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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 7, 2021

 

 

Ziff Davis, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   0-25965   47-1053457
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

114 5th Avenue

New York, New York 10011

(Address of principal executive offices)

(212) 503-3500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

J2 Global, Inc., 700 S. Flower Street, 15th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90017

(Registrant’s former name, former address)

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange
on which registered

Common Stock, $0.01 par value   ZD   Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

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

Emerging growth company ☐

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

 

 

 


Item 1.01. Entry Into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On October 7, 2021, in connection with the previously announced separation of Ziff Davis, Inc.’s (formerly known as J2 Global, Inc, the “Company”) Cloud Fax business (the “Separation”) through the distribution of approximately 80.1% of the outstanding common stock of Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Consensus”), to the Company’s stockholders (the “Distribution”), the Company entered into several agreements with Consensus that govern the relationship of the parties following the Distribution, including the following:

 

   

A Separation and Distribution Agreement;

 

   

A Transition Services Agreement

 

   

A Tax Matters Agreement

 

   

An Employee Matters Agreement

 

   

An Intellectual Property License Agreement

 

   

A Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement

Separation and Distribution Agreement

Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities

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

 

   

which assets (whether tangible or intangible) primarily related to the Cloud Fax business, which are referred to as the “Consensus Assets,” will be retained by J2 Cloud Services, LLC (“Historical Cloud Services”) or transferred to Consensus;

 

   

which liabilities primarily related to the Cloud Fax business, which are referred to as the “Consensus Liabilities,” will be retained by or transferred to Consensus;

 

   

all of the assets and liabilities (including whether accrued, contingent, or otherwise) other than the Consensus Assets and Consensus Liabilities (such assets and liabilities, other than the Consensus Assets and the Consensus Liabilities, referred to as the “Ziff Davis Global Assets” and “Ziff Davis Global Liabilities,” respectively) will be retained by or transferred to the Company. The assets and liabilities related to the B2B backup, cybersecurity and SMB enablement businesses held by Historical Cloud Services will be transferred to the Company or subsidiaries that will be retained by the Company following the Separation; and

 

   

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

Except as expressly set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any ancillary agreement, neither the Company nor Consensus makes any representation or warranty as to (1) the assets, business or liabilities transferred or assumed as part of the Separation, (2) any approvals or notifications required in connection with the transfers, (3) the value of or the freedom from any security interests of any of the assets transferred, (4) the absence or presence of any defenses or right of setoff or freedom from counterclaim with respect to any claim or other asset of either the Company or Consensus, or (5) the legal sufficiency of any assignment, document or instrument delivered to convey title to any asset or thing of value to be transferred in connection with the Separation. All assets are transferred on an “as is,” “where is” basis, and the respective transferees bear the economic and legal risks that any conveyance will prove to be insufficient to vest in the transferee good and marketable title, free and clear of all security interests, and that any necessary consents or governmental approvals are not obtained or that any requirements of laws, agreements, security interests or judgments are not complied with.


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

Claims and Releases

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

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

Indemnification

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

 

   

the Consensus Liabilities;

 

   

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

 

   

except to the extent relating to a Ziff Davis Global Liability, any guarantee, indemnification or contribution obligation for the benefit of Consensus by the Company that survives the Distribution;

 

   

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

 

   

any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of material fact in the registration statement on Form 10 filed by Consensus or in the information statement contained therein (as amended or supplemented), other than any such statements or omissions directly relating to information regarding the Company, provided to Consensus by the Company, for inclusion therein.

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

 

   

the Ziff Davis Global Liabilities;

 

   

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

 

   

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

 

   

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


   

any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of a material fact directly relating to information regarding the Company, provided to Consensus by the Company, for inclusion in the registration statement on Form 10 filed by Consensus or in the information statement contained therein (as amended or supplemented).

The Separation and Distribution Agreement also establishes procedures with respect to claims subject to indemnification and will contain provisions that govern, except as otherwise provided in any ancillary agreement, the resolution of disputes, controversies or claims that may arise between the Company and Consensus related to the Separation or Distribution.

Insurance

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

Further Assurances

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

Expenses

Except as expressly set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement or in any ancillary agreement, all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the Separation and Distribution, including costs and expenses relating to legal and tax counsel, financial advisors and accounting advisory work related to the Separation and Distribution, (i) prior to the Separation will be borne 50% by the Company and 50% by Consensus and (ii) after the Separation will be borne by the party incurring such cost and expense.

Transition Services Agreement

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

The Transition Services Agreement will terminate on the expiration of the term of the last service provided under it, which will generally be no later than 12 months after the Distribution Date.

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

Tax Matters Agreement

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


The Tax Matters Agreement also imposes certain restrictions on Consensus and its subsidiaries (including, among others, restrictions on share issuances, business combinations, sales of assets and similar transactions) designed to preserve the tax-free status of the Distribution and certain related transactions. The Tax Matters Agreement provides special rules that allocate tax liabilities in the event the Distribution, together with certain related transactions, is not tax-free. In general, under the Tax Matters Agreement, each party is expected to be responsible for any taxes imposed on the Company or Consensus that arise from the failure of the Distribution, together with certain related transactions, to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free under Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) and certain other relevant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to the extent that the failure to so qualify is attributable to actions, events or transactions relating to such party’s respective stock, assets or business, or a breach of the relevant representations or covenants made by that party in the Tax Matters Agreement. However, if such failure was the result of any acquisition of our shares or assets, or of any of Consensus’s representations, statements or undertakings being incorrect, incomplete or breached, Consensus generally will be responsible for all taxes imposed as a result of such acquisition or breach.

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

Employee Matters Agreement

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

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

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

Intellectual Property License Agreement

Under the Intellectual Property License Agreement, the Company will grant to Consensus a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to continue to use certain intellectual property, including patents, trade secrets and copyrights (but specifically excluding trademarks), in the same manner as Consensus used such intellectual property in its business prior to the completion of the Separation and the Distribution, as well as natural evolutions of those uses. Similarly, Consensus will grant to the Company a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to continue to use certain intellectual property, including patents, trade secrets and copyrights (but specifically excluding trademarks), in the same manner as the Company used such intellectual property in its business prior to the completion of the Separation and the Distribution, as well as natural evolutions of those uses.


Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement

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

The foregoing description of certain terms of these agreements does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to the full text of these agreements, which are attached hereto as Exhibits 2.1, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5, respectively, each of which is incorporated by reference into this Item 1.01.

Item 2.01. Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

On October 7, 2021, the Company completed the Distribution and the Separation of Consensus from the Company. Consensus is now an independent public company trading under the symbol “CCSI” on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The Distribution was made to the Company’s stockholders of record as of the close of business on October 1, 2021 (the “Record Date”), and such stockholders received one share of Consensus common stock for every three shares of Company common stock held as of close of business on the Record Date.

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

In connection with the Separation, each of Doug Bech, Stephen Ross and Pamela Sutton-Wallace resigned as members of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), effective as of immediately prior to the Separation, to serve as directors of Consensus. Additionally, Scott Turicchi resigned as President and Chief Financial Officer, effective as of immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Separation. Mr. Turicchi will serve as Chief Executive Officer of Consensus.

On October 7, 2021, Steve Dunn, age 52, was appointed the interim principal financial officer of the Company while the Company is engaging in a search process for a new chief financial officer. Mr. Dunn is the Chief Accounting Officer of the Company and oversees the global accounting and public reporting functions of the Company. He joined the company in March of 2008 and brings 25 years of experience in public and private companies.

Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

On October 7, 2021, in connection with the Separation, the Company amended its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”) and its Bylaws (the “Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws”) to change the name of the Company from “J2 Global, Inc.” to “Ziff Davis, Inc.” The description contained herein is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws, which are attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1 and Exhibit 3.2, respectively, and are incorporated by reference into this Item 5.03.


Item 8.01. Other Events.

Press Release

On October 8, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing the completion of the Separation and Distribution. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

On October 8, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing the results of its previously announced tender offer for its 4.625% Senior Notes due 2030. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Description

2.1*    Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2021, by and between Ziff Davis, Inc. and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.
3.1    Certificate of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Ziff Davis, Inc.
3.2    Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws of Ziff Davis, Inc.
10.1*    Transition Services Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2021, by and between Ziff Davis, Inc. and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.
10.2    Tax Matters Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2021, by and between Ziff Davis, Inc. and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.
10.3*    Employee Matters Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2021, by and between Ziff Davis, Inc. and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.
10.4    Intellectual Property License Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2021, by and between Ziff Davis, Inc. and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.
10.5    Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2021, by and between Ziff Davis, Inc. and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.
99.1    Press Release, dated October 8, 2021
99.2    Press Release, dated October 8, 2021
104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

*

Certain schedules and exhibits to the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Transition Services Agreement and Employee Matters Agreement have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. The Company hereby agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the SEC upon request.


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.

 

   

Ziff Davis, Inc.

(Registrant)

Date: October 8, 2021     By:  

/s/ Jeremy Rossen

     

Jeremy Rossen

Executive Vice President, General Counsel

Exhibit 2.1

SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

BY AND BETWEEN

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.

AND

CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.

