’s Group or their respective businesses that is either in its possession (including confidential and proprietary Information in its possession prior to the date hereof) or furnished by any such other Party or any member of such other Party’s Group or their respective Representatives at any time pursuant to this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreement or otherwise, and shall not use such confidential and proprietary Information other than for such purposes as shall be expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder, except, in each case, to the extent that such confidential and proprietary Information has been (i) in the public domain or generally available to the public, other than as a result of a disclosure by such Party or any member of such Party’s Group or any of their respective Representatives in violation of this Agreement, (ii) later lawfully acquired from other sources by such Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) which sources are not themselves bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such confidential and proprietary Information, or (iii) independently developed or generated without reference to or use of any proprietary or confidential Information of such other Party or any member of such other Party’s Group. If any confidential and proprietary Information of one Party or any member of its Group is disclosed to the other Party or any member of such other Party’s Group in connection with providing services to such first Party or any member of its Group under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, then such disclosed confidential and proprietary Information shall be used only as required to perform such services.

(b) No Release; Return or Destruction. Each Party agrees not to release or disclose, or permit to be released or disclosed, any information addressed in Section 6.10(a) to any other Person, except its Representatives who need to know such information in their capacities as such (who shall be advised of their obligations hereunder with respect to such information), and except in compliance with Section 6.11. Without limiting the foregoing, when any such Information is no longer needed for the purposes contemplated by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, and is no longer subject to any legal hold or other document preservation obligation, each Party shall promptly, at the request of the other Party, either return to the other Party all such Tangible Information (including all copies thereof and all notes, extracts or summaries based thereon) or notify the other Party in writing that it has destroyed such Tangible Information (and such copies thereof and such notes, extracts or summaries based thereon); provided, that the Parties may retain electronic back-up versions of such Information maintained on routine computer system backup tapes, disks or other backup storage devices; provided further, that any such Information so retained shall remain subject to the confidentiality provisions of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement.

 

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

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

ARTICLE VII

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

7.1 Good-Faith Negotiation. Subject to Section 7.3 and except as otherwise provided in any Specified Ancillary Agreement, either Party seeking resolution of any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement or to the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including regarding whether any Assets are SpinCo Assets, any Liabilities are SpinCo Liabilities or the validity, interpretation, breach or termination of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement) (a “Dispute”), shall provide written notice thereof to the other Party (the “Initial Notice”) and, within thirty (30) days of the delivery

 

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of the Initial Notice, the Parties shall attempt in good faith to negotiate a resolution of the Dispute. The negotiations shall be conducted by executives who hold, at a minimum, the title of vice president and who have authority to settle the Dispute. All such negotiations shall be confidential and shall be treated as compromise and settlement negotiations for purposes of applicable rules of evidence. If the Parties are unable for any reason to resolve a Dispute within thirty (30) days after the delivery of such notice or if a Party reasonably concludes that the other Party is not willing to negotiate as contemplated by this Section 7.1, the Dispute shall be submitted to arbitration in accordance with Section 7.2.

7.2 Arbitration.

(a) In the event that a Dispute has not been resolved pursuant to Section 7.1, then such Dispute shall, upon the written request of a Party (the “Arbitration Request”), be submitted to be finally resolved by confidential arbitration in accordance with the International Institute for CPR Rules for Administered Arbitration (the “CPR Rules”) then in force. Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties in writing, any Dispute to be decided pursuant to this Section 7.2 shall be decided (i) before a sole arbitrator if the amount in dispute, inclusive of all claims and counterclaims, totals less than $10 million or (ii) by a panel of three (3) arbitrators if the amount in dispute, inclusive of all claims and counterclaims, totals $10 million or more.

(b) The panel of three (3) arbitrators will be chosen as follows: (i) within fifteen (15) days from the date of the receipt of the Arbitration Request, each Party shall name an arbitrator; and (ii) the two (2) Party-appointed arbitrators shall thereafter, within thirty (30) days from the date on which the second of the two (2) arbitrators was named, name a third, independent arbitrator who shall act as chairperson of the arbitral tribunal. In the event that either Party fails to name an arbitrator within fifteen (15) days from the date of receipt of the Arbitration Request, then upon written application by either Party, that arbitrator shall be appointed pursuant to the CPR Rules. In the event that the two (2) Party-appointed arbitrators fail to appoint the third, then the third, independent arbitrator shall be appointed pursuant to the CPR Rules. If the arbitration shall be before a sole independent arbitrator, then the sole independent arbitrator shall be appointed by agreement of the Parties within fifteen (15) days of the date of receipt of the Arbitration Request. If the Parties cannot agree to a sole independent arbitrator during such fifteen (15)-day period, then upon written application by either Party, the sole independent arbitrator shall be appointed pursuant to the CPR Rules.

(c) The award rendered by the arbitrators shall be final and binding on the Parties, and judgment upon the award may be entered by any court having jurisdiction over the relevant party or its assets. The seat of the arbitration shall be New York, New York. The substantive law of the Dispute shall be the law of the State of Delaware, without regard to its choice of law rules. The arbitration and this agreement to arbitrate shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1 et seq. Any rights to appeal or review such award by any court or tribunal are hereby waived to the extent permitted by Law. The initiation of arbitration pursuant to this Article VII shall toll the applicable statute of limitations for the duration of any such proceedings.

 

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

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

ARTICLE VIII

FURTHER ASSURANCES AND ADDITIONAL COVENANTS

8.1 Further Assurances.

(a) In addition to the actions specifically provided for elsewhere in this Agreement, each of the Parties shall use its reasonable best efforts, prior to, at and after the Effective Time, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws, regulations and agreements to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements.

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

 

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

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

8.2 Domain Name Use. Upon the request of a Party that used a domain name in connection with its business prior to the Effective Time, the Party owning the domain name following the Effective Time will re-direct traffic for that domain name to a domain name identified by the requesting Party for a period ending on the first (1st) anniversary of the Distribution Date.

ARTICLE IX

TERMINATION

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

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

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

10.1 Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power.

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

 

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(b) This Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements and the Exhibits, Schedules and appendices hereto and thereto contain the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein.

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

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

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

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

10.2 Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial.

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

 

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(b) Subject to the provisions of Article VII, each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement for recognition or enforcement of any judgment relating hereto, and each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees not to commence any such action or proceeding except in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (ii) agrees that any claim in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (iii) waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in such courts and (iv) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in such courts.

(c) EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF THE OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND EACH ANCILLARY AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY, AS APPLICABLE, BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 10.2(c).

10.3 Assignability. Except as set forth in any Ancillary Agreement, this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and the parties thereto, respectively, and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither Party nor any such party thereto may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party hereto or other parties thereto, as applicable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a party’s

 

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rights and obligations under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements (except as may be otherwise provided in any such Ancillary Agreement) in whole (i.e., the assignment of a party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and all Ancillary Agreements all at the same time) in connection with a Change of Control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant party thereto by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party. Nothing herein is intended to, or shall be construed to, prohibit either Party or any member of its Group from being party to or undertaking a Change of Control, provided that nothing in this Section 10.3 shall limit the terms of Section 5.5(b).

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

10.5 Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement and, to the extent applicable and unless otherwise provided therein, under each of the Ancillary Agreements shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by e-mail with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 10.5):

If to Parent, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: General Counsel

E-mail: Sharon.ryan@ipaper.com

If to SpinCo, to:

Before June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6400 Poplar Ave

Tower 1, 9th Floor

Memphis, TN 38197

 

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Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

After June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6077 Primacy Parkway

Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

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

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

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

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

10.9 Publicity. Prior to the Effective Time, each of SpinCo and Parent shall consult with each other prior to issuing any press releases or otherwise making public statements with respect to the Separation, the Distribution or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby or under any Ancillary Agreement and prior to making any filings with any Governmental Authority with respect thereto.

 

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10.10 Expenses. Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Agreement (including Section 2.14(b)) or any Ancillary Agreement, or as otherwise agreed to in writing by the Parties, all fees, costs and expenses incurred (a) by the Parties at or prior to the Effective Time in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery and implementation of this Agreement and any Ancillary Agreement, the Separation, the Form 10, the Information Statement, the Separation and the Distribution and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby shall be charged to and paid by Parent and (b) after the Effective Time shall be borne by the Party or its applicable Subsidiary incurring such fees, costs or expenses; provided, that the costs and expenses set forth on Schedule 10.10 shall be allocated between the Parties as set forth therein.

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

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

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

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

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

 

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10.16 Interpretation.

(a) In this Agreement and any Ancillary Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement) as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto and thereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement (or such Ancillary Agreement); (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement) unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement) shall be deemed to include the Exhibits, Schedules and Annexes to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement) shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in (x) Memphis, Tennessee or (y) New York, New York; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; (j) the word “extent” in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other thing extends, and such phrase shall not mean simply “if”; (k) unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts, including the symbol “$”, refer to the lawful currency of the United States of America; and (l) all references to “the date hereof” or “the date of this Agreement” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 29, 2021.

(b) In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of the Transition Services Agreement, the Tax Matters Agreement, the Employee Matters Agreement or the Intellectual Property Agreements (the “Specified Ancillary Agreements”), the terms of the applicable Specified Ancillary Agreement shall control with respect to the subject matter addressed by such Specified Ancillary Agreement to the extent of such conflict or inconsistency.

(c) In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the terms of any Specified Ancillary Agreement, on the one hand, and any Transfer Document, on the other hand, including with respect to the allocation of Assets and Liabilities as among the Parties or the members of their respective Groups, such Specified Ancillary Agreement shall control.

 

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

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

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

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

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

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith Townsend

Name: Keith Townsend
Title: VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ John Sims

Name: John Sims
Title: Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Page to Separation and Distribution Agreement]

Exhibit 3.2

 

 

SYLVAMO CORPORATION

AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWS

Effective as of September 29, 2021

 

 


SYLVAMO CORPORATION

BY-LAWS

Table of Contents

 

         Page  
  ARTICLE I   
  MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS   

Section 1.01.

  Annual Meetings      1  

Section 1.02.

  Special Meetings      1  

Section 1.03.

  Participation in Meetings by Remote Communication      1  

Section 1.04.

  Notice of Meetings; Waiver of Notice      2  

Section 1.05.

  Proxies      3  

Section 1.06.

  Voting Lists      3  

Section 1.07.

  Quorum      4  

Section 1.08.

  Voting      4  

Section 1.09.

  Adjournment      4  

Section 1.10.

  Organization; Procedure; Inspection of Elections      5  

Section 1.11.

  Consent of Stockholders in Lieu of Meeting      5  

Section 1.12.

  Notice of Stockholder Proposals and Nominations      6  

ARTICLE II

  

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  

Section 2.01.

  General Powers      10  

Section 2.02.

  Number and Term of Office      10  

Section 2.03.

  Election of Directors      11  

Section 2.04.

  Regular Meetings      12  

Section 2.05.

  Special Meetings      12  

Section 2.06.

  Notice of Meetings; Waiver of Notice      12  

Section 2.07.

  Quorum; Voting      12  

Section 2.08.

  Participation by Electronic Communications Equipment      12  

Section 2.09.

  Adjournment      13  

Section 2.10.

  Action Without a Meeting      13  

Section 2.11.

  Regulations      13  

Section 2.12.

  Resignations of Directors      13  

Section 2.13.

  Removal of Directors      13  

Section 2.14

  Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships      13  

Section 2.15.

  Compensation      14  

Section 2.16.

  Reliance on Accounts and Reports, etc      14  

Section 2.17.

  Chairperson of the Board      14  

 

i


Table of Contents

(continued)

 

         Page  

ARTICLE III

  
COMMITTEES   

Section 3.01.

  How Constituted      14  

Section 3.02.

  Members and Alternate Members      15  

Section 3.03.

  Committee Procedures      15  

Section 3.04.

  Meetings and Actions of Committees      15  

Section 3.05.

  Resignations and Removals      16  

Section 3.06.

  Vacancies      16  

ARTICLE IV

  

OFFICERS

  

Section 4.01.

  Officers      16  

Section 4.02.

  Election      16  

Section 4.03.

  Compensation      16  

Section 4.04.

  Removal and Resignation; Vacancies      16  

Section 4.05.

  Authority and Duties of Officers      17  

Section 4.06.

  Chief Executive Officer; President      17  

Section 4.07.

  Vice Presidents      17  

Section 4.08.

  Secretary      17  

Section 4.09.

  Treasurer      18  

ARTICLE V

  

CAPITAL STOCK

  

Section 5.01.

  Certificates of Stock; Uncertificated Shares      19  

Section 5.02.

  Facsimile Signatures      20  

Section 5.03.

  Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates      20  

Section 5.04.

  Transfer of Stock      20  

Section 5.05.

  Registered Stockholders      20  

Section 5.06.

  Transfer Agent and Registrar      20  

ARTICLE VI

  

INDEMNIFICATION

  

Section 6.01.

  Indemnification      21  

Section 6.02.

  Advance of Expenses      22  

Section 6.03.

  Procedure for Indemnification      22  

Section 6.04.

  Burden of Proof      22  

 

ii


Table of Contents

(continued)

 

         Page  

Section 6.05.

  Contract Right; Non-Exclusivity; Survival      23  

Section 6.06.

  Insurance      23  

Section 6.07.

  Employees and Agents      23  

Section 6.08.

  Interpretation; Severability      23  
ARTICLE VII   
OFFICES   

Section 7.01.

  Registered Office      24  

Section 7.02.

  Other Offices      24  
ARTICLE VIII   
GENERAL PROVISIONS   

Section 8.01.

  Dividends      24  

Section 8.02.

  Reserves      24  

Section 8.03.

  Execution of Instruments      24  

Section 8.04.

  Voting as Stockholder or Securityholder      25  

Section 8.05.

  Fiscal Year      25  

Section 8.06.

  Seal      25  

Section 8.07.

  Books and Records; Inspection      25  

Section 8.08.

  Electronic Transmission      25  

Section 8.09.

  Facsimile and Electronic Signatures      25  
ARTICLE IX   
AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS   

Section 9.01.

  Amendment      26  

 

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SYLVAMO CORPORATION

AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWS

As amended and restated effective September 29, 2021

ARTICLE I

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

Section 1.01. Annual Meetings. The annual meeting of the stockholders of Sylvamo Corporation (the “Corporation”) for the election of directors and for the transaction of such other business as properly may come before such meeting shall be held each year either within or without the State of Delaware, on such date and at such place, if any, and time as exclusively may be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Corporation’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) and set forth in the notice or waiver of notice of the meeting. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any annual meeting of stockholders previously scheduled by the Board.

Section 1.02. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only in the manner set forth in the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation as then in effect (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “Certificate of Incorporation”). Notice of every special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall state the purpose or purposes of such meeting. Except as otherwise required by law, the business conducted at a special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation shall be limited exclusively to the business set forth in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, and the individual or group calling such meeting shall have exclusive authority to determine the business included in such notice. Any special meeting of the stockholders shall be held either within or without the State of Delaware, at such place, if any, and on such date and time, as shall be specified in the notice of such special meeting. The Board may postpone, recess, reschedule or cancel any special meeting of the stockholders previously scheduled by the Board.

Section 1.03. Participation in Meetings by Remote Communication. The Board, acting in its sole discretion, may establish guidelines and procedures in accordance with applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time (the “DGCL”), and any other applicable law for the participation by stockholders and proxyholders in a meeting of stockholders by means of remote communications, and may determine that any meeting of stockholders will not be held at any place but will be held solely by means of remote communication. Stockholders and proxyholders complying with such procedures and guidelines and otherwise entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be deemed present in person and entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders, whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote communication; provided that (i) the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to verify that each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a stockholder or proxyholder, (ii) the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to


provide such stockholders and proxyholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the stockholders, including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings, and (iii) if any stockholder or proxyholder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the Corporation.

Section 1.04. Notice of Meetings; Waiver of Notice.

(a) Whenever stockholders are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a notice of the meeting shall be given that shall specify (i) the place, if any, date and time of such meeting, (ii) 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, (iii) the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, if such record date is different from the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, (iv) in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which such meeting is called, and (v) such other information as may be required by law or as may be deemed appropriate by the Chairperson of the Board, the Secretary or the Board. Unless otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Amended and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”), the notice of any meeting shall be given not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. Notice shall be deemed to have been given to all stockholders of record who share an address if notice is given in accordance with the “householding” rules set forth in Rule 14a-3(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and Section 233 of the DGCL. If the stockholder list referred to in Section 1.06 of these By-Laws is made accessible on an electronic network, the notice of meeting must indicate how the stockholder list can be accessed. If the meeting of stockholders is to be held solely by means of electronic communications, the notice of meeting must provide the information required to access such stockholder list during the meeting.

(b) A written waiver of notice of meeting signed by a stockholder or a waiver by electronic transmission by a stockholder, whether given before or after the meeting time stated in such notice, is deemed equivalent to notice. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual or special meeting of the stockholders need be specified in a waiver of notice. Attendance of a stockholder at a meeting is a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the stockholder attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business at the meeting on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

(c) Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders pursuant to the DGCL, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-laws may be given in writing directed to the stockholder’s mailing address (or by electronic transmission directed to the stockholder’s electronic mail address, as applicable) as it appears on the records of the Corporation and shall be deemed given (i) if mailed, when

 

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the notice is deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, (ii) if delivered by courier service, the earlier of when the notice is (x) received or (y) left at such stockholder’s address or (iii) if given by electronic mail, when directed to such stockholder’s electronic mail address unless the stockholder has notified the Corporation in writing or by electronic transmission of an objection to receiving notice by electronic mail or such notice is prohibited by subsection (e) of Section 232 of the DGCL. A notice by electronic mail must include a prominent legend that the communication is an important notice regarding the Corporation. Notice given by electronic transmission (other than by electronic mail) pursuant to this subsection shall be deemed given: (1) if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a facsimile telecommunication number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice; (2) if by posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and (3) if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder. An affidavit of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given by personal delivery, by mail or by a form of electronic transmission shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

Section 1.05. Proxies.

(a) Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent to or dissent from corporate action without a meeting (if permitted by the Certificate of Incorporation) may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy.

(b) No proxy may be voted or acted upon after the expiration of three years from the date of such proxy, unless such proxy provides for a longer period. Every proxy is revocable at the sole discretion of the stockholder executing it unless the proxy states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy that is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary a revocation of the proxy or a new proxy bearing a later date.

Section 1.06. Voting Lists. The Corporation shall prepare, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of the 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, unless the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the meeting, in which case the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the meeting date. This list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting for any purpose germane to the meeting as required by the DGCL or other applicable law. The list may be made available on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting or may be made available during ordinary business hours at the principal place of business of the Corporation. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. The stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled by this section to examine the list required by this section or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

 

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Section 1.07. Quorum. Except as otherwise required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of record of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at such meeting, provided, however, that where a separate vote by a class or series is required, the holders of a majority in voting power of all issued and outstanding stock of such class or series entitled to vote on such matter, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to such matter. In the absence of a quorum, the presiding person of the meeting or the stockholders so present, by a majority in voting power thereof, may adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 1.09 of these By-Laws until a quorum is present or represented.

Section 1.08. Voting. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or by applicable law, every holder of record of shares entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders is entitled to one vote for each share outstanding in his, her or its name on the books of the Corporation (a) at the close of business on the record date for such meeting or (b) if no record date has been fixed, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice of the meeting is given, or if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. All matters at any meeting at which a quorum is present, except the election of directors, shall be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority in voting power of the outstanding shares of the Corporation’s capital stock present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter in question, unless otherwise expressly provided by express provision of law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

Section 1.09. Adjournment. Any meeting of stockholders may be adjourned from time to time, by the presiding person of the meeting or by the vote of a majority of the shares of stock present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting, to reconvene at the same or some other place, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the place, if any, and date and time thereof (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 meeting) are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken unless the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days or a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting after the adjournment, in which case notice of the adjourned meeting in accordance with Section 1.04 of these By-Laws shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business that might have been transacted at the original meeting.

 

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Section 1.10. Organization; Procedure; Inspection of Elections.

(a) At every meeting of stockholders, the presiding person shall be the Chairperson of the Board or, in the event of his or her absence or disability, the Chief Executive Officer and President, or, in the event of his or her absence or disability, a presiding person chosen by resolution of the Board. The Secretary or, in the event of his or her absence or disability, the Assistant Secretary, if any, or, if there be no Assistant Secretary, in the absence of the Secretary, an appointee of the presiding person, shall act as secretary of the meeting. The Board may make such rules or regulations for the conduct of meetings of stockholders as it shall deem necessary, appropriate or convenient. Subject to any such rules and regulations, the presiding person of any meeting shall have the right and authority to prescribe rules, regulations and procedures for such meeting and to take all such actions as in the judgment of the presiding person are appropriate for the proper conduct of such meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the presiding person 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 the presiding person of the meeting shall determine; (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. The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter or business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare to the meeting and any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the presiding person of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

(b) Preceding any meeting of the stockholders, the Board may, and when required by law shall, appoint one or more persons to act as inspectors of elections, and may designate one or more alternate inspectors. If no inspector or alternate so appointed by the Board is able to act, or if no inspector or alternate has been appointed and the appointment of an inspector is required by law, the person presiding at the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. No director or nominee for election to the Board shall be appointed as an inspector of elections. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of an inspector, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. The inspectors shall discharge their duties in accordance with the requirements of applicable law.

Section 1.11. Consent of Stockholders in Lieu of Meeting. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, stockholders may not take any action by consent in lieu of action at an annual or special meeting of stockholders.

 

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Section 1.12. Notice of Stockholder Proposals and Nominations.

(a) Annual Meetings of Stockholders. (i) Nominations of persons for election to the Board and proposals of business to be considered by the stockholders at an annual meeting of stockholders may be made only (A) as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any notice supplemental thereto), (B) by or at the direction of the Board, or a committee appointed by the Board for such purpose, or (C) by any stockholder of the Corporation who or which (1) is entitled to vote at the meeting, (2) complies in a timely manner with all notice procedures set forth in this Section 1.12, and (3) is a stockholder of record when the required notice is delivered and at the date of the meeting.

(ii) For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to subclause (C) of Section 1.12(a)(i) of these By-Laws, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary and, in the case of business other than nominations for persons for election to the Board, such other business must constitute a proper matter for stockholder action. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred and twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting (which date shall, for purposes of the Corporation’s first annual meeting of stockholders after its shares of common stock are first publicly traded, be deemed to have occurred on May 16, 2021); provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than thirty (30) days or delayed by more than seventy (70) days from such anniversary date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. The number of nominees a stockholder may nominate for election at an annual meeting (or in the case of a stockholder giving the notice on behalf of a beneficial owner, the number of nominees a stockholder may nominate for election at an annual meeting on behalf of such beneficial owner) shall not exceed the number of directors to be elected at such annual meeting. Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth (A) as to each person whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director, all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to and in accordance with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, including such person’s written consent to being named in the Corporation’s proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected; (B) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend these By-Laws, the text of the proposed amendment), the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; and (C) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is

 

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made (1) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and of such beneficial owner; (2) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned, directly or indirectly, beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner; (3) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of the stock of the Corporation at the time of giving the notice, will be entitled to vote at such meeting and will appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business or nomination; (4) a representation whether the stockholder or the beneficial owner, if any, will be or is part of a group which will (x) deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or elect the nominee and/or (y) otherwise solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such proposal or nomination; and (5) a certification regarding whether such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, have complied with all applicable federal, state and other legal requirements in connection with the stockholder’s and/or beneficial owner’s acquisition of shares of capital stock or other securities of the Corporation and/or the stockholder’s and/or beneficial owner’s acts or omissions as a stockholder of the Corporation. Notice of a stockholder nomination or proposal shall also set forth, as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (A) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to the nomination or proposal and/or the voting of shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation between or among the stockholder giving notice, the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made, any of their respective affiliates or associates and/or other person or persons (including their names) acting in concert with any of the foregoing (collectively, the “proponent persons”); (B) a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including, without limitation, regardless of the form of settlement, any derivative, long or short positions, profit interests, forwards, futures, swaps, options, warrants, convertible securities, stock appreciation or similar rights, hedging transactions and borrowed or loaned shares) to which any proponent person is a party, the effect or intent of which is to transfer to or from any proponent person, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security of the Corporation, to increase or decrease the voting power of any proponent person with respect to shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation and/or to provide any proponent person, directly or indirectly, with the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from, or to otherwise benefit economically from, any increase or decrease in the value of any security of the Corporation (a “Derivative Instrument”); (C) to the extent not disclosed pursuant to the immediately preceding clause (B), the principal amount of any indebtedness of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries beneficially owned by such stockholder or by the beneficial owner, if any, together with the title of the instrument under which such indebtedness was issued and a description of any Derivative Instrument entered into by or on behalf of such stockholder or such beneficial owner relating to the value or payment of any indebtedness of the Corporation or any such subsidiary; and (D) any other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in an election contest pursuant to and in accordance with Section 14(a) of the Exchange

 

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Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The foregoing notice requirements shall be deemed satisfied by a stockholder if the stockholder has notified the Corporation of his or her intention to present a proposal at an annual meeting in compliance with Rule 14a-8 (or any successor thereof) promulgated under the Exchange Act, and such stockholder’s proposal has been included in a proxy statement that has been prepared by the Corporation to solicit proxies for such annual meeting. A stockholder providing notice of a proposed nomination for election to the Board or other business proposed to be brought before a meeting (whether given pursuant to this paragraph (a)(ii) or paragraph (b) of this Section 1.12 of these By-Laws) shall update and supplement such notice from time to time to the extent necessary so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct (x) as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting and (y) as of the date that is fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, provided that if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting is less than fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the information shall be supplemented and updated as of such later date. Any such update and supplement shall be delivered in writing to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) days after the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting (in the case of any update and supplement required to be made as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting), not later than ten (10) days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof (in the case of any update or supplement required to be made as of fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting or adjournment or postponement thereof) and not later than five (5) days after the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, but no later than the date prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof (in the case of any update and supplement required to be made as of a date less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as a director of the Corporation and to determine the independence of such director under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder and applicable stock exchange rules. In addition, a stockholder seeking to bring an item of business before the annual meeting shall promptly provide any other information reasonably requested by the Corporation.

(iii) Notwithstanding anything in Section 1.12(a)(ii) of these By-Laws to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board at an annual meeting is increased and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board made by the Corporation at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting (which date shall, for purposes of the Corporation’s first annual meeting of stockholders after its shares of common stock are first publicly traded, be deemed to have occurred on May 16, 2021), then a stockholder’s notice under this Section 1.12(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it is received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

 

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(b) Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business as shall have been brought before the special meeting of the stockholders pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting shall be conducted at such meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting (1) by or at the direction of the Board or a Committee appointed by the Board for such purpose or stockholders pursuant to Article EIGHTH of the Certificate of Incorporation or (2) provided that the Board or stockholders pursuant to Article EIGHTH of the Certificate of Incorporation has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is entitled to vote at the meeting, who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 1.12(b) and who is a stockholder of record at the time such notice is delivered to the Secretary. The number of nominees a stockholder may nominate for election at a special meeting (or in the case of a stockholder giving the notice on behalf of a beneficial owner, the number of nominees a stockholder may nominate for election at a special meeting on behalf of such beneficial owner) shall not exceed the number of directors to be elected at such special meeting. In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors of the Corporation, any stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting may nominate a person or persons, as the case may be, for election to such position(s) as specified by the Corporation, if the stockholder’s notice as required by Section 1.12(a)(ii) of these By-Laws shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting at which directors are to be elected.

(c) General.

(i) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 1.12 shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at an annual or special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section. Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, the presiding person of a meeting of stockholders shall have the power and duty (x) to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 1.12 (including whether the stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made, solicited (or is part of a group which solicited) or did not so solicit, as the case may be, proxies in support of such stockholder’s nominee or proposal in compliance with such stockholder’s representation as required by clause (a)(ii)(C)(4) of this Section 1.12), and (y) if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with this Section 1.12, to declare that such defective nomination shall be disregarded or that such proposed business shall not be transacted.

 

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(ii) If the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) making a nomination or proposal under this Section 1.12 does not appear at a meeting of stockholders to present such nomination or proposal, the nomination shall be disregarded and/or the proposed business shall not be transacted, as the case may be, notwithstanding that proxies in favor thereof may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 1.12, to be considered a qualified representative of the stockholder, a person must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders.

(A) Whenever used in these By-Laws,public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(B) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 1.12, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 1.12. Nothing in this Section 1.12 shall be deemed to affect any rights of (x) stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (y) the holders of any series of preferred stock to elect directors pursuant to any applicable provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or of the relevant preferred stock certificate of designation.

(C) The announcement of an adjournment or postponement of an annual or special meeting does not commence a new time period (and does not extend any time period) for the giving of notice of a stockholder nomination or a stockholder proposal as described above.

ARTICLE II

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 2.01. General Powers. Except as may otherwise be provided by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board. The directors shall act only as a Board, and the individual directors shall have no power as such.

Section 2.02. Number and Term of Office. Subject to any rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock to elect additional directors and any requirements of the Certificate of Incorporation, the number of directors shall be fixed, and may be altered from time to time, exclusively by resolution of the Board, but in no event may the number of directors of the Corporation be less than one (1). Each director (whenever elected) shall hold office until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

 

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Section 2.03. Election of Directors. Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, and any rights of the holders of shares of any class or series of preferred stock, if any, to elect additional directors, at each meeting of stockholders for the election of directors, provided a quorum is present, each director who is standing for election shall be elected by the vote of the majority of the votes cast with respect to that Director’s election; provided, however, that directors shall be elected by the vote of a plurality of votes cast in connection with the election of directors at any meeting of stockholders with respect to which (i) a stockholder has nominated a person for election to the Board in compliance with the requirements for stockholder nominees for director set forth in Section 1.12 of these By-Laws, (ii) such nomination has not been withdrawn by such stockholder prior to the 10th day preceding the date the Corporation first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders, and (iii) as of the record date for such meeting of stockholders, there are more nominees for election than positions on the Board to be filled by election at the meeting (a “Contested Election”). For purposes of this Section 2.03, “a majority of the votes cast” means that the number of shares voted “for” a nominee’s election exceeds the number of shares voted “against” such nominee’s election (with “abstentions” and “broker non-votes” not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” that director’s election).

Any nominee who is an incumbent director and does not receive a majority of the votes cast in an election that is not a Contested Election must promptly tender his or her resignation contingent on the acceptance of that resignation by the Board to the Chairperson of the Board following certification of the election results. In the event that such a resignation is tendered, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, or another duly authorized committee designated by the Board, shall recommend to the Board whether to accept or reject the tendered resignation or whether other action should be taken. The Board shall act on the resignation, considering the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation no later than at its first regularly scheduled meeting following certification of the election results and shall publicly disclose the Board’s decision (including, if applicable, the reasons for rejecting the tendered resignation) in a periodic or current report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

If one or more directors’ resignations are accepted by the Board, or if a nominee for director who is not an incumbent director is not elected, the Board may fill the resulting vacancy or vacancies pursuant to Section 2.14 of these By-Laws or reduce the size of the Board pursuant to Section 2.02 of these By-Laws.

Any director who tenders his or her resignation pursuant to this provision will not participate in the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation or Board’s decision regarding the tendered resignation. If a majority of the members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee failed to receive a majority vote at the same election, the Board shall appoint a Board committee solely for the purpose of considering the tendered resignations, consisting of one or more of the directors who were not required to tender a resignation pursuant to this provision, and shall recommend to the Board whether to accept or reject them.

 

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The stockholders do not have the right to cumulate their votes for the election of directors.

Section 2.04. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held on such dates, and at such times and places, as are determined from time to time by the Board. A notice of regular meetings of the Board shall not be required.

Section 2.05. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board shall be held whenever called by the Chairperson of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer or, in the event of his or her absence or disability, by the Secretary, or by a majority of the directors then in office, at such place, date and time as may be specified in the respective notices or waivers of notice of such meetings. Any business may be conducted at a special meeting.

Section 2.06. Notice of Meetings; Waiver of Notice.

(a) Notice to directors of the date, place and time of any special meeting of the Board shall be given to each director by the Secretary or by the officer or one of the directors calling the meeting. If the notice is delivered in person, by electronic mail, telephone or other means of electronic transmission, it shall be delivered or sent at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is sent by mail, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least five (5) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. Except as otherwise provided herein or permitted by applicable law, notices to any director may be in writing and delivered personally or mailed to such director at such director’s address appearing on the books of the Corporation, or may be given by telephone or by any means of electronic transmission (including, without limitation, electronic mail) directed to an address for receipt by such director of electronic transmissions appearing on the books of the Corporation.

(b) A written waiver of notice of meeting signed by a director or a waiver by electronic transmission by a director, whether given before or after the meeting time stated in such notice, is deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a director at a meeting is a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the director attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business at the meeting on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

Section 2.07. Quorum; Voting. At all meetings of the Board, the presence of a majority of the total authorized number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Except as otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws, the vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board.

Section 2.08. Participation by Electronic Communications Equipment. Members of the Board may participate in a meeting of the Board 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 in a meeting pursuant to this provision shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

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Section 2.09. Adjournment. A majority of the directors present may adjourn any meeting of the Board to another date, time or place, whether or not a quorum is present. No notice need be given of any adjourned meeting unless (a) the date, time and place of the adjourned meeting are not announced at the time of adjournment, in which case notice conforming to the requirements of Section 2.05 of these By-Laws shall be given to each director, or (b) the meeting is adjourned for more than twenty-four (24) hours, in which case the notice referred to in clause (a) shall be given to those directors not present at the announcement of the date, time and place of the adjourned meeting.

Section 2.10. Action Without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission. Thereafter, such writing or writings or electronic transmissions shall be filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board. 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.

Section 2.11. Regulations. To the extent consistent with applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation and these By-Laws, the Board may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings of the Board and for the management of the affairs and business of the Corporation as the Board may deem appropriate.

Section 2.12. Resignations of Directors. Any director may resign at any time by submitting an electronic transmission or by delivering a written notice of resignation, signed by such director, to the Chairperson of the Board or the Secretary. Such resignation shall take effect upon delivery unless the resignation specifies a later effective date or an effective date determined upon the happening of a specified event.

Section 2.13. Removal of Directors. Subject to any rights granted to the holders of shares of any class or series of preferred stock then outstanding to remove directors elected by such class or series of preferred stock, a director may be removed at any time, either with or without cause, upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation then entitled to vote in an election of directors.

Section 2.14. Vacancies and Newly Created Directorships. Subject to any rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock then outstanding, and except as provided by law, any vacancies in the Board that results from the death, disability, resignation, disqualification or removal of any director or from any other cause or newly created directorships shall be filled solely by an affirmative vote of at least a majority of the directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. A director elected to fill a vacancy or a newly created directorship shall hold office until his or her successor has been elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

 

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Section 2.15. Compensation. The amount, if any, which each director shall be entitled to receive as compensation for his or her services shall be fixed from time to time by the Board. The Corporation will cause each director serving on the Board to be reimbursed for all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by him or her in connection with such service.

Section 2.16. Reliance on Accounts and Reports, etc. A director, as such or as a member of any committee designated by the Board, shall in the performance of his or her duties be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Corporation and upon information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of the Corporation’s officers or employees, or committees designated by the Board, or by any other person as to the matters the member reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation.

Section 2.17. Chairperson of the Board. A Chairperson of the Board shall be appointed by a majority of the directors of the Board. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Chairperson of the Board shall have the power to call special meetings of stockholders. If present, the Chairperson of the Board shall preside at meetings of the stockholders and of the Board. The Chairperson of the Board shall have such other powers and duties customarily and usually associated with the office of Chairperson of the board of directors, as well as any additional powers and duties as may be from time to time assigned to him or her by the Board. The Board may also elect from among its members a one or more vice-chairpersons to perform such duties as may be designated by the Board.

ARTICLE III

COMMITTEES

Section 3.01. How Constituted. The Board shall designate such committees as may be required by applicable laws, regulations or stock exchange rules, and may designate such additional committees as it deems necessary or appropriate (collectively, the “Committees”). Each Committee shall consist of such number of directors, with such qualifications, as may be required by applicable laws, regulations or stock exchange rules, or as from time to time may be fixed by the Board, and shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation to the extent delegated to such Committee by resolution of the Board, which delegation shall include all such powers and authority as may be required by applicable laws, regulations or stock exchange rules. No Committee shall have any power or authority (a) as to approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter (other than the election or removal of directors) expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, (b) as to adopting, amending or repealing any of these By-Laws or (c) as may otherwise be excluded by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation. Any Committee may be abolished or re-designated from time to time by the Board.

 

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Section 3.02. Members and Alternate Members. The members of each Committee and any alternate members shall be selected by the Board. The Board may provide that the members and alternate members serve at the pleasure of the Board. An alternate member may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the Committee. An alternate member shall be given all notices of Committee meetings, may attend any meeting of the Committee, but may count towards a quorum and vote only if a member for whom such person is an alternate is absent or disqualified. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a Committee, the member or members thereof 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 to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Each member or alternate member of any Committee (whether designated at an annual meeting of the Board or to fill a vacancy or otherwise) shall hold office until his or her successor shall have been designated or until he or she shall cease to be a director, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

Section 3.03. Committee Procedures. A quorum for each Committee shall be a majority of its members, unless the Committee has only one or two members, in which case a quorum shall be one member, unless a greater quorum is established by the Board. The vote of a majority of the Committee members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Committee. Each Committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report to the Board when required. The Board may adopt other rules and regulations for the government of any Committee not inconsistent with the provisions of these By-Laws, and each Committee may adopt its own rules and regulations of government, to the extent not inconsistent with these By-Laws or rules and regulations adopted by the Board.

Section 3.04. Meetings and Actions of Committees. Meetings and actions of each Committee shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of the following sections of these By-Laws, with such By-Laws being deemed to refer to the Committee and its members in lieu of the Board and its members:

(a) Section 2.04 (relating to regular meetings);

(b) Section 2.05 (relating to special meetings);

(c) Section 2.06 (relating to notice and waiver of notice);

(d) Sections 2.08 and 2.10 (relating to electronic communication);

(e) Section 2.09 (relating to adjournment and notice of adjournment); and

(f) Section 2.10 (relating to action without a meeting).

Special meetings of Committees may also be called by resolution of the Board.

 

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Section 3.05. Resignations and Removals. Any member (and any alternate member) of any Committee may resign from such position at any time by submitting an electronic transmission or by delivering a written notice of resignation, signed by such member, to the Chairperson of the Board or the Secretary. Such resignation shall take effect upon delivery unless the resignation specifies a later effective date or an effective date determined upon the happening of a specified event. Any member (and any alternate member) of any Committee may be removed from such position by the Board at any time, either for or without cause.

Section 3.06. Vacancies. If a vacancy occurs in any Committee for any reason, the remaining members (and any alternate members) may continue to act if a quorum is present. A Committee vacancy may be filled only by the Board.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

Section 4.01. Officers. The Board shall elect a Chief Executive Officer and President (which offices may be held by the same person) and a Secretary as officers of the Corporation. The Board may also elect a Treasurer, one or more Senior Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers and such other officers and agents as the Board may determine (including a Chief Financial Officer). The Board from time to time may also delegate to any officer the power to appoint subordinate officers or agents and to prescribe their respective rights, terms of office, authorities and duties. Any action by an appointing officer may be superseded by action by the Board. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, except that one person may not hold both the office of Chief Executive Officer and President and the office of Secretary. No officer need be a director of the Corporation.

Section 4.02. Election. The officers of the Corporation elected by the Board shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. Officers and agents appointed pursuant to delegated authority as provided in Section 4.01 (or, in the case of agents, as provided in Section 4.06) shall hold their offices for such terms as may be determined from time to time by the appointing officer. Each officer shall hold office until his or her successor has been elected or appointed and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

Section 4.03. Compensation. The salaries and other compensation of all executive officers of the Corporation shall be fixed by the Board or in the manner established by the Board, including by any committee established by the Board for such purpose.

Section 4.04. Removal and Resignation; Vacancies. Any officer may be removed for or without cause at any time by the Board. Any officer granted the power to appoint subordinate officers and agents as provided in Section 4.01 may remove any subordinate officer or agent appointed by such officer, for or without cause. Any officer or agent may resign at any time by delivering notice of resignation, either in writing signed by such officer or by electronic transmission, to the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and President. Unless otherwise specified therein, such resignation shall take effect upon delivery. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation, by death, resignation, removal or otherwise, may be filled by the Board or by the officer, if any, who appointed the person formerly holding such office.

 

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Section 4.05. Authority and Duties of Officers. An officer of the Corporation shall have such authority and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties (a) as may be required by law, (b) to the extent not inconsistent with law, as are specified in these By-Laws, (c) to the extent not inconsistent with law or these By-Laws, as may be specified by resolution of the Board and (d) to the extent not inconsistent with any of the foregoing, as may be specified by the appointing officer with respect to a subordinate officer appointed pursuant to delegated authority under Section 4.01.

Section 4.06. Chief Executive Officer; President. The Chief Executive Officer and President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation, shall have general control and supervision of the policies and operations of the Corporation and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board are carried into effect. Unless otherwise provided by the Board, he or she shall manage and administer the Corporation’s business and affairs and shall also perform all duties and exercise all powers usually pertaining to the office of a chief executive officer of a corporation. He or she shall have the authority to sign, in the name and on behalf of the Corporation, checks, orders, contracts, leases, notes, drafts and all other documents and instruments in connection with the business of the Corporation. He or she shall have the authority to cause the employment or appointment of such employees or agents of the Corporation as the conduct of the business of the Corporation may require, to fix their compensation, and to remove or suspend any employee or any agent employed or appointed by any officer or to suspend any agent appointed by the Board. The Chief Executive Officer and President shall have the duties and powers of the Treasurer if no Treasurer is elected and shall have such other duties and powers as the Board may from time to time prescribe. The Board may determine to bifurcate the role of Chief Executive Officer and President, in each case with such duties and powers as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the Board. In the event the role of Chief Executive Officer and President are bifurcated as described in the foregoing sentence, references in these Bylaws to Chief Executive Officer and President shall refer only to the Chief Executive Officer.

Section 4.07. Vice Presidents. If one or more Senior Vice Presidents or Vice Presidents have been elected, each Senior Vice President or Vice President shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and President. In the event of absence or disability of the Chief Executive Officer and President, the duties of the Chief Executive Officer and President shall be performed, and his or her powers may be exercised, by such Senior Vice President or Vice President as shall be designated by the Board or, failing such designation, by the Senior Vice President or Vice President in order of seniority of election to that office.

Section 4.08. Secretary. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Secretary shall have the following powers and duties:

 

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(a) The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept a record of all the proceedings of the meetings of the stockholders, the Board and any Committees thereof in books provided for that purpose.

(b) The Secretary shall cause all notices to be duly given in accordance with the provisions of these By-Laws and as required by law.

(c) Whenever any Committee shall be appointed pursuant to a resolution of the Board, upon request, the Secretary shall furnish a copy of such resolution to the members of such Committee.

(d) The Secretary shall be the custodian of the records and of the seal of the Corporation, if any, and cause such seal (or a facsimile thereof), if any, to be affixed to all certificates representing shares of the Corporation prior to the issuance thereof and to all documents and instruments that the Board or any officer of the Corporation has determined should be executed under seal, may sign (together with any other authorized officer) any such document or instrument, and when the seal is so affixed he or she may attest the same.

(e) The Secretary shall properly maintain and file all books, reports, statements, certificates and all other documents and records required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these By-Laws.

(f) The Secretary shall have charge of the stock books and ledgers of the Corporation and shall cause the stock and transfer books to be kept in such manner as to show at any time the number of shares of stock of the Corporation of each class issued and outstanding, the names (alphabetically arranged) and the addresses of the holders of record of such shares, the number of shares held by each holder and the date as of which each such holder became a holder of record.

(g) The Secretary shall sign (unless the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary shall have signed) certificates representing shares of the Corporation the issuance of which shall have been authorized by the Board.

(h) The Secretary shall perform, in general, all duties incident to the office of secretary and such other duties as may be specified in these By-Laws or as may be assigned to the Secretary from time to time by the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and President.

Section 4.09. Treasurer. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Treasurer, if there be one, shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation and shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) The Treasurer shall have charge and supervision over and be responsible for the moneys, securities, receipts and disbursements of the Corporation, and shall keep or cause to be kept full and accurate records thereof.

 

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(b) The Treasurer shall cause the moneys and other valuable effects of the Corporation to be deposited in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such banks or trust companies or with such bankers or other depositaries as shall be determined by the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and President, or by such other officers of the Corporation as may be authorized by the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and President to make such determinations.

(c) The Treasurer shall cause the moneys of the Corporation to be disbursed by checks or drafts (signed by such officer or officers or such agent or agents of the Corporation, and in such manner, as the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and President may determine from time to time) upon the authorized depositaries of the Corporation and cause to be taken and preserved proper vouchers for all moneys disbursed.

(d) The Treasurer shall render to the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and President, whenever requested, a statement of the financial condition of the Corporation and of the transactions of the Corporation, and render a full financial report at the annual meeting of the stockholders, if called upon to do so.

(e) The Treasurer shall be empowered from time to time to require from all officers or agents of the Corporation reports or statements giving such information as he or she may desire with respect to any and all financial transactions of the Corporation.

(f) The Treasurer may sign (unless an Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary shall have signed) certificates representing shares of stock of the Corporation the issuance of which shall have been authorized by the Board.

(g) The Treasurer shall perform, in general, all duties incident to the office of treasurer and such other duties as may be specified in these By-Laws or as may be assigned to the Treasurer from time to time by the Board or the Chief Executive Officer and President.

ARTICLE V

CAPITAL STOCK

Section 5.01. Certificates of Stock; Uncertificated Shares. The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, except to the extent that the Board has provided by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of the stock of the Corporation shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Every holder of stock in the Corporation represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by any two authorized officers of the Corporation, certifying the number and class of shares owned by such holder. Such certificate shall be in such form as the Board may determine, to the extent consistent with applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation and these By-Laws.

 

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Section 5.02. Facsimile Signatures. Any or all signatures on the certificates referred to in Section 5.01 of these By-Laws may be in any form permitted under the DGCL. If any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed, or whose signature has been placed upon, a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

Section 5.03. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. A new certificate may be issued in place of any certificate theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed only upon delivery to the Corporation of an affidavit of the owner or owners (or their legal representatives) of such certificate, setting forth such allegation, and a bond or other undertaking as may be satisfactory to a financial officer of the Corporation designated by the Board to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of any such new certificate.

Section 5.04. Transfer of Stock.

(a) Transfer of shares represented by certificates shall be made on the books of the Corporation upon surrender to the Corporation of a certificate for shares, duly endorsed or accompanied by appropriate evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, and otherwise in compliance with applicable law. Shares that are not represented by a certificate shall be transferred in accordance with applicable law. Subject to applicable law, the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and these By-Laws, the Board may prescribe such additional rules and regulations as it may deem appropriate relating to the issue, transfer and registration of shares of the Corporation.

(b) The Corporation may enter into agreements with stockholders to restrict the transfer of stock of the Corporation in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

Section 5.05. Registered Stockholders. Prior to due surrender of a certificate for registration of transfer, the Corporation may treat the registered owner as the person exclusively entitled to receive dividends and other distributions, to vote, to receive notice and otherwise to exercise all the rights and powers of the owner of the shares represented by such certificate, and the Corporation shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or legal claim to or interest in such shares on the part of any other person, whether or not the Corporation shall have notice of such claim or interests except as required by applicable law. If a transfer of shares is made for collateral security, and not absolutely, this fact shall be so expressed in the entry of the transfer if, when the certificates are presented to the Corporation for transfer or uncertificated shares are requested to be transferred, both the transferor and transferee request the Corporation to do so.

Section 5.06. Transfer Agent and Registrar. The Board may appoint one or more transfer agents and one or more registrars, and may require all certificates representing shares to bear the signature of any such transfer agents or registrars.

 

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ARTICLE VI

INDEMNIFICATION

Section 6.01. Indemnification.

(a) In General. The Corporation shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL and other applicable law (including as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), 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 (each, a “proceeding”) by reason of the fact that (x) such person is or was serving or has agreed to serve as a director or officer of the Corporation, or (y) such person, while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, manager or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, or other enterprise or (z) at the request of the Corporation, such person is or was serving or has agreed to serve as a director, officer, employee, manager or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted by such person in such capacity, and who satisfies the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL or other applicable law:

(i) in a proceeding other than a proceeding by or in the right of the Corporation, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person or on such person’s behalf in connection with such proceeding and any appeal therefrom, or

(ii) in a proceeding by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person or on such person’s behalf in connection with the defense or settlement of such proceeding and any appeal therefrom.

(b) Indemnification in Respect of Successful Defense. To the extent that a person has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any proceeding referred to in Section 6.01(a) or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified by the Corporation against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

(c) Indemnification in Respect of Proceedings Instituted by Indemnitee. Section 6.01(a) does not require the Corporation to indemnify a person in respect of a proceeding (or part thereof) instituted by such person on his or her own behalf, unless such proceeding (or part thereof) has been authorized by the Board or the indemnification requested is pursuant to the last sentence of Section 6.03 of these By-Laws.

 

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Section 6.02. Advance of Expenses. The Corporation shall to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL advance all expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by a person in defending any proceeding referred to in Section 6.01(a) prior to the final disposition of such proceeding upon written request of such person and delivery of an undertaking by such person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation. The Corporation may authorize any counsel for the Corporation to represent (subject to applicable conflict of interest considerations) such person in any proceeding, whether or not the Corporation is a party to such proceeding.

Section 6.03. Procedure for Indemnification. Any indemnification under Section 6.01 of these By-Laws or any advance of expenses under Section 6.02 of these By-Laws shall be made only against a written request therefor (together with supporting documentation) submitted by or on behalf of the person seeking indemnification or advance. Indemnification may be sought by a person under Section 6.01 of these By-Laws in respect of a proceeding only to the extent that both the liabilities for which indemnification is sought and all portions of the proceeding relevant to the determination of whether the person has satisfied any appropriate standard of conduct have become final. A person seeking indemnification or advance of expenses may seek to enforce such person’s rights to indemnification or advance of expenses (as the case may be) in the Delaware Court of Chancery to the extent all or any portion of a requested indemnification has not been granted within ninety (90) days of, or to the extent all or any portion of a requested advance of expenses has not been granted within twenty (20) days of, the submission of such request. All expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by such person in connection with successfully establishing such person’s right to indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article, in whole or in part, shall also be indemnified by the Corporation.

Section 6.04. Burden of Proof.

(a) In any proceeding brought to enforce the right of a person to receive indemnification to which such person is entitled under Section 6.01 of these By-Laws, the Corporation has the burden of demonstrating that the standard of conduct applicable under the DGCL or other applicable law was not met. A prior determination by the Corporation (including its Board or any Committee thereof, its independent legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct does not itself constitute evidence that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

(b) In any proceeding brought to enforce a claim for advances to which a person is entitled under Section 6.02 of these By-Laws, the person seeking an advance need only show that he or she has satisfied the requirements expressly set forth in Section 6.02 of these By-Laws.

 

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Section 6.05. Contract Right; Non-Exclusivity; Survival.

(a) The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by this Article VI shall be deemed to be separate contract rights between the Corporation and each person referred to in Section 6.01(a) who serves in any such capacity at any time while these provisions as well as the relevant provisions of the DGCL are in effect, and no repeal or modification of any of these provisions or any relevant provisions of the DGCL shall adversely affect any right or obligation of such person existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to any state of facts then or previously existing or any proceeding previously or thereafter brought or threatened based in whole or in part upon any such state of facts. Such “contract rights” may not be modified retroactively as to any such person without the consent of such person.

(b) The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by this Article VI shall not be deemed exclusive of any other indemnification or advancement of expenses to which a person seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled by any agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.

(c) The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by this Article VI to any person referred to in Section 6.01(a) shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such person.

Section 6.06. Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, manager or agent of another Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person or on such person’s behalf in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this Article.

Section 6.07. Employees and Agents. The Board, or any officer authorized by the Board generally or in the specific case to make indemnification decisions, may cause the Corporation to indemnify any present or former employee or agent of the Corporation in such manner and for such liabilities as the Board may determine, up to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL and other applicable law.

Section 6.08. Interpretation; Severability. Terms defined in Sections 145(h) or 145(i) of the DGCL have the meanings set forth in such sections when used in this Article VI. If this Article or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each person referred to in Section 6.01(a) as to costs, charges and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement with respect to any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, including an action by or in the right of the Corporation, to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

 

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ARTICLE VII

OFFICES

Section 7.01. Registered Office. The registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware shall be located at the location provided in the Certificate of Incorporation.

Section 7.02. Other Offices. The Corporation may maintain offices or places of business at such other locations within or without the State of Delaware as the Board may from time to time determine or as the business of the Corporation may require.

ARTICLE VIII

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 8.01. Dividends.

(a) Subject to any applicable provisions of law and the Certificate of Incorporation, dividends upon the shares of stock of the Corporation may be declared by the Board and any such dividend may be paid in cash, property or shares of the Corporation’s stock out of its surplus, as defined in the DGCL, or, in the case there shall be no surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year, or as otherwise permitted under the DGCL.

(b) A member of the Board, or a member of any Committee designated by the Board, shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the records of the Corporation and upon such information, opinions, reports or statements presented to the Corporation by any of its officers or employees, or Committees of the Board, or by any other person as to matters the director reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Corporation, as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities and/or net profits of the Corporation, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of surplus or other funds from which dividends might properly be declared and paid.

Section 8.02. Reserves. There may be set apart out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the Board from time to time may determine proper as a reserve or reserves for meeting contingencies, equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose or purposes as the Board may determine conducive to the interests of the Corporation, and the Board may similarly modify or abolish any such reserve.

Section 8.03. Execution of Instruments. Except as otherwise required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board or any officer of the Corporation authorized by the Board may authorize any other officer or agent of the Corporation to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name and on behalf of the Corporation. Any such authorization must be in writing or by electronic transmission and may be general or limited to specific contracts or instruments.

 

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Section 8.04. Voting as Stockholder or Securityholder. Unless otherwise determined by resolution of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer and President or any Vice President shall have full power and authority on behalf of the Corporation to attend any meeting of stockholders or securityholders of any corporation or other entity in which the Corporation may hold stock or other securities, and to act, vote (or execute proxies to vote) and exercise in person or by proxy all other rights, powers and privileges incident to the ownership of such securities at any such meeting, or through action without a meeting. The Board may by resolution from time to time confer such power and authority (in general or confined to specific instances) upon any other person or persons.

Section 8.05. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be as determined by the Board of Directors. In the absence of such determination, the fiscal year of the Corporation shall commence on the first day of January and shall terminate on December 31.

Section 8.06. Seal. The seal of the Corporation, if any, shall be circular in form and shall contain the name of the Corporation, the year of its incorporation and the words “Corporate Seal” and “Delaware”. The form of such seal, if any, shall be subject to alteration by the Board. The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed, affixed or reproduced or may be used in any other lawful manner.

Section 8.07. Books and Records; Inspection. Except to the extent otherwise required by law, the books and records of the Corporation shall be kept at such place or places within or without the State of Delaware as may be determined from time to time by the Board.

Section 8.08. Electronic Transmission. “Electronic transmission”, as used in these By-Laws, means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, including the use of, or participation in, one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

Section 8.09. Facsimile and Electronic Signatures. In addition to the provisions for use of facsimile or electronic signatures elsewhere specifically authorized in these By-Laws, facsimile or electronic signatures of any officer or officers of the corporation may be used whenever and as authorized by the Board or a committee thereof.

 

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ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

Section 9.01. Amendment. Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, these By-Laws may be amended, altered or repealed (a) by resolution adopted by a majority of the Board, so long as a quorum is present or (b) by the stockholders at any regular or special meeting of the stockholders upon the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the shares of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment, alteration or repeal of Article VI shall adversely affect any right or protection existing under By-Laws immediately prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal, including any right or protection of a director, officer or other person thereunder in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment.

 

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Exhibit 10.1

EXECUTION VERSION

TRANSITION SERVICES AGREEMENT

BY AND BETWEEN

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

AND

SYLVAMO CORPORATION

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

1.  DEFINITIONS; INTERPRETATION

     1  

1.1

  Definitions      1  

1.2

  Interpretation      3  

2.  TERM AND PROVISION OF SERVICES

     4  

2.1

  Services      4  

2.2

  Performance of Services      4  

2.3

  Privacy and Data Protection Laws      4  

2.4

  Security Policies      5  

2.5

  Changes for Services      5  

2.6

  Omitted Services      6  

2.7

  Subcontracting      6  

2.8

  Extension of a Term      7  

2.9

  Third Party Consents      7  

2.10

  Cooperation      7  

3.  PRICING, BILLING AND PAYMENT

     8  

3.1

  Service Fees      8  

3.2

  Adjustments to Service Fees      8  

3.3

  Billing Procedures      8  

3.4

  Late Payments      9  

3.5

  Monthly Cost      9  

3.6

  Taxes      9  

3.7

  Withholding      10  

3.8

  Post-Term Invoice      10  

3.9

  Invoice Disputes      10  

3.10

  No Set-Off      10  

4.  ACCESS

     11  

4.1

  Access      11  

4.2

  Information      11  

5.  TRANSITION

     11  

5.1

  Transitional Nature of Services      11  

5.2

  Migration Services      12  

 

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6.  INDEMNITY

     12  

6.1

  Service Provided Indemnity      12  

6.2

  Service Recipient Indemnity      12  

6.3

  Mitigation      13  

6.4

  Procedures      13  

7.  LIMITED WARRANTY; LIMITATION ON DAMAGES

     13  

7.1

  LIMITED WARRANTY      13  

7.2

  EXCLUDED DAMAGES      13  

7.3

  PARENT’S LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY      13  

7.4

  SPINCO’S LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY      13  

7.5

  EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES      14  

8.  OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE SERVICES

     14  

9.  FORCE MAJEURE

     14  

10.  INSURANCE

     15  

11.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION

     15  

12.  TERMINATION

     15  

12.1

  Term      15  

12.2

  Early Termination by Service Provider      16  

12.3

  Early Termination by Service Recipient      16  

12.4

  Return or Destroy of Information      16  

13.  RELATIONSHIP OF PARTIES

        16       

13.1

  Independent Contractor Status      16  

13.2

  Ownership of Intellectual Property      17  

14.  PROJECT MANAGERS; DISPUTE RESOLUTION

        17       

14.1

  Project Managers      17  

14.2

  Dispute Resolution      17  

15.  RECORDS

        18       

15.1

  Retention of Records      18  

15.2

  Property of Service Recipient      18  

15.3

  Retention by Service Provider      18  

 

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16.  ASSIGNMENT AND DELEGATION

     19  

17.  NOTICES

     19  

18.  SURVIVAL

     19  

19.  GENERAL PROVISIONS

     19  

19.1

  Severability      19  

19.2

  Counterparts      20  

19.3

  Entire Agreement      20  

19.4

  Amendments; Waivers      20  

19.5

  No Third Party Beneficiaries      20  

19.6

  Specific Performance      20  

19.7

  Waiver of Jury Trial      21  

19.8

  Jurisdiction; Service of Process      21  

19.9

  Governing Law      22  

19.10

  Local Agreements      22  

Schedule I – Transition Services and Reverse Transition Services

Schedule II – Excluded Services

Schedule III – Lead Representatives

 

 

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TRANSITION SERVICES AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of September 30, 2021, between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“Parent”), and Sylvamo Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo” and, together with Parent, the “Parties”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Separation and Distribution Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, Parent and SpinCo have entered into the Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2021 (the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, certain assets and liabilities constituting the SpinCo Business will be transferred to SpinCo and its Subsidiaries, and at least 80.1% of the outstanding SpinCo Shares will be distributed to Parent’s shareholders;

WHEREAS, the SpinCo Business uses certain services provided by Parent or by Third Parties under contract to Parent, and SpinCo desires to obtain the use of these services for the purpose of enabling it to manage an orderly transition; and

WHEREAS, SpinCo acknowledges that Parent is not in the business of providing such services to Third Parties;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties agree as set forth herein.

 

1.

DEFINITIONS; INTERPRETATION

1.1 Definitions. The following terms shall have the respective meanings set out below and grammatical variations of such terms shall have corresponding meanings:

Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Excluded Services” means those services set forth on Schedule II hereto.

Extension Period” means the period by which a Term is extended in accordance with Section 2.8.

Force Majeure Event” has the meaning set forth in Article IX.

Local Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 19.10.

Migration” means the transition or migration from the provision of a particular Service by Service Provider to Service Recipient under this Agreement to performance of such Service by Service Recipient or a Third Party designated by Service Recipient.

Migration Services” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.2.


Omitted Services” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6.

Parent” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Party” means either Parent or SpinCo, as the context requires, and “Parties” means both of them, as the context requires.

Post-Term Invoice” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.8.

Project Manager” has the meaning set forth in Section 14.1.

Providing Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.

Receiving Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.

Reference Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2.

Reverse Transition Services” means each service specified in Part B of Schedule I hereto to be provided from SpinCo to Parent, or any Supplemental Schedule thereto as may be agreed to from time to time by the Parties.

Sales and Service Taxes” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.6.

Schedules” means Schedule I, Schedule II, Schedule III and any Supplemental Schedule.

Security Policies” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

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

Service” means, as the context requires, one or more Transition Services and/or one or more Reverse Transition Services.

Service Delivery Environment” means the equipment, software, systems, databases, communications networks and connectivity, and facilities used by Service Provider to provide the Services.

Service Fees” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

Service Provider” means, in the case of Transition Services, Parent and any of its Affiliates providing Transition Services hereunder, and, in the case of Reverse Transition Services, SpinCo and any of its Subsidiaries to the extent that they are providing Reverse Transition Services hereunder.

Service Provider Fiscal Month” means a month during Service Provider’s fiscal year, as determined by Service Provider for accounting purposes.

Service Provider Indemnitees” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.2.

 

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Service Recipient” means, in the case of Transition Services, SpinCo and any of its Affiliates receiving Transition Services hereunder, and, in the case of Reverse Transition Services, Parent and any of its Subsidiaries to the extent that they are receiving Reverse Transition Services hereunder.

Service Recipient Data” means all the data owned and provided solely by Service Recipient, or created by Service Provider solely on behalf, or for the benefit, of Service Recipient, that is used by Service Provider solely in relation to the provision of the Services, including employee information, customer information, product details and pricing information.

Service Recipient Indemnitees” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.

SpinCo” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

Supplemental Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6.

Term” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

Transaction Agreements” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the other Ancillary Agreements and the Exhibits, Schedules and appendices hereto and thereto.

Transition Period” means the period from the Distribution Date until all of the Terms for all of the Services have expired or otherwise terminated in accordance with Section 12, and no further Services are being provided hereunder; provided such period shall not extend beyond the date that is fifteen (15) months after the Distribution Date.

Transition Service” means each service specified in Part A of Schedule I hereto to be provided by Parent to SpinCo, or any Supplemental Schedule thereto as may be agreed to from time to time by the Parties.

1.2 Interpretation. When a reference is made in this Agreement to a Section or Schedule, such reference shall be to a Section or Schedule of this Agreement unless otherwise indicated. The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. Unless the context requires otherwise, references to an agreement, instrument or other document means such agreement, instrument or other document as amended, supplemented and modified from time to time to the extent permitted by the provisions thereof, and by this Agreement. Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.” The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. Unless the context requires, “or,” “neither,” “nor,” “any,” and “either,” shall not be exclusive. All terms defined in this Agreement shall have the defined meanings when used in any certificate or other document made or delivered pursuant hereto unless otherwise defined therein. The definitions contained in this Agreement are applicable to the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms and to the masculine as well

 

3


as the feminine and neuter genders of such terms. When a reference is made in this Agreement to “Service Provider” or “Service Recipient,” such reference shall be to the provider or recipient of either Transition Services or Reverse Transition Services as the context requires with reference to the particular Transition Service or Reverse Transition Service at issue. Notwithstanding that each of Parent and SpinCo, and their respective Affiliates, may act under this Agreement in the capacity of both a Service Provider and a Service Recipient, the rights, duties, obligations or liabilities of a Service Provider or Service Recipient set forth in this Agreement shall be limited as the context requires to the rights, duties, obligations or liabilities of the Party acting in the capacity of Service Provider or Service Recipient with reference to the particular Services, rights, duties, obligations or liabilities at issue.

 

2.

TERM AND PROVISION OF SERVICES

2.1 Services. During the Transition Period, but subject to the terms set forth in this Agreement, Service Provider shall provide to Service Recipient (or cause to be provided by its Affiliates or Third Parties to Service Recipient) each Service set forth on Schedule I hereto, which Schedule I shall also include the scope of such Service and fees associated with such Service. Subject to Section 12, each Service shall be provided for the period of time following the Distribution that is indicated on the Schedules for such Service (any such period of time with respect to a Service, including any extension period agreed to by the Parties pursuant to Section 2.10, a “Term”); provided that in no event shall any Term exceed a period of one (1) year or, if extended by Service Recipient pursuant to Section 2.8, a period ending fifteen (15) months after the Distribution Date.

2.2 Performance of Services. Except as otherwise expressly provided on Schedule I hereto, Service Provider shall perform, or shall cause one or more of its Subsidiaries to perform, all Services to be provided by Service Provider in a manner that is based on its past practice and that is substantially similar in all material respects to the analogous services provided by or on behalf of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries to Parent and its Subsidiaries or its applicable functional group during the 12 months prior to the Distribution Date (“Reference Period”); provided, however, that, nothing in this Agreement shall require Service Provider to favor Service Recipient’s operation of its business over Service Provider’s own business operation; provided, further, that Service Provider shall have the right and sole discretion to establish priorities, as between Service Recipient, on the one hand, and Service Provider, on the other hand, as to the provision of any Service, so long as Service Provider uses commercially reasonable efforts to maintain sufficient resources to perform the Services in accordance with this Agreement. Service Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly advise Service Recipient of any Services which will be interrupted or delayed as a result of such prioritization.

2.3 Privacy and Data Protection Laws. Service Provider and Service Recipient shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, comply with applicable privacy and data security Laws in the provision or receipt of Services. Furthermore, the provisions of Schedule IV hereto shall govern Service Provider’s Processing of Personal Data (as these terms are defined in Schedule IV) in connection with the provision of Services.

 

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2.4 Security Policies. Service Recipient shall comply with all of Service Provider’s security policies, procedures and requirements relating to the Service Delivery Environment in effect, which shall be no less rigorous than Parent’s policies, procedures and requirements or such other policies as may be adopted by Parent from time to time after the Effective Time (provided that Parent notifies SpinCo in writing of any such change) in connection with its access and use of the Services (the “Security Policies”), and shall not tamper with, compromise or circumvent any security or audit measures employed by Service Provider. Service Provider shall limit access to the Service Delivery Environment to Service Provider personnel who are specifically authorized to have such access, and shall take such measures to prevent unauthorized access, use, destruction, alteration or loss of SpinCo Business data or Parent Business data, as applicable, and other information contained therein. Service Recipient shall access and use only that portion of the Service Delivery Environment for which Service Recipient has been granted the right to access and use; provided, however, that Service Provider shall not unreasonably limit the grant of such access and use by authorized personnel. Neither Party shall establish any type of external network connectivity into the other Party’s systems or network, including WAN or Internet connectivity, without the prior written consent of the other Party. Service Recipient shall limit access of its personnel to the Service Delivery Environment to those personnel who are specifically authorized to have such access and shall cause such personnel to comply with the Security Policies in accessing the Service Delivery Environment in accordance with the terms of this Section 2.4. If, at any time, a Party determines that (a) any of its personnel has sought to circumvent, or has circumvented, the Security Policies, (b) any unauthorized personnel of such Party has accessed the Service Delivery Environment, or (c) any of its personnel has engaged in activities that may reasonably be expected to lead to the unauthorized access, use, destruction, alteration or loss of data, information or software, such Party shall promptly terminate such personnel’s access to the Service Delivery Environment and promptly notify the other Party in writing. In addition, Service Provider shall have the right to deny personnel of Service Recipient access to the Service Delivery Environment upon at least 24 hours’ written notice to Service Recipient in the event that Service Provider reasonably believes that such personnel have engaged in any of the activities set forth in this Section 2.4 or otherwise pose a security concern. Each Party shall reasonably cooperate with the other Party in investigating any apparent unauthorized access to or use of the Service Delivery Environment.

2.5 Changes for Services. The Parties acknowledge that, subject to Section 2.2, the manner, means, and resources to provide the Services are in the reasonable discretion of Service Provider, and Service Provider may make changes from time to time in the manner of performing the Services if Service Provider is making similar changes in performing analogous services for itself and if Service Provider furnishes to Service Recipient reasonable prior written notice of such changes; provided, if such change shall materially adversely affect the timeliness or quality of, or the Service Fees for, the applicable Service, Service Recipient shall be permitted to terminate this Agreement or the applicable specific Service pursuant to Section 12.3. Each agreed upon change shall be documented by an amendment in writing to the applicable Schedule.