DATED AS OF OCTOBER 7, 2021


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page  

Article I DEFINITIONS

     2  

Article II THE SEPARATION

     13  

2.1

   Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities      13  

2.2

   SpinCo Assets; Parent Assets      16  

2.3

   SpinCo Liabilities; Parent Liabilities      18  

2.4

   Approvals and Notifications      19  

2.5

   Novation of Liabilities      22  

2.6

   Release of Guarantees      23  

2.7

   Termination of Agreements      24  

2.8

   Treatment of Shared Contracts      25  

2.9

   Bank Accounts; Cash Balances      25  

2.10

   Ancillary Agreements      26  

2.11

   Disclaimer of Representations and Warranties      26  

2.12

   SpinCo Financing Arrangements      27  

2.13

   Cash Distribution      27  

2.14

   Financial Information Certifications      28  

Article III THE DISTRIBUTION

     29  

3.1

   Sole and Absolute Discretion; Cooperation      29  

3.2

   Actions Prior to the Distribution      29  

3.3

   Conditions to the Distribution      30  

3.4

   The Distribution      32  

Article IV MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION

     33  

4.1

   Release of Pre-Distribution Claims      33  

4.2

   Indemnification by SpinCo      35  

4.3

   Indemnification by Parent      36  

4.4

   Indemnification Obligations Net of Insurance Proceeds and Other Amounts      37  

4.5

   Procedures for Indemnification of Third-Party Claims      38  

4.6

   Additional Matters      40  

4.7

   Right of Contribution      41  

4.8

   Covenant Not to Sue      42  

4.9

   Remedies Cumulative      42  

4.10

   Survival of Indemnities      42  

Article V CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS

     42  

5.1

   Insurance Matters      42  

5.2

   Late Payments      45  

5.3

   Inducement      45  

5.4

   Post-Effective Time Conduct      45  

5.5

   Corporate Names; Trademarks      46  

5.6

   Non-Solicitation      46  

5.7

   Procedures Related to Certain Actions      47  

 

i


Article VI EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY

     48  

6.1

   Agreement for Exchange of Information      48  

6.2

   Ownership of Information      49  

6.3

   Compensation for Providing Information      49  

6.4

   Record Retention      50  

6.5

   Limitations of Liability      50  

6.6

   Other Agreements Providing for Exchange of Information      50  

6.7

   Production of Witnesses; Records; Cooperation      50  

6.8

   Privileged Matters      52  

6.9

   Confidentiality      54  

6.10

   Protective Arrangements      55  

6.11

   Current, Quarterly and Annual Reports      55  

Article VII DISPUTE RESOLUTION

     56  

7.1

   Good Faith Officer Negotiation      56  

7.2

   Mediation      56  

7.3

   Arbitration      56  

7.4

   Litigation and Unilateral Commencement of Arbitration      58  

7.5

   Conduct During Dispute Resolution Process      58  

7.6

   Expenses      58  

Article VIII FURTHER ASSURANCES AND ADDITIONAL COVENANTS

     58  

8.1

   Further Assurances      58  

Article IX TERMINATION

     59  

9.1

   Termination      59  

9.2

   Effect of Termination      59  

Article X MISCELLANEOUS

     59  

10.1

   Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power      59  

10.2

   Governing Law      61  

10.3

   Assignability      61  

10.4

   Third-Party Beneficiaries      61  

10.5

   Notices      62  

10.6

   Severability      62  

10.7

   Force Majeure      63  

10.8

   Expenses      63  

10.9

   Headings      63  

10.10

   Survival of Covenants      63  

10.11

   Amendments and Waivers of Default      64  

10.12

   Specific Performance      64  

10.13

   Interpretation      64  

10.14

   Tax Treatment of Payments      65  

10.15

   Performance      65  

10.16

   Mutual Drafting      65  

 

ii


SCHEDULES

 

Schedule 1.1

  

SpinCo Business

Schedule 1.2

  

SpinCo Contracts

Schedule 1.3

  

SpinCo Indemnified Liabilities

Schedule 1.4

  

SpinCo Intellectual Property

Schedule 1.5

  

Transferred Entities

Schedule 1.6

  

Parent Indemnified Liabilities

Schedule 1.7

  

Bonus Amount SpinCo Business Employee

Schedule 2.1(a)

  

Global Transaction Structure

Schedule 2.2(a)

  

SpinCo Assets

Schedule 2.2(b)

  

Parent Assets

Schedule 2.3(a)

  

SpinCo Liabilities

Schedule 2.3(b)

  

Parent Liabilities

Schedule 2.6(a)(i)

  

Parent Guarantees

Schedule 2.6(a)(ii)

  

SpinCo Guarantees

Schedule 2.7(b)

  

Termination of Agreements

Schedule 5.7

  

Procedures Related to Certain Actions

Schedule 10.8

  

Expenses

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A

  

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

Exhibit B

  

Amended and Restated Bylaws of Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

Exhibit C

  

Transition Services Agreement

Exhibit D

  

Tax Matters Agreement

Exhibit E

  

Employee Matters Agreement

Exhibit F

  

Intellectual Property License

Exhibit G

  

Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement

 

iii


SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

This SEPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT, dated as of October 7, 2021 (this “Agreement”), is by and between Ziff Davis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in Article I.

R E C I T A L S

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent (the “Parent Board”) has determined that it is in the best interests of Parent and its stockholders to create a new publicly traded company that shall own and 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 in the manner set forth in the Global Transaction Structure (the “Separation”) and, in connection with the Separation, make a distribution, on a pro rata basis, to holders of Parent Shares on the Record Date of at least eighty and one-tenth percent (80.1%) of the outstanding SpinCo Shares owned by Parent (the “Distribution”);

WHEREAS, in order to effect the Separation, the board of directors of Parent has approved the transfer by Parent of the SpinCo Business to SpinCo pursuant to the Global Transaction Structure (such transfer, the “Contribution”) in exchange for (i) the assumption by SpinCo of the SpinCo Liabilities, (ii) the actual or constructive issuance by SpinCo to Parent of SpinCo Shares, (iii) the Final Cash Distribution and (iv) the SpinCo Securities;

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

WHEREAS, Parent intends to use the SpinCo Securities received in exchange for the Contribution, the Final Cash Distribution, and the Additional Cash to pay Parent creditors and make distributions to Parent shareholders;

WHEREAS, following the Distribution, Parent may retain up to 19.9% of the outstanding SpinCo Shares (the “Retained Shares”) and intends to, within 12 months of the Distribution, effect distributions of the Retained Shares to Parent stockholders as dividends or in exchange for outstanding shares of Parent common stock or through one or more subsequent exchanges of SpinCo Shares for Parent debt held by Parent creditors (a “Subsequent Disposition”);

WHEREAS, if any portion of the Retained Shares has not been disposed of pursuant to a Subsequent Disposition within the 12-month period, Parent will dispose of such Retained Shares in all events within five years of the Distribution (a “Remaining Disposition”);

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

 

1


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

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

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

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

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

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

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

Additional Cash” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.13(c).

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

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

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

 

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

Arbitration Request” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.3(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.

Base Cash Distribution Amount” shall mean an amount equal to $259,103,750.

Bonus Amount” shall mean an amount equal to all accrued and unpaid bonuses payable after the Distribution Date by SpinCo to any SpinCo Group Employee entitled to a bonus under Parent’s annual cash incentive plan (but not, for the avoidance of doubt, under any SpinCo Group plans) as set forth on Schedule 1.7 relating to periods prior to the Distribution Date, as determined by Parent; provided, that the portion of the Bonus Amount attributable to the Chief Executive Officer of SpinCo shall not exceed $1 million.

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

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

Controlling Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.7(b).

CPR” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.2.

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 mean a number equal to one-third.

Effective Time” shall mean immediately prior to the Distribution on the Distribution Date.

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

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

Final Bonus Amount” shall mean Parent’s final determination of the accrued and unpaid Bonus Amount as determined pursuant to Section 2.13(b).

Final Cash Distribution” shall mean a cash payment in an amount equal to (a) the Base Cash Distribution Amount, minus (b) the Final Bonus Amount.

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

 

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

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.

Global Transaction Structure” shall mean the plan set forth on Schedule 2.1(a) setting forth the restructuring steps to be taken prior to the Distribution Date and the sequence thereof.

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

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

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

Historical Cloud Services” shall mean the business and operations of J2 Cloud Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, including the Cloud Fax business, B2B backup business, cybersecurity business (including its Livedrive and SugarSync businesses) and SMB enablement services business.

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, whether or not patentable or copyrightable, in written, oral, electronic or other tangible or intangible forms, stored in any medium, including studies, reports, records, books, contracts, instruments, surveys, discoveries, ideas, concepts, know-how, techniques, designs, specifications, drawings, blueprints, artwork, design, research and development files, diagrams, models, prototypes, samples, flow charts, data, computer data, disks, diskettes, tapes, computer programs or other software, marketing plans, Customer Information, cost information, sales and pricing data, customer prospect lists, supplier records and vendor data, correspondence and lists, product literature, communications by or to attorneys (including attorney-client privileged communications), memoranda and other materials prepared by attorneys or under their direction (including attorney work product), and other technical, financial, employee or business information or data; provided that “Information” shall not include Intellectual Property.

 

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

Insurance Proceeds” shall mean those monies:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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determined or determinable, including those arising under any Law, claim (including any Third-Party Claim), demand, Action, or order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, stipulation, determination or award entered by or with any Governmental Authority or arbitration tribunal, and those arising under any contract, agreement, obligation, indenture, instrument, lease, promise, arrangement, release, warranty, commitment or undertaking, or any fines, damages or equitable relief that is imposed, in each case, including all costs and expenses relating thereto. Except as otherwise specifically set forth herein or in the Tax Matters Agreement, the rights and obligations of the Parties with respect to Taxes shall be governed by the Tax Matters Agreement and, therefore, Taxes shall not be treated as Liabilities governed by this Agreement other than for purposes of indemnification related to the Disclosure Documents.

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

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

Marks” shall have the meaning set forth in the definition of Intellectual Property.

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

Minimum Cash Amount” shall mean an amount in cash equal to $31,603,750, which amount shall be funded solely from the proceeds of the SpinCo Financing Arrangements.

Nasdaq” shall mean the Nasdaq Global Select Market operated by Nasdaq, Inc.

Non-Controlling Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.7(b).

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

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

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

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

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

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

Parent Contract” shall mean all 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, other than the SpinCo Contracts.

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Parties” shall mean the parties to this Agreement.

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

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

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

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

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

 

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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 pursuant to the Distribution.

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

Remaining Disposition” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

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

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

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

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

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

Shared Contract” means any contract, agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding, a portion of which relates to the SpinCo Business and the remainder of which relates to the Parent Business.

Shared Existing Actions” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.7(a).

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

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

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

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

 

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SpinCo Balance Sheet” shall mean the pro forma combined balance sheet of the SpinCo Business, including any notes and subledgers thereto, as of June 30, 2021, as presented in the Information Statement made available to the Record Holders.

SpinCo Business” shall mean (a) the business, operations and activities of only the Cloud fax business of Historical Cloud Services conducted at any time prior to the Effective Time by either Party or any of their current or former Subsidiaries and (b) any terminated, divested or discontinued businesses, operations and activities that, at the time of termination, divestiture or discontinuation, primarily related to the business, operations or activities described in clause (a) as then conducted including but not limited to those businesses, operations and activities associated with the fax brands set forth on Schedule 1.1.

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

SpinCo Cash Amount” shall mean an amount in cash equal to (a) the Minimum Cash Amount, plus (b) the Bonus Amount.

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

SpinCo Closing Cash” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.13(b).

SpinCo Contracts” shall mean any contracts, agreements or settlements exclusively held for or used for the SpinCo Business 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:

(i) any customer, distribution, supply or vendor contract or agreement with a Third Party entered into prior to the Effective Time primarily related to the SpinCo Business (including the portion of any such contract that is a Shared Contract that relates to the SpinCo Business);

(ii) any license agreement entered into prior to the Effective Time primarily related to the SpinCo Business (including the portion of any such license agreement that is a Shared Contract that relates to the SpinCo Business);

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

(x) any contracts, agreements or settlements set forth on Schedule 1.2, including the right to recover any amounts under such contracts, agreements or settlements.