 

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2.6 Omitted Services. If any services (other than Excluded Services) that were previously provided to or for the benefit of either Party or their respective Subsidiaries, or caused to be provided to or for the benefit of either Party or their respective Subsidiaries during the Reference Period that Parent or SpinCo reasonably believes are necessary for such Party to operate the Parent Business or the SpinCo Business, respectively, in substantially the same manner as such business was conducted prior to the Distribution Date, and such services have been omitted from Schedule I hereto (“Omitted Services”), then (i) at the request of Service Recipient (made within three months after the Distribution Date) and (ii) so long as Service Recipient is unable to secure such services from a Third Party on commercially reasonable terms, Service Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide such services, or cause such services to be provided, as promptly as reasonably practicable, pursuant to a supplemental written schedule mutually agreed upon by the Parties acting reasonably and in good faith (each such supplemental written schedule, a “Supplemental Schedule”), setting forth in reasonable detail the nature, scope, term, rates, termination provisions and other terms applicable to such Omitted Service to be provided; provided, however, that no Party shall be obligated to provide such services if (x) the Parties are unable to reach agreement on the terms thereof or (y) Service Provider does not, in its reasonable judgment, have the capability and existing capacity to provide such services or if the provision of any such services would significantly disrupt the operation of its or its Subsidiaries’ businesses; provided, further, that (x) the Service Fees shall for such Omitted Services shall be the fully loaded costs of Service Provider to provide any such Omitted Service and (y) that the obligations of Service Provider to provide any Omitted Services shall be subject to Service Recipient’s use of its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with Service Provider in the provision of such services, and to the extent that changes to the systems, operations or business of Service Recipient implemented in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement after the Distribution Date require alterations in the means of providing any such service, Service Provider shall be obligated only to use its commercially reasonable efforts to make such alterations. Any Omitted Service that is provided or caused to be provided by Service Provider pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall be a “Transition Service” or a “Reverse Transition Service”, as applicable, for the purposes of this Agreement (other than as specifically indicated herein). For the avoidance of doubt, any Supplemental Schedule shall be deemed to be part of Schedule I hereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary that may be set forth or implied elsewhere in this Agreement or in the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Service Provider shall not, and shall be under no obligation to, provide any Excluded Services after the Distribution Date.

2.7 Subcontracting. Subject to the service level requirements set forth in Section 2.2, Service Provider may use Third Parties to provide some or all of the Services. Notwithstanding any such use of Third Parties, Service Provider shall remain fully obligated for the provision of such Services to the Service Recipient in accordance with the terms hereof; provided, however, if (i) Service Provider elects to use a Third Party service provider for all or substantially all of its and its Subsidiaries’ requirements and/or needs and (ii) Service Provider is able to assign, and has assigned, to Service Recipient, Service Provider’s rights and remedies against such Third Party service provider, such that Service Recipient may pursue such rights and remedies directly, Service Provider shall have no liability to Service Recipient in connection with a failure to perform by such Third Party that is not caused by the action or inaction of Service Provider.

 

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2.8 Extension of a Term. In the event that any Service is required beyond its Term, Service Recipient shall provide Service Provider with a written notice of extension no later than sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the Term of such Service; provided, that Service Recipient shall only be allowed one three (3)-month extension of any Term; provided, further, that in no event shall any Term be extended beyond the date that is fifteen (15) months after the Distribution Date. Such notice shall indicate the period during which Service Recipient wishes to receive such Service after the date of expiration of the Term for such Service; provided, that Service Provider shall not be obligated to provide such extended Service if (x) Service Provider does not, in its reasonable judgment, have the capability and existing capacity to provide such Service or if the provision of such Service would significantly disrupt the operation of its or any member of its Group’s business, or (y) there are interdependencies among such Service and any other Services, for which the Term will expire prior to the end of such extension, and such interdependencies cannot be addressed despite good-faith negotiations between the Parties. Subject to obtaining any necessary Third Party consents in accordance with Section 2.9, Service Provider shall provide, or cause to be provided, the Service to Service Recipient for such period, it being understood and agreed that the Service Fees for each applicable Service shall be subject to a 20% increase from the original Service Fees during any Extension Period. In addition, Service Recipient shall reimburse Service Provider for any reasonable and documented incremental fees charged by Third Party service providers in connection with granting any consent or otherwise extending the Service, in each case, solely with respect to an extension of the Term.

2.9 Third Party Consents. Service Provider shall not be required to provide a Service to the extent the provision of such Service by Service Provider materially conflicts with any contract or agreement to which Service Provider is a party prior to the date hereof or the rights of any Third Party with respect thereto or violates any applicable Law. The Parties shall cooperate in good faith to use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any consents from third parties that Service Provider reasonably believes are necessary in order for Service Provider to provide the Services. All reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (if any) incurred by Service Provider to obtain any such consents shall be paid by Service Recipient. In the event that Service Provider is unable to obtain any such consent, Service Provider shall be relieved of its obligation to provide such Service hereunder.

2.10 Cooperation. Unless otherwise provided for in this Agreement, the Parties shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with each other in all matters relating to the provision and receipt of the Transition Services and the Reverse Transition Services. Such cooperation shall include exchanging Information, providing electronic access to systems used in connection with the Transition Services and Reverse Transition Services. Each Party shall cooperate with the other Party in determining the extent to which any Tax is due and owing with respect to any of the Transition Services or Reverse Transition Services, as applicable, and in providing and making available appropriate documentation or Information reasonably requested by the other Party including, but not limited to, applicable resale and/or exemption certificates.

 

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3.

PRICING, BILLING AND PAYMENT

3.1 Service Fees. With respect to each Service, Service Recipient shall pay to Service Provider those amounts determined in accordance with the rates and charges, including any set-up or one-time costs, set forth in the Schedule for such Service, and in addition, Service Recipient shall pay Service Provider all reasonable incidental costs and expenses reasonably incurred by Service Provider in providing the Services, including air fare (coach class), lodging, meals, mileage, parking and ground transportation, in each case in accordance with Service Provider’s standard policies with respect to such incidental costs and expenses (collectively, the “Service Fees”). Subject to Section 2.8 and Section 3.2, during the term of this Agreement, the amount of a Service Fee for any Service (or category of Service, as applicable) shall not increase, except to the extent that there is an evidenced increase after the date hereof in the costs actually incurred by Service Provider in providing such Service, including as a result of (i) an increase in the amount of such Service being provided to Service Recipient (as compared to the amount of the Service underlying the determination of a Service Fee), (ii) an increase in the rates or charges imposed by any Third Party that is providing goods or services used by Service Provider in providing the Service (as compared to the rates or charges underlying a Service Fee), (iii) an increase in the payroll or benefits for any employees used by Service Provider in providing the Service, or (iv) any increase in costs relating to any changes in the quality, nature, duration or quantity of the Service provided or how the Service is provided (including relating to newly installed products or equipment or any upgrades to existing products or equipment).

3.2 Adjustments to Service Fees. In the event that any Service is terminated by Service Recipient in accordance with Section 12.3 but subject to Section 3.5, the Service Fees shall automatically be adjusted downward (by the associated fee for such Service set forth on the respective Schedule from and after the first day of the month following termination of such Service). To the extent that such Service is provided to Service Provider by a Third Party service provider, Service Provider may at any time increase the charges for any Service upon written notice to Service Recipient provided such increase is only to the extent of the amount of increase charged by such Third Party service provider.

3.3 Billing Procedures. Not later than twenty-one (21) days after the last day of each Service Provider Fiscal Month, Service Provider shall provide to Service Recipient an itemized invoice for the preceding Service Provider Fiscal Month’s Service Fees. The amount stated in such invoice (to the extent such amount is not the subject of a good faith dispute in accordance with the terms set forth in Section 3.9) shall be paid by Service Recipient in full within thirty (30) days of the date of Service Recipient’s receipt of the invoice (or the next Business Day following such date, if such thirtieth (30th) day is not a Business Day) through payment to an account designated by Service Provider. To protect confidential or competitively sensitive Information, Service Provider may aggregate the Service Fees with respect to some or all of the Services included in such invoice; provided, that Service Provider shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, provide such back-up therefor as reasonably requested by Service Recipient in connection therewith to the extent reasonably required to permit Service Recipient and its Representatives to review and evaluate the amounts set forth in such invoice and verify such amounts; provided, however, that in the event that the Service Provider determines that providing such Information could be commercially detrimental, violate any applicable Law or agreement or waive any attorney-client privilege, then the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to facilitate the provision of such Information in a manner that avoids such harm and consequence. Any disputes regarding overpayment shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 14.

 

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3.4 Late Payments. Without prejudice to Service Provider’s other rights and remedies, in the event any sum due (other than those subject to dispute in good faith) to Service Provider pursuant to the terms of this Agreement remains unpaid thirty (30) days after the applicable due date, interest shall accrue daily, from the due date until the date of actual payment, at an annual interest rate equal to 8%.

3.5 Monthly Cost. The cost of each Service is a monthly cost, and the full monthly cost of each Service (applying the volume level, if applicable, of such Service at the beginning of a Service Provider Fiscal Month) shall apply in respect of such Service until such Service is terminated in its entirety as provided in Section 12.3.

3.6 Taxes. Service Recipient shall pay and be liable for any and all sales, service, value-added or other similar Taxes or levies (but not including any Taxes based upon or calculated by reference to income, receipts or capital or withholding taxes) imposed upon, sustained, incurred or levied with respect to the sale, performance, provision or delivery of the Transition Services or Reverse Transition Services, as applicable, provided by Service Provider pursuant to this Agreement (“Sales and Service Taxes”). Such Sales and Service Taxes shall be separately stated on the relevant invoice to the Service Recipient and shall be payable by Service Recipient to Service Provider in the manner set forth in Section 3.3. Service Recipient’s obligation to pay Sales and Service Taxes under this Section 3.6 shall be subject to the receipt by Service Recipient of a valid and customary invoice or other document under the terms of applicable Law for each Sales and Service Tax. Service Provider shall be responsible for the remittance to the applicable Tax authority of any Sales and Service Taxes paid by Service Recipient to Service Provider. If Service Recipient complies with the terms of this Section 3.6 regarding the timely payment of Sales and Service Taxes to Service Provider, it shall not be liable for any interest, penalties or other charges attributable to Service Provider’s improper filing relating to Sales and Service Taxes or late payment or failure to remit Sales and Service Taxes to the relevant Tax authority. In the event that Service Provider receives a refund of (or credit for) any Sales and Service Taxes paid by Service Recipient pursuant to this Section 3.6, Service Provider shall promptly notify Service Recipient and shall pay over to Service Recipient such refund or the amount of such credit. In connection with the Transition Services or Reverse Transition Services, as applicable, provided pursuant to this Agreement, each Party shall be responsible for, and shall withhold or pay or both (or cause to be withheld or paid or both), as may be required by Law, all Taxes pertaining to the employment of such Party’s personnel, agents, servants or designees. Each of Service Provider and Service Recipient shall pay and be responsible for their own Taxes based on their own income or profits or assets. With respect to this Section 3.6, the Parties shall reasonably cooperate with each other and use commercially reasonable efforts to take any action to provide or make available any information reasonably requested (and with a sufficient level of detail) in order to minimize any Sales and Service Taxes payable with respect to the Transition Services or Reverse Transition Services, as applicable.

 

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3.7 Withholding. Payments for Services or other amounts due under this Agreement shall be made net of applicable withholding Taxes; provided, however, that if Service Provider reasonably believes that a reduced rate of withholding Tax applies or Service Provider is exempt from withholding Tax, (a) Service Provider shall provide Service Recipient with appropriate and customary documentation that provides Service Provider qualifies for a reduction to or exemption from withholding under applicable Law and (b) Service Recipient shall use commercially reasonable efforts to apply such reduced rate of withholding or not withhold if Service Provider provides Service Recipient with evidence satisfactory to Service Recipient that a reduced rate of or no withholding is required by applicable Law. Service Recipient shall promptly remit any amounts withheld to the appropriate taxing authority in accordance with applicable Law and all such amounts so withheld and paid to the relevant taxing authority shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to Service Provider. In the event that Service Recipient receives a refund of any amounts previously withheld from payments to Service Provider and remitted, Service Recipient shall surrender such refund to Service Provider.

3.8 Post-Term Invoice. With respect to any Service Fees that accrue or are incurred by Service Provider or its Affiliates during the Transition Period but that are not billed by Service Provider in a monthly invoice, or of which Service Provider does not become aware until after the Transition Period, Service Provider shall set forth such fees in an invoice or invoices submitted to Service Recipient following the end of the Transition Period (each, a “Post-Term Invoice”). Subject to Section 3.9, and so long as such Post-Term Invoice is received by Service Recipient as promptly as practicable and in any event within one (1) year following the Transition Period, Service Recipient shall remit payment under any such Post-Term Invoice to Service Provider within thirty (30) days after its receipt of such invoice.

3.9 Invoice Disputes. In connection with Section 3.3 or 3.8, in the event of an invoice dispute of which Service Recipient is aware, Service Recipient shall deliver a written statement to Service Provider no later than ten (10) days prior to the date payment is due on the disputed invoice listing all disputed items and providing a reasonably detailed description of each disputed item. Amounts not in dispute amongst the Parties shall be deemed accepted and shall be paid, notwithstanding disputes on other items, within the period set forth in Section 3.3 or 3.8, as applicable. The Parties shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to resolve all such other disputes expeditiously in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 14. When the disputed amount has been resolved, any Party owing an amount to another Party as a result of such resolution shall pay such amount owed to such other Party within ten (10) Business Days following such resolution. This Section 3.9 shall not relieve Service Provider of its obligations to perform the Services.

3.10 No Set-Off. Each of the Parties hereby acknowledges that it shall have no right under this Agreement to offset any amounts owed (or to become due or owing) to the other Party, whether under this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or otherwise, against any other amount owed (or to become due or owing) to it by the other Party.

 

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4.

ACCESS

4.1 Access. Service Provider and Service Recipient shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, provide to each other and their respective agents and vendors reasonable access (during normal business hours (when appropriate with respect to physical access), upon reasonable notice and supervised by the appropriate personnel of the Parties or as otherwise agreed by the Parties) to the Information, personnel, and systems necessary (x) for the efficient and accurate administration, provision, receipt or use of each of the Services and to avoid the duplication of any expenses or benefits thereunder and (y) as reasonably necessary to verify the accuracy of internal controls over information technology, reporting of financial data and related processes employed in connection with verifying compliance with Section 4040 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; provided, that all such Information shall be shared subject to the confidentiality obligations set forth in Section 11, and any Party or Third Party vendor receiving such Information shall agree to be bound by such obligations prior to the provision of any such Information. Service Provider and Service Recipient agree that all of their and their Subsidiaries’ respective employees shall, and that they shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause their respective Representatives’ employees to, when on the property of the other Party, or when given access to any facilities, Information, systems, infrastructure or personnel of such Party and its Subsidiaries, conform to the policies and procedures of such Party, concerning health, safety, conduct and security which are made known or provided to the visiting Party from time to time.

4.2 Information. All Services provided shall be based upon reasonably timely, accurate and complete Information from Service Recipient, which Service Recipient shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to provide, and Service Provider shall be released from its obligations to provide or cause to be provided reasonably timely, accurate and complete Services to the extent (but only to the extent) Service Recipient fails to provide timely, accurate and complete Information to Service Provider reasonably necessary for the provision of such Services. Service Recipient’s failure to perform or delay in performing any of its obligations hereunder shall not constitute grounds for termination by Service Provider of this Agreement except as provided in Section 12.2; provided, however, that Service Provider’s nonperformance of its obligations under this Agreement shall be excused if and to the extent (i) such Service Provider’s nonperformance results from Service Recipient’s failure to perform its obligations hereunder and (ii) Service Provider provides Service Recipient with written notice of such nonperformance.

 

5.

TRANSITION

5.1 Transitional Nature of Services. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the Services to be provided hereunder are transitional in nature and are intended to provide Service Recipient with reasonable time to develop the internal resources and capacities (or to arrange for Third Party providers) to provide such Services. Service Recipient shall use commercially reasonable efforts to reduce or eliminate its and its Group’s dependency on each Service to the extent and as soon as is reasonably practicable (it being understood that this Section 5.1 shall not require Service Recipient to terminate any Service prior to the initial termination date for such Service set forth on the applicable Schedule). No later than 60 days after the Distribution Date, the Parties shall consult for the purpose of agreeing upon the terms of and a plan for the Migration of all Services. Service Recipient will have the primary responsibility for planning and carrying out the Migration of Services prior to the expiration of the Transition Period. Subject to Section 5.2 below and the other terms of this Agreement, Service Provider will provide reasonable cooperation and assistance as requested to support Service Recipient’s Migration efforts.

 

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5.2 Migration Services. To the extent that Service Recipient requires reasonable support, assistance and other services to effect an orderly Migration without interruption to the Services subject to the Migration (“Migration Services”), Service Recipient shall submit a written request describing such Migration Services to Service Provider’s Project Manager, and upon at least ten (10) days’ written notice to Service Provider, the Parties shall meet to discuss and agree, each Party acting reasonably and in good faith, on the scope, timing, hourly rates and other terms of such Migration Services, such agreement to be set forth on a Supplemental Schedule. Service Provider shall then provide such Migration Services; provided, that the Parties’ intent is that Migration Services shall include only such services that Service Provider is capable of providing. Any Migration Service that is provided or caused to be provided by Service Provider pursuant to this Section 5.2 shall be a “Transition Service” or a “Reverse Transition Service”, as applicable, for the purposes of this Agreement (other than as specifically indicated herein).

 

6.

INDEMNITY

6.1 Service Provider Indemnity. Subject to Section 7 and in addition to, but not in duplication of, any indemnification obligations under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Service Provider shall indemnify Service Recipient and its Affiliates and its and their respective officers, directors, employees, partners, managers or persons acting in a similar capacity, agents, consultants, financial and other advisors, accountants, attorneys and other representatives (the “Service Recipient Indemnitees”) in respect of, and hold such Service Recipient Indemnitees harmless from and against, all Losses (other than with respect to Taxes, which are governed exclusively by Sections 3.6 and 3.7) incurred or suffered by Service Recipient Indemnitees relating to, arising out of or resulting from the receipt of the Services only to the extent that such Losses result from the gross negligence or intentional misconduct of Service Provider or any of its Affiliates or any of its or their respective officers, directors or employees in providing any of the Services rendered or to be rendered by or on behalf of Service Provider pursuant to this Agreement.

6.2 Service Recipient Indemnity. Subject to Section 7 and in addition to, but not in duplication of, any indemnification obligations under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Service Recipient shall indemnify Service Provider and its Affiliates and its and their respective officers, directors, employees, partners, managers or persons acting in a similar capacity, agents, consultants, financial and other advisors, accountants, attorneys and other representatives (the “Service Provider Indemnitees”) in respect of, and hold Service Provider Indemnitees harmless from and against, all claims of Third Parties (other than with respect to Taxes, which are governed exclusively by Sections 3.6 and 3.7) relating to, arising out of or resulting from the Services rendered or to be rendered by or on behalf of Service Provider pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or Service Provider’s actions or inactions in connection with any such Services or transactions, except to the extent that such claim results from gross negligence or intentional misconduct of Service Provider or any of its Affiliates or any of its or their respective officers, directors or employees in providing any of the Services rendered or to be rendered by or on behalf of Service Provider pursuant to this Agreement.

 

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6.3 Mitigation. Each of the Parties shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate its respective Losses upon and after becoming aware of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to give rise to any Losses that are indemnifiable hereunder.

6.4 Procedures. The procedures specified in Article IV of the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall apply with respect to any indemnification claims under this Section 6.

 

7.

LIMITED WARRANTY; LIMITATION ON DAMAGES

7.1 LIMITED WARRANTY. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION TO THE CONTRARY, UNLESS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN, SERVICE PROVIDER REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS ONLY THAT THE SERVICES SHALL BE IN CONFORMITY WITH THIS AGREEMENT (INCLUDING SECTION 2.2). THE ABOVE-STATED LIMITED WARRANTY IS THE SERVICE PROVIDER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE WARRANTY WITH RESPECT TO ANY SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT. THE SERVICE PROVIDER DOES NOT MAKE ANY OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, WHETHER OF MERCHANTABILITY, SUITABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR OTHERWISE FOR SUCH SERVICES.

7.2 EXCLUDED DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY OR SUCH PARTY’S AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES, BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTIAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OTHER LAW OR OTHERWISE, IN ALL CASES, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PAYABLE IN RESPECT TO A THIRD-PARTY CLAIM.

7.3 PARENT’S LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED HEREIN, THE LIABILITY OF PARENT WITH RESPECT TO SERVICES PROVIDED TO, OR SERVICES RECEIVED FROM, SPINCO OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS OR EMPLOYEES PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED, IN THE AGGREGATE IN ANY APPLICABLE CALENDAR YEAR, THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF SERVICE FEES ACTUALLY PAID TO PARENT BY SPINCO DURING THE TERM (EXCLUDING ANY AMOUNTS CHARGED BY PARENT AS REIMBURSEMENT OF THIRD PARTY FEES).

7.4 SPINCO’S LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED HEREIN, THE LIABILITY OF SPINCO WITH RESPECT TO SERVICES PROVIDED TO, OR SERVICES RECEIVED FROM, PARENT OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES OR ANY OF ITS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS OR EMPLOYEES PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED, IN THE AGGREGATE IN ANY APPLICABLE CALENDAR YEAR, THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF SERVICE FEES ACTUALLY PAID TO PARENT BY SPINCO DURING THE TERM (EXCLUDING ANY AMOUNTS CHARGED BY PARENT AS REIMBURSEMENT OF THIRD PARTY FEES).

 

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7.5 EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES. THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS 6.1, 6.2, 12 AND 19.6 OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER INDEMNITEES AND THE SERVICE RECIPIENT INDEMNITEES, AS APPLICABLE, FOR ANY CLAIM, LOSS, DAMAGE, EXPENSE OR LIABILITY, WHETHER ARISING FROM STATUTE, PRINCIPLE OF COMMON OR CIVIL LAW, PRINCIPLES OF STRICT LIABILITY, TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT.

 

8.

OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE SERVICES

The Parties acknowledge that notwithstanding any delegation of their respective responsibilities under this Agreement to a Third Party, except as provided in the proviso in Section 2.7, such delegating Party shall remain responsible for the provision of the Services which such Party is obligated to provide and any Third Party’s compliance with the performance and standard of performance set forth herein.

 

9.

FORCE MAJEURE

Service Provider shall not be responsible for failure or delay in delivery of any Service that it has responsibility for providing hereunder, if the event (a) does not arise or result from the fault or negligence of Service Provider (or any Person acting on its behalf) and (b) by its nature would not reasonably have been foreseen by Service Provider (or such Person), or, if it would reasonably have been foreseen, was beyond the control of Service Provider, including acts of God, acts of civil or military authority, embargoes, pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), epidemics, wars, riots, protests or civil unrest, insurrections, fires, explosions, earthquakes, floods, government shutdowns, shortage of adequate power or transportation facilities, travel restrictions, unusually severe weather conditions, labor problems, unavailability of supplies or the response of any Governmental Authority to any of the foregoing, or, in the case of computer systems, any significant and prolonged failure in electrical or air conditioning equipment (a “Force Majeure Event”), provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the receipt by a Party of an unsolicited takeover offer or other acquisition proposal, even if unforeseen or unavoidable, and such Party’s response thereto shall not be deemed a Force Majeure Event. Service Provider shall, promptly after knowledge of the beginning of a Force Majeure Event, notify Service Recipient of a Force Majeure Event that results in a failure or delay in delivery of any Service that it has responsibility for providing hereunder, the reason therefor, and the estimated probable duration and consequence thereof. The Parties acknowledge and agree that such estimation shall not be considered binding in any way, and Service Provider shall not incur liability of any kind if such estimation proves to be inaccurate. Service Provider shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to restore provision of the Services in accordance with this Agreement as soon as reasonably practicable following the commencement of a Force Majeure

 

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Event. In the event that Service Provider is excused from supplying a Service pursuant to this Section 9, Service Recipient shall be free to acquire replacement services from a Third Party at Service Recipient’s expense, and without liability to Service Provider for Service Fees during the duration of the Force Majeure Event, for the period and to the extent reasonably necessitated by such non-performance.

 

10.

INSURANCE

Each Party shall, throughout the term of this Agreement, carry appropriate insurance with a reputable insurance company covering property damage, business interruptions and general liability insurance (including contractual liability) to protect its own business and property interests. To the extent either Party insures, in whole or in part, through a plan of self-insurance, the Parties acknowledge that such self-insurance shall be acceptable for purposes of this Agreement. In the case of any conflict between the terms of this Section 10 and the terms of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall control.

 

11.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION

Except as provided below, all Information disclosed between Service Provider and Service Recipient pursuant to this Agreement, including Information relating to or received from Third Parties and any Service Recipient Data, are deemed confidential (“Confidential Information”), except, in each case, to the extent that such information has been (i) in the public domain or generally available to the public, other than as a result of a disclosure by such Party or any member of such Party’s Group or any of their respective Representatives in violation of this Agreement, (ii) later lawfully acquired from other sources by such Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) which sources are not themselves bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such confidential and proprietary information, or (iii) independently developed or generated without reference to or use of any Confidential Information of such other Party or any member of such other Party’s Group. A Party receiving Confidential Information (the “Receiving Party”) shall not use such information for any purpose other than for which it was disclosed by the party providing such information (the “Providing Party”) and, except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, shall not disclose to Third Parties any Confidential Information for a period of five (5) years from the termination or expiration of this Agreement or, with respect to any trade secrets, indefinitely. The obligations of the Receiving Party and the Providing Party with regard to Confidential Information shall be governed by and set forth in Sections 6.10 and 6.11 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, which shall be deemed incorporated by reference herein.

 

12.

TERMINATION

12.1 Term. The term of this Agreement shall be for the Transition Period. This Agreement is a master agreement and shall be construed as a separate and independent agreement for each and every Service provided under this Agreement. Any termination of this Agreement with respect to any Service shall not terminate this Agreement with respect to any other Service then being provided pursuant to this Agreement.

 

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12.2 Early Termination by Service Provider. Upon at least thirty (30) days’ prior written notice, Service Provider may, at its option, terminate this Agreement with respect to any or all Services it provides hereunder or suspend performance of its obligations with respect thereto, in either case solely in the event of the material breach by Service Recipient of this Agreement with respect to such Service or the failure of Service Recipient to pay any invoice within ninety (90) days of the receipt of such invoice, unless Service Recipient is disputing the invoice in good faith pursuant to Section 3.3.

12.3 Early Termination by Service Recipient. If at any time during the applicable Term, Service Recipient wishes to terminate a Transition Service or a Reverse Transition Service, as the case may be, Service Recipient shall provide a written request of termination to Service Provider at least forty-five (45) days prior to the proposed effective date of termination. If Service Provider determines, in good faith, that the termination of such Service would, or is reasonably likely to, result in Service Provider’s inability to provide any remaining Services in accordance with this Agreement (taking into account any interdependencies of the proposed terminated Service and the remaining Services), including with respect to the quality standards, or result in a Party’s inability to maintain the confidentiality of Information disclosed between Service Provider and Service Recipient pursuant to this Agreement, then Service Provider shall notify Service Recipient thereof in writing and the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to determine an alternative solution to enable Service Provider to maintain the ability to provide all other Services not subject to such written request of termination provided in the first sentence of this Section 12.3. Service Recipient shall reimburse Service Provider for incremental fees charged by Third Party service providers in connection with the early termination of Services; provided, that Service Provider shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to minimize such incremental fees.

12.4 Return or Destroy of Information. Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement for any reason, Service Provider shall, upon the written request of Service Recipient, deliver to Service Recipient or destroy (provided such destruction is promptly confirmed in writing by Service Provider if requested by Service Recipient), at Service Provider’s option, all Information provided to Service Provider by Service Recipient and pertaining to any matters for which Service Provider was providing Transition Services or Reverse Transition Services, as applicable, hereunder; provided, however, Service Provider may retain copies of such Information to the extent necessary for accounting, tax reporting, compliance with Service Provider’s document retention policies or other legitimate business purposes, subject to the requirements of Section 11.

 

13.

RELATIONSHIP OF PARTIES

13.1 Independent Contractor Status. In providing the Services, Service Provider is acting as and shall be considered an independent contractor. This Agreement is not intended to create and shall not be construed as creating between Service Provider and Service Recipient any relationship other than an independent contractor and purchaser of contract services. The Parties specifically acknowledge that they are not, and this Agreement is not intended to and shall not be construed to make them, affiliates of one another and that no principal and agent, joint venture, partnership or similar relationship, or any other relationship, that imposes or implies any fiduciary duty, including any duty of care or duty of loyalty exists between the Parties. Except as expressly set forth herein, no Party has the authority to, and each Party agrees that it shall not, directly or indirectly contract any obligations of any kind in the name of or chargeable against the other Party without such other Party’s prior written consent.

 

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13.2 Ownership of Intellectual Property. Except as otherwise expressly set forth in the Schedules, the Parties agree that Service Provider shall own, or retain ownership of, all Intellectual Property that is used, or created by, Service Provider during Service Provider’s fulfillment of its obligations to Service Recipient under this Agreement. If necessary and at Service Provider’s sole discretion, Service Recipient shall sign and shall cause its employees, Affiliates, Affiliates’ employees, contractors and representatives to sign all documents required by Service Provider to establish Service Provider’s ownership rights and title in such Intellectual Property.

 

14.

PROJECT MANAGERS; DISPUTE RESOLUTION

14.1 Project Managers. Service Provider and Service Recipient shall each assign one person to act as that Party’s project manager (the “Project Manager”) for each area of service listed on Schedule III hereto (and other categories, as may be agreed by the Parties). The Project Managers shall (a) represent and act for their respective Party for matters related to the applicable Service, and (b) meet and/or confer on a regular basis (at mutually agreed times and locations) to review the activities under this Agreement and to discuss the status and progress of such activities. Either Party may designate a different individual as its lead representative with respect to the Transition Services or the Reverse Transition Services at any time by delivering prior written notice to the other Party. Service Provider shall promptly notify Service Recipient of any reassignments or changes in contact information of the Project Manager or other key personnel identified in the Schedules hereto. No Project Manager or lead representative for a Party shall have any authority to amend this Agreement.

14.2 Dispute Resolution. The Parties shall use good faith efforts to resolve any controversy or claim arising out of this Agreement, the interpretation of any of the provisions hereof, or the actions of the Parties hereunder. In the event of a breach of this Agreement, or a dispute as to the meaning of this Agreement or any of its terms which the Parties cannot resolve by themselves amicably, the following provisions shall apply (which provisions shall be in addition to, and not a limitation of, the Parties’ remedies under Section 6, 12 or 19.6):

(a) All disputes or issues arising hereunder shall first be referred to the applicable Project Managers for resolution. In the event any such dispute or issue is not resolved in a timely manner, such matter shall be referred to senior management representatives, with appropriate decision making authority for prompt resolution of the matter. If still not resolved, the issue shall be escalated to Service Recipient’s lead representative and Service Provider’s lead representative for resolution. The names and contact information for each of Service Recipient’s and Service Provider’s lead representative with regard to an issue or dispute arising out of or relating to the Transition Services and Reverse Transition Services shall be set forth on Schedule III hereto.

 

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(b) If the Parties are unable to resolve such dispute within sixty (60) days following the commencement of negotiations pursuant to Section 14.2(a), then such dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures set forth in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

(c) This Section 14.2 shall apply without prejudice to any Party’s right to seek remedies under Section 6, 12 or 19.6 to which such Party may be entitled at any time.

 

15.

RECORDS

15.1 Retention of Records. During the Transition Period, Service Provider shall retain, in accordance with the policies of Parent as in effect at the Effective Time or such other policies as may be adopted by Parent after the Effective Time (provided that Parent notifies SpinCo in writing of any such change), all Information with respect to matters relating to the Services provided to Service Recipient hereunder that are in a form and contain a level of detail substantially consistent with the records maintained by Service Provider in providing similar services to the SpinCo Business or the Parent Business, as applicable, prior to the Distribution Date. As promptly as practicable following the expiration of the applicable Term (or earlier termination) of any Service, Service Provider shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to furnish to Service Recipient the Information belonging to Service Recipient and relating to such Service as clearly identified by Service Recipient at Service Recipient’s own expense, unless Service Recipient reasonably requests that Service Provider retain such Information. Upon delivery of any such Information to Service Recipient, Service Provider shall have no further obligations to Service Recipient with respect to such Information. If reasonably requested by Service Recipient to retain any such Information, Service Provider shall, at Service Recipient’s sole cost, retain such Information in accordance with the first sentence of this Section 15.1, provided that Service Provider shall have no obligation to retain such Information for more than three (3) years following the expiration of the applicable Term (or earlier termination) of such Service related to such retained Information. Thereafter, Service Provider may dispose of such Information after providing Service Recipient reasonable notice and opportunity to take possession of such Information at Service Recipient’s own expense. Service Provider shall be obligated to provide Tangible Information only in the form, condition and format in which it then exists, and in no event shall Service Provider be required to perform any improvement, modification, conversion, updating or reformatting of any such Tangible Information.

15.2 Property of Service Recipient. The Service Recipient Data shall be and shall remain the property of Service Recipient and, to the extent reasonably practicable, shall be promptly provided to Service Recipient by Service Provider upon Service Recipient’s request. The Service Provider shall use Service Recipient Data solely to provide the Services to Service Recipient as set forth herein and for no other purpose whatsoever.

15.3 Retention by Service Provider. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary and subject to Section 11, Service Provider may retain copies of the Information and Service Recipient Data in accordance with policies and procedures implemented by Service Provider in order to comply with applicable Law, professional standards or reasonable business practice, including document retention policies as in effect from time to time and in accordance with past practices.

 

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16.

ASSIGNMENT AND DELEGATION

This Agreement and all of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Except as set forth in Section 2.10, neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder shall be assigned or delegated, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, including by operation of law, by any Party hereto without the prior written consent of the other Party hereto, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided, however, that either Party may assign this Agreement to any of its Affiliates without the consent of the other Party or delegate its rights or obligations hereunder, in whole or in part, to any of its Affiliates; provided, further, that SpinCo may assign any or all of its rights or interests under this Agreement without the consent of Parent (a) to any Person providing debt financing under the SpinCo Financing Arrangements pursuant to the terms thereof for purposes of creating a security interest herein or otherwise assign as collateral in respect of such debt financing or (b) in connection with a Change of Control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant party thereto by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party. No assignment by any Party shall relieve such Party of any of its obligations hereunder; provided, that to the extent full performance or payment is made in full by an Affiliate or Affiliates of Service Provider or Service Recipient with respect to an obligation of Service Provider or Service Recipient, as applicable, hereunder, such obligation shall be in full satisfaction of such obligation of such Person hereunder.

 

17.

NOTICES

Other than for routine communications with respect to operational matters under this Agreement, the procedures specified in Section 10.5 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall apply with respect to all notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications under this Agreement.

 

18.

SURVIVAL

The Parties’ rights and obligations under Sections 3, 6, 7, 11 and 15 through 19 shall survive expiration or termination of this Agreement.

 

19.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

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

 

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19.2 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties hereto or the parties thereto, respectively, and delivered to the other Party hereto or parties thereto, respectively. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by email portable document format (PDF) shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

19.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the other Transaction Agreements, shall constitute the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and shall supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein. In the case of any conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of any other Transaction Agreement regarding the subject matter hereof, the terms of this Agreement shall control. In the case of any ambiguity between the terms and condition of the main body of this Agreement and a Schedule to this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the main body of this Agreement shall control.

19.4 Amendments; Waivers. No provisions of this shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification. No failure or delay by either Party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right hereunder.

19.5 No Third Party Beneficiaries. The provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties hereto and parties thereto, respectively, and are not intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder. Except with regard to and as provided in Section 6, no Person shall be deemed a Third Party beneficiary under this Agreement.

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

 

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19.7 Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF THE OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 19.7.

19.8 Jurisdiction; Service of Process. each of the Parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the Federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement for recognition or enforcement of any judgment relating hereto, and each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees not to commence any such action or proceeding except in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the Federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (ii) agrees that any claim in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the Federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (iii) waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in such courts and (iv) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in such courts. The Parties hereby agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided in Section 17, or in such other manner as may be permitted by Law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof and hereby waive any objections to service accomplished in the manner herein provided.

 

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19.9 Governing Law. This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or thereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby or to the inducement of any party to enter herein and therein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) and all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement (and all Schedules hereto) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

19.10 Local Agreements. Each of the Parties recognizes and agrees that it may be necessary or desirable to separately document certain matters relating to the Services provided hereunder in various jurisdictions from time to time or to otherwise modify the scope or nature of such Services, in each case to the extent necessary to comply with applicable Law. If such an agreement or modification of any of the Services is required by applicable Law, or if the applicable Parties mutually determine entry into such an agreement or modification of Services would be desirable, in each case in order for Service Provider or its Subsidiaries to provide any of the Services in a particular jurisdiction, Service Provider and Service Recipient shall, or shall cause their applicable Subsidiaries to, to enter into local implementing agreements (as each may be amended and in effect from time to time, each a “Local Agreement”) in form and content reasonably acceptable to the applicable Parties; provided, that the execution or performance of any such Local Agreement shall in no way alter or modify any term or condition of this Agreement or the effect of any such term or condition, except to the extent expressly specified in such Local Agreement. Except as used in this Section 19.10, any references herein to this Agreement and the Services to be provided hereunder, shall include any Local Agreement and any local services to be provided thereunder. Except as expressly set forth in any Local Agreement, in the event of a conflict between the terms contained in a Local Agreement and the terms contained in this Agreement (including the applicable Schedules), the terms in this Agreement shall take precedence.

[SIGNATURES ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE]

 

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

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith Townsend

Name: Keith Townsend
Title: VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ John Sims

Name: John Sims
Title: Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 10.2

EXECUTION VERSION

PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL

 

 

TAX MATTERS AGREEMENT

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

AND

SYLVAMO CORPORATION

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS

 

ARTICLE II

 

ALLOCATION OF TAX LIABILITIES

 

2.1

  General Rule      10  

2.2

  Ordinary Taxes      10  

2.3

  Scheduled Tax Allocations.      10  

2.4

  Employment Taxes      10  

2.5

  Certain Transaction and Other Taxes      10  

ARTICLE III

 

CLOSING OF TAXABLE YEARS

 

3.1

  Closing of Taxable Years      12  

ARTICLE IV

 

PREPARATION AND FILING OF TAX RETURNS

 

4.1

  Responsibility of Preparing Tax Returns      12  

4.2

  Tax Accounting Practices      13  

4.3

  Carrybacks and Claims for Refund      14  

4.4

  Allocation of Earnings and Profits and Tax Attributes      14  

4.5

  Transfer Pricing      15  

ARTICLE V

 

TAX PAYMENTS

 

5.1

  Filing of Tax Returns and Payment of Taxes      15  

5.2

  Indemnification Payments      16  

ARTICLE VI

 

TAX BENEFITS

 

6.1

  Tax Benefits      16  

ARTICLE VII

 

INTENDED TAX TREATMENT

 

7.1

  Representations      18  

7.2

  Restrictions on SpinCo      19  

7.3

  Restrictions on Parent      21  

7.4

  Procedures Regarding Opinions and Rulings      21  

7.5

  Liability for Tax Related Losses      23  

 

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ARTICLE VIII

 

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

 

8.1

  Cooperation      25  

8.2

  Interest      26  

8.3

  Treatment of Payments; Tax Gross Up      26  

8.4

  Dispute Resolution      27  

ARTICLE IX

 

TAX CONTESTS

 

9.1

  Tax Contests      28  

9.2

  Expenses and Applicability      30  

ARTICLE X

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

10.1

  Effective Date; Termination of Prior Intercompany Tax Allocation Agreements      30  

10.2

  Coordination of Agreements      30  

10.3

  Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power      30  

10.4

  Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial      31  

10.5

  Assignability      32  

10.6

  Third-Party Beneficiaries      32  

10.7

  Notices      33  

10.8

  Severability      34  

10.9

  Force Majeure      34  

10.10

  Headings      34  

10.11

  Survival      34  

10.12

  Waivers of Default      34  

10.13

  Specific Performance      34  

10.14

  Amendments      35  

10.15

  Interpretation      35  

10.16

  Limitations of Liability      35  

10.17

  Performance      35  

10.19

  Mutual Drafting      36  

 

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TAX MATTERS AGREEMENT

This Tax Matters Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021 (this “Agreement”), is by and between, International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“Parent”), and Sylvamo Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Parent and SpinCo have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”), providing for the separation of the SpinCo Business from the Parent Business (the “Separation”) and, following the Separation, for the distribution, on a pro rata basis, to holders of Parent Shares on the Record Date of eighty and one tenth of a percent (80.1%) of the outstanding SpinCo Shares owned by Parent (the “Distribution”);

WHEREAS, Parent plans to dispose of the SpinCo Shares that it retains following the Distribution through sales of shares for cash;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, among other things, Parent will contribute the SpinCo Assets and the SpinCo Liabilities to SpinCo in exchange for (i) the actual or deemed issuance by SpinCo to Parent of SpinCo Shares and (ii) the distribution by SpinCo to Parent of the Cash Transfer (the “Contribution”);

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

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, Parent is the common parent of an affiliated group of domestic corporations, including SpinCo, that has elected to file consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Returns and, as a result of the Distribution, neither SpinCo nor any of its Affiliates will be a member of such group after the close of the Distribution Date; and

WHEREAS, in contemplation of the Separation and Distribution, Parent and SpinCo desire to set forth their agreement on the rights and obligations of Parent and SpinCo and their respective Affiliates with respect to the responsibility, handling and allocation of federal, state, local and non-U.S. Taxes, and various other Tax matters;

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


ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

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

Accounting Firm” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.4.

Active Trade or Business” means the active conduct (as defined in Section 355(b)(2) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder) by Parent or SpinCo, as applicable, and its “separate affiliated group” (as defined in Section 355(b)(3)(B) of the Code) of the trade or business(es) relied upon to satisfy Section 355(b) of the Code with respect to the Distribution (as described in the IRS Ruling Request and the Representation Letters), as conducted immediately prior to the Distribution.

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

Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

Ancillary Agreements” has the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement, provided that, for purposes of this Agreement, “Ancillary Agreements” shall not include the Intellectual Property Agreements, the Commercial Agreements or the Leases (as each term is defined in the Separation and Distribution Agreement).

Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Party, all classes or series of capital stock of such Party, including (a) common stock, (b) all options, warrants and other rights to acquire such capital stock and (c) all instruments properly treated as stock in such Party for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

CFO Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(d).

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

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

Distribution” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

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

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

Employment Taxes” means (i) any Tax, the liability or responsibility for which is allocated pursuant to Section 2.6 of the Employee Matters Agreement and (ii) any employment, payroll, social security, disability, unemployment, workers’ compensation or other similar Taxes, tax withholding or similar obligations in respect of Transferred Employees (as defined in the Employee Matters Agreement) employed in jurisdictions outside of the United States, the liability or responsibility for which is allocated pursuant to any agreement entered into in connection with the Separation outside of the United States.

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

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

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

Income Tax” means any Tax which is based upon, measured by, or calculated with respect to income, capital, net receipts or net worth and any other franchise or similar Taxes.

Income Tax Return” means any Tax Return relating to Income Taxes.

Indemnifying Party” means a Party that has an obligation to make an Indemnity Payment.

 

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Indemnitee” means a Party that is entitled to receive an Indemnity Payment.

Indemnity Payment” means an indemnity payment required by this Agreement from an Indemnifying Party in respect of any Liability.

Intended Tax Treatment” means (a) the Contribution and the Distribution, the Internal Distributions and the Internal Contributions effected as part of the Separation will qualify for Tax-Free Status and (b) the Non-U.S. Separation Transactions will qualify in accordance with the treatment set forth in the applicable Tax Opinion/Ruling.

Internal Contribution” means any internal separation of the SpinCo Assets and SpinCo Liabilities from the Parent Assets and Parent Liabilities (a) held by certain subsidiaries of Parent and (b) in a transaction intended to qualify, for U.S. federal income Tax purposes, as a contribution that is generally tax-free pursuant to Section 351(a) of the Code.

Internal Distribution” means any internal separation of the SpinCo Assets and SpinCo Liabilities from the Parent Assets and Parent Liabilities (a) held by certain subsidiaries of Parent and (b) in a transaction intended to qualify, for U.S. federal income Tax purposes, as a distribution that is generally tax-free pursuant to Section 355(a) (or Sections 355(a) and 368(a)(1)(D)) of the Code).

IRS” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

IRS Ruling Request” means the request for private letter rulings filed by Parent on February 16, 2021 with the IRS (including all attachments, exhibits, and other materials submitted with such ruling request and any amendments or supplemental submissions related thereto).

Liability Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.5(c).

Non-U.S. Separation Transaction” shall mean each of (a) the transfer of certain assets and employees by International Paper Polska Sp. z o.o to Sylvamo Polska Sp. Zo.o in a partial demerger, in exchange for the issuance of shares of Sylvamo Polska Sp. Zo.o to International Paper (Poland) Holding sp. z. o.o. and (b) the transfer of certain assets and employees by IP Belgian Services Company SPRL to International Paper Benelux SRL in a partial demerger in exchange for the issuance of membership interests of International Paper Benelux SRL to International Paper Investments (Luxembourg) S.à.r.l.

Notified Action” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.4(a).

Ordinary Taxes” means any Taxes other than Taxes described in Sections 2.3, 2.4 or 2.5.

Parent” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

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Parent Affiliated Group” means the affiliated group (as such term is defined in Section 1504 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder) of which Parent is the common parent.

Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return” means any U.S. federal Income Tax Return for the Parent Affiliated Group.

Parent Final Determination Adjustment” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1(b).

Parent Group” means Parent and each Subsidiary of Parent (other than SpinCo and any other member of the SpinCo Group).

Parent Non-Qualified Liabilities” means the “Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities” and the “Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities”, as each term is defined in the Employee Matters Agreement.

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

Parent Separate Return” means any Tax Return of or including any member of the Parent Group (including any consolidated, combined or unitary return) that is not a Combined Return.

Parent State Combined Income Tax Returns” means any consolidated, combined or unitary Tax Return with respect to state Income Taxes that actually includes, by election or otherwise, one or more members of the Parent Group and one or more members of the SpinCo Group.

Past Practices” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(a).

Parties” means the parties to this Agreement.

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

Plan of Reorganization” means the plan of reorganization (within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-2(g)) that includes the Separation and the Distribution.

 

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Post-Distribution Tax Opinion” means an unqualified “will” opinion of a Tax Advisor, which Tax Advisor is reasonably acceptable to Parent, on which Parent may rely to the effect that a transaction will not affect the applicable Intended Tax Treatment, provided that any such opinion obtained in connection with a proposed acquisition of SpinCo’s Capital Stock or the Capital Stock of any entity that was a “controlled corporation” in any Internal Distribution entered into on or before the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date shall not qualify as a Post-Distribution Tax Opinion unless such opinion also concludes that such proposed acquisition will not be treated as “part of a plan (or series of related transactions),” within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, that includes the Distribution or any Internal Distribution. Any such opinion must be consistent with the assumption that the Transactions would have qualified for the applicable Intended Tax Treatment if the transaction in question did not occur.

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

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

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

Proposed Acquisition Transaction” means a transaction or series of transactions (or any agreement, understanding or arrangement, within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code and Treasury Regulation Section 1.355-7, or any other regulations promulgated thereunder, to enter into a transaction or series of transactions), as a result of which SpinCo would merge or consolidate with any other Person or as a result of which one or more Persons would (directly or indirectly) acquire, or have the right to acquire, from SpinCo and/or one or more holders of outstanding shares of SpinCo’s Capital Stock, a number of shares of such Capital Stock that would, when combined with any other changes in ownership of such SpinCo’s Capital Stock pertinent for purposes of Section 355(e) of the Code, including for the avoidance of doubt, the Retention and the Subsequent Sale Transactions, comprise 45% or more of (a) the value of all outstanding shares of stock of SpinCo as of the date of such transaction, or in the case of a series of transactions, the date of the last transaction of such series, or (b) the total combined voting power of all outstanding shares of voting stock of SpinCo as of the date of such transaction, or in the case of a series of transactions, the date of the last transaction of such series. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Proposed Acquisition Transaction shall not include (i) the adoption by SpinCo of a shareholder rights plan or (ii) issuances by SpinCo that satisfy Safe Harbor VIII (relating to acquisitions in connection with a person’s performance of services) or Safe Harbor IX (relating to acquisitions by a retirement plan of an employer) of Treasury Regulation Section 1.355-7(d). For purposes of determining whether a transaction constitutes an indirect acquisition, any recapitalization resulting in a shift of voting power or any redemption of shares of stock shall be treated as an indirect acquisition of shares of stock by the non-exchanging shareholders. This definition and the application thereof is intended to monitor compliance with Section 355(e) of the Code and shall be interpreted accordingly. Any clarification of, or change in, the statute or regulations promulgated under Section 355(e) of the Code shall be incorporated in this definition and its interpretation.

 

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Records” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.1(a)(i).

Refund Recipient” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1(a).

Representation Letters” means the representation letters and any other materials (including a Ruling Request and any related supplemental submissions to the IRS or other Tax Authority) delivered or deliverable by or on behalf of Parent, SpinCo and others to a Tax Advisor (or Tax Authority) in connection with the issuance by such Tax Advisor (or Tax Authority) of a Tax Opinion/Ruling, as amended prior to the issuance of such Tax Opinion/Ruling.

Retained Stock” means the outstanding SpinCo Shares, up to 19.9% of the aggregate outstanding SpinCo Shares, that Parent may retain after the Distribution.

Retention” means Parent’s retention of the Retained Stock after the Distribution.

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

Section 7.2(d) Transaction” means any transaction or series of transactions that is not a Proposed Acquisition Transaction but would be a Proposed Acquisition Transaction if the percentage reflected in the definition of Proposed Acquisition Transaction were 30% instead of 45%.

Separate Affiliated Group” has the meaning set forth in Section 355(b)(3)(B) of the Code.

Separation” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

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

SpinCo” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

SpinCo Group” means SpinCo and each Person that is a Subsidiary of SpinCo, as determined immediately after the Distribution.

SpinCo Separate Return” means any Tax Return of or including any member of the SpinCo Group (including any consolidated, combined or unitary return) that is not a Combined Return.

 

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Subsequent Sale Transactions” means Parent’s sales of Retained Stock to third parties no later than five years after the Distribution.

Tax” or “Taxes” means any federal, state, local or non-U.S. income, alternative minimum, accumulated earnings, capital gains, net receipts, personal holding company, franchise, capital stock, profits, windfall profits, gross receipts, escheat, unclaimed property, sales, use, value-added, transfer, registration, stamp, premium, excise, customs duties, severance, environmental, real property, personal property, ad valorem, occupancy, license, occupation, employment, payroll, social security, disability, unemployment, workers’ compensation, withholding, estimated or other similar tax, duty, fee, assessment or other governmental charge or deficiencies thereof (including all interest and penalties thereon and additions thereto).

Tax Advisor” means any law or accounting firm that is nationally recognized as being expert in tax matters.

Tax Attribute” means a net operating loss, earnings and profits, net capital loss, overall foreign loss, unused investment credit, unused foreign tax credit, excess charitable contribution, alternative minimum tax credit, general business credit, research and development credit or any other Tax Item that could reduce a Tax or create a Tax Benefit.

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

Tax Benefit” means any reduction in liability for Tax as a result of any loss, deduction, refund, credit, or other item reducing Taxes otherwise payable.

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

Tax-Free Status” means, with respect to the Contribution and the Distribution taken together (but excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, the Subsequent Sale Transactions) and each Internal Distribution and Internal Contribution, the qualification thereof (a) other than with respect to the Internal Contributions, as a reorganization described in Sections 355(a) and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code, (b) with respect to the Internal Contributions, as a contribution described in Section 351 of the Code, (c) other than with respect to the Internal Contributions, as a transaction in which the stock distributed thereby is “qualified property” for purposes of Sections 355(c)(2) and 361(c)(2) of the Code, (d) a transaction in which Parent, SpinCo and the members of their respective Groups (as relevant) recognize no income or gain for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to Sections 355, 361, and 1032 of the Code or, in the case of the Internal Contributions, Section 351 of the Code, other than, (i) income or gain recognized pursuant to 367(a), 367(b) and/or Section 1248 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated under such provisions (assuming, for this purpose, that any available elections to avoid the recognition of income or gain for U.S. federal Income Tax purposes under such provisions have been duly and timely made), (ii) intercompany items or excess loss accounts taken into account pursuant to the Treasury Regulations promulgated pursuant to Section 1502 of the Code, (iii) in the case of Parent, income or gain in connection with Subsequent Sale Transactions and (iv) in the case of shareholders of Parent, any receipt of cash in lieu of fractional shares.

 

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Tax Item” means, with respect to any Income Tax, any item of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit.

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

Tax Opinions/Rulings” means each opinion of a Tax Advisor or ruling by the IRS or another Tax Authority delivered or issued to Parent or any of its subsidiaries in connection with, and regarding the tax treatment of the Contribution and Distribution, any Internal Distribution, Internal Contribution or any Non-U.S. Separation Transaction.

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

Tax-Related Losses” means (a) all Taxes imposed pursuant to any settlement, Final Determination, judgment or otherwise (including Taxes required to be reflected on any Tax Return prepared in accordance with Section 4.2(b)), (b) all accounting, legal and other professional fees, and court costs, incurred in connection with such Taxes and (c) all costs, expenses and damages associated with stockholder litigation or controversies and any amount paid by Parent (or any Affiliate of Parent) or SpinCo (or any Affiliate of SpinCo) in respect of the liability of shareholders, whether paid to shareholders or to the IRS or any other Tax Authority, in each case, resulting from the failure of the Transactions to have the Intended Tax Treatment.

Tax Return” means any federal, state, local or non-U.S. tax return, declaration, statement, report, schedule, form or information return or any amendment to any of the foregoing relating to Taxes.

Tax Return Preparer” means (a) with respect to any Tax Return that Parent is responsible for preparing under Section 4.1(a), Parent and (b) with respect to any Tax Return that SpinCo is responsible for preparing under Section 4.1(b), SpinCo.

Transactions” means the Contribution and Distribution and the other transactions contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement (including the Internal Distributions, the Internal Contributions, the Non-U.S. Separation Transactions and other transactions contemplated by the Plan of Reorganization).

Transaction Tax Contest” means a Tax Contest with the purpose or effect of determining or redetermining Taxes that could give rise to Tax-Related Losses.

Treasury Regulations” means the regulations prescribed under the Code.

 

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ARTICLE II

ALLOCATION OF TAX LIABILITIES

2.1 General Rule.

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

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

2.2 Ordinary Taxes. Subject to Section 2.3, all Ordinary Taxes of the Parent Group and SpinCo Group shall be allocated as follows:

(a) Parent Liability. Parent shall be responsible for any and all Ordinary Taxes imposed on or payable by a member of the Parent Group for any Tax Period (including Ordinary Taxes due or required to be reported on any Combined Return that is required to be filed by any member of the Parent Group), including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination. For the avoidance of doubt, Parent shall be responsible for the amount of any installment payment that is required to be paid by Parent pursuant to Section 965(h) of the Code (including any increase in such amount as a result of a Final Determination).

(b) SpinCo Liability. SpinCo shall be responsible for any and all Ordinary Taxes imposed on or payable by a member of the SpinCo Group for any Tax Period, (other than Ordinary Taxes due or required to be reported on a Combined Return for which Parent is responsible under Section 2.2(a)), including any increase in such Tax as a result of a Final Determination.

2.3 Scheduled Tax Allocations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, all Taxes arising out of the matters described in Schedule 2.3 shall be allocated as described in Schedule 2.3.

2.4 Employment Taxes. The Parties acknowledge and agree that this Agreement, including Article II, shall not apply with respect to any and all Employment Taxes, for which the Employee Matters Agreement shall govern.

2.5 Certain Transaction and Other Taxes.

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

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

 

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(ii) any value-added or goods and services Tax imposed by any Tax Authority on any member of the SpinCo Group (if such member is primarily liable for such Tax) on the transfers occurring pursuant to the Transactions;

(iii) any Tax (other than Tax-Related Losses) resulting from a breach by any member of the SpinCo Group of any covenant in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement; and

(iv) any Tax-Related Losses for which SpinCo is responsible pursuant to Section 7.5.

The amounts for which SpinCo is liable pursuant to Section 2.5(a)(i), (ii), and (iii) shall include all accounting, legal, and other professional fees and court costs incurred in connection with the relevant Taxes and in connection with enforcing this indemnity.

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

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

(ii) any value-added or goods and services Tax imposed by any Tax Authority on any member of the Parent Group (if such member is primarily liable for such Tax) on the transfers occurring pursuant to the Transactions;

(iii) any Tax (other than Tax-Related Losses) resulting from a breach by any member of the Parent Group of any covenant in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement; and

(iv) any Tax-Related Losses for which Parent is responsible pursuant to Section 7.5.

The amounts for which Parent is liable pursuant to Section 2.5(b)(i), (ii), and (iii) shall include all accounting, legal, and other professional fees and court costs incurred in connection with the relevant Taxes and in connection with enforcing this indemnity.

 

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ARTICLE III

CLOSING OF TAXABLE YEARS

3.1 Closing of Taxable Years. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Parties acknowledge and agree that the Tax Period of each member of the SpinCo Group that joined in the filing of the Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return will close as of the end of the Distribution Date. Parent and SpinCo shall take all commercially reasonable actions necessary or appropriate to close the taxable year of each member of the SpinCo Group for any material U.S. state Tax purposes as of the end of the Distribution Date to the extent permitted by applicable Law; provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that (a) SpinCo shall not and shall not permit any member of the SpinCo Group to take any action that would change any Tax Period of a non-U.S. member of the SpinCo Group that begins before the end of the Distribution Date and (b) this Section 3.1(a) shall not be construed to require any member of the Parent Group, or to require Parent to cause any member of the SpinCo Group, to change any of its Tax Periods. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 3.1 to the contrary, if Parent determines to elect, or cause an election to be made, under Treasury Regulation Section 1.245A-5(e)(3)(i) to close the taxable year of any non-U.S. member of the SpinCo Group as of the Distribution Date or any prior date on which an extraordinary reduction transaction occurs as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.245A-5(e)(2)(i), SpinCo shall, and shall cause any relevant member of the SpinCo Group to, cooperate with Parent in the making of such election and shall take any action reasonably requested by Parent or that is otherwise necessary to give effect to such election (e.g., entering into a binding agreement as per Treasury Regulation Section 1.245A-5(e)(3)(i)(C)(2)). Moreover, if an election is made under Treasury Regulation Section 1.245A-5(e)(3)(i) to close the U.S. taxable year of any non-U.S. member of the SpinCo Group and such non-U.S. member’s taxable year under non-U.S. law does not close as a result of the election, Parent shall be responsible for determining the allocation of taxable income (determined under non-U.S. law), under the principles of Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-76(b), between the portion of the non-U.S. taxable year that ends with, and the portion of the non-U.S. taxable year that begins after, the date on which such non-U.S. member’s U.S. taxable year closes as a result of the election under Treasury Regulation Section 1.245A-5(e)(3)(i), which allocation shall have the effect of determining the amount of non-U.S. Taxes paid or accrued that are allocated to such periods solely for U.S. Tax purposes.

ARTICLE IV

PREPARATION AND FILING OF TAX RETURNS

4.1 Responsibility of Preparing Tax Returns.

(a) Parents Responsibility. Parent shall timely prepare any Combined Returns or Parent Separate Returns, including any Adjustment Request with respect thereto.

(b) SpinCos Responsibility. SpinCo shall timely prepare any SpinCo Separate Returns, including any Adjustment Request with respect thereto.

(c) Right to Review Tax Returns. The Tax Return Preparer with respect to any Tax Return shall make such Tax Return (or the relevant portions thereof) and related workpapers available for review by the other Party to the extent (i) such Tax Return relates to Taxes for which the requesting party is or could reasonably be expected to be liable, (ii) the requesting party would reasonably be expected to be liable in whole or in part for any additional Taxes owing as a result of material adjustments to the amount of Taxes reported on such Tax Return, (iii) such Tax Return relates to Taxes for which the

 

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requesting party would reasonably be expected to have a claim for material Tax Benefits under this Agreement or (iv) reasonably necessary for the requesting party to confirm compliance with the terms of this Agreement, provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Parent shall not be required to make any Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return available for review by any member of the SpinCo Group. The Tax Return Preparer shall provide a draft of any such Tax Return to the other Party for its review and comment at least 30 days prior to the due date for filing of such Tax Return (with extensions), or in the case of any such Tax Return filed on a monthly basis or property Tax Return, at least five Business Days prior to the due date for filing of such Tax Return (with extensions). Parent and SpinCo shall attempt in good faith to resolve any material disagreement arising out of the review of such Tax Return and, failing such resolution, any material disagreement shall be resolved in accordance with the provisions of Section 8.4 as promptly as practicable, provided, however, (x) nothing in this Section 4.1(c) or Section 8.4 shall prevent SpinCo or Parent, respectively, from timely filing a Tax Return (with extensions) and (y) if a payment is made to a Tax Authority in connection with the filing of a Tax Return during the pendency of a disagreement described in this sentence, the Parties shall make any further payments necessary to reflect the ultimate resolution of such disagreement within ten Business Days of such resolution.

(d) Execution of Returns Prepared by Other Party. In the case of any Tax Return which is required to be prepared and filed by one Party under this Agreement and which is required by law to be signed by the other Party (or by its authorized representative), the Party which is legally required to sign such Tax Return shall not be required to sign such Tax Return under this Agreement if there is no reasonable basis for the Tax treatment of any item reported on the Tax Return.

4.2 Tax Accounting Practices.

(a) General Rule. Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.2(b), with respect to any Tax Return that SpinCo has the obligation and right to prepare and file, or cause to be prepared and filed, under Section 4.1, for any Pre-Distribution Tax Period or any Straddle Period (or any Tax Period beginning after the Distribution Date to the extent items reported on such Tax Return could reasonably be expected to affect items reported on any Tax Return that Parent has the obligation or right to prepare and file for any Pre-Distribution Period or any Straddle Period), such Tax Return shall be prepared in accordance with past practices, accounting methods, elections or conventions (“Past Practices”) used with respect to the Tax Returns in question (unless there is no reasonable basis for the use of such Past Practices or unless there is no adverse effect to Parent), and, to the extent any items are not covered by Past Practices (or in the event that there is no reasonable basis for the use of such Past Practices or there is no adverse effect to Parent), in accordance with reasonable Tax accounting practices selected by SpinCo. Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.2(b), Parent shall prepare any Tax Return which it has the obligation and right to prepare and file, or cause to be prepared and filed, under Section 4.1, in accordance with reasonable Tax accounting practices selected by Parent.

 

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(b) Reporting of Transactions. Except to the extent otherwise required (i) by a change in applicable law or (ii) as a result of a Final Determination, (x) neither Parent nor SpinCo shall (and shall not permit or cause any member of its respective Group to) take any position that is inconsistent with the treatment of the Contribution and Distribution, taken together, any Internal Distribution, any Internal Contribution or any Non-U.S. Separation Transaction, in each case, as having the Intended Tax Treatment and (y) neither Parent nor SpinCo shall (and shall not permit or cause any member of its respective Group to) take any position with respect to any material item of income, deduction, gain, loss, or credit on a Tax Return, or otherwise treat such item in a manner that is inconsistent with the manner such item is reported on a Tax Return with respect to a Pre-Distribution Tax Period, if such other Party is or would reasonably be expected to be liable, in whole or in part, for any related increase in Tax liability resulting from a Final Determination (including the claiming of a deduction previously claimed on any such Tax Return or a change in transfer pricing methodology which is different from what was utilized by Parent and SpinCo prior to the Distribution).

(c) Combined Returns. SpinCo will elect and join, and will cause its respective Affiliates to elect and join, in filing the Parent Federal Consolidated Income Tax Return and any Parent State Combined Income Tax Returns, Parent Non-U.S. Combined Income Tax Returns or any other Combined Returns that Parent determines are required to be filed or that Parent chooses to file pursuant to Section 4.1(a). With respect to any Pre-Distribution Tax Period, SpinCo will elect and join, and will cause its respective Affiliates to elect and join, in filing consolidated, unitary, combined, or other similar Tax Returns, to the extent each entity is eligible to join in such Tax Returns, if Parent reasonably determines that the filing of such Tax Returns is consistent with past reporting practices, or, in the absence of applicable past practices, will result in the minimization of the net present value of the aggregate Tax to the entities eligible to join in such Tax Returns.

4.3 Carrybacks and Claims for Refund. SpinCo hereby agrees that if a Tax Return of a member of the SpinCo Group for a Post-Distribution Tax Period reflects any Tax Attribute, then no Adjustment Request with respect to any Combined Return shall be filed and the applicable member of the SpinCo Group shall elect to relinquish, waive or otherwise forgo the right to carry back any such Tax Attribute to a Pre-Distribution Tax Period to the extent permissible under applicable Law. If, notwithstanding the preceding sentence, SpinCo is required to carryback a Tax Attribute under applicable Law, then SpinCo shall notify Parent in writing that such Tax Attribute must be carried back, which notification shall include a description in reasonable detail of the basis for any Tax Benefit and the amount thereof, including supporting analysis that the Tax treatment of such Tax Attribute is correct.

4.4 Allocation of Tax Attributes. All Tax Attributes determined on a consolidated or combined basis for Pre-Distribution Tax Periods shall be allocated to the Parent Group and SpinCo Group in accordance with the Code and the Treasury Regulations (and any applicable state, local, or non-U.S. law or regulation). Parent shall reasonably determine the amounts and proper allocation of such Tax Attributes as of the Distribution Date and shall provide written notice of the calculation thereof to SpinCo as soon as reasonably practicable after

 

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Parent or its designee prepares such calculation. Such determination and allocation shall not be subject to dispute resolution. Parent and SpinCo agree to compute their Tax liabilities for Post-Distribution Tax Periods consistent with such determination and allocation. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Parent shall not be liable to SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group for any failure of (a) any determination under this Section 4.4 to be accurate or sustained under applicable Law, including as the result of any Final Determination or (b) any Tax Attribute (including tax basis) to be available, in whole or in part, for any Tax Period. The allocations made under this Section 4.4 shall be revised by Parent to reflect any subsequent Final Determination that affects any Tax Attributes determined on a consolidated or combined basis for Pre-Distribution Tax Periods.

4.5 Transfer Pricing. If, as the result of any Final Determination relating to intercompany transfer pricing with respect to any item or items reflected on any Income Tax Return of a member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group for a Pre-Distribution Date Tax Period, there is an increase in Income Taxes payable for such Tax Period by any member of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group, then, upon the reasonable written request of, and at the expense of, the relevant member, the other members, as relevant, shall (and shall cause their respective Affiliates to) amend any Tax Returns of any member of such Parent Group or SpinCo Group, as applicable, to the extent such amendment would result in a corresponding or correlative reduction in Taxes otherwise payable by a member of such other Group and shall promptly pay over any Tax Benefit actually realized in cash as a result of such amendment (determined on a “with or without” basis); provided, however, that no Party (or any Affiliates of any Party) shall (a) have any obligation to amend any Tax Return pursuant to this Section 4.5 to the extent doing so would have an adverse effect on such Party or any of its Affiliates that is material, (b) be obligated to amend any Tax Return unless the amount of such Tax Benefit realized in cash exceeds $500,000 or (c) be obligated to make a payment otherwise required pursuant to this Section 4.5 to the extent making such payment would place such Party (or any of its Affiliates) in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Party (or such Affiliate) would have been in if the relevant Tax Benefit had not been realized. If a Party or one of its Affiliates pays over any amount pursuant to the preceding sentence and such Tax Benefit is subsequently disallowed or adjusted, the Parties shall promptly make appropriate payments (including in respect of any interest paid or imposed by any Tax Authority) to reflect such disallowance or adjustment.

ARTICLE V

TAX PAYMENTS

5.1 Filing of Tax Returns and Payment of Taxes. Subject to Section 5.2, each Party shall execute and timely file each Tax Return that it is responsible for filing under applicable Law and shall timely pay to the relevant Taxing Authority any amount shown as due on each such Tax Return. In the case of any adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination with respect to any Tax Return, the Party that is responsible for filing such Tax Return under applicable Law shall pay to the applicable Tax Authority when due (taking into account any automatic or validly elected extensions, deferral or postponements), any additional Tax due with respect to such Tax Return required to be paid as a result of such adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination.

 

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5.2 Indemnification Payments.

(a) Claims for Indemnification. Except as provided in Article IX, an Indemnitee shall be entitled to make a claim for payment with respect to Taxes (or Tax-Related Losses) under this Agreement only after such Indemnitee is required under applicable Tax Law to pay to a Tax Authority a Tax for which the Indemnifying Party would liable, in whole or in part, under this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any administrative or judicial deposit required to be paid by to a Tax Authority or other Governmental Authority to pursue any Tax Contest, to the extent the Indemnifying Party would be liable under this Agreement for any Tax resulting from such Tax Contest). The Indemnitee shall provide to the Indemnifying Party notice of such claim within 30 Business Days of the first date on which it so becomes entitled to make such claim (which, for the avoidance of doubt shall not be prior to the due date for payment of such Tax to the applicable Tax Authority, taking into account any automatic or validly elected extensions, deferrals or postponements). Such notice shall include evidence of payment, a description of such claim and a detailed calculation of the amount claimed. A failure by an Indemnitee to give notice as provided in this Section 5.2(a) shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party’s indemnification obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent that the Indemnifying Party shall have been actually prejudiced by such failure. However, a failure by Indemnitee to give the notice required by this Agreement shall extend the Indemnifying Party’s time for payment, without application of interest, until conforming notice is provided.

(b) Timing for Indemnification Payments. The Indemnifying Party shall make the claimed payment to the Indemnitee within 30 Business Days after receiving such notice, unless the Indemnifying Party reasonably disputes its liability for, or the amount of, such payment.

(c) Payment Recipients. All indemnification payments under this Agreement shall be made by Parent directly to SpinCo or by SpinCo directly to Parent, as applicable; provided, however, that if the Parties mutually agree with respect to any such indemnification payment, (i) any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, may make such indemnification payment to any member of the relevant SpinCo Group, on the other hand and (ii) any member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, may make such indemnification payment to any member of the Parent Group, on the other hand.

ARTICLE VI

TAX BENEFITS

6.1 Tax Benefits.

(a) Refunds Generally. Subject to Section 4.3, if Parent, SpinCo or any of their respective Affiliates receives any refund of any Taxes for which the other Party is liable hereunder (a “Refund Recipient”), such Refund Recipient shall pay to the other Party the entire amount of the refund (including interest received from the relevant Tax Authority, but net of any Taxes imposed with respect to such refund and any other

 

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reasonable costs) within 30 Business Days of receipt thereof; provided, however, that the other Party, upon the request of such Refund Recipient, shall repay the amount paid to the other Party (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Tax Authority) in the event such Refund Recipient is required by applicable law to repay such refund. In the event a Party would be a Refund Recipient but for the fact it elected to apply a refund to which it would otherwise have been entitled against a Tax liability arising in a subsequent Tax Period, then such Party shall be treated as a Refund Recipient and the economic benefit of so applying the refund shall be treated as a refund for purposes of this Section 6.1.

(b) Adjustment Tax Benefits. If a member of the SpinCo Group actually realizes in cash any Tax Benefit exceeding $500,000 as a result of an adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination that increases Taxes for which a member of the Parent Group is liable hereunder (or reduces any Tax Attribute of a member of the Parent Group) (a “Parent Final Determination Adjustment”) and such Tax Benefit would not have arisen but for such adjustment (determined on a “with and without” basis), or if a member of the Parent Group actually realizes in cash any Tax Benefit exceeding $500,000 as a result of an adjustment pursuant to a Final Determination that increases Taxes for which a member of the SpinCo Group is liable hereunder (or reduces any Tax Attribute of a member of the SpinCo Group) and such Tax Benefit would not have arisen but for such adjustment (determined on a “with and without” basis), SpinCo or Parent, as the case may be, shall make a payment to either Parent or SpinCo, as appropriate, within 30 days following such actual realization of the Tax Benefit, in an amount equal to such Tax Benefit actually realized in cash exceeding $500,000 , provided, however, that no Party (or any Affiliates of any Party) shall be obligated to make a payment otherwise required pursuant to this Section 6.1(b) to the extent making such payment would place such Party (or any of its Affiliates) in a less favorable net after-Tax position than such Party (or such Affiliate) would have been in if the relevant Tax Benefit had not been realized. If a Party or one of its Affiliates pays over any amount pursuant to the preceding sentence and such Tax Benefit is subsequently disallowed or adjusted, the Parties shall promptly make appropriate payments (including in respect of any interest paid or imposed by any Tax Authority) to reflect such disallowance or adjustment. In the case of a Parent Final Determination Adjustment, then, upon the written request of and at the expense of Parent, SpinCo shall (and, if applicable, shall cause the relevant member of the SpinCo Group to) amend any Tax Return thereof to the extent such amendment would result in a corresponding or correlative Tax Benefit (which shall include any step-up in tax basis).

(c) Timing for Tax Benefit Payments. No later than 30 days after a Tax Benefit described in Section 6.1(b) is actually realized in cash by a member of the Parent Group or a member of the SpinCo Group, Parent (if a member of the Parent Group actually realizes such Tax Benefit) or SpinCo (if a member of the SpinCo Group actually realizes such Tax Benefit) shall provide the other Party with a written calculation of the amount payable to such other Party by Parent or SpinCo pursuant to this Section 6.1. In the event that Parent or SpinCo disagrees with any such calculation described in this Section 6.1(c), Parent or SpinCo shall so notify the other Party in writing within 30 days of receiving the written calculation set forth above in this Section 6.1(c). Parent and SpinCo shall endeavor in good faith to resolve such disagreement, and, failing that, the amount payable under this Section 6.1 shall be determined in accordance with the disagreement resolution provisions of Section 8.4 as promptly as practicable.

 

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(d) SpinCo Carryback Refunds. SpinCo shall be entitled to any refund that is attributable to, and would not have arisen but for, a carryback by SpinCo pursuant to Section 4.3, provided, however, that SpinCo shall indemnify and hold the members of the Parent Group harmless from and against any and all collateral Tax consequences resulting from or caused by any such carryback, including the loss or postponement of any benefit from the use of Tax Attributes generated by a member of the Parent Group or an Affiliate thereof if (i) such Tax Attributes expire unutilized, but would have been utilized but for such carryback, or (ii) the use of such Tax Attributes is postponed to a later Tax Period than the Tax Period in which such Tax Attributes would have been utilized but for such carryback. Any such payment of such refund made by Parent to SpinCo pursuant to this Section 6.1(d) shall be recalculated in light of any Final Determination (or any other facts that may arise or come to light after such payment is made, such as a carryback of a Parent Group Tax Attribute to a Tax Period in respect of which such refund is received) that would affect the amount to which SpinCo is entitled, and an appropriate adjusting payment shall be made by SpinCo to Parent such that the aggregate amounts paid pursuant to this Section 6.1(d) equals such recalculated amount.

ARTICLE VII

INTENDED TAX TREATMENT

7.1 Representations.

(a) Each of SpinCo and Parent hereby represents and warrants that (i) it has reviewed the Representation Letters and (ii) subject to any qualifications therein, all information, representations and covenants contained in such Representation Letters that concern or relate to such Party or any member of its Group are true, correct and complete.

(b) SpinCo hereby represents and warrants that it has no plan or intention to take any action or to fail to take any action (or to cause or permit any member of the SpinCo Group to take or fail to take any action), in each case, from and after the Distribution Date, that could reasonably be expected to cause any representation or statement made in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Representation Letters, the Tax Opinions/Rulings or any of the Ancillary Agreements to be untrue.

(c) SpinCo hereby represents and warrants that, during the period beginning two years before the date of the consummation of the Internal Distributions and ending on the Distribution Date, there was no “agreement,” “understanding,” “arrangement,” “substantial negotiations” or “discussions” (as such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(h)) by any one or more officers or directors of any member of the SpinCo Group or by any other person or persons with the implicit or explicit permission of one or more of such officers or directors regarding an acquisition, directly or indirectly, of all or a significant portion of SpinCo’s Capital Stock (or any predecessor); provided, however, that no representation is made regarding any “agreement,” “understanding,” “arrangement,” “substantial negotiations” or “discussions” (as such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(h)) by any one or more officers or directors of Parent.

 

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7.2 Restrictions on SpinCo.

(a) SpinCo agrees that it will not take or fail to take, or permit any member of the SpinCo Group to take or fail to take, any action where such action or failure to act would be inconsistent with or cause to be untrue any material, information, covenant or representation in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, any of the Ancillary Agreements, the Representation Letters or the Tax Opinions/Rulings. SpinCo agrees that it will not take or fail to take, or permit any member of the SpinCo Group to take or fail to take, any action that jeopardizes or is reasonably likely to jeopardize the Intended Tax Treatment.

(b) During the two-year period following the Distribution Date, (i) SpinCo, directly or indirectly through one or more members of SpinCo’s Separate Affiliated Group, shall continue the Active Trade or Business and (ii) SpinCo shall not engage in any transaction that would result in it ceasing to be engaged in such Active Trade or Business for purposes of Section 355(b)(2) of the Code. SpinCo further agrees that, from the date hereof until the two-year period following the date of the consummation of the Internal Distributions, SpinCo will cause each member of the SpinCo Group that was a “controlled corporation” (within the meaning of Section 355(b) of the Code) in any Internal Distribution (and such member’s Separate Affiliated Group) (x) to directly or indirectly through one or more members of SpinCo’s Separate Affiliated Group continue the active trade or business used by such member to satisfy Section 355(b) of the Code with respect to the relevant Internal Distribution (as described in the Tax Opinions/Ruling), as conducted immediately prior to the relevant Internal Distribution and (y) not engage in any transaction that would result in such member ceasing to be engaged in such active trade or business for purposes of Section 355(b)(2) of the Code.

(c) SpinCo agrees that, from the date hereof until the first day after the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date, it shall not (and shall not cause or permit any of its Affiliates to), in a single transaction or series of transactions:

(i) enter into any Proposed Acquisition Transaction or, to the extent SpinCo has the right to prohibit any Proposed Acquisition Transaction, permit any Proposed Acquisition Transaction to occur (whether by (1) redeeming rights under a shareholder rights plan, (2) finding a tender offer to be a “permitted offer” under any such plan or otherwise causing any such plan to be inapplicable or neutralized with respect to any Proposed Acquisition Transaction, or (3) approving any Proposed Acquisition Transaction, whether for purposes of Section 203 of the DGCL or any similar corporate statute, any “fair price” or other provision of SpinCo’s charter or bylaws or otherwise);

 

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(ii) liquidate or partially liquidate, merge or consolidate with any other Person (whether that other Person or such Affiliate is the survivor);

(iii) subject to Schedule 7.2(c)(iii), (1) sell or transfer (other than sales or transfers of inventory in the ordinary course of business) all or substantially all of the assets that were transferred to SpinCo as part of the Separation or (2) sell or transfer (or cause or permit to be transferred) 30% or more of the gross assets of the Active Trade or Business or 30% or more of the consolidated gross assets of SpinCo and its Affiliates;

(iv) redeem or otherwise repurchase (directly or through an Affiliate) any of SpinCo’s Capital Stock, or rights to acquire SpinCo’s Capital Stock, except to the extent such repurchases satisfy Section 4.05(1)(b) of Revenue Procedure 96-30 (as in effect prior to the amendment of such Revenue Procedure by Revenue Procedure 2003-48);

(v) amend its certificate of incorporation (or other organizational documents), or take any other action, whether through a stockholder vote or otherwise, affecting the voting rights of SpinCo’s Capital Stock (including through the conversion of one class of SpinCo’s Capital Stock into another class of SpinCo’s Capital Stock);

(vi) take any other action or actions (including any action or transaction that would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with any representation made in the Representation Letters, any Ruling Request or any Tax Opinions/Rulings) that, in the aggregate (and taking into account any other transactions described in this subparagraph (c)) would be reasonably likely to have the effect of causing or permitting one or more persons (whether or not acting in concert) to acquire directly or indirectly Capital Stock representing a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest in SpinCo or otherwise jeopardize the Intended Tax Treatment; or

(vii) cause or permit any member of the SpinCo Group that was a “controlled corporation” (within the meaning of Section 355(b) of the Code) in any Internal Distribution to take any action or enter into any transaction described in the preceding clauses (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) or (vi) (substituting references therein to “SpinCo”, the “Separation,” “Active Trade or Business” and “SpinCo’s Capital Stock” with references to the relevant corporation, the transfer of assets to such corporation pursuant to the Transactions, the active conduct of the trade or business relied upon with respect to such Internal Distribution (as described in the relevant Representation Letters, and/or relevant Tax Opinion/Ruling) for purposes of Section 355(b)(2) of the Code, and the Capital Stock of such corporation),

unless, in each case, prior to taking any such action set forth in the foregoing clauses (i) through (vii), (A) SpinCo shall have requested that Parent obtain a Ruling in accordance with Section 7.4 of this Agreement to the effect that such transaction will not negatively affect the applicable Intended Tax Treatment and Parent shall have received such a Ruling in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Parent in its discretion, which discretion shall be exercised in good faith solely to preserve the Intended Tax Treatment (and, in determining whether a Ruling is satisfactory, Parent may consider, among other factors, the appropriateness of any underlying

 

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assumptions and management’s representations made in connection with such Ruling), (B) SpinCo shall provide Parent with a Post-Distribution Tax Opinion in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Parent in its discretion, which discretion shall be exercised in good faith solely to preserve the Intended Tax Treatment (and in determining whether a Post-Distribution Tax Opinion is satisfactory, Parent may consider, among other factors, the appropriateness of any underlying assumptions and management’s representations made in connection with such Post-Distribution Tax Opinion) or (C) Parent shall have waived the requirement to obtain such Ruling or Post-Distribution Tax Opinion.

(d) If SpinCo proposes to enter into any Section 7.2(d) Acquisition Transaction or, to the extent SpinCo has the right to prohibit (or cause to be prohibited) any Section 7.2(d) Acquisition Transaction, SpinCo proposes to permit any Section 7.2(d) Acquisition Transaction to occur, in each case, during the period from the date hereof until the first day after the two-year anniversary of the Distribution Date, SpinCo shall provide Parent, no later than 10 Business Days following the signing of any written agreement with respect to the Section 7.2(d) Acquisition Transaction, with a written description of such transaction (including the type and amount of SpinCo’s Capital Stock to be issued in such transaction) and a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of SpinCo to the effect that the Section 7.2(d) Acquisition Transaction is not a Proposed Acquisition Transaction or any other transaction to which the requirements of Section 7.2(c) apply (a “CFO Certificate”).

7.3 Restrictions on Parent. Parent agrees that it will not take or fail to take, or permit any member of the Parent Group to take or fail to take, any action where such action or failure to act would be inconsistent with or cause to be untrue any material, information, covenant or representation in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement, any of the Ancillary Agreements, the Representation Letters or the Tax Opinions/Rulings. Parent agrees that it will not take or fail to take, or permit any member of the Parent Group to take or fail to take, any action that jeopardizes or is reasonably likely to jeopardize the Intended Tax Treatment, provided, however, that this Section 7.3 shall not be construed as obligating Parent to consummate the Distribution and shall not be construed as preventing Parent from terminating the Separation and Distribution Agreement pursuant to the terms of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

7.4 Procedures Regarding Opinions and Rulings.

(a) If SpinCo notifies Parent that it desires to take one of the actions described in clauses (i) through (vii) of Section 7.2(c) (a “Notified Action”), Parent and SpinCo shall reasonably cooperate to attempt to obtain the Ruling or Post-Distribution Tax Opinion referred to in Section 7.2(c), unless Parent shall have waived the requirement to obtain such Ruling or Post-Distribution Tax Opinion. SpinCo shall reimburse Parent for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Parent Group in obtaining any such Ruling or Post-Distribution Tax Opinion within 10 Business Days after receiving an invoice from Parent therefor.

 

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(b) Parent agrees that at the reasonable request of SpinCo pursuant to Section 7.2(c), Parent shall cooperate with SpinCo and use its reasonable efforts to seek to obtain or assist in obtaining, as expeditiously as reasonably practicable, a Ruling from the IRS or other applicable Tax Authority or a Post-Distribution Tax Opinion for the purpose of permitting SpinCo to take the Notified Action. Further, in no event shall Parent be required to file any Ruling Request under this Section 7.4(b) unless SpinCo represents that (i) it has read the Ruling Request, and (ii) all information and representations, if any, relating to any member of the SpinCo Group, contained in the Ruling Request documents are (subject to any qualifications therein) true, correct and complete. SpinCo shall reimburse Parent for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Parent Group in obtaining a Ruling or Post-Distribution Tax Opinion requested by SpinCo within 10 Business Days after receiving an invoice from Parent therefor.

(c) Parent shall have the right to obtain a Ruling or a Post-Distribution Tax Opinion at any time in its sole and absolute discretion. If Parent determines to obtain a Ruling or a Post-Distribution Tax Opinion, SpinCo shall (and shall cause each Affiliate of SpinCo to) cooperate with Parent and take any and all actions reasonably requested by Parent in connection with obtaining the Ruling or Post-Distribution Tax Opinion (including by making any representation or covenant or providing any materials or information requested by the IRS or a Tax Advisor); provided that SpinCo shall not be required to make (or cause any Affiliate of SpinCo to make) any representation that is untrue or to provide (or cause any Affiliate of SpinCo to provide) any covenant as to future matters or events over which it has no control. Parent and SpinCo shall each bear its own costs and expenses in obtaining a Ruling or a Post-Distribution Tax Opinion requested by Parent.

(d) SpinCo hereby agrees that Parent shall have sole and exclusive control over the process of obtaining any Ruling described in Section 7.2, and that only Parent shall apply for a Ruling. In connection with obtaining a Ruling pursuant to Section 7.4(b), (i) Parent shall keep SpinCo informed in a timely manner of all material actions taken or proposed to be taken by Parent in connection therewith; (ii) Parent shall (A) reasonably in advance of the submission of any Ruling Request documents provide SpinCo with a draft copy thereof, (B) reasonably consider SpinCo’s comments on such draft copy and (C) provide SpinCo with a final copy; and (iii) Parent shall provide SpinCo with notice reasonably in advance of, and SpinCo shall have the right to attend, any formally scheduled meetings with the IRS (subject to the approval of the IRS) that relate to such Ruling. Neither SpinCo nor any Affiliates of SpinCo shall seek any guidance from the IRS or any other Tax Authority (whether written, verbal or otherwise) at any time concerning the tax consequences of the Transactions.

 

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7.5 Liability for Tax-Related Losses.

(a) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement to the contrary, subject to Section 7.5(c), SpinCo shall be responsible for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless Parent and each of its Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors and employees from and against, 100% of any Tax-Related Losses that are attributable to or result from any one or more of the following: (i) the acquisition (other than pursuant to the Transactions) of all or a portion of the Capital Stock and/or assets of SpinCo and/or its subsidiaries by any means whatsoever by any Person, (ii) any “agreement,” “understanding,” “arrangement,” “substantial negotiations” or “discussions” (as such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(h)) by any one or more officers or directors of any member of the SpinCo Group or by any person or persons with the implicit or explicit permission of one or more of such officers or directors with respect to transactions or events (including stock issuances, pursuant to the exercise of stock options or otherwise, option grants, capital contributions or acquisitions, or a series of such transactions or events) that cause the Contribution and Distribution or any Internal Distributions to be treated as part of a plan pursuant to which one or more Persons acquire directly or indirectly SpinCo’s Capital Stock or any member of the SpinCo Group that was a “controlled corporation” (within the meaning of Section 355(b) of the Code) in any Internal Distribution, in each case representing a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest therein, (iii) any action or failure to act by SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group after the Contribution and Distribution (including any amendment to SpinCo’s certificate of incorporation (or other organizational documents), whether through a stockholder vote or otherwise) affecting the voting rights of SpinCo’s Capital Stock (including through the conversion of one class of SpinCo’s Capital Stock into another class of SpinCo’s Capital Stock), (iv) any act or failure to act by SpinCo or any Affiliate of SpinCo described in Section 7.2 (regardless of whether such act or failure to act is covered by a Ruling, Post-Distribution Tax Opinion or waiver described in clause (A), (B) or (C) of Section 7.2(c)) or (v) any breach by SpinCo of its agreement and representation set forth in Section 7.1.

(b) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement to the contrary, subject to Section 7.5(c), Parent shall be responsible for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless SpinCo and its Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors and employees from and against, 100% of any Tax-Related Losses that are attributable to, or result from any one or more of the following: (i) the acquisition (other than pursuant to the Transactions) of all or a portion of the Capital Stock and/or assets of Parent and/or its subsidiaries by any means whatsoever by any Person, (ii) any “agreement,” “understanding,” “arrangement,” “substantial negotiations” or “discussions” (as such terms are defined in Treasury Regulations Section 1.355-7(h)) by any one or more officers or directors of any member of the Parent Group or by any person or persons with the implicit or explicit permission of one or more of such officers or directors with respect to transactions or events (including stock issuances, pursuant to the exercise of stock options or otherwise, option grants, capital contributions or acquisitions, or a series of such transactions or events) that cause the Contribution and Distribution or any Internal Distribution to be treated as part of a plan pursuant to which one or more Persons acquire directly or indirectly Capital Stock of Parent or any member of the Parent Group that was a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” (within the meaning of Section 355(b) of the Code) in any Internal Distribution representing a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest therein or (iii) any act or failure to act by Parent or any Affiliate of Parent described in Section 7.3.

 

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(c) To the extent that any Tax-Related Loss is subject to indemnity under both Section 7.5(a) and Section 7.5(b) responsibility for such Tax-Related Loss shall be shared by Parent and SpinCo, as applicable, according to relative fault. The relative fault of Parent and SpinCo shall be determined by reference to, among other things, the Parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent the applicable act, failure to act, statement or omission that is the basis for the Tax-Related Loss (the “Liability Event”), and whether the Liability Event occurred because of one Party’s reasonable reliance on the other.

(d) Notwithstanding anything in Sections 7.5(b) or 7.5(c) to the contrary, SpinCo shall be responsible for, and shall indemnify and hold harmless Parent and its Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors and employees from and against, 100% of (i) any Tax-Related Losses resulting from the application of Section 355(e) or Section 355(f) of the Code (other than as a result of an acquisition of a Fifty-Percent or Greater Interest in Parent or any member of the Parent Group) and (ii) any other Tax-Related Losses, in each case resulting (for the absence of doubt, in whole or in part) from an acquisition after the Contribution and Distribution of any Capital Stock or assets of SpinCo or any Affiliate of SpinCo by any means whatsoever by any Person or any action or failure to act by SpinCo affecting the voting rights of SpinCo’s Capital Stock or the Capital Stock of any Affiliate of SpinCo.

7.6 Section 336(e) Election. If Parent determines, in its sole discretion, that a protective election under Section 336(e) of the Code (a “Section 336(e) Election”) shall be made with respect to the Distribution (or any Internal Distribution), SpinCo shall (and shall cause any relevant member of the SpinCo Group to) join with Parent (or any relevant member of the Parent Group) in the making of such election and shall take any action reasonably requested by Parent or that is otherwise necessary to give effect to such election (including making any other related election). If a Section 336(e) Election is made with respect to the Distribution (or any Internal Distribution), then this Agreement shall be amended in such a manner as is determined by Parent in good faith to take into account such Section 336(e) Election, including by requiring that, in the event (a) the Contribution and the Distribution (or any Internal Distribution) fails to have Tax-Free Status and (b) a Party that does not have exclusive responsibility pursuant to this Agreement for Tax-Related Losses arising from such failure actually realizes in cash a Tax Benefit from the step-up in Tax basis resulting from the Section 336(e) Election, such Party shall pay over to the Party that has exclusive responsibility pursuant to this Agreement for such Tax-Related Losses any such Tax Benefits realized (provided that, if such Tax-Related Losses are Taxes for which more than one Party is liable under Section 7.5(c), the Party that actually realizes in cash the Tax Benefit resulting from the relevant Section 336(e) Election shall pay over to each the other Party the percentage of any such Tax Benefits realized that corresponds to each such Party’s percentage share of such Taxes).

 

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ARTICLE VIII

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

8.1 Cooperation.

(a) Each Party shall cooperate with reasonable requests from the other Party in matters covered by this Agreement, including in connection with the preparation and filing of Tax Returns, determining the liability for and amount of any Taxes or the right to and amount of any refunds of Taxes, the determination of the proper financial accounting treatment of Tax Items, the conduct and settlement of Tax Contests, mitigating or reducing the amount of losses (or potential losses) arising from potential indemnity claims hereunder, and waivers of legal requirements under this Agreement, in each case without prejudice to any Party’s rights under this Agreement. Such cooperation shall include, but is not limited to:

(i) retaining until the expiration of the relevant statute of limitations (including extensions) plus one year, any and all records, documents, accounting data, computer data, actuarial data, investment data and other information “Records”) necessary for the preparation, filing, review, audit or defense of all Tax Returns relevant to an obligation, right or liability of either Party under this Agreement;

(ii) providing the other Party reasonable access to Records (in the format reasonably determined by the other Party) and to its personnel, including employees and agents of the Parties or their respective affiliates (ensuring their cooperation and reasonable assistance), and premises during normal business hours to the extent relevant to an obligation, right or liability of the other Party under this Agreement or otherwise reasonably required by the other Party to complete Tax Returns, comply with audit requirements, participate in any audit or examination of Tax Returns or to compute the amount of any payment contemplated by this Agreement; and

(iii) after the period of time described in Section 8.1(a)(i) has expired, notifying the other Party prior to disposing of any Records and affording the other Party the opportunity to take possession or make copies of such Records at its discretion and at its own cost and expense.

(b) Additionally, each Party shall (and shall cause its Affiliates to) provide to the other Party with such cooperation, information and assistance reasonably requested by the other Party in connection with:

(i) preparing and filing any Tax Return described in Section 4.1(a) or (b);

(ii) determining the liability for and amount of any Taxes due (including estimated Taxes) or the right to and amount of any refund of Taxes;

(iii) timely responding to any Tax Contest;

 

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(iv) obtaining an opinion from an outside Tax Advisor with respect to matters described in (i), (ii) and (iii) above; and

(v) timely complying with auditor requests with respect to matters (i), (ii) and (iii) above.

Any such request shall be fulfilled as soon as practicable after receipt of a written notice describing the information required and, with respect to any request pursuant to Section 8.1(b)(i), no later than 60 days prior to the due date for filing such Tax Return (with extensions), or in the case of any such Tax Return filed on a monthly basis or property Tax Return, at least 10 Business Days prior to the due date for such Tax Return.

(c) Any information or documents provided under this Section 8.1 shall be kept confidential by the Party or Parties receiving the information or documents, except as may otherwise be necessary in connection with the filing of Tax Returns or in connection with any Tax Contest. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement, in no event shall either Party be required to provide the other Party or any of its respective Affiliates or their respective representatives access to or copies of any information or documents if such action could reasonably be expected to be commercially detrimental, violate any law or obligation to a third party or result in the waiver of any privilege under applicable Law, provided that each of the Parties shall use its reasonable best efforts to provide such information or documents in accordance with its obligations under Sections 8.1(a) and (b) in a manner that avoids any such harm or consequence.

8.2 Interest. Any payments required pursuant to this Agreement that are not made within the time period specified in this Agreement shall bear interest from the end of that period at the Prime Rate plus two percent, compounded semiannually, from the due date of the payment to the date paid. To the extent interest required to be paid under this Section 8.2 duplicates interest required to be paid under any other provision of this Agreement, interest shall be computed at the higher of the interest rate provided under this Section 8.2 or the interest rate provided under such other provision.

8.3 Treatment of Payments; Tax Gross Up.

(a) Except to the extent otherwise required by a change in Tax treatment under the Code or other applicable Tax law, SpinCo and Parent agree that, for all Income Tax purposes, (i) any indemnity payment payable pursuant to this Agreement or by the Separation and Distribution Agreement or the Employee Matters Agreement (not including, for the avoidance of doubt, any payment to fund the Parent Non-Qualified Liabilities) shall be treated as if it occurred immediately prior to the Distribution and shall be treated as being distributed or contributed, as appropriate, pursuant to the Plan of Reorganization that includes the Distribution and (ii) any payment of interest or state Income Taxes by or to a Tax Authority, as taxable or deductible, as the case may be, to the Party entitled under this Agreement to retain such payment or required under this Agreement to make such payment. The Parties shall cooperate in good faith (including,

 

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where relevant, by using commercially reasonable efforts to establish local payment arrangements between each Party’s Subsidiaries) to minimize or eliminate, to the extent permissible under applicable law, any Tax that would otherwise be imposed with respect to any payment required by this Agreement or by the Separation and Distribution Agreement (or maximize the ability to obtain a credit for, or refund of, any such Tax).

(b) If, notwithstanding the manner in which payments described in Section 8.3(a) were reported, there is an adjustment to the Tax liability of a Party as a result of its receipt or payment pursuant to this Agreement or the Separation or Distribution Agreement, such payment shall be appropriately adjusted so that the amount of such payment, reduced by the amount of all Income Taxes payable with respect to the receipt thereof (but taking into account all correlative Tax Benefits resulting from the payment of such Income Taxes), shall equal the amount of the payment which the Party receiving such payment would otherwise be entitled to receive.

(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent a Party makes a payment of interest to another Party under this Agreement with respect to the period from (i) the date that the payor was required to make a payment to the payee to (ii) the date that the payor actually made such payment, the interest payment shall be treated as interest expense to the payor (deductible to the extent provided by law) and as interest income by the payee (includible in income to the extent provided by law). The amount of the payment shall not be adjusted to take into account any associated Tax Benefit to the payor or increase in Tax to the payee.

8.4 Dispute Resolution. In the event of any dispute between the Parties as to any matter covered by this Agreement, including any amendments thereto, the parties shall appoint a nationally recognized independent public accounting firm (the “Accounting Firm”) to resolve such dispute. In this regard, the Accounting Firm shall make determinations with respect to the disputed items based solely on representations made by Parent and SpinCo and their respective representatives, and not by independent review, and shall function only as an expert and not as an arbitrator and shall be required to make a determination in favor of one Party only. The Parties shall require the Accounting Firm to resolve all disputes no later than 30 days after the submission of such dispute to the Accounting Firm and agree that all decisions by the Accounting Firm with respect thereto shall be final and conclusive and binding on the Parties. The Accounting Firm shall resolve all disputes in a manner consistent with this Agreement. The Parties shall require the Accounting Firm to render all determinations in writing and to set forth, in reasonable detail, the basis for such determination. The fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm shall be borne equally by the Parties.

 

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ARTICLE IX

TAX CONTESTS

9.1 Tax Contests.

(a) Parent or SpinCo, as applicable, shall, within 10 Business Days of becoming aware of any Tax Contest (including a Transaction Tax Contest) that could reasonably be expected to cause the other Party to have an indemnification obligation under this Agreement, notify the other Party of such Tax Contest and thereafter promptly forward or make available to the Indemnifying Party copies of notices and communications relating to the relevant portions of such Tax Contest. Any such notice shall contain factual information (to the extent known) describing any asserted Tax liability in reasonable detail. A failure by an Indemnitee to give notice as provided in this Section 9.1(a) (or to promptly forward any such notices or communications) shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party’s indemnification obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent that the Indemnifying Party shall have been actually prejudiced by such failure; provided, however, that such Indemnitee shall make all commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate such failure, including by seeking an extension of any relevant time limitations or deadlines for response.

(b) Parent shall, subject to Section 9.1(d), have the exclusive right to control the conduct and settlement of any Tax Contest (i) that relates solely or primarily to Taxes that are the responsibility of Parent pursuant to Article II or (ii) at Parent’s election, that may reasonably be expected to materially affect amounts for which both Parent and SpinCo are liable under Article II, provided that SpinCo shall have the right, at its sole expense, to participate in and advise on all aspects of any Tax Contest Parent elects to control under clause (ii) above, but only in connection with matters relating to potential material liability of a member of the SpinCo Group. If the conduct or settlement of any portion or aspect of such Tax Contest could reasonably be expected to cause SpinCo to have an indemnification obligation or a Tax Benefit entitlement under this Agreement, then Parent shall not accept or enter into any settlement without the consent of SpinCo, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. If, as result of a Tax Contest which Parent elects to control described in clause (ii) above, SpinCo could reasonably be expected to have an indemnification obligation or Tax Benefit entitlement under this Agreement, (1) Parent shall consult with SpinCo reasonably in advance of taking any material proposed course of action, (2) Parent shall consult with SpinCo and offer SpinCo a reasonable opportunity to comment before submitting any written materials prepared or furnished in connection with such Tax Consent, (3) Parent shall conduct such Tax Contest with reasonable diligence and in good faith as if it were the only party in interest in connection with such Tax Contest, (4) SpinCo shall be entitled to participate in all formally scheduled meetings with any Tax Authority relating to such Tax Contest and receive copies of any written materials received by Parent from the relevant Tax Authority and (5) Parent shall keep SpinCo promptly informed of all material developments in relation to the Tax Contest. Parent shall notify SpinCo within 10 Business Days of becoming aware of a Tax Contest under Section 9.1(b)(ii) if Parent does not elect to control such Tax Contest; provided that Parent shall have the right to assume control of any such Tax Contest and to settle, compromise and/or concede such Tax Contest, if Parent reasonably determines that (x) as a result of subsequent developments the expected Tax liability exposure of any member of the Parent Group resulting from such Tax Contest has materially increased; (y) SpinCo has failed to adequately and properly manage the conduct of such Tax Contest or (z) an event has occurred during such Tax Contest that could adversely affect Parent in any material respect.

 

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(c) SpinCo shall, subject to Section 9.1(d), have the exclusive right to control the conduct and settlement of any Tax Contest (i) that relates solely to Taxes that are the responsibility of SpinCo pursuant to Article II, (ii) that could not reasonably be expected to materially affect amounts for which Parent is liable under Article II, or (iii) that Parent does not elect to control under Section 9.1(b)(ii); provided that Parent shall have the right, at its sole expense, to participate in and advise on all aspects of such Tax Contests and may coordinate discussions with the relevant Taxing Authority with respect thereto, and, with respect to any Tax Contest that could reasonably be expected to cause Parent to have an indemnification obligation or a Tax Benefit entitlement under this Agreement, SpinCo shall not accept or enter into any settlement without the consent of Parent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 9.1 to the contrary, with respect to any Transaction Tax Contest as a result of which SpinCo could reasonably be expected to become liable for any Tax or Tax-Related Losses which Parent has the right to administer and control pursuant to Section 9.1(b), (i) Parent shall solely control the resolution of such Tax Contest, (ii) Parent shall consult with SpinCo reasonably in advance of taking any material proposed course of action, (iii) Parent shall consult with SpinCo and offer SpinCo a reasonable opportunity to comment before submitting any written materials prepared or furnished in connection with such Tax Contest, (iv) Parent shall conduct such Tax Contest with reasonable diligence and in good faith as if it were the only party in interest in connection with such Tax Contest and (v) Parent shall provide SpinCo with any written materials relating to such Tax Contest received from the relevant Tax Authority.

(e) With respect to any Transaction Tax Contest as a result of Parent could reasonably be expected to become liable for any Tax or Tax-Related Losses which SpinCo has the right to administer and control pursuant to Section 9.1(c), (i) SpinCo shall consult with Parent reasonably in advance of taking any material proposed course of action, (ii) SpinCo shall consult with Parent and offer Parent a reasonable opportunity to comment before submitting any written materials prepared or furnished in connection with such Tax Contest, (iii) SpinCo shall conduct such Tax Contest with reasonable diligence and in good faith as if it were the only party in interest in connection with such Tax Contest, (iv) Parent shall be entitled to participate in such Tax Contest and receive copies shall of any written materials relating to such Tax Contest received from the relevant Tax Authority and (v) SpinCo shall not settle, compromise or abandon any such Tax Contest without obtaining the prior written consent of Parent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, provided that Parent shall have right to assume control of such Tax Contest as described in Section 9.1(b).

(f) SpinCo shall (and shall cause each member of the SpinCo Group to) execute and deliver to Parent (or such member of the Parent Group as Parent shall designate) any power of attorney or similar document reasonably requested by Parent (or such designee) in connection with any Tax Contest controlled by Parent described in this Section 9.1. Parent shall (and shall cause each member of the Parent Group to) execute and deliver to SpinCo (or such member of the SpinCo Group as SpinCo shall designate) any power of attorney or similar document reasonably requested by SpinCo (or such designee) in connection with any Tax Contest controlled by SpinCo described in this Section 9.1.

 

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9.2 Expenses and Applicability. Subject to Section 7.5, after the Contribution and Distribution, each Party shall bear its own expenses in the course of any Tax Contest.

9.3 Scheduled Tax Contests. Notwithstanding anything in Sections 5.2, 9.1 and 9.2 to the contrary, all Tax Contests relating to the matter described in Schedule 9.3 shall be subject to the procedures described in Schedule 9.3.

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

10.1 Effective Date; Termination of Prior Intercompany Tax Allocation Agreements . This Agreement shall be effective as of the Effective Time. As of the Effective Time, (i) all prior intercompany Tax allocation agreements or arrangements solely between or among Parent and/or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and SpinCo and/or any of its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, shall be terminated, and (ii) amounts due under such agreements as of the date on which the Effective Time occurs shall be settled. Upon such termination and settlement, no further payments by or to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or by or to SpinCo or any of its Subsidiaries, with respect to such agreements shall be made, and all other rights and obligations resulting from such agreements between the Parties and their Affiliates shall cease at such time. Any payments pursuant to such agreements shall be disregarded for purposes of computing amounts due under this Agreement; provided that, to the extent appropriate, payments made pursuant to such agreements shall be credited to Parent or SpinCo, respectively, in computing their respective obligations pursuant to this Agreement, in the event that such payments relate to a Tax liability that is the subject matter of this Agreement for a Tax Period that is the subject matter of this Agreement.

10.2 Coordination of Agreements. The Parties agree that, in the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements, with respect to the matters addressed herein, the terms of this Agreement shall govern (it being understood that the terms pursuant to which any transition services related to Tax matters shall be provided under the Transition Services Agreement shall be governed by the Transition Services Agreement).

10.3 Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power.

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

(b) This Agreement and the Exhibits, Schedules and appendices hereto contain the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein.

 

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

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

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

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

10.4 Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial.

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

(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 8.4, each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement for recognition or enforcement of any

 

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judgment relating hereto, and each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees not to commence any such action or proceeding except in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (ii) agrees that any claim in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (iii) waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in such courts and (iv) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in such courts.

(c) EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF THE OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, AS APPLICABLE, BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 10.4(c).

10.5 Assignability. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement in whole in connection with a Change of Control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant party thereto by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party. Nothing herein is intended to, or shall be construed to, prohibit either Party or any member of its Group from being party to or undertaking a Change of Control.

10.6 Third-Party Beneficiaries. Except for any Parent Indemnitee or SpinCo Indemnitee (in their respective capacities as such) expressly entitled to indemnification rights under this Agreement, (a) the provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties hereto and are not intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder, and (b) there are no third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement and this Agreement shall not provide any Third Party with any remedy, claim, Liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement.

 

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10.7 Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by e-mail with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 10.7):

If to Parent, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: General Counsel

E-mail: Sharon.ryan@ipaper.com

If to SpinCo, to:

Before June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6400 Poplar Ave

Tower 1, 9th Floor

Memphis, TN 38197

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

After June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6077 Primacy Parkway

Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

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

 

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

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

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

10.11 Survival. Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, the covenants, representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and Liability for the breach of any obligations contained herein, shall survive the Separation and the Distribution and shall remain in full force and effect without limitation as to time.

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

10.13 Specific Performance. Subject to the provisions of Section 8.4, in the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement, the Party hereto that is, or is to be, thereby aggrieved shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief in respect of its rights under this Agreement in addition to any other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative. The Parties agree that the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach, including monetary damages, are inadequate compensation for any loss and that any defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate is waived. Any requirements for the securing or posting of any bond with such remedy are waived by each of the Parties.

 

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

10.15 Interpretation. In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the schedules, exhibits and appendices hereto and thereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (c) article, section, schedule, exhibit and appendix references are to the articles, sections, schedules, exhibits and appendices to this Agreement unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement) shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in (x) Memphis, Tennessee or (y) New York, New York; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; (j) the word “extent” in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other thing extends, and such phrase shall not mean simply “if”; (k) unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts, including the symbol “$”, refer to the lawful currency of the United States of America; and (l) all references to “the date hereof” or “the date of this Agreement” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 30, 2021.

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

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

 

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

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

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

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith R. Townsend

Name: Keith R. Townsend
Title: VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ John V. Sims

Name: John V. Sims
Title: Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer


Schedule 2.3

For purposes of this Schedule 2.3, “Brazil Goodwill Taxes” means any and all Taxes or legal charges imposed by any Brazilian Governmental Authority, resulting directly from the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service’s challenge of goodwill amortization deductions taken by International Paper do Brasil Ltda. (“IP do Brasil”) on its Tax Returns for its 2007-2017 Tax Periods relating to the merger of LA Celulose and IP do Brasil.

(a) Pre-Distribution Date Liability. If, prior to the Distribution Date, (i) a Brazilian Governmental Authority enacts an amnesty program and (ii) Parent determines in its sole discretion to become a party to such amnesty program and settle all or a portion of IP do Brasil’s liability relating to the Brazil Goodwill Taxes, Parent shall notify SpinCo of such determination on or prior to the Distribution Date. Parent shall be responsible for and shall pay to SpinCo or to the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority for the account of IP do Brasil an amount equal to 100% of such settlement up to $180 million. To the extent that the amount of such settlement exceeds $180 million, SpinCo shall be responsible for and shall pay to the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority for the account of IP do Brasil an amount equal to 100% of such excess, up to $60 million, and Parent shall be responsible for and shall pay to the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority for the account of IP do Brasil 100% of any amount of such settlement above $240 million.

(b) Post-Distribution Date Liability.

(i) Parent shall pay to SpinCo or to the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority for the account of IP do Brasil an amount equal to (1) 60% of the first $300 million (up to $180 million) of any Brazil Goodwill Taxes imposed on or payable by IP do Brasil following the Distribution Date as a result of a Final Determination, whether pursuant to a final, non-appealable determination by a federal court in Brazil, the terms of an amnesty program to which IP do Brasil has become a party or other settlement or otherwise, other than any Brazil Goodwill Taxes pursuant to a settlement described in clause (a) and (2) 100% of any such Brazil Goodwill Taxes above $300 million.

(ii) Parent shall pay to SpinCo an amount equal to (1) 60% of any premium and other costs and expenses paid by SpinCo for any period following the Distribution Date to the providers of the Surety Bonds (as defined below) to maintain, renew or replace the Surety Bonds with a face amount of up to $300 million and (2) 100% of any incremental premium and other costs and expenses (as determined by Parent in good faith) attributable to the portion of such Surety Bonds that exceeds $300 million.

(c) Reimbursement of Payments by Parent. If any amount with respect to the Brazil Goodwill Taxes is either (1) (x) drawn on one or more surety bonds issued in favor of the Federal courts in Brazil with respect to the Brazil Goodwill Taxes (the “Surety Bonds”) and (y) reimbursed by Parent or a member of the Parent Group to the providers of the Surety Bonds pursuant to the terms of the Surety Bonds and indemnity agreements entered into in connection therewith, or (2) paid by Parent to the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority for the account


of IP do Brasil, SpinCo shall pay to Parent an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (i) the aggregate amount reimbursed by Parent to the providers of the Surety Bonds or paid by Parent to the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority for the account of IP do Brasil, as applicable, over (ii) the amount for which Parent has payment responsibility under clause (a) or (b) of this Schedule 2.3.

(d) Timing; Currency.

(i) Any payment required to be made by Parent pursuant to clauses (a) or (b)(i) of this Schedule 2.3 as a result of a settlement pursuant to an amnesty program shall be made on or prior to the date such settlement payment is required to be made by IP do Brasil (taking into account any available extensions for making such payment) pursuant to such amnesty program.

(ii) Any payment (x) required to be made by Parent pursuant to clause (b)(i) of this Schedule 2.3 and (y) not described in clause (d)(i) shall be made on or prior to the date a payment is required to be made by IP do Brasil (taking into account any available extensions for making such payment) following a Final Determination that is non-appealable or for which Parent has determined not to pursue an available appeal.

(iii) Any payment required to be made by Parent pursuant to clause (b)(ii) of this Schedule 2.3 shall be made within 5 Business Days after SpinCo provides Parent with a request for reimbursement with respect to the relevant amount.

(iv) Any payment required to be made by SpinCo pursuant to clause (c) of this Schedule 2.3 shall be made within 5 Business Days after the date Parent provides SpinCo with notice that an applicable amount has been drawn with respect to the Surety Bonds or has been paid by Parent to the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority. Without prejudice to Parent’s other rights and remedies, in the event any payment required to be made to Parent by SpinCo pursuant to clause (c) of this Schedule 2.3 is not paid when due, interest shall accrue from such date until the date of actual payment, at an annual interest rate equal to the Prime Rate plus 2.5%, which interest shall be payable quarterly in arrears on the last Business Day of each quarter and shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and the actual number of days elapsed.

(v) Any payment required to be made by SpinCo to Parent pursuant this Schedule 2.3 shall be made in U.S. dollars. The U.S. dollar amount of any payment required to be made by SpinCo to Parent pursuant to clause (c) of this Schedule 2.3 to reimburse a payment in Brazilian real by Parent or a member of the Parent Group, and any U.S. dollar threshold in clause (a) or (b), shall be determined based the U.S. dollar cost that is incurred by Parent or such member of the Parent Group in making such payment (including the cost of any related currency hedging), as determined by Parent in good faith. Any payment required to be made by Parent to SpinCo or the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority pursuant to clause (a) or clause (b) of this Schedule 2.3 shall be made in Brazilian real.


(e) Replacement or Renewal of Surety Bonds. Parent shall use its commercially reasonable efforts with the cooperation of SpinCo to procure the replacement, renewal or the issuance of additional Surety Bonds as the applicable Brazilian Governmental Authority may reasonably request for IP do Brasil to continue the Tax Contest relating to the Brazil Goodwill Taxes, by agreeing to indemnify or guarantee the provider or providers of such Surety Bonds (which arrangements may require Parent to post collateral to secure its obligations to the provider or providers of the Surety Bonds), or if such Surety Bonds cannot be replaced, renewed or obtained, to make other collateral arrangements as the applicable Brazilian Governmental Authority may reasonably request for IP do Brasil to continue the Tax Contest relating to the Brazil Goodwill Taxes. SpinCo shall not permit IP do Brazil or any other member of the SpinCo Group to, without Parent’s prior written consent, (1) renew or extend, or fail to renew or extend, the term of, (2) increase its obligations under, (3) transfer to another third party or (4) amend in any manner adverse to Parent, except as contemplated by the first sentence of this paragraph (e) or Schedule 9.3, the Surety Bonds or any obligation for which Parent is, or would reasonably be expected to be, liable relating to the Brazil Goodwill Taxes.

(f) Guarantee Fee; Collateral Fee.

(i) In consideration for the indemnity agreement or any other guarantee entered into by Parent in connection with the Surety Bonds, SpinCo shall pay to Parent in cash a guarantee fee calculated at an annual rate of 1.5% based on 40% of up to $300 million of the face amount of the Surety Bonds (the “Guarantee Fee”) for so long as the Surety Bonds remain outstanding. The Guarantee Fee shall be payable quarterly in advance, with the first quarterly installment of the Guarantee Fee payable with respect to the period beginning on October 1, 2021 and ending on December 31, 2021. Each quarterly installment of the Guarantee Fee shall be payable in advance within fifteen (15) days following the beginning of the relevant quarter and shall be calculated based on the U.S. dollar equivalent of the face amount of the Surety Bonds outstanding on the last Business Day of the previous quarter, using the applicable spot exchange rate on such day with a true up payment to be made at the end of the relevant quarter if the face amount of the Surety Bonds outstanding is increased during such quarter.

(ii) From and following any posting of collateral by the Parent to secure its obligations under the Surety Bonds pursuant to a demand therefor by the provider or providers thereof, or from and following any making by Parent of other collateral arrangements as requested by the applicable Brazilian Governmental Authority as contemplated in clause (e) of this Schedule 2.3, for so long as such collateral remains posted, (x) the Guarantee Fee shall terminate and (y) SpinCo shall instead pay to Parent in cash a collateral fee calculated at an annual rate equal to LIBOR plus 3% based on 40% of up to $300 million of the fair market value of such collateral (the “Collateral Fee”), provided that, if Sylvamo elects to post collateral in respect of 40% of up to $300 million of the liability, the collateral fee shall be zero. The Collateral Fee shall be payable in quarterly installments pursuant to the same schedule described in clause (i) with respect to the Guarantee Fee, and shall be calculated based on the amount of collateral posted on the last Business Day of the quarter preceding the period with respect to which such Collateral Fee accrues, with a true up payment to be made at the end of such period if the


amount of collateral posted is increased during such period. If such collateral is cash other than U.S. dollars, the fair market value of such collateral shall be converted into U.S. dollars using the spot exchange rate on the last Business Day of the quarter preceding the period which respect to which such Collateral Fee accrues. For purposes of this clause (f)(ii) “LIBOR” means the “Benchmark” for U.S. dollar borrowings with a three month interest period under the revolving credit facility of Parent as in effect from time to time.

For the avoidance of doubt, (i) Sections 5.2 and 8.3(b) of this Agreement shall not apply to payments required under this Schedule 2.3 and (ii) Parent shall not be required to make any payment in respect of Brazil Goodwill Taxes to SpinCo or any of its Affiliates to the extent that the relevant Brazilian Governmental Authority irrevocably abandons and relinquishes, or otherwise irrevocably ceases to pursue, the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service’s challenge relating to the Brazil Goodwill Taxes or such challenge is resolved in favor of IP do Brasil.


Schedule 7.2(c)(iii)


Schedule 9.3

Brazil Goodwill Tax Contests.

(a) Parent shall administer and control the conduct and resolution of any Tax Contest relating to the Brazil Goodwill Taxes (the “Brazil Goodwill Tax Contests”), provided that, other than in the case of any settlement described in clause (a) of Schedule 2.3, (i) SpinCo shall have the right, at its sole expense, to participate in any Brazil Goodwill Tax Contest (ii) Parent shall consult with SpinCo reasonably in advance of taking any material proposed course of action with respect to the Brazil Goodwill Tax Contests, (iii) Parent shall consult with SpinCo and offer SpinCo a reasonable opportunity to comment before submitting any written materials prepared or furnished in connection with the Brazil Goodwill Tax Contests, (iv) SpinCo shall be entitled to participate in all formally scheduled meetings with any Tax Authority relating to the Brazil Goodwill Tax Contests and (v) Parent shall conduct the Brazil Goodwill Tax Contests with reasonable diligence and in good faith as if it were the only party in interest in connection with the Brazil Goodwill Tax Contests. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Parent shall have the right to (1) determine in its sole discretion, which discretion shall be exercised in good faith, whether to appeal or to resolve any Brazil Tax Goodwill Contest (whether pursuant to participation in an amnesty program or other settlement or otherwise) and (2) select the counsel that will represent IP do Brasil in connection with the Brazil Tax Goodwill Contests.

(b) SpinCo shall (and shall cause each member of the SpinCo Group to) execute and deliver to Parent (or such member of the Parent Group as Parent shall designate) any power of attorney or similar document reasonably requested by Parent (or such designee) in connection with any Brazil Goodwill Tax Contest.

(c) Each Party shall bear its own expenses in the course of any Brazil Goodwill Tax Contest.

Exhibit 10.3

EMPLOYEE MATTERS AGREEMENT

by and between

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

(“Parent”)

and

SYLVAMO CORPORATION

(“SpinCo”)

dated as of September 30, 2021


Table of Contents

 

         Page  

ARTICLE I. DEFINITIONS

     2  

Section 1.1.

  Definitions      2  

Section 1.2.

  Capitalized Terms      10  

ARTICLE II. EMPLOYEES

     10  

Section 2.1.

  Employees      10  

Section 2.2.

  Termination of Employment or Benefits      11  

Section 2.3.

  Employees With Right to Return      11  

Section 2.4.

  No Right to Continued Employment      12  

Section 2.5.

  Non-Solicitation; Non-Hire      13  

Section 2.6.

  Certain Tax Matters      15  

Section 2.7.

  Work Visas      15  

ARTICLE III. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS

     15  

Section 3.1.

  Assumption and Continuation of Agreements      15  

ARTICLE IV. BENEFITS PLANS AND PROGRAMS

     17  

Section 4.1.

  Continuation of Compensation and Benefits for Non-Represented Transferred Employees      17  

Section 4.2.

  No Participation in Parent Plans      17  

Section 4.3.

  Establishment of SpinCo Mirror Plans      18  

Section 4.4.

  Terms of Participation by Transferred Employees      18  

Section 4.5.

  Right to Amend SpinCo Plans      19  

ARTICLE V. PENSION PLANS

     19  

Section 5.1.

  Establishment of Pension Plans      19  

Section 5.2.

  Assumption of Parent Pension Plan Liabilities and Transfer of Assets from the Parent Pension Trust      19  

Section 5.3.

  Assumption of Liabilities Under Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan and Payment by Parent of Accrued Liabilities      23  

Section 5.4.

  International Pension Plans      25  

Section 5.5.

  Continuation of Elections and Application to SpinCo Dependents      25  

ARTICLE VI. HEALTH AND WELFARE

     26  

Section 6.1.

  Parent Health and Welfare Plans.      26  

Section 6.2.

  Adoption of SpinCo Health and Welfare Plans.      26  

Section 6.3.

  COBRA and HIPAA      28  

Section 6.4.

  Workers’ Compensation Claims      28  

 

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Section 6.5.

  Leave of Absence Programs      29  

Section 6.6.

  Time-Off Benefits      29  

ARTICLE VII. SAVINGS PLANS

     30  

Section 7.1.

  Adoption of SpinCo Savings Plans      30  

Section 7.2.

  Assumption of Liabilities and Transfer of Assets With Respect to Parent Qualified Savings Plans      30  

Section 7.3.

  Treatment of Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Accounts      31  

Section 7.4.

  Continuation of Elections and Application to SpinCo Dependents      33  

ARTICLE VIII. EQUITY BASED INCENTIVE AWARDS

     33  

Section 8.1.

  Treatment of Outstanding PSP Awards by Parent      33  

Section 8.2.

  Treatment of Outstanding Parent Restricted Share Unit and Restricted Stock Awards      34  

Section 8.3.

  Replacement Awards for Cancelled Shares      35  

Section 8.4.

  Establishing the Number of Shares Subject to SpinCo Awards      35  

ARTICLE IX. SHORT TERM INCENTIVES AND SALES COMMISSION PROGRAMS

     35  

Section 9.1.

  Management Incentive Plan      35  

Section 9.2.

  Hourly Incentive Plans and Sales Commission Programs      36  

Section 9.3.

  SpinCo Obligations In Respect of Incentive Plans      36  

ARTICLE X. ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITIES

     36  

Section 10.1.

  Assumption of Liabilities.      36  

Section 10.2.

  Reimbursement      38  

Section 10.3.

  Indemnification      39  

Section 10.4.

  Procedures for Indemnification for Third-Party Claims      40  

Section 10.5.

  Reductions for Insurance Proceeds and Other Amounts      40  

Section 10.6.

  Contribution      40  

Section 10.7.

  Consequential Damages      41  

ARTICLE XI. GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

     41  

Section 11.1.

  Cooperation      41  

Section 11.2.

  Consent of Third Parties      42  

Section 11.3.

  Survival      43  

Section 11.4.

  Interpretation      43  

Section 11.5.

  No Third Party Beneficiary      43  

Section 11.6.

  Notices      44  

Section 11.7.

  Governing Law      46  

Section 11.8.

  Disputes      46  

Section 11.9.

  Specific Performance      46  

Section 11.10.

  No Assignment; No Amendment; Counterparts      46  

 

ii


EXHIBITS

Exhibit A. Sales Commissions Programs

SCHEDULES

Schedule 2.4. Minimum Severance Benefits for Non-Represented Employees

 

iii


EMPLOYEE MATTERS AGREEMENT

This Employee Matters Agreement (together with all exhibits, schedules, appendices and annexes hereto, this “Agreement”), dated as of September 30, 2021 is by and between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“Parent”), and Sylvamo Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo”) (each a “Party” and collectively, the “Parties”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in ARTICLE I.

WHEREAS, SpinCo is a wholly-owned, direct Subsidiary of Parent;

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

WHEREAS, in furtherance of the foregoing, the Parent Board has determined that it is appropriate and desirable to effect the Separation and the Distribution (as each such term is defined in the Separation Agreement);

WHEREAS, to effectuate the Separation and Distribution, Parent and SpinCo have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021 (the “Separation Agreement”);

WHEREAS, in addition to the matters addressed by the Separation Agreement, the Parties desire to enter into this Agreement that is an “Ancillary Agreement” under the Separation Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions of certain employment, compensation and benefit matters; and

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

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


ARTICLE I.

DEFINITIONS

Section 1.1. Definitions.

Actuarial Assumptions” means the actuarial assumptions used in connection with the most recently completed actuarial report of the accounting liabilities under the applicable Parent Pension Plan, except that, any actuarial assumption changes regarding accounting liabilities to the applicable Parent Pension Plan as a result of Parent’s actuary’s 2021 experience study will be utilized to the extent different, and the discount rate applied in determining such liabilities shall be determined as of the Interim Transfer Date.

Affiliate” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Agreement” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Recitals to this Agreement

Applicable CBA” means the Labor Agreement between International Paper Company (Ticonderoga Mill) and the United Steel Workers, Local 4-0005 and Local 4-0497, effective June 1, 2017, and incorporates, as applicable, any language required by the IP Mill Master Agreement Memorandum dated September 1, 2015 and expiring on August 31, 2023.

Assumption Date” means the date as of which SpinCo assumed the obligations of the Parent under the Applicable CBA, which shall in all events be no later than immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Bargaining Units” means the bargaining units under the Applicable CBA immediately prior to the Assumption Date.

“Benefit Payments” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(d)(ii).

“Business Day” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 11.4.

Business Employee” means each individual employee of Parent or a Subsidiary of Parent who (i) as of the day immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date, was assigned to a position in which at least two-thirds of his or her services as an employee of the Parent or a Subsidiary of the Parent were devoted to or for the benefit of the SpinCo Business (including any such individual assigned to such a position who is not actively working as of the Effective Time as a result of an illness, injury or leave of absence approved by Parent’s Human Resources department or otherwise taken in accordance with applicable Law) or (ii) is identified by Parent or pursuant to Parent’s job posting process as the person to fulfill a position unassigned as of the day immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date in which the person would be expected to devote at least two-thirds of his or her services as an employee of the Parent or a Subsidiary of the Parent to or for the benefit of the SpinCo Business.

 

2


Cancelled Parent PSP Shares” has the meaning ascribed to in Section 8.1.

Cancelled Parent Restricted Shares” has the meaning ascribed to in Section 8.2.

COBRA” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6.3.

Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Effective Time” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

Excluded Employees” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5(a)(iv).

Final Asset Transfer” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(d)(ii).

Former Business Employee” means any individual who had at any time provided services in respect of the SpinCo Business or the SpinCo Assets, but (i) as of the Interim Transfer Date, is no longer actively employed by Parent or any Subsidiary or (ii) is employed by Parent or a Subsidiary, but as of the day immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date no longer qualified as a Business Employee (and does not otherwise thereafter again become a Business Employee prior to the Effective Time).

FSA Participants” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6.2(c).

Governmental Authority” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Group” means either of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, as the context requires.

Hourly Incentive Plans” means the Ticonderoga Gain Sharing Plan, the Sumter Sheeting Facility Gain Sharing Plan, and the Eastover Gain Sharing Plan.

Indemnifiable Losses” means all Losses, Liabilities, damages, claims, demands, judgments or settlements of any nature or kind, including, but not limited to, all costs and expenses (legal, accounting or otherwise) that are reasonably incurred relating thereto, suffered by an Indemnified Party, including, but not limited to, any costs or expenses of enforcing any indemnity hereunder that are reasonably incurred.

Indemnified Parties” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10.3(b).

 

3


Indemnifying Party” means a Person that is obligated under this Agreement to provide indemnification.

Initial Asset Transfer” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(d)(i).

Insured WC Claims” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6.4.

Interim Transfer Date” means September 1, 2021.

Internal Reorganization” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Law” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Layoff with Right of Recall” means any Represented Employee who has been formally laid off by any member of the Parent Group, the SpinCo Group or a Transferred Entity under circumstances that entitle such Represented Employee to a right of recall by his or her employer and whose period of eligibility for recall pursuant to the Applicable CBA has not expired, or whose right to recall has not been forfeited pursuant to the Applicable CBA, as of the Effective Time.

Leave Employee” means any Business Employee who, as of the Effective Time, (i) is on a Leave of Absence or receiving long-term disability benefits under a Parent Plan or a SpinCo Plan and (ii) is not a Retained Employee.

Leave Employee Commencement Date” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.3(a).

Leave of Absence” means a leave from active employment that is expected to continue following the Effective Time and that (i) was granted in accordance with the applicable policies and procedures (including, but not limited to, any policy or procedures implemented to comply with the United Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act or similar state or other Law or with the Applicable CBA) of a member of the Parent Group, the SpinCo Group or a Transferred Entity or (ii) arose due to an illness or injury that results in the individual being eligible for short-term disability benefits, sickness and accident benefits or workers’ compensation under the Parent’s or SpinCo’s (as applicable) short-term disability or sickness and accident plan or state or other Law. For the avoidance of doubt, any employee who is not at work on the day of the Effective Time due to vacation, sickness or accident that has not qualified the individual for short-term disability or accident benefits, workers’ compensation or other temporary absence, but whose employment continues in accordance with the Parent Group’s or SpinCo Group’s employment policies (such as due to the use of personal days), shall be considered to be actively at work on the day of the Effective Time. Any individual who is receiving long-term disability benefits at the Effective Time shall not be considered to be on a “Leave of Absence” for purposes of this definition.

 

4


Liabilities” means any and all obligations, benefit entitlements, losses, claims, charges, debts, demands, actions, costs and expenses (including, but not limited to, those arising under any contract, collective bargaining agreement, or plan, and administrative and related costs and expenses of any plan, program, or arrangement), of any nature whatsoever, whether absolute or contingent, vested or unvested, matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, accrued or unaccrued, known or unknown, whenever arising.

Liability Event” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10.6(b).

Losses” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Management Incentive Plan” means the International Paper Company 2021 Management Incentive Plan, as amended.

Parent” has the meaning ascribed to it in the preamble to this Agreement.

Parent Award Employment Charges” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 8.1.

Parent Board” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Recitals to this Agreement.

Parent Cancelled Share Value” shall mean the closing price of a share of the common stock of the Parent on the New York Stock Exchange on the last trading day immediately preceding the Effective Time.

Parent FSAs” means the International Paper Company EBRA and Tax-Free Health Care Contributions Plan and the International Paper Company Tax-Free Health Care Contributions for Hourly Employees Plan.

Parent Group” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Parent Hourly Savings Plan” means the International Paper Company Hourly Savings Plan.

Parent Indemnified Parties” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10.3(a).

Parent Liabilities” means all Liabilities of Parent and the Parent Subsidiaries. In no event shall the term Parent Liabilities include any Liabilities that are transferred from or otherwise cease to be Liabilities of any of Parent or any other member of the Parent Group pursuant to this Agreement, or that have, or will become, SpinCo Employee Liabilities.

 

5


Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan” means the International Paper Company Pension Restoration Plan for Salaried Employees.

Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.3(b).

Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan” means the International Paper Company Deferred Compensation Savings Plan.

Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 7.3(b).

Parent PBO Funding Percentage” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(g).

Parent Pension Plans” mean the Parent Qualified Pension Plan and the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan.

Parent Plan” means any plan, policy, program, payroll practice, on-going arrangement, contract, trust, insurance policy or other agreement or funding vehicle, whether written or unwritten, maintained or sponsored by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates (or any of their respective predecessors) at any time on or prior to the Effective Time for the purpose of providing compensation or benefits to any current or former employee of any such person.

Parent Qualified Pension Plan” means the Retirement Plan of International Paper Company.

Parent Qualified Plan Net Assets” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(g).

Parent Qualified Savings Plans” mean the Parent Hourly Savings Plan and the Parent Salaried Savings Plan.

Parent Salaried Savings Plan” means the International Paper Company Salaried Savings Plan.

Parent Savings Plans” means the Parent Qualified Savings Plans and the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan.

Parent Severance Plan” means the (i) International Paper Company Salaried Employee Severance Plan and (ii) any other severance plan or policy of any member of the Parent Group applicable to Business Employees.

 

6


Parent Subsidiaries” mean all direct and indirect Subsidiaries that are, or continue to be, Subsidiaries of Parent immediately after the Effective Time. For the avoidance of doubt, for purposes of this Agreement none of the Transferred Entities, nor any other member of the SpinCo Group, shall be a Parent Subsidiary.

Parent Trust” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(d)(i).

Parent Welfare Plans” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6.1(a).

Party” and “Parties” have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the preamble to this Agreement.

Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(b).

Person” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Pro-Rated Fraction” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 9.1.

Pro-Rated Parent Award” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 8.1.

Representative” means, with respect to any Person, any of such Person’s directors, managers or persons acting in a similar capacity, officers, employees, agents, consultants, financial and other advisors, accountants, attorneys and other representatives.

Represented Employee” means any Business Employee who is a member of the Bargaining Unit.

Restricted Employees” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2.5(a).

Retained Employee” means any individual (a) who, as of the Effective Time, (i) is actively employed by, or on an approved Leave of Absence or Layoff with Right of Recall from a member of the Parent Group or (ii) had been primarily employed in the SpinCo Business or with respect to the SpinCo Assets and (b) whose employment Parent has determined not to transfer to SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group.

Sales Commission Programs” means the programs listed on Exhibit A of this Agreement.

Separation Agreement” has the meaning ascribed to it in the fourth recital to this Agreement.

SpinCo” has the meaning ascribed to it in the preamble to this Agreement.

SpinCo Assets” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

 

7


SpinCo Business” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

SpinCo Dependents” means, with respect to any Transferred Employee, any individual who, by virtue of a relationship with the Transferred Employee, was eligible to receive benefits under the terms of any applicable Parent Pension Plan, Parent Savings Plan, or Parent Welfare Plan immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date. For the avoidance of doubt, a SpinCo Dependent includes only those persons who then actually met the relevant plan’s requirements for eligibility for benefits (i) as a beneficiary or alternate payee, in the case of any applicable Parent Pension Plan or Parent Savings Plan, or (ii) as a dependent, in the case of any applicable Parent Welfare Plans as of the time eligibility for benefits must be determined.

SpinCo Employee Liabilities” means the liabilities assumed by SpinCo pursuant to Section 10.1 hereof.

SpinCo FSA” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6.2(c)(i).

SpinCo Group” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

SpinCo Indemnified Parties” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 10.3(b).

SpinCo Mirror Plans” means the SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan, the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan, the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan and the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan.

SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.1.

SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 7.1(b).

SpinCo PBO Funding Percentage” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(g).

SpinCo PBO Liabilities” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(f).

SpinCo Pension Plans” means the SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan and the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plans.

SpinCo Plan” means any plan, policy, program, payroll practice, on-going arrangement, contract, trust, insurance policy or other agreement or funding vehicle, whether written or unwritten, maintained or sponsored by any member of the SpinCo Group, including without limitation each SpinCo Mirror Plan, that provides or will provide compensation or benefits to any Transferred Employee or SpinCo Dependent.

 

8


SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.1.

SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 7.1(a).

SpinCo Replacement Share Value” shall be an amount equal to the average of the closing prices of the SpinCo common stock on the principal exchange or national quotation system upon which such common stock is traded or listed for each of the 10 trading days commencing with and next following the Effective Time.

SpinCo Subsidiary” means each Subsidiary of SpinCo, including with respect to periods after the Effective Time, each of the Transferred Entities.

SpinCo Trust” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(d)(i).

SpinCo Welfare Plans” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6.2(a).

Subsidiary” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Successorship Provisions” means the successorship provisions set forth in Clause F of Part II of the IP Mill Master Agreement Memorandum which forms a part of the Applicable CBA.

Suitable Position” means, in respect of a Business Employee other than a Represented Employee, terms of employment that provide for a position which would not entitle such Business Employee to any severance benefits under the Parent Severance Plan if such Business Employee were terminated in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Separation Agreement, or solely in the case of a Represented Employee, such terms as may be required pursuant to the terms of the Applicable CBA.

Tax” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Tax Matters Agreement.

Tax Matters Agreement” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Third-Party Claim” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Time-Off Benefits” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6.6.

Total PBO Liabilities” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 5.2(f).

Transferred Employees” means (i) each Business Employee who has accepted an offer of employment with, and has become an employee of, a member of the SpinCo Group or (ii) whose employment otherwise transfers to a member of the SpinCo Group by operation of law or otherwise.

 

9


Transferred Entities” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Union” means the United Steel Workers, Local 4-0005 and Local 4-0497, which represent the employees of the Bargaining Unit.

Workers’ Compensation Claims” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 6.4.

Section 1.2. Capitalized Terms. Any other capitalized term used and not defined herein, but defined in the Separation Agreement, shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Separation Agreement.

ARTICLE II.

EMPLOYEES

Section 2.1. Employees.