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

SpinCo Financing Arrangements” means the issuance of senior notes by SpinCo prior to the Distribution, as approved by Parent, in reliance on Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act or Regulation S under the Securities Act.

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

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

SpinCo Indemnified Liability” shall mean those Liabilities set forth on Schedule 1.3.

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

SpinCo Intellectual Property” shall mean all Intellectual Property owned by, licensed by or to, or sublicensed by or to either Party or any member of its Group as of the Effective Time exclusively used or exclusively held for use in the SpinCo Business, and all Intellectual Property set forth on Schedule 1.4.

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

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

 

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

SpinCo Securities” shall mean senior notes of SpinCo in an aggregate principal amount of $500 million with a maturity of seven years and a non-call period of five years.

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

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

SpinCo Technology” shall mean all Technology 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.

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

Straddle Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.14.

Subsequent Disposition” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Transaction Bonuses shall mean the aggregate amount of bonuses payable to employees of Parent and SpinCo (or their respective Subsidiaries) in connection with the Separation and Distribution.

Transaction Fees” shall mean all fees, costs and expenses incurred on or prior to the Effective Time in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery and implementation of this Agreement, including the Separation and the Distribution, and any Ancillary Agreement, the Separation, the registration statement, the Global Transaction Structure and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, as determined by Parent in its sole discretion.

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

Transferred Entities” shall mean the entities set forth on Schedule 1.5.

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

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

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

Unresolved Dispute Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.2.

ARTICLE II

THE SEPARATION

2.1 Transfer of Assets and Assumption of Liabilities.

(a) On or prior to the Effective Time, but in any case prior to the Distribution, in accordance with the Global Transaction Structure:

(i) Transfer and Assignment of SpinCo Assets. Parent shall, and shall cause the applicable members of its Group to, contribute, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to SpinCo, or the applicable SpinCo Designees, and SpinCo or such SpinCo Designees shall accept from Parent and the applicable members of the Parent Group, all of Parent’s and such Parent Group member’s respective direct or indirect right, title and interest in and to all of the SpinCo Assets (it being understood that if any SpinCo Asset shall be held by a Transferred Entity or a wholly owned Subsidiary of a Transferred Entity, such SpinCo Asset may be assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered to SpinCo as a result of the transfer of all of the equity interests in such Transferred Entity from Parent or the applicable members of the Parent Group to SpinCo or the applicable SpinCo Designee and such SpinCo Assets shall not be directly transferred by a Transferred Entity or a wholly owned Subsidiary of a Transferred Entity to SpinCo);

 

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

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

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

(b) Transfer Documents. In furtherance of the contribution, distribution, assignment, transfer, conveyance and delivery of the Assets and the assumption of the Liabilities in accordance with Section 2.1(a), (i) each Party shall execute and deliver, and shall cause the applicable members of its Group to execute and deliver, to the other Party, such bills of sale, quitclaim deeds, stock powers, certificates of title, assignments of contracts and other instruments of transfer, conveyance and assignment as and to the extent necessary to evidence the transfer, conveyance and assignment of all of such Party’s and the applicable members of its Group’s right, title and interest in and to such Assets to the other Party and the applicable members of its Group

 

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in accordance with Section 2.1(a), and (ii) each Party shall execute and deliver, and shall cause the applicable members of its Group to execute and deliver, to the other Party, such assumptions of contracts and other instruments of assumption as and to the extent necessary to evidence the valid and effective assumption of the Liabilities by such Party and the applicable members of its Group in accordance with Section 2.1(a). All of the foregoing documents contemplated by this Section 2.1(b) shall be on forms mutually agreed by the Parties and shall be referred to collectively herein as the “Transfer Documents.”

(c) Misallocations. In the event that at any time or from time to time (whether prior to, at or after the Effective Time), one Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) shall receive or otherwise possess any Asset that is allocated to the other Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) pursuant to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, such Party shall promptly transfer, or cause to be transferred, such Asset to the Party so entitled thereto (or to any member of such Party’s Group), and such Party (or member of such Party’s Group) so entitled thereto shall accept such Asset. Prior to any such transfer, the Person receiving or possessing such Asset shall hold such Asset in trust for such other Person. In the event that at any time or from time to time (whether prior to, at or after the Effective Time), one Party hereto (or any member of such Party’s Group) shall receive or otherwise assume any Liability that is allocated to the other Party (or any member of such Party’s Group) pursuant to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, such other Party shall promptly assume, or cause to be assumed, such Liability and agree to faithfully perform such Liability in accordance with this Agreement. In furtherance of the foregoing, in the event that (i) the SpinCo Group holds cash and cash equivalents in an amount in excess of the SpinCo Cash Amount immediately following the Effective Time, SpinCo shall promptly pay to Parent such excess by wire transfer of immediately available funds and (ii) the SpinCo Group holds cash and cash equivalents in an amount less than the SpinCo Cash Amount immediately following the Effective Time, Parent shall promptly pay to SpinCo such deficit by wire transfer of immediately available funds.

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

2.2 SpinCo Assets; Parent Assets.

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

(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 (for the avoidance of doubt, this clause (i) does not include Assets that are held by the Transferred Entities, which shall be allocated in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.2(a)(ii) through (xi) and Section 2.2(b));

 

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(ii) except as set forth on Schedule 2.2(a)(ii), all Assets of either Party or any members of its Group included or reflected as assets of the SpinCo Group on the SpinCo Balance Sheet, subject to any dispositions of such Assets subsequent to the date of the SpinCo Balance Sheet; provided that the amounts set forth on the SpinCo Balance Sheet with respect to any Assets shall not be treated as minimum amounts or limitations on the amount of such Assets that are included in the definition of SpinCo Assets pursuant to this clause (ii);

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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(ix) the SpinCo Cash Amount (provided, that the SpinCo Cash Amount may be reduced in connection with the reimbursement of Transaction Bonsues in accordance with Section 2.13(c)(iv) and the reimbursement of Transaction Fees in excess of $20 million in accordance with Section 10.8);

(x) all Assets of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time not otherwise described in clauses (i) through (ix) of this Section 2.2(a) that are exclusively related to the SpinCo Business; and

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

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

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

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

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

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

(v) all cash and cash equivalents of either Party or any of the members of its Group as of the Effective Time, including all cash and cash equivalents generated by the SpinCo Business prior to the Effective Time (other than the SpinCo Cash Amount);

(vi) all Assets of either Party or the members of its Group as of the Effective Time, other than the SpinCo Assets; and

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

2.3 SpinCo Liabilities; Parent Liabilities.

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

(i) except as set forth on Schedule 2.3(a)(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 subledgers thereto as of the Effective Time (were such balance sheet, notes and subledgers to be prepared on a basis consistent with the determination of the Liabilities included on the SpinCo Balance Sheet), it being understood that (x) the SpinCo Balance Sheet shall be used to determine the types of, and methodologies used to determine, those Liabilities that are included in the definition of SpinCo Liabilities pursuant to this clause (ii); and (y) the amounts set forth on the SpinCo Balance Sheet with respect to any Liabilities shall not be treated as minimum amounts or limitations on the amount of such Liabilities that are included in the definition of SpinCo Liabilities pursuant to this clause (ii);

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

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

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

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

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

(b) Parent Liabilities. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Parent Liabilities” shall mean (i) all Liabilities to the extent 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,

 

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are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time) of any member of the Parent Group and, prior to the Effective Time, any member of the SpinCo Group, in each case that are not SpinCo Liabilities, including any and all Liabilities set forth on Schedule 2.3(b); and (ii) all Liabilities arising out of claims made by any Third Party (including Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, stockholders, employees and agents) against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from the Parent Business or the Parent Assets.

2.4 Approvals and Notifications.

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

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

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

 

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accordance with SpinCo Group past practice and take such other actions as may be reasonably requested by the member of the SpinCo Group to whom such Delayed SpinCo Asset is to be transferred or assigned, or which will assume such Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, in order to place such member of the SpinCo Group in a substantially similar position as if such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability had been transferred, assigned or assumed as contemplated hereby and so that all the benefits and burdens relating to such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, including use, risk of loss, potential for gain, and dominion, control and command over such Delayed SpinCo Asset or Delayed SpinCo Liability, as the case may be, and all costs and expenses related thereto, shall inure from and after the Effective Time to the SpinCo Group.

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

2.5 Novation of Liabilities.

(a) Novation of SpinCo Liabilities.

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

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

 

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(b) Novation of Parent Liabilities.

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

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

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

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

 

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(b) Unless otherwise mutually agreed by the Parties, to the extent required to obtain a release from a guarantee of:

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

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

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

2.7 Termination of Agreements.

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

 

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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 thereto; (iv) any intercompany accounts payable or accounts receivable accrued as of the Effective Time that are reflected in the books and records of the Parties or otherwise documented in writing in accordance with past practices, which shall be settled in the manner contemplated by Section 2.7(c); (v) any agreements, arrangements, commitments or understandings to which any non-wholly owned Subsidiary of Parent or SpinCo, as the case may be, is a party (it being understood that directors’ qualifying shares or similar interests will be disregarded for purposes of determining whether a Subsidiary is wholly owned); and (vi) any Shared Contracts, which shall survive in accordance with the terms set forth in the Transition Services Agreement or applicable schedules thereto.

(c) The Parties intend there to be no intercompany balances payable between any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, and any member of the SpinCo Group, on the other hand as of the Effective Time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent any such intercompany accounts receivable or accounts payable between any member of the Parent Group, on the one hand, and any member of the SpinCo Group, on the other hand, remain outstanding after the Effective Time, such accounts shall, as promptly as practicable after the Effective Time, be repaid, settled or otherwise eliminated by means of cash payments, a dividend, capital contribution, a combination of the foregoing, or otherwise as determined by Parent in its sole and absolute discretion.

2.8 Treatment of Shared Contracts.

Subject to applicable Law and without limiting the generality of the obligations set forth in Section 2.1, the Parties agree that the applicable benefits of any Shared Contracts shall be conveyed to the applicable Party pursuant to the terms of the Transition Services Agreement and the schedules thereto.

 

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2.9 Bank Accounts; Cash Balances.

(a) Except as otherwise expressly contemplated by the schedules to the Transition Services Agreement, each Party agrees to take, or cause the members of its Group to take, at the Effective Time (or such earlier time as the Parties may agree) or as soon as practicable following the Effective Time, such actions as may be 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 de-Linked from such Parent Account or SpinCo Account, respectively.