Prior to the Effective Time, except for (i) Retained Employees, (ii) Business Employees who are Leave Employees at the Interim Transfer Date and (iii) those Business Employees (including, where applicable, Leave Employees) whose employment transfers to a member of the SpinCo Group automatically by operation of Law, SpinCo has caused or shall cause the applicable member of the SpinCo Group to offer employment to each Business Employee in a Suitable Position. At or prior to the Effective Time, the employment of each Transferred Employee has or shall be transferred to, and each such employee has or shall become an employee of, a member of the SpinCo Group, without any interruption or cessation of employment or break in service. Except with respect to Represented Employees, an individual’s acceptance of an offer of employment from a member of the SpinCo Group shall be conclusive evidence that such offer constituted a Suitable Position. If a member of the SpinCo Group fails to offer a Business Employee (other than Retained Employee) a Suitable Position prior to the Effective Time and such Business Employee’s employment does not otherwise transfer to a member of the SpinCo Group by operation of law, such Business Employee shall be entitled to receive severance under the Parent Severance Plan applicable to such Business Employee and SpinCo shall reimburse Parent for the aggregate amount of the severance benefits payable, regardless of when payable to the affected employee, within 30 days following the Effective Time. Each Business Employee who receives and who declines an offer of a Suitable Position with a member of the SpinCo Group shall be deemed to have voluntarily resigned employment with the member of the Parent Group by which such Business Employee was employed, effective as of the Effective Time (or such earlier date as of which such Business Employee ceases to provide services to such member of the Parent Group), and for the avoidance of doubt shall not be entitled to any severance benefits from any member of the Parent Group under any Parent Severance Plan or otherwise, unless otherwise required by Law. All individuals employed by the Parent Group at the Effective Time who are not Business Employees shall remain employees of Parent or another member of the Parent Group immediately following the

 

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Effective Time, except in the case of such an individual who accepts an offer of employment from SpinCo or an Affiliate prior to the Effective Time. Nothing in this Agreement shall, or shall be construed to, modify, alter, diminish or otherwise interfere with or supersede or override any right afforded to any Transferred Employee or any obligation imposed on any member of the SpinCo Group at or by operation of applicable Law.

Section 2.2. Termination of Employment or Benefits.

Except as otherwise expressly and specifically provided herein, (i) no provision of this Agreement or the Separation Agreement and (ii) no actions by the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group taken in contemplation of, or in connection with, this Agreement, the Internal Reorganization or the Separation Agreement shall be construed to create any right, or accelerate any entitlement, to any compensation or benefit whatsoever on the part of any Business Employee (including any Business Employee who becomes a Transferred Employee), or to limit the ability of the SpinCo Group or the Parent Group, respectively, to administer any SpinCo Plan or Parent Plan, as applicable, in accordance with its terms and as may be expressly provided in this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, nothing described above in Section 2.1 or elsewhere in this Agreement shall cause any Transferred Employee to be deemed to have incurred a termination of employment or to have created any entitlement to any severance benefits or the commencement of any other benefits under any Parent Plan or the Applicable CBA, unless otherwise required by Law.

Section 2.3. Employees With Right to Return.

(a) Leave Employees. With respect to all Leave Employees receiving short-term disability benefits as of the Interim Transfer Date, except as otherwise required by applicable Law, Parent Group shall retain all obligations to provide such short-term disability benefits and other benefits for such Leave Employees while the Leave Employees continue to be eligible for short-term disability benefits under the short- term disability plans maintained by the Parent Group. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to any Leave Employee who is employed by a member of the SpinCo Group as of immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date or whose employment automatically transfers to a member of the SpinCo Group by operation of Law, in which case the appropriate member of the SpinCo Group shall be responsible for providing such Leave Employee disability benefits and any other rights conveyed to such Transferred Employee at applicable law. Any Business Employee who becomes a Leave Employee on or after the Interim Transfer Date shall be treated as a Transferred Employee for all purposes of this Agreement. SpinCo Group shall honor any reinstatement rights that exist for Leave Employees under applicable Law, the Applicable CBA or otherwise under the policies and practices of the Parent Group (including Business Employees who become Leave Employees on or after the Interim Transfer Date). In the event that any

 

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Leave Employee who becomes a Leave Employee prior to the Interim Transfer Date later becomes an employee of the SpinCo Group by reason of the exercise of any such reinstatement rights, from and after the date such Leave Employee commences employment with the SpinCo Group (the “Leave Employee Commencement Date”) such Leave Employee shall be afforded the same rights afforded to a Transferred Employee hereof, except that such rights shall extend solely from such Leave Employee Commencement Date and not the Effective Time. Parent and SpinCo shall in good faith take such actions as shall be necessary or appropriate to implement the provisions of this Section 2.3(a) and of the other applicable provisions of this Agreement with regard to such newly characterized Transferred Employee. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, the Applicable CBA or otherwise under the policies and practices of the Parent Group, SpinCo and its Affiliates shall have no obligation hereunder to employ or offer employment to any Leave Employee who becomes a Leave Employee prior to the Interim Transfer Date later and who is not cleared to return to work or who otherwise fails to present himself of herself for active work within twelve (12) months following the Effective Time.

(b) Reinstatement of Former Business Employees. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary and subject to any judicial challenge or appeal undertaken by Parent, in the event that an arbitration or judicial decision orders that a Former Business Employee whose employment terminated with the Parent Group prior to the Effective Time be reinstated to employment with back pay, Parent shall be responsible for the back pay and any other pre-reinstatement monetary damages or other relief awarded (including benefits-related relief), and SpinCo shall be responsible for the reinstatement of the Former Business Employee in accordance with the terms and conditions of the decision. Upon any such reinstatement, such Former Business Employee shall become a Transferred Employee, SpinCo shall have the obligations in respect of such Former Business Employee that it has to Transferred Employees generally and Parent and SpinCo shall in good faith take such actions as shall be necessary or appropriate to implement the provisions of this Section 2.3(b) and of the Agreement with regard to such newly characterized Transferred Employee.

Section 2.4. No Right to Continued Employment.

Subject to the Applicable CBA and applicable Law, nothing contained in this Agreement shall confer on any employee of any member of the Parent Group or any Transferred Employee any right to continued employment. Except as specifically provided in this Section 2.4, the Applicable CBA, or Section 3.1(a) or 4.1, this Agreement shall not limit the ability of SpinCo to change, at any time after the Effective Time and in its sole discretion, a Transferred Employee’s position, compensation or benefits for performance-related, business or any other reasons or require any member of the SpinCo Group to continue the employment of a Transferred Employee for any particular period of time after the Effective Time, provided that SpinCo shall bear all

 

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liability for any such termination of employment (including a termination of employment of a Leave Employee resulting from job or position elimination). With respect to any such terminations of employment of (a) any Transferred Employee occurring prior to the first anniversary of the Effective Time or (b) any Leave Employee occurring within the period in which such Leave Employee would have been entitled to severance or termination benefits under the policies and practices of the Parent Group, SpinCo shall provide to such terminated Transferred Employees or Leave Employees (in each case other than a Represented Employee) severance and termination benefits no less favorable in the aggregate than the severance and termination benefits that are described on Schedule 2.4 to this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, each Transferred Employee shall receive full credit for years of service with the Parent Group for purposes of calculating the amount of severance payable to any such Transferred Employee under any applicable plan, program or arrangement sponsored or maintained by the applicable member of the SpinCo Group, such that, to the extent service, compensation or other factors are taken into account under the terms of such plan, program or arrangement, the Transferred Employee’s entitlement to severance shall be calculated taking into account all service, all compensation, and all other factors that, as of the Interim Transfer Date or the date on which the Effective Time occurs, as applicable, would have been taken into account under any Parent Plan providing severance benefits applicable to such Transferred Employee had such Transferred Employee’s employment been terminated immediately before the Interim Transfer Date or the date on which the Effective Time occurs, as applicable.

Section 2.5. Non-Solicitation; Non-Hire.

(a) Non-Solicitation. Each of Parent and SpinCo agrees that, for a period of eighteen (18) months from the Effective Time, it shall not, and shall cause each member in its respective Group to not, solicit for employment any individual who is an employee of a member of the other Group as of immediately prior to the Effective Time (“Restricted Employees”); provided that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply:

(i) to any Restricted Employee who responds to general solicitations not targeted at the Restricted Employees,

(ii) to any Restricted Employee who is hired pursuant to the application of internal job posting policies and practices at the Parent Group, where the posting of the position occurred prior to the Effective Time;

(iii) to any Restricted Employee whose employment was involuntarily terminated by the employing Party in a severance-qualifying termination before the employment discussions with the soliciting Party commenced;

(iv) to any Restricted Employee whose prospective employment by the soliciting Party is agreed to in writing by the employing Party, or in the case of a Restricted Employee who is not currently employed, the Party who last employed Restricted Employee (the employees referenced in each of clauses (i)-(iv) above, the “Excluded Employees”); or

 

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(v) to any Restricted Employee located in a jurisdiction where adherence to such restriction would violate applicable Law.

(b) Non-Hire. Each of Parent and SpinCo agrees that, for a period of eighteen (18) months from the Interim Transfer Date, it shall not, and shall cause each member in its respective Group not to, hire any person who at any time (i) during the six (6) months prior to the Effective Time, or (ii) during the eighteen (18) month period after the Interim Transfer Date, was an employee of any member of the other Group; provided that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply (i) to the hire of an Excluded Employee, (ii) to the hire of any employee whose hire is agreed to in writing by Parent and SpinCo or (iii) to any Restricted Employee located in any jurisdiction where adherence to such restriction would violate applicable Law.

(c) Transferred Employees. Subject to Section 2.5(b), nothing in this Section 2.5 shall preclude any member of the SpinCo Group from hiring any Business Employees in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

(d) Remedies; Enforcement. Each Party acknowledges and agrees that (i) injury to the employing Party or employing Group member from any breach by another Party or member of another Party’s Group of the obligations set forth in this Section 2.5 would be irreparable and impossible to measure and (ii) the remedies at Law for any breach or threatened breach of this Section 2.5, including monetary damages, would therefore be inadequate compensation for any loss and the employing Party or employing Group member shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief in accordance with this Section 2.5, in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at Law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative. Each Party understands and acknowledges that the restrictive covenants and other agreements contained in this Section 2.5 are an essential part of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. It is the intent of the Parties that the provisions of this Section 2.5 shall be enforced to the fullest extent permissible under applicable Law applied in each jurisdiction in which enforcement is sought. If any particular provision or portion of this Section 2.5 shall be adjudicated to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision or portion thereof shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to render such provision or portion valid and enforceable, such amendment to apply only with respect to the operation of such provision or portion thereof in the particular jurisdiction in which such adjudication is made.

 

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Section 2.6. Certain Tax Matters.

With respect to compensation payable by Parent in 2021, including salary payable through the end of the payroll period that ends on or prior to the Interim Transfer Date and any bonus payable pursuant to Section 9.1, Parent shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to (i) be responsible for all employment, payroll, social security, disability, unemployment, workers’ compensation or other similar Taxes, tax withholding or similar obligations, and all reporting obligations, in each case in respect of Transferred Employees, and (ii) furnish a Form W-2 or similar earnings statement to all Transferred Employees employed in the United States and, to the extent applicable, shall furnish similar earnings statements to non-U.S. Transferred Employees in accordance with Law. With respect to compensation payable by SpinCo in 2021 or thereafter, including salary payable from and after the payroll period that includes the Interim Transfer Date, SpinCo shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to (x) be responsible for all employment, payroll, social security, disability, unemployment, workers’ compensation or other similar Taxes, tax withholding or similar obligations, and all reporting obligations, in each case in respect of Transferred Employees and (y) furnish a Form W-2 or similar earnings statement to all Transferred Employees employed in the United States and, to the extent applicable, shall furnish similar earnings statements to non-U.S. Transferred Employees in accordance with Law.

Section 2.7. Work Visas.

With respect to each Transferred Employee who requires a work visa under applicable immigration Laws in order to obtain and maintain employment with the applicable member of the SpinCo Group, the Parties acknowledge and agree that the member of the SpinCo Group that employs each such individual from and following the Interim Transfer Date (or such later date on which such person became a Transferred Employee) is, to the extent applicable and necessary to maintain necessary work authorizations, intended to be a successor in interest to the member of the Parent Group that employed such individual prior to the transfer of employment contemplated herein for purposes of applicable immigration Laws, including without limitation for purposes of sponsoring such Transferred Employees for his or her required work visas where applicable.

ARTICLE III.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AND OBLIGATIONS

Section 3.1. Assumption and Continuation of Agreements.

(a) Successor Provisions of the Applicable CBA. SpinCo hereby acknowledges that Parent has informed SpinCo of the Successorship Provisions. In accordance with such Successorship Provisions, as of the Assumption Date, Parent has caused or shall cause SpinCo, and SpinCo has agreed or agrees to assume all the

 

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obligations of the Parent under, and to be bound by, the Applicable CBA until its expiration date and to treat all the affected employees of the Bargaining Unit in accordance with the terms of the Applicable CBA. SpinCo has agreed or agrees to honor all contractual agreements regarding seniority, including provisions for lay off and recall, under the Applicable CBA and to make its hiring decisions with respect to Bargaining Unit positions according to the contractual rules that would apply as though such hiring were a decision to recall or layoff Bargaining Unit employees. It is understood and agreed that (i) SpinCo will not be required to have the same number of employees in the Bargaining Unit as the Parent had immediately prior to the Assumption Date, and (ii) subject to otherwise applicable provisions of this Agreement, SpinCo may make changes in the benefit programs required by the Applicable CBA, provided that the benefits in all events continue to be substantially equivalent in the aggregate to those provided under the Applicable CBA immediately prior to the Assumption Date. So long as the Union consents to SpinCo’s assumption of the obligations of the Parent under the Applicable CBA, the Union shall be a third party beneficiary of the provisions of this Section 3.1.

(b) SpinCo Responsible as of the Assumption Date. As of the Assumption Date, any and all binding obligations arising out of, relating to or resulting from the Applicable CBA or the Parent Plans with respect to Represented Employees shall be or become solely the obligations of the SpinCo Group; provided that Parent or a Parent Plan shall be responsible for (1) all Liabilities attributable to any individual who is a Former Business Employee (except to the extent expressly provided with respect to reinstated Leave Employees in Section 2.3(a) or reinstated Former Business Employees in Section 2.3(b)).

(c) Continuation of Compensation and Benefits for Transferred Employees Who Are Represented Employees. As of the Assumption Date, SpinCo shall be responsible to, and shall, assure that the compensation, benefits, hours, terms and conditions of employment of Represented Employees shall continue to be governed by the Applicable CBA.

(d) No Limitation on Bargaining Rights. Except as expressly provided in the Applicable CBA, nothing in this Article III or elsewhere in this Agreement shall preclude SpinCo or, as applicable, any member of the SpinCo Group from bargaining in good faith, after the Assumption Date or the Effective Time, with the Union representing those Represented Employees.

 

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ARTICLE IV.

BENEFITS PLANS AND PROGRAMS

Section 4.1. Continuation of Compensation and Benefits for Non-Represented Transferred Employees.

With respect to Transferred Employees who are not Represented Employees, for a period of one year following the Effective Time and subject to their continued employment with SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group, SpinCo shall, or shall cause another member of the SpinCo Group to (i) pay all such non-represented Transferred Employees at least the same rate of base salary as was paid to each such non-represented Transferred Employee by SpinCo or the SpinCo Group immediately prior to the Effective Time, (ii) provide annual bonus opportunities to each such non-represented Transferred Employee at least the same target level as annual bonus opportunities made available to such non-represented Transferred Employee immediately prior to the Effective Time and (iii) provide each such non-represented Transferred Employee and, if and to the extent applicable, SpinCo Dependents eligibility for SpinCo’s or any of its Affiliates’, as applicable, employee benefit plans in accordance with their terms, as in effect as of the Effective Time (which benefits shall include, at a minimum, health insurance, a tax-qualified defined contribution retirement plan, and paid time off for sick/medical reasons and personal reasons, including vacation), or such greater benefits as may be required by applicable Law.

Section 4.2. No Participation in Parent Plans.

Effective at the Interim Transfer Date or at such later date occurring on or before the Effective Time as the applicable SpinCo Plan shall provide benefits to Transferred Employees (or persons who are expected to be Transferred Employees), (i) the participation of each member of the SpinCo Group in each of the (or the applicable) Parent Plans shall cease, and (ii) no Transferred Employee shall be entitled to receive or accrue any benefits under any such Parent Plans with respect to services rendered or compensation earned after the Effective Time (or the earlier date the Transferred Employee becomes a participant in the applicable SpinCo Plan). For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent that any Transferred Employee receives benefits pursuant to any program or arrangement established or maintained by any government or any subdivision or agency thereof, SpinCo or the appropriate member of the SpinCo Group shall assume responsibility to contribute to or otherwise participate in (and Parent and its Affiliates will cease to have any obligation to contribute or participate in) such program or arrangement as to each applicable Transferred Employee as of the Interim Transfer Date or such later date occurring before the Effective Time as of which the Transferred Employee becomes employed by any member of the SpinCo Group.

 

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Section 4.3. Establishment of SpinCo Mirror Plans.

On or before, and effective as of no later than, the Interim Transfer Date, SpinCo shall have adopted the SpinCo Mirror Plans and the SpinCo Welfare Plans, and shall have designated the other SpinCo Plans, that shall provide benefits to the Transferred Employees in the United States. As of no later than the Interim Transfer Date, each SpinCo Mirror Plan shall provide benefits that are substantially identical in all material respects to the corresponding Parent Plan as in effect immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date. Immediately after the Interim Transfer Date, the terms of the SpinCo Mirror Plans, as they relate to Transferred Employees who are not Represented Employees, shall be governed by Section 4.4 and SpinCo shall have all rights described under the last sentence in Section 4.5.

Section 4.4. Terms of Participation by Transferred Employees.

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, each of the SpinCo Plans is and shall be, with respect to Transferred Employees who are participants in such plan, in all respects, the successor in interest to and shall recognize all rights and entitlements that are accrued as of the Interim Transfer Date, under the corresponding Parent Plan in which such Transferred Employee participated prior to the Interim Transfer Date or as of the Effective Time, as applicable. With respect to Transferred Employees, each SpinCo Plan shall provide that all service, all compensation, and all other factors affecting benefit determinations that, as of the Interim Transfer Date or the date on which the Effective Time occurs, as applicable, were recognized under the corresponding Parent Plan (for periods immediately before the Interim Transfer Date or the date on which the Effective Time occurs, as applicable) have received or shall receive corresponding recognition and credit and have been or shall be taken into account under such SpinCo Plan to the same extent as though arising under such SpinCo Plan, except to the extent that duplication of benefits would result. All beneficiary designations made by Transferred Employees under the corresponding Parent Plans have, to the extent reasonably practicable and permitted by applicable Law, been or shall be transferred to and be in full force and effect under the corresponding SpinCo Plans until such beneficiary designations are replaced or revoked by the Transferred Employee who made the beneficiary designation. Prior to and after the Effective Time, Parent and SpinCo agree to cooperate with each other and to provide, or cause to be provided, all reasonably requested data, documents or other information necessary to avoid such duplication of benefits, to the extent permitted by applicable Law. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, where employee benefits provided to a Transferred Employee by a member of the Parent Group must be preserved or maintained pursuant to applicable Law (e.g., pursuant to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/246)) or pursuant to an agreement with an employee representative body (e.g., a works council), such benefits shall be provided in accordance with such applicable Law or agreement.

 

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Section 4.5. Right to Amend SpinCo Plans.

Subject to the Applicable CBA, nothing in this Agreement to the contrary, other than those provisions that expressly and specifically require particular benefits to be maintained after the Effective Time and, in such event, only for the period so required, shall preclude SpinCo (or, as applicable, any member of the SpinCo Group) from amending, merging, modifying, terminating, eliminating, reducing, or otherwise altering in any respect after the Effective Time any SpinCo Plan, any benefit under any SpinCo Plan or any trust, insurance policy or funding vehicle related to any SpinCo Plan.

ARTICLE V.

PENSION PLANS

Section 5.1. Establishment of Pension Plans.

SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group has established defined benefit pension plans for the benefit of Transferred Employees in the United States. One such plan, which is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, is and will be responsible for benefits of Transferred Employees who are participants and their beneficiaries in the Parent Qualified Pension Plan (the “SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan”). Another plan, which is not qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, is and will be responsible for benefits of participants and beneficiaries in the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan who are Transferred Employees (the “SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan”). The SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan and SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan are identical in all material respects to the corresponding Parent Pension Plan in which the applicable Transferred Employees participated immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date. SpinCo is and shall be responsible for taking or causing to be taken all necessary, reasonable, and appropriate action to establish, maintain and administer the SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan, so that it qualifies under Section 401(a) of the Code and the related trust thereunder is exempt from Federal income taxation under Section 501(a) of the Code.

Section 5.2. Assumption of Parent Pension Plan Liabilities and Transfer of Assets from the Parent Pension Trust.

(a) Assumption of Liabilities by SpinCo Pension Plans. Subject to clause (b) below, effective as of the Interim Transfer Date, all Liabilities under the Parent Qualified Pension Plan relating to Transferred Employees shall cease to be Liabilities of the Parent Qualified Pension Plan and shall be assumed in full and in all respects by the SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan.

 

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(b) Calculation of Pension Plan Asset Allocation. As soon as practicable after the Interim Transfer Date, Parent’s actuary shall calculate and certify the amounts to be transferred in the aggregate from the Parent Qualified Pension Plan, which shall be equal to the amount determined in accordance with the requirements of Section 414(l) of the Code and the regulations thereunder, based on the present value of benefits in respect of all Transferred Employees) and persons entitled to receive a benefit in respect of such Transferred Employees, calculated applying the de minimis rule in the regulations promulgated under Section 414(l) of the Code (the “Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount”).

(c) Confirmation of Calculations. As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time, Parent’s actuary shall certify to SpinCo the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount to be transferred to the SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan. If requested by SpinCo within ten (10) days after such certification, Parent’s actuary shall provide SpinCo’s actuary with a complete computer file containing the employee data and all other relevant information used by Parent’s actuary or otherwise reasonably requested by SpinCo’s actuary as needed to confirm the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount. The Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount shall become final and binding upon the Parties at the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day following Parent’s actuary’s certification to SpinCo of the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount, unless prior to such one hundred twentieth (120th) day SpinCo delivers a written notice to Parent stating that SpinCo believes that the calculation of the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount contains factual or mathematical errors or otherwise fails to comport with the Actuarial Assumptions. Any such notice shall state in reasonable detail the basis for such belief. Should SpinCo timely provide such notice, the Parties shall use their reasonable best efforts to resolve promptly any disagreements regarding such calculations. In the event that the Parties cannot resolve such disagreements, the Parties shall jointly select an independent third actuary with whom none of the Parties have a material relationship, who shall render its determination promptly (and in any case within thirty (30) days of being engaged to review the disputed matter). The third actuary’s determination shall be made in accordance with the requirements of this Section 5.2(c) and shall be binding on the Parties. The third actuary shall be required to confirm the determination of the Parent actuary unless, and solely to the extent that, the third actuary determines that (i) such determination contains factual or mathematical errors or (ii) the determination of the Parent actuary has no reasonable basis or otherwise fails to comport with the Actuarial Assumptions, in each case applying an abuse of discretion standard. In no event (except for inaccuracy of the data provided) shall the amount determined by the third actuary be more than the amount claimed by SpinCo or less than the amount shown in the calculations of Parent’s actuary. Each of the Parties shall bear the fees, costs and expenses of their respective actuaries, and the fees, costs and expense of the third actuary shall be borne one half by Parent and one half by SpinCo. Any decision by the third actuary shall be treated as confidential information by the Parties, except as may be required to obtain judgment on the award or enforce performance thereof or except as disclosure may be required by law.

 

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(d) Transfer of Assets to SpinCo Pension Trust.

(i) As soon as practicable and no more than thirty (30) days after the Effective Time, Parent shall cause to be transferred from the trust established under the Parent Qualified Pension Plan (the “Parent Trust”) to a trust established in respect of the SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan (the “SpinCo Trust”), an initial amount of assets (the “Initial Asset Transfer”). The amount of the Initial Asset Transfer shall be equal to ninety percent (90%) of the amount the enrolled actuary for the Parent Qualified Pension Plan determines in good faith to be the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount. The amount determined under the preceding sentence shall accrue interest for the period commencing as of the date on which the Effective Time falls and ending on the date the Initial Asset Transfer is received by the SpinCo Trust, at a rate equal to the discount rate that would apply for purposes of the Actuarial Assumptions as of such date.

(ii) As soon as practicable and no more than ten (10) days after the final calculation and certification of the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount, Parent will cause the Parent Trust to transfer to the SpinCo Trust assets in an amount equal to the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount with respect to the Parent Qualified Pension Plan less the sum of (A) the Initial Asset Transfer, and (B) the aggregate amount of any benefit payments (the “Benefit Payments”), if any, made by the Parent Qualified Pension Plan in respect of Transferred Employees from and after the Interim Transfer Date and prior to the time of transfer (the “Final Asset Transfer”). The amount determined under the preceding sentence shall accrue interest from the Interim Transfer Date determined in the manner described in Section 5.2(d)(i) above. If the sum of the Initial Asset Transfer plus the Benefit Payments exceeds the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount, then the SpinCo Trust shall return such excess, which shall accrue interest determined in the manner described above from the date of the Initial Asset Transfer or the date of the Benefit Payment, as applicable, to the date of return, to the Parent Trust relating to the Parent Qualified Pension Plan.

(iii) Except as may be mutually agreed by the Parties, the Initial Asset Transfer and the Final Asset Transfer shall be made entirely in cash.

(e) To the extent that one or more Leave Employees or Former Business Employees shall become Transferred Employees pursuant to Section 2.3 after the Interim Transfer Date, as soon as practicable after the first anniversary of the Effective Time (or such later date as of which a Former Business Employee shall become a Transferred Employee), the parties shall effect a transfer of assets from the Parent Qualified Pension Plan to the SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan in respect of such newly characterized Transferred Employees, applying the principles set forth in this Section 5.2 in respect of the Pension Assets Transfer Amount in regard to such Transferred Employees’ benefits accrued under the Parent Qualified Pension Plan as of the Effective Time.

 

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(f) At the same time as it certifies the Pension Asset Transfer Amount pursuant to Section 5.2(c), Parent’s actuary shall also calculate and inform SpinCo of (i) the aggregate amount of the liabilities under the Parent Qualified Pension Plan for all participants thereunder (the “Total PBO Liabilities”) and (ii) the aggregate amount of the liabilities in respect of the Transferred Employees under the Parent Qualified Pension Plan (the “SpinCo PBO Liabilities”), as of the Interim Transfer Date in each case using the Actuarial Assumptions but determined on a projected benefit obligation basis (and not in accordance with the provisions of Section 414(l) of the Code). If requested by SpinCo within ten (10) days after the date Parent informs SpinCo of the amount of the Total PBO Liabilities and SpinCo PBO Liabilities, Parent’s actuary shall provide SpinCo’s actuary with information used by Parent’s actuary to calculate such Liabilities. The calculation of the Total PBO Liabilities and the SpinCo PBO Liabilities shall become final and binding upon the Parties at the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth (120th) day following SpinCo’s receipt of Parent’s actuary’s delivery to SpinCo of the Total PBO Liabilities and the SpinCo PBO Liabilities, unless prior to such one hundred and twentieth (120th) day SpinCo delivers a written notice to Parent stating that SpinCo believes that the calculation of either the Total PBO Liabilities or the SpinCo PBO Liabilities contains factual or mathematical errors or otherwise fails to comport with the Actuarial Assumptions and states in reasonable detail the basis for such belief. In the event that SpinCo’s actuary shall deliver such a written notice to Parent, the Parties shall follow the procedures substantially identical to those set forth in Section 5.2(c) with regard to the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount to determine the final amount related to the Total PBO Liabilities or the SpinCo PBO Liabilities, as applicable.

(g) Once the amount of the Total PBO Liabilities and the SpinCo PBO Liabilities are final, the Parties shall then determine the percentages derived by dividing:

(i) (A) the remainder of (1) the fair market value of the assets of the Parent Qualified Plan as of the Interim Transfer Date minus (2) the final Pension Asset Transfer Amount (such remainder, the “Parent Qualified Plan Net Assets”) by (B) the remainder of (1) the Total PBO Liabilities minus (2) the SpinCo PBO Liabilities (such resulting percentage, the “Parent PBO Funding Percentage”); and

(ii) (A) the final Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount by (B) the SpinCo PBO Liabilities (such resulting percentage, the “SpinCo PBO Funding Percentage”).

 

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If the Parent PBO Funding Percentage exceeds the SpinCo PBO Funding Percentage, the Parent shall pay to SpinCo, within thirty (30) days after such percentages are determinable, an amount in cash equal to the amount that would be required to be added to the final Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount to cause the SpinCo PBO Funding Percentage to equal the Parent PBO Funding Percentage. If the SpinCo PBO Funding Percentage exceeds the Parent PBO Funding Percentage, SpinCo shall pay to Parent, within thirty (30) days after such percentages are determinable, an amount in cash equal to the amount that would be required to be added to the Parent Qualified Plan Net Assets to cause the Parent PBO Funding Percentage to equal the SpinCo PBO Funding Percentage.

Section 5.3. Assumption of Liabilities Under Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan and Payment by Parent of Accrued Liabilities.

(a) SpinCo Non-Qualified Plan to Assume Liabilities. Effective as of the Effective Time, all Liabilities under the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan relating to persons who are Transferred Employees shall cease to be Liabilities of the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan and shall be assumed in full and in all respects by the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan. SpinCo is and shall be responsible for taking or causing to be taken all necessary, reasonable, and appropriate action to establish, maintain and administer the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan and from and after the Interim Transfer Date, shall be solely responsible for all ongoing rights of or relating to such Transferred Employees for future participation in the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan.

(b) Determination of Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities. As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time, Parent’s actuary shall certify to SpinCo the Liabilities, individually and in the aggregate, in respect of the Transferred Employees under the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan at the Interim Transfer Date, based on the present value of benefits in respect of each such Transferred Employees at the Interim Transfer Date (the “Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities”). If requested by SpinCo within ten (10) days after the date Parent certifies to SpinCo the amount of the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities, Parent’s actuary shall provide SpinCo’s actuary with a complete computer file containing the employee data and all other relevant information used by Parent’s actuary or otherwise reasonably requested by SpinCo’s actuary as needed to calculate the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities (including data and information related to such calculation and otherwise appropriate for SpinCo’s actuary to consider, and any other data and information reasonably requested by SpinCo’s actuary). The calculation of the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities shall become final and binding upon the Parties at the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day following Parent’s actuary’s certification to SpinCo of the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities to make its determination and any additional information reasonably requested by SpinCo’s actuary, unless prior to such one hundred twentieth (120th) day SpinCo delivers a written notice to Parent stating that SpinCo believes that the calculation of the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities contains factual or mathematical errors or otherwise fails to

 

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comport with the Actuarial Assumptions and states in reasonable detail the basis for such belief. In the event that SpinCo’s actuary shall deliver such a written notice to Parent, the Parties shall follow the procedures substantially identical to those set forth in Section 5.2(c) with regard to the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount to determine the final amount related to the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities.

(c) Reimbursement Process for Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities. As of June 30 and January 31 each calendar year, and/or such other date or dates as may be agreed between the Parties, starting in the calendar year following the Effective Time, SpinCo shall send Parent a statement showing all distributions made in the period immediately preceding the date covered through the last statement (or from the Effective Time with respect to the first such statement) in respect of the benefits paid to all Transferred Employees under the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan, showing in adequate detail the amount of payments made in respect to each such Transferred Employee and the portion thereof attributable to such Transferred Employee’s entitlement under the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities and the method for such attribution. Within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such statement, Parent shall pay to SpinCo the amount described in Section 5.3(d), provided that, in no event shall Parent be required to pay SpinCo an amount (i) in respect of any Transferred Employee, greater than the accrued benefit of such Transferred Employee at the Interim Transfer Date taken into account in determining the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities or (ii) in the aggregate greater than the amount of the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities as of the Interim Transfer Date. Notwithstanding the forgoing, (x) at the sole discretion of Parent, Parent may at any time and from time to time prepay all or any portion of the aggregate amount that it would otherwise be required to pay SpinCo in respect of the Transferred Employees under this Section 5.3(c) in respect of the Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan Liabilities, and unless Parent agrees to another offset schedule, any such prepaid amount shall be applied to offset any amounts that Parent would otherwise be required to pay hereunder as of the next semiannual statement and each subsequent statement until fully applied to such future payments and (y) any amounts paid under the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan which SpinCo fails to include in a statement of payments that is delivered to Parent within fourteen (14) months of the actual payment date shall no longer be subject to reimbursement by Parent under this Section 5.3(c) and shall remain the sole responsibility of SpinCo. Any payment made by Parent pursuant this Section 5.3(c) shall be made for the account of SpinCo or its Subsidiary and not for the benefit of any Transferred Employee participating in the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan, each of whom shall remain an unsecured creditor of SpinCo or its applicable Subsidiary in respect of his or her SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan benefit.

 

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(d) Reimbursement Determined on an After-Tax Basis. The amount payable by Parent pursuant to Section 5.3(c) with respect to each statement provided by SpinCo shall equal (i) the amount of the distributions made to Transferred Employees under the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan listed on the applicable statement (reduced as a result of any applicable limitations described in Section 5.3(c)), less (ii) the amount of the reduction in U.S. federal and state income Taxes payable by SpinCo as a result of the payment of such distributions. For purposes of this Section 5.3(d), the amount of the reduction in U.S. federal and state income Taxes payable by SpinCo as a result of such distributions shall be deemed to equal (x) the amount of such distributions under the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan reflected on such statement, multiplied by (y) the highest marginal U.S. federal income Tax rate applicable to U.S. corporations on the date such distributions were paid plus the applicable weighted average state income Tax rate on the date such distributions were paid.

Section 5.4. International Pension Plans.

Except as otherwise provided herein, at the Effective Time (or at any earlier date required at applicable law), SpinCo shall or shall cause another member of the SpinCo Group to assume each Parent Plan providing pension or retirement benefits to Business Employees in jurisdictions outside of the United States. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent shall or shall cause a member of the Parent Group to retain the liabilities to Business Employees who do not become Transferred Employees under the Parent Plans in which employees located in Italy or Spain participate as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Section 5.5. Continuation of Elections and Application to SpinCo Dependents.

To the extent (a) reasonably practicable and (b) that the relevant information has been made available to SpinCo, SpinCo shall cause the SpinCo Qualified Pension Plan and the SpinCo Non-Qualified Pension Plan to recognize and maintain all existing elections, including, but not limited to, beneficiary designations, payment forms and other rights of alternate payees under qualified domestic relation orders as were in effect under the corresponding Parent Qualified Pension Plan and Parent Non-Qualified Pension Plan immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date, unless and until changed or modified in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan or otherwise in accordance with applicable law. To the extent applicable, the provisions of this Article V shall also apply to SpinCo Dependents. From the Effective Time, Parent shall cooperate with SpinCo to provide any reasonably requested information regarding such administrative matters.

 

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ARTICLE VI.

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Section 6.1. Parent Health and Welfare Plans.

(a) Parent or one or more of the Parent Subsidiaries maintain or contribute to health and welfare plans. The health and welfare plans include, but are not limited to, plans providing severance and active employee health, dental, disability and life insurance benefits, for the benefit of eligible employees and certain former employees, including certain Former Business Employees who have retired as of the date of the Separation Agreement or will retire prior to the Effective Time (the “Parent Welfare Plans”). As of the Interim Transfer Date, each person who was a Transferred Employee or SpinCo Dependent on such date ceased to be covered under the Parent Welfare Plans. Parent and the Parent Welfare Plans are and shall continue to be responsible for all Liabilities relating to (i) Former Business Employees (except to the extent expressly provided with respect to reinstated Leave Employees in Section 2.3(a) or reinstated Former Business Employees in Section 2.3(b)), (ii) Retained Employees and (iii) Transferred Employees or SpinCo Dependents with respect to, in each case, (A) medical, vision or dental plan claims in respect of services that were performed or goods provided prior to the Interim Transfer Date (or, if later, the date on which such individual becomes an employee of a member of the SpinCo Group), (B) life insurance claims in respect of deaths occurring prior to the Interim Transfer Date (or, if later, the date on which such individual becomes an employee of a member of the SpinCo Group), and (C) any payments due any Transferred Employees under the terms of a Parent disability plan with respect to any period prior to the Interim Transfer Date (or, if later, the date on which such individual becomes an employee of a member of the SpinCo Group).

(b) Except for the Parent FSA account balances described in Section 6.2(c), nothing in this Agreement shall require Parent or any other Parent Group member or any Parent Welfare Plans to transfer assets or reserves with respect to the Parent Welfare Plans, including, but not limited to, any plan providing severance, health, dental or life insurance benefits, to SpinCo, the Transferred Entities, any other member of the SpinCo Group, or the SpinCo Welfare Plans.

Section 6.2. Adoption of SpinCo Health and Welfare Plans.

(a) Establishment of Welfare Plans. From and after the Interim Transfer Date, and subject to the provisions of Section 3.1 and Section 4.1, SpinCo has maintained and shall continue to maintain or cause to be maintained health and welfare plans, which (i) with respect Transferred Employees in the United States other than Represented Employees, includes, but is not limited to, plans providing severance and active health, dental, disability and life insurance benefits that provide benefits to Transferred Employees, (ii) with respect to Represented Employees is as required pursuant to the terms of an Applicable CBA and (iii) with respect to employees outside of the United States, is as required by Law (the “SpinCo Welfare Plans”).

 

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(b) Terms of Participation in SpinCo Welfare Plans. From and after the Interim Transfer Date, SpinCo has caused and shall continue to cause the SpinCo Welfare Plans to (i) waive all limitations as to preexisting conditions, exclusions, service conditions and waiting period limitations, and any evidence of insurability requirements applicable to any such Transferred Employees and SpinCo Dependents other than such limitations, exclusions and conditions that were in effect with respect to Transferred Employees and SpinCo Dependents as of the Interim Transfer Date, in each case under and in accordance with the terms of the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans and (ii) honor any deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums and co-payments incurred by Transferred Employees and SpinCo Dependents under and in accordance with the terms of the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans in satisfying the applicable deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses or co-payments under such Parent Welfare Plans for the calendar year in which the Effective Time occurs. SpinCo has caused and shall continue to cause the SpinCo Welfare Plans to recognize and maintain all existing elections, including, but not limited to, beneficiary designations, as were in effect under the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans, unless and until changed or modified in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan or otherwise in accordance with applicable law. To the extent applicable, the provisions of this Section 6.2(b) shall also apply to SpinCo Dependents. From the Interim Transfer Date, Parent shall cooperate with SpinCo to provide any reasonably requested information regarding such administrative matters, to the extent permitted by applicable Law.

(c) Transfer of Parent FSA Assets. Parent will make available to SpinCo, prior to the Effective Time, a list of individuals who will become or continue to be Transferred Employees as of the Effective Time and who are participants in the Parent FSAs (the “FSA Participants”), together with the elections made prior to the Interim Transfer Date with respect to such accounts through the Interim Transfer Date.

(i) SpinCo shall take all actions necessary and legally permissible to ensure that as of the Interim Transfer Date, it has adopted one or more SpinCo Welfare Plans in which Parent FSA Participants may participate and that constitutes a Code Section 125 plan (“SpinCo FSA”). SpinCo shall further take all actions necessary and legally permissible to amend SpinCo’s FSA to provide that as of the Interim Transfer Date and for the plan year in which the Interim Transfer Date occurs, but not for any specific time thereafter, subject to any collective bargaining obligations, (A) the FSA Participants shall become participants in SpinCo’s FSA, with a deemed effective date as of the beginning of the applicable Parent FSA’s plan year and at the level of coverage provided under the applicable Parent FSA and (B) the FSA Participants’ salary reduction elections shall be taken into account for the remainder of SpinCo’s FSA plan year as if made under SpinCo’s FSA. The applicable Parent FSA shall reimburse medical expenses incurred by the FSA Participants at any time during the applicable Parent FSA’s plan year (including, but not limited to, claims incurred prior to the Interim Transfer Date but unpaid prior to the Interim Transfer Date), up to the amount of the FSA Participants’ election and reduced by amounts previously reimbursed by the applicable Parent FSA. SpinCo’s FSA shall reimburse medical expenses incurred by the FSA Participants from and after the Interim Transfer Date, up to the amount of the FSA Participants’ election and reduced by amounts previously reimbursed by the applicable Parent FSA and the SpinCo FSA.

 

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(ii) Parent shall take all actions necessary and legally permissible to amend each of the Parent FSAs to provide that the FSA Participants shall cease to be eligible to make contributions to the applicable Parent FSA as of the Interim Transfer Date.

(iii) As soon as practicable following the Effective Time, Parent shall transfer to SpinCo, and SpinCo agrees to accept, those amounts (plus all related individual participant records and accountings) which represent the debit and credit balances under the Parent FSAs of the FSA Participants and the transfer of such amounts shall take into account on a net basis participants’ payroll deductions and claims paid through the Effective Time in respect of expenses incurred through the day immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date.

Section 6.3. COBRA and HIPAA.

From and after the Interim Transfer Date, SpinCo has been and shall continue to be responsible for administering compliance with the continuation coverage requirements for “group health plans” under Title X of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), and the requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 with respect to Transferred Employees and any SpinCo Dependents for the period after the Interim Transfer Date. Parent will retain any Parent Liabilities under the Parent Welfare Plans to provide COBRA coverage to any Former Business Employee and any of his or her eligible dependents who incurred a qualifying event under COBRA at or prior to the Interim Transfer Date and who is still eligible to receive such continuing coverage as of or after the Interim Transfer Date.

Section 6.4. Workers’ Compensation Claims.

All Liabilities for any workers’ compensation claims or coverage, whether arising under any Law of any state, territory, or possession of the United States or the District of Columbia or otherwise (“Workers’ Compensation Claims”), made by current or former employees (including Transferred Employees) of either Party arising out of or related to the operation of the SpinCo Business (including SpinCo Discontinued Operations or SpinCo Divested Operations), which claims shall have been made not later than two (2) years after the Effective Time, but which relate in whole or in part to injuries or occurrences arising prior to the Effective Time, shall be covered, to the extent covered under any Parent Policy, under and in accordance with the applicable provisions of such Parent Policy (“Insured WC Claims”) or, if applicable, as otherwise required at applicable Law. Except to the extent provided in the foregoing sentence, from and after

 

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the Effective Time, SpinCo or the appropriate member of the SpinCo Group shall assume and have all Liabilities for any Workers’ Compensation Claims made by current or former employees (including Transferred Employees) of either Party arising out of or related to the operation of the SpinCo Business, SpinCo Discontinued Operations or SpinCo Divested Operations, even if such claims relate in whole or in part to injuries, conditions or events arising or occurring on or prior to the Effective Time. Parent or the appropriate member of the Parent Group shall be responsible for the administration of any Insured WC Claims on behalf of all parties against which such claim is made. With regard to any Workers’ Compensation Claims that are not Insured WC Claims, each Party shall be fully responsible for the administration of all claims for which it has responsibility pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 6.4. If SpinCo is unable to assume any Liability otherwise allocated to it hereunder or the administration of any such claim because of the operation of applicable state Law or for any other reason, Parent shall retain such Liabilities and SpinCo shall reimburse and otherwise fully indemnify Parent for all such Liabilities (subject to reduction for any amounts payable from insurance), including, but not limited to, the costs of administering the plans, programs or arrangements under which any such Liabilities have accrued or otherwise arisen, and SpinCo shall enter into reasonable arrangements acceptable to Parent (such acceptance not to be unreasonably withheld) to secure the payment of such Liabilities. All reimbursement amounts shall be paid in accordance with the procedure set forth in Section 6.4. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, this Section 6.4 shall not apply to claims arising out of Latent Injury Liabilities, which shall be governed by the Separation Agreement.

Section 6.5. Leave of Absence Programs.

From and after the Interim Transfer Date, SpinCo is and shall continue to be responsible for the administration and compliance of all leaves of absences and related programs (including, but not limited to, compliance with the United Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar state or other Laws or with the Applicable CBA) affecting Transferred Employees for the period at and after the Interim Transfer Date.

Section 6.6. Time-Off Benefits.

The SpinCo Group has credited and shall continue to credit each Transferred Employee with the amount of accrued but unused vacation time, sick time and other time-off benefits (together the “Time-Off Benefits”) as such individual had with the Parent Group or the Transferred Entities as of the Interim Transfer Date (or, if later, the date on which such individual becomes an employee of a member of the SpinCo Group) and has provided and shall continue to provide such individuals with the same rights, benefits and entitlements in respect to such Time-Off Benefits as they were entitled to

 

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from the Parent Group or the Transferred Entities as of the Interim Transfer Date (or, if later, the date on which such individual becomes an employee of a member of the SpinCo Group), provided that nothing in this Section 6.6 requires the SpinCo Group to apply the accrual rules for Time-Off Benefits of Parent Group or the Transferred Entities in effect immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date with respect to service of Transferred Employees after the Interim Transfer Date.

ARTICLE VII.

SAVINGS PLANS

Section 7.1. Adoption of SpinCo Savings Plans.

(a) From and after the Interim Transfer Date, SpinCo has or has caused the appropriate member of the SpinCo Group to establish a defined contribution plan and corresponding trust effective as of the Interim Transfer Date for the benefit of Transferred Employees who participate in a Parent Qualified Savings Plan immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date (the “SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan”). The SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan (i) meets and shall continue to meet all requirements of applicable Law, including, but not limited to, Section 411(d)(6) of the Code and (ii) accept the transfer of assets from the Parent Qualified Savings Plans contemplated by Section 7.2. As of and from the Interim Transfer date, SpinCo has been and shall continue to be responsible for taking or causing to be taken all necessary, reasonable and appropriate action to establish, maintain and administer the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan so that it qualifies under Section 401(a) of the Code and the related trusts thereunder are exempted from Federal income taxation under Section 501(a)(1) of the Code.

(b) From and after the Interim Transfer Date, SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group has established a defined contribution plan for the benefit of Transferred Employees who participated in the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date (the “SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan”). The SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan is not and shall not be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, and will accept the transfer of all Liabilities under the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan contemplated by Section 7.3.

Section 7.2. Assumption of Liabilities and Transfer of Assets With Respect to Parent Qualified Savings Plans.

(a) Effective as of the Interim Transfer Date, but subject to the asset transfer specified in Section 7.2(b) below, the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan shall assume and be solely responsible for all Liabilities for or relating to Transferred Employees under the Parent Hourly Savings Plan. Effective as of the Interim Transfer Date, but subject to the asset transfer specified in Section 7.2(b) below, the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan shall assume and be solely responsible for all Liabilities for or relating to Transferred Employees under the Parent Salaried Savings Plan. SpinCo shall be solely responsible for all ongoing rights of or relating to Transferred Employees for future participation (including, but not limited to, the right to make contributions through payroll deductions) in the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan.

 

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(b) As soon as practicable and no more than thirty (30) days after the Effective Time, Parent shall cause the account balances (including, but not limited to, any outstanding loan balances) in each Parent Qualified Savings Plan attributable to Transferred Employees to be transferred to the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan in the form of: (x) promissory notes, to the extent of Transferred Employees’ account balances that represent outstanding loans; (y) an in-kind transfer of securities, to the extent of Transferred Employees’ account balances that are held through the open brokerage window under a Parent Qualified Savings Plan and to the extent the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan is capable of accepting such in-kind transfer; or (z) cash, to the extent of account balances of Transferred Employees do not represent outstanding loans of Transferred Employees or securities transferred in-kind pursuant to clause (y). SpinCo shall cause the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plan to accept such transfer of accounts and underlying assets and, effective as of the date of such transfer, to assume and to fully perform pay or discharge, all obligations of the Parent Qualified Savings Plans relating to the accounts of Transferred Employees (to the extent those assets related to those accounts are actually transferred from a Parent Qualified Savings Plan). The transfers shall be conducted in accordance with Section 414(l) of the Code, Treasury Regulation Section 1.414(l) -1, and Section 208 of ERISA.

Section 7.3. Treatment of Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Accounts.

(a) Assumption of Liabilities under Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan. Effective as of the Interim Transfer Date, all Liabilities under the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan relating to persons who are Transferred Employees shall cease to be Liabilities of the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan and shall be assumed in full and in all respects by the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan. SpinCo is and shall be responsible for taking or causing to be taken all necessary, reasonable and appropriate action to establish, maintain and administer the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan and from and after the Interim Transfer Date shall be solely responsible for all ongoing rights of or relating to Transferred Employees for future participation in the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan.

(b) Determination of Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities. As soon as practicable after the Effective Time, Parent shall calculate and certify to SpinCo the Liabilities, individually and in the aggregate, in respect of the Transferred Employees who were participants in the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan at the Interim Transfer Date, based on the value of the notional account balances in respect of each such Transferred Employees as of the Interim Transfer Date (the “Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities”). Within ten (10) days after the date Parent certifies to SpinCo

 

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the amount of the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities, Parent’s record keeper shall provide SpinCo or its record keeper with a complete computer file containing the employee data and all other relevant information used to calculate the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities. The calculation of the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities shall become final and binding upon the Parties at the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day following SpinCo’s receipt of such computer file, unless prior to such one hundred twentieth (120th) day SpinCo delivers a written notice to Parent stating that SpinCo believes that the calculation of the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities contains factual or mathematical errors. In the event that SpinCo shall deliver such a written notice to Parent, the Parties shall follow the procedures substantially identical to those set forth in Section 5.2(c) with regard to the Pension Plan Asset Transfer Amount to determine the final amount related to the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities (using such appropriate third-party plan administrator rather than an actuary as the arbitrator of any unresolved dispute).

(c) Reimbursement Process for Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities.

As of June 30 and January 31 each calendar year, or such other times as may be agreed between the Parties, starting in the calendar year following the Effective Time, SpinCo shall send Parent a statement showing all distributions made in the immediately preceding six (6) month period (or from the Effective Time with respect to the first such statement) in respect of the benefits paid to all Transferred Employees under the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan, showing in adequate detail the amount of payments made in respect to each such Transferred Employee. Within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such statement, Parent shall pay to SpinCo the amount described in Section 7.3(d), provided that, in no event shall Parent be required to pay SpinCo an amount (i) in respect of any Transferred Employee, an amount greater than the notional account balances of such Transferred Employee as of the Interim Transfer Date taken into account in determining the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities or (ii) in the aggregate greater than the amount of the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities as of the Interim Transfer Date. Notwithstanding the forgoing, (x) at the sole discretion of the Parent, the Parent may at any time and from time to time prepay all or any portion of the aggregate amount that it would otherwise be required to pay SpinCo in respect of the Transferred Employees under this Section 7.3(c) in respect of the Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan Liabilities, and unless Parent agrees to another offset schedule, any such prepaid amount shall be applied to offset any amounts that Parent would otherwise be required to pay hereunder as of the next semiannual statement and each subsequent statement until fully applied to such future payments and (y) any amounts paid under the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan which SpinCo fails to include in a statement of payments that is delivered to Parent within fourteen (14) months of the actual payment date shall no longer be subject to reimbursement by Parent under this Section 7.3(c) and shall remain the sole responsibility of SpinCo. Any payment made by Parent pursuant this Section 7.3(c) shall be made for the account of SpinCo or its Subsidiary and not for the benefit of any Transferred Employee who is a Participant in the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan, each of whom shall remain an unsecured creditor of SpinCo or its applicable Subsidiary in respect of his or her SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan benefit.

 

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(d) Reimbursement Determined on an After-Tax Basis. The amount payable by Parent pursuant to Section 7.3(c) with respect to each statement provided by SpinCo shall equal (i) the amount of the distributions made to Transferred Employees under the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan listed on the applicable statement (reduced as a result of any applicable limitations described in Section 7.3(c)), less (ii) the amount of the reduction in U.S. federal and state income Taxes payable by SpinCo as a result of the payment of such distributions. For purposes of this Section 7.3(d), the amount of the reduction in U.S. federal and state income Taxes payable by SpinCo as a result of such distributions shall be deemed to equal (x) the amount of such distributions under the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan reflected on such statement, multiplied by (y) the highest marginal U.S. federal income Tax rate applicable to U.S. corporations on the date such distributions were paid plus the applicable weighted average state income Tax rate on the date such distributions were paid.

Section 7.4. Continuation of Elections and Application to SpinCo Dependents.

SpinCo has caused and shall continue to cause the SpinCo Qualified Savings Plans and the SpinCo Non-Qualified Savings Plan to recognize and maintain all elections in effect as of immediately prior to the Interim Transfer Date, including, but not limited to, beneficiary designations, payment forms and other rights of alternate payees under qualified domestic relation orders as were in effect under the corresponding Parent Qualified Savings Plan and Parent Non-Qualified Savings Plan, unless and until changed or modified in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan or otherwise in accordance with applicable law. To the extent applicable, the provisions of this Article VII shall also apply to SpinCo Dependents. Parent shall cooperate with SpinCo to provide any reasonably requested information regarding such administrative matters.

ARTICLE VIII.

EQUITY BASED INCENTIVE AWARDS

Section 8.1. Treatment of Outstanding PSP Awards by Parent.

The target number of shares of Parent stock subject to each outstanding performance share plan award held by a Transferred Employee at the Effective Time shall be multiplied by the percentage determined by the quotient of (i) the number of months in the performance period applicable to such award that has been completed on the day immediately prior to the Effective Time divided by (ii) the number of months in the entire performance period, as determined by Parent in accordance with the Parent stock incentive plan. Each such outstanding performance share award shall remain

 

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outstanding as to such adjusted target number of shares of Parent common stock (the “Pro-Rated Parent Award”), and eligible to vest and be paid based upon the achievement of the applicable performance criteria (including in respect of any dividend equivalents granted in connection with such award), at the same time and subject to the same terms and conditions as though the Transferred Employee had remained employed by Parent through the date the performance share awards, in respect of such performance period, are payable to employees of Parent. The target number of shares of Parent stock subject to each outstanding performance share plan award held by a Transferred Employee at the Effective Time in excess of the target number of shares subject to the Pro-Rated Parent Award shall be cancelled and forfeited as of the Effective Time (the “Cancelled Parent PSP Shares”). The applicable member of the Parent Group shall be liable for the settlement of all Pro-Rated Parent Awards, and shall retain or assume responsibility for payment of the employer portion of payroll Taxes and similar charges due in connection with the vesting and settlement of Pro-Rated Parent Awards and awards held by Former Business Employees (“Parent Award Employment Charges”). Notwithstanding the otherwise applicable provisions of this Agreement, in any jurisdiction where Parent Award Employment Charges must be remitted to the relevant Governmental Authority by a member of the SpinCo Group rather than a member of the Parent Group, including Brazil, Parent shall, or shall cause a member of the Parent Group, to reimburse the relevant member of the SpinCo Group for such Parent Award Employment Charges it actually pays with respect to any Pro-Rated Parent Award that shall become vested and payable following the Effective Time. The relevant member of the SpinCo Group shall invoice Parent within ten (10) Business Days following the end of each calendar quarter for all Parent Award Employment Charges actually paid by it during the most recently completed calendar quarter, and Parent shall, or shall cause a member of the Parent Group, to reimburse such member of the SpinCo Group for the applicable Parent Award Employment Charges within forty-five (45) days following receipt of such invoice. Parent and the appropriate member of the SpinCo Group shall cooperate to share such information as shall be required to determine and validate the amount of the Parent Award Employment Charges.

Section 8.2. Treatment of Outstanding Parent Restricted Share Unit and Restricted Stock Awards.

Each outstanding award of restricted shares of Parent common stock and each award that constitutes a promise to deliver shares of Parent common Stock held by a Transferred Employee at the Effective Time (other than performance share plan awards which shall be treated as set forth in Section 8.1) shall be cancelled and forfeited as of the Effective Time (the “Cancelled Parent Restricted Shares”).

 

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Section 8.3. Replacement Awards for Cancelled Shares.

Unless otherwise agreed between Parent and a Transferred Employee prior to the date on which the Effective Time falls, Effective as of the Effective Time, SpinCo shall grant each Transferred Employee who forfeits Cancelled Parent PSP Shares or Cancelled Parent Restricted Shares one or more replacement awards in respect of such cancelled shares having the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 8.3. With respect to Cancelled Parent Restricted Shares, SpinCo shall grant a replacement award in respect of the number of shares of SpinCo common stock determined in accordance with Section 8.4 that shall have terms and conditions substantially identical to those applicable to the Cancelled Parent Restricted Shares, except that SpinCo shall replace Parent for all purposes of such award and continuing service with SpinCo and its affiliates shall determine the right of the Transferred Employee to vest in (or receive a payment in respect of) the shares of SpinCo common stock subject to such award. With respect to Cancelled Parent PSP Shares, SpinCo shall grant a replacement award for the number of shares of SpinCo common stock as determined in accordance with Section 8.4 that shall be eligible to vest and become payable in three equal installments on each of the three payment dates applicable to the Cancelled PSP Shares to which such replacement award relates, based solely upon the continued performance of services with SpinCo and its affiliates through the applicable vesting date, and have other terms and conditions substantially equivalent to the terms and conditions applicable under the corresponding Parent performance share plan award.

Section 8.4. Establishing the Number of Shares Subject to SpinCo Awards.

The number of shares of SpinCo common stock to be subject to any replacement award granted in accordance with Section 8.3 shall be equal to the quotient of (i) the product of (A) the Parent Cancelled Share Value multiplied by (B) the number of cancelled shares of Parent common stock which the applicable SpinCo award is replacing, divided by (ii) the SpinCo Replacement Share Value.

ARTICLE IX.

SHORT TERM INCENTIVES AND SALES COMMISSION PROGRAMS

Section 9.1. Management Incentive Plan.

Except with respect to any Transferred Employee who during 2021 held a title with Parent of at least Senior Vice President and in all cases as set forth under the terms and conditions of the Management Incentive Plan, Parent shall pay to each Transferred Employee participating in the Management Incentive Plan immediately prior to the Effective Time a cash bonus amount, not later than 30 days following the Effective Time, equal to such Transferred Employee’s target annual incentive opportunity under such plan for 2021, multiplied by a fraction (the “Pro-Rated Fraction”), the numerator of

 

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which is the number of calendar months in 2021 in which such Transferred Employee worked 15 days or more, determined through and including the day immediately prior to the Effective Time, and the denominator of which is 12. With respect to any Transferred Employee who during 2021 held a title with Parent of at least Senior Vice President and in all cases as set forth under the terms and conditions of the Management Incentive Plan, Parent shall pay to each such Transferred Employee, at the same time that bonuses are paid generally to other officers of Parent, an amount in respect of his or her participation in the Management Incentive Plan for 2021 equal to the product of (i) the amount that such Transferred Employee would have been eligible to receive under the terms and conditions of such Management Incentive Plan had he or she remained employed by Parent through the date of payment and (ii) the Pro-Rated Fraction.

Section 9.2. Hourly Incentive Plans and Sales Commission Programs.

Parent or a Transferred Entity shall pay any amounts that are earned under each Hourly Incentive Plan and each Sales Commission Program to Transferred Employees prior to the Effective Time. The SpinCo Group shall be responsible for all Liabilities to Transferred Employees under each Hourly Incentive Plan and each Sales Commission Program for amounts that are earned in accordance with the terms of such plans and programs on or after the Effective Time.

Section 9.3. SpinCo Obligations In Respect of Incentive Plans.

The SpinCo Group shall maintain in effect the Hourly Incentive Plans and each Sales Commission Program until the first anniversary of the Effective Time; provided, however, SpinCo shall have the right to amend each such Hourly Incentive Plan and Sales Commission Program as necessary to reflect the changes resulting from the transactions contemplated by the Separation Agreement, including, without limitation, changes to the performance metrics under such plans and programs to use SpinCo performance metrics.

ARTICLE X.

ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITIES

Section 10.1. Assumption of Liabilities.

(a) By SpinCo. Except as otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement, not later than the Effective Time, SpinCo shall or shall cause a member of the SpinCo Group (including the Transferred Entities) or a SpinCo Plan to assume, perform and discharge all of the following, regardless of when or where such Liabilities arose or arise or are incurred:

 

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(i) all Liabilities to or relating to Transferred Employees and their dependents and beneficiaries, to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from employment on or prior to the Effective Time, including, but not limited to, all Liabilities relating to labor and employment law claims and union grievances under the Applicable CBA, but excluding all Liabilities retained by Parent as provided in this Agreement including, but not limited to, the Liabilities retained by Parent pursuant to Section 10.1(b) below;

(ii) all Liabilities relating to labor and employment law claims and union grievances under the Applicable CBA of Former Business Employees, regardless of when such claim arose (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, liabilities in respect of benefit plans, programs and arrangements which are expressly retained by a Parent Plan or Parent Group member hereunder); and

(iii) all other Liabilities relating to, or arising out of, or resulting from obligations, liabilities and responsibilities expressly assumed or retained by SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group pursuant to this Agreement or the Applicable CBA.

Without limitation to the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii), except as expressly set forth herein, each member of the SpinCo Group outside of the United States shall be solely responsible for satisfying all Liabilities in respect of its respective Transferred Employees and Former Business Employees.

(b) By Parent. Parent shall or shall cause the applicable Parent Plan or Parent Group member to retain and discharge all of the following:

(i) all Liabilities to or relating to Retained Employees and Former Business Employees (other than those assumed by SpinCo pursuant to Section 10.1(a)(ii)), and any individuals who are not Business Employees (and the foregoing’s dependents and beneficiaries), to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from former, present or future employment with the Parent Group, including, but not limited to, all Liabilities relating to labor and employment law claims and union grievances under the Applicable CBA that covers Retained Employees and any individuals who are not Business Employees (and the foregoing’s dependents and beneficiaries);

(ii) all Liabilities with respect to Pro-Rated Parent Awards (including in respect of the applicable Parent Award Employment Charges);

(iii) all Liabilities expressly assumed or retained under Sections 3.1(b), 6.1(a) and 6.4;

(iv) all Liabilities under the Management Incentive Plan, the Hourly Incentive Plans and the Sales Commission Programs for amounts that become due and payable under the terms of such programs prior to the Effective Time, as provided in Article IX; and

 

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(v) all other Liabilities relating to, or arising out of, or resulting from obligations, liabilities and responsibilities expressly assumed or retained by the Parent Group or a Parent Plan pursuant to this Agreement or the collective bargaining agreements that cover Retained Employees, Former Business Employees (other than those retained by SpinCo pursuant to Section 10.1(a)(ii)), and any individuals who are not Business Employees (and the foregoing’s dependents and beneficiaries).

(c) Allocation of Liabilities among Parent and SpinCo with respect to grievances and demands for arbitration pending as of the Effective Time shall be as set forth in Sections 10.1(a) and (b).

(d) For the avoidance of doubt, allocation of Liabilities for Taxes that (i) are imposed on Parent or a Parent Plan that, in either case, arise from or relate to a Parent Plan or (ii) are imposed on SpinCo or a SpinCo Plan that, in either case, arise from or relate to a SpinCo Plan shall be as set forth in the Tax Matters Agreement, other than, in the case of each of clauses (i) and (ii), Taxes described in Section 2.6.

(e) In the event that any Third-Party Claim is asserted in respect of which an Indemnifying Party could have liability to any Person hereunder, such Third-Party Claim shall be addressed following the procedures set forth in Section 4.5 of the Separation Agreement.

Section 10.2. Reimbursement.

(a) By SpinCo. From time to time after the Effective Time, SpinCo shall promptly reimburse Parent, but in no event more than thirty (30) days after delivery by Parent of an invoice therefor containing reasonable substantiating documentation of such costs and expenses, for the cost of any obligations or Liabilities that Parent or a Parent Plan elects to, or is compelled to, pay or otherwise satisfy, that are or that pursuant to this Agreement have become, the responsibility of SpinCo or any SpinCo Subsidiary; provided, however, that if payment in respect of any such Liability is made by a Parent Plan, SpinCo or the appropriate SpinCo Plan shall reimburse the Parent Plan directly. To the extent that any SpinCo Subsidiary is responsible for any of the SpinCo Employee Liabilities, each member of the SpinCo Group shall be jointly and severally liable to Parent or Parent Plan, as applicable, for the payment of such Liabilities by such SpinCo Subsidiary.

 

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(b) By Parent. From time to time after the Effective Time, Parent shall promptly reimburse SpinCo, but in no event more than thirty (30) days after delivery by SpinCo of an invoice therefor containing reasonable substantiating documentation of such costs and expenses, for the cost of any obligations or Liabilities that SpinCo or a SpinCo Plan elects to, or is compelled to, pay or otherwise satisfy, that are or that pursuant to this Agreement have become, the responsibility of Parent; provided, however, that if payment in respect of any such Liability is made by a SpinCo Plan, Parent or the appropriate Parent Plan shall reimburse such SpinCo Plan directly.

(c) Any reimbursement made by either Party pursuant to this Section 10.2 shall be treated by the Parties as a reimbursement to the other Party for having acted as the reimbursing Party’s agent for purposes of paying the corresponding expenses.

Section 10.3. Indemnification.

(a) SpinCo agrees that from and after the Effective Time it shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Parent, each of its Subsidiaries, and their respective directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, attorneys, accountants, agents, representatives and employees and their heirs, successors and permitted assigns, each in their capacity as such (the “Parent Indemnified Parties”) from, against and in respect of any claims, damages, losses, charges, Liabilities, actions, suits, proceedings, judgments, settlements, assessments, interest, penalties, and reasonable costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) (collectively, “Losses”) actually incurred or suffered by any of the Parent Indemnified Parties arising out of or resulting from, (i) the failure of any member of the SpinCo Group to pay, perform, discharge or satisfy any Liabilities assumed in Section 10.1(a) of this Agreement (other than any Liabilities which arise due to the failure of Parent to satisfy its obligations under Article VIII hereof or to satisfy any Liability assumed in Section 10.1(b) and (c) hereof), and (ii) any other breach of the duties or obligations of any member of the SpinCo Group, as set forth in this Agreement. SpinCo shall take commercially reasonable efforts to procure insurance against any Indemnifiable Losses arising from the obligations set forth in this Agreement.

(b) Parent hereby agrees that from and after the Effective Time it shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless SpinCo, its Affiliates and their respective directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, attorneys, accountants, agents, representatives and employees (other than the Business Employees) and their heirs, successors and permitted assigns, each in their capacity as such (the “SpinCo Indemnified Parties” and, collectively with the Parent Indemnified Parties, the “Indemnified Parties”) from, against and in respect of any Losses actually incurred or suffered by, any of the SpinCo Indemnified Parties arising out of or resulting from (i) the failure to pay, perform, discharge or satisfy any Parent Liabilities (other than Parent Liabilities which arise due to the failure of any member of the SpinCo Group or any SpinCo Plans to satisfy any liabilities assumed by SpinCo in Section 10.1(a) hereof) and (ii) any other breach of the duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement.

 

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Section 10.4. Procedures for Indemnification for Third-Party Claims.

Except as specifically set forth in this Agreement, in the event that Parent or any other Parent Indemnified Party shall seek indemnification in respect of any SpinCo Employee Liabilities, or SpinCo or any SpinCo Indemnified Party shall seek indemnification in respect of any Parent Liabilities, such person shall comply with and follow the procedures regarding indemnification set forth in Article IV of the Separation Agreement, which shall apply to claims for indemnification hereunder in the same manner as though such claims were eligible for indemnification under the Separation Agreement, but assuming that such claims were not subject to any limitation on the ability to claim indemnification under such Separation Agreement.

Section 10.5. Reductions for Insurance Proceeds and Other Amounts.

The amount that any Indemnifying Party is or may be required to pay to any Indemnified Party pursuant to this Article X shall be reduced (retroactively or prospectively) in the same manner as provided in Section 4.4 of the Separation Agreement as though such claims were eligible for indemnification under the Separation Agreement, but assuming that such claims were not subject to any limitation on the ability to claim indemnification under such Separation Agreement.

Section 10.6. Contribution.

(a) If the indemnification provided for in this Article X is unavailable to, or insufficient to hold harmless, any Indemnified Party in respect of any Losses for which indemnification is provided for herein, then the relevant Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the Losses for which such indemnification is unavailable or insufficient in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of such Indemnifying Party and such Indemnified Party in connection with the circumstances which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

(b) The relative fault of Parent and SpinCo shall be determined by reference to, among other things, the Parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent the applicable act, failure to act, statement or omission that is the basis for the Liability (the “Liability Event”), and whether the Liability Event occurred because of one Party’s reasonable reliance on the other.

(c) Parent and SpinCo agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10.6 were determined by any method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 10.6(b). The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an Indemnitee shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnitee in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

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Section 10.7. Consequential Damages.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or the Separation Agreement, no Person shall be liable under this Article X for any consequential, punitive, special or exemplary damages, regardless of the form of action, whether in contract, tort, strict liability or otherwise, and whether or not such damages were foreseen or unforeseen, except to the extent awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction in connection with a Third-Party Claim.