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

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

 

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

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

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

2.11 Disclaimer of Representations and Warranties. EACH OF PARENT (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND EACH MEMBER OF THE PARENT GROUP) AND SPINCO (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND EACH MEMBER OF THE SPINCO GROUP) UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES THAT, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN OR IN ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT, NO PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT, ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER AGREEMENT OR DOCUMENT CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT OR OTHERWISE, IS REPRESENTING OR WARRANTING IN ANY WAY AS TO: (A) THE ASSETS, BUSINESSES OR LIABILITIES TRANSFERRED OR ASSUMED AS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY, (B) ANY CONSENTS OR APPROVALS REQUIRED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, (C) THE VALUE OR FREEDOM FROM ANY SECURITY INTERESTS OF, OR ANY OTHER MATTER CONCERNING, ANY ASSETS OF SUCH PARTY, (D) THE ABSENCE OF ANY DEFENSES OR RIGHT OF SET-OFF OR FREEDOM FROM COUNTERCLAIM WITH RESPECT TO ANY CLAIM OR OTHER ASSET, INCLUDING ANY ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, OF ANY PARTY, OR AS TO THE LEGAL SUFFICIENCY OF ANY ASSIGNMENT, DOCUMENT OR INSTRUMENT DELIVERED HEREUNDER TO CONVEY TITLE TO ANY ASSET OR THING OF VALUE UPON THE EXECUTION, DELIVERY AND FILING HEREOF OR THEREOF. EXCEPT AS MAY EXPRESSLY BE SET FORTH HEREIN OR IN ANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENT, ALL SUCH ASSETS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED ON AN “AS IS,” “WHERE IS” BASIS (AND, IN THE CASE OF ANY REAL PROPERTY, BY MEANS OF A QUITCLAIM OR SIMILAR FORM OF DEED OR CONVEYANCE) AND THE RESPECTIVE TRANSFEREES SHALL BEAR THE ECONOMIC AND LEGAL RISKS THAT (I) ANY CONVEYANCE WILL PROVE TO BE INSUFFICIENT TO VEST IN THE TRANSFEREE GOOD AND MARKETABLE TITLE, FREE AND CLEAR OF ANY SECURITY INTEREST, AND (II) ANY NECESSARY APPROVALS OR NOTIFICATIONS ARE NOT OBTAINED OR MADE OR THAT ANY REQUIREMENTS OF LAWS OR JUDGMENTS ARE NOT COMPLIED WITH.

 

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2.12 SpinCo Financing Arrangements.

(a) Prior to the Effective Time, SpinCo and/or other members of the SpinCo Group will enter into the SpinCo Financing Arrangements, on such terms and conditions as agreed by Parent.

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

(c) Prior the Effective Time, Parent and SpinCo shall cooperate in the preparation of all materials as may be necessary or advisable to execute the SpinCo Financing Arrangements, including rating agency presentations necessary to obtain the requisite ratings needed to secure financing under the SpinCo Financing Arrangements.

2.13 Cash Distribution.

(a) In accordance with the Global Transaction Structure, SpinCo shall distribute the Base Cash Distribution to Parent in connection with the Separation and the Distribution, and SpinCo shall retain the Minimum Cash Amount. This distribution shall be in partial consideration for the Contribution.

(b) Promptly following the Distribution Date, but in no event later than 90 days after the Distribution Date, Parent shall prepare and submit to SpinCo a written statement setting forth, in reasonable detail, Parent’s calculation of (i) the Final Bonus Amount, (ii) the Final Cash Distribution, (iii) the Transaction Bonuses, and (iv) the amount of cash held by the SpinCo Group as of immediately following the Effective Time, which shall include cash that is held by any member of the SpinCo Group and may be restricted, subject to limitations on use or otherwise, as determined by Parent (the “SpinCo Closing Cash”).

(c) In order to ensure the transfer to Parent of all cash that constitutes a Parent Asset in accordance with Section 2.1(c), not later than five business days after the determination of the Final Cash Distribution and SpinCo Closing Cash pursuant to Section 2.13(b), the Parties shall make the following payments by wire transfer of immediately available funds in respect thereof (provided, that the Parties shall be entitled to net or aggregate any such payments):

(i) if the Base Cash Distribution is greater than the Final Cash Distribution, then an amount equal to such excess shall be paid by Parent to SpinCo;

(ii) if SpinCo Closing Cash (after giving effect to any transfers of cash pursuant to the final sentence of Section 2.1(c)) is greater than the Minimum Cash Amount, then an amount equal to such excess shall be paid by SpinCo to Parent (the “Additional Cash”);

 

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(iii) if the Minimum Cash Amount is greater than SpinCo Closing Cash (after giving effect to any transfers of cash pursuant to the final sentence of Section 2.1(c)), then an amount equal to such excess shall be paid by Parent to SpinCo; and

(iv) SpinCo shall reimburse Parent one-half of all Transaction Bonuses.

The adjustments in Section 2.13(c)(i) through (iii) shall result in SpinCo’s possession of cash as of immediately following the Effective Time (and after giving effect to the distribution of the Base Cash Distribution Amount and the reimbursement by SpinCo to Parent of $10,480,000 of Transaction Fees payable at the Effective Time, but without reference to the reimbursement of Transaction Bonuses or Transaction Expenses that may become payable after the Effective Time) in an amount equal to the SpinCo Cash Amount. For the avoidance of doubt, the SpinCo Cash Amount shall be further reduced in connection with the reimbursement of Transaction Bonuses in accordance with Section 2.13(c)(iv) and the reimbursement of Transaction Fees in excess of $20 million in accordance with Section 10.8.

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

ARTICLE III

THE DISTRIBUTION

3.1 Sole and Absolute Discretion; Cooperation.

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

3.3 Conditions to the Distribution.

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

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

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

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

(iv) Parent shall have received an opinion from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, satisfactory to the Parent Board, regarding the qualification of the Contribution and the Distribution, taken together, as a transaction described in Sections 355 and 368(a)(1)(D) of the Code;

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

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

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

 

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(viii) All Governmental Approvals necessary to consummate the Distribution shall have been obtained and be in full force and effect;

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

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

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

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

(xiii) Parent shall have received the proceeds from the Final Cash Distribution; and

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

(b) The foregoing conditions are for the sole benefit of Parent and shall not give rise to or create any duty on the part of Parent or the Parent Board to waive or not waive any such condition or in any way limit Parent’s right to terminate this Agreement as set forth in Article IX or alter the consequences of any such termination from those specified in Article IX. Any determination made by the Parent Board prior to the Distribution concerning the satisfaction or waiver of any or all of the conditions set forth in Section 3.3(a) shall be conclusive and binding on the Parties.

3.4 The Distribution.

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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ARTICLE IV

MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION

4.1 Release of Pre-Distribution Claims.

(a) SpinCo Release of Parent. Except as provided in Section 4.1(c), effective as of the Effective Time, SpinCo does hereby, for itself and for each other member of the SpinCo Group and their respective successors and assigns, and, to the extent permitted by Law, all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the SpinCo Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), remise, release and forever discharge (i) Parent and the members of the Parent Group, and their respective successors and assigns, (ii) all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the Parent Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and (iii) all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time are or have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of a Transferred Entity and who are not, as of immediately following the Effective Time, directors, officers or employees of SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group, in each case from any and all Liabilities whatsoever, whether at law or in equity (including any right of contribution), whether arising under any contract or agreement, by operation of law or otherwise, including from fraud, existing or arising from any acts or events occurring or failing to occur or alleged to have occurred or to have failed to occur or any conditions existing or alleged to have existed on or before the Distribution Date, including (A) all SpinCo Liabilities, (B) all Liabilities arising from or in connection with the transactions and all other activities to implement the Global Transaction Structure, the Separation and the Distribution and (C) all Liabilities arising from or in connection with actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time (whether or not such Liabilities cease being contingent, mature, become known, are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time), in each case to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from the SpinCo Business, the SpinCo Assets or the SpinCo Liabilities.

(b) Parent Release of SpinCo. Except as provided in Section 4.1(c), effective as of the Effective Time, Parent does hereby, for itself and for 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 (i) SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group and their respective successors and assigns, and (ii) all Persons who at any time prior to the Effective Time have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the SpinCo Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, in each case from any and all Liabilities whatsoever, whether at law or in equity (including any right of contribution), whether arising under any contract or agreement, by operation of law or otherwise, including from fraud, existing or arising from any

 

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acts or events occurring or failing to occur or alleged to have occurred or to have failed to occur or any conditions existing or alleged to have existed on or before the Distribution Date, including (A) all Parent Liabilities, (B) all Liabilities arising from or in connection with the transactions and all other activities to implement the Global Transaction Structure, the Separation and the Distribution and (C) all Liabilities arising from or in connection with actions, inactions, events, omissions, conditions, facts or circumstances occurring or existing prior to the Effective Time (whether or not such Liabilities cease being contingent, mature, become known, are asserted or foreseen, or accrue, in each case before, at or after the Effective Time), in each case to the extent relating to, arising out of or resulting from the Parent Business, the Parent Assets or the Parent Liabilities.

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

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

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

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

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

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

In addition, nothing contained in Section 4.1(a) shall release any member of the Parent Group from honoring its existing obligations to indemnify any director, officer or employee of SpinCo who was a director, officer or employee of any member of the Parent Group on or prior to the Effective Time, to the extent such director, officer or employee becomes a named defendant in any Action with respect to which such director, officer or employee was entitled to such indemnification

 

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pursuant to such existing obligations; it being understood that, if the underlying obligation giving rise to such Action is a SpinCo Liability, SpinCo shall indemnify Parent for such Liability (including Parent’s costs to indemnify the director, officer or employee) in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Article IV.

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

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

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

(a) the SpinCo Business, any SpinCo Liability or any SpinCo Contract;

(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 or SpinCo Contract in accordance with their respective 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;

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

 

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(f) any SpinCo Indemnified Liability.

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

(a) the Parent Business, any Parent Liability or any Parent Contract;

(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 or Parent Contracts in accordance with their respective 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;

(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 and supplied by Parent expressly for use therein; and

(f) any Parent Indemnified Liability.