ARTICLE XI.

GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE

Section 11.1. Cooperation.

(a) General. Each of the Parties hereto will use its commercially reasonable efforts to promptly take, or cause to be taken, any and all actions and to do, or cause to be done, any and all things necessary, proper and advisable under applicable laws and regulations to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including without limitation, adopting plans or plan amendments. Each of the Parties hereto shall cooperate fully on any issue relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement for which the other Party seeks a determination letter or any other filing, consent or approval with respect to governmental authorities regarding a benefit plan.

(b) Cooperation in Benefits, Plan and Other Employee Transition. Parent shall administer the Parent Plans with respect to Business Employees in the ordinary course of business between the date of the Separation Agreement and the Interim Transfer Date or the Effective Time, as applicable. Without limitation, the Parties’ cooperation under this Agreement shall include Parent (and its employees and agents) acting to provide SpinCo (and its employees and agents) with all information that is reasonably requested by SpinCo in connection with meeting, and reasonably necessary for SpinCo to comply with, its obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to, in connection with providing compensation, benefits, hours and terms and conditions of employment of Represented Employees that are governed by the Applicable CBA, establishing and administering SpinCo’s ongoing benefit plans for Business Employees, and assessing appropriate insurances for the period on and after the Effective Time. The information to be provided to SpinCo (and its employees and agents) shall include, without limitation, names of employees anticipated to be assigned to SpinCo and their respective work status, demographics and data; plan records; underwriting and risk assessment information; records relating to workers’ compensation claims; records related to collective bargaining and the processing of grievances (including, but not limited to all transcripts of negotiations, written proposals and

 

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negotiation binders); access to any information related to prior events and past practice that become relevant in future arbitrations; and periodic updates on the foregoing; in each case, so long as such information is reasonably necessary for SpinCo to comply with its obligations under this Agreement. Such information may be requested by SpinCo at any time following the date of the Separation Agreement and extending following the Effective Time as long as SpinCo reasonably has a need for such information, and shall be provided by Parent or a Parent agent as soon as reasonably practicable without incurring undue expense (with any increased third-party cost being borne by SpinCo) and in a de-identified format to the extent necessary to comply with privacy provisions of federal or applicable state law.

(c) Communications. SpinCo shall not make any written communications (including websites or other passive communication channels) that are directed to the directors, officers or employees of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries pertaining to compensation or benefit matters that are affected by the transactions contemplated by the Separation Agreement without Parent’s written consent; provided that SpinCo may communicate with Union representatives (including any Union representatives who are also employees of Parent Group) in relation to SpinCo’s duties under the Applicable CBA and SpinCo may provide transition information regarding SpinCo’s benefits (including any benefit identification cards). Notwithstanding the restriction in the preceding sentence, SpinCo may provide notices to Business Employees relating to the requirements of Sections 404(c) of ERISA or other legally required notices (after giving Parent a reasonable opportunity for review and reasonably considering Parent’s comments on these notices), and the Parties shall cooperate in the notices’ timely distribution in advance of the Effective Time (in accordance with the timing requirements of laws regarding such notices, in order to permit plan changes, whether before or after the Effective Time). The Parties shall each designate a single point of contact to facilitate prompt approvals of communications.

(d) Cooperation in Labor and Employment Disputes. Parent shall promptly notify SpinCo of any organizing activities or of any representation petition submitted to the NLRB and of any work stoppages, with respect to any Business Employees. For the avoidance of doubt, Parent shall retain sole decision-making authority with respect to all employment matters prior to the Effective Date.

Section 11.2. Consent of Third Parties.

If any provision of this Agreement is dependent on the consent of any third party (such as a vendor) and such consent is withheld, the Parties shall use their reasonable best efforts to implement the applicable provisions of this Agreement to the full extent practicable. If any provision of this Agreement cannot be implemented due to the failure of such third party to consent, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to implement the provision in a mutually satisfactory manner. The phrase “reasonable best efforts” as used in this Agreement shall not be construed to require the incurrence of any non-routine or commercially unreasonable expense or liability or the waiver of any right.

 

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Section 11.3. Survival.

This Agreement shall survive the Effective Time.

Section 11.4. Interpretation.

In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto and thereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement) shall be deemed to include the Exhibits, Schedules and Annexes to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in (x) Memphis, Tennessee or (y) New York, New York; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; the word “extent” in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other thing extends, and such phrase shall not mean simply “if”; (j) unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts, including the symbol “$”, refer to the lawful currency of the United States of America; and (k) all references to “the date hereof” or “the date of this Agreement” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 30, 2021.

Section 11.5. No Third-Party Beneficiary.

(a) Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon any person (nor any beneficiary thereof) any rights under or with respect to any plan, program, agreement or arrangement described in or contemplated by this Agreement and each person (and any beneficiary thereof) shall be entitled to look only to the express terms of any such plan, program, agreement or arrangement for his, her or its rights thereunder. The purpose of this Agreement is to specify the respective potential responsibilities and obligations of Parent and SpinCo (and their respective affiliates) as between each other, but it does not affect, impair, enhance, modify, construe or interpret the rights of any Parent Employee, Retained Employee, Former Business Employee or Business Employee under or in respect of any such plan, program, agreement or arrangement.

 

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(b) Nothing in this Agreement shall create any right of a Person to object or to refuse to assent to the assumption of or succession to, by any member of the SpinCo Group or the SpinCo Group, any benefit plan, collective bargaining agreement or other agreement relating to conditions of employment, termination of employment, severance or employee benefits, nor shall this Agreement be construed as recognizing that any such rights exist.

(c) Nothing in this Agreement shall amend or shall be construed to amend, or interpret the terms of, any plan, program, agreement or arrangement described in or contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 11.6. Notices.

Any notice, demand, claim or other communication under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given to a Party when (a) delivered to the appropriate address by hand or by nationally recognized overnight courier services (costs prepaid); (b) by email with receipt confirmed; (c) received or rejected by the addressee, if sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, in each case to the following addresses or e-mail address and marked to the attention of the person designated below (or to such other address, e-mail address or person as a Party may designate by notice to the other Parties):

 

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(a)

If to Parent, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: General Counsel

E-mail: Sharon.ryan@iapaper.com

With copies to:

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

919 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Attention:    William Regner

                    Emily Huang

                    Franklin Mitchell

E-Mail:       wdregner@debevoise.com

                    efhuang@debevoise.com

                     flmitchell@debevoise.com

 

(b)

If to SpinCo, to:

On or before June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6400 Poplar Ave

Tower 1, 9th Floor

Memphis, TN 38197

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

After June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6077 Primacy Parkway

Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

 

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Section 11.7. Governing Law.

This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or thereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby or to the inducement of any party to enter herein and therein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) and all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement (and all Schedules hereto) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

Section 11.8. Disputes.

Except as expressly provided in Section 2.5(c), Section 5.2(c), Section 5.3(b) and Section 7.3(b), any disputes arising under this Agreement shall be resolved applying the dispute resolution provisions set forth in Article VII of the Separation Agreement.

Section 11.9. Specific Performance.

The Parties acknowledge and agree that any breach of this Agreement would give rise to irreparable harm for which monetary damages would not be an adequate remedy. The Parties accordingly agree that, in addition to any other rights or remedies it may have at law or in equity, the other Party shall be entitled to (x) enforce the terms of this Agreement by decree of specific performance without the necessity of proving the inadequacy of monetary damages as a remedy and (y) seek injunctive relief against any breach or threatened breach of this Agreement. Neither Party will contest an action by the other Party for injunctive relief or an order of specific performance on the basis that there is an adequate remedy at law, or that an award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any reason, at law or in equity. The Parties agree to not seek and agree to waive any requirement for the securing or posting of a bond in connection with a Party seeking or obtaining any relief pursuant to this Section 11.9.

Section 11.10. No Assignment; No Amendment; Counterparts.

This Agreement may not be assigned by either Party (except by operation of law) without the written consent of the other, and shall bind and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assignees. This Agreement may not be amended or supplemented except by an agreement in writing signed by Parent and SpinCo. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each Party has caused its duly authorized officer to execute this Agreement, as of the date first written above.

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith R. Townsend

Name: Keith R. Townsend
Title: VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ John V. Sims

Name: John V. Sims

Title: Senior Vice President & Chief

Financial Officer

Exhibit 10.4

EXECUTION VERSION

 

 

 

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

dated as of

September 30, 2021

between

Sylvamo Corporation

and

International Paper Company

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  
ARTICLE I   
DEFINITIONS   

1.1

  Definitions      1  

1.2

  Interpretation      5  
ARTICLE II   
REGISTRATION RIGHTS   

2.1

  Shelf Registration      5  

2.2

  Demand Registrations      7  

2.3

  Priority      8  

2.4

  Piggyback Registrations      8  

2.5

  Lock-up Agreements      10  

2.6

  Registration Procedures      10  

2.7

  Registration Expenses      16  

2.8

  Underwritten Offering      17  

2.9

  Suspension of Registration      17  

2.10

  Indemnification      18  

2.11

  Conversion of Other Securities      22  

2.12

  Rule 144; Rule 144A      22  

2.13

  Transfer of Registration Rights      22  
ARTICLE III   
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL DISPOSITIONS OF REGISTRABLE SECURITIES BY INTERNATIONAL PAPER   

3.1

  Underwriter Selection      23  

3.2

  Cooperation with Sales      23  

3.3

  Further Assurances      23  
ARTICLE IV   
VOTING RESTRICTIONS   

4.1

 

Voting of the Company’s Common Stock

     24  

 

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ARTICLE V   
MISCELLANEOUS   

5.1

  Term      24  

5.2

  Other Holder Activities      25  

5.3

  No Inconsistent Agreements      25  

5.4

  Amendment, Modification and Waiver      25  

5.5

  No Third-Party Beneficiaries      25  

5.6

  Entire Agreement      25  

5.7

  Severability      25  

5.8

  Counterparts      26  

5.9

  Specific Performance; Remedies      26  

5.10

  GOVERNING LAW      26  

5.11

  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL      26  

5.12

  Jurisdiction; Venue      26  

5.13

  Notice      27  

 

 

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REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2021 (this “Agreement”), is between Sylvamo Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“International Paper”).

WHEREAS, International Paper and the Company are party to that certain Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2021, pursuant to which, among other things, International Paper intends to distribute a portion of the shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $1.00 (the “Common Stock”), on a pro rata basis to International Paper’s stockholders (the “Distribution”);

WHEREAS, following the Distribution, International Paper will continue to own approximately 19.9% of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock; and

WHEREAS, in connection with the Distribution, SpinCo has agreed to provide International Paper certain rights with respect to the registration and sale of the Common Stock as set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants set forth herein and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

1.1 Definitions.

In this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such person.

Block Sale” means the sale of Registrable Securities to one or several purchasers in a registered transaction by means of (i) a bought deal, (ii) a block trade or (iii) a direct sale.

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

Business Day” means any day except (i) Saturday, (ii) Sunday and (iii) any other day on which commercial banks in New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

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

Company” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

Company Outside Counsel” means one counsel selected by the Company to act on its behalf, which counsel, for the avoidance of doubt, may be the same counsel as Holders’ Counsel.

control” (including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, by contract or otherwise.

Covered Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.10(a).

Demand Registration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(a).

Effective Date” means the date the Distribution is completed.

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Holder” means any of (i) International Paper and (ii) any Permitted Transferee.

Holders’ Counsel” means, if International Paper is participating in an offering of Registrable Securities, one counsel selected by International Paper for the Holders participating in such offering, or otherwise, one counsel selected by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities included in such offering, which counsel, for the avoidance of doubt, may be the same counsel as Company Outside Counsel.

Loss” or “Losses” each has the meaning set forth in Section 2.10(a).

Material Disclosure Event” means, as of any date of determination, any pending or imminent event relating to the Company or any of its subsidiaries that the Board of Directors reasonably determines in good faith, after consultation with Company Outside Counsel, (i) would require disclosure of material, non-public information relating to such event in any Registration Statement under which Registrable Securities may be offered and sold (including documents incorporated by reference therein) in order that such Registration Statement would not be materially misleading and (ii) would not otherwise be required to be publicly disclosed by the Company at that time in a periodic report to be filed with or furnished to the SEC under the Exchange Act but for the submission or filing of such Registration Statement.

 

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Permitted Transferee” means any Subsidiary of International Paper.

Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, association or other business entity and any trust, unincorporated organization or government or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.

Piggyback Registration” means any registration of Registrable Securities under the Securities Act requested by a Holder in accordance with Section 2.4(a).

register,” “registered” and “registration” refers to a registration made effective by preparing and filing a Registration Statement with the SEC in compliance with the Securities Act, and the declaration or ordering of the effectiveness of such Registration Statement, and compliance with applicable state securities laws of such states in which Holders notify the Company of their intention to offer Registrable Securities.

Registrable Securities” means (i) all shares of Common Stock held by a Holder and (ii) any equity securities issued or issuable, directly or indirectly, with respect to any such securities referred to in (i) above by way of conversion or exchange thereof or stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, reclassification, merger, amalgamation, arrangement, consolidation or other reorganization; provided that any securities constituting Registrable Securities will cease to be Registrable Securities when (a) such securities are sold to a Person who is not a Permitted Transferee, in a private transaction in which the transferor’s rights under this Agreement are not assigned in accordance with this Agreement to the transferee of the securities, (b) such securities are sold pursuant to an effective Registration Statement, (c) such securities are sold to a Person who is not a Permitted Transferee pursuant to Rule 144 or (d) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding.

Registration Expenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7.

Registration Statement” means any registration statement of the Company under the Securities Act that permits the public offering of any of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including post-effective amendments, all exhibits, all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such registration statements and all other documents filed with the SEC to effect a registration under the Securities Act.

Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.

Rule 144A” means Rule 144A promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.

Rule 405” means Rule 405 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.

 

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Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.

SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts, selling commissions and transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities hereunder.

Selling Holder” means a Holder that holds Registrable Securities registered (or to be registered) on a Registration Statement.

Selling Holder Information” means information furnished to the Company in writing by a Selling Holder expressly for use in any Registration Statement, which information is limited to the name of such Selling Holder, the number of offered shares of Common Stock and the address and other information with respect to such Selling Holder included in the “Principal and Selling Stockholders” (or similarly titled) section of the Registration Statement.

Shelf Registration Statement” means a Registration Statement that contemplates offers and sales of securities pursuant to Rule 415.

Short-Form Registration Statement” means Form S-3 or any successor or similar form of Registration Statement pursuant to which the Company may incorporate by reference its filings under the Exchange Act made after the date of effectiveness of such Registration Statement.

Subsidiary” means (i) any corporation of which a majority of the securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors thereof, at the time as of which any determination is being made, are owned by International Paper, either directly or indirectly and (ii) any joint venture, general or limited partnership, limited liability company or other legal entity in which International Paper is the record or beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of a majority of the voting interests or the general partner (or a majority of the voting interests of the general partner).

Suspension” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.9.

Take-Down Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(e).

Underwritten Offering” means a discrete registered offering of securities under the Securities Act in which securities of the Company are sold by one or more underwriters pursuant to the terms of an underwriting agreement.

 

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1.2 Interpretation.

(a) The words “hereto,” “hereunder,” “herein,” “hereof” and words of similar import, when used in this Agreement, refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement, unless expressly stated otherwise herein.

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

(c) The definitions contained in this Agreement are applicable to the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms.

(d) “Writing,” “written” and comparable terms refer to printing, typing, and other means of reproducing words (including electronic media) in a visible form.

(e) All references to “$” or “dollars” mean the lawful currency of the United States of America.

(f) The table of contents and headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

(g) Except as expressly stated in this Agreement, all references to any statute, rule or regulation are to the statute, rule or regulation as amended, modified, supplemented or replaced from time to time (and in the case of statutes, include any rules and regulations promulgated under the statute) and to any successor to such statute, rule or regulation.

(h) Except as expressly stated in this Agreement, all references to agencies, self-regulatory organizations or governmental entities in this Agreement shall be deemed to be references to the comparable successor thereto.

ARTICLE II

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

2.1 Shelf Registration.

(a) Filing. Upon the written request of any Holder, at any time after the date that is twelve full calendar months following the effective date of the Form 10 filed by the Company with the SEC in connection with the Distribution (or, if sooner, the date on which the Company first becomes eligible to use a Short-Form Registration Statement), the Company shall promptly (but no later than 30 days after the receipt of such request) file with the SEC a Shelf Registration Statement (which, if permitted, shall be an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405) relating to the offer and

 

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sale by such Holder of all or part of the Registrable Securities. Promptly after its receipt of a request to file a Shelf Registration Statement (but in any event within two Business Days), the Company shall give written notice of such request to all other Holders, if any, and include all Registrable Securities that have been requested by any other Holders by written notice to the Company within two Business Days after the Company has given the Holders notice of the request to file a Shelf Registration Statement. If at any time while Registrable Securities are outstanding and the Company is eligible to utilize a Shelf Registration Statement, the Company files any Shelf Registration Statement for its own benefit or for the benefit of holders of any of its securities other than the Holders, the Company shall include in such Shelf Registration Statement such disclosures as may be required under the Securities Act to ensure that the Holders may sell their Registrable Securities pursuant to such Shelf Registration Statement through the filing of a prospectus supplement rather than a post-effective amendment.

(b) Effectiveness. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to (i) cause such Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as practicable after such Shelf Registration Statement is filed and (ii) keep such Shelf Registration Statement (or a replacement Shelf Registration Statement) continuously effective and in compliance with the Securities Act and usable for the resale of Registrable Securities, until such time as there are no Registrable Securities remaining.

(c) Sales by Holders. The plan of distribution contained in any Shelf Registration Statement referred to in this Section 2.1 (or any related prospectus supplement) shall be determined by International Paper, if International Paper or an Affiliate of International Paper is a requesting Holder for such Shelf Registration Statement, or otherwise by the other requesting Holder or Holders. Each Holder shall be entitled to sell Registrable Securities pursuant to the Shelf Registration Statement referred to in this Section 2.1 from time to time and at such times as such Holder shall determine.

(d) Underwritten Offering. If any Holder intends to sell Registrable Securities pursuant to any Shelf Registration Statement referred to in this Section 2.1 through an Underwritten Offering, the Company shall take all steps to facilitate such an offering, including the actions required pursuant to Section 2.6 and Article III, as appropriate; provided that the Company shall not be required to facilitate such Underwritten Offering unless so requested by International Paper. Any Holder shall be entitled to request an unlimited number of Underwritten Offerings under this Section 2.1.

(e) Shelf Take-Downs. At any time that a Shelf Registration Statement covering Registrable Securities is effective, if any Holder delivers a notice to the Company (a “Take-Down Notice”) stating that it intends to effect an Underwritten Offering of all or part of its Registrable Securities included by it on such Shelf Registration Statement, the Company shall amend or supplement such Shelf Registration Statement as may be necessary in order to enable such Registrable Securities to be

 

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distributed pursuant to the Underwritten Offering. In connection with any Underwritten Offering pursuant to this Section 2.1, the Company shall within two Business Days deliver the Take-Down Notice to any other Holder with securities included on such Shelf Registration Statement and permit such Holder to include its Registrable Securities included on the Shelf Registration Statement in such Underwritten Offering if any such Holder notifies the Company within two Business Days after the Company has given Holders notice of the Take-Down Notice.

(f) No Notice in Block Sales. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if International Paper wishes to engage in a Block Sale (including a Block Sale off of a Shelf Registration Statement or an effective automatic shelf registration statement, or in connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities of International Paper under an automatic shelf registration statement for purposes of effectuating a Block Sale), then notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provisions hereunder, no Permitted Transferee or any other holder shall be entitled to receive any notice of or have its Registrable Securities included in such Block Sale.

2.2 Demand Registrations.

(a) Right to Request Additional Demand Registrations. At any time after the Effective Date, any Holder may, by providing a written request to the Company, request to sell all or part of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement separate from a Shelf Registration Statement (a “Demand Registration”). Each request for a Demand Registration shall specify the kind and estimated aggregate amount of Registrable Securities to be registered and the intended methods of disposition thereof (which, if not specified, shall be by way of Underwritten Offering). Promptly after its receipt of a request for a Demand Registration (but in any event within two Business Days), the Company shall give written notice of such request to all other Holders. Within 30 days after the date the Company has given the Holders notice of the request for Demand Registration, the Company shall submit or file a Registration Statement, in accordance with this Agreement, with respect to all Registrable Securities that have been requested to be registered in the request for Demand Registration and that have been requested by any other Holders by written notice to the Company within two Business Days after the Company has given the Holders notice of the request for Demand Registration.

(b) Limitations on Demand Registrations. Subject to Section 2.2(a) and this Section 2.2(b), any Holder shall be entitled to request an unlimited number of Demand Registrations. Any Holder shall be entitled to participate in a Demand Registration initiated by any other Holder. The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than one Demand Registration in any 90-day period. Any Demand Registration shall be in addition to any registration on a Shelf Registration Statement.

 

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(c) Effectiveness. The Company shall be required to maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement with respect to any Demand Registration for a period of at least 90 days after the effective date thereof or such shorter period during which all Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement have actually been sold; provided, however, that such period shall be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holder of Registrable Securities refrains from selling any securities included in such Registration Statement at the request of the Company or an underwriter of the Company pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.

(d) Withdrawal. A Holder may, by written notice to the Company, withdraw its Registrable Securities from a Demand Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement. Upon receipt of notices from all applicable Holders to such effect, the Company shall cease all efforts to seek effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement.

2.3 Priority. If a registration pursuant to Section 2.1 or 2.2 above is an Underwritten Offering and the managing underwriters of such proposed Underwritten Offering advise the Holders in writing that, in their good faith opinion, the number of securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Offering exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without being likely to have a material adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities offered or the market for the securities offered, then the number of securities to be included in such Underwritten Offering shall be reduced in the following order of priority: first, there shall be excluded from the Underwritten Offering any securities to be sold for the account of any selling securityholder other than the Holders; second, there shall be excluded from the Underwritten Offering any securities to be sold for the account of the Company; and finally, the number of Registrable Securities of any Holders that have been requested to be included therein shall be reduced, pro rata based on the number of Registrable Securities owned by each such Holder, in each case to the extent necessary to reduce the total number of securities to be included in such offering to the number recommended by the managing underwriters.

2.4 Piggyback Registrations.

(a) Piggyback Request. Whenever the Company proposes to register any of its securities (for its account or for the account of any selling securityholder) under the Securities Act or equivalent non-U.S. securities laws (other than (i) pursuant to Section 2.1 or 2.2 hereof, (ii) pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-4 or any similar or successor form or (iii) pursuant to a registration solely relating to an offering and sale to employees or directors of the Company pursuant to any employee stock plan or other employee benefit plan arrangement), and the registration form to be submitted or filed may be used for the registration or qualification for distribution of Registrable Securities, the Company shall give prompt written notice to all Holders of its intention to effect such a registration (but in no event less than 10 days prior to the proposed date of submission

 

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or filing of the applicable Registration Statement) and, subject to Section 2.4(c), shall include in such registration all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within 10 days after the date the Company’s notice is given to such Holders (a “Piggyback Registration”). There shall be no limitation on the number of Piggyback Registrations that the Company shall be required to effect under this Section 2.4.

(b) Withdrawal and Termination. The Company shall be required to maintain the effectiveness of the Registration Statement for a registration requested pursuant to Section 2.4(a) until the earlier to occur of (i) 90 days after the effective date thereof and (ii) consummation of the distribution by the Holders of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement. Any Holder that has made a written request for inclusion in a Piggyback Registration may withdraw its Registrable Securities from such Piggyback Registration by giving written notice to the Company on or before the fifth day prior to the planned effective date of such Piggyback Registration. The Company may, without prejudice to the rights of Holders to request a registration pursuant to Section 2.1 or 2.2 hereof, at its election, give written notice of such determination to each Holder of Registrable Securities and terminate or withdraw any registration under this Section 2.4 prior to the effectiveness of such registration, whether or not any Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in such registration, and, except for the obligation to pay or reimburse Registration Expenses, the Company shall be relieved of its obligation to register any Registrable Securities in connection with such registration and will have no liability to any Holder in connection with such termination or withdrawal.

(c) Priority of Piggyback Registrations. If the managing underwriters advise the Company and Holders of Registrable Securities in writing that, in their good faith opinion, the number of securities requested to be included in an Underwritten Offering to be effected pursuant to a Piggyback Registration exceeds the number which can be sold in such offering without being likely to have a material adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities offered or the market for the securities offered, then the securities to be included in such Underwritten Offering shall be reduced in the following order of priority: first, the number of securities requested to be included in such Underwritten Offering by any securityholder other than International Paper shall be reduced; second, the number of securities to be included in the Underwritten Offering shall be reduced pro rata based, in the case of International Paper, on the number of Registrable Securities owned by International Paper, and in the case of the Company, the number of securities to be sold for the account of the Company, in each case to the extent necessary to reduce the total number of Registrable Securities to be included in such offering to the number recommended by the managing underwriters. No registration of Registrable Securities effected pursuant to a request under this Section 2.4 shall be deemed to have been effected pursuant to Sections 2.1 or 2.2 or shall relieve the Company of its obligations under Sections 2.1 or 2.2.

 

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2.5 Lock-up Agreements. Each of the Company and the Holders agrees, upon notice from the managing underwriters in connection with any registration for an Underwritten Offering of the Company’s securities (other than pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-4 or any similar or successor form, or pursuant to a registration solely relating to an offering and sale to employees or directors of the Company pursuant to any employee stock plan or other employee benefit plan arrangement), not to effect (other than pursuant to such registration) any public sale or distribution of Registrable Securities, including, but not limited to, any sale pursuant to Rule 144, or make any short sale of, loan, grant any option for the purchase of, or otherwise dispose of, any Registrable Securities, any other equity securities of the Company or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any equity securities of the Company without the prior written consent of the managing underwriters for a period of up to 90 days (or such shorter period as may be agreed to by the managing underwriter(s)); provided that such restrictions shall not apply in any circumstance to (i) securities acquired by a Holder in the public market subsequent to the Effective Date, (ii) distributions-in-kind to a Holder’s limited or other partners, members, shareholders or other equity holders, (iii) any direct or indirect transfer to a Permitted Transferee or (iv) such other exceptions as may be agreed to by the managing underwriter(s). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no holdback agreements of the type contemplated by this Section 2.5 shall be required of Holders unless each of the Company’s directors and executive officers agrees to be bound by a substantially identical holdback agreement for at least the same period of time.

2.6 Registration Procedures. Subject to the proviso of Section 2.1(d), if and whenever the Company is required to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect and facilitate the registration, offering and sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of disposition thereof as promptly as is practicable, and the Company shall as expeditiously as possible:

(a) prepare and submit or file with the SEC (within 30 days after the date on which the Company has given Holders notice of any request for a Demand Registration) a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities, make all required submissions or filings (including FINRA filings) in connection therewith and thereafter and (if the Registration Statement is not automatically effective upon filing) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective; provided that, before submitting or filing a Registration Statement or any amendments or supplements thereto (including free writing prospectuses under Rule 433), the Company will furnish to Holders’ Counsel for such registration copies of all such documents proposed to be submitted or filed (including exhibits thereto), which documents will be subject to review of such counsel, and such other documents reasonably requested by such counsel, including any comment letter from the SEC and any communications from any stock exchange on which the Registrable Securities are trading, and give the Holders

 

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participating in such registration an opportunity to comment on such documents and keep such Holders reasonably informed as to the registration process; provided further that if the Board of Directors determines in its good faith judgment that registration at the time would require the inclusion of financial or other information (including pro forma financial information), which requirement the Company is reasonably unable to comply with, then the Company may defer the filing (but not the preparation) of the Registration Statement which is required to effect the applicable registration for a reasonable period of time (but not in excess of 45 days from the date on which the Company has given Holders notice of any request for a Demand Registration);

(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to any Registration Statement as may be necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective for a period of either (i) not less than 90 days or, if such Registration Statement relates to an Underwritten Offering in the case of a Demand Registration, such longer period as in the opinion of counsel for the managing underwriters a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of Registrable Securities by an underwriter or dealer or the maximum period of time permitted by the Securities Act in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, or (ii) such shorter period ending when all of the Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been disposed of (but in any event not before the expiration of any longer period required under the Securities Act);

(c) furnish to each Selling Holder, Holders’ Counsel and the underwriters such number of copies, without charge, of any Registration Statement, each amendment and supplement thereto, including each preliminary prospectus, final prospectus, all exhibits and other documents submitted or filed therewith and such other documents as such Persons may reasonably request from time to time in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Selling Holder; provided that, before amending or supplementing any Registration Statement, the Company shall furnish to the Holders a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not submit or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which any Selling Holder reasonably objects. The Company hereby consents to the use of such prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the Selling Holders of Registrable Securities and the underwriters, if any, in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such prospectus and any such amendment or supplement thereto;

(d) use its reasonable best efforts to register or qualify any Registrable Securities under such other securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as any Selling Holder, and the managing underwriters, if any reasonably request, use its reasonable best efforts to keep each such registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the period such Registration Statement is required to be kept effective and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or reasonably advisable to enable such

 

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Selling Holder and each underwriter, if any, to consummate the disposition of Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided that the Company will not be required to (i) qualify generally to do business in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this subsection, (ii) subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or (iii) consent to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject (other than service of process in connection with such registration or qualification or any sale of Registrable Securities in connection therewith);

(e) use its reasonable best efforts to (i) cause all Registrable Securities covered by any Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental agencies, authorities or self-regulatory bodies as may be necessary or reasonably advisable in light of the business and operations of the Company to enable the Selling Holders to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method or methods of disposition thereof and (ii) comply with the provisions of the Securities Act and with the rules and regulations of such other bodies with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement;

(f) during any time when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, promptly notify each Selling Holder and Holders’ Counsel upon discovery that, or upon the discovery of the happening of any event as a result of which, the prospectus contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits any fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made and, as promptly as practicable, prepare and furnish to such Selling Holders a reasonable number of copies of a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such Registrable Securities, such prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made;

(g) promptly notify each Selling Holder and Holders’ Counsel (i) when the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been submitted or filed and, with respect to such Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective, (ii) of any written comments by the SEC or any request by the SEC for amendments or supplements to such Registration Statement or to amend or to supplement any prospectus contained therein or for additional information, (iii) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, (iv) if at the time the Company has reason to believe that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in any agreement (including any underwriting agreement) contemplated by Section 2.6(j) below cease to be true and correct and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of such Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose;

 

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(h) cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed or, if no similar securities issued by the Company are then listed on any securities exchange, use its reasonable best efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange;

(i) provide a transfer agent and registrar for all such Registrable Securities not later than the effective date of such Registration Statement, and, if required, obtain a CUSIP number for such Registrable Securities not later than such effective date;

(j) enter into such customary agreements (including underwriting agreements with customary provisions in such forms as may be requested by the managing underwriters) and take all such other actions as the Selling Holders or the underwriters, if any, reasonably request in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities (including, without limitation, effecting a share split or a combination of shares);

(k) make available for inspection by any Selling Holder, Holders’ Counsel, any underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to the applicable Registration Statement and any attorney, accountant or other agent retained by any such Selling Holder or underwriter all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and documents relating to the business of the Company reasonably requested by such Selling Holder, cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees and independent accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such Selling Holder, Holders’ Counsel, underwriter, attorney, accountant or agent in connection with such Registration Statement and make senior management of the Company available for customary due diligence and drafting activity; provided that any such Person gaining access to information or personnel pursuant to this Section 2.6(k) shall (i) reasonably cooperate with the Company to limit any resulting disruption to the Company’s business and (ii) agree to use reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality of any information regarding the Company which the Company determines in good faith to be confidential, and of which determination such Person is notified, unless (A) the release of such information is requested or required by deposition, interrogatory, requests for information or documents by a governmental entity, subpoena or similar process, (B) the release of such information, in the opinion of such Person, is required to be released by law or applicable legal process, (C) such information is or becomes publicly known without a breach of this Agreement, (D) such information is or becomes available to such Person on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Company or (E) such information is independently developed by such Person. In the case of a proposed disclosure pursuant to (A) or (B) above, such Person shall be required to give the Company written notice of the proposed disclosure prior to such disclosure and, if requested by the Company, assist the Company in seeking to prevent or limit the proposed disclosure;

 

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(l) otherwise use its reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC, and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering the period of at least twelve months beginning with the first day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, which earnings statement will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the U.S. Securities Act (including, at the Company’s option, Rule 158 thereunder);

(m) in the case of an Underwritten Offering, promptly incorporate in a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information as the managing underwriters or any Selling Holder reasonably requests to be included therein, the purchase price being paid therefor by the underwriters and any other terms of the Underwritten Offering of the Registrable Securities to be sold in such offering, and promptly make all required filings of such prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment;

(n) in the event of the issuance of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or of any order suspending or preventing the use of any related prospectus or ceasing trading of any securities included in such Registration Statement for sale in any jurisdiction, use its reasonable best efforts to promptly obtain the withdrawal of such order;

(o) make senior management of the Company available to assist to the extent reasonably requested by the managing underwriters of any Underwritten Offering to be made pursuant to such registration in the marketing of the Registrable Securities to be sold in the Underwritten Offering, including the participation of such members of the Company’s senior management in “road show” presentations and other customary marketing activities, including “one-on-one” meetings with prospective purchasers of the Registrable Securities to be sold in the Underwritten Offering, and otherwise to facilitate, cooperate with, and participate in each proposed offering contemplated herein and customary selling efforts related thereto, in each case to the same extent as if the Company were engaged in a primary registered offering of its Common Stock;

(p) use reasonable best efforts to: (a) obtain all consents of independent public accountants required to be included in the Registration Statement and (b) in connection with each offering and sale of Registrable Securities, obtain one or more comfort letters, addressed to the underwriters and to the Selling Holders, dated the date of the underwriting agreement for such offering and the date of each closing under the underwriting agreement for such offering, signed by the Company’s independent public accountants in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by comfort letters as the underwriters or International Paper, if International Paper is a Selling Holder in such offering, or otherwise by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities being sold in such offering, as applicable, reasonably request;

 

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(q) use reasonable best efforts to obtain: (a) all legal opinions from Company Outside Counsel (or internal counsel if acceptable to the managing underwriters) required to be included in the Registration Statement and (b) in connection with each closing of a sale of Registrable Securities, legal opinions from Company Outside Counsel (or internal counsel if acceptable to the managing underwriters), addressed to the underwriters and the Selling Holders, dated as of the date of such closing, with respect to the Registration Statement, each amendment and supplement thereto (including the preliminary prospectus) and such other documents relating thereto in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by legal opinions of such nature;

(r) upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 2.6(f) above, promptly prepare a supplement or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or a supplement to the related prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, or file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the Registrable Securities being sold thereunder, such prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(s) reasonably cooperate with each seller of Registrable Securities and each underwriter or agent participating in the disposition of such Registrable Securities and their respective counsel in connection with any filings required to be made with the FINRA;

(t) take no direct or indirect action prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act; provided that, to the extent that any prohibition is applicable to the Company, the Company will take all reasonable action to make such prohibition inapplicable; and

(u) use its reasonable best efforts to take or cause to be taken all other actions, and do and cause to be done all other things necessary or reasonably advisable in the opinion of Holders’ Counsel to effect the registration, marketing and sale of such Registrable Securities.

The Company agrees not to submit, file or make any amendment to any Registration Statement with respect to any Registrable Securities, or any amendment of or supplement to the prospectus used in connection therewith, that refers to any Holder covered thereby by name, or otherwise identifies such Holder as the holder of any securities of the Company, without the consent of such Holder, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed, unless and to the extent such disclosure is required by law, rule or regulation, in which case the Company shall provide prompt written notice to such Holders prior to the submission or filing of such amendment to any Registration Statement or amendment of or supplement to such prospectus or any free writing prospectus.

 

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Each Holder of Registrable Securities as to which any registration is being effected shall furnish the Company with such information regarding such Holder and pertinent to the disclosure requirements relating to the registration and the distribution of such securities as the Company may from time to time reasonably request in writing.

If the Company files any Shelf Registration Statement for the benefit of the holders of any of its securities other than the Holders, the Company agrees that it shall use its reasonable best efforts to include in such registration statement such disclosures as may be required by Rule 430B under the Securities Act (referring to the unnamed selling security holders in a generic manner by identifying the initial offering of the securities to the Holders) in order to ensure that the Holders may be added to such Shelf Registration Statement at a later time through the filing of a Prospectus supplement rather than a post-effective amendment.

2.7 Registration Expenses. Whether or not any Registration Statement is submitted or filed or becomes effective, the Company shall pay directly or promptly reimburse all reasonable out-of-pocket costs, fees and expenses incident to the Company’s performance of or compliance with this Agreement, including (i) all registration and filing fees, (ii) all fees and expenses associated with filings to be made with any securities exchange or with any other governmental or quasi-governmental authority, (iii) all fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws, including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel in connection therewith, (iv) all printing expenses (including expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities and of printing prospectuses if the printing of prospectuses is requested by the Holders or the managing underwriters, if any), (v) all “road show” expenses incurred in respect of any Underwritten Offering, including all costs of travel, lodging and meals, (vi) all messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (vii) all fees and disbursements of Company Outside Counsel, (viii) all fees and disbursements of all independent certified public accountants of the Company (including expenses of any “cold comfort” letters required in connection with this Agreement) and all other persons, including special experts, retained by the Company in connection with such Registration Statement, (ix) all reasonable fees and disbursements of underwriters (other than Selling Expenses) customarily paid by the issuers or sellers of securities and, (x) all other costs, fees and expenses incident to the Company’s performance or compliance with this Agreement (all such expenses, “Registration Expenses”). The Selling Holders shall be responsible for the fees and expenses of Holders’ Counsel (if such Holders’ Counsel is different from Company Outside Counsel) and Selling Expenses. The Company will, in any event, pay its internal expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expenses of any annual audit or quarterly review and the expenses of any liability insurance. The Company shall have no obligation to pay any Selling Expenses.

 

16


2.8 Underwritten Offering.

(a) No Holder may participate in any registration hereunder that is an Underwritten Offering unless such Holder (i) agrees to sell its Registrable Securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Persons entitled hereunder to approve such arrangements (including, without limitation, pursuant to the terms of any over-allotment or “green shoe” option requested by the managing underwriters; provided that no Holder will be required to sell more than the number of Registrable Securities that such Holder has requested the Company to include in any registration), (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements, and (iii) cooperates with the Company’s reasonable requests in connection with such registration or qualification (it being understood that the Company’s failure to perform its obligations hereunder, which failure is caused by such Holder’s failure to cooperate, will not constitute a breach by the Company of this Agreement); provided that no such Holder shall be required to make any representations or warranties in connection with any such registration other than representations and warranties as to (A) such Holder’s ownership of Registrable Securities to be transferred free and clear of all liens, claims, and encumbrances created by such Holder and (B) such Holder’s power and authority to effect such transfer; provided further that any obligation of such Holder to indemnify any Person pursuant to any underwriting agreement shall be several, not joint and several, among such Holders selling Registrable Securities, and such liability shall be limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder, as applicable, from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such registration (which proceeds shall include the amount of cash or the fair market value of any assets in exchange for the sale or exchange of such Registrable Securities or that are the subject of a distribution), and the relative liability of each such Holder shall be in proportion to such net proceeds.

2.9 Suspension of Registration. In the event of a Material Disclosure Event at the time of the submission or filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement, including a Shelf Registration Statement, the Company may, upon giving at least 10 days’ prior written notice of such action to the Holders delay the submission or filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement (a “Suspension”); provided, however, that the Company shall not be permitted to exercise a Suspension (i) more than twice during any 12-month period, (ii) for a period exceeding 60 days on any one occasion, (iii) unless for the full period of the Suspension, the Company does not offer or sell securities for its own account, does not permit registered sales by any holder of its securities and prohibits offers and sales by its

 

17


directors and officers, or (iv) at any time within seven days prior to the anticipated pricing of an Underwritten Offering pursuant to a Demand Registration or within 35 days after the pricing of such an Underwritten Offering. In the case of a Suspension, the Holders will suspend use of the applicable prospectus in connection with any sale or purchase of, or offer to sell or purchase, Registrable Securities, upon receipt of the notice referred to above. In connection with a Demand Registration, prior to the termination of any Suspension, the Holder that made the request for Demand Registration will be entitled to withdraw its Demand Notice. Upon receipt of notices from all Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to such effect, the Company shall cease all efforts to secure effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders upon the termination of any Suspension.

2.10 Indemnification.

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless to the fullest extent permitted by law, each Holder, any Person who is or might be deemed to be a controlling person of the Company or any of its subsidiaries within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act their respective direct and indirect general and limited partners, advisory board members, directors, officers, trustees, managers, members, agents, Affiliates and shareholders, and each other Person, if any, who controls any such Holder or controlling person within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and any such Person’s direct and indirect general and limited partners, advisory board members, directors, officers, trustees, managers, members, agents, Affiliates and shareholders (each such person being referred to herein as a “Covered Person”) against, and pay and reimburse such Covered Persons for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, costs (including, without limitation, costs of preparation and reasonable attorneys’ fees and any legal or other fees or expenses incurred by such Covered Person in connections with any investigation or proceeding), expenses, judgments, fines, penalties, charges and amounts paid in settlement (collectively, “Losses” and, individually, each a “Loss”) to which such Covered Person may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state blue sky securities laws, any equivalent non-U.S. securities laws or otherwise, insofar as such Losses (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained or incorporated by reference in any Registration Statement, prospectus, preliminary prospectus or free writing prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any document incorporated by reference therein, or any other such disclosure document (including reports and other documents filed under the Exchange Act and any document incorporated by reference therein) or other document or report, (ii) any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (iii) any violation by the Company of any rule or regulation promulgated under the Securities Act or any

 

18


state securities laws applicable to the Company and relating to action or inaction required of the Company in connection with any such registration, and the Company will pay and reimburse such Covered Persons for any legal or any other expenses actually and reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating, defending or settling any such loss, claim, liability, action or proceeding; provided that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such Loss (or action or proceeding in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission, made or incorporated by reference in such Registration Statement, any such prospectus, preliminary prospectus or free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any document incorporated by reference therein, or any other such disclosure document (including reports and other documents filed under the Exchange Act and any document incorporated by reference therein) or other document or report, or in any application in reliance upon, and in conformity with, the Selling Holder Information. In connection with an Underwritten Offering, the Company, if requested, will indemnify the underwriters, their officers and directors and each Person who controls such underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided above with respect to the indemnification of the Covered Persons and in such other manner as the underwriters may request in accordance with their standard practice.

(b) In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder is participating, each such Holder will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers, employees, agents and any Person who is or might be deemed to be a controlling person of the Company or any of its subsidiaries within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any Losses to which the Company or any such director or officer, any such underwriter or controlling person may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state blue sky securities laws, any equivalent non-U.S. securities laws or otherwise, insofar as such Losses (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus, preliminary prospectus or free writing prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or in any application or document incorporated by reference therein, or any other such disclosure document (including reports and other documents filed under the Exchange Act and any document incorporated by reference therein) or other document or report, or (ii) any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is made in such Registration Statement, any such prospectus, preliminary prospectus or free writing prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any application or document incorporated by reference therein, or any other such disclosure document (including reports and other documents filed under the Exchange Act and any document incorporated by reference therein) or other document or report, in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Holder Information furnished

 

19


by such Holder (and except insofar as such Losses arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such underwriter expressly for use in such Registration Statement), and such Holder will reimburse the Company and each such director, officer, underwriter and controlling Person for any legal or any other expenses actually and reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating, defending or settling any such loss, claim, liability, action or proceeding; provided, however, that the obligations of such Holder hereunder shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such Losses (or actions in respect thereof) if such settlement is effected without the consent of such Holder (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld); and provided further that the obligation to indemnify and hold harmless shall be individual and several to each Holder and shall be limited to the amount of net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement.

(c) Any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim or the commencement of any proceeding with respect to which it seeks indemnification pursuant hereto; provided, however, that any delay or failure to so notify the indemnifying party shall relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder only to the extent, if at all, that it is actually and materially prejudiced by reason of such delay or failure. The indemnifying party shall have the right, exercisable by giving written notice to an indemnified party promptly after the receipt of written notice from such indemnified party of such claim or proceeding, to assume, at the indemnifying party’s expense, the defense of any such claim or proceeding, with counsel reasonably acceptable to such indemnified party; provided that (i) any indemnified party shall have the right to select and employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of any such claim or proceeding, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (A) the indemnifying party has agreed in writing to pay such fees or expenses or (B) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume, or in the event of a conflict of interest cannot assume, the defense of such claim or proceeding within a reasonable time after receipt of notice of such claim or proceeding or fails to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party or to pursue the defense of such claim in a reasonably vigorous manner or (C) the named parties to any proceeding (including impleaded parties) include both such indemnified and the indemnifying party, and such indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based upon advice of its counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it that are inconsistent with those available to the indemnifying party or that a conflict of interest is likely to exist among such indemnified party and any other indemnified parties (in which case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party); and (ii) subject to clause (i)(C) above, the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such claim or proceeding or separate but substantially similar or related claims or proceedings in the same jurisdiction, arising out of the same general allegations

 

20


or circumstances, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one firm of attorneys (together with appropriate local counsel) at any time for all of the indemnified parties, or for fees and expenses that are not reasonable. Whether or not the indemnifying party assumes the defense, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to settle such action without the consent of the indemnified party. No indemnifying party shall consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which (x) does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, from all liability in respect of such claim or litigation for which such indemnified party would be entitled to indemnification hereunder or (y) involves the imposition of equitable remedies or the imposition of any obligations on the indemnified party or adversely affects such indemnified party other than as a result of financial obligations for which such indemnified party would be entitled to indemnification hereunder.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 2.10 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an indemnified party with respect to any Losses (other than in accordance with its terms), then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, will contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Losses, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and of the indemnified party on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relevant fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party will be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the amount any Holder will be obligated to contribute pursuant to this Section 2.10(d) will be limited to an amount equal to the net proceeds to such Holder from the Registrable Securities sold pursuant to the Registration Statement which gives rise to such obligation to contribute (less the aggregate amount of any damages which the Holder has otherwise been required to pay in respect of such Loss or any substantially similar Loss arising from the sale of such Registrable Securities). No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

(e) To the extent that any of the Holders is, or would be expected to be, deemed to be an underwriter of Registrable Securities pursuant to any SEC comments or policies or any court of law or otherwise, the Company agrees that (i) the indemnification and contribution provisions contained in this Section 2.10 shall be applicable to the benefit of such Holder in its role as deemed underwriter in addition to its capacity as a Holder (so long as the amount for which any other Holder is or becomes responsible does

 

21


not exceed the amount for which such Holder would be responsible if the Holder were not deemed to be an underwriter of Registrable Securities) and (ii) such Holder and its representatives shall be entitled to conduct the due diligence which would normally be conducted in connection with an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act, including receipt of customary opinions and comfort letters.

(f) The indemnification provided for under this Agreement will remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling Person of such indemnified party and will survive the registration and sale of any securities by any Person entitled to any indemnification hereunder and the expiration or termination of this Agreement.

2.11 Conversion of Other Securities. If any Holder offers any options, rights, warrants or other securities issued by it that are offered with, convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any Registrable Securities, the Registrable Securities underlying such options, rights, warrants or other securities shall be eligible for registration pursuant to Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.4 hereof.

2.12 Rule 144; Rule 144A. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to file in a timely fashion all reports and other documents required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and shall take such further action as the Holders may reasonably request, all to the extent required by the SEC as a condition to the availability of Rule 144, Rule 144A or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC under the Securities Act.

2.13 Transfer of Registration Rights. International Paper may transfer all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to any transferee of Registrable Securities constituting not less than 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company; provided that no such transfer of Registrable Securities shall be made to any Person listed on Schedule A hereto without the prior written consent of the Company if such transfer is other than in connection with (i) an SEC-registered offering (whether or not an Underwritten Offering) or (ii) to the public through a broker, dealer or market maker pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 145 (or other exemption from registration under the Securities Act). Any transfer of registration rights pursuant to this Section 2.13 from International Paper to any Person that is not a Permitted Transferee shall be effective upon receipt by the Company of written notice from the transferor stating the name and address of the transferee and identifying the amount of Registrable Securities with respect to which rights under this Agreement are being transferred.

 

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ARTICLE III

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL DISPOSITIONS OF REGISTRABLE SECURITIES BY INTERNATIONAL PAPER

3.1 Underwriter Selection. In any public or private offering of Registrable Securities in which International Paper is a Selling Holder, other than pursuant to a Piggyback Registration, International Paper shall have the sole right, following consultation with the Company, to select the managing underwriters to arrange such Underwritten Offering, which shall be one or more investment banking institutions of national or international standing.

3.2 Cooperation with Sales. In addition to the provisions of Section 2.6 hereof, applicable to sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a registration, in connection with any sale or disposition of Registrable Securities by International Paper, the Company shall provide full cooperation, including:

(a) providing access to employees, management and company records to any purchaser or potential purchaser, and to any underwriters, initial purchasers, brokers, dealers or agents involved in any sale or disposition, subject to entry into customary confidentiality arrangements;

(b) participation in road shows, investor and analyst meetings, conference calls and similar activities;

(c) using reasonable best efforts to obtain customary auditor comfort letters and legal opinions;

(d) entering into customary underwriting and other agreements;

(e) using reasonable best efforts to obtain any regulatory approval or relief necessary for any proposed sale or disposition; and

(f) submitting or filing of registration statements with the SEC or with other authorities or making other regulatory or similar filings necessary or advisable in order to facilitate any sale or disposition.

3.3 Further Assurances. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cooperate with and facilitate, and shall not interfere with, the disposition by International Paper of its holdings of Registrable Securities.

 

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ARTICLE IV

VOTING RESTRICTIONS

4.1 Voting of the Company’s Common Stock.

(a) From the date of the Distribution and until the date that International Paper and its Permitted Transferees cease to own any shares of Common Stock, International Paper shall, and shall cause any Permitted Transferee to (in each case, to the extent that they own any shares of Common Stock), be present, in person or by proxy, at each and every stockholder meeting of the Company, and otherwise to cause all Registrable Securities owned by them to be counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum at any such meeting, and to vote or consent on any matter (including waivers of contractual or statutory rights), or cause to be voted or consented on any such matter, all such shares of Common Stock in proportion to the votes cast by the other holders of Common Stock on such matter.

(b) From the date of this Agreement and until the date that International Paper and its Permitted Transferees cease to own any shares of Common Stock, International Paper hereby grants, and shall cause each Permitted Transferee (in each case, to the extent that they own any shares of Common Stock) to grant, an irrevocable proxy, which shall be deemed coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable proxy to the Company or its designees, to vote, with respect to any matter (including waivers of contractual or statutory rights), all shares of Common Stock owned by them, in proportion to the votes cast by the other holders of Common Stock on such matter; provided that (i) such proxy shall automatically be revoked as to a particular share of Common Stock upon any transfer of such share of Common Stock from International Paper or a Permitted Transferee to a Person other than International Paper or a Permitted Transferee and (ii) nothing in this Section 4.1(b) shall limit or prohibit any such transfer.

(c) International Paper acknowledges and agrees (on behalf of itself and each Permitted Transferee) that the Company will be irreparably damaged in the event any of the provisions of this Article IV are not performed by International Paper in accordance with their terms or are otherwise breached. Accordingly, it is agreed that the Company shall be entitled to an injunction to prevent breaches of this Article IV and to specific enforcement of the provisions of this Article IV.

ARTICLE V

MISCELLANEOUS

5.1 Term. This Agreement shall terminate upon such time as no Registrable Securities remain outstanding, except for the provisions of Sections 2.7, 2.10 and 3.3 and this Article 4, each of which shall survive such termination.

 

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5.2 Other Holder Activities. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement, none of the provisions of this Agreement shall in any way limit a Holder or any of its Affiliates from engaging in any brokerage, investment advisory, financial advisory, financing, asset management, trading, market making, arbitrage, investment activity and other similar activities conducted in the ordinary course of their business.

5.3 No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company represents and warrants that it has not entered into and covenants and agrees that it will not enter into, any agreement with respect to its securities which is inconsistent with, more favorable than or violates the rights granted to the Holders of Registrable Securities in this Agreement.

5.4 Amendment, Modification and Waiver. This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented at any time by written agreement of the named parties hereto without any other party’s agreement or consent. Any failure of any party to comply with any term or provision of this Agreement may be waived by the other party, by an instrument in writing signed by such party, but such waiver or failure to insist upon strict compliance with such term or provision shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure to comply.

5.5 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. Other than as set forth in Section 2.10 with respect to the indemnified parties and as expressly set forth elsewhere in this Agreement, nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any person, other than the parties, and their respective successors and permitted assigns, any rights or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement. Only the parties that are signatories to this Agreement and any Joinder Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (and their respective permitted successors and assigns) shall have any obligation or liability under, in connection with, arising out of, resulting from or in any way related to this Agreement or any other matter contemplated hereby, or the process leading up to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, subject to the provisions of this Agreement.

5.6 Entire Agreement. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, this Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, between or on behalf of International Paper or its Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Company or its Affiliates, on the other hand, with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.

5.7 Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement is declared invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and such invalid, void or unenforceable provision shall be interpreted in a manner that accomplishes, to the extent possible, the original purpose of such provision.

 

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5.8 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The counterparts of this Agreement may be executed and delivered by facsimile or other electronic imaging means (including in .pdf or .tif format sent by electronic mail) and other electronic signatures (including without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign or any other similar platform) by a party to the other party and the receiving party may rely on the receipt of such document so executed and delivered by facsimile or other electronic imaging means as if the original had been received.

5.9 Specific Performance; Remedies. In the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement, the affected party shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief of its rights under this Agreement, in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative. The other party shall not oppose the granting of such relief. The parties agree that the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach hereof, including monetary damages, are inadequate compensation for any loss and that any defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate is waived. Any requirements for the securing or posting of any bond with such remedy are hereby waived.

5.10 GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO CONTRACTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN SUCH STATE, WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CONFLICTS OF LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH PRINCIPLES WOULD APPLY THE LAW OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION.

5.11 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY AND INTENTIONALLY WAIVES (TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW) ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREES THAT ANY SUCH DISPUTE SHALL BE TRIED BEFORE A JUDGE SITTING WITHOUT A JURY.

5.12 Jurisdiction; Venue. Any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement shall be brought exclusively in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York or in the courts of the State of New York, in each case located in New York County, New York. The parties hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts for any such suit, action or proceeding, and irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection to such courts that they may now or hereafter have based on improper venue or forum non conveniens.

 

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5.13 Notice. Unless otherwise specified herein, all notices required or permitted to be given under this Agreement shall be in writing, shall refer specifically to this Agreement and shall be delivered personally, sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service or sent in the form of an electronic transmission (receipt confirmation requested), and shall be deemed to be effective upon delivery. All such notices shall be addressed to the receiving Party at such Party’s address or email address set forth below, or at such other address or email address as the receiving Party may from time to time furnish by notice as set forth in this Section 5.13:

If to International Paper, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attn: General Counsel

Email: Sharon.ryan@ipaper.com

If to the Company, to:

Before June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 1, 9th Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attn: General Counsel

Email: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

After June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6077 Primacy Parkway

Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Attn: General Counsel

Email: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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In witness whereof, the parties have caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be executed and delivered as of the date first above written.

 

SYLVAMO CORPORATION
By:  

/s/ John V. Sims

Name: John V. Sims
Title: Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith R. Townsend

Name: Keith R. Townsend
Title: VP Strategic Initiatives

 

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Exhibit 10.5

EXECUTION VERSION

SUPPLY AND OFFTAKE AGREEMENT

BY AND BETWEEN

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

AND

SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

1.

  Operation and Intent      1  

2.

  Production Process and Management      1  

3.

  Limited License      8  

4.

  Payment Procedures      9  

5.

  Job Lot      12  

6.

  Term and Termination; Payment Default      13  

7.

  Force Majeure      14  

8.

  Indemnification; Limitation of Damages      14  

9.

  Changes to IP’s Systems at Mill      18  

10.

  Confidential Information      18  

11.

  Binding Effect; Assignment      18  

12.

  No Third Party Beneficiaries      18  

13.

  Governing Law      18  

14.

  Waiver of Jury Trial      19  

15.

  Jurisdiction; Service of Process      19  

16.

  Project Managers      19  

17.

  Dispute Resolution      20  

18.

  Relationship of the Parties      20  

19.

  Amendments; Waivers      21  

20.

  Entire Agreement      21  

21.

  Severability      21  

22.

  Notices      21  

23.

  Interpretation      21  

24.

  Counterparts      22  

Schedule A— Service Level Agreement

Schedule B— Product Specifications

Schedule C— Fixed Costs and Variable Costs

Schedule D— Project Managers

Schedule E— Standard Tolerances

Schedule F— Sylvamo Names and Marks

Schedule G— Bristols & Specialty Trademarks

Schedule H— GT Trademarks

 


SUPPLY AND OFFTAKE AGREEMENT

This Supply and Offtake Agreement (“Agreement”), dated as of September 30, 2021 (the “Effective Date”) is made by and between INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY, a New York corporation (“IP”), and SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Sylvamo and, together with IP, the “Parties”):

WHEREAS, IP and Sylvamo have entered into that certain Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2021 (as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”), pursuant to which the business of Sylvamo is being separated from IP into a new publicly traded company;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, IP and Sylvamo agreed to enter into this Agreement to reflect the arrangements under which IP will continue to operate paper machines number 1 (“GT 1”) and 2 (“GT 2”, and together with GT 1, “GT 1&2”) at its mill in Georgetown, South Carolina (the “Mill”) to produce uncoated freesheet, uncoated bristols, wallboard tape and specialty papers (the “Products”) following the Distribution, and Sylvamo will purchase the Product produced by GT 1&2 upon the terms and conditions set forth herein; and

WHEREAS, all capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Separation and Distribution Agreement;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, the Parties hereby agree as set forth herein.

1. Operation and Intent. Following the Distribution, IP shall continue to own and retain title to the Mill, but agrees to operate GT 1&2 to produce the Products to be purchased by Sylvamo consistent in all material respects with the manner in which IP has operated GT 1&2 during the past three (3) years and pursuant to the terms set forth herein. The intent of this Agreement is to effectively transfer the economics associated with ownership and operation of GT 1&2 at the Mill to Sylvamo for the Term.

2. Production Process and Management.

(a) Orders.

(i) Subject to Section 2(c)(ii), Sylvamo shall use reasonable best efforts to maintain sufficient Product orders to keep GT 1&2 operating at their respective annual volume targets in the SAP System (as determined by IP during its annual budgeting process and adjusted for any calendar year on each Annual Adjustment Date (as defined below)), adjusted for grade mix and normal machine variability (“Budgeted Capacity”) during the Term.

(ii) Sylvamo shall manage all communications with its customers (including orders, inquiries and invoices) for the Product and shall be responsible for the sale of any Inventory or Saleable Job Lot (as defined below). All customer pricing decisions shall be Sylvamo’s sole responsibility.

 

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(iii) Sylvamo shall be responsible for the order management process of the Product produced pursuant to this Agreement, including order entry (both production and replenishment orders). IP shall produce the Products for Sylvamo only when such orders have been loaded into the production plan via EDI or other method and released to IP. Sylvamo shall be liable for any order entry errors and any resulting manufacturing losses, and IP shall invoice Sylvamo for any Products produced due to an order entry error. The Parties agree to cooperate in the disposal of any order entry errors. IP and Sylvamo shall each provide access to the other Party to its information technology systems only to the extent necessary so that the Parties can fulfill their obligations under this Agreement and in any case without compromising the information security protocols of either party and review and track the status of their Product orders and associated Inventory. The Parties acknowledge that the manner in which such orders are reviewed and monitored may change as IP’s systems change, as more fully described in Section 9.

(b) Production Management.

(i) IP shall be responsible for managing all aspects of production of Products under this Agreement, including production planning, production, transportation planning and shipping. Sylvamo and IP shall comply in all material respects with the Service Level Agreement attached hereto as Schedule A, including the Sales and Operations Plan (“S&OP”) referred to therein as modified by IP from time to time, for Products produced at the Mill. The Project Managers (as defined below) shall meet at least annually to discuss in good faith and implement any changes to the S&OP or the Service Level Agreement that such Project Managers agree are necessary to maintain production, sales and operations consistent with past practice.

(ii) As part of the Service Level Agreement, the Parties agree to develop and jointly manage an effective S&OP process consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice. The S&OP process will address efficient planning and scheduling of GT 1&2 to align commercial and manufacturing imperatives.

(iii) Production overruns that exceed the percentage tolerance attached hereto as Schedule E (“Standard Tolerances”) shall be borne by IP, provided that Sylvamo shall cooperate with IP and use commercially reasonable efforts to sell any production overrun that exceeds Standard Tolerances.

(iv) Sylvamo shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the grade/customer mix at Georgetown is consistent with past practices at the Mill prior to the Effective Date.

 

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(c) Mill Downtime; Curtailments; IP Production Runs.

(i) Sylvamo and IP shall cooperate to adjust the production schedule as necessary and consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice (taking into account the commercially reasonable requests of Sylvamo) in order to accommodate planned pulp availability curtailments, necessary maintenance, changeover downtime, mill-wide outages, customer emergencies, other market or marketing needs and related or similar events and any other shutdown; provided that the final determination of the timing of planned or anticipated maintenance or other shutdown of either GT 1, GT 2 or the Mill shall be at IP’s sole discretion. IP shall provide Sylvamo with advance notice, as promptly as reasonably practicable after any final determination, of any such maintenance or shutdown that IP believes is reasonably likely to affect the supply of Products and shall notify Sylvamo as soon as reasonably practicable upon the occurrence of any emergency or other unplanned shutdown at the Mill that IP believes is reasonably likely to affect the supply of the Product. In the event of a planned or unplanned shutdown (including as a result of lack of wood, gas curtailments, equipment failures or weather related events) affecting multiple production lines at the Mill, to the extent reasonably practicable, IP shall endeavor to manage the effects of such shutdown so that the effects are borne proportionally (as measured by machine output) by Sylvamo through the shutdown of GT 1&2 and by IP through the shutdown of machine number 3 at the Mill.

(ii) IP may from time to time, upon prior notice to Sylvamo, perform production runs of IP products on GT 1 or GT 2 (“IP Corp Production Runs”), subject to Sylvamo’s prior consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). IP shall bear all costs incurred in connection with such production runs. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Sylvamo shall not be liable for Fixed Costs incurred by IP during any IP Corp Production Runs on GT 1 or GT 2.

(d) Quality Control.

(i) IP shall meet in specifications and customer requirements consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice, including those specified in the specifications for the Products listed on Schedule B, as well as, to the extent reasonably practicable, customer-specific specifications, customer contracts and/or order-specific notes (collectively, the “Specifications”). For the avoidance of doubt, all Products shipped by IP to Sylvamo or its customers hereunder that meet the Specifications at gate exit shall be deemed to be 1st grade. Specifications contained in the Mill’s Profacy system on the Effective Date shall be the initial production Specifications. Thereafter, alterations to the Specifications shall be adopted only as mutually agreed by the Parties. All costs associated with adopting and meeting new Specifications shall be borne by Sylvamo. IP and Sylvamo shall cooperate in good faith to ensure Specifications meet industry standards. If an order requires, or Sylvamo otherwise requests, the use of certified fiber for the Products, all costs associated with sourcing and transporting such certified fiber to

 

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the Mill shall be borne by Sylvamo. IP shall cooperate with Sylvamo in good faith to create Products with new grades, which will be deemed to be Products under this Agreement in a manner consistent with IP’s past practice during the past three years and priced for purposes of Mill Cash Costs at mutually agreed levels. Sylvamo shall be responsible for all costs associated with any trial work requested by Sylvamo for new grade runs, and IP shall invoice Sylvamo for such costs.

(ii) IP shall perform quality testing services consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practices at the Mill.

(iii) IP shall cooperate with Sylvamo to address reasonable requests from Sylvamo’s customers, with not less than thirty (30) Business Days’ prior written notice, to conduct quality control or sustainability audits consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice (and subject to entry into an appropriate confidentiality agreement); provided that IP shall have no obligation to permit any quality control or sustainability audit more than once per calendar quarter. All out-of-pocket costs associated with any such quality control or sustainability audit shall be borne by and invoiced to Sylvamo. Any request related to Mill compliance with a Sylvamo customer’s code of conduct will be subject to IP’s review and agreement.

(iv) IP shall cooperate with Sylvamo to address reasonable requests from Sylvamo’s customers, with not less than thirty (30) Business Days’ prior written notice, to conduct social responsibility audits consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice; provided that IP shall have no obligation to permit any social responsibility audit more than twice per calendar year. All out-of-pocket costs associated with any such social responsibility audits shall be borne by Sylvamo, and Sylvamo shall reimburse IP for 50% of its fully loaded costs for conducting such social responsibility audit.

(e) Remedies in the Case of Nonconforming or Damaged Products. In the event Sylvamo or a customer of Sylvamo rejects or revokes acceptance of any Product that has a Manufacturing Defect, Sylvamo shall promptly notify IP, and the Parties shall cooperate in good faith to resolve such claim in a manner consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice. Except as provided in Section 8, Sylvamo’s sole and exclusive remedy for any Manufacturing Defect shall be, at Sylvamo’s option, (i) IP’s replacement of the defective or nonconforming Products with conforming Products without charge to Sylvamo (provided that any sale proceeds received by Sylvamo for such replaced defective or nonconforming Products, as more fully described in Section 5, shall be remitted to IP) or (ii) a refund to Sylvamo of the Mill Cash Cost (as defined below) associated with the defective or nonconforming Products net of any proceeds received by Sylvamo from the sale of such defective or nonconforming Products, as more fully described in Section 5. For the avoidance of doubt, IP shall not be liable to Sylvamo in the event a customer of Sylvamo rejects or revokes acceptance of any Products for any reason other than a Manufacturing Defect and any associated freight cost reimbursements. A “Manufacturing Defect” with respect to any Product shall mean the failure to meet the Specifications or readily apparent and visible handling or transit damage.

 

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(f) Operational Efficiency. The Parties agree that in the event three (3) successive production runs from a single grade averages 1000 basis points (i.e., 10%) less than the operating machine efficiency (“OME”) standard for the grade, the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to return the grade OME to the standard. If after such production runs, the OME for such grade has not improved to be less than 1000 basis points (i.e., 10%) below from the standard by the later to occur of (x) three (3) months elapsing since the original deficient production runs and (y) three (3) subsequent production runs of that grade, the Parties agree to update the grade standard cost to reflect the decline in OME.

(g) Customer Complaints. Sylvamo shall be responsible for investigating any customer complaints related to the Products and relaying complaints relating to the Product produced under this Agreement to IP. Any customer complaints that Sylvamo receives regarding Products that meet the Specifications shall be handled by Sylvamo as a sales policy decision for Sylvamo’s account, and IP shall have no obligations or liabilities with respect to such complaints. Sylvamo and IP shall cooperate in good faith to resolve any customer complaints relating to product damages from transportation that is managed by IP under Section (2)(i).

(h) Inventory.

(i) “Inventory” shall include all completed Products manufactured by GT 1&2 that meet the Specifications after the machine winder and prior to delivery to Sylvamo or any other customer. IP shall have ownership and title to Inventory located at the Mill. Ownership and title to Inventory shall pass to Sylvamo upon gate exit of Products from the Mill.

(ii) Prior to or as of the Effective Date, Inventory existing as of September 1, 2021, whether located at the Mill or elsewhere (“Day One Inventory”), shall be invoiced to Sylvamo in accordance with this Section 2(h)(ii). Day One Inventory that is located at the Mill shall be invoiced to Sylvamo upon shipment in accordance with Section 4(b). Day One Inventory that has already been shipped from the Mill (or is being held on consignment outside of the Mill) and not yet invoiced shall be invoiced to Sylvamo and payment therefor shall be made in three (3) equal monthly installment payments, the first of which will be due April 1, 2022 and the remaining two payments will be due thirty (30) days and sixty (60) days, respectively, after the due date of the first invoice. For the avoidance of doubt, ownership and title to such Day One Inventory that has already been shipped shall be deemed to have passed to Sylvamo upon gate exit from the Mill. As of September 1, 2021, Sylvamo shall take ownership and title to any Job Lot located outside of the Mill and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the provisions of Section 5 shall not apply to any such Job Lot. The immediately foregoing sentence shall apply to any Job Lot existing as of September 1, 2021 but not discovered or identified as Job Lot until after September 1, 2021.

 

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(iii) Subject to the Service Level Agreement, Sylvamo shall be entitled to store up to and average of 12,000 tons based on a seven (7)-day moving average of Inventory on the Mill floor at any given time during the Term. Upon notice from IP, Sylvamo shall promptly, but in any event within three (3) days of receipt of such notice notify IP of where to ship the excess Inventory from the Mill floor, and IP shall ship such excess Inventory to the greatest extent practicable in full truckload quantities at Sylvamo’s expense. If Sylvamo does not provide a shipment destination within such three (3)-day period, IP shall ship such excess Inventory to the greatest extent possible in full truckload quantities to the location(s) designated by IP at Sylvamo’s expense. Following the Effective Date, any offsite warehouse or other storage outside the Mill floor, including any associated mill overflow warehouses, shall be the responsibility of Sylvamo. For the avoidance of doubt, the risk of any loss, damage, impairment, confiscation or condemnation of any of the Inventory in excess of 12,000 tons of Inventory on the Mill floor shall be borne by Sylvamo. IP shall manage Inventory aging data at the Mill and its warehouses utilizing the “first in, first out” methodology, consistent with past practices, to the extent practical. IP shall provide Sylvamo with Inventory ageing reports on a monthly basis. In event that Inventory on the Mill floor exceeds the limits in this Section 2(h)(iii) at any point in time due to third-party transportation disruptions outside of the control of IP (which disruptions do not constitute a Force Majeure Event), then IP and Sylvamo shall cooperate in good faith to identify an alternative mode of transportation for such excess Inventory as soon as practicable

(iv) For any Inventory remaining on the Mill floor (A) that IP has notified Sylvamo is aged more than (x) twelve (12) months, in the case of envelope papers or (y) twenty four (24) months, in the case of bristols and specialty papers or (B) on the date that is six (6) months following the termination of this Agreement, Sylvamo shall provide prompt notice to IP (and in any event within seven (7) days of a request from IP for a shipping destination) of a shipment destination, and such Inventory shall be invoiced to Sylvamo, in each case, upon gate exit from the Mill. IP shall ship such Inventory to such destination to the greatest extent practicable in full truckload quantities at Sylvamo’s expense. If Sylvamo does not provide the requested shipment destination within such seven (7)-day period, IP shall ship such Inventory to any location(s) designated by IP at Sylvamo’s expense. For the avoidance of doubt, the risk of any loss, damage, impairment, confiscation or condemnation of any such Inventory remaining on the Mill floor after such applicable time shall be borne by Sylvamo.

(i) Packaging. Except for GT Trademarks, Sylvamo shall own all rights in, and be responsible for providing all labeling and packaging designs, and upon notice from Sylvamo of its desired labeling and packaging, IP shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to accommodate Sylvamo’s desired labeling and packaging in producing packaging for the Product. Except for GT Trademarks, Sylvamo shall have

 

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final approval over all artwork (if any) associated with all labeling and packaging designs. IP and Sylvamo shall mutually agree on packaging inventory levels maintained at the mills and the order/reorder quantities for packaging replenishments. IP and Sylvamo shall cooperate in good faith in planning for packaging changes to minimize the level of obsolete packaging. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Sylvamo shall reimburse IP for any packaging that is (A) deemed obsolete by Sylvamo consistent with agreed upon inventory levels and invoiced to Sylvamo or (B) packaging for an item that has not had any sales over the previous 270 days. IP is responsible for all packaging sourcing functions. In the event of a lack of available packaging for a type of Product, the Parties shall cooperate in good faith to adjust the run schedule to the greatest extent reasonably practicable to run alternate Product where packaging is available. If all options to run alternate Product are exhausted and downtime results, Sylvamo shall not bear the Fixed Costs in connection with such downtime.

(j) Shipping.

(i) IP shall manage shipment of the Products, including all trailer pool and rail car scheduling management. IP shall be solely responsible for the management of all transportation contracts, including carrier selection, contract duration and other terms and negotiation of all related fees. IP shall ship the Products to the location(s) designated by Sylvamo or Sylvamo’s customers in a manner consistent with IP’s past practice. IP shall use commercially reasonable efforts to allocate transportation capacity equitably (based on relative production capacity) between IP’s own businesses and the shipping of Products on behalf of Sylvamo.

(ii) IP shall pay carriers to ship the Products and invoice Sylvamo for freight costs incurred (“Freight Costs”). Estimated Freight Costs shall be included on the invoice sent to Sylvamo upon gate exit as described in Section 4(b). Freight Costs shall be reconciled quarterly by IP in good faith with actual cost data and invoiced in accordance with Section 4(b). IP shall be liable for any demurrage and detention charges accrued at the Mill. Sylvamo shall be responsible for any demurrage and detention changes accrued at any delivery destination to Sylvamo, and IP shall include such charges in the reconciliation of Freight Costs.

(iii) As the operator placing products on the market for the first time, Sylvamo shall document and demonstrate compliance with the US Lacey Act or any other market related timber law in which they sell products to their customers under their own name. Annually or on an as needed basis, as requested by Sylvamo, IP shall confirm what species are present in sourcing to assist with this law due diligence process, including the species common and scientific names sourced by each location within fiber supply. All sourcing legality declarations shall be made in Sylvamo’s name.

 

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(iv) To the extent there is any stranded Product located at the Mill that is not included in any shipment of an order, IP and Sylvamo shall cooperate and each use commercial reasonable efforts to utilize such stranded Product consistent with past practices, including by including such stranded Product in future orders and production planning for the same customer or selling such stranded Product to another customer. If any stranded Product is not shipped from the Mill after twelve (12) months, such stranded Product will be written off and IP and Sylvamo shall each bear 50% of (1) the Mill Cash Costs for such stranded Product less (2) any amount for which Sylvamo can sell such stranded Product as Job Lot. IP shall invoice Sylvamo for its half of such write off of the stranded Product.

(v) If the amount of claims (measured in dollars claimed) for transportation-related complaints in any month over any three consecutive months exceeds 120% of the Historical Transportation-Related Complaint Rate, then the Parties shall cooperate to develop a plan to return the claims rate to the Historical Transportation-Related Complaint Rate. The “Historical Transportation-Related Complaint Rate” means the amount equal to (x) the average annual amount of claims (measured in dollars claimed) for transportation-related complaints over the last three years prior to the Effective Date, divided by (y) 12.

3. Intellectual Property.

(a) Except for the SpinCo Know-How assigned to Sylvamo and its Affiliates in connection with the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Parties hereby expressly acknowledge and agree that all rights in any Know-How used at the Mill, including in connection with the manufacture of Products hereunder, is, and shall at all times remain, fully and exclusively owned by IP. Sylvamo hereby grants to IP a non-exclusive, fully-paid, royalty-free license to use (without further right of sub-license) the Sylvamo Names and Marks during the Term solely for the purpose of applying the Sylvamo Names and Marks to the Products and the packaging, labeling and shipping materials for the Products as directed by Sylvamo pursuant to Section 2(i). Further, Sylvamo hereby grants to IP a non-exclusive fully-paid, royalty-free license to use (without further right of sub-license) any and all Sylvamo Intellectual Property rights during the Term solely for the purpose of fulfilling IP’s obligations to Sylvamo under this Agreement. Sylvamo Names and Marks” means the names, marks, trademarks, service marks, license codes, trade dress, logos, monograms, domain names and other source or business identifiers of Sylvamo products set forth on Schedule F and related copyrights.

(b) IP hereby grants to Sylvamo a non-exclusive, non-transferable, fully-paid, royalty-free license to use (without further right of sub-license) the GT Trademarks solely in connection with the Products manufactured at the Mill for or on behalf of Sylvamo pursuant to this Agreement. Sylvamo shall use such GT Trademarks equivalent to the use of such GT Trademarks by IP on the day prior to the Effective Date of this Agreement. Sylvamo shall use such GT Trademarks on Products having a level of quality equivalent to or greater than the quality of such Products on the day prior to the Effective Date of this Agreement. Sylvamo shall not use the GT Trademarks in any manner that may damage or tarnish the goodwill associated therewith or the reputation or goodwill of IP. Any and all goodwill generated by the use of the GT Trademarks shall inure solely to the benefit of IP. At IP’s reasonable request, Sylvamo shall provide samples of its use of the

 

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GT Trademarks, pursuant to the limited rights granted to it hereunder, for purposes of confirming Sylvamo’s compliance with the terms of this Section 3(b) or for the purposes of aiding IP in the maintenance and enforcement of GT Trademarks. In the event IP terminates this Agreement in accordance with Section 6(a)(ii)(A)(1), IP shall assign to Sylvamo only the Intellectual Property specifically and exclusively associated with any wallboard tape product and Products bearing Bristols & Specialty Trademarks, provided that (i) IP has not used such Intellectual Property elsewhere in IP’s business or manufacturing; (ii) such Products have been manufactured for Sylvamo within the 12 months immediately preceding the date IP exercises its termination option under the Agreement; (iii) such assignment is completed at Sylvamo’s sole cost and expense; and after such assignment Sylvamo shall assume responsibility for the maintenance of such Intellectual Property. “Bristols & Specialty Trademarks” means the (i) names, marks, trademarks, service marks, license codes, trade dress, logos, monograms and other source or business identifiers set forth on Schedule G. “GT Trademarks” means the (i) names, marks, trademarks, service marks, license codes, trade dress, logos, monograms, and other source or business identifiers set forth on Schedule H and (ii) Bristols & Specialty Trademarks.

(c) Sylvamo shall obtain any consents, licenses or certifications from third parties, including third party fiber certification bodies or COLORLOK certification, to use Intellectual Property required for IP to manufacture the Products and the packaging, labeling and shipping materials for the Products and, if any such consent is not obtained, provide acceptable alternative arrangements to maintain the operation of GT 1&2 at Budgeted Capacity. All costs and expenses (if any) incurred by Sylvamo to obtain any such consents, licenses or certifications or to secure alternative arrangements shall be paid by Sylvamo. For the avoidance of doubt, failure to obtain such consents or secure alternative arrangements shall not relieve Sylvamo of its obligation to operate GT 1&2 at Budgeted Capacity, although IP shall not be obligated to produce the affected Products hereunder until such consents are obtained or alternative arrangements are provided.

4. Payment Procedures.

(a) Costs. Sylvamo shall pay IP its fully loaded costs for producing each ton of the Product based on the Mill Cash Cost. “Mill Cash Cost” shall equal the sum of the Fixed Costs and the Variable Costs.

(i) Fixed Costs. The “Fixed Costs” shall equal IP’s total fixed cash costs for operating GT 1&2 less depreciation, which categories of fixed cash costs are set forth on Schedule C hereto, per ton of the Product. The Fixed Costs shall be charged to Sylvamo notwithstanding any lack of orders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fixed Costs shall be offset proportionately (as measured by machine hours) for any IP Production Run on GT 1&2 during the invoiced period.

 

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(A) The initial Fixed Costs shall be determined based on the Fixed Costs set forth in IP’s SAP system on the Effective Date. Thereafter, the Project Managers shall meet in October of each year during the Term to review the Fixed Costs and to determine appropriate adjustments to be made to any or all of the Fixed Costs for the immediately succeeding calendar year of the Term consistent with IP’s past practice. The Fixed Costs as so adjusted shall take effect on January 1 of the subsequent calendar year (the “Annual Adjustment Date”) for such calendar year; provided that if the Project Managers fail to mutually agree upon adjustments prior to the Annual Adjustment Date, then the Fixed Costs for the calendar year beginning on the Annual Adjustment Date shall increase proportionately with the increase in the Producer Price Index published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics from the preceding year (the “PPI”).

(B) IP shall be responsible, in its sole discretion, for routine cost management associated with owning and operating the Mill as determined consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice.

(ii) Variable Costs. The “Variable Costs” shall equal IP’s total direct cash costs related to the manufacturing a ton of the Product, which categories of direct cash costs are as set forth on Schedule C hereto.

(A) The initial Variable Costs shall be determined based on the Variable Costs set forth in IP’s SAP system on the Effective Date. Thereafter, the Project Managers shall meet in October of each year during the Term to review the Variable Costs and to determine appropriate adjustments to be made to any or all of the Variable Costs for the immediately succeeding calendar year of the Term consistent with IP’s past practice. The Variable Costs as so adjusted will take effect on the Annual Adjustment Date for the following calendar year beginning on the Annual Adjustment Date; provided that if the Project Managers fail to mutually agree upon adjustments prior to the Annual Adjustment Date, then the Variable Costs for the calendar year beginning on the Annual Adjustment Date shall increase proportionately with the increase in the PPI.

(iii) Invoices shall be reviewed by the Project Managers on a quarterly basis to account for the difference between the Variable Costs invoiced to Sylvamo for raw materials, utilities and other supplies used in the production of the Product (“Supplies”) and the actual cash costs paid by IP for such Supplies for the period under review (such variance, a “Purchased Price Variance”) To the extent there is a Purchased Price Variance, Sylvamo shall be credited for 100% of any overcharge of Variable Costs relative to IP’s actual cash costs or charged 100% of any undercharge relative to IP’s actual cash costs, as the case may be. IP shall deliver to Sylvamo an invoice reflecting such additional charges or credits, as the case may be, following each quarterly determination of the required adjustments.

 

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(iv) IP shall maintain processes consistent with the processes used during the past three years in its annual budgeting process to adjust Fixed Costs and Variable Costs in the SAP system.

(v) The Project Managers shall meet in the fourth quarter of each calendar year to discuss, among other things, the following year’s projected outlook for Product demand.

(b) Invoice Procedures.

(i) Upon gate exit of the Product from the Mill, IP shall provide Sylvamo with an invoice for the Mill Cash Cost plus estimated Freight Costs for the tonnage of Product contained in shipments of Product from the Mill and any non-routine expenditures or other charges or adjustments provided in this Agreement for Sylvamo’s account, plus any applicable sales taxes.

(ii) If there is a Lack of Orders for Product, IP shall provide Sylvamo with an invoice on monthly basis for IP’s total fixed cash costs for operating GT 1&2 less depreciation per hour incurred for such period without orders as if GT 1&2 had operated at Budgeted Capacity. For purposes of this Agreement, “Lack of Orders” shall mean any lack of orders as measured in SAP that exceeds the amount of lack of orders accounted for in Budgeted Capacity (as determined by IP during its annual budgeting process and adjusted for any calendar year on each Annual Adjustment Date); provided that downtime that is caused by IP’s operational inefficiency shall not be charged to Sylvamo.

(iii) Sylvamo shall make a single payment to IP within thirty (30) days of receiving any invoice of all amounts due to IP under the invoice. All invoices may include any additional charges or credit required to correct for any prior billing error or make any required adjustment (including any adjustments made pursuant to any provision of this Agreement). Any invoice issued by IP shall be on the form of invoice in general use by IP at such time.

(c) Late Payments. All amounts not paid by Sylvamo when due (that is, within thirty (30) days of receiving the invoice) pursuant to this Agreement shall bear interest consistent with the terms of the invoice. In addition, Sylvamo shall pay IP’s reasonable attorney’s fees and other reasonable expenses incurred in collecting such amounts not timely paid by Sylvamo.

(d) Obligation to Pay. Subject to Section 4(e), Sylvamo’s obligation to pay the foregoing invoiced amounts in full is an unconditional obligation of Sylvamo, and IP shall be permitted to exercise rights provided in Section 4(c) and Section 6(b) in the event Sylvamo does not timely pay all amounts due and payable under this Section.

(e) Disputed Amounts; Audit.

(i) In the event that Sylvamo disputes any amounts required to be paid pursuant to this Section, Sylvamo shall be required to pay to IP the disputed amount and then to pursue its claim for refund of such amounts in accordance with Section 17.

 

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(ii) Not more than once each calendar year, Sylvamo shall be permitted, upon its reasonable request and at its sole cost and expense, to engage an independent accounting firm mutually agreed by the Parties to conduct an audit of the costs charged by IP to Sylvamo and the allocation of transportation capacity between IP’s own businesses and the shipping of Products on behalf of Sylvamo; provided that Sylvamo shall notify IP in writing at least sixty (60) days prior to any audit. IP shall cooperate with the accounting firm in connection with any such audit (including providing records and information as shall be reasonably necessary to conduct such audit, subject to entry into an appropriate confidentiality agreement). All audits shall be conducted in a manner to minimize any disruption, delay or interference with the business activities of IP and the Mill. In the event that the audit shall disclose any matter that requires correction to the amounts charged hereunder during the previous calendar year, Sylvamo shall promptly provide IP with written notice thereof, together with copies of any documentation supporting such claimed correction. Such correction shall be reflected on the next invoice delivered to Sylvamo unless disputed in accordance with Section 17. If any audit reveals a material error solely caused by IP, then IP shall reimburse Sylvamo for the costs of such audit.

(iii) Not more than once each calendar year, IP shall be permitted, upon its reasonable request and at its sole cost and expense, to engage an independent accounting firm mutually agreed by the Parties to conduct an audit of the sales of Saleable Job Lot; provided that IP shall notify Sylvamo in writing at least sixty (60) days prior to any audit. Sylvamo shall cooperate with the accounting firm in connection with any such audit (including providing records and information as shall be reasonably necessary to conduct such audit, subject to entry into an appropriate confidentiality agreement). All audits shall be conducted in a manner to minimize any disruption, delay or interference with the business activities of Sylvamo. In the event that the audit shall disclose any matter that requires correction to the amounts charged or refunded hereunder during the previous calendar year, IP shall promptly provide Sylvamo with written notice thereof, together with copies of any documentation supporting such claimed correction. Such correction shall be reflected on the next invoice delivered to Sylvamo unless disputed in accordance with Section 17.

5. Job Lot. Any Product manufactured at the Mill for or on behalf of Sylvamo hereunder that does not meet the Specifications (unless otherwise agreed by Sylvamo) shall be considered obsolete product (“Job Lot”). IP shall be entitled to re-pulp or sell for re-pulping any Job Lot located at the Mill. To the extent Job Lot is not re-pulped or sold for re-pulp, it shall be considered “Saleable Job Lot”. At IP’s request, Sylvamo shall sell Saleable Job Lot that has yet to be invoiced to Sylvamo on commercially reasonable terms and otherwise in a manner consistent with past practice, including the possible sale to IP, and IP shall be responsible for invoicing those customers and delivering the Saleable Job Lot; provided that any Product that becomes Saleable Job Lot due to the action(s) or inaction(s) of Sylvamo shall be invoiced to Sylvamo at full cost and disposed of at the direction of Sylvamo. Any Product that was invoiced to Sylvamo but is later discovered to have been Job Lot due to a Manufacturing Defect shall be sold by Sylvamo on commercially reasonable terms and otherwise in a manner consistent with past practice.

 

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6. Term and Termination; Payment Default.

(a) Term and Termination.

(i) The term of this Agreement shall be ten (10) years (such period, including as may be earlier terminated, the “Term”), commencing on the Effective Date.

(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) IP may, at its option, terminate this Agreement (1) effective as early as January 1, 2023 upon at least 180 days’ prior written notice to Sylvamo, (2) upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to Sylvamo if GT 1 or GT 2 is operating on average at less than 80% of Budgeted Capacity during any consecutive sixty (60)-day period caused by Sylvamo’s Lack of Orders or (3) in accordance with Section 7, and (B) Sylvamo may at its option, terminate this Agreement effective as early as January 1, 2025 upon at least 180 days’ prior written notice to IP. Upon the expiration or termination of this Agreement, all rights and obligations of each party hereunder shall cease, as of the date of the termination, and any amounts owed by either party pursuant to this Agreement shall be paid in full.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the termination of this Agreement pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be without prejudice to any rights, or diminution of any obligations or liabilities of either party, that may have accrued prior to the effective date of such termination. In addition, the provisions of Sections 8 and 11 to 24 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

(b) Payment Default.

(i) In the event that any amount due and payable by Sylvamo hereunder is not paid within thirty (30) days after Sylvamo receives written notice of such nonpayment (a “Payment Default”), then immediately, or at any time thereafter before such Payment Default is cured (provided that the time period for such cure has expired), IP may, at its option and upon written notice to Sylvamo, pursue its rights under Section 17.

(ii) If there shall exist a Payment Default under this Agreement that has not been cured (an “Uncured Payment Default”), then IP shall be permitted to suspend its provision of any or all Products under this Agreement for so long as such Uncured Payment Default remains uncured; provided, however, that Sylvamo shall have the opportunity to secure payment for future shipments of the Products (through an escrow arrangement, letter of credit or otherwise, in each case acceptable to IP in its sole discretion) in order to prevent a suspension of the production of the Products. Sylvamo shall continue to be liable for all payments due hereunder during any such period of suspension of performance. IP shall be obligated to resume providing Products hereunder as soon as reasonably practicable after Sylvamo has cured all Uncured Payment Defaults within five (5) Business Days following such cure.

 

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7. Force Majeure. IP shall not be responsible for failure or delay in production or delivery of any Products that it has responsibility for providing hereunder, if the event (a) does not arise or result from the fault or negligence of IP (or any Person acting on its behalf) and (b) by its nature would not reasonably have been foreseen by IP (or such Person), or, if it would reasonably have been foreseen, was beyond the control of IP, including acts of God, acts of civil or military authority, embargoes, pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), epidemics, wars, riots, protests or civil unrest, insurrections, fires, explosions, earthquakes, floods, tornados, hurricanes, government shutdowns, shortage of adequate power or transportation facilities, travel restrictions, weather conditions, labor problems, unavailability of supplies or the response of any Governmental Authority to any of the foregoing, or, in the case of computer systems, any failure in electrical or air conditioning equipment (a “Force Majeure Event”). IP shall, as promptly as practicable after it learns of a Force Majeure Event, notify Sylvamo of such Force Majeure Event that IP believes will result in a failure or delay in production or delivery of any Products, and the estimated probable duration and consequence thereof. The Parties acknowledge and agree that such estimation shall not be considered binding in any way, and IP shall not incur liability of any kind if such estimation proves to be inaccurate. Following notice of a Force Majeure Event by IP, Sylvamo shall be excused from Fixed Costs for any Lack of Orders the duration of the Force Majeure Event. IP shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to restore production of Product on GT 1&2 provided hereunder in accordance with this Agreement as soon as reasonably practicable following the Force Majeure Event; provided, however, if the restoration of the production of Product on either GT 1 or GT 2 would not be commercially reasonable, as determined in IP’s sole discretion, then IP may terminate this Agreement upon five (5) Business Days’ prior written notice to Sylvamo.

8. Indemnification; Limitation of Damages.

(a) Indemnification by IP. Subject to Sections 8(d), (e) and (f), IP shall indemnify and hold harmless Sylvamo from and against all liabilities, penalties, judgments, losses, injuries, damages, costs, fees and expenses (including, without limitation, costs of defense, settlement, and reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to matters or actions arising under this Agreement), whether arising under common law or any federal, state or local statute or ordinance (“Damages”) suffered or incurred by Sylvamo arising out of or resulting from (i) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of IP in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or (ii) a claim by any customer of Sylvamo against Sylvamo or IP directly attributable to a Manufacturing Defect in the Products produced hereunder; provided that in the case of any claim for indemnification under clause (ii), Damages arising out of such claim must exceed $500,000 (the “Deductible”) before IP has any liability hereunder and those Damages incurred to the extent exceeding the Deductible, and only those incremental Damages above the deductible, shall be borne 50% by IP and 50% by Sylvamo.

 

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(b) Indemnification by Sylvamo. Subject to Sections 8(d), (e) and (f), Sylvamo shall indemnify and hold harmless IP from and against any and all Damages suffered or incurred by IP, arising out of or resulting from (i) any breach of this Agreement by Sylvamo, (ii) Sylvamo’s use of the GT Trademarks (including in connection with Products bearing such GT Trademarks), (iii) infringement of Intellectual Property used in the Products (or labeling or packaging thereof), including Third-Party Claim, (iii) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of Sylvamo in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or (iv) a claim by any customer of Sylvamo against IP; provided that in the case of any claim for indemnification under clause (iv), such claim may be offset against any indemnification obligation of IP under Section 8(a)(ii).

(c) Notice of Claims. If, on or following the Effective Date, any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder (an “Indemnitee”) shall receive notice or otherwise learn of the assertion by any Third Party (including any Governmental Authority) of any claim or of the commencement by any such Third Party of any Third-Party Claim with respect to which either Party (an “Indemnifying Party”) may be obligated to provide indemnification to such Indemnitee pursuant to Section 8(a) or (b), such Indemnitee shall give such Indemnifying Party written notice thereof as soon as practicable, but in any event within twenty one (21) days (or sooner if the nature of the Third-Party Claim so requires or it relates to a customer claim that could reasonably result in in indemnifiable Damages in excess of the Deductible pursuant to Section (a)(ii) above) after becoming aware of such Third-Party Claim. Any such notice shall describe the Third-Party Claim in reasonable detail, including the facts and circumstances giving rise to such claim and the Product involved, and include copies of all notices and documents (including court papers) received by the Indemnitee relating to the Third-Party Claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of an Indemnitee to provide notice in accordance with this Section 8(c) shall not relieve an Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations under Section 8(a) or (b) of this Agreement, except to the extent the Indemnifying Party is actually and materially prejudiced by the Indemnitee’s failure to provide notice in accordance with this Section 8(c).

(d) Control of Defense. An Indemnifying Party may elect to defend, at its own expense and with its own counsel, any Third-Party Claim; provided that, prior to the Indemnifying Party assuming and controlling the defense of such Third-Party Claim, it shall first confirm to the Indemnitee in writing that, assuming the facts presented to the Indemnifying Party by the Indemnitee are true, the Indemnifying Party shall indemnify the Indemnitee for any such Damages to the extent resulting from, or arising out of, such Third-Party Claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Indemnifying Party assumes such defense and, in the course of defending such Third-Party Claim, (i) the Indemnifying Party discovers that the facts presented at the time the Indemnifying Party acknowledged its indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim were not true and (ii) such untruth provides a reasonable basis for asserting that the Indemnifying Party does not have an indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim, then (A) the Indemnifying Party shall not be bound by such acknowledgment, (B) the Indemnifying Party shall promptly thereafter provide the Indemnitee written notice of its assertion that it does not have an indemnification

 

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obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim and (C) the Indemnitee shall have the obligation to assume the defense of such Third-Party Claim. Within thirty (30) days after the receipt of a notice from an Indemnitee in accordance with Section 8(c) (or sooner, if the nature of the Third-Party Claim so requires), the Indemnifying Party shall provide written notice to the Indemnitee indicating whether the Indemnifying Party shall assume responsibility for defending the Third-Party Claim. If an Indemnifying Party elects not to assume responsibility for defending any Third-Party Claim or fails to notify an Indemnitee of its election within thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice from an Indemnitee as provided in Section 8(c), then the Indemnitee that is the subject of such Third-Party Claim shall be entitled to continue to conduct and control the defense of such Third-Party Claim.

(e) Allocation of Defense Costs. If an Indemnifying Party has elected to assume the defense of a Third-Party Claim, then such Indemnifying Party shall be solely liable for all fees and expenses incurred by it in connection with the defense of such Third-Party Claim and shall not be entitled to seek any indemnification or reimbursement from the Indemnitee for any such fees and expenses incurred by the Indemnifying Party during the course of the defense of such Third-Party Claim by such Indemnifying Party, regardless of any subsequent decision by the Indemnifying Party to reject or otherwise abandon its assumption of such defense, unless such Indemnifying Party assumed the defense of such Third-Party Claim by such Indemnifying Party due to a misrepresentation of facts by the Indemnitee in the notice of such Third-Party Claim. If an Indemnifying Party elects not to assume responsibility for defending any Third-Party Claim or fails to notify an Indemnitee of its election within thirty (30) days after receipt of a notice from an Indemnitee as provided in Section 8(c), and the Indemnitee conducts and controls the defense of such Third-Party Claim and the Indemnifying Party has an indemnification obligation with respect to such Third-Party Claim, then the Indemnifying Party shall be liable for all reasonable fees and expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the defense of such Third-Party Claim.

(f) Right to Monitor and Participate. An Indemnitee that does not conduct and control the defense of any Third-Party Claim, or an Indemnifying Party that has failed to elect to defend any Third-Party Claim as contemplated hereby, nevertheless shall have the right to employ separate outside counsel (including local counsel as necessary) of its own choosing to monitor and participate in (but not control) the defense of any Third-Party Claim for which it is a potential Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party, as applicable, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party, as the case may be, and the provisions of Section 8(e) shall not apply to such fees and expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, but subject to Sections 6.8 and 6.9 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, such Party shall cooperate with the Party entitled to conduct and control the defense of such Third-Party Claim in such defense and make available to the controlling Party, at the non-controlling Party’s expense, all witnesses, information and materials in such Party’s possession or under such Party’s control relating thereto as are reasonably required by the controlling Party. In addition to the foregoing, if any Indemnitee shall in good faith determine that such Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party have actual or potential differing defenses or conflicts of interest between them that make joint representation in connection with a Third-Party Claim inappropriate, then the Indemnitee shall have the right to employ separate outside counsel (including local counsel as necessary) and to participate in (but not control) the defense, compromise or settlement thereof, and the Indemnifying Party shall bear the reasonable fees and expenses of such outside counsel for all Indemnitees.

 

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(g) No Settlement. Neither Party shall settle or compromise any Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed unless such settlement or compromise is solely for monetary damages that are fully payable by the settling or compromising Party, does not involve any admission, finding or determination of wrongdoing or violation of Law by the other Party and provides for a full, unconditional and irrevocable release of the other Party and its Indemnitees from all Liability in connection with the Third-Party Claim. The Parties hereby agree that if a Party presents the other Party with a written notice containing a proposal to settle or compromise a Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder and the Party receiving such proposal does not respond in any manner to the Party presenting such proposal within twenty (20) days or such longer period, not to exceed thirty (30) days, as may be agreed by the Parties (or within any such shorter time period that may be required by applicable Law or court order) of receipt of such proposal, then the Party receiving such proposal shall be deemed to have consented to the terms of such proposal.

(h) Customer Claims. Without limiting the other provisions of this Section 8, Sylvamo shall keep IP reasonably informed of the status of any customer claim that could reasonably result in in indemnifiable Damages in excess of the Deductible pursuant to Section 8(a)(ii) above and consult with IP, and consider IP’s recommendations in good faith, on resolution of such customer claim, and IP shall have the opportunity to participate in any meetings or negotiations concerning such customer claim.

(i) Limited Warranty. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, unless expressly set forth herein, IP does not make any other warranties, whether express, implied or statutory and specifically disclaims any implied warranties, whether of merchantability, suitability, fitness for a particular purpose, or otherwise for such Products or services.

(j) Excluded Damages. In no event shall any Party or such Party’s affiliates, or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives, be liable for any special, punitive, exemplary, consequential, incidental or indirect Damages, or any Damages based on lost profits (except for claims of Intellectual Property infringement, dilution or misappropriation), in each case whether based on contract, tort, strict liability, other Law or otherwise, including if such Damages are payable to a Third Party.

 

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9. Changes to IP’s Systems at Mill. From time to time, IP may upgrade, change and/or convert its current software, information technology and other systems used in the operations of the Mill, including without limitation, resource planning and similar items (including business continuity support for such systems as needed for disaster recovery). IP shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that such changes do not materially adversely affect the ability of Sylvamo to conduct its business as relating to the Products as so conducted at the beginning of the Term. Sylvamo shall bear any costs in connection with upgrading its systems to remain compatible with any IP system changes.

10. Project Managers. IP and Sylvamo shall each assign one person to act as that Party’s project manager (the “Project Manager”), which shall initially be those individuals set forth on Schedule D hereto. The Project Managers shall (a) represent and act for their respective Party for matters related to this Agreement, and (b) meet and/or confer on a regular basis (at mutually agreed times and locations) to review the activities under this Agreement and to discuss the status and progress of such activities. Any Project Manager may be replaced at any time by the Party entitled to designate such Project Manager. Each Party shall promptly notify the other Party of any reassignments or changes in contact information of the Project Manager. No Project Manager for a Party shall have any authority to amend this Agreement.

11. Confidential Information. Except as provided below, all Information disclosed between the Parties pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed confidential (“Confidential Information”), except, in each case, to the extent that such information has been (i) in the public domain or generally available to the public, other than as a result of a disclosure by such Party or any member of such Party’s Group or any of their respective Representatives in violation of this Agreement, (ii) later lawfully acquired from other sources by such Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) which sources are not themselves bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such confidential and proprietary information, or (iii) independently developed or generated without reference to or use of any Confidential Information of such other Party or any member of such other Party’s Group. A Party receiving Confidential Information (the “Receiving Party”) shall not use such information for any purpose other than for which it was disclosed by the party providing such information (the “Providing Party”) and, except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, shall not disclose to Third Parties any Confidential Information for a period of five (5) years from the termination or expiration of this Agreement or, with respect to any trade secrets, indefinitely. The obligations of the Receiving Party and the Providing Party with regard to Confidential Information shall be governed by and set forth in Sections 6.10 and 6.11 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, which shall be deemed incorporated by reference herein. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 11, the Parties acknowledge that amounts paid hereunder will be considered related party transactions and will be disclosed in public filings in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC or the NYSE.

12. Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either Party may delegate its obligations under this Agreement to any Subsidiary of such Party without the prior written consent of the other Party.

13. No Third Party Beneficiaries. The provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties, respectively, and are not intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder. There are no Third Party beneficiaries of this Agreement and this Agreement shall not provide any Third Party with any remedy, claim, liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement.

 

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14. Governing Law. This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or thereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby or to the inducement of any party to enter herein and therein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) and all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement (and all Schedules hereto) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

15. Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the Parties hereby waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law any right it may have to a trial by jury with respect to any action or proceeding directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each of the Parties hereby (a) certifies that no representative, agent or attorney of the other party has represented, expressly or otherwise, that such other Party would not, in the event of any action or proceeding, seek to enforce the foregoing waiver and (b) acknowledges that it has been induced to enter into this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as applicable, by, among other things, the mutual waivers and certifications in this Section 15.

16. Jurisdiction; Service of Process. Subject to Section 17, each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement for recognition or enforcement of any judgment relating hereto, and each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees not to commence any such action or proceeding except in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (ii) agrees that any claim in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (iii) waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in such courts and (iv) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in such courts. The Parties hereby agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided in Section 22, or in such other manner as may be permitted by Law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof and hereby waive any objections to service accomplished in the manner herein provided.

 

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17. Dispute Resolution.

(a) The Parties shall use good faith efforts to resolve any controversy or claim arising out of this Agreement, the interpretation of any of the provisions hereof, or the actions of the Parties hereunder. In the event of a breach of this Agreement, a dispute as to the meaning of this Agreement or a dispute as to any invoiced amount or any of its terms which the Parties cannot resolve by themselves amicably, the following provisions shall apply (which provisions shall be in addition to, and not a limitation of, the Parties’ remedies under Section 2(e), 6 and 8):

(i) All disputes or issues arising hereunder shall first be referred to the applicable Project Managers for resolution. In the event any such dispute or issue is not resolved in a timely manner, such matter shall be referred to senior management representatives, with appropriate decision making authority, for prompt resolution of the matter.

(ii) If the Parties are unable to resolve such dispute within sixty (60) days following the commencement of negotiations pursuant to Section 17(a), then such dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures set forth in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 17, either Party may initiate arbitration before the expiration of the periods specified in Section 7.2 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement if such Party has submitted a Arbitration Request and the other Party has failed to comply with Section 7.2 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement in good faith with respect to commencement and engagement in arbitration. In such event, the other Party may commence and prosecute such arbitration unilaterally in accordance with the CPR Rules.

(c) Unless otherwise agreed in writing or expressly stated herein, the Parties shall continue to honor all commitments under this Agreement to the extent required hereby and thereby during the course of dispute resolution pursuant to the provisions of this Section 17 unless such commitments are the specific subject of the dispute at issue.

18. Relationship of the Parties. In providing the Products and services hereunder, IP is acting as and shall be considered an independent contractor. This Agreement is not intended to create and shall not be construed as creating between IP and Sylvamo any relationship other than an independent contractor and purchaser of the Products. The Parties specifically acknowledge that they are not, and this Agreement is not intended to and shall not be construed to make them, affiliates of one another and that no principal and agent, joint venture, partnership or similar relationship, or any other relationship, that imposes or implies any fiduciary duty, including any duty of care or duty of loyalty, exists between the Parties. Except as expressly set forth herein, no Party has the authority to, and each Party agrees that it shall not, directly or indirectly contract any obligations of any kind in the name of or chargeable against the other Party without such other Party’s prior written consent.

 

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19. Amendments; Waivers. No provisions of this shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification. No failure or delay by either Party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right hereunder.

20. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Separation and Distribution Agreement, shall constitute the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and shall supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein.

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

22. Notices. Other than for routine communications with respect to operational matters under this Agreement, the procedures specified in Section 10.5 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall apply with respect to all notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications under this Agreement.

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

 

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in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other thing extends, and such phrase shall not mean simply “if”; (k) unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts, including the symbol “$”, refer to the lawful currency of the United States of America; and (l) all references to “the date hereof” or “the date of this Agreement” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 30, 2021.

24. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties hereto, respectively, and delivered to the other Party hereto, respectively. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by email portable document format (PDF) shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

[The Remainder of this Page is Intentionally Left Blank.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Supply and Offtake Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith Townsend

Name:   Keith Townsend
Title:   VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC
By:  

/s/ John Sims

Name:   John Sims
Title:   Senior Vice President

Exhibit 10.6

EXECUTION VERSION

SUPPLY AND OFFTAKE AGREEMENT

BY AND BETWEEN

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

AND

SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2021


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

1.

  Operation and Intent      1  

2.

  Production Process and Management      1  

3.

  Limited License      8  

4.

  Payment Procedures      9  

5.

  Job Lot      12  

6.

  Sheeting Assets      12  

7.

  Term and Termination; Payment Default      13  

8.

  Force Majeure      14  

9.

  Indemnification; Limitation of Damages      15  

10.

  Changes to IP’s Systems at Mill      18  

11.

  Confidential Information      18  

12.

  Binding Effect; Assignment      18  

13.

  No Third Party Beneficiaries      19  

14.

  Governing Law      19  

16.

  Waiver of Jury Trial      19  

17.

  Jurisdiction; Service of Process      19  

18.

  Project Managers      20  

19.

  Dispute Resolution      20  

20.

  Relationship of the Parties      21  

21.

  Amendments; Waivers      21  

22.

  Entire Agreement      21  

23.

  Severability      21  

24.

  Notices      21  

24.

  Interpretation      22  

25.

  Counterparts      22  

Schedule A— Service Level Agreement

Schedule B— Product Specifications

Schedule C— Fixed Costs and Variable Costs

Schedule D— Project Managers

Schedule E— Standard Tolerances

Schedule F— Sylvamo Names and Marks


SUPPLY AND OFFTAKE AGREEMENT

This Supply and Offtake Agreement (“Agreement”), dated as of September 30, 2021 (the “Effective Date”) is made by and between INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY, a New York corporation (“IP”), and SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Sylvamo and, together with IP, the “Parties”):

WHEREAS, IP and Sylvamo have entered into that certain Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2021 (as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”), pursuant to which the business of Sylvamo is being separated from IP into a new publicly traded company;

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, IP and Sylvamo agreed to enter into this Agreement to reflect the arrangements under which IP will continue to operate paper machine number 16 and related sheeting equipment (collectively, “RD16”) at its mill in Selma, Alabama (the “Mill”) to produce uncoated freesheet (the “Product”) following the Distribution, and Sylvamo will purchase the Product produced by RD16 upon the terms and conditions set forth herein; and

WHEREAS, all capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Separation and Distribution Agreement;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, the Parties hereby agree as set forth herein.

1. Operation and Intent. Following the Distribution, IP shall continue to own and retain title to the Mill, but agrees to operate RD16 to produce the Products to be purchased by Sylvamo consistent in all material respects with the manner in which IP has operated RD16 during the past three (3) years and pursuant to the terms set forth herein. The intent of this Agreement is to effectively transfer the economics associated with ownership and operation of RD16 at the Mill to Sylvamo for the Term.

2. Production Process and Management.

(a) Orders.

(i) Subject to Section 2(c)(ii), Sylvamo shall use reasonable best efforts to maintain sufficient Product orders to keep RD16 operating at its annual volume target in the SAP System (as determined by IP during its annual budgeting process and adjusted for any calendar year on each Annual Adjustment Date (as defined below)), adjusted for grade mix and normal machine variability(“Budgeted Capacity”) during the Term.

(ii) Sylvamo shall manage all communications with its customers (including orders, inquiries and invoices) for the Product and shall be responsible for the sale of any Inventory or Saleable Job Lot (as defined below). All customer pricing decisions shall be Sylvamo’s sole responsibility.

 

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(iii) Sylvamo shall be responsible for the order management process of the Product produced pursuant to this Agreement, including order entry (both production and replenishment orders). IP shall produce the Products for Sylvamo only when such orders have been loaded into the production plan via EDI or other method and released to IP. Sylvamo shall be liable for any order entry errors and any resulting manufacturing losses, and IP shall invoice Sylvamo for any Products produced due to an order entry error. The Parties agree to cooperate in the disposal of any order entry errors. IP and Sylvamo shall each provide access to the other Party to its information technology systems only to the extent necessary so that the Parties can fulfill their obligations under this Agreement and in any case without compromising the information security protocols of either party and review and track the status of their Product orders and associated Inventory. The Parties acknowledge that the manner in which such orders are reviewed and monitored may change as IP’s systems change, as more fully described in Section 10.

(b) Production Management.

(i) IP shall be responsible for managing all aspects of production of Products under this Agreement, including production planning, production, transportation planning and shipping. Sylvamo and IP shall comply in all material respects with the Service Level Agreement attached hereto as Schedule A, including the Sales and Operations Plan (“S&OP”) referred to therein as modified by IP from time to time, for Products produced at the Mill. The Project Managers (as defined below) shall meet at least annually to discuss in good faith and implement any changes to the S&OP or the Service Level Agreement that such Project Managers agree are necessary to maintain production, sales and operations consistent with past practice.

(ii) As part of the Service Level Agreement, the Parties agree to develop and jointly manage an effective S&OP process consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice. The S&OP process will address efficient planning and scheduling of RD16 to align commercial and manufacturing imperatives.

(iii) Production overruns that exceed the percentage tolerance attached hereto as Schedule E (“Standard Tolerances”) shall be borne by IP, provided that Sylvamo shall cooperate with IP and use commercially reasonable efforts to sell any production overrun that exceeds Standard Tolerances.

(iv) Sylvamo shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the grade/customer mix at Riverdale is consistent with past practices at the Mill prior to the Effective Date.

 

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(c) Mill Downtime; Curtailments; IP Production Runs.

(i) Sylvamo and IP shall cooperate to adjust the production schedule as necessary and consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice (taking into account the commercially reasonable requests of Sylvamo) in order to accommodate planned pulp availability curtailments, necessary maintenance, changeover downtime, mill-wide outages, customer emergencies, other market or marketing needs and related or similar events and any other shutdown; provided that the final determination of the timing of planned or anticipated maintenance or other shutdown of RD16 or the Mill shall be at IP’s sole discretion. IP shall provide Sylvamo with advance notice, as promptly as reasonably practicable after any final determination, of any such maintenance or shutdown that IP believes is reasonably likely to affect the supply of Products and shall notify Sylvamo as soon as reasonably practicable upon the occurrence of any emergency or other unplanned shutdown at the Mill that IP believes is reasonably likely to affect the supply of the Product. In the event of a planned or unplanned shutdown (including as a result of lack of wood, gas curtailments, equipment failures or weather related events) affecting multiple production lines at the Mill, to the extent reasonably practicable, IP shall endeavor to manage the effects of such shutdown so that the effects are borne proportionally (as measured by machine output) by Sylvamo through the shutdown of RD16 and by IP through the shutdown of machine number 15 at the Mill.

(ii) IP may from time to time, upon prior notice to Sylvamo, perform production runs of IP products on RD16 (“IP Corp Production Runs”), subject to Sylvamo’s prior consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). IP shall bear all costs incurred in connection with such production runs. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Sylvamo shall not be liable for Fixed Costs incurred by IP during any IP Corp Production Runs on RD16.

(d) Quality Control.

(i) IP shall meet in specifications and customer requirements consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice, including those specified in the specifications for the Products listed on Schedule B, as well as, to the extent reasonably practicable, customer-specific specifications, customer contracts and/or order-specific notes (collectively, the “Specifications”). For the avoidance of doubt, all Products shipped by IP to Sylvamo or its customers hereunder that meet the Specifications at gate exit shall be deemed to be 1st grade. Specifications contained in the Mill’s Profacy system on the Effective Date shall be the initial production Specifications. Thereafter, alterations to the Specifications shall be adopted only as mutually agreed by the Parties. All costs associated with adopting and meeting new Specifications shall be borne by Sylvamo. IP and Sylvamo shall cooperate in good faith to ensure Specifications meet industry standards. If an order requires, or Sylvamo otherwise requests, the use of certified fiber for the Products, all costs associated with sourcing and transporting such certified fiber to

 

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the Mill shall be borne by Sylvamo. IP shall cooperate with Sylvamo in good faith to create Products with new grades, which will be deemed to be Products under this Agreement in a manner consistent with IP’s past practice during the past three years and priced for purposes of Mill Cash Costs at mutually agreed levels. Sylvamo shall be responsible for all costs associated with any trial work requested by Sylvamo for new grade runs, and IP shall invoice Sylvamo for such costs.

(ii) IP shall perform quality testing services consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practices at the Mill.

(iii) IP shall cooperate with Sylvamo to address reasonable requests from Sylvamo’s customers, with not less than thirty (30) Business Days’ prior written notice, to conduct quality control or sustainability audits consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice (and subject to entry into an appropriate confidentiality agreement); provided that IP shall have no obligation to permit any quality control or sustainability audit more than once per calendar quarter. All out-of-pocket costs associated with any such quality control or sustainability audit shall be borne by and invoiced to Sylvamo. Any request related to Mill compliance with a Sylvamo customer’s code of conduct will be subject to IP’s review and agreement.

(iv) IP shall cooperate with Sylvamo to address reasonable requests from Sylvamo’s customers, with not less than thirty (30) Business Days’ prior written notice, to conduct social responsibility audits consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice; provided that IP shall have no obligation to permit any social responsibility audit more than twice per calendar year. All out-of-pocket costs associated with any such social responsibility audits shall be borne by Sylvamo, and Sylvamo shall reimburse IP for 50% of its fully loaded costs for conducting such social responsibility audit.

(e) Remedies in the Case of Nonconforming or Damaged Products. In the event Sylvamo or a customer of Sylvamo rejects or revokes acceptance of any Product that has a Manufacturing Defect, Sylvamo shall promptly notify IP, and the Parties shall cooperate in good faith to resolve such claim in a manner consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice. Except as provided in Section 9, Sylvamo’s sole and exclusive remedy for any Manufacturing Defect shall be, at Sylvamo’s option, (i) IP’s replacement of the defective or nonconforming Products with conforming Products without charge to Sylvamo (provided that any sale proceeds received by Sylvamo for such replaced defective or nonconforming Products, as more fully described in Section 5, shall be remitted to IP) or (ii) a refund to Sylvamo of the Mill Cash Cost (as defined below) associated with the defective or nonconforming Products net of any proceeds received by Sylvamo from the sale of such defective or nonconforming Products, as more fully described in Section 5. For the avoidance of doubt, IP shall not be liable to Sylvamo in the event a customer of Sylvamo rejects or revokes acceptance of any Products for any reason other than a Manufacturing Defect and any associated freight cost reimbursements. A “Manufacturing Defect” with respect to any Product shall mean the failure to meet the Specifications or readily apparent and visible handling or transit damage.

 

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(f) Operational Efficiency. The Parties agree that in the event three (3) successive production runs from a single grade averages 1000 basis points (i.e., 10%) less than the operating machine efficiency (“OME”) standard for the grade, the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to return the grade OME to the standard. If after such production runs, the OME for such grade has not improved to be less than 1000 basis points (i.e., 10%) below from the standard by the later to occur of (x) three (3) months elapsing since the original deficient production runs and (y) three (3) subsequent production runs of that grade, the Parties agree to update the grade standard cost to reflect the decline in OME.

(g) Customer Complaints. Sylvamo shall be responsible for investigating any customer complaints related to the Products and relaying complaints relating to the Product produced under this Agreement to IP. Any customer complaints that Sylvamo receives regarding Products that meet the Specifications shall be handled by Sylvamo as a sales policy decision for Sylvamo’s account, and IP shall have no obligations or liabilities with respect to such complaints. Sylvamo and IP shall cooperate in good faith to resolve any customer complaints relating to product damages from transportation that is managed by IP under Section (2)(i).

(h) Inventory.

(i) “Inventory” shall include all completed Products manufactured by RD16 that meet the Specifications after the machine winder (or sheeter in the case of sheeted products) and prior to delivery to Sylvamo or any other customer. IP shall have ownership and title to Inventory located at the Mill. Ownership and title to Inventory shall pass to Sylvamo upon gate exit of Products from the Mill.

(ii) Prior to or as of the Effective Date, Inventory existing as of September 1, 2021, whether located at the Mill or elsewhere (“Day One Inventory”), shall be invoiced to Sylvamo in accordance with this Section 2(h)(ii). Day One Inventory that is located at the Mill shall be invoiced to Sylvamo upon shipment in accordance with Section 4(b). Day One Inventory that has already been shipped from the Mill (or is being held on consignment outside of the Mill) and not yet invoiced shall be invoiced to Sylvamo and payment therefor shall be made in three (3) equal monthly installment payments, the first of which will be due January 2, 2022 and the remaining two payments will be due thirty (30) days and sixty (60) days, respectively, after the due date of the first invoice. For the avoidance of doubt, ownership and title to such Day One Inventory that has already been shipped shall be deemed to have passed to Sylvamo upon gate exit from the Mill. As of September 1, 2021, Sylvamo shall take ownership and title to any Job Lot located outside of the Mill and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the provisions of Section 5 shall not apply to any such Job Lot. The immediately foregoing sentence shall apply to any Job Lot existing as of September 1, 2021 but not discovered or identified as Job Lot until after September 1, 2021.

 

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(iii) Sylvamo shall be entitled to store up to 3,000 tons of work-in-progress Inventory (“WIP Inventory”) on the Mill floor at any given time during the Term. IP shall have the discretion to manage production as necessary to maintain WIP Inventory below this level. If IP anticipates that WIP Inventory will reach 2,700 tons, IP shall notify Sylvamo and the Project Managers will convene within two (2) Business Days to discuss inventory management strategies. Sylvamo shall be entitled to store up to and average of 8,500 tons based on a seven (7)-day moving average of finished Inventory (“Finished Inventory”) on the Mill floor at any given time during the Term. Upon notice from IP, Sylvamo shall promptly, but in any event within three (3) days of receipt of such notice notify IP of where to ship the excess Inventory from the Mill floor, and IP shall ship such excess Inventory to the greatest extent practicable in full truckload quantities at Sylvamo’s expense. If Sylvamo does not provide a shipment destination within such three (3)-day period, IP shall ship such excess Inventory to the greatest extent possible in full truckload quantities to the location(s) designated by IP at Sylvamo’s expense. Following the Effective Date, any offsite warehouse or other storage outside the Mill floor, including any associated mill overflow warehouses, shall be the responsibility of Sylvamo. For the avoidance of doubt, the risk of any loss, damage, impairment, confiscation or condemnation of any of the Inventory in excess of 8,500 tons of Finished Inventory on the Mill floor shall be borne by Sylvamo. IP shall manage Inventory aging data at the Mill and its warehouses utilizing the “first in, first out” methodology, consistent with past practices, to the extent practical. IP shall provide Sylvamo with Inventory ageing reports on a monthly basis. In event that Inventory on the Mill floor exceeds the limits in this Section 2(h)(iii) at any point in time due to third-party transportation disruptions outside of the control of IP (which disruptions do not constitute a Force Majeure Event), then IP and Sylvamo shall cooperate in good faith to identify an alternative mode of transportation for such excess Inventory as soon as practicable.

(iv) For any Inventory remaining on the Mill floor (A) that IP has notified Sylvamo is aged more than twelve (12) months or (B) on the date that is six (6) months following the termination of this Agreement, Sylvamo shall provide prompt notice to IP (and in any event within seven (7) days of a request from IP for a shipping destination) of a shipment destination, and such Inventory shall be invoiced to Sylvamo, in each case, upon gate exit from the Mill. IP shall ship such Inventory to such destination to the greatest extent practicable in full truckload quantities at Sylvamo’s expense. If Sylvamo does not provide the requested shipment destination within such seven (7)-day period, IP shall ship such Inventory to any location(s) designated by IP at Sylvamo’s expense. For the avoidance of doubt, the risk of any loss, damage, impairment, confiscation or condemnation of any such Inventory remaining on the Mill floor after such applicable time shall be borne by Sylvamo.

 

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(i) Packaging. Sylvamo shall own all rights in, and be responsible for providing all labeling and packaging designs, and upon notice from Sylvamo of its desired labeling and packaging, IP shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to accommodate Sylvamo’s desired labeling and packaging in producing packaging for the Product. Sylvamo shall have final approval over all artwork associated with all labeling and packaging designs. IP and Sylvamo shall mutually agree on packaging inventory levels maintained at the mills and the order/reorder quantities for packaging replenishments. IP and Sylvamo shall cooperate in good faith in planning for packaging changes to minimize the level of obsolete packaging. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Sylvamo shall reimburse IP for any packaging that is (A) deemed obsolete by Sylvamo consistent with agreed upon inventory levels and invoiced to Sylvamo or (B) packaging for an item that has not had any sales over the previous 270 days. IP is responsible for all packaging sourcing functions. In the event of a lack of available packaging for a type of Product, the Parties shall cooperate in good faith to adjust the run schedule to the greatest extent reasonably practicable to run alternate Product where packaging is available. If all options to run alternate Product are exhausted and downtime results , Sylvamo shall not bear the Fixed Costs in connection with such downtime.

(j) Shipping.

(i) IP shall manage shipment of the Products, including all trailer pool and rail car scheduling management. IP shall be solely responsible for the management of all transportation contracts, including carrier selection, contract duration and other terms and negotiation of all related fees. IP shall ship the Products to the location(s) designated by Sylvamo or Sylvamo’s customers in a manner consistent with IP’s past practice. IP shall use commercially reasonable efforts to allocate transportation capacity equitably (based on relative production capacity) between IP’s own businesses and the shipping of Products on behalf of Sylvamo.

(ii) IP shall pay carriers to ship the Products and invoice Sylvamo for freight costs incurred (“Freight Costs”). Estimated Freight Costs shall be included on the invoice sent to Sylvamo upon gate exit as described in Section 4(b). Freight Costs shall be reconciled quarterly by IP in good faith with actual cost data and invoiced in accordance with Section 4(b). IP shall be liable for any demurrage and detention charges accrued at the Mill. Sylvamo shall be responsible for any demurrage and detention changes accrued at any delivery destination to Sylvamo, and IP shall include such charges in the reconciliation of Freight Costs.

(iii) As the operator placing products on the market for the first time, Sylvamo shall document and demonstrate compliance with the US Lacey Act or any other market related timber law in which they sell products to their customers under their own name. Annually or on an as needed basis, as requested by Sylvamo, IP shall confirm what species are present in sourcing to assist with this law due diligence process, including the species common and scientific names sourced by each location within fiber supply. All sourcing legality declarations shall be made in Sylvamo’s name.

 

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(iv) To the extent there is any stranded Product located at the Mill that is not included in any shipment of an order, IP and Sylvamo shall cooperate and each use commercial reasonable efforts to utilize such stranded Product consistent with past practices, including by including such stranded Product in future orders and production planning for the same customer or selling such stranded Product to another customer. If any stranded Product is not shipped from the Mill after twelve (12) months, such stranded Product will be written off and IP and Sylvamo shall each bear 50% of (1) the Mill Cash Costs for such stranded Product less (2) any amount for which Sylvamo can sell such stranded Product as Job Lot. IP shall invoice Sylvamo for its half of such write off of the stranded Product.

(v) If the amount of claims (measured in dollars claimed) for transportation-related complaints in any month over any three consecutive months exceeds 120% of the Historical Transportation-Related Complaint Rate, then the Parties shall cooperate to develop a plan to return the claims rate to the Historical Transportation-Related Complaint Rate. The “Historical Transportation-Related Complaint Rate” means the amount equal to (x) the average annual amount of claims (measured in dollars claimed) for transportation-related complaints over the last three years prior to the Effective Date, divided by (y) 12.

3. Limited License. Except for the SpinCo Know-How assigned to Sylvamo and its Affiliates in connection with the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Parties hereby expressly acknowledge and agree that all rights in any Know-How used at the Mill, including in connection with the manufacture of Products hereunder, is, and shall at all times remain, fully and exclusively owned by IP.]Sylvamo hereby grants to IP a non-exclusive, fully-paid, royalty-free license to use (without further right of sub-license) the Sylvamo Names and Marks during the Term solely for the purpose of applying the Sylvamo Names and Marks to the Products and the packaging, labeling and shipping materials for the Products as directed by Sylvamo pursuant to Section 2(i). Further, Sylvamo hereby grants to IP a non-exclusive fully-paid, royalty-free license to use (without further right of sub-license) any and all Sylvamo Intellectual Property rights during the Term solely for the purpose of fulfilling IP’s obligations to Sylvamo under this Agreement. Sylvamo shall obtain any consents, licenses or certifications from third parties, including third party fiber certification bodies or COLORLOK certification, to use Intellectual Property required for IP to manufacture the Products and the packaging, labeling and shipping materials for the Products and, if any such consent is not obtained, provide acceptable alternative arrangements to maintain the operation of RD16 at Budgeted Capacity. All costs and expenses (if any) incurred by Sylvamo to obtain any such consents, licenses or certifications or to secure alternative arrangements shall be paid by Sylvamo. For the avoidance of doubt, failure to obtain such consents or secure alternative arrangements shall not relieve Sylvamo of its obligation to operate RD16 at Budgeted Capacity, although IP shall not be obligated to produce the affected Products hereunder until such consents are obtained or alternative arrangements are provided. “Sylvamo Names and Marks” means the names, marks, trademarks, service marks, license codes, trade dress, logos, monograms, domain names and other source or business identifiers of Sylvamo products set forth on Schedule F and related copyrights.

 

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4. Payment Procedures.

(a) Costs. Sylvamo shall pay IP its fully loaded costs for producing each ton of the Product based on the Mill Cash Cost. “Mill Cash Cost” shall equal the sum of the Fixed Costs and the Variable Costs.

(i) Fixed Costs. The “Fixed Costs” shall equal IP’s total fixed cash costs for operating RD16 less depreciation, which categories of fixed cash costs are set forth on Schedule C hereto, per ton of the Product. The Fixed Costs shall be charged to Sylvamo notwithstanding any lack of orders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fixed Costs shall be offset proportionately (as measured by machine hours) for any IP Production Run on RD16 during the invoiced period.

(A) The initial Fixed Costs shall be determined based on the Fixed Costs set forth in IP’s SAP system on the Effective Date. Thereafter, the Project Managers shall meet in October of each year during the Term to review the Fixed Costs and to determine appropriate adjustments to be made to any or all of the Fixed Costs for the immediately succeeding calendar year of the Term consistent with IP’s past practice. The Fixed Costs as so adjusted shall take effect on January 1 of the subsequent calendar year (the “Annual Adjustment Date”) for such calendar year; provided that if the Project Managers fail to mutually agree upon adjustments prior to the Annual Adjustment Date, then the Fixed Costs for the calendar year beginning on the Annual Adjustment Date shall increase proportionately with the increase in the Producer Price Index published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics from the preceding year (the “PPI”).

(B) IP shall be responsible, in its sole discretion, for routine cost management associated with owning and operating the Mill as determined consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice. Fixed Costs charged to Sylvamo hereunder are understood to include routine maintenance and repair expenditures that IP otherwise bears pursuant to Section 6(a).

(ii) Variable Costs. The “Variable Costs” shall equal IP’s total direct cash costs related to the manufacturing a ton of the Product, which categories of direct cash costs are as set forth on Schedule C hereto.

(A) The initial Variable Costs shall be determined based on the Variable Costs set forth in IP’s SAP system on the Effective Date. Thereafter, the Project Managers shall meet in October of each year during the Term to review the Variable Costs and to determine appropriate adjustments to be made to any or all of the Variable Costs for the immediately succeeding calendar year of the Term consistent with IP’s past practice. The Variable Costs as so adjusted will take effect on the Annual Adjustment Date for the following calendar year beginning on the Annual Adjustment Date; provided that if the Project Managers fail to mutually agree upon adjustments prior to the Annual Adjustment Date, then the Variable Costs for the calendar year beginning on the Annual Adjustment Date shall increase proportionately with the increase in the PPI.

 

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(iii) Invoices shall be reviewed by the Project Managers on a quarterly basis to account for the difference between the Variable Costs invoiced to Sylvamo for raw materials, utilities and other supplies used in the production of the Product (“Supplies”) and the actual cash costs paid by IP for such Supplies for the period under review (such variance, a “Purchased Price Variance”) To the extent there is a Purchased Price Variance, Sylvamo shall be credited for 100% of any overcharge of Variable Costs relative to IP’s actual cash costs or charged 100% of any undercharge relative to IP’s actual cash costs, as the case may be. IP shall deliver to Sylvamo an invoice reflecting such additional charges or credits, as the case may be, following each quarterly determination of the required adjustments.

(iv) IP shall maintain processes consistent with the processes used during the past three years in its annual budgeting process to adjust Fixed Costs and Variable Costs in the SAP system.

(v) The Project Managers shall meet in the fourth quarter of each calendar year to discuss, among other things, the following year’s projected outlook for Product demand.

(b) Invoice Procedures.

(i) Upon gate exit of the Product from the Mill, IP shall provide Sylvamo with an invoice for the Mill Cash Cost plus estimated Freight Costs for the tonnage of Product contained in shipments of Product from the Mill and any non-routine expenditures or other charges or adjustments provided in this Agreement for Sylvamo’s account, plus any applicable sales taxes.

(ii) If there is a Lack of Orders for Product, IP shall provide Sylvamo with an invoice on monthly basis for IP’s total fixed cash costs for operating RD16 less depreciation per hour incurred for such period without orders as if RD16 had operated at Budgeted Capacity. For purposes of this Agreement, “Lack of Orders” shall mean any lack of orders as measured in SAP that exceeds the amount of lack of orders accounted for in Budgeted Capacity (as determined by IP during its annual budgeting process and adjusted for any calendar year on each Annual Adjustment Date); provided that the amount of Lack of Orders for the RD16 sheeting equipment shall not exceed the amount of the Lack of Orders for the RD16 paper machine as measured by ton; provided, further, that downtime that is caused by IP’s operational inefficiency shall not be charged to Sylvamo.

 

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(iii) Sylvamo shall make a single payment to IP within thirty (30) days of receiving any invoice of all amounts due to IP under the invoice. All invoices may include any additional charges or credit required to correct for any prior billing error or make any required adjustment (including any adjustments made pursuant to any provision of this Agreement). Any invoice issued by IP shall be on the form of invoice in general use by IP at such time.

(c) Late Payments. All amounts not paid by Sylvamo when due (that is, within thirty (30) days of receiving the invoice) pursuant to this Agreement shall bear interest consistent with the terms of the invoice. In addition, Sylvamo shall pay IP’s reasonable attorney’s fees and other reasonable expenses incurred in collecting such amounts not timely paid by Sylvamo.

(d) Obligation to Pay. Subject to Section 4(e), Sylvamo’s obligation to pay the foregoing invoiced amounts in full is an unconditional obligation of Sylvamo, and IP shall be permitted to exercise rights provided in Section 4(c) and Section 7(b) in the event Sylvamo does not timely pay all amounts due and payable under this Section.

(e) Disputed Amounts; Audit.

(i) In the event that Sylvamo disputes any amounts required to be paid pursuant to this Section, Sylvamo shall be required to pay to IP the disputed amount and then to pursue its claim for refund of such amounts in accordance with Section 18.

(ii) Not more than once each calendar year, Sylvamo shall be permitted, upon its reasonable request and at its sole cost and expense, to engage an independent accounting firm mutually agreed by the Parties to conduct an audit of the costs charged by IP to Sylvamo and the allocation of transportation capacity between IP’s own businesses and the shipping of Products on behalf of Sylvamo; provided that Sylvamo shall notify IP in writing at least sixty (60) days prior to any audit. IP shall cooperate with the accounting firm in connection with any such audit (including providing records and information as shall be reasonably necessary to conduct such audit, subject to entry into an appropriate confidentiality agreement). All audits shall be conducted in a manner to minimize any disruption, delay or interference with the business activities of IP and the Mill. In the event that the audit shall disclose any matter that requires correction to the amounts charged hereunder during the previous calendar year, Sylvamo shall promptly provide IP with written notice thereof, together with copies of any documentation supporting such claimed correction. Such correction shall be reflected on the next invoice delivered to Sylvamo unless disputed in accordance with Section 18. If any audit reveals a material error solely caused by IP, then IP shall reimburse Sylvamo for the costs of such audit.

 

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(iii) Not more than once each calendar year, IP shall be permitted, upon its reasonable request and at its sole cost and expense, to engage an independent accounting firm mutually agreed by the Parties to conduct an audit of the sales of Saleable Job Lot; provided that IP shall notify Sylvamo in writing at least sixty (60) days prior to any audit. Sylvamo shall cooperate with the accounting firm in connection with any such audit (including providing records and information as shall be reasonably necessary to conduct such audit, subject to entry into an appropriate confidentiality agreement). All audits shall be conducted in a manner to minimize any disruption, delay or interference with the business activities of Sylvamo. In the event that the audit shall disclose any matter that requires correction to the amounts charged or refunded hereunder during the previous calendar year, IP shall promptly provide Sylvamo with written notice thereof, together with copies of any documentation supporting such claimed correction. Such correction shall be reflected on the next invoice delivered to Sylvamo unless disputed in accordance with Section 18.

5. Job Lot. Any Product manufactured at the Mill for or on behalf of Sylvamo hereunder that does not meet the Specifications (unless otherwise agreed by Sylvamo) shall be considered obsolete product (“Job Lot”). IP shall be entitled to re-pulp or sell for re-pulping any Job Lot located at the Mill. To the extent Job Lot is not re-pulped or sold for re-pulp, it shall be considered “Saleable Job Lot”. At IP’s request, Sylvamo shall sell Saleable Job Lot that has yet to be invoiced to Sylvamo on commercially reasonable terms and otherwise in a manner consistent with past practice, including the possible sale to IP, and IP shall be responsible for invoicing those customers and delivering the Saleable Job Lot; provided that any Product that becomes Saleable Job Lot due to the action(s) or inaction(s) of Sylvamo shall be invoiced to Sylvamo at full cost and disposed of at the direction of Sylvamo. Any Product that was invoiced to Sylvamo but is later discovered to have been Job Lot due to a Manufacturing Defect shall be sold by Sylvamo on commercially reasonable terms and otherwise in a manner consistent with past practice.

6. Sheeting Assets.

(a) IP shall continue to operate the uncoated freesheet assets ancillary to RD16 (the “Sheeting Assets”) as long as they remain onsite at the Mill. IP shall pay for routine maintenance and repair expenditures (as determined by IP consistent in all material respects with IP’s past practice) necessary to maintain the Sheeting Assets and related information technology systems at the Mill. Sylvamo shall reimburse IP for any non-routine maintenance and repair expenditures related to Sheeting Assets and related information technology systems that (x) would reasonably be expected to exceed $300,000 and (y) was not caused by IP’s gross negligence (“Non-Routine Maintenance”); provided that Non-Routine Maintenance shall be made only with Sylvamo’s prior written consent. If Sylvamo does not consent to any Non-Routine Maintenance, IP shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to remove any associated equipment or systems from service. For the avoidance of doubt, failure to consent to any Non-Routine Maintenance shall not relieve Sylvamo of its obligation to operate RD16 at Budgeted Capacity. Sylvamo shall also bear all costs any enhancements or upgrades to information technology systems relating to the Sheeting Assets that Sylvamo may request.

 

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(b) If either (x) the Term has expired or (y) this Agreement has been terminated by IP (other than a termination by IP in accordance with Section 7(a)(ii)(A)) then, within ninety (90) days following the date that uncoated freesheet ceases to be produced the Mill, Sylvamo shall have the right to acquire any Sheeting Asset at the Mill for a purchase price equal to such Sheeting Asset’s book value set forth in IP’s SAP system at the time of such termination. Ownership and title to any Sheeting Asset purchased by Sylvamo shall pass to Sylvamo upon removal and payment in full. All costs associated with the removal, relocation or storage of any purchased Sheeting Assets shall be borne by Sylvamo. Any contractors hired by Sylvamo to remove any of the Sheeting Assets located at the Mill shall be subject to IP’s prior written approval, and all such contractors shall be required to comply with IP’s Contractor Rules & Regulations and will be required to provide evidence of insurance reasonably protective of IP. Sylvamo shall be invoiced for any IP mill resources, equipment or personnel needed to support equipment removal from the Mill. Sylvamo shall bear the cost of any damage done to IP facilities (beyond normal wear and tear) in the removal of the Sheeting Assets. Sylvamo shall remove any purchased Sheeting Asset from the Mill within twelve (12) months following exercise of its option to purchase. Ownership and title to any Sheeting Asset that remains located at the Mill following such six (6) month period shall revert to IP. If Sylvamo does not exercise its option to purchase any Sheeting Asset or ownership reverts to IP in accordance with the foregoing, IP shall be entitled to dispose of such Sheeting Asset in its sole discretion. For the avoidance of doubt, if Sylvamo terminates this Agreement early in accordance with Section 7(a)(ii)(B), Sylvamo shall have no right to acquire the Sheeting Assets.