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 or Article V will be net of Insurance Proceeds or other amounts actually recovered (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) from any Person by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in respect of any indemnifiable Liability. Accordingly, the amount that either Party (an “Indemnifying Party”) is required to pay to any Person entitled to indemnification or contribution hereunder (an “Indemnitee”) will be reduced by any Insurance Proceeds or other amounts actually recovered (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) from any Person by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in

 

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respect of the related Liability. If an Indemnitee receives a payment (an “Indemnity Payment”) required by this Agreement from an Indemnifying Party in respect of any Liability and subsequently receives Insurance Proceeds or any other amounts in respect of such Liability, then the Indemnitee will pay to the Indemnifying Party an amount equal to the excess of the Indemnity Payment received over the amount of the Indemnity Payment that would have been due if the Insurance Proceeds or such other amounts (net of any out-of-pocket costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof) had been received, realized or recovered before the Indemnity Payment was made.

(b) Any Indemnity Payment shall be increased as necessary so that after making all payments corresponding to Taxes imposed on or attributable to such Indemnity Payment, the Indemnitee receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such Taxes been imposed.

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

4.5 Procedures for Indemnification of Third-Party Claims.

(a) Notice of Claims. If, at or following the Effective Time, an Indemnitee shall receive notice or otherwise learn of the assertion by a Person (including any Governmental Authority) who is not a member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group of any claim or of the commencement by any such Person of any Action (collectively, a “Third-Party Claim”) with respect to which an Indemnifying Party may be obligated to provide indemnification to such Indemnitee pursuant to Section 4.2 or 4.3, or any other Section of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, such Indemnitee shall give such Indemnifying Party written notice thereof as soon as practicable, but in any event within 30 days (or sooner if the nature of the Third-Party Claim so requires) after becoming aware of such Third-Party Claim. Any such notice shall describe the Third-Party Claim in reasonable detail, including the facts and circumstances giving rise to such claim for indemnification, and include copies of all notices and documents (including court papers) received by the Indemnitee relating to the Third-Party Claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of an Indemnitee to provide notice in accordance with this Section 4.5(a) shall not relieve an Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent to which the Indemnifying Party is materially prejudiced by the Indemnitee’s failure to provide notice in accordance with this Section 4.5(a).

 

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(b) Control of Defense. Unless otherwise prohibited by any applicable insurance policy under which Liabilities in respect of a Third-Party Claim may be covered, and subject to an Indemnitee’s right to participate under Section 4.5(d), an Indemnifying Party may elect to defend (and seek to settle or compromise), at its own expense and with its own counsel, any Third-Party Claim; provided that, prior to the Indemnifying Party assuming and controlling the defense of such Third-Party Claim, it shall first confirm to the Indemnitee in writing that, assuming the facts presented to the Indemnifying Party by the Indemnitee are true, the Indemnifying Party shall indemnify the Indemnitee for any such damages to the extent resulting from, or arising out of, such Third-Party-Claim. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Indemnifying Party assumes such defense and, in the course of defending such Third-Party Claim, (i) the Indemnifying Party discovers that the facts presented at the time the Indemnifying Party acknowledged its indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim were not true in all material respects and (ii) such untruth provides a reasonable basis for asserting that the Indemnifying Party does not have an indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim, then (A) the Indemnifying Party shall not be bound by such acknowledgment, (B) the Indemnifying Party shall promptly thereafter provide the Indemnitee written notice of its assertion that it does not have an indemnification obligation in respect of such Third-Party Claim and (C) the Indemnitee shall have the right to assume the defense of such Third-Party Claim. Within 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 30 days after receipt of the notice from an Indemnitee as provided in Section 4.5(a), then the Indemnitee that is the subject of such Third-Party Claim shall be entitled to continue to conduct and control the defense of such Third-Party Claim.

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

 

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

(e) No Settlement. Neither Party may settle or compromise any Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent may not be unreasonably withheld, unless such settlement or compromise is solely for monetary damages that are fully payable by the settling or compromising Party, does not involve any admission, finding or determination of wrongdoing or violation of Law by the other Party and provides for a full, unconditional and irrevocable release of the other Party from all Liability in connection with the Third-Party Claim. The Parties hereby agree that if a Party delivers the other Party a written notice containing a proposal to settle or compromise a Third-Party Claim for which either Party is seeking to be indemnified hereunder and the Party receiving such proposal does not respond in any manner to the Party presenting such proposal within 15 business days (or within any such shorter time period that may be required by applicable Law or court order) of receipt of such proposal, then the Party receiving such proposal shall be deemed to have consented to the terms of such proposal.

4.6 Additional Matters.

(a) Timing of Payments. Indemnification or contribution payments in respect of any Liabilities for which an Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Article IV shall be paid reasonably promptly (but in any event within 45 days of the final determination of the amount that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Article IV) by the Indemnifying Party to the Indemnitee as such Liabilities are incurred upon demand by the Indemnitee, including reasonably satisfactory documentation setting forth the basis for the amount of such indemnification or contribution payment, including documentation with respect to calculations made and consideration of any 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 materially prejudiced thereby. Such Indemnifying Party shall have a period of 30 days after the receipt of such notice within which to respond thereto; provided, that failure by the Indemnifying Party to respond to such notice within such 30-day period shall not be deemed an admission of liability on the party of the Indemnifying Party. If such Indemnifying Party does not respond within such 30-day period or rejects such claim in whole or in part, such Indemnitee shall, subject to the provisions of Article VII, be free to pursue such remedies as may be available to such party as contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, as applicable, without prejudice to its continuing rights to pursue indemnification or contribution hereunder.

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

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

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

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

 

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

4.7 Right of Contribution.

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

(b) Allocation of Relative Fault. Solely for purposes of determining relative fault pursuant to this Section 4.7: (i) any fault associated with the business conducted with the Delayed SpinCo Assets or Delayed SpinCo Liabilities (except for the intentional misconduct or fraud of a member of the Parent Group) or with the ownership, operation or activities of the SpinCo Business prior to, at or after 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 intentional misconduct or fraud 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, at or after 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 none of it, the members of such Party’s Group or any Person claiming through it shall bring suit or otherwise assert any claim against any Indemnitee, or assert a defense against any claim asserted by any Indemnitee, before any court, arbitrator, mediator or administrative agency anywhere in the world, alleging that: (a) the assumption of any SpinCo Liabilities by SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements is void or unenforceable for any reason; (b) the retention of any Parent Liabilities by Parent or a member of the Parent Group on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements is void or unenforceable for any reason; or (c) the provisions of this Article IV are void or unenforceable for any reason.

 

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

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

ARTICLE V

CERTAIN OTHER MATTERS

5.1 Insurance Matters.

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

(b) Parent agrees to use its reasonable best efforts to cause the interests and rights of SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group as of the Effective Time as insureds or beneficiaries or in any other capacity under occurrence-based Policies and programs (and under claims-made Policies and programs to the extent a claim has been submitted prior to the Effective Time) of Parent or any member of the Parent Group (collectively, the “Parent Policies”) in respect of the period prior to the Effective Time to survive the Effective Time for the period for which such interests and rights would have survived without regard to the transactions contemplated hereby to the extent permitted by such Policies; and any proceeds received by Parent or any member of the Parent Group after the Effective Time under such Policies and programs in respect of SpinCo and any member of the SpinCo Group shall be for the benefit of SpinCo and the SpinCo Group; provided, that the interests and rights of SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group shall be subject to the terms and conditions of such Policies and programs, including any limits on coverage or scope, any deductibles and other fees and expenses and Parent’s allocation. In addition, to the extent that deductibles under the general liability, automobile liability, or workers’ compensation Policies of Parent (the “Deductibles”) apply to claims under the Policies, Parent shall facilitate the administration and processing of such claims in a manner that makes available to the members of the SpinCo Group the benefit of the deductible reimbursement Policies of Parent or any member of the Parent Group in respect of the period prior to the Effective Time.

 

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

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

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

(iv) SpinCo shall exclusively bear (and neither Parent nor any members of the Parent Group shall have any obligation to repay or reimburse SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group for) and shall be liable for all excluded, uninsured, uncovered, unavailable or uncollectible amounts of all such claims made by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group under the Policies as provided for in this Section 5.1(b). In the event an insurance policy aggregate is exhausted, or believed likely to be exhausted, due to noticed claims, the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, and the Parent Group, on the other hand, shall be responsible for their pro rata portion of the reinstatement premium, if any, based upon the losses of such Group submitted to Parent’s insurance carrier(s) (including any submissions prior to the Effective Time). To the extent that the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group is allocated more than its pro rata portion of such premium due to the timing of losses submitted to Parent’s insurance carrier(s), the other party shall promptly pay the first party an amount so that each Group has been properly allocated its pro rata portion of the reinstatement premium. Subject to the following sentence, Parent may elect not to reinstate the policy aggregate. In the event that Parent elects not to reinstate the policy aggregate, it shall provide prompt written notice to SpinCo, and SpinCo may direct Parent in writing to, and Parent shall, in such case reinstate the policy aggregate; provided that SpinCo shall be responsible for all reinstatement premiums and other costs associated with such reinstatement.

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

 

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

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

(e) All payments and reimbursements by SpinCo pursuant to this Section 5.1 will be made within 15 days after SpinCo’s receipt of an invoice with supporting documentation therefor from Parent. In the event that SpinCo makes payments to insurance companies directly, then SpinCo shall make payments in compliance with the requirements and Policies and procedures with respect to insurance payments in effect prior to the Effective Time. If Parent incurs costs to enforce SpinCo’s obligations herein, SpinCo agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Parent for such enforcement costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees pursuant to Section 4.6. Parent shall retain the exclusive right to control its Policies and programs, including the right to exhaust, settle, release, commute, buy-back or otherwise resolve disputes with respect to any of its Policies and programs and to amend, modify or waive any rights under any such Policies and programs, notwithstanding whether any such Policies or programs apply to any SpinCo Liabilities and/or claims SpinCo has made or could make in the future, and no member of the SpinCo Group shall erode, exhaust, settle, release, commute, buy-back or otherwise resolve disputes with Parent’s insurers with respect to any of Parent’s Policies and programs, or amend, modify or waive any rights under any such Policies and programs. SpinCo shall cooperate with Parent and share such information as is reasonably necessary in order to permit Parent to manage and conduct its insurance matters as Parent deems appropriate. No member of the Parent Group shall have any obligation to secure extended reporting for any claims under any Liability Policies of any member of the Parent Group for any acts or omissions of any member of the SpinCo Group incurred prior to the Effective Time.

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

 

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(g) SpinCo does hereby, for itself and each other member of the SpinCo Group, agree that no member of the Parent Group shall have any Liability whatsoever as a result of the Policies and practices of Parent and the members of the Parent Group as in effect at any time, including as a result of the level or scope of any such insurance, the creditworthiness of any insurance carrier, the terms and conditions of any Policy, or the adequacy or timeliness of any notice to any insurance carrier with respect to any claim or potential claim or otherwise (provided, that SpinCo shall not waive any Liability of the Parent Group for the failure of any member of the Parent Group to timely provide notice with respect to any claim or potential claim when requested by any member of the SpinCo Group).