7. Term and Termination; Payment Default.

(a) Term and Termination.

(i) The term of this Agreement shall be ten (10) years (such period, including as may be earlier terminated, the “Term”), commencing on the Effective Date.

(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) IP may, at its option, terminate this Agreement (1) effective as early as January 1, 2024 upon at least 180 days’ prior written notice to Sylvamo, (2) upon at least 60 days’ prior written notice to Sylvamo if RD16 is operating on average at less than 80% of Budgeted Capacity during any consecutive sixty (60)-day period caused by Sylvamo’s Lack of Orders or (3) in accordance with Section 8, and Sylvamo may at its option, terminate this Agreement effective as early as January 1, 2026 upon at least 180 days’ prior written notice to IP. Upon the expiration or termination of this Agreement, all rights and obligations of each party hereunder shall cease, as of the date of the termination, and any amounts owed by either party pursuant to this Agreement shall be paid in full.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the termination of this Agreement pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be without prejudice to any rights, or diminution of any obligations or liabilities of either party, that may have accrued prior to the effective date of such termination. In addition, the provisions of Sections 6, 9 and 12 to 25 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

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(b) Payment Default.

(i) In the event that any amount due and payable by Sylvamo hereunder is not paid within thirty (30) days after Sylvamo receives written notice of such nonpayment (a “Payment Default”), then immediately, or at any time thereafter before such Payment Default is cured (provided that the time period for such cure has expired), IP may, at its option and upon written notice to Sylvamo, pursue its rights under Section 18.

(ii) If there shall exist a Payment Default under this Agreement that has not been cured (an “Uncured Payment Default”), then IP shall be permitted to suspend its provision of any or all Products under this Agreement for so long as such Uncured Payment Default remains uncured; provided, however, that Sylvamo shall have the opportunity to secure payment for future shipments of the Products (through an escrow arrangement, letter of credit or otherwise, in each case acceptable to IP in its sole discretion) in order to prevent a suspension of the production of the Products. Sylvamo shall continue to be liable for all payments due hereunder during any such period of suspension of performance. IP shall be obligated to resume providing Products hereunder as soon as reasonably practicable after Sylvamo has cured all Uncured Payment Defaults within five (5) Business Days following such cure.

8. Force Majeure. IP shall not be responsible for failure or delay in production or delivery of any Products that it has responsibility for providing hereunder, if the event (a) does not arise or result from the fault or negligence of IP (or any Person acting on its behalf) and (b) by its nature would not reasonably have been foreseen by IP (or such Person), or, if it would reasonably have been foreseen, was beyond the control of IP, including acts of God, acts of civil or military authority, embargoes, pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), epidemics, wars, riots, protests or civil unrest, insurrections, fires, explosions, earthquakes, floods, tornados, hurricanes, government shutdowns, shortage of adequate power or transportation facilities, travel restrictions, weather conditions, labor problems, unavailability of supplies or the response of any Governmental Authority to any of the foregoing, or, in the case of computer systems, any failure in electrical or air conditioning equipment (a “Force Majeure Event”). IP shall, as promptly as practicable after it learns of a Force Majeure Event, notify Sylvamo of such Force Majeure Event that IP believes will result in a failure or delay in production or delivery of any Products, and the estimated probable duration and consequence thereof. The Parties acknowledge and agree that such estimation shall not be considered binding in any way, and IP shall not incur liability of any kind if such estimation proves to be inaccurate. Following notice of a Force Majeure Event by IP, Sylvamo shall be excused from Fixed Costs for any Lack of Orders the duration of the Force Majeure Event. IP shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to restore production of Product on RD16 provided hereunder in accordance with this Agreement as soon as reasonably practicable following the Force Majeure Event; provided, however, if the restoration of the production of Product on RD16 would not be commercially reasonable, as determined in IP’s sole discretion, then IP may terminate this Agreement upon five (5) Business Days’ prior written notice to Sylvamo.

 

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9. Indemnification; Limitation of Damages.

(a) Indemnification by IP. Subject to Sections 9(d), (e) and (f), IP shall indemnify and hold harmless Sylvamo from and against all liabilities, penalties, judgments, losses, injuries, damages, costs, fees and expenses (including, without limitation, costs of defense, settlement, and reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to matters or actions arising under this Agreement), whether arising under common law or any federal, state or local statute or ordinance (“Damages”) suffered or incurred by Sylvamo arising out of or resulting from (i) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of IP in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or (ii) a claim by any customer of Sylvamo against Sylvamo or IP directly attributable to a Manufacturing Defect in the Products produced hereunder; provided that in the case of any claim for indemnification under clause (ii), Damages arising out of such claim must exceed $500,000 (the “Deductible”) before IP has any liability hereunder and those Damages incurred to the extent exceeding the Deductible, and only those incremental Damages above the deductible, shall be borne 50% by IP and 50% by Sylvamo.

(b) Indemnification by Sylvamo. Subject to Sections 9(d), (e) and (f), Sylvamo shall indemnify and hold harmless IP from and against any and all Damages suffered or incurred by IP, arising out of or resulting from (i) any breach of this Agreement by Sylvamo, (ii) infringement of Intellectual Property used in the Products (or labeling or packaging thereof), including Third-Party Claim, (iii) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of Sylvamo in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement or (iv) a claim by any customer of Sylvamo against IP; provided that in the case of any claim for indemnification under clause (iv), such claim may be offset against any indemnification obligation of IP under Section 9(a)(ii).

(c) Notice of Claims. If, on or following the Effective Date, any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder (an “Indemnitee”) shall receive notice or otherwise learn of the assertion by any Third Party (including any Governmental Authority) of any claim or of the commencement by any such Third Party of any Third-Party Claim with respect to which either Party (an “Indemnifying Party”) may be obligated to provide indemnification to such Indemnitee pursuant to Section 9(a) or (b), such Indemnitee shall give such Indemnifying Party written notice thereof as soon as practicable, but in any event within twenty one (21) days (or sooner if the nature of the Third-Party Claim so requires or it relates to a customer claim that could reasonably result in in indemnifiable Damages in excess of the Deductible pursuant to Section (a)(ii) above) after becoming aware of such Third-Party Claim. Any such notice shall describe the Third-Party Claim in reasonable detail, including the facts and circumstances giving rise to such claim and the Product involved, and include copies of all notices and documents (including court papers) received by the Indemnitee relating to the Third-Party Claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of an Indemnitee to provide notice in accordance with this Section 9(c) shall not relieve an Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations under Section 9(a) or (b) of this Agreement, except to the extent the Indemnifying Party is actually and materially prejudiced by the Indemnitee’s failure to provide notice in accordance with this Section 9(c).

 

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(d) Control of Defense. An Indemnifying Party may elect to defend, at its own expense and with its own counsel, any Third-Party Claim; provided that, prior to the Indemnifying Party assuming and controlling the defense of such Third-Party Claim, it shall first confirm to the Indemnitee in writing that, assuming the facts presented to the Indemnifying Party by the Indemnitee are true, the Indemnifying Party shall indemnify the Indemnitee for any such Damages to the extent resulting from, or arising out of, such Third-Party Claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Indemnifying Party assumes such defense and, in the course of defending such Third-Party Claim, (i) the Indemnifying Party discovers that the facts presented at the time the Indemnifying Party acknowledged its indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim were not true and (ii) such untruth provides a reasonable basis for asserting that the Indemnifying Party does not have an indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim, then (A) the Indemnifying Party shall not be bound by such acknowledgment, (B) the Indemnifying Party shall promptly thereafter provide the Indemnitee written notice of its assertion that it does not have an indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim and (C) the Indemnitee shall have the obligation to assume the defense of such Third-Party Claim. Within thirty (30) days after the receipt of a notice from an Indemnitee in accordance with Section 9(c) (or sooner, if the nature of the Third-Party Claim so requires), the Indemnifying Party shall provide written notice to the Indemnitee indicating whether the Indemnifying Party shall assume responsibility for defending the Third-Party Claim. If an Indemnifying Party elects not to assume responsibility for defending any Third-Party Claim or fails to notify an Indemnitee of its election within thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice from an Indemnitee as provided in Section 9(c), then the Indemnitee that is the subject of such Third-Party Claim shall be entitled to continue to conduct and control the defense of such Third-Party Claim.

(e) Allocation of Defense Costs. If an Indemnifying Party has elected to assume the defense of a Third-Party Claim, then such Indemnifying Party shall be solely liable for all fees and expenses incurred by it in connection with the defense of such Third-Party Claim and shall not be entitled to seek any indemnification or reimbursement from the Indemnitee for any such fees and expenses incurred by the Indemnifying Party during the course of the defense of such Third-Party Claim by such Indemnifying Party, regardless of any subsequent decision by the Indemnifying Party to reject or otherwise abandon its assumption of such defense, unless such Indemnifying Party assumed the defense of such Third-Party Claim by such Indemnifying Party due to a misrepresentation of facts by the Indemnitee in the notice of such Third-Party Claim. If an Indemnifying Party elects not to assume responsibility for defending any Third-Party Claim or fails to notify an Indemnitee of its election within thirty (30) days after receipt of a notice from an Indemnitee as provided in Section 9(c), and the Indemnitee conducts and controls the defense of such Third-Party Claim and the Indemnifying Party has an indemnification obligation with respect to such Third-Party Claim, then the Indemnifying Party shall be liable for all reasonable fees and expenses incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the defense of such Third-Party Claim.

 

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(f) Right to Monitor and Participate. An Indemnitee that does not conduct and control the defense of any Third-Party Claim, or an Indemnifying Party that has failed to elect to defend any Third-Party Claim as contemplated hereby, nevertheless shall have the right to employ separate outside counsel (including local counsel as necessary) of its own choosing to monitor and participate in (but not control) the defense of any Third-Party Claim for which it is a potential Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party, as applicable, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnitee or Indemnifying Party, as the case may be, and the provisions of Section 9(e) shall not apply to such fees and expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, but subject to Sections 6.8 and 6.9 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, such Party shall cooperate with the Party entitled to conduct and control the defense of such Third-Party Claim in such defense and make available to the controlling Party, at the non-controlling Party’s expense, all witnesses, information and materials in such Party’s possession or under such Party’s control relating thereto as are reasonably required by the controlling Party. In addition to the foregoing, if any Indemnitee shall in good faith determine that such Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party have actual or potential differing defenses or conflicts of interest between them that make joint representation in connection with a Third-Party Claim inappropriate, then the Indemnitee shall have the right to employ separate outside counsel (including local counsel as necessary) and to participate in (but not control) the defense, compromise or settlement thereof, and the Indemnifying Party shall bear the reasonable fees and expenses of such outside counsel for all Indemnitees.

(g) No Settlement. Neither Party shall settle or compromise any Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed unless such settlement or compromise is solely for monetary damages that are fully payable by the settling or compromising Party, does not involve any admission, finding or determination of wrongdoing or violation of Law by the other Party and provides for a full, unconditional and irrevocable release of the other Party and its Indemnitees from all Liability in connection with the Third-Party Claim. The Parties hereby agree that if a Party presents the other Party with a written notice containing a proposal to settle or compromise a Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder and the Party receiving such proposal does not respond in any manner to the Party presenting such proposal within twenty (20) days or such longer period, not to exceed thirty (30) days, as may be agreed by the Parties (or within any such shorter time period that may be required by applicable Law or court order) of receipt of such proposal, then the Party receiving such proposal shall be deemed to have consented to the terms of such proposal.

(h) Customer Claims. Without limiting the other provisions of this Section 9, Sylvamo shall keep IP reasonably informed of the status of any customer claim that could reasonably result in in indemnifiable Damages in excess of the Deductible pursuant to Section 9(a)(ii) above and consult with IP, and consider IP’s recommendations in good faith, on resolution of such customer claim, and IP shall have the opportunity to participate in any meetings or negotiations concerning such customer claim.

 

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(i) Limited Warranty. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, unless expressly set forth herein, IP does not make any other warranties, whether express, implied or statutory and specifically disclaims any implied warranties, whether of merchantability, suitability, fitness for a particular purpose, or otherwise for such Products or services.

(j) Excluded Damages. In no event shall any Party or such Party’s affiliates, or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees, agents or representatives, be liable for any special, punitive, exemplary, consequential, incidental or indirect Damages, or any Damages based on lost profits (except for claims of Intellectual Property infringement, dilution or misappropriation), in each case whether based on contract, tort, strict liability, other Law or otherwise, including if such Damages are payable to a Third Party.

10. Changes to IPs Systems at Mill. From time to time, IP may upgrade, change and/or convert its current software, information technology and other systems used in the operations of the Mill, including without limitation, resource planning and similar items (including business continuity support for such systems as needed for disaster recovery). IP shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that such changes do not materially adversely affect the ability of Sylvamo to conduct its business as relating to the Products as so conducted at the beginning of the Term. Sylvamo shall bear any costs in connection with upgrading its systems to remain compatible with any IP system changes.

11. Project Managers. IP and Sylvamo shall each assign one person to act as that Partys project manager (the Project Manager”), which shall initially be those individuals set forth on Schedule D hereto. The Project Managers shall (a) represent and act for their respective Party for matters related to this Agreement, and (b) meet and/or confer on a regular basis (at mutually agreed times and locations) to review the activities under this Agreement and to discuss the status and progress of such activities. Any Project Manager may be replaced at any time by the Party entitled to designate such Project Manager. Each Party shall promptly notify the other Party of any reassignments or changes in contact information of the Project Manager. No Project Manager for a Party shall have any authority to amend this Agreement.

12. Confidential Information. Except as provided below, all Information disclosed between the Parties pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed confidential (“Confidential Information”), except, in each case, to the extent that such information has been (i) in the public domain or generally available to the public, other than as a result of a disclosure by such Party or any member of such Party’s Group or any of their respective Representatives in violation of this Agreement, (ii) later lawfully acquired from other sources by such Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) which sources are not themselves bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such confidential and proprietary information, or (iii) independently developed or generated without reference to or use of any Confidential Information of such other Party or any member of such other Party’s Group. A Party receiving Confidential Information (the “Receiving Party”) shall not use such

 

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information for any purpose other than for which it was disclosed by the party providing such information (the “Providing Party”) and, except as otherwise permitted by this Agreement, shall not disclose to Third Parties any Confidential Information for a period of five (5) years from the termination or expiration of this Agreement or, with respect to any trade secrets, indefinitely. The obligations of the Receiving Party and the Providing Party with regard to Confidential Information shall be governed by and set forth in Sections 6.10 and 6.11 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, which shall be deemed incorporated by reference herein. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 12, the Parties acknowledge that amounts paid hereunder will be considered related party transactions and will be disclosed in public filings in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC or the NYSE.

13. Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either Party may delegate its obligations under this Agreement to any Subsidiary of such Party without the prior written consent of the other Party.

14. No Third Party Beneficiaries. The provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties, respectively, and are not intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder. There are no Third Party beneficiaries of this Agreement and this Agreement shall not provide any Third Party with any remedy, claim, liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement.

15. Governing Law. This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or thereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby or to the inducement of any party to enter herein and therein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) and all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement (and all Schedules hereto) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

16. Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the Parties hereby waives to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law any right it may have to a trial by jury with respect to any action or proceeding directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each of the Parties hereby (a) certifies that no representative, agent or attorney of the other party has represented, expressly or otherwise, that such other Party would not, in the event of any action or proceeding, seek to enforce the foregoing waiver and (b) acknowledges that it has been induced to enter into this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, as applicable, by, among other things, the mutual waivers and certifications in this Section 16.

 

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17. Jurisdiction; Service of Process. Subject to Section 18, each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement for recognition or enforcement of any judgment relating hereto, and each of the Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agrees not to commence any such action or proceeding except in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (ii) agrees that any claim in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or, if (and only if) such court finds it lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the federal court of the United States of America sitting in Delaware, and appellate courts thereof, (iii) waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in such courts and (iv) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in such courts. The Parties hereby agree that mailing of process or other papers in connection with any such action or proceeding in the manner provided in Section 23, or in such other manner as may be permitted by Law, shall be valid and sufficient service thereof and hereby waive any objections to service accomplished in the manner herein provided.

18. Dispute Resolution.

(a) The Parties shall use good faith efforts to resolve any controversy or claim arising out of this Agreement, the interpretation of any of the provisions hereof, or the actions of the Parties hereunder. In the event of a breach of this Agreement, a dispute as to the meaning of this Agreement or a dispute as to any invoiced amount or any of its terms which the Parties cannot resolve by themselves amicably, the following provisions shall apply (which provisions shall be in addition to, and not a limitation of, the Parties’ remedies under Section 2(e), 7 and 9):

(i) All disputes or issues arising hereunder shall first be referred to the applicable Project Managers for resolution. In the event any such dispute or issue is not resolved in a timely manner, such matter shall be referred to senior management representatives, with appropriate decision making authority, for prompt resolution of the matter.

(ii) If the Parties are unable to resolve such dispute within sixty (60) days following the commencement of negotiations pursuant to Section 18(a), then such dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures set forth in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 18, either Party may initiate arbitration before the expiration of the periods specified in Section 7.2 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement if such Party has submitted a Arbitration Request and the other Party has failed to comply with Section 7.2 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement in good faith with respect to commencement and engagement in arbitration. In such event, the other Party may commence and prosecute such arbitration unilaterally in accordance with the CPR Rules.

 

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(c) Unless otherwise agreed in writing or expressly stated herein, the Parties shall continue to honor all commitments under this Agreement to the extent required hereby and thereby during the course of dispute resolution pursuant to the provisions of this Section 18 unless such commitments are the specific subject of the dispute at issue.

19. Relationship of the Parties. In providing the Products and services hereunder, IP is acting as and shall be considered an independent contractor. This Agreement is not intended to create and shall not be construed as creating between IP and Sylvamo any relationship other than an independent contractor and purchaser of the Products. The Parties specifically acknowledge that they are not, and this Agreement is not intended to and shall not be construed to make them, affiliates of one another and that no principal and agent, joint venture, partnership or similar relationship, or any other relationship, that imposes or implies any fiduciary duty, including any duty of care or duty of loyalty, exists between the Parties. Except as expressly set forth herein, no Party has the authority to, and each Party agrees that it shall not, directly or indirectly contract any obligations of any kind in the name of or chargeable against the other Party without such other Party’s prior written consent.

20. Amendments; Waivers. No provisions of this shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification. No failure or delay by either Party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right hereunder.

21. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Separation and Distribution Agreement, shall constitute the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and shall supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein.

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

23. Notices. Other than for routine communications with respect to operational matters under this Agreement, the procedures specified in Section 10.5 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall apply with respect to all notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications under this Agreement.

 

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24. Interpretation. In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto and thereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to this Agreement shall be deemed to include the Exhibits, Schedules and Annexes to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by Law to close in (x) Memphis, Tennessee, (y) Selma, Alabama or (z) New York, New York; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; (j) the word “extent” in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other thing extends, and such phrase shall not mean simply “if”; (k) unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts, including the symbol “$”, refer to the lawful currency of the United States of America; and (l) all references to “the date hereof” or “the date of this Agreement” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 30, 2021.

25. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties hereto, respectively, and delivered to the other Party hereto, respectively. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by email portable document format (PDF) shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

[The Remainder of this Page is Intentionally Left Blank.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Supply and Offtake Agreement to be executed as of the date first above written.

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith Townsend

Name: Keith Townsend
Title: VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC
By:  

/s/ John Sims

Name: John Sims
Title: Senior Vice President

 

 

[Signature Page to Supply and Offtake Agreement]

Exhibit 10.7

TAX-EXEMPT BOND AGREEMENT

THIS TAX-EXEMPT BOND AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of this 30th day of September, 2021 (the “Effective Date”), by and between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“International Paper”), and Sylvamo North America, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Sylvamo”).

Recitals

The facilities owned by International Paper listed in Schedule A hereto (the “Tax-Exempt Facilities”) have been financed and/or refinanced, in whole or in part, with proceeds of the issuance and sale of the Series 2014 Bonds (as defined and listed in Schedule B hereto, the “Tax-Exempt Bonds”). International Paper is the obligor and borrower in respect of the Tax-Exempt Bonds. The obligations of International Paper with respect to the Tax-Exempt Bonds are contained in the agreements listed in Schedule C hereto (the “Loan Agreement”).

The interest paid or accrued on the Tax-Exempt Bonds, with certain exceptions, is not includable in the gross income of the holders of the Tax-Exempt Bonds (the “Bondholders”) for purposes of federal income taxation. Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (collectively, the “Code”), the basis for the federal income tax exclusion for interest payable to the Bondholders is the use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for certain qualified purposes.

The use of all or part of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for a purpose other than a qualifying purpose or purposes may cause (a) the interest payable on all or part of the Tax-Exempt Bonds to be includable in the federal gross income of the Bondholders possibly with retroactive effect, and/or (b) the deductibility of the interest payable by International Paper on all or part of the Tax-Exempt Bonds to be disallowed by the Code.

The parties hereto desire to enter into this Agreement to ensure that the Tax-Exempt Facilities will continue to be used in a qualifying manner as required by the Code.

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter contained, the parties hereto formally covenant, agree and bind themselves as follows:

Section 1. (a) Pursuant to authority granted in the Loan Agreement, International Paper hereby transfers and assigns as of the Effective Date unto Sylvamo and its successors and assigns all of its right, title and interest in and to, and all remedies under, the Loan Agreement, including, without limitation, the rights to any condemnation and insurance proceeds, and except for the Retained Liabilities (as hereinafter defined), Sylvamo hereby assumes as of the Effective Date all of International Paper’s obligations under the Loan Agreement, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein. Sylvamo’s assumption of International Paper’s obligations hereunder and under the Loan Agreement are subject to any and all limitation, exclusions, conditions and non-recourse limitations set forth in the Loan Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, International Paper shall remain liable for (i) the payment obligations with respect to the Tax-Exempt Bonds and “Administrative Expenses” (as defined in the Loan Agreement), including, without limitation, any amounts payable under the “Indenture” (as defined in the Loan Agreement), (ii) any indemnification obligations under the Loan


Agreement, other than such indemnification obligations caused by or arising from the operation, use, occupancy, maintenance and ownership of the Tax-Exempt Facilities after the Effective Date, (iii) any obligations with respect to the acquisition, construction and installation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, (iv) any representation or warranty made by International Paper under the Loan Agreement and (v) the payment of all amounts, the performance of all duties and obligations and the satisfaction of all conditions under the Loan Agreement that accrued prior to the Effective Date or which were to be performed or satisfied prior to the Effective Date or which arise from events, actions or omissions which occurred on or before the Effective Date, including, without limitation, its obligations under any indemnities included in the Loan Agreement (collectively, the “Retained Liabilities”).

(b) Sylvamo acknowledges the recitals herein and that any breach bySylvamo of its obligations under this Agreement could result in the incurrence by International Paper of additional costs and expenses, including, but not limited to, an increase in the rate of interest required to be paid to the Bondholders, liability to some or all of the Bondholders for their failure to include interest payable on the Tax-Exempt Bonds in their respective federal gross income in the event of a final determination of taxability by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) and loss of the interest deduction to International Paper under the Code. Sylvamo acknowledges receipt of copies of the Loan Agreement and tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds and certain tax representations made by International Paper in such documents. International Paper represents that it is in compliance with such tax representations and that no default or event of default exists under the tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds.

Section 2. In order to avoid any or all of the consequences described in Section 1 and the recitals herein, Sylvamo agrees that it will not use, or permit the use of, all or part of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for any purpose except (a) the current use of such Tax-Exempt Facilities or (b) use as contemplated by the tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds, unless Sylvamo (x) provides notice to International Paper in accordance with Section 3 hereof or (y) obtains at its own expense an opinion addressed to International Paper of nationally recognized bond counsel reasonably acceptable to International Paper that such proposed change in use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities or part thereof will not impair (I) the exclusion from gross income of the interest on any Tax-Exempt Bonds for federal income tax purposes or (II) the deductibility of the interest payable on the Tax-Exempt Bonds by International Paper under the Code.

Section 3. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, it is expressly understood and agreed that the provisions of this Agreement shall not prohibit Sylvamo from ceasing to operate, maintain or repair any element or item of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, suspending the operation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities on a temporary basis, changing the use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, or terminating the operation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities on a permanent basis and shutting down, selling or transferring, retiring and/or decommissioning the Tax-Exempt Facilities, provided the purchaser or transferee of the Tax-Exempt Facilities shall expressly assume in writing the obligations of Sylvamo hereunder in a separate tax-exempt bond agreement (or similarly styled agreement) among International Paper, Sylvamo and the purchaser or the transferee. Sylvamo shall provide to International Paper written notice at least thirty (30) days (or such shorter period of time as may be agreed to by International Paper and Sylvamo) in advance of any change in use, permanent shut-down, retirement, abandonment or decommissioning of any Tax-Exempt Facilities in whole or in part.

 

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Section 4. International Paper and Sylvamo agree to cooperate fully with each other in the event of an audit of the Tax-Exempt Bonds and/or the deductibility and/or excludability of interest payable thereon by the IRS and to provide in a timely fashion copies of or reasonable access to all documents and papers relating to the Tax-Exempt Facilities which may be necessary in connection with a response to such audit.

Section 5. Sylvamo agrees reasonably to assist International Paper in connection with the refinancing with tax-exempt bonds of any or all of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, including, but not limited to, certifications regarding the continued operation, anticipated useful life and relevant operating data with respect to such facility and to communicate support for such refinancing to the issuer of tax-exempt bonds upon request of International Paper.

Section 6. (a) International Paper hereby represents and warrants that it has the power and authority to enter into and execute this Agreement and any other documents or instruments necessary or desirable in connection herewith.

(b) International Paper hereby represents and warrants that, as of the Effective Date, (i) there are no fees and other amounts payable to the Issuer (as defined in the Loan Agreement) under the Loan Agreement that are currently due and payable or that have accrued but are unpaid, (ii) International Paper is not in default (and no circumstances exist or fail to exist that, with the giving of notice or passage of time or both would constitute such a default) under the Loan Agreement, and (iii) no material breaches, defaults or defenses have been asserted under the Loan Agreement by any of the parties thereto (including International Paper).

(c) International Paper further represents and warrants that, as of the Effective Date, (i) the Tax-Exempt Facilities have been completed, (ii) it has delivered to Sylvamo a complete and correct copy of the Loan Agreement, (iii) the Loan Agreement has not been modified or amended and is in full force and effect, and (iv) the Issuer has not assigned or pledged its interest in the Loan Agreement.

(d) As required by and in accordance with Section 7.01 of the Loan Agreement, International Paper shall cause a notice of assignment and a copy of this Agreement to be delivered to the Issuer and Tax-Exempt Bond trustee within 30 days of the date hereof under notice in the form substantially similar to that which is attached hereto as Schedule D.

(e) From and after the Effective Date, International Paper will at its own expense indemnify and hold harmless Sylvamo from all actions, suits, losses, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), obligations and liability arising with respect to (i) the Retained Liabilities, (ii) International Paper’s default with respect to its covenants and obligations under this Agreement, and (iii) any misrepresentation or incorrect warranty of International Paper set forth herein. The obligations of International Paper under this Section 6(e) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall survive the expiration or termination of the Loan Agreement.

 

3


Section 7. (a) Sylvamo hereby represents and warrants that Sylvamo has the power and authority to enter into and execute this Agreement and any other documents or instruments necessary or desirable in connection herewith, and to incur and perform the obligations provided for herein.

(b) Following the Effective Date and throughout the remaining term of the Loan Agreement, Sylvamo will at its own expense indemnify and hold harmless International Paper from all actions, suits, losses, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), obligations and liability arising with respect to (i) Sylvamo’s default with respect to its covenants and obligations under this Agreement and (ii) the Loan Agreement (other than with respect to the Retained Liabilities) and the performance and observance of any and all other agreements of International Paper provided in the Loan Agreement other than the Retained Liabilities. The obligations of Sylvamo under this Section 7(b) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall remain in full force and effect until the Loan Agreement has expired.

Section 8. The obligations of each party hereto are unconditional and shall not be contingent upon performance by the other party of its obligations hereunder.

Section 9. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of Delaware (without giving effect to Delaware’s conflicts of law analysis).

Section 10. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications to be given or delivered under or by the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given only (a) when delivered personally to the recipient, (b) one business day after being sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid); provided that confirmation of delivery is received, (c) when sent if sent by e-mail transmission or (d) five days after being mailed to the recipient by certified or registered mail (return receipt requested and postage prepaid). Such notices, demands and other communications shall be sent to the parties at the following addresses (or at such address for a party as will be specified by like notice):

 

  (a)

if to International Paper, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: General Counsel

E-mail: Sharon.ryan@ipaper.com

 

  (b)

if to Sylvamo, to:

Before June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6400 Poplar Ave

Tower 1, 9th Floor

 

4


Memphis, TN 38197

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

After June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6077 Primacy Parkway Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

Any party to this Agreement may notify any other party of any changes to the address or any of the other details specified in this paragraph; provided that such notification shall only be effective on the date specified in such notice or five business days after the notice is given, whichever is later. Rejection or other refusal to accept or the inability to deliver because of changed address of which no notice was given shall be deemed to be receipt of the notice as of the date of such rejection, refusal or inability to deliver.

Section 11. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

Section 12. This Agreement may not be amended, altered or terminated except by a written instrument signed by the parties hereto. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

5


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, International Paper and Sylvamo have caused this Agreement to be executed in their respective names by their duly authorized officers, all as of the date first above written.

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:   /s/ Keith R. Townsend
Name:   Keith R. Townsend
Title:   VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC
By:   /s/ John V. Sims
Name:   John V. Sims
Title:   Senior Vice President

[Signature Page to Tax-Exempt Bond Agreement]


SCHEDULE A

Tax-Exempt Facilities


SCHEDULE B

Tax-Exempt Bonds

$71,705,000 Richland County, South Carolina Environmental Improvement Revenue Refunding Bonds (International Paper Company Project), 2014 Series A (the “Series 2014 Bonds”)


SCHEDULE C

Loan Agreement

Loan Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2014, between International Paper and Richland County, South Carolina, relating to the Series 2014 Bonds.


SCHEDULE D

[LETTERHEAD]

[______________] [    ], 2021

[Address]

 

  Re:

$71,705,000 Richland County, South Carolina Environmental Improvement Revenue Refunding Bonds (International Paper Company Project), 2014 Series A (the “Bonds”)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In connection with the referenced Bonds and pursuant to the requirements of Section 7.01 of the Loan Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2014 (the “Agreement”), between Richland County, South Carolina (the “Issuer”) and International Paper Company (“International Paper”), enclosed is a true and complete copy of a Tax-Exempt Bond Agreement, dated as of [__________] [ ], 2021 (the “TEB Agreement”), between International Paper and Sylvamo North America, LLC, relating to, among other things, the assignment by International Paper of all of its right, title and interest in and to, and all remedies under, the Agreement.

 

Very truly yours,
International Paper Company
By:  

 

  Authorized Company Representative

Exhibit 10.8

TAX-EXEMPT BOND AGREEMENT

THIS TAX-EXEMPT BOND AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of this 30th day of September, 2021 (the “Effective Date”), by and between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“International Paper”), and Sylvamo North America, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Sylvamo”).

Recitals

The facilities owned by International Paper listed in Schedule A hereto (the “Tax-Exempt Facilities”) have been financed and/or refinanced, in whole or in part, with proceeds of the issuance and sale of the Series 2015 Bonds (as defined and listed in Schedule B hereto, the “Tax-Exempt Bonds”). International Paper is the obligor and borrower in respect of the Tax-Exempt Bonds. The obligations of International Paper with respect to the Tax-Exempt Bonds are contained in the agreements listed in Schedule C hereto (the “Financing Agreements”).

The interest paid or accrued on the Tax-Exempt Bonds, with certain exceptions, is not includable in the gross income of the holders of the Tax-Exempt Bonds (the “Bondholders”) for purposes of federal income taxation. Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (collectively, the “Code”), the basis for the federal income tax exclusion for interest payable to the Bondholders is the use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for certain qualified purposes.

The use of all or part of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for a purpose other than a qualifying purpose or purposes may cause (a) the interest payable on all or part of the Tax-Exempt Bonds to be includable in the federal gross income of the Bondholders possibly with retroactive effect, and/or (b) the deductibility of the interest payable by International Paper on all or part of the Tax-Exempt Bonds to be disallowed by the Code.

The parties hereto desire to enter into this Agreement to ensure that the Tax-Exempt Facilities will continue to be used in a qualifying manner as required by the Code.

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter contained, the parties hereto formally covenant, agree and bind themselves as follows:

Section 1. (a) International Paper hereby agrees that, as of the Effective Date, Sylvamo and its successors and assigns shall have the right to exercise all of the rights and remedies of International Paper under the Financing Agreements, including, without limitation, the right to receive any condemnation and insurance proceeds, and except for the Retained Liabilities (as hereinafter defined), Sylvamo hereby agrees as of the Effective Date to perform all of International Paper’s obligations under the Financing Agreements, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein. Sylvamo’s agreement to perform International Paper’s obligations hereunder and under the Financing Agreements is subject to any and all limitation, exclusions, conditions and non-recourse limitations set forth in the Financing Agreements. Notwithstanding the foregoing, International Paper shall remain liable for (i) the payment obligations with respect to the Tax-Exempt Bonds and administrative expenses of the Issuer (as defined in the Financing Agreements) and the lender for the Series 2015 Bonds, (ii) any indemnification obligations under the Financing Agreements, other than such indemnification


obligations caused by or arising from the operation, use, occupancy, maintenance and ownership of the Tax-Exempt Facilities after the Effective Date, (iii) any obligations with respect to the acquisition, construction and installation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, (iv) any representation or warranty made by International Paper under the Financing Agreements and (v) the payment of all amounts, the performance of all duties and obligations and the satisfaction of all conditions under the Financing Agreements that accrued prior to the Effective Date or which were to be performed or satisfied prior to the Effective Date or which arise from events, actions or omissions which occurred on or before the Effective Date, including, without limitation, its obligations under any indemnities included in the Financing Agreements (collectively, the “Retained Liabilities”).

(b) Sylvamo acknowledges the recitals herein and that any breach bySylvamo of its obligations under this Agreement could result in the incurrence by International Paper of additional costs and expenses, including, but not limited to, an increase in the rate of interest required to be paid to the Bondholders, liability to some or all of the Bondholders for their failure to include interest payable on the Tax-Exempt Bonds in their respective federal gross income in the event of a final determination of taxability by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) and loss of the interest deduction to International Paper under the Code. Sylvamo acknowledges receipt of copies of the Financing Agreements and tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds and certain tax representations made by International Paper in such documents. International Paper represents that it is in compliance with such tax representations and that no default or event of default exists under the tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds.

Section 2. In order to avoid any or all of the consequences described in Section 1 and the recitals herein, Sylvamo agrees that it will not use, or permit the use of, all or part of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for any purpose except (a) the current use of such Tax-Exempt Facilities or (b) use as contemplated by the tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds, unless Sylvamo (x) provides notice to International Paper in accordance with Section 3 hereof or (y) obtains at its own expense an opinion addressed to International Paper of nationally recognized bond counsel reasonably acceptable to International Paper that such proposed change in use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities or part thereof will not impair (I) the exclusion from gross income of the interest on any Tax-Exempt Bonds for federal income tax purposes or (II) the deductibility of the interest payable on the Tax-Exempt Bonds by International Paper under the Code.

Section 3. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, it is expressly understood and agreed that the provisions of this Agreement shall not prohibit Sylvamo from ceasing to operate, maintain or repair any element or item of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, suspending the operation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities on a temporary basis, changing the use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, or terminating the operation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities on a permanent basis and shutting down, selling or transferring, retiring and/or decommissioning the Tax-Exempt Facilities, provided the purchaser or transferee of the Tax-Exempt Facilities shall expressly assume in writing the obligations of Sylvamo hereunder in a separate tax-exempt bond agreement (or similarly styled agreement) among International Paper, Sylvamo and the purchaser or the transferee. Sylvamo shall provide to International Paper written notice at least thirty (30) days (or such shorter period of time as may be agreed to by International Paper and Sylvamo) in advance of any change in use, permanent shut-down, retirement, abandonment or decommissioning of any Tax-Exempt Facilities in whole or in part.

 

2


Section 4. International Paper and Sylvamo agree to cooperate fully with each other in the event of an audit of the Tax-Exempt Bonds and/or the deductibility and/or excludability of interest payable thereon by the IRS and to provide in a timely fashion copies of or reasonable access to all documents and papers relating to the Tax-Exempt Facilities which may be necessary in connection with a response to such audit.

Section 5. Sylvamo agrees reasonably to assist International Paper in connection with the refinancing with tax-exempt bonds of any or all of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, including, but not limited to, certifications regarding the continued operation, anticipated useful life and relevant operating data with respect to such facility and to communicate support for such refinancing to the issuer of tax-exempt bonds upon request of International Paper.

Section 6. (a) International Paper hereby represents and warrants that it has the power and authority to enter into and execute this Agreement and any other documents or instruments necessary or desirable in connection herewith.

(b) International Paper hereby represents and warrants that, as of the Effective Date, (i) there are no fees and other amounts payable to the Issuer under any Financing Agreement that are currently due and payable or that have accrued but are unpaid, (ii) International Paper is not in default (and no circumstances exist or fail to exist that, with the giving of notice or passage of time or both would constitute such a default) under any Financing Agreement, and (iii) no material breaches, defaults or defenses have been asserted under any Financing Agreement by any of the parties thereto (including International Paper).

(c) International Paper further represents and warrants that, as of the Effective Date, (i) the Tax-Exempt Facilities have been completed, (ii) it has delivered to Sylvamo a complete and correct copy of each Financing Agreement, (iii) the Financing Agreements have not been modified or amended and is in full force and effect, and (iv) the Issuer has not assigned or pledged its interest in any of the Financing Agreements.

(d) International Paper shall cause a notice and a copy of this Agreement to be delivered to the Issuer within 30 days of the date hereof under notice in the form substantially similar to that which is attached hereto as Schedule D.

(e) From and after the Effective Date, International Paper will at its own expense indemnify and hold harmless Sylvamo from all actions, suits, losses, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), obligations and liability arising with respect to (i) the Retained Liabilities, (ii) International Paper’s default with respect to its covenants and obligations under this Agreement, and (iii) any misrepresentation or incorrect warranty of International Paper set forth herein. The obligations of International Paper under this Section 6(e) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall survive the expiration or termination of the Financing Agreements.

Section 7. (a) Sylvamo hereby represents and warrants that Sylvamo has the power and authority to enter into and execute this Agreement and any other documents or instruments necessary or desirable in connection herewith, and to incur and perform the obligations provided for herein.

 

3


(b) Following the Effective Date and throughout the remaining term of the Financing Agreements, Sylvamo will at its own expense indemnify and hold harmless International Paper from all actions, suits, losses, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), obligations and liability arising with respect to (i) Sylvamo’s default with respect to its covenants and obligations under this Agreement and (ii) the Financing Agreements (other than with respect to the Retained Liabilities) and the performance and observance of any and all other agreements of International Paper provided in the Financing Agreements other than the Retained Liabilities. The obligations of Sylvamo under this Section 7(b) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall remain in full force and effect until the Financing Agreements have expired.

Section 8. The obligations of each party hereto are unconditional and shall not be contingent upon performance by the other party of its obligations hereunder.

Section 9. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of Delaware (without giving effect to Delaware’s conflicts of law analysis).

Section 10. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications to be given or delivered under or by the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given only (a) when delivered personally to the recipient, (b) one business day after being sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid); provided that confirmation of delivery is received, (c) when sent if sent by e-mail transmission or (d) five days after being mailed to the recipient by certified or registered mail (return receipt requested and postage prepaid). Such notices, demands and other communications shall be sent to the parties at the following addresses (or at such address for a party as will be specified by like notice):

 

  (a)

if to International Paper, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: General Counsel

E-mail: Sharon.ryan@ipaper.com

 

  (b)

if to Sylvamo, to:

Before June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6400 Poplar Ave

Tower 1, 9th Floor

Memphis, TN 38197

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

 

4


After June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6077 Primacy Parkway

Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

Any party to this Agreement may notify any other party of any changes to the address or any of the other details specified in this paragraph; provided that such notification shall only be effective on the date specified in such notice or five business days after the notice is given, whichever is later. Rejection or other refusal to accept or the inability to deliver because of changed address of which no notice was given shall be deemed to be receipt of the notice as of the date of such rejection, refusal or inability to deliver.

Section 11. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

Section 12. This Agreement may not be amended, altered or terminated except by a written instrument signed by the parties hereto. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

5


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, International Paper and Sylvamo have caused this Agreement to be executed in their respective names by their duly authorized officers, all as of the date first above written.

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith R. Townsend

Name:   Keith R. Townsend
Title:   VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC
By:  

/s/ John V. Sims

Name:   John V. Sims
Title:   Senior Vice President

[Signature Page to Tax-Exempt Bond Agreement]


SCHEDULE A

Tax-Exempt Facilities


SCHEDULE B

Tax-Exempt Bonds

$15,000,000 Essex County Industrial Development Agency Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Refunding Bonds (International Paper Company Project), Series 2015A (the “Series 2015 Bonds”)


SCHEDULE C

Financing Agreements

Financing Agreement, dated as of December 1, 2015, between the Essex County Industrial Development Agency and International Paper, as amended by the First Amendment to Financing Agreement, dated as of April 26, 2018, between the Essex County Industrial Development Agency and International Paper, each relating to the Series 2015 Bonds.

Installment Sale Agreement, dated as of December 1, 2015, between the Essex County Industrial Development Agency and International Paper, relating to the Series 2015 Bonds.


SCHEDULE D

[LETTERHEAD]

[______________] [    ], 2021

[Address]

 

  Re:

$15,000,000 Essex County Industrial Development Agency Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Refunding Bonds (International Paper Company Project), Series 2015A (the “Bonds”)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to the Installment Sale Agreement, dated as of December 1, 2015 (the “Agreement”), between the Essex County Industrial Development Agency (the “Issuer”) and International Paper Company (“International Paper”). Enclosed is a true and complete copy of a Tax-Exempt Bond Agreement, dated as of [__________] [ ], 2021 (the “TEB Agreement”), between International Paper and Sylvamo North America, LLC, relating to, among other things, the use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities (as defined in the TEB Agreement).

 

Very truly yours,
International Paper Company
By:  

             

  Authorized Company Representative

Exhibit 10.9

TAX-EXEMPT BOND AGREEMENT

THIS TAX-EXEMPT BOND AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of this 30th day of September, 2021 (the “Effective Date”), by and between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“International Paper”), and Sylvamo North America, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Sylvamo”).

Recitals

The facilities owned by International Paper listed in Schedule A hereto (the “Tax-Exempt Facilities”) have been financed and/or refinanced, in whole or in part, with proceeds of the issuance and sale of the Series 2019 Bonds (as defined and listed in Schedule B hereto, the “Tax-Exempt Bonds”). International Paper is the obligor and borrower in respect of the Tax-Exempt Bonds. The obligations of International Paper with respect to the Tax-Exempt Bonds are contained in the agreement listed in Schedule C hereto (the “Installment Sale Agreement”).

The interest paid or accrued on the Tax-Exempt Bonds, with certain exceptions, is not includable in the gross income of the holders of the Tax-Exempt Bonds (the “Bondholders”) for purposes of federal income taxation. Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (collectively, the “Code”), the basis for the federal income tax exclusion for interest payable to the Bondholders is the use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for certain qualified purposes.

The use of all or part of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for a purpose other than a qualifying purpose or purposes may cause (a) the interest payable on all or part of the Tax-Exempt Bonds to be includable in the federal gross income of the Bondholders possibly with retroactive effect, and/or (b) the deductibility of the interest payable by International Paper on all or part of the Tax-Exempt Bonds to be disallowed by the Code.

The parties hereto desire to enter into this Agreement to ensure that the Tax-Exempt Facilities will continue to be used in a qualifying manner as required by the Code.

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter contained, the parties hereto formally covenant, agree and bind themselves as follows:

Section 1. (a) Pursuant to authority granted in the Installment Sale Agreement, International Paper hereby transfers and assigns as of the Effective Date unto Sylvamo and its successors and assigns all of its right, title and interest in and to, and all remedies under, the Installment Sale Agreement, including, without limitation, the rights to any condemnation and insurance proceeds, and except for the Retained Liabilities (as hereinafter defined), Sylvamo hereby assumes as of the Effective Date all of International Paper’s obligations under the Installment Sale Agreement, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein. Sylvamo’s assumption of International Paper’s obligations hereunder and under the Installment Sale Agreement are subject to any and all limitation, exclusions, conditions and non-recourse limitations set forth in the Installment Sale Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, International Paper shall remain liable for (i) the payment obligations with respect to the Tax-Exempt Bonds and “Administrative Expenses” (as defined in the Installment Sale Agreement), including, without limitation, any amounts payable under the “Indenture” (as defined in the


Installment Sale Agreement), (ii) any indemnification obligations under the Installment Sale Agreement, other than such indemnification obligations caused by or arising from the operation, use, occupancy, maintenance and ownership of the Tax-Exempt Facilities after the Effective Date, (iii) any obligations with respect to the acquisition, construction and installation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, (iv) any representation or warranty made by International Paper under the Installment Sale Agreement and (v) the payment of all amounts, the performance of all duties and obligations and the satisfaction of all conditions under the Installment Sale Agreement that accrued prior to the Effective Date or which were to be performed or satisfied prior to the Effective Date or which arise from events, actions or omissions which occurred on or before the Effective Date, including, without limitation, its obligations under any indemnities included in the Installment Sale Agreement (collectively, the “Retained Liabilities”).

(b) Sylvamo acknowledges the recitals herein and that any breach bySylvamo of its obligations under this Agreement could result in the incurrence by International Paper of additional costs and expenses, including, but not limited to, an increase in the rate of interest required to be paid to the Bondholders, liability to some or all of the Bondholders for their failure to include interest payable on the Tax-Exempt Bonds in their respective federal gross income in the event of a final determination of taxability by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) and loss of the interest deduction to International Paper under the Code. Sylvamo acknowledges receipt of copies of the Installment Sale Agreement and tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds and certain tax representations made by International Paper in such documents. International Paper represents that it is in compliance with such tax representations and that no default or event of default exists under the tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds.

Section 2. In order to avoid any or all of the consequences described in Section 1 and the recitals herein, Sylvamo agrees that it will not use, or permit the use of, all or part of the Tax-Exempt Facilities for any purpose except (a) the current use of such Tax-Exempt Facilities or (b) use as contemplated by the tax compliance documents or non-arbitrage certificates for the Tax-Exempt Bonds, unless Sylvamo (x) provides notice to International Paper in accordance with Section 3 hereof or (y) obtains at its own expense an opinion addressed to International Paper of nationally recognized bond counsel reasonably acceptable to International Paper that such proposed change in use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities or part thereof will not impair (I) the exclusion from gross income of the interest on any Tax-Exempt Bonds for federal income tax purposes or (II) the deductibility of the interest payable on the Tax-Exempt Bonds by International Paper under the Code.

Section 3. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, it is expressly understood and agreed that the provisions of this Agreement shall not prohibit Sylvamo from ceasing to operate, maintain or repair any element or item of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, suspending the operation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities on a temporary basis, changing the use of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, or terminating the operation of the Tax-Exempt Facilities on a permanent basis and shutting down, selling or transferring, retiring and/or decommissioning the Tax-Exempt Facilities, provided the purchaser or transferee of the Tax-Exempt Facilities shall expressly assume in writing the obligations of Sylvamo hereunder in a separate tax-exempt bond agreement (or similarly styled agreement) among International Paper, Sylvamo and the purchaser or the transferee. Sylvamo shall provide to International Paper written notice at least thirty (30) days (or such shorter period of time as may be agreed to by International Paper and Sylvamo) in advance of any change in use, permanent shut-down, retirement, abandonment or decommissioning of any Tax-Exempt Facilities in whole or in part.

 

2


Section 4. International Paper and Sylvamo agree to cooperate fully with each other in the event of an audit of the Tax-Exempt Bonds and/or the deductibility and/or excludability of interest payable thereon by the IRS and to provide in a timely fashion copies of or reasonable access to all documents and papers relating to the Tax-Exempt Facilities which may be necessary in connection with a response to such audit.

Section 5. Sylvamo agrees reasonably to assist International Paper in connection with the refinancing with tax-exempt bonds of any or all of the Tax-Exempt Facilities, including, but not limited to, certifications regarding the continued operation, anticipated useful life and relevant operating data with respect to such facility and to communicate support for such refinancing to the issuer of tax-exempt bonds upon request of International Paper.

Section 6. (a) International Paper hereby represents and warrants that it has the power and authority to enter into and execute this Agreement and any other documents or instruments necessary or desirable in connection herewith.

(b) International Paper hereby represents and warrants that, as of the Effective Date, (i) there are no fees and other amounts payable to the Issuer under the Installment Sale Agreement that are currently due and payable or that have accrued but are unpaid, (ii) International Paper is not in default (and no circumstances exist or fail to exist that, with the giving of notice or passage of time or both would constitute such a default) under the Installment Sale Agreement, and (iii) no material breaches, defaults or defenses have been asserted under the Installment Sale Agreement by any of the parties thereto (including International Paper).

(c) International Paper further represents and warrants that, as of the Effective Date, (i) the Tax-Exempt Facilities have been completed, (ii) it has delivered to Sylvamo a complete and correct copy of the Installment Sale Agreement, (iii) the Installment Sale Agreement has not been modified or amended and is in full force and effect, and (iv) the Issuer has not assigned or pledged its interest in the Installment Sale Agreement.

(d) As required by and in accordance with Section 7.01 of the Installment Sale Agreement, International Paper shall cause a notice of assignment and a copy of this Agreement to be delivered to the Issuer and Tax-Exempt Bond trustee within 30 days of the date hereof under notice in the form substantially similar to that which is attached hereto as Schedule D.

(e) From and after the Effective Date, International Paper will at its own expense indemnify and hold harmless Sylvamo from all actions, suits, losses, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), obligations and liability arising with respect to (i) the Retained Liabilities, (ii) International Paper’s default with respect to its covenants and obligations under this Agreement, and (iii) any misrepresentation or incorrect warranty of International Paper set forth herein. The obligations of International Paper under this Section 6(e) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall survive the expiration or termination of the Installment Sale Agreement.

 

3


Section 7. (a) Sylvamo hereby represents and warrants that Sylvamo has the power and authority to enter into and execute this Agreement and any other documents or instruments necessary or desirable in connection herewith, and to incur and perform the obligations provided for herein.

(b) Following the Effective Date and throughout the remaining term of the Installment Sale Agreement, Sylvamo will at its own expense indemnify and hold harmless International Paper from all actions, suits, losses, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses), obligations and liability arising with respect to (i) Sylvamo’s default with respect to its covenants and obligations under this Agreement and (ii) the Installment Sale Agreement (other than with respect to the Retained Liabilities) and the performance and observance of any and all other agreements of International Paper provided in the Installment Sale Agreement other than the Retained Liabilities. The obligations of Sylvamo under this Section 7(b) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall remain in full force and effect until the Installment Sale Agreement has expired.

Section 8. The obligations of each party hereto are unconditional and shall not be contingent upon performance by the other party of its obligations hereunder.

Section 9. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of Delaware (without giving effect to Delaware’s conflicts of law analysis).

Section 10. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications to be given or delivered under or by the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given only (a) when delivered personally to the recipient, (b) one business day after being sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid); provided that confirmation of delivery is received, (c) when sent if sent by e-mail transmission or (d) five days after being mailed to the recipient by certified or registered mail (return receipt requested and postage prepaid). Such notices, demands and other communications shall be sent to the parties at the following addresses (or at such address for a party as will be specified by like notice):

 

  (a)

if to International Paper, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: General Counsel

E-mail: Sharon.ryan@ipaper.com

 

  (b)

if to Sylvamo, to:

Before June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6400 Poplar Ave

 

4


Tower 1, 9th Floor

Memphis, TN 38197

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

After June 30, 2022:

Sylvamo Corporation

6077 Primacy Parkway

Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

Any party to this Agreement may notify any other party of any changes to the address or any of the other details specified in this paragraph; provided that such notification shall only be effective on the date specified in such notice or five business days after the notice is given, whichever is later. Rejection or other refusal to accept or the inability to deliver because of changed address of which no notice was given shall be deemed to be receipt of the notice as of the date of such rejection, refusal or inability to deliver.

Section 11. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

Section 12. This Agreement may not be amended, altered or terminated except by a written instrument signed by the parties hereto. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, International Paper and Sylvamo have caused this Agreement to be executed in their respective names by their duly authorized officers, all as of the date first above written.

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith R. Townsend

Name:   Keith R. Townsend
Title:   VP Strategic Initiatives
SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC
By:  

/s/ John V. Sims

Name:   John V. Sims
Title:   Senior Vice President

 

[Signature Page to Tax-Exempt Bond Agreement]


SCHEDULE A

Tax-Exempt Facilities


SCHEDULE B

Tax-Exempt Bonds

$2,900,000 Essex County Industrial Development Agency Environmental Improvement Revenue Refunding Bonds (International Paper Company Project), Series 2019A (the “Series 2019 Bonds”)


SCHEDULE C

Installment Sale Agreement

Installment Sale Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2019, between the Essex County Industrial Development Agency and International Paper, relating to the Series 2019 Bonds.


SCHEDULE D

[LETTERHEAD]

[______________] [    ], 2021

[Address]

 

  Re:

$2,900,000 Essex County Industrial Development Agency Environmental Improvement Revenue Refunding Bonds (International Paper Company Project), Series 2019A (the “Bonds”)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In connection with the referenced Bonds and pursuant to the requirements of Section 7.01 of the Installment Sale Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2019 (the “Agreement”), between the Essex County Industrial Development Agency (the “Issuer”) and International Paper Company (“International Paper”), enclosed is a true and complete copy of a Tax-Exempt Bond Agreement, dated as of [__________] [ ], 2021 (the “TEB Agreement”), between International Paper and Sylvamo North America, LLC, relating to, among other things, the assignment by International Paper of all of its right, title and interest in and to, and all remedies under, the Agreement.

 

Very truly yours,
International Paper Company
By:  

 

  Authorized Company Representative

Exhibit 10.10

RETAINED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

LICENSE AGREEMENT

This Retained Intellectual Property License Agreement (this “Agreement) dated as of September 30, 2021 (“Effective Date”), is made by and between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“Licensor”), and Global Holdings II, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Licensee”).

WHEREAS, Licensor and Licensee have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement dated as of September 29, 2021 (the “Separation Agreement”), pursuant to which Licensor has agreed to contribute, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Licensee all of Licensor’s right, title and interest in and to the SpinCo Assets, including the SpinCo Intellectual Property and SpinCo Know-How, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Separation Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property (as defined below) is not being transferred to Licensee pursuant to the Separation Agreement; and

WHEREAS, Licensee wishes to continue to use the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property in connection with Products (as defined below) manufactured at the Facility (as defined below), and Licensor has agreed to license the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property to Licensee in connection with Products manufactured at the Facility, subject to the limitations set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, it is hereby agreed:

SECTION 1. Definitions.

(a) Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Separation Agreement.

(b) “Facility” means the existing manufacturing facilities located at (i) Ticonderoga, (ii) Eastover, (iii) Luís Antônio, Brazil, (iv) Três Lagoas, Brazil, (v) Mogi Guaçu, Brazil, (vi) Svetogorsk, Russia and (vii) Saillat, France; sheeter facilities located at (x) Sumter and (y) Saillat, France; and any future expansions to such existing manufacturing facilities that result in an expansion of capacity, provided that such future expansions are co-located with and physically connected to such existing manufacturing facilities.

(c) “Patents” means patents, patent applications (including patents issued thereon), utility models, and industrial design registrations, including reissues, divisions, continuations, continuations in part, substitutions, renewals, extensions and reexaminations of any of the foregoing, and all rights in any of the foregoing provided by international treaties or conventions.


(d) Products” means, with respect to any Facility, products manufactured in the operation of the SpinCo Business as conducted at such Facility during the twenty-four (24) months immediately prior to the Effective Date; provided that Products shall exclude bristols and specialty papers and any product produced by the Parent Business, including containerboard, linerboard, white top linerboard, medium recycled linerboard, recycled medium, saturating kraft, corrugated containers and fluff, market and specialty pulps (the products in this proviso, collectively, the “Excluded Products”).

(e) “Retained Licensed Intellectual Property” means (i) Patents owned by Licensor or its Subsidiaries as of the Effective Date and set forth on Schedule 1 (“Licensed Patents”) and (ii) Know-How owned by, or licensed to (and sublicensable by Licensor without any obligation to the owner of such Know-How), Licensor or its Subsidiaries as of the Effective Date that are related to the Licensed Patents. For the avoidance of doubt, Retained Licensed Intellectual Property excludes all Intellectual Property owned by Licensor or its Subsidiaries (including the Patents and Know-How described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii)) to the extent relating to Excluded Products.

SECTION 2. License and Use.

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, Licensor, on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, grants to Licensee a fully paid-up, royalty-free, perpetual (subject to Section 4), worldwide, sublicensable (subject to Section 16), non-assignable (subject to Section 16), non-exclusive license to use (including to create modifications, enhancements or improvements to) the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property to make, have made, sell, offer to sell, import and export Products and services solely in connection with Products manufactured at the Facility in the conduct of the SpinCo Business following the Effective Date, in the manner conducted as of the Effective Date and not for any other current or future purpose or business of Licensee (collectively, the rights granted above will be referred to as the “License”).

(b) Licensee shall not do, cause, suffer or cause to be done any deed, matter or thing whatsoever which shall, or is likely to, adversely affect or prejudice, directly or indirectly, the validity of the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property or the ownership of the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property by Licensor and Licensor’s business partners or any other third party.

SECTION 3. Improvements. In the event a party makes, or has a Third Party make, modifications, enhancements or improvements to any Retained Licensed Intellectual Property (“Improvements”), each party shall retain ownership of any modifications, enhancements or improvements that such party makes, or has a Third Party make. For the purposes of clarity, the License does not include rights to Improvements.

 

2


SECTION 4. Term and Termination.

(a) Unless otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms herein, this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in perpetuity, except that, with respect to any Patent included in the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property, the License granted hereunder shall terminate, only as to such Patent, upon the expiration of such Patent.

(b) Licensor may terminate (i) this Agreement in the event Licensee makes or attempts to make an assignment of this Agreement in violation of Section 16, (ii) this Agreement in the event Licensee (x) becomes insolvent, (y) becomes the subject of a petition in bankruptcy which is not withdrawn or dismissed within sixty (60) days thereafter, or (z) makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) this Agreement upon the mutual written agreement of the parties, (iv) this Agreement in the event Licensee challenges or attempts to challenge Licensor’s ownership of or the validity of the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property (except to the extent that Licensee cannot be prohibited from making such challenge as a matter of law) and (v) the License in the event Licensee uses the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property outside the conduct of the SpinCo Business as conducted as of the Effective Date or otherwise contrary to this Agreement.

SECTION 5. No Representations or Warranties. ALL OF THE RETAINED LICENSED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS LICENSED ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS. ACCORDINGLY, EXCEPT AS MAY EXPRESSLY BE SET FORTH IN THE SEPARATION AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE ANCILLARY AGREEMENTS, (a) LICENSOR EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO ANY RETAINED LICENSED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INCLUDING AS TO VALIDITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND ADEQUACY, SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR OPERATION OR PERFORMANCE THEREOF AND (b) IN NO EVENT SHALL LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT DAMAGES, COSTS OR SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOST PROFITS WITH RESPECT TO THE RETAINED LICENSED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INCLUDING ANY USE THEREOF BY LICENSEE.

SECTION 6. Maintenance.

(a) If, at any time, any of the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property is a trade secret, Licensee will use commercially reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality thereof consistent with the manner in which it protects the confidentiality of its own trade secrets of like kind. Licensor shall retain the sole right, but not the obligation, to maintain the Licensed Patents, including deciding whether to abandon or otherwise cease to maintain (including to discontinue payment of any fees due with respect to) any such Licensed Patent.

 

3


SECTION 7. Confidentiality. The parties hereto shall hold in strict confidence, and not disclose to any other Person or use for any purpose other than as expressly permitted pursuant to this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the other party, any information regarding (or related to) the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property or otherwise received under this Agreement which the disclosing party, at the time of disclosure, identifies as confidential or a trade secret (whether in writing or orally) or that would otherwise reasonably be understood to constitute confidential information or a trade secret; provided that the parties hereto may disclose, or may permit disclosure of, such confidential information (a) to their respective Representatives who have a need to know such information for auditing and other non-commercial purposes and are informed of their obligation to hold such information confidential to the same extent as is applicable to the parties hereto and in respect of whose failure to comply with such obligations, the applicable party will be responsible, (b) if the parties hereto are requested or required to disclose any such confidential information by oral questions, interrogatories, requests for information or other documents in legal proceedings, subpoena, civil investigative demand or any other similar process, or by other requirements of Law or stock exchange rule, (c) as required in connection with any legal or other proceeding by one party against any other party or (d) as necessary in order to permit a party to prepare and disclose its financial statements, or other required disclosures required by Law or such applicable stock exchange. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any demand or request for disclosure of confidential information is made pursuant to clause (b) above, each party hereto, as applicable, shall provide the other with prompt written notice of any such request or requirement so that the other party has an opportunity to seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy, which such parties will cooperate in obtaining. In the event that such appropriate protective order or other remedy is not obtained, the party that is required to make disclosure shall disclose or shall cause to be disclosed only that portion of the confidential information that is in the opinion of outside counsel necessary to be disclosed and shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure confidential treatment is accorded to such disclosed information.

SECTION 8. Infringement Actions. In the event Licensor takes affirmative action against an infringement or misappropriation or a threatened infringement or misappropriation, Licensee agrees to assist Licensor in whatever manner Licensor reasonably requests, at the expense of Licensor. Recovery of damages resulting from any such action shall be solely for the account of Licensor. Licensee will provide information reasonably requested by Licensor in any infringement or misappropriation action, including in connection with the calculation of damages. Licensee may participate, at its expense, in any action taken by or proceeding instituted by or brought against Licensor through separate counsel of Licensee’s own choosing; provided that Licensor will at all times retain full control over such action, and not compromise or settle any such action or proceeding unless such compromise or settlement (a) is solely for monetary damages (for which Licensor shall be responsible), (b) does not impose injunctive or other equitable relief against Licensee and (c) includes an unconditional release of Licensee from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action or proceeding.

 

4


SECTION 9. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their permitted assigns and nothing herein expressed or implied shall give or be construed to give to any other Person any legal or equitable rights hereunder.

SECTION 10. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by e-mail with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 10):

if to Licensor, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: Sharon Ryan (General Counsel)

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

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention:                Chief Counsel—Intellectual Property

if to Licensee, to:

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention:    Matt Barron (Senior Vice President and General Counsel)

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

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention:    Brad Poe (Senior Counsel – Intellectual Property)

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

 

5


SECTION 11. Amendments. No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification.

SECTION 12. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof or thereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby. Upon such determination, the parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the parties.

SECTION 13. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Separation Agreement and the exhibits, schedules and appendices hereto and thereto, contain the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement, on the one hand, and the provisions of the Separation Agreement (including the exhibits, schedules and appendices thereto), on the other hand, the provisions of the Separation Agreement shall control.

SECTION 14. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other party hereto. Each party acknowledges that it and the other party are executing this Agreement by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp, electronic or mechanical signature) by email in portable document format (PDF) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this Agreement. Each party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier or by email in portable document format (PDF)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it shall not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person and agrees that, at the reasonable request of the other party at any time, it shall as promptly as reasonably practicable cause this Agreement to be manually executed (any such execution to be as of the date of the initial date thereof) and delivered in person, by mail or by courier.

 

6


SECTION 15. Governing Law; Forum; Waiver of Jury Trial. The provisions of Section 10.2 of the Separation Agreement shall apply to this Agreement mutatis mutandis.

SECTION 16. Assignment and Sublicense. Neither this Agreement nor any rights and obligations of Licensee hereunder may be assigned or sublicensed by Licensee; provided, however, that Licensee may, without consent, and upon prior written notice to Licensor, (a) assign this Agreement or sublicense, solely within the scope of the License, the rights granted hereunder, in whole or in part, to an Affiliate of Licensee or (b) assign this Agreement, in whole or in part, to a non-Affiliate purchaser or non-Affiliate transferee of all or part of a Facility, provided further, that in no event may the non-Affiliate assignee or transferee use any of the Retained Licensed Intellectual Property in any business or activity other than that of the portion of the purchased or transferred Facility as operated as of the date of such assignment. Licensee shall be responsible for the activities of any sublicensee of Licensee as if the activities were directly those of Licensee. Any transfer or other disposition by Licensor or any of its Affiliates of any Retained Licensed Intellectual Property will be made subject to the terms of this Agreement. Licensor may freely assign this Agreement in whole or in part in connection with the transfer of all or any portion of its business to which this Agreement pertains. Subject to the preceding sentences of this Section 16, 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.

SECTION 17. Limitations of Liability. NEITHER PARTY, NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AND EMPLOYEES SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY, OR ITS AFFILIATES, FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS, REVENUE OR BUSINESS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE SOUGHT BASED ON BREACH OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY.

SECTION 18. Headings. The Section and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

SECTION 19. Bankruptcy. All licenses granted under this Agreement will be deemed licenses of rights to intellectual property for purposes of Section 365(n) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and a licensee under this Agreement will retain and may fully exercise all of its rights and elections under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

7


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives effective as of the date first set forth above.

 

LICENSOR, INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:  

/s/ Keith Townsend

 

Name: Keith Townsend

Title: VP Strategic Initiatives

 

LICENSEE, GLOBAL HOLDINGS II, INC.
By:  

/s/ Greg Gibson

 

Name: Greg Gibson

Title: President

 

8

Exhibit 10.11

RETAINED COPYRIGHT

LICENSE AGREEMENT

This Retained Copyright License Agreement (this “Agreement”) dated as of September 30, 2021 (“Effective Date”), is made by and between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“Licensor”), and Global Holdings II, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Licensee”).

WHEREAS, Licensor and Licensee have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement dated as of September 29, 2021 (the “Separation Agreement”), pursuant to which Licensor has agreed to contribute, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Licensee all of Licensor’s right, title and interest in and to the SpinCo Assets, including the SpinCo Intellectual Property, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Separation Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Retained Licensed Copyrights (as defined below) are not being transferred to Licensee pursuant to the Separation Agreement; and

WHEREAS, Licensee wishes to continue to use the Retained Licensed Copyrights in connection with Products (as defined below) manufactured at the Facility (as defined below), and Licensor has agreed to license the Retained Licensed Copyrights to Licensee in connection with Products manufactured at the Facility, subject to the limitations set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, it is hereby agreed:

SECTION 1. Definitions.

(a) Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Separation Agreement.

(b) “Copyrights” means copyrights, moral rights, mask work rights, database rights and design rights, whether or not registered, and all registrations and applications for registration of any of the foregoing, and all rights in and to any of the foregoing provided by international treaties or conventions.

(c) “Facility” means the existing manufacturing facilities located at (i) Ticonderoga, (ii) Eastover, (iii) Luís Antônio, Brazil, (iv) Três Lagoas, Brazil, (v) Mogi Guaçu, Brazil, (vi) Svetogorsk, Russia and (vii) Saillat, France; sheeter facilities located at (x) Sumter and (y) Saillat, France; and any future expansions to such existing manufacturing facilities that result in an expansion of capacity, provided that such future expansions are co-located with and physically connected to such existing manufacturing facilities.

(d) “Products” means, with respect to any Facility, products manufactured in the operation of the SpinCo Business as conducted at such Facility during the twenty-four (24) months immediately prior to the Effective Date; provided that Products shall exclude bristols and specialty papers and any product produced by the Parent Business, including containerboard, linerboard, white top linerboard, medium recycled linerboard, recycled medium, saturating kraft, corrugated containers and fluff, market and specialty pulps (the products in this proviso, collectively, the “Excluded Products”).


(e) “Retained Licensed Copyrights” means Copyrights owned by, or licensed to (and sublicensable by Licensor without any obligation to the owner of such Copyrights) (such licensed Copyrights, the “Licensed Copyrights”), Licensor or its Subsidiaries as of the Effective Date which is in commercial use in connection with Products manufactured at the Facility by Licensee or its Affiliates and which is reasonably necessary for Licensee or its Affiliates in the design, manufacture, application, sale or marketing of Products manufactured at the Facility as of the Effective Date of this Agreement including without limitation those specifically mentioned in Schedule 1, provided, however, that Retained Licensed Copyrights shall not include Software.

SECTION 2. License and Use.