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

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

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

5.5 Corporate Names; Trademarks. After the Distribution Effective Time, no member of one Group may use any Marks owned by or confusingly similar to any member of the other Group, except as permitted under applicable Law or subsequent agreement in writing between the applicable parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, any member of one Group may utilize existing stationery, business cards, signage, websites, advertising materials, inventory, packaging, product, service and training literature, and other similar materials bearing the Marks of the other Group member (“Materials”) following the Distribution Effective Time in the conduct of the its business, as currently conducted, until the existing supply of such items is depleted or until 180 days following the Distribution Effective Time, whichever occurs first. Subject to the foregoing sentence, on or prior to the date that is 180 days following the Distribution Effective Time, each Group shall (x) cease using all Materials in its possession pertaining to the other Group; provided that, in the case of Materials that are used solely for internal purposes, each Group shall cease using such internal Materials to the extent reasonably practicable, (y) to the extent reasonably practicable, destroy all Materials in its possession pertaining to the other Group and (z) send a written statement to the other Group confirming that such Group has exhausted or destroyed all such Materials in accordance with the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 5.5 shall preclude such Group from (A) making any reference to the Marks of the other Group in internal historical, tax, employment or similar records or for purposes of disclosures as are reasonably necessary and appropriate to describe the historical relationship of the Parties, (B)

 

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using plain-text, non-stylized versions of the Marks of the other Group in a neutral, non-trademark manner to describe the history of the Parties’ relationship, or (C) using or referencing the Marks as otherwise permitted by applicable law. The foregoing permitted uses are subject to (x) compliance by the applicable Group with the reasonable quality control requirements and guidelines in effect for the Marks of the other Group as of the Distribution Effective Time and (y) to the extent reasonably practicable, the placement of a reasonably appropriate disclaimer on such Materials identifying in a readily observable manner that the Group members are no longer Affiliates of each other. Notwithstanding the foregoing to the contrary, no member of one Group shall be required to take any action to remove any reference to any Mark of a member of the other Group from (a) products bearing the Marks of the other Group member that have already been placed on the market as of the Distribution Effective Time or (b) Materials already in the rightful possession of customers or other Third Parties prior to the depletion of such Materials or as of the date that is 180 days following the Distribution Effective Time, whichever comes first. If, after the date that is 180 days following the Distribution Effective Time, a member of any Group discovers the use of any Marks of another Group on its website, such Group members shall notify the other Group members and shall remove all use of such Mark of the other Group member within a reasonable period.

5.6 Non-Solicitation.

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

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

 

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5.7 Procedures Related to Certain Actions.

(a) Without limiting the provisions of Section 4.5, the Parties acknowledge and agree that SpinCo shall exclusively conduct and control the defense, settlement or other resolution of the SpinCo Actions and Parent shall exclusively conduct and control the defense, settlement or other resolution of the Parent Actions. Each Party agrees that if the other Party is wrongly named in its claim, such Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to remove the wrongly named Party from the claim and shall consult with the wrongly named Party until its removal from the claim.

(b) A list of Actions asserted against, involving or potentially involving both Parent, the Parent Group or the Parent Business and SpinCo, the SpinCo Group or the SpinCo Business as of the date hereof for which costs and liability will be shared is set forth on Schedule 5.7 (the “Shared Existing Actions”) together with (x) the Party allocated responsibility to conduct and control the defense, settlement and/or other resolution of such matters (such named Party, the “Controlling Party”) and (y) unless otherwise agreed by the Controlling Party and the other Party (the “Non-Controlling Party”), each Party’s respective share of costs and liability for any such Shared Existing Proceeding.

(c) With respect to any Action arising after the date hereof that implicates both Parties in any material respect due to the allocation of Liabilities, responsibilities for management of defense and related indemnities pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements, the Parties agree the Party that has primary responsibility for Liabilities arising in connection with such Action shall be the Controlling Party with respect to such Action (unless the control of such defense has otherwise been allocated or addressed in Schedule 5.7, or otherwise as set forth in this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement). To the extent that the Parties’ respective share of costs and liability with respect to any such Action is not set forth on Schedule 5.7, the Parties shall negotiate in good-faith to allocate responsibility for such costs and liability based on the extent to which such Action relates, on the one hand, to SpinCo, the SpinCo Business, a SpinCo Asset and a SpinCo Liability, and, on the other hand, Parent, the Parent Business, a Parent Asset and a Parent Liability.

(d) The Parties shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, cooperate in the defense and settlement of any Action described in Section 5.7(b)-(c). The Controlling Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to include the Non-Controlling Party in the defense and resolution of any Action described in Section 5.7(b)-(c); provided, however, that the Non-Controlling Party shall be responsible for its proportionate share of any costs and expenses incurred in connection therewith (including its share of any settlement, judgement, award or other resolution and any incremental cost to the Controlling Party of including the Non-Controlling Party in such settlement); provided further, that the Non-Controlling Party shall be permitted in good faith to opt out of any settlement if the Non-Controlling Party agrees to be responsible for defending and settling any remaining claims with respect to such Action.

 

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ARTICLE VI

EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION; CONFIDENTIALITY

6.1 Agreement for Exchange of Information.

(a) Subject to Section 6.9 and any other applicable confidentiality obligations, each of Parent and SpinCo, on behalf of itself and each member of its Group, agrees to use commercially reasonable efforts to provide or make available, or cause to be provided or made available, to the other Party and the members of such other Party’s Group, at any time before, on or after the Effective Time, as soon as reasonably practicable after written request therefor, any information (or a copy thereof) in the possession or under the control of such Party or its Group that the requesting Party or its Group requests and, with respect to clause (iii), access to the facilities, systems, infrastructure and personnel of such Party or its Group, in each case to the extent that (i) such information relates to the SpinCo Business, or any SpinCo Asset or SpinCo Liability, if SpinCo is the requesting Party, or to the Parent Business, or any Parent Asset or Parent Liability, if Parent is the requesting Party; (ii) such information is required by the requesting Party to comply with its obligations under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement; or (iii) such information is required by the requesting Party to comply with any obligation imposed by any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, the obligation to verify the accuracy of internal controls over information technology reporting of financial data and related processes employed in connection with verifying compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; provided, however, that, in the event that the Party to whom the request has been made determines that any such provision of information could be detrimental to the Party providing the information, violate any Law or agreement, or waive any privilege available under applicable Law, including any attorney-client privilege, then the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to permit compliance with such obligations to the extent and in a manner that avoids any such harm or consequence. The Party providing information pursuant to this Section 6.1 shall only be obligated to provide such information in the form, condition and format in which it then exists, and in no event shall such Party be required to perform any improvement, modification, conversion, updating or reformatting of any such information, and nothing in this Section 6.1 shall expand the obligations of any Party under Section 6.4. Each Party shall cause its and its Subsidiaries’ employees to, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause its Representatives’ employees to, when on the property of SpinCo or its Subsidiaries, or when given access to any facilities, systems, infrastructure or personnel of the other Party or any members of its Group, conform to the policies and procedures of such Party and its Group concerning health, safety, conduct and security that are made known or provided to the accessing Party from time to time.

(b) Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, until the end of Parent’s fiscal year during which the Distribution Date occurs (and for a reasonable period of time afterwards as required for each Party to prepare consolidated financial statements or complete a financial statement audit for the fiscal year during which the Distribution Date occurs), each Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the other Party’s information requests to enable (i) the other Party to meet its timetable for dissemination of its earnings releases, financial statements and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures and its internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Items 307 and 308, respectively, of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act; and (ii) the other

 

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Party’s accountants to timely complete their review of the quarterly financial statements and audit of the annual financial statements, including, to the extent applicable to such Party, its auditor’s audit of its internal control over financial reporting and management’s assessment thereof in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the SEC’s and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s rules and auditing standards thereunder and any other applicable Laws.

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

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

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

6.4 Record Retention. To facilitate the possible exchange of information pursuant to this Article VI and other provisions of this Agreement after the Effective Time, the Parties agree to use their commercially reasonable efforts, which shall be no less rigorous than those used for retention of such Party’s own information, to retain all information in their respective possession or control at the Effective Time, including all employee-related information, in accordance with the policies of Parent as in effect at the Effective Time or such other policies as may be adopted by Parent after the Effective Time (provided, in the case of SpinCo, that Parent notifies SpinCo of any such change), provided that this Section 6.4 shall in no way affect or limit the Parties obligations under any of the Ancillary Agreements.

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

 

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6.6 Other Agreements Providing for Exchange of Information.

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

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

6.7 Production of Witnesses; Records; Cooperation.

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

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

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

(d) Without limiting any provision of this Section 6.7, each of the Parties agrees to cooperate, and to cause each member of its respective Group to cooperate, with each other in the defense of any infringement or similar claim with respect to any Intellectual Property and shall not claim to acknowledge, or permit any member of its respective Group to claim to acknowledge, the validity or infringing use of any Intellectual Property of a Third Party in a manner that would hamper or undermine the defense of such infringement or similar claim.

 

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

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

6.8 Privileged Matters.

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

(b) The Parties agree as follows:

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

 

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

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

(c) Subject to the remaining provisions of this Section 6.8, the Parties agree that they shall have a shared privilege or immunity with respect to all privileges and immunities not allocated pursuant to Section 6.8(b) and all privileges and immunities relating to any Actions or other matters that involve both Parties (or one 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 written consent of an authorized legal representative of the other Party.

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

(e) In the event of any Dispute between Parent and SpinCo, or any members of their respective Groups, either Party may waive a privilege in which the other Party or member of such other Party’s Group has a shared privilege, without obtaining consent pursuant to Section 6.8(c); provided that the Parties intend such waiver of a shared privilege to be effective only as to the use of information with respect to the Dispute between the Parties and/or the applicable members of their respective Groups, and is not intended to operate as a waiver of the shared privilege with respect to any Third Party.

 

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

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

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

6.9 Confidentiality.

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

 

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sources by such Party (or any member of such Party’s Group), which sources are not themselves bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such confidential and proprietary information or (iii) independently developed or generated without reference to or use of any proprietary or confidential information of the other Party or any member of such Party’s Group. If any confidential and proprietary information of one Party or any member of its Group is disclosed to the other Party or any member of such other Party’s Group in connection with providing services to such first Party or any member of such first Party’s Group under this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, then such disclosed confidential and proprietary information shall be used only as required to perform such services.

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

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

 

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

6.11 Current, Quarterly and Annual Reports. For so long as Parent owns at least 10% of the outstanding SpinCo Shares, (a) at least three Business Days prior to the earlier of public dissemination or filing with the SEC, each Party shall deliver to the other Party, a reasonably complete draft of any earnings news release, any filing with the SEC containing financial statements, including, but not limited to current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on 10-Q and annual reports on Form 10-K or any other annual report purporting to fulfill the requirements of 17 CFR 240-14c-3 and (b) each Party shall notify the other Party, as soon as reasonably practicable after becoming aware thereof, of any material accounting differences between the financial statements to be included in such Party’s annual report on Form 10-K and the pro-forma financial statements included, as applicable, in the Form 10 or the Form 8-K to be filed with the SEC on or about the time of the Distribution. If any such differences are notified by any Party, the Parties shall confer and/or meet as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter, and in any event prior to the filing of any Annual Report, to consult with each other in respect of such differences and the effects thereof on the Parties’ applicable Annual Reports.

ARTICLE VII

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

7.1 Good Faith Officer Negotiation. Subject to Section 7.4, either Party seeking resolution of any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement (including regarding whether any Assets are SpinCo Assets, any Liabilities are SpinCo Liabilities or the validity, interpretation, breach or termination of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement) (a “Dispute”), shall provide written notice thereof to the other Party (the “Officer Negotiation Request”). Within 15 days of the delivery of the Officer Negotiation Request, the Parties shall attempt to resolve the Dispute through good faith negotiation. All such negotiations shall be conducted by the Chief Executive Officers of Parent and SpinCo or such other appropriate executives of the Parties designated each Party’s respective Chief Executive Officers who have full power and authority to settle the Dispute. All such negotiations shall be confidential and shall be treated as compromise and settlement negotiations for purposes of applicable rules of evidence. If the Parties are unable for any reason to resolve any Dispute within 30 days of receipt of the Officer Negotiation Request, and such 30-day period is not extended by mutual written consent of the Parties, the Parties shall enter into mediation in accordance with Section 7.2.

 

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7.2 Mediation. If any Dispute is not resolved pursuant to Section 7.1, the Party that delivered the Officer Negotiation Request shall provide written notice of such inability to resolve the Dispute (an “Unresolved Dispute Notice”) to the other Party. As soon as reasonably practicable following receipt of an Unresolved Dispute Notice, the Parties shall attempt to resolve the Dispute by a mediation administered by the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (“CPR”) under its Mediation Procedure. If the Parties are unable for any reason to resolve a Dispute within 30 days of receipt of a Unresolved Dispute Notice, and such 30-day period is not extended by mutual written consent of the Parties, the Dispute shall be submitted to arbitration in accordance with Section 7.3.

7.3 Arbitration.

(a) In the event that a Dispute has not been resolved within 30 days of the receipt of an Unresolved Dispute Notice in accordance with Section 7.2, or within such longer period as the Parties may agree in writing, then such Dispute shall, upon the written request of a Party (the “Arbitration Request”) be submitted to be finally resolved by binding arbitration. The arbitration shall be administered by the CPR pursuant to its Arbitration Rules and Procedures. References herein to any arbitration rules or procedures mean such rules or procedures as amended from time to time, including any successor rules or procedures, and references herein to the CPR include any successor thereto. The arbitration shall be before three arbitrators. Each Party shall designate one arbitrator in accordance with the “screened” appointment procedure provided in Rule 5.4 of the CPR Rules. In the event that either Party fails to name an arbitrator within 5 days from the date of receipt of the Arbitration Request, then upon written application by either Party, that arbitrator shall be appointed in accordance with the “screened” appointment procedure provided in Rule 5.4 of the CPR Rules. The two party-appointed arbitrators will select the third, who will serve as the panel’s chair or president. This arbitration provision, and the arbitration itself, shall be governed by the laws of Delaware and the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16. The arbitration shall be held in (i) Los Angeles, California or (ii) such other place as the Parties may mutually agree in writing.

(b) Consistent with the expedited nature of arbitration, each Party will, upon the written request of the other Party, promptly provide the other with copies of documents on which the producing Party may rely in support of or in opposition to any claim or defense. At the request of a Party, the arbitrators shall have the discretion to order examination by deposition of witnesses to the extent the arbitrator deems such additional discovery relevant and appropriate. Depositions shall be limited to a maximum of five per Party and shall be held within 45 days of the grant of a request. Additional depositions may be scheduled only with the permission of the arbitrators, and for good cause shown. Each deposition shall be limited to a maximum of one day’s duration. All objections are reserved for the arbitration hearing except for objections based on privilege and proprietary or confidential information. The Parties shall not utilize any other discovery mechanisms, including international processes and United States federal statutes, to obtain additional evidence for use in the arbitration. Any Dispute regarding discovery, or the relevance or scope thereof, shall be determined by the arbitrators, which determination shall be conclusive. All discovery shall be completed within 60 days following the appointment of the arbitrators. All costs and fees relating to the retrieval, review and production of electronic discovery shall be paid by the Party requesting such discovery.

 

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(c) The panel of arbitrators shall have no power to award non-monetary or equitable relief of any sort. The arbitrators shall have no power or authority, under the CPR Rules for Non-Administered Arbitration or otherwise, to relieve the Parties from their agreement hereunder to arbitrate or otherwise to amend or disregard any provision of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement. Furthermore, the arbitrators shall have no authority or power to limit, expand, alter, amend, modify, revoke or suspend any condition or provision of this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement nor any right or power to award punitive, exemplary or treble damages (or other multiple damages that are not actual damages). The award of the arbitrators shall be final, binding and the sole and exclusive remedy to the Parties. Either Party may seek to confirm and enforce any final award entered in arbitration, in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(d) If an arbitral award does not impose an injunction on the losing Party or contain a money damages award in excess of $25,000,000, then the arbitral award shall not be appealable and shall only be subject to such challenges as would otherwise be permissible under the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16. In the event that the arbitration does result in an arbitral award, which imposes an injunction or a monetary award in excess of $25,000,000, such award may be appealed to a tribunal of appellate arbitrators via the CPR Arbitration Appeal Procedure.

(e) Except as may be required by Law, neither a Party nor an arbitrator may disclose the existence, content, or results of any arbitration hereunder without the prior written consent of both Parties.

7.4 Litigation and Unilateral Commencement of Arbitration. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article VII, (a) a Party may seek preliminary provisional or injunctive judicial relief with respect to a Dispute without first complying with the procedures set forth in Section 7.1, Section 7.2 and Section 7.3 if the Party believes in good faith that such action is reasonably necessary to avoid irreparable damage and (b) either Party may initiate arbitration before the expiration of the periods specified in Section 7.1, Section 7.2 and Section 7.3 if such Party has submitted an Officer Negotiation Request, an Unresolved Dispute Notice and/or an Arbitration Request and the other Party has failed to comply with Section 7.1, Section 7.2 and/or Section 7.3 in good faith with respect to such negotiation and/or the commencement and engagement in arbitration. In such event, the other Party may commence and prosecute such arbitration unilaterally in accordance with the provisions of the CPR Rules. Except as set forth in this Section 7.4, each Party agrees on behalf of itself and its Group that the procedures set forth in this Article VII shall be the exclusive means for resolution of any Dispute.

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

 

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7.6 Expenses. Each Party shall bear its own costs, expenses and attorneys’ fees in pursuit and resolution of any Dispute; provided, however, that, in the event of any arbitration pursuant to Section 7.3 or challenge to such arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act, the non-prevailing Party shall bear both Parties’ costs, expenses and attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with such arbitration or challenge, as applicable (including the fees of any arbitrator or court costs, as applicable).

ARTICLE VIII

FURTHER ASSURANCES AND ADDITIONAL COVENANTS

8.1 Further Assurances.

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

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

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

 

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ARTICLE IX

TERMINATION

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

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

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

10.1 Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power.

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

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

(i) It is the intention of the Parties that the Transfer Documents shall be consistent with the terms of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements. In the event of any conflict between the Transfer Documents and this Agreement, (1) the Assets and Liabilities expressly and specifically listed in such Transfer Documents as being for the account of either the Parent Group on the one hand, or the SpinCo Group on the other hand, shall control and (2) in the case of any other inconsistent terms, the provisions of this Agreement shall control. Except with respect to the express and specific allocation of Assets and Liabilities as described therein, the Parties agree (including on behalf of their Subsidiaries) that the Transfer Documents are not intended and shall not be construed in any way to enhance, modify or decrease any of the rights or obligations of Parent, any member of the Parent Group, SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group from those contained in this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements.

 

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(ii) This Agreement is not intended to address, and should not be interpreted to address, the matters specifically and expressly covered by the Ancillary Agreements. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, in the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of this Agreement and the provisions of an Ancillary Agreement (other than any Transfer Document), the provisions of such Ancillary Agreement shall control over the inconsistent provisions of this Agreement solely as to matters specifically and expressly addressed in such Ancillary Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the Tax Matters Agreement shall govern all matters (including any indemnities and payments among the Parties and each of their Subsidiaries and the allocation of any rights and obligations pursuant to agreements entered into with Third Parties) relating to Taxes to the extent specifically and expressly addressed in the Tax Matters Agreement and the Employee Matters Agreement shall govern all matters (including the allocation of any rights and obligations) relating to employees to the extent specifically addressed in the Employee Matters Agreement; provided; that this Agreement shall control with respect to any Tax or employee matter expressly addressed herein or in the schedules hereto.

(iii) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Parties acknowledge and agree that a Party will not be charged more than once for the same service, activity, function or expense that is performed or incurred by the other Party or its Group or third parties pursuant to this Agreement to the extent that such Party or its Group are bearing the charges for such service, activity, function or expense pursuant to an Ancillary Agreement.

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

10.5 Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement and, to the extent applicable and unless otherwise provided therein, under each of the Ancillary Agreements, shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and except as provided herein, shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by electronic mail (“e-mail”), so long as confirmation of receipt of such e-mail is requested and received, to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 10.5):

If to Parent, to:

Ziff Davis, Inc.

114 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10011

Attention:        Legal Department

E-mail:            legal@j2.com

 

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

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500]

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention:        Legal Department

E-mail:             legal@j2.com

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

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention:        Legal Department

E-mail:            Vithya.aubee@j2.com

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

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

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

 

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10.8 Expenses.