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, Licensor, on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, grants to Licensee a fully paid-up, royalty-free, perpetual (subject to Section 4), worldwide, sublicensable (subject Section 2(b) and Section 14), non-assignable (subject to Section 14), non-exclusive license to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, transmit and use (including, subject to Section 2(b), to create derivative works from) the Retained Licensed Copyrights solely to conduct the SpinCo Business in connection with Products manufactured at the Facility following the Effective Date, in the manner conducted as of the Effective Date and not for any other current or future purpose or business of Licensee (collectively, the rights granted above will be referred to as the “License”).

(b) For purposes of clarity, the rights granted to Licensee under this section are subject to Section 2(c) of this Agreement and no rights to grant sublicenses or create derivative works are granted to Licensee with respect to the Licensed Copyrights, which are owned by Licensor’s business partners or any other third party.

(c) Licensee acknowledges that Licensor and, if applicable, Licensor’s business partners or other third party are and at all times shall continue to be the exclusive owners of the Retained Licensed Copyrights and that all of Licensee’s rights and use under this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the Licensor and Licensor’s business partners all title and property in the Retained Licensed Copyrights continue at all times to vest solely and absolutely in the Licensor and Licensor’s business partners or other third party. In the event that Licensee desires to expand its use of the Licensed Copyrights (including but not limited to such Licensed Copyrights set forth on Schedule 1 of this Agreement), Licensee agrees that: (i) Licensor shall have no liability related to such expanded use; (ii) Licensor shall have no responsibility to negotiate such rights to enable Licensee’s expanded use; and (iii) Licensee shall negotiate such rights to Licensee’s expanded use directly with Licensor’s business partners.

(d) Licensee shall not do, cause, suffer or cause to be done any deed, matter or thing whatsoever which shall, or is likely to, adversely affect or prejudice, directly or indirectly, the validity of the Retained Licensed Copyrights or the ownership of the Retained Licensed Copyrights by Licensor and Licensor’s business partners or any other third party.


SECTION 3. Derivative Works. In the event a party creates, or has a Third Party create, derivative works of any Retained Licensed Copyrights (excluding the Licensed Copyrights, for which no rights to create derivative works therefrom are granted hereunder) (“Derivative Works”), each party shall retain ownership of any derivative works that such party creates, or has a Third Party create. For purposes of clarity, the License does not include rights to Derivative Works.

SECTION 4. Term and Termination.

(a) Unless otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms herein, this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in perpetuity.

(b) Licensor may terminate (i) this Agreement in the event Licensee makes or attempts to make an assignment of this Agreement in violation of Section 14, (ii) this Agreement in the event Licensee (x) becomes insolvent, (y) becomes the subject of a petition in bankruptcy which is not withdrawn or dismissed within sixty (60) days thereafter, or (z) makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) this Agreement upon the mutual written agreement of the parties, (iv) this Agreement in the event Licensee challenges or attempts to challenge Licensor’s ownership of or the validity of the Retained Licensed Copyrights and (v) the License in the event Licensee uses the Retained Licensed Copyrights outside the conduct of the SpinCo Business as conducted as of the Effective Date or otherwise contrary to this Agreement.

SECTION 5. No Representations or Warranties. ALL OF THE RETAINED LICENSED COPYRIGHTS ARE LICENSED ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS. ACCORDINGLY, EXCEPT AS MAY EXPRESSLY BE SET FORTH IN THE SEPARATION AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE ANCILLARY AGREEMENTS, (a) LICENSOR EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO ANY RETAINED LICENSED COPYRIGHTS, INCLUDING AS TO VALIDITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND ADEQUACY, SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR OPERATION OR PERFORMANCE THEREOF AND (b) IN NO EVENT SHALL LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT DAMAGES, COSTS OR SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOST PROFITS WITH RESPECT TO THE RETAINED LICENSED COPYRIGHTS, INCLUDING ANY USE THEREOF BY LICENSEE.

SECTION 6. Confidentiality. The parties hereto shall hold in strict confidence, and not disclose to any other Person or use for any purpose other than as expressly permitted pursuant to this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the other party, any information regarding the Retained Licensed Copyrights or otherwise received under this Agreement which the disclosing party, at the time of disclosure, identifies as confidential (whether in writing or orally) or that would otherwise reasonably be understood to constitute confidential information; provided that the parties hereto may disclose, or may permit disclosure of, such confidential information (a) to their respective Representatives who have a need to know such information for auditing and other non-commercial purposes and are informed of their obligation to hold such


information confidential to the same extent as is applicable to the parties hereto and in respect of whose failure to comply with such obligations, the applicable party will be responsible, (b) if the parties hereto are requested or required to disclose any such confidential information by oral questions, interrogatories, requests for information or other documents in legal proceedings, subpoena, civil investigative demand or any other similar process, or by other requirements of Law or stock exchange rule, (c) as required in connection with any legal or other proceeding by one party against any other party or (d) as necessary in order to permit a party to prepare and disclose its financial statements, or other required disclosures required by Law or such applicable stock exchange. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any demand or request for disclosure of confidential information is made pursuant to clause (b) above, each party hereto, as applicable, shall provide the other with prompt written notice of any such request or requirement so that the other party has an opportunity to seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy, which such parties will cooperate in obtaining. In the event that such appropriate protective order or other remedy is not obtained, the party that is required to make disclosure shall disclose or shall cause to be disclosed only that portion of the confidential information that is in the opinion of outside counsel necessary to be disclosed and shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure confidential treatment is accorded to such disclosed information.

SECTION 7. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their permitted assigns and nothing herein expressed or implied shall give or be construed to give to any other Person any legal or equitable rights hereunder.

SECTION 8. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by e-mail with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 8):

if to Licensor, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: Sharon Ryan (General Counsel)

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

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Chief Counsel—Intellectual Property


if to Licensee, to:

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Matt Barron (Senior Vice President and General Counsel)

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

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Brad Poe (Senior Counsel – Intellectual Property)]

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

SECTION 9. Amendments. No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification.

SECTION 10. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof or thereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby. Upon such determination, the parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the parties.

SECTION 11. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Separation Agreement and the exhibits, schedules and appendices hereto and thereto, contain the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement, on the one hand, and the provisions of the Separation Agreement (including the exhibits, schedules and appendices thereto), on the other hand, the provisions of the Separation Agreement shall control.

SECTION 12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other party hereto. Each party acknowledges that it and the other party are executing this Agreement by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an


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

SECTION 13. Governing Law; Forum; Waiver of Jury Trial. The provisions of Section 10.2 of the Separation Agreement shall apply to this Agreement mutatis mutandis.

SECTION 14. Assignment and Sublicense. Neither this Agreement nor any rights and obligations of Licensee hereunder may be assigned or sublicensed (subject to Section 2(b)) by Licensee; provided, however, that Licensee may, without consent, and upon prior written notice to Licensor, (a) assign this Agreement or sublicense, solely within the scope of the License, the rights granted hereunder (excluding such rights with respect to the Licensed Copyrights, for which no rights to grant sublicenses thereof or thereto are granted hereunder), in whole or in part, to an Affiliate of Licensee or (b) assign this Agreement, in whole or in part, to a non-Affiliate purchaser or non-Affiliate transferee of all or part of a Facility, provided further, that in no event may the non-Affiliate assignee or transferee use any of the Retained Licensed Copyrights in any business or activity other than that of the portion of the purchased or transferred Facility as operated as of the date of such assignment. Licensee shall be responsible for the activities of any sublicensee of Licensee as if the activities were directly those of Licensee. Any transfer or other disposition by Licensor or any of its Subsidiaries of any Retained Licensed Copyrights will be made subject to the terms of this Agreement. Licensor may freely assign this Agreement in whole or in part in connection with the transfer of all or any portion of its business to which this Agreement pertains. Subject to the preceding sentences of this Section 14, 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.

SECTION 15. Limitations of Liability. NEITHER PARTY, NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AND EMPLOYEES SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY, OR ITS AFFILIATES, FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS, REVENUE OR BUSINESS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE SOUGHT BASED ON BREACH OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY.

SECTION 16. Headings. The Section and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.


SECTION 17. Bankruptcy. All licenses granted under this Agreement will be deemed licenses of rights to intellectual property for purposes of Section 365(n) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and a licensee under this Agreement will retain and may fully exercise all of its rights and elections under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives effective as of the date first set forth above.

 

LICENSOR, INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
by   /s/ Keith Townsend
 

Name: Keith Townsend

Title:   VP Strategic Initiatives

 

LICENSEE, GLOBAL HOLDINGS II, INC.
by   /s/ Greg Gibson
 

Name: Greg Gibson

Title:    President

Exhibit 10.12

RETAINED KNOW-HOW AND TECHNOLOGY

LICENSE AGREEMENT

This Retained Know-How and Technology License Agreement (this “Agreement”) dated as of September 30, 2021 (“Effective Date”), is made by and between International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“Licensor”), and Global Holdings II, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Licensee”). “Parties” refers to Licensor and Licensee jointly. “Party” refers to Licensor or Licensee individually.

WHEREAS, Licensor and Licensee have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement dated as of September 29, 2021 (the “Separation Agreement”), pursuant to which Licensor has agreed to contribute, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Licensee all of Licensor’s right, title and interest in and to the SpinCo Assets, including the SpinCo Intellectual Property, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Separation Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Licensed Technology (as defined below) is not being transferred to Licensee pursuant to the Separation Agreement; and

WHEREAS, Licensee wishes to continue to use the Licensed Technology in connection with Products (as defined below) manufactured at the Facility (as defined below), and Licensor has agreed to license the Licensed Technology to Licensee in connection with Products manufactured at the Facility, subject to the limitations set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, it is hereby agreed:

SECTION 1. Definitions.

(a) Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Separation Agreement.

(b) “Facility” means the existing manufacturing facilities located at (i) Ticonderoga, (ii) Eastover, (iii) Luís Antônio, Brazil, (iv) Três Lagoas, Brazil, (v) Mogi Guaçu, Brazil, (vi) Svetogorsk, Russia and (vii) Saillat, France; sheeter facilities located at (x) Sumter and (y) Saillat, France; and any future expansions to such existing manufacturing facilities that result in an expansion of capacity, provided that such future expansions are co-located with and physically connected to such existing manufacturing facilities.

(c) “Licensed Technology” means Know-How, whether confidential or not, delivered in association with Licensor being a former Affiliate of Licensee owned by, or licensed to (and sublicensable by Licensor without any obligation to the owner of such Know-How) (such licensed Know-How, the “Sublicensed Technology”), Licensor or its Subsidiaries as of the Effective Date which is in commercial use by Licensee or its Affiliates within the Facility and which is reasonably necessary for Licensee in the design, manufacture, application, sale or marketing of Products within the Facility as of the Effective Date of this Agreement including without limitation those specifically mentioned in Schedule 1. For the avoidance of doubt, Retained Licensed Intellectual Property excludes all Intellectual Property owned by Licensor or its Subsidiaries (including the Know-How described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii)) to the extent relating to Excluded Products.


(d) “Products” means, with respect to any Facility, products manufactured in the operation of the SpinCo Business as conducted at such Facility during the twenty-four (24) months immediately prior to the Effective Date; provided that Products shall exclude bristols and specialty papers and any product produced by the Parent Business, including containerboard, linerboard, white top linerboard, medium recycled linerboard, recycled medium, saturating kraft, corrugated containers and fluff, market and specialty pulps (the products in this proviso, collectively, the “Excluded Products”).

SECTION 2. License and Use.

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, Licensor, on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, grants to Licensee a fully paid-up, royalty-free, perpetual (subject to Section 5), worldwide, non-assignable (subject to Section 17), non-exclusive license to use (including, subject to Section 2(b), to create modifications, enhancements or improvements to) the Licensed Technology to make, have made, sell, offer to sell, import and export Products and services solely in connection with Products manufactured at the applicable Facility in the conduct of the SpinCo Business following the Effective Date, in the manner conducted as of the Effective Date and not for any other current or future purpose or business of Licensee (collectively, the rights granted above will be referred to as the “License”).

(b) Licensee shall not be entitled to (i) sublicense, assign (except as expressly provided herein this Agreement) or otherwise authorize anyone to use the Licensed Technology without the prior written consent of Licensor or (ii) make modifications, enhancements or improvements to the Sublicensed Technology.

(c) All rights not expressly granted to Licensee hereunder are reserved for the Licensor. No licenses, implied or otherwise, are granted to the Licensee other than those granted pursuant to this Section 2, and no act of manufacture or use of any products by Licensor or Licensee shall be construed as, or result in, a grant of any license to the Licensee, expressly or by implication, estoppel, or otherwise. Licensee agrees not to use the Licensed Technology other than as set forth in this Agreement.

(d) Licensee undertakes not to represent in any manner that it has any ownership in the Licensed Technology and acknowledges that its use of the Licensed Technology shall not create in Licensee any right other than such specifically granted by this Agreement.


SECTION 3. Ownership and Protection of Licensed Technology.

(a) Licensee acknowledges that Licensor and, if applicable, Licensor’s business partners are and at all times shall continue to be the exclusive owners of the Licensed Technology and that all of Licensee’s rights and use under this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the Licensor and Licensor’s business partners and all title and property in the Licensed Technology continues at all times to vest solely and absolutely in the Licensor and Licensor’s business partners. In the event that Licensee desires to expand its use of the Sublicensed Technology, Licensee agrees: (i) Licensor shall have no liability related to such expanded use; (ii) Licensor shall have no responsibility to negotiate such rights to enable Licensee’s expanded use; and (iii) Licensee shall negotiate such rights to Licensee’s expanded use directly with Licensor’s business partners.

(b) Licensee shall acquire no ownership, title, right, interest, benefit in or to the Licensed Technology other than the right to use the Licensed Technology in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Licensee acknowledges that it shall not and is not acquiring any ownership, title, rights, interest of benefit, in or other than the right to use the Licensed Technology in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(c) Licensee shall not do, cause, suffer or cause to be done any deed, matter or thing whatsoever which shall, or is likely to, adversely affect or prejudice, directly or indirectly, the validity of the Licensed Technology or the ownership of the Licensed Technology by Licensor and Licensor’s business partners.

(d) Licensee shall not take any action in protection of the Licensed Technology, or in furtherance of the interest of Licensor therein, without Licensor’s written consent.

SECTION 4. Improvements. In the event a Party makes, or has a Third Party make, modifications, enhancements or improvements to any Licensed Technology (excluding the Sublicensed Technology, for which no rights to make modifications, enhancements or improvements therefrom are granted hereunder) (“Improvements”), each Party shall retain ownership of any modifications, enhancements or improvements that such Party makes, or has a Third Party make. For purposes of clarity, the License does not include rights to Improvements.

SECTION 5. Term and Termination.

(a) Unless otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms herein, this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in perpetuity.

(b) Licensor may terminate (i) this Agreement in the event Licensee makes or attempts to make an assignment of this Agreement in violation of Section 17, (ii) this Agreement in the event Licensee (x) becomes insolvent, (y) becomes the subject of a petition in bankruptcy which is not withdrawn or dismissed within sixty (60) days thereafter, or (z) makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) this Agreement upon the mutual written agreement of the Parties, (iv) this Agreement in the event Licensee challenges or attempts to challenge Licensor’s ownership of or the validity of the Licensed Technology, and (v) the License in the event Licensee uses the Licensed Technology outside the conduct of the SpinCo Business as conducted as of the Effective Date or otherwise contrary to this Agreement.


(c) Licensee will immediately cease any and all use of the Licensed Technology upon termination of this Agreement, and within a reasonable period, but in no event more than ninety (90) days from the date of termination Licensee shall deliver to Licensor all documents, data, information, records, confidential information whether or not so marked, provided by Licensor for the purposes of the Agreement and, at the request of Licensor, destroy all copies, physical and electronic, thereof and provide Licensor with a certificate from its general counsel certifying that all copies have been destroyed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Licensee may retain copies of such documents, data, information, records or confidential information to the extent (i) retained in Licensee’s standard archival or computer back-up systems pursuant to Licensee’s internal document retention policies and (ii) required to comply with legal requirements; in each case, provided Licensee shall continue to maintain such documents, data, information, records or confidential information as confidential and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

SECTION 6. Confidentiality. The Parties hereto shall hold in strict confidence, and not disclose to any other Person or use for any purpose other than as expressly permitted pursuant to this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the other Party, any information regarding the Licensed Technology or otherwise received under this Agreement which the disclosing Party, at the time of disclosure, identifies as confidential (whether in writing or orally) or that would otherwise reasonably be understood to constitute confidential information; provided that the Parties hereto may disclose, or may permit disclosure of, such confidential information (a) to their respective Representatives who have a need to know such information for auditing and other non-commercial purposes and are informed of their obligation to hold such information confidential to the same extent as is applicable to the Parties hereto and in respect of whose failure to comply with such obligations, the applicable Party will be responsible, (b) if the Parties hereto are requested or required to disclose any such confidential information by oral questions, interrogatories, requests for information or other documents in legal proceedings, subpoena, civil investigative demand or any other similar process, or by other requirements of Law or stock exchange rule, (c) as required in connection with any legal or other proceeding by one Party against any other party or (d) as necessary in order to permit a Party to prepare and disclose its financial statements, or other required disclosures required by Law or such applicable stock exchange. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any demand or request for disclosure of confidential information is made pursuant to clause (b) above, each Party hereto, as applicable, shall provide the other with prompt written notice of any such request or requirement so that the other Party has an opportunity to seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy, which such Parties will cooperate in obtaining. In the event that such appropriate protective order or other remedy is not obtained, the Party that is required to make disclosure shall disclose or shall cause to be disclosed only that portion of the confidential information that is in the opinion of outside counsel necessary to be disclosed and shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure confidential treatment is accorded to such disclosed information.

SECTION 7. No Representations or Warranties. ALL OF THE LICENSED TECHNOLOGY IS LICENSED ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS. ACCORDINGLY, EXCEPT AS MAY EXPRESSLY BE SET FORTH IN THE SEPARATION AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE ANCILLARY AGREEMENTS, (a) LICENSOR EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR


WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO ANY LICENSED TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING AS TO VALIDITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND ADEQUACY, SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR OPERATION OR PERFORMANCE THEREOF AND (b) IN NO EVENT SHALL LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT DAMAGES, COSTS OR SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOST PROFITS WITH RESPECT TO THE LICENSED TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING ANY USE THEREOF BY LICENSEE.

SECTION 8. Maintenance and Registration of Licensed Technology.

(a) Licensor shall have complete discretion whether or not to decide to apply for, abandon or let expire any registerable rights related to the Licensed Technology.

(b) Licensee shall not file registrations or applications related to Improvements without the prior express written authorization from Licensor. In the event that an authorized or unauthorized registration or application related to Improvements occurs, such registration or application will be licensed royalty-free to Licensor. Any and all fees directly associated with the additional registrations will be borne by Licensee.

(c) Should any use of the Licensed Technology result in the Licensee acquiring or becoming entitled to any property rights or other rights in the Licensed Technology, Licensee agrees that at a time and in a manner designated by Licensor, Licensee shall, without demur, assign, free of charge and execute all such documents and/ or affidavits as may be required under applicable laws to transfer to and confirm in Licensor, any rights, title, interest in, to and under the Licensed Technology or any of them, that might arise out of the Licensee’s use of the Licensed Technology. Costs of such assignment shall be borne by Licensor.

SECTION 9. Infringement Actions. Licensor will from time to time take commercially reasonable steps that it considers (in its sole discretion) necessary to protect the Licensed Technology, and Licensee agrees forthwith to communicate to any infringement or misappropriation or threatened infringement or misappropriation of any Licensed Technology which may come to its notice. In the event Licensor takes affirmative action against an infringement or misappropriation or a threatened infringement or misappropriation, Licensee agrees to assist Licensor in whatever manner Licensor reasonably requests, at the expense of Licensor. Recovery of damages resulting from any such action shall be solely for the account of Licensor. Licensee will provide information reasonably requested by Licensor in any infringement or misappropriation action, including in connection with the calculation of damages.

SECTION 10. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the Parties hereto and their permitted assigns and nothing herein expressed or implied shall give or be construed to give to any other Person any legal or equitable rights hereunder.


SECTION 11. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by e-mail with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 11):

if to Licensor, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: Sharon Ryan (General Counsel)

E-mail: Sharon.ryan@ipaper.com

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

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Chief Counsel—Intellectual Property

if to Licensee, to:

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Matt Barron (Senior Vice President and General Counsel)

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

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Brad Poe (Senior Counsel – Intellectual Property)

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


SECTION 12. Amendments. No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification.

SECTION 13. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof or thereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby. Upon such determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the Parties.

SECTION 14. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Separation Agreement and the exhibits, schedules and appendices hereto and thereto, contain the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement, on the one hand, and the provisions of the Separation Agreement (including the exhibits, schedules and appendices thereto), on the other hand, the provisions of the Separation Agreement shall control.

SECTION 15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties hereto and delivered to the other Party hereto. Each Party acknowledges that it and the other Party are executing this Agreement by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp, electronic or mechanical signature) by email in portable document format (PDF) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this Agreement. Each Party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier or by email in portable document format (PDF)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it shall not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such Party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person and agrees that, at the reasonable request of the other Party at any time, it shall as promptly as reasonably practicable cause this Agreement to be manually executed (any such execution to be as of the date of the initial date thereof) and delivered in person, by mail or by courier.

SECTION 16. Governing Law; Forum; Waiver of Jury Trial. The provisions of Section 10.2 of the Separation Agreement shall apply to this Agreement mutatis mutandis.


SECTION 17. Assignment and Sublicense. Neither this Agreement nor any rights and obligations of Licensee hereunder may be assigned or sublicensed (subject to Section 2(b)) by Licensee; provided, however, that Licensee may, without consent, and upon prior written notice to Licensor, (a) assign this Agreement or sublicense, solely within the scope of the License, the rights granted hereunder (excluding such rights with respect to the Sublicensed Technology, for which no rights to grant sublicenses thereof or thereto are granted hereunder), in whole or in part, to an Affiliate of Licensee or (b) assign this Agreement, in whole or in part, to a non-Affiliate purchaser or non-Affiliate transferee of all or part of a Facility, provided further, that in no event may the non-Affiliate assignee or transferee use any of the Licensed Technology in any business or activity other than that of the portion of the purchased or transferred Facility as operated as of the date of such assignment. Licensee shall be responsible for the activities of any sublicensee of Licensee as if the activities were directly those of Licensee. Any transfer or other disposition by Licensor or any of its Subsidiaries of any Licensed Technology will be made subject to the terms of this Agreement. Licensor may freely assign this Agreement in whole or in part in connection with the transfer of all or any portion of its business to which this Agreement pertains. Subject to the preceding sentences of this Section 17, 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.

SECTION 18. Limitations of Liability. NEITHER PARTY, NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AND EMPLOYEES SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY, OR ITS AFFILIATES, FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS, REVENUE OR BUSINESS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE SOUGHT BASED ON BREACH OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY.

SECTION 19. Headings. The Section and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

SECTION 20. Bankruptcy. All licenses granted under this Agreement will be deemed licenses of rights to intellectual property for purposes of Section 365(n) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and a licensee under this Agreement will retain and may fully exercise all of its rights and elections under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]


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

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
By:   /s/ Keith Townsend
Name: Keith Townsend
Title: VP Strategic Initiatives
GLOBAL HOLDINGS II, INC.
By:   /s/ Greg Gibson
Name: Greg Gibson
Title: President

Exhibit 10.13

TRANSFERRED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

LICENSE AGREEMENT

This Transferred Intellectual Property License Agreement (this “Agreement”) dated as of September 30, 2021, is made by and between Global Holdings II, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Licensor”), and International Paper Company, a New York corporation (“Licensee”).

WHEREAS, Licensor and Licensee have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement dated as of September 29, 2021 (the “Separation Agreement”), pursuant to which Licensee has agreed to contribute, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Licensor all of Licensee’s right, title and interest in and to the SpinCo Assets, including the SpinCo Intellectual Property and SpinCo Know-How, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Separation Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property (as defined below) is being transferred to Licensor pursuant to the Separation Agreement; and

WHEREAS, Licensee wishes to continue to use the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property, and Licensor has agreed to license the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property to Licensee, subject to the obligations set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, it is hereby agreed:

SECTION 1. Definitions.

(a) Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Separation Agreement.

(b) “Affiliate” means any Entity directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, or through one or more intermediaries, owning, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with Licensor or Licensee, as the case may be. In addition, an Entity shall be deemed to own or control another Entity if it owns 50% or more of the common stock or other interest representing the right to vote for the election of managing authority of the other Entity (or, in any jurisdiction where local law does not permit ownership of 50% or more of such interest, then if it owns the maximum interest permitted by law). For the avoidance of doubt, OJSC Ilim Group, located at 17 ul. Marata, St. Petersburg, 191025, shall constitute an Affiliate of Licensee.

(c) “Entity” means any individual natural person, firm, company, registered company, corporation, limited liability company, joint stock company, joint venture, association, trust, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, or partnership, or similar legal structure.


(d) “Patents” means patents, patent applications (including patents issued thereon), utility models, and industrial design registrations, including reissues, divisions, continuations, continuations in part, substitutions, renewals, extensions and reexaminations of any of the foregoing, and all rights in any of the foregoing provided by international treaties or conventions.

(e) “Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property” means (i) Patents owned by Licensor or its Affiliates as of the Effective Time and set forth on Schedule 1 (“Licensed Patents”) and (ii) Know-How owned by, or licensed to (and sublicensable by Licensor without any obligation to the owner of such Know-How), Licensor or its Affiliates as of the Effective Time that are related to the Licensed Patents.

SECTION 2. License.

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, Licensor, on behalf of itself and its Affiliates, grants to Licensee a fully paid-up, royalty-free, perpetual (subject to Section 4), worldwide, sublicensable to Affiliates (subject to Section 16), assignable (subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 16), non-exclusive license to use (including to create modifications, enhancements or improvements to) the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property to make, have made, sell, offer to sell, import and export products and services (collectively, the rights granted above will be referred to as the “License”).

(b) Licensee shall not do, cause, suffer or cause to be done any deed, matter or thing whatsoever which shall, or is likely to, adversely affect or prejudice, directly or indirectly, the validity of the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property or the ownership of the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property by Licensor and Licensor’s business partners or any other third party.

SECTION 3. Improvements.

(a) In the event a party makes, or has a Third Party make, modifications, enhancements or improvements to any Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property (“Improvements”), each party shall retain ownership of any modifications, enhancements or improvements that such party makes, or has a Third Party make. For the purposes of clarity, the License does not include rights to Improvements.

SECTION 4. Term and Termination.

(a) Unless otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms herein, this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in perpetuity, except that, with respect to any Patent included in the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property, the License granted hereunder shall terminate, only as to such Patent, upon the expiration of such Patent.


(b) Licensor may terminate this Agreement (i) in the event Licensee makes or attempts to make an assignment of this Agreement in violation of Section 16, (ii) in the event Licensee (x) becomes insolvent, (y) becomes the subject of a petition in bankruptcy which is not withdrawn or dismissed within sixty (60) days thereafter, or (z) makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) upon the mutual written agreement of the parties and (iv) in the event Licensee challenges or attempts to challenge Licensor’s ownership of or the validity of the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property (except to the extent that Licensee cannot be prohibited from making such challenge as a matter of law).

SECTION 5. No Representations or Warranties. ALL OF THE TRANSFERRED LICENSED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS LICENSED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS. ACCORDINGLY, EXCEPT AS MAY EXPRESSLY BE SET FORTH IN THE SEPARATION AGREEMENT OR ANY OF THE ANCILLARY AGREEMENTS, (a) LICENSOR EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO ANY TRANSFERRED LICENSED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INCLUDING AS TO VALIDITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND ADEQUACY, SUITABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR OPERATION OR PERFORMANCE THEREOF AND (b) IN NO EVENT SHALL LICENSOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT DAMAGES, COSTS OR SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOST PROFITS WITH RESPECT TO THE TRANSFERRED LICENSED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, INCLUDING ANY USE THEREOF BY LICENSEE.

SECTION 6. Maintenance. If, at any time, any of the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property is a trade secret, Licensee will use commercially reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality thereof consistent with the manner in which it protects the confidentiality of its own trade secrets of like kind. Licensor shall retain the sole right, but not the obligation, to maintain the Licensed Patents, including deciding whether to abandon or otherwise cease to maintain (including to discontinue payment of any fees due with respect to) any such Licensed Patent.

SECTION 7. Confidentiality. The parties hereto shall hold in strict confidence, and not disclose to any other Person or use for any purpose other than as expressly permitted pursuant to this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the other party, any information regarding (or related to) the Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property or otherwise received under this Agreement which the disclosing party, at the time of disclosure, identifies as confidential or a trade secret (whether in writing or orally) or that would otherwise reasonably be understood to constitute confidential information or a trade secret; provided that the parties hereto may disclose, or may permit disclosure of, such confidential information (a) to their respective Representatives who have a need to know such information for auditing and other non-commercial purposes and are informed of their obligation to hold such information confidential to the same extent as is applicable to the parties hereto and in respect of whose failure to comply with such obligations, the applicable party will be


responsible, (b) if the parties hereto are requested or required to disclose any such confidential information by oral questions, interrogatories, requests for information or other documents in legal proceedings, subpoena, civil investigative demand or any other similar process, or by other requirements of Law or stock exchange rule, (c) as required in connection with any legal or other proceeding by one party against any other party or (d) as necessary in order to permit a party to prepare and disclose its financial statements, or other required disclosures required by Law or such applicable stock exchange. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that any demand or request for disclosure of confidential information is made pursuant to clause (b) above, each party hereto, as applicable, shall provide the other with prompt written notice of any such request or requirement so that the other party has an opportunity to seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy, which such parties will cooperate in obtaining. In the event that such appropriate protective order or other remedy is not obtained, the party that is required to make disclosure shall disclose or shall cause to be disclosed only that portion of the confidential information that is in the opinion of outside counsel necessary to be disclosed and shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure confidential treatment is accorded to such disclosed information.

SECTION 8. Infringement Actions. In the event Licensor takes affirmative action against an infringement or misappropriation or a threatened infringement or misappropriation, Licensee agrees to assist Licensor in whatever manner Licensor reasonably requests, at the expense of Licensor. Recovery of damages resulting from any such action shall be solely for the account of Licensor. Licensee will provide information reasonably requested by Licensor in any infringement or misappropriation action, including in connection with the calculation of damages. Licensee may participate, at its expense, in any action taken by or proceeding instituted by or brought against Licensor through separate counsel of Licensee’s own choosing; provided that Licensor will at all times retain full control over such action, and not compromise or settle any such action or proceeding unless such compromise or settlement (a) is solely for monetary damages (for which Licensor shall be responsible), (b) does not impose injunctive or other equitable relief against Licensee and (c) includes an unconditional release of Licensee from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action or proceeding.

SECTION 9. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their permitted assigns and nothing herein expressed or implied shall give or be construed to give to any other Person any legal or equitable rights hereunder.

SECTION 10. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by e-mail with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 10):


if to Licensor, to:

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Matt Barron (Senior Vice President and General Counsel)

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

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Brad Poe (Senior Counsel – Intellectual Property)

if to Licensee, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: Sharon Ryan (General Counsel)

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

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Chief Counsel—Intellectual Property

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

SECTION 11. Amendments. No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification.

SECTION 12. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof or thereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby. Upon such determination, the parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the parties.


SECTION 13. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Separation Agreement and the exhibits, schedules and appendices hereto and thereto, contain the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement, on the one hand, and the provisions of the Separation Agreement (including the exhibits, schedules and appendices thereto), on the other hand, the provisions of the Separation Agreement shall control.

SECTION 14. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to the other party hereto. Each party acknowledges that it and the other party are executing this Agreement by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp, electronic or mechanical signature) by email in portable document format (PDF) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this Agreement. Each party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier or by email in portable document format (PDF)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it shall not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person and agrees that, at the reasonable request of the other party at any time, it shall as promptly as reasonably practicable cause this Agreement to be manually executed (any such execution to be as of the date of the initial date thereof) and delivered in person, by mail or by courier.

SECTION 15. Governing Law; Forum; Waiver of Jury Trial. The provisions of Section 10.2 of the Separation Agreement shall apply to this Agreement mutatis mutandis.

SECTION 16. Assignment and Sublicense. Neither this Agreement nor any rights and obligations of Licensee hereunder may be assigned or sublicensed by Licensee; provided, however, that Licensee may, without consent, and upon prior written notice to Licensor, (a) assign this Agreement or sublicense, solely within the scope of the License, the rights granted hereunder, in whole or in part, to an Affiliate of Licensee or (b) assign this Agreement, in whole or in part, to a non-Affiliate purchaser or non-Affiliate transferee of all or part of a business or facility, provided further, that in no event may the non-Affiliate assignee or transferee use any of the


Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property in any business or activity other than that of the portion of the purchased or transferred business or facility as operated as of the date of such assignment. Licensee shall be responsible for the activities of any sublicensee of Licensee as if the activities were directly those of Licensee. Any transfer or other disposition by Licensor or any of its Affiliates of any Transferred Licensed Intellectual Property will be made subject to the terms of this Agreement. Licensor may freely assign this Agreement in whole or in part in connection with the transfer of all or any portion of its business to which this Agreement pertains. Subject to the preceding sentences of this Section 16, 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.

SECTION 17. Limitations of Liability. NEITHER PARTY, NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, AND EMPLOYEES SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY, OR ITS AFFILIATES, FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS, REVENUE OR BUSINESS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE SOUGHT BASED ON BREACH OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY.

SECTION 18. Headings. The Section and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

SECTION 19. Bankruptcy. All licenses granted under this Agreement will be deemed licenses of rights to intellectual property for purposes of Section 365(n) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and the Licensee under this Agreement will retain and may fully exercise all of its rights and elections under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives effective as of the date first set forth above.

 

LICENSOR, GLOBAL HOLDINGS II, INC.
by   /s/ Greg Gibson
 

Name: Greg Gibson

Title:   President

 

LICENSEE, INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
by   /s/ Keith R. Townsend
 

Name: Keith R. Townsend

Title:   VP Strategic Initiatives

Exhibit 10.14

TRANSITIONAL TRADEMARK

LICENSE AGREEMENT

This Transitional Trademark License Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into by and between International Paper Company, a New York, United States of America corporation having an office at 6400 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38197 (hereinafter referred to as “Licensor”) and Global Holdings II, Inc., a Delaware, United States of America corporation having an office at 6400 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38197, and its Affiliates (hereinafter referred to as “Licensee”). “Parties refers to Licensor and Licensee jointly. “Party” refers to Licensor or Licensee individually.

WHEREAS:

A. Licensor and Licensee have entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement dated as of September 29, 2021 (the “Separation Agreement”), pursuant to which Licensor has agreed to contribute, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Licensee all of Licensor’s right, title and interest in and to the SpinCo Assets on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Separation Agreement;

B. The Licensed Trademarks (as defined below) are not being transferred to Licensee pursuant to the Separation Agreement;

C. Licensor is the owner of the Licensed Trademarks, which are highly renowned and have acquired worldwide fame, great value, unique prestige, distinction, wide public recognition, acceptance and goodwill;

D. Licensee will need to transition the use of the Licensed Trademarks to its own brands and trademarks as part of signage, vehicles, stationary, business cards and the like;

E. Licensee desires to manufacture and sell products and packaging materials bearing the Licensed Trademarks for a limited transitional period; and

F. Licensor has agreed to license the Licensed Trademarks to the Licensee, subject to and on the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties agree as set forth herein.

ARTICLE 1

EFFECTIVE DATE

1.1 The Effective Date of this Agreement is September 30, 2021.

 

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ARTICLE 2

DEFINITIONS

 

2.1

Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Separation Agreement.

 

2.2

As used herein the following terms will be defined as indicated:

Facility” means the existing manufacturing facilities located at (i) Ticonderoga, (ii) Eastover, (iii) Luís Antônio, Brazil, (iv) Três Lagoas, Brazil, (v) Mogi Guaçu, Brazil, (vi) Svetogorsk, Russia and (vii) Saillat, France; and sheeter facilities located at (x) Sumter and (y) Saillat, France.

Infringement” means any infringement, misappropriation, dilution, act of unfair competition, or other unauthorized use or violation of the Licensed Trademarks, whether actual or threatened.

Licensed Trademarks” means the trademarks, and any application and/ or registrations thereof, as set forth in Exhibit A of this Agreement.

Long-Term Products” means the products set forth and indicated as such on Exhibit B to the extent manufactured at the Facilities.

Short-Term Products” means the products set forth and indicated as such on Exhibit B to the extent manufactured at the Facilities.

ARTICLE 3

GRANT OF LICENSE

 

3.1

Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and applicable Law, Licensor, on behalf of itself and its Subsidiaries, hereby grants to Licensee and its Affiliates a limited, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable (subject to Article 3.2), non-transferable, fully paid-up, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to use the Licensed Trademarks solely to the extent necessary:

 

  (i)

to transition off of use of the Licensed Trademarks for a period of six (6) months from the Effective Date in order to take all actions to (A) modify the corporate or business names and the trade names the Licensee and its Affiliates to the extent necessary to remove any reference to (or otherwise prevent any risk of confusion or association with) International Paper Company or the Licensed Trademarks therein, (B) modify all signage to remove any reference therein to (or otherwise prevent any risk of confusion or association with) the Licensed Trademarks, and (C) ensure that the Licensed Trademarks will cease to appear in all new marketing or other materials (including vehicles, letters, faxes, brochures and other promotional materials, business cards, websites, emails, etc.);

 

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  (ii)

to sell, for a period of six (6) months following the Effective Date, finished product inventory of the Short-Term Products, as set forth on Exhibit B, (A) existing as of the Effective Date or (B) (x) manufactured by Licensee within six (6) months following the Effective Date and (y) branded using packaging materials bearing the Licensed Trademarks that do not contain or are otherwise matched to finished products (the “Packaging Materials”) existing as of the Effective Date or manufactured by Licensee pursuant to Article 3.1(iv) (such finished products, the “Short-Term Finished Products”);

 

  (iii)

to sell, for a period of twelve (12) months following the Effective Date, finished product inventory of the Long-Term Products, as set forth on Exhibit B (A) existing as of the Effective Date or (B) manufactured by Licensee within six (6) months following the Effective Date and branded using Packaging Materials existing as of the Effective Date or manufactured by Licensee pursuant to Article 3.1(iv) (such finished products, the “Long-Term Finished Products” and, together with the Short-Term Finished Products, the “Finished Products”); and

 

  (iv)

to manufacture, procure or produce, for a period of four (4) months following the Effective Date, Packaging Materials for use solely as part of the Finished Products;

provided, that Licensee shall at all times comply with the terms, conditions and obligations set forth herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Licensee shall not manufacture, procure, or produce any Finished Products (using the Packaging Materials) pursuant to this Agreement for sale (x) in Brazil, for a period that exceeds three (3) months following the name change of the Brazil legal entity (provided that, in no event, shall such total period exceed the duration of the applicable license period set forth above), or (y) in Russia, at any time following the Effective Date.

 

3.2

Licensee will not be entitled to sublicense, assign or otherwise authorize anyone (including any third-party vendors or Affiliates) to use the Licensed Trademarks without the prior written consent of Licensor. Licensee shall (i) enter into a written agreement with any applicable sublicensees pursuant to which such licensees agree to comply with all of the terms of this Agreement or other conditions of Licensor as part of any subsequent written consent and (ii) remain responsible for the activities of any such sublicensee as if the activities were directly those of Licensee.

 

3.3

All rights not expressly granted to Licensee hereunder are reserved for the Licensor. No licenses, implied or otherwise, are granted to the Licensee other than those specifically granted pursuant to this Article 3, and no act of manufacture or use of any products by Licensor or Licensee shall be construed as, or result in, a grant of any license to the Licensee, expressly or by implication, estoppel, or otherwise. Licensee agrees not to use the Licensed Trademarks other than as set forth in this Agreement.

 

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ARTICLE 4

APPROVAL AND RECORDATION

 

4.1

Licensee shall use its best efforts to obtain, at Licensee’s cost, all necessary approvals of any applicable Governmental Authority of the Territory with respect to the rights granted under this Agreement and shall make any necessary filings and recordings of this Agreement with such applicable Governmental Authority at Licensee’s own cost.

 

4.2

Each Party shall promptly notify the other Party when such Party receives (i) notification that any such governmental approval has been granted; (ii) notification that any such governmental approval has been denied; or (iii) information that would in reasonable judgment lead such Party to determine that any such governmental approval is likely to be denied.

ARTICLE 5

OWNERSHIP AND PROTECTION OF LICENSED TRADEMARKS

 

5.1

Licensee acknowledges that Licensor is and at all times shall continue to be the exclusive owner of the Licensed Trademarks and the goodwill associated with them and that all of Licensee’s rights, use and goodwill under this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the Licensor and all title and property in the Licensed Trademarks continues at all times to vest solely and absolutely in the Licensor.

 

5.2

Licensee acknowledges that it shall not and is not acquiring any ownership, title, rights, interest of benefit, in or to any of the Licensed Trademarks other than the limited rights to use the Licensed Trademarks in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

5.3

Licensee shall not do, cause, suffer or cause to be done any deed, matter or thing whatsoever which shall or is likely to adversely affect or prejudice, directly or indirectly, the validity of the Licensed Trademarks and the goodwill associated with them or the ownership of the Licensed Trademarks by Licensor.

 

5.4

Licensee shall use commercially reasonable efforts to discover any Infringement of the Licensed Trademarks and shall promptly notify Licensor of any Infringement or threatened Infringement or challenge to Licensee’s use of the Licensed Trademarks of which it becomes aware or any claim by any person of any rights in the Licensed Trademarks that may become known to Licensee. Further, Licensee shall provide assistance to the Licensor to determine the nature, origin, duration and extent of such actual or potential Infringements or claims or actions brought by third parties. Licensor shall have the sole right, but not the obligation, to institute and pursue appropriate legal action against infringing third parties at its own expense, defend the Licensed Trademarks and to recover any damages awarded in such action. If any such action is brought by Licensor, Licensor shall have full control of any such litigation or action it brings under this Article 5. Licensee shall fully cooperate with and assist Licensor in any such action to protect and defend the Licensed Trademarks and shall be the nominal plaintiff or join as a co-plaintiff, at Licensor’s expense, if and to the extent required by applicable Law or requested by Licensor.

 

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5.5

Licensee shall not take any action in protection of the Licensed Trademarks, or in furtherance of the interest of Licensor therein, without Licensor’s written consent. Licensee shall not file any trademark application(s) or seek registration(s) of any Licensed Trademarks or any other trademark confusingly similar thereto on its own behalf.

 

5.6

Licensee shall take such action as Licensor may request to preserve the value of the Licensed Trademarks, including assisting in the filing and prosecution of trademark or service mark applications covering any Licensed Trademarks. Licensee shall cooperate with Licensor in connection with Licensor’s registration, maintenance, and enforcement of the Licensed Trademarks, and will supply Licensor with samples of the Finished Products or the Packaging Materials, products, packaging or marketing collateral and associated materials, in each case, bearing the Licensed Trademarks, as may reasonably be requested by Licensor in connection therewith. Licensee agrees to execute any and all instruments and documents and do such acts and things as in the opinion of Licensor’s legal counsel may be reasonably necessary or advisable to register, protect, defend and maintain the Licensed Trademarks. Licensor will bear any and all out of pocket expenses associated with Licensee’s cooperation under this Article 5.

ARTICLE 6

FORM OF USE

 

6.1

To the extent permitted by Law, Licensee will not at any time during the term of this Agreement or at any time after its termination:

 

  (i)

use the Licensed Trademarks in any way that may tend to impair their validity as proprietary marks of Licensor;

 

  (ii)

contest directly or indirectly or take any other action that would impair Licensor’s ownership or interest in the Licensed Trademarks or the validity or enforceability of the Licensed Trademarks; or

 

  (iii)

use or register any trademarks, service marks, monograms, logos, domain names or other indicia that are identical or confusingly similar, in Licensor’s sole opinion, to the Licensed Trademarks.

 

6.2

Licensee will use the Licensed Trademarks only on or in connection with the Finished Products (including the Packaging Materials) in accordance with the terms herein, and in the form and manner and with appropriate legends as prescribed by Law and by the Licensor, including conformance with any style guides and usage instructions provided and as may be updated by the Licensor, and will not use any other trademark, service mark, trade name, graphic or symbol in combination with the Licensed Trademarks without prior written approval of Licensor. Current Licensor brand guidelines are set out at https://www.internationalpaper.com/newsroom/brand-guidelines

 

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6.3

Any and all uses of the Licensed Trademarks on electronic or printed materials, including, but not limited to, tags, brochures, product displays, catalogs, advertising materials, websites and product inserts, must bear appropriate legends as prescribed under Article 6.2 or otherwise by the Licensor.

ARTICLE 7

QUALITY CONTROL

 

7.1

Licensee acknowledges the importance to Licensor of its reputation and goodwill and of maintaining high, uniform standards of quality in the products offered under the Licensed Trademarks. Licensee therefore will use the Licensed Trademarks only in connection with products manufactured or provided by sources that meet Licensor’s high standards of quality and in accordance with any guidelines and instructions that may be furnished by the Licensor and updated in Licensor’s sole discretion from time to time.

 

7.2

Licensee will not produce products under the Licensed Trademarks in such a way that any disparagement is brought upon the Licensed Trademarks. To this end, Licensee will adhere to all applicable Law, regulations, and standards concerning human rights, child rights, work conditions, and ethical business practices.

 

7.3

At the request of Licensor, final versions of all products (including the Finished Products) that use or include any Licensee Trademarks, as well as all packaging (including the Packaging Materials), advertising, marketing or other promotional materials therefor, shall be provided (at Licensee’s sole cost and expense) by Licensee to Licensor for Licensor’s review and approval prior to their market launch in order to confirm compliance with this Agreement.

 

7.4

To determine whether Licensee is complying with this Agreement and the quality controls and standards set forth herein, upon Licensor’s request, Licensee will provide representative samples of the products, promotional collateral, product literature and other representative uses of the Licensed Trademarks on products produced by Licensee hereunder for review by Licensor. Representative samples of Packaging Material manufactured after the Effective Date must be provided to Licensor, even if such representative samples are identical to Packaging Materials manufactured prior to the Effective Date. Licensor’s approval of continuing uses of the Licensed Trademarks in the forms provided by the Licensee, either in whole or in part, may be withheld if the Licensor reasonably concludes that the Licensee is not complying with this Agreement and the quality control and standards set forth herein. Licensor shall designate a contact to receive and review such representative samples.

 

7.5

Licensee shall implement and maintain a process to monitor and track any consumer complaints relating to the Finished Products sold by Licensee.

 

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7.6

The Licensee shall ensure that the Finished Products, and respective Packaging Materials, will carry markings and notices for safety, packing and other applicable Laws required to be complied with by the Licensee under the Laws of any applicable jurisdiction and the Licensee shall indemnify and hold harmless the Licensors from any liability incurred as a result of the Licensee’s failure to comply with this Article 7.

 

7.7

At Licensor’s request and expense, (i) within two (2) business days of the occurrence of an event that Licensor reasonably determines could result in Licensee’s breach of the terms of this Agreement, (ii) at any other time if Licensor has reasonable grounds to believe that Licensee has breached the terms of this Agreement or (iii) at any other time as reasonably requested by Licensor, Licensee shall, upon reasonable notice, during normal business hours, permit Licensor or its authorized representatives to inspect the Finished Products or any Packaging Materials, Licensee’s quality assurance processes and systems, Licensee’s methods of (and the premises used for) manufacturing, storage, distribution and selling such Finished Products or Packaging Materials, whether upon the premises of Licensee or of any third-party person, firm, or entity on Licensee’s behalf, provided that Licensor shall conduct such inspection in the manner that does not disrupt Licensee’s or such third-party’s business operations. Licensee shall audit and inspect the use of the Licensed Trademarks by, and at the locations of, any of Licensee’s permitted sublicensees.

 

7.8

Promptly following the date that is six (6) months from the Effective Date, Licensee shall provide Licensor with a written progress report detailing (i) Licensee’s manufacture and sale of the Finished Products and Packaging Materials under this Agreement and (ii) projected remaining product inventory, and any Packaging Materials not part of Finished Products bearing the Licensed Trademarks anticipated to be sold or manufactured in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

ARTICLE 8

TRADEMARK MAINTENANCE AND REGISTRATION

 

8.1

Licensor is under no obligation to the Licensee to keep registration of any Licensed Trademarks in force and such maintenance and renewal decisions rest solely in the discretion of the Licensor.

 

8.2

Licensee shall not register any trademark that is confusingly similar to any Licensed Trademark in Licensee’s name. Any application or registration of such confusingly similar trademark by Licensee shall be subject to the condition that such trademark will be assigned to the Licensor or cancelled by Licensee at Licensor’s request and sole discretion.

 

8.3

Should any use of the Licensed Trademarks result in the Licensee acquiring or becoming entitled to any property rights or other rights including common law trademark rights, in the Licensed Trademarks, Licensee agrees that at a time and in a manner designated by Licensor, Licensee shall, without demur, assign, free of charge and execute all such documents, affidavits as may be required under applicable Law to transfer to and confirm in Licensor, any rights, title, interest in, to and under the Licensed Trademarks or any of them, that might arise out of the Licensee’s use of the Licensed Trademarks. Costs of such assignment shall be borne by the Licensor.

 

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ARTICLE 9

TERM AND AMENDMENT

 

9.1

This Agreement shall become effective as of the Effective Date and shall continue in effect for twelve (12) months.

 

9.2

This Agreement, in whole or part, may be amended from time-to-time upon the mutual agreement of the Parties in writing.

ARTICLE 10

TERMINATION; EFFECT OF TERMINATION

 

10.1

This Agreement and the licenses granted hereunder shall terminate upon written notice:

 

  (i)

If Licensee commits any breach or fails to comply with the provisions of this Agreement and such breach or default continues uncured for a period of thirty (30) days after the Licensor has given prior written notice thereof to the defaulting Party, specifying the breach or default.

 

  (iii)

Upon the mutual agreement of the Parties hereto.

 

10.2

Notwithstanding Article 10.1 above, this Agreement and the license granted hereunder shall automatically terminate in the event:

 

  (i)

There is a cessation of operations by Licensee or the institution by or against Licensee of any proceeding (whether voluntary or judicially ordered) in bankruptcy, or of, or for dissolution, liquidation, winding up, reorganization, arrangement or the appointment of a receiver, trustee or judicial administrator or any other proceeding under any law for the relief of debtors; or

 

  (ii)

Licensee makes an assignment for the benefit of, or composition or arrangement with, creditors or admits in writing, its inability to pay its debts as they become due or fails to clear any check or note when presented for payment; or

 

  (iii)

A competitor acquires any interest in Licensee entitling it to appoint a member to the board of directors of Licensee, or giving it twenty-five percent (25%) or more, of the issued and subscribed share capital of Licensee or voting interest, directly or indirectly, or Control in Licensee; or

 

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  (iv)

Any person or entity other than an Affiliate of Licensor acquires any interest giving it fifty percent (50%) or more control of Licensee, or constituting fifty percent (50%) or more of the issued and subscribed share capital of Licensee; or

 

  (v)

Licensee discontinues its business or its business or material assets are disposed or expropriated or nationalized, or there is a material change in the ownership or control of Licensee or a material portion of its assets.

 

10.3

Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the following provisions will apply:

 

  (i)

The license granted hereunder will immediately and automatically terminate upon expiry of the notice period or the period to cure the breach if applicable and automatically in case of events set out in Article 10.2, and within a reasonable period but in no event more than thirty (30) days from the date of termination or expiration, Licensee will cease using the Licensed Trademarks in any manner whatsoever and furnish Licensor with evidence reasonably satisfactory to Licensor demonstrating Licensee’s compliance with the obligations of this Article 10.3(i).

 

  (ii)

Licensee will immediately cease any and all use of the Licensed Trademarks upon termination of this Agreement.

 

10.4

Nothing herein will be construed to relieve either Party of any obligations under this Agreement accruing prior to the date of any such termination, and any such obligations will survive any such termination.

ARTICLE 11

CLAIMS RELATED TO LICENSEE’S ACTIVITIES

 

11.1

Except as otherwise expressly agreed in writing between Licensor and Licensee, Licensor and its Affiliates shall have no liability to Licensee, or any Affiliates of Licensee, and Licensee hereby releases Licensor, each member of the Parent Group and each of their respective past, present and future directors, officers, employees and agents, in each case in their respective capacities as such, and each of the heirs, executors, successors and assigns of any of the foregoing (individually and collectively, the “IP Group”) from any and all liability to Licensee or any Affiliate of Licensee, and Licensee waives any rights against the IP Group for contribution or indemnity arising, from this Agreement or the manufacture, use, marketing or sale of products bearing the Licensed Trademarks by or for Licensee or any purchaser therefrom, including any Third-Party Claim against Licensee or any Affiliate of Licensee in connection with such products.

 

11.2.

Except as otherwise expressly agreed in writing between Licensor and Licensee, Licensee indemnifies and holds harmless the IP Group from and against all Liabilities of the IP Group relating to, arising out of or resulting from, directly or indirectly: (i) the manufacture, sale or use of products or Packaging Material bearing the Licensed Trademarks by or for Licensee; (ii) any representation made or warranty given by

 

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  Licensee to a third party with respect to any products bearing the Licensed Trademarks; (iii) any Infringement of any third party’s intellectual property or other right arising out of the Licensee’s use of the Licensed Trademarks; or (iv) any breach by Licensee of any representation, warranty, covenant, obligation, or undertaking made by Licensee in this Agreement. In the event that Licensor or any other member of the IP Group shall seek indemnification in respect of any of the foregoing, such person shall comply with and follow the procedures regarding indemnification set forth in Article IV of the Separation Agreement, which shall apply to claims for indemnification hereunder in the same manner as though such claims were eligible for indemnification under the Separation Agreement.

ARTICLE 12

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATIONS OF

LIABILITY

 

12.1

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, LICENSOR DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL OTHER PROMISES, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND/OR QUIET ENJOYMENT, AND THE LICENSED TRADEMARKS, ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND WITH ALL FAULTS. LICENSOR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE LICENSED TRADEMARKS WILL MEET LICENSEE’S REQUIREMENTS OR THAT THE USE OF THE LICENSED TRADEMARKS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ALL ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED. LICENSEE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT LICENSOR MAKES NO WARRANTIES UNDER THIS AGREEMENT DIRECTLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANY OTHER PARTY, AND THAT LICENSOR’S OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF LICENSEE ONLY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, LICENSOR MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR AS TO THE VALIDITY, ENFORCEABILITY, OR SCOPE OF THE LICENSED TRADEMARKS, OR AS TO THE ABILITY OF LICENSEE TO ADAPT ANY OF THE LICENSED TRADEMARKS TO MEET LICENSEE’S NEEDS.

 

12.4

Notwithstanding Licensor’s right to inspect the Finished Products and Packaging Materials, the Licensor shall have no responsibility for the quality of such products.

 

12.5

Neither Party’s directors, officers, employees or agents shall be liable to the other Party or any of its Affiliates in any way or on any account whatsoever, whether in contract, tort (including breach of statutory duty or negligence) or otherwise, for any loss of profit, business, contracts, revenues, use, goodwill or anticipated savings or for any special, indirect or consequential loss or damage whatsoever, arising under this Agreement or arising directly or indirectly from the acts or omissions of its employees, agents and contractors in relation to this Agreement.

 

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ARTICLE 13

MISCELLANEOUS

 

13.1

Notices

All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by e-mail with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Article 13.1):

if to Licensor, to:

International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, Tennessee 38197

Attention: Sharon Ryan (General Counsel)

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

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Chief Counsel—Intellectual Property

if to Licensee, to:

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Matt Barron (Senior Vice President and General Counsel)

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

Global Holdings II, Inc.

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: Brad Poe (Senior Counsel – Intellectual Property)

 

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

 

13.2

Assignment

This Agreement cannot be assigned, sold, pledged or hypothecated by Licensee without prior written approval by Licensor. Licensor may freely assign, sell, or pledge any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement, or the Agreement in whole, without consent of the Licensee, but shall provide written notice of any transfer to Licensee.

 

13.3

No Third-Party Beneficiaries

This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the parties hereto and their permitted assigns and nothing herein expressed or implied shall give or be construed to give to any other Person any legal or equitable rights hereunder.

 

13.4

Amendments

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

 

13.5

Severability

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

 

13.6

Entire Agreement

This Agreement and the Separation Agreement and the exhibits, schedules and appendices hereto and thereto, contain the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous agreements, negotiations, discussions, writings, understandings, commitments and conversations with respect to such subject matter, and there are no agreements or understandings between the Parties other than those set forth or referred to herein or therein. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement, on the one hand, and the provisions of the Separation Agreement (including the exhibits, schedules and appendices thereto), on the other hand, the provisions of the Separation Agreement shall control.

 

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13.7

Counterparts

This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties hereto and delivered to the other Party hereto. Each Party acknowledges that it and the other Party are executing this Agreement by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp, electronic or mechanical signature) by email in portable document format (PDF) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this Agreement. Each Party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier or by email in portable document format (PDF)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it shall not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such Party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person and agrees that, at the reasonable request of the other Party at any time, it shall as promptly as reasonably practicable cause this Agreement to be manually executed (any such execution to be as of the date of the initial date thereof) and delivered in person, by mail or by courier.

 

13.8

Governing Law; Forum; Waiver of Jury Trial

The provisions of Section 10.2 of the Separation Agreement shall apply to this Agreement mutatis mutandis.

 

13.9

Headings

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

 

13.10

Bankruptcy

All licenses granted under this Agreement will be deemed licenses of rights to intellectual property for purposes of Section 365(n) of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and a licensee under this Agreement will retain and may fully exercise all of its rights and elections under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their duly authorized representatives.

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY     GLOBAL HOLDINGS II, INC.
By:  

/s/ Keith R. Townsend

    By:  

/s/ Greg Gibson

Name:   Keith R. Townsend     Name:   Greg Gibson
Title:   VP Strategic Initiatives     Title:   President
Date:   September 30, 2021     Date:   September 30, 2021

 

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Exhibit 10.15

Execution Version

BRAZIL PAYMENT AGREEMENT

This BRAZIL PAYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of September 30, 2021, is by and among International Paper Investments (Luxembourg) S.à r.l., a private limited liability company (société à responsabilité limitée) organised and existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, having its registered office and principal place of business at 6, rue Gabriel Lippmann, Parc d’Activité Syrdall 2, Münsbach, L-5365 Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies under number B 90.703 (“IP”), Sylvamo Papers Holding S.à r.l., a private limited liability company (société à responsabilité limitée) organised and existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, having its registered office and principal place of business at 6 rue Gabriel Lippmann, Parc d’Activité Syrdall 2, 5365 Münsbach, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies under number B218883, and wholly owned, indirect Subsidiary of Sylvamo Corporation (“Sylvamo Sub”), and Sylvamo North America, LLC (the “Guarantor”) (each a “Party” and together, the “Parties”).

WHEREAS, Sylvamo Sub is a wholly owned, indirect Subsidiary of International Paper Company and has indirect economic ownership of the Brazil Lands;

WHEREAS, following the separation and distribution of Sylvamo Corporation (“Sylvamo”) from International Paper Company pursuant to a Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2021, by and between Sylvamo and International Paper Company (the “Separation Agreement”), Sylvamo Sub will no longer be a wholly owned, indirect Subsidiary of International Paper Company;

WHEREAS, the Parties desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions on which Sylvamo Sub will make certain payments to IP upon the Transfer of the Brazil Property.

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

1. Definitions. The following terms shall have the respective meanings set out below and grammatical variations of such terms shall have corresponding meanings:

Affiliate” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Agreement” has the meaning ascribed to it in the preamble of this Agreement.

Appurtenances” means all easements, rights-of-way or use, rights, strips and gores of land, streets, ways, alleys, passages, public places, vaults, sewer rights, timber, timber rights, minerals, mineral rights, water, water courses, water rights and powers, parking areas, conservation areas, parks, air rights and development rights, and all estates, rights, titles, interests, privileges, liberties, servitudes, tenements, hereditaments and appurtenances of any nature whatsoever, in any way now or hereafter belonging, relating or pertaining to the Brazil Lands and the Improvements.


Brazil Lands” means the approximately 106,100 hectares of Eucalyptus forest lands and conservation lands in the States of São Paulo, Brazil and Minas Gerais, Brazil owned by Sylvamo Sub and its Affiliates as of the date of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the Brazil Lands do not include hectares acquired by Sylvamo Sub or its Affiliates in Brazil after the date of this Agreement.

Brazil Payment” means the amount equal to US$100,000,000.

Brazil Property” means, collectively, the Brazil Lands, the Improvements and the Appurtenances.

Brazil Property Sale” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2(a).

Brazil Property Sale Notice” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2(b).

Change of Control” means, with respect to any Person, any occurrence resulting in (a) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities entitled to vote in the election of members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person having 50% or more of the then-outstanding voting power of such Person, in each case determined irrespective of whether such Person is subject to the Exchange Act; (b) such Person becoming a party to a merger, consolidation, share exchange, reorganization, sale of assets or other similar extraordinary transaction, or being the subject of a proxy contest, in each case as a consequence of which members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person in office immediately prior to such transaction or event constitute less than a majority of such board or other body thereafter; or (c) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of such Person.

CPR Rules” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement

Effective Time” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Exchange Act” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Improvements” means all buildings, structures and other improvements now or hereafter erected on the Brazil Lands and all building materials, equipment, fixtures and fittings of every kind or character now owned or hereafter acquired by Sylvamo Sub and its Affiliates for the purpose of being used or useful in connection with the alteration or repair of the buildings, structures and other improvements now or hereafter erected on the Brazil Lands, whether such materials, equipment, fixtures and fittings are actually located on or adjacent to the Brazil Lands or not, and whether in storage or otherwise, wheresoever the same may be located.

IP” has the meaning ascribed to it in the preamble of this Agreement.

Party” and “Parties” has the meaning ascribed to it in the preamble to this Agreement.

 

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Person” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Separation Agreement” has the meaning ascribed to it in the third recital to this Agreement.

Subsidiary” has the meaning ascribed to it in the Separation Agreement.

Sylvamo Sub” has the meaning ascribed to it in the preamble of this Agreement.

Transfer” means any direct or indirect transfer, sale, exchange, assignment, distribution, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or other disposition of the Brazil Property, or any legal or beneficial interest therein, in whole or in part, including any grant of an option or other right or interest, or entry into any Contract, that would result in a reduction or diminution of the transferor’s economic ownership in the Brazil Property.

2. Brazil Property Sale.

(a) If, at any time following the Effective Time, Sylvamo Sub or any of its Affiliates Transfers all or any portion of the Brazil Property (a “Brazil Property Sale”) to a third party, Sylvamo Sub shall make the Brazil Payment to IP, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, within five (5) Business Days following the consummation of such Brazil Property Sale. For the avoidance of doubt, a direct or indirect Change of Control of Sylvamo Sub shall constitute a Brazil Property Sale. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, a Transfer of up to 2.5% of the total acreage of the Brazil Lands in any calendar year, or 10% of the total acreage of the Brazil Lands in the aggregate following the Effective Time, shall not constitute a Brazil Property Sale for purposes of this Agreement.

(b) No later than the earlier of (x) five (5) Business Days following the signing of any definitive agreement with regard to a Brazil Property Sale and (y) thirty (30) Business Days prior to the consummation of any Brazil Property Sale, Sylvamo Sub shall provide written notice to IP of such Brazil Property (“Brazil Property Sale Notice”).

(c) The Brazil Payment is a gross amount, and Sylvamo Sub shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from any Brazil Payment otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement any taxes required by applicable Law to be deducted or withheld from such payment, provided that, prior to making any such deduction or withholding (i) Sylvamo Sub shall provide at least thirty (30) Business Days’ prior written notice if any such deduction or withholding is required by applicable Law and provide IP a reasonable opportunity to provide forms or other evidence that would exempt such amounts from such deduction or withholding and (ii) Sylvamo Sub and IP shall cooperate and use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize or eliminate any such deduction or withholding in accordance with applicable law.

3. Termination. This Agreement shall be effective at the Effective Time and shall continue until (x) terminated by the mutual written consent of the Parties and (y) such time as when the Brazil Payment required to be made under this Agreement has been paid in full.

 

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4. Guaranty. The Guarantor hereby absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably guarantees to IP the due and punctual payment of, observance, performance and discharge of the obligations of Buyer with respect to the Brazil Payment, if and when due, pursuant to this Agreement. The Guarantor’s guarantee is an absolute, unconditional, irrevocable and continuing guarantee of payment and not merely of collectability, and IP shall not be required to proceed against Sylvamo Sub first before proceeding against the Guarantor hereunder.

5. Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party; provided, however, that IP may assign this Agreement (including any or all of its rights and obligations hereunder) to any of its Affiliates without the consent of the other Party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement in whole in connection with a Change of Control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant Party by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party.

6. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by e-mail with receipt confirmed (followed by delivery of an original via overnight courier service or by registered or certified mail postage prepaid, return receipt requested) to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 6):

If to IP, to:

c/o International Paper Company

6400 Poplar Avenue

Tower 3, 2nd Floor

Memphis, TN 38197

Attention: General Counsel

E-mail: Sharon.ryan@ipaper.com

If to Sylvamo Sub or Guarantor to:

Before June 30, 2022:

c/o Sylvamo Corporation

6400 Poplar Ave

Tower 1, 9th Floor

Memphis, TN 38197

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

After June 30, 2022:

 

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c/o Sylvamo Corporation

6077 Primacy Parkway

Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Attn: General Counsel

E-mail: Matthew.barron@sylvamo.com

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

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

8. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each Party and delivered to the other Party. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by email portable document format (PDF) shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

9. Amendments; Waivers. No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification. No failure or delay by either Party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right hereunder.

10. No Third Party Beneficiaries. The provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties and are not intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder.

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

 

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12. Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT. EACH PARTY HEREBY (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF THE OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, AS APPLICABLE, BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 12.

13. Jurisdiction; Service of Process. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS, FOR ITSELF AND ITS PROPERTY, TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, OR, IF (AND ONLY IF) SUCH COURT FINDS IT LACKS SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, THE FEDERAL COURT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SITTING IN DELAWARE, AND APPELLATE COURTS THEREOF, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT FOR RECOGNITION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT RELATING HERETO, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY (I) AGREES NOT TO COMMENCE ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING EXCEPT IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, OR, IF (AND ONLY IF) SUCH COURT FINDS IT LACKS SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, THE FEDERAL COURT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SITTING IN DELAWARE, AND APPELLATE COURTS THEREOF, (II) AGREES THAT ANY CLAIM IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN THE COURT OF CHANCERY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, OR, IF (AND ONLY IF) SUCH COURT FINDS IT LACKS SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, THE FEDERAL COURT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SITTING IN DELAWARE, AND APPELLATE COURTS THEREOF, (III) WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT IT MAY LEGALLY AND EFFECTIVELY DO SO, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN SUCH COURTS AND (IV) WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN SUCH COURTS. THE PARTIES HEREBY AGREE THAT MAILING OF PROCESS OR OTHER PAPERS IN CONNECTION WITH ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN THE MANNER PROVIDED IN SECTION 6, OR IN SUCH OTHER MANNER AS MAY BE PERMITTED BY LAW, SHALL BE VALID AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE THEREOF AND HEREBY WAIVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO SERVICE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE MANNER HEREIN PROVIDED.

 

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14. Governing Law. This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or thereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby or to the inducement of any party to enter herein and therein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) and all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement (and all Schedules hereto) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction) including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies. In the event of litigation relating to this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines in a final, non-appealable order that Sylvamo Sub has breached this Agreement, the Sylvamo Sub will reimburse IP for its costs and expenses (including, without limitation, legal fees and expenses) incurred in connection with such litigation.

15. Interpretation. In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (c) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement shall be deemed to include the Exhibits, Schedules and Annexes to such agreement; (d) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (e) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (f) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (g) references to “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in (x) Memphis, Tennessee or (y) New York, New York; (h) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; (i) the word “extent” in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other thing extends, and such phrase shall not mean simply “if”; (j) unless otherwise specified, all dollar amounts in this Agreement, including the symbol “$”, refer to the lawful currency of the United States of America; and (k) all references to “the date hereof” or “the date of this Agreement” and words of similar import shall all be references to September 30, 2021.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

 

INTERNATIONAL PAPER

INVESTMENTS (LUXEMBOURG) S.À R.L.

By:  

/s/ Manacor (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l.

Name: Manacor (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l.
Title: Manager A
By:  

/s/ Jean-Marc Servais

Name: Jean-Marc Servais
Title: Manager B
SYLVAMO PAPERS HOLDING S.À R.L.
By:  

/s/ Ismail Jabri

Name: Ismail Jabri
Title: Manager A
By:  

/s/ Lorraine van Eyll

Name: Lorraine van Eyll
Title: Manager B
SYLVAMO NORTH AMERICA, LLC
By:  

/s/ John Sims

Name: John Sims
Title: Senior Vice President