(a) Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, or as otherwise agreed to in writing by the Parties, the Transaction Fees will be borne 50% by SpinCo and 50% by Parent. At the Effective Time, SpinCo shall reimburse Parent for $10,480,000 of such Transaction Fees. From and after the Effective Time and promptly following any one or more written requests of Parent, SpinCo shall reimburse Parent for 50% of the amount of aggregate Transaction Fees in excess of $20 million. For the avoidance of doubt, such reimbursement shall not impact the calculation of the SpinCo Cash Amount, which shall be based on SpinCo Closing Cash as of immediately following the Effective Time.

(b) Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, or as otherwise agreed to in writing by the Parties, all fees, costs and expenses incurred after the Effective Time in connection with the preparation, execution, delivery and implementation of this Agreement, including the Separation and the Distribution, and any Ancillary Agreement, the Separation, the registration statement, the Global Transaction Structure and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will be borne by the Party or its applicable Subsidiary incurring such fees, costs or expenses.

(c) The Parties agree that certain specified costs and expenses shall be allocated between the Parties as set forth on Schedule 10.8.

10.9 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.

10.10 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.

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

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

 

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10.13 Interpretation. In this Agreement and in any Ancillary Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement) as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto and thereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement (or such Ancillary Agreement); (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement), unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement and each Ancillary Agreement) shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes (including all Schedules, Exhibits and Appendixes) to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement (or the applicable Ancillary Agreement) shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in the United States or Los Angeles, California; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; and (j) unless expressly stated to the contrary in this Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement, all references to “the date hereof,” “the date of this Agreement,” “hereby” and “hereupon” and words of similar import shall all be references to October 7, 2021.

10.14 Tax Treatment of Payments. Unless otherwise required by a Final Determination, this Agreement or the Tax Matters Agreement or otherwise agreed to among the Parties, for U.S. federal Tax purposes, any payment made pursuant to this Agreement by (i) SpinCo to Parent shall be treated for all Tax purposes as a distribution by SpinCo to Parent with respect to stock of SpinCo occurring on or immediately before the Distribution Date, or (ii) Parent to SpinCo shall be treated for all Tax purposes as a tax-free contribution by Parent to SpinCo with respect to its stock occurring on or immediately before the Distribution Date, and in each case, no Party shall take any position inconsistent with such treatment; provided, that such Tax treatment will not apply to any reimbursement by SpinCo to Parent of Transaction Fees under Section 10.8(a). Payments under Section 10.8(a) shall be treated as if SpinCo paid the reimbursed Transaction Fees directly. In the event that a Tax Authority asserts that a Party’s treatment of a payment pursuant to this Agreement should be other than as set forth in the preceding sentence, such Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to contest such challenge. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent shall notify SpinCo if it determines that any payment made pursuant to this Agreement is to be treated, for any Tax purposes, as a payment made by one Party acting as an agent of one of such Party’s Subsidiaries to the other Party acting as an agent of one of such other Party’s Subsidiaries, and the Parties agree to treat any such payment accordingly.

 

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

10.16 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.

 

Ziff Davis, INC.

By:

  /s/ Jeremy Rossen
 

Name:

 

Jeremy Rossen

  Title:   Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel

 

[Signature Page to the Separation and Distribution Agreement]


CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.

By:

  /s/ Vithya Aubee
 

Name:

 

Vithya Aubee

 

Title:

 

Vice President

 

[Signature Page to the Separation and Distribution Agreement]

Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

TO THE

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF

J2 GLOBAL, INC.

J2 Global, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), does hereby certify that:

 

  1.

The current legal name of the Corporation is J2 Global, Inc.

 

  2.

Article FIRST of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation shall be amended by deleting the name “J2 Global, Inc.” and replacing therefor with the name “Ziff Davis, Inc.”

 

  3.

The foregoing amendment was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

  4.

This Certificate of Amendment shall become effective as of 8:05 a.m. Eastern Time on October 7, 2021.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate of Amendment as of the 6th day of October, 2021.

 

J2 GLOBAL, INC.
By: /s/ Jeremy Rossen                                                   
Name:   Jeremy Rossen
Title:  

Executive Vice President, General Counsel

and Secretary

Exhibit 3.2

FIFTH

AMENDED AND RESTATED BY-LAWS

OF

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.

OCTOBER 7, 2021


ARTICLE I

STOCKHOLDERS

Section 1.1. Annual Meetings. An annual meeting of stockholders shall be held within five months after the close of the fiscal year of the Corporation for the election of directors at such date, time and place either within or without the State of Delaware as may be designated by the Board of Directors from time to time. Any other proper business may be transacted at the annual meeting.

Section 1.2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of stockholders may be called at any time by the Chairman of the Board, if any, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, the President or the Board of Directors, to be held at such date, time and place either within or without the State of Delaware as may be stated in the notice of the meeting. A special meeting of stockholders shall be called by the Secretary upon the written request, stating the purpose of the meeting, of stockholders who together own of record a majority of the outstanding shares of each class of stock entitled to vote at such meeting.

Section 1.3. Notice of Meetings. Whenever stockholders are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the meeting shall be given which shall state the place, date and hour of the meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. Unless otherwise provided by law, the written notice of any meeting shall be given not less than ten nor more than sixty days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.

Section 1.4. Adjournments. Any meeting of stockholders, annual or special, may be adjourned from time to time, to reconvene at the same or some other place, and notice need not be given of any such adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.

Section 1.5. Quorum. At each meeting of stockholders, except where otherwise provided by law or the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote on a matter at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum. For purposes of the foregoing, where a separate vote by class or classes is required for any matter, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class or classes, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum to take action with respect to that vote on that matter. Two or more classes or series of stock shall be considered a single class if the holders thereof are entitled to vote together as a single class at the meeting. In the absence of a quorum of the holders of any class of stock entitled to vote on a matter, the holders of such class so present or represented may, by majority vote, adjourn the meeting of such class from time to time in the manner provided


by Section 1.4 of these by-laws until a quorum of such class shall be so present or represented. Shares of its own capital stock belonging on the record date for the meeting to the Corporation or to another corporation, if a majority of the shares entitled to vote in the election of directors of such other corporation is held, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation, shall neither be entitled to vote nor be counted for quorum purposes; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit the right of the Corporation to vote stock, including but not limited to its own stock, held by it in a fiduciary capacity.

Section 1.6. Organization. Meetings of stockholders shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the absence of the Chairman of the Board by the Vice Chairman or any Co-Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the absence of the Vice Chairman or any Co- Chairman of the Board by the President, or in the absence of the President by a Vice President, or in the absence of the foregoing persons by a chairman designated by the Board of Directors, or in the absence of such designation by a chairman chosen at the meeting. The Secretary, or in the absence of the Secretary an Assistant Secretary, shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in the absence of the Secretary and any Assistant Secretary the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

The order of business at each such meeting shall be as determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts and things as are necessary or desirable for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, the establishment of procedures for the maintenance of order and safety, limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments on the affairs of the Corporation, restrictions on entry to such meeting after the time prescribed for the commencement thereof and the opening and closing of the voting polls.

Section 1.7. Inspectors. Prior to any meeting of stockholders, the Board of Directors or the President shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at such meeting and make a written report thereof and may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate is able to act at the meeting of stockholders, the person presiding at the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, 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 ascertain the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, determine the shares represented at the meeting and the validity of proxies and ballots, count all votes and ballots, determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspectors and certify their determination of the number of shares represented at the meeting and their count of all votes and ballots. The inspectors may appoint or retain other persons to assist them in the performance of their duties. The date and time of the opening and closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting. No ballot, proxy or vote, nor any revocation thereof or change thereto, shall be accepted by the inspectors after the closing of the polls. In determining the validity and counting of proxies and ballots, the inspectors shall be limited to an examination of the proxies, any envelopes submitted therewith, any information provided by a stockholder who submits a proxy by telegram, cablegram or other electronic transmission from which it can be determined that the proxy was authorized by the stockholder, ballots and the regular books and records of the corporation, and they may also consider other reliable information for the limited purpose of reconciling proxies and ballots submitted by or on behalf of banks, brokers, their nominees or similar persons which represent


more votes than the holder of a proxy is authorized by the record owner to cast or more votes than the stockholder holds of record. If the inspectors consider other reliable information for such purpose, they shall, at the time they make their certification, specify the precise information considered by them, including the person or persons from whom they obtained the information, when the information was obtained, the means by which the information was obtained and the basis for the inspectors’ belief that such information is accurate and reliable.

Section 1.8. Voting; Proxies. Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, each stockholder entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock held by such stockholder which has voting power upon the matter in question. Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A duly executed proxy shall be irrevocable if it 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, regardless of whether the interest with which it is coupled is an interest in the stock itself or an interest in the Corporation generally. A stockholder may revoke any proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by filing an instrument in writing revoking the proxy or another duly executed proxy bearing a later date with the Secretary of the Corporation. Voting at meetings of stockholders need not be by written ballot unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of all classes of stock entitled to vote thereon present in person or represented by proxy at such meeting shall so determine. Unless otherwise provided by law or by the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws (including Section 2.2 hereof), the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders. Where a separate vote by class or classes is required, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of such class or classes present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting shall be the act of such class or classes, except as otherwise provided by law or by the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws.

Section 1.9. Fixing Date for Determination of Stockholders of Record. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which record date shall not be more than sixty nor less than ten days before the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice 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. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which date shall not be more than ten days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If no record date has


been fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required by law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business, or an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the Corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors and prior action by the Board of Directors is required by law, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

Section 1.10. List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote. The Secretary shall prepare and make, at least ten days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten days prior to the meeting, either at a place within the city where the meeting is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, or, if not so specified, at the place where the meeting is to be held. The list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present.

Section 1.11. Consent of Stockholders in Lieu of Meeting. Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by law, any action required by law to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, or any action which may be taken at any annual or special meeting of such stockholders, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation by delivery to (a) its registered office in the State of Delaware by hand or by certified mail or registered mail, return receipt requested, (b) its principal place of business, or (c) an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Every written consent shall bear the date of signature of each stockholder who signs the consent and no written consent shall be effective to take the corporate action referred to therein unless, within sixty days of the earliest dated consent delivered in the manner required by this by-law to the Corporation, written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take action are delivered to the Corporation by delivery to (a) its registered office in the State of Delaware by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, (b) its principal place of business, or (c) an officer or agent of the Corporation having


custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of stockholders are recorded. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of stockholders to take the action were delivered to the Corporation as provided in this Section 1.11.

Section 1.12. Advance Notice of Stockholder Proposals. At any annual or special meeting of stockholders, proposals by stockholders and persons nominated for election as directors by stockholders shall be considered only if advance notice thereof has been timely given as provided herein and such proposals or nominations are otherwise proper for consideration under applicable law and the certificate of incorporation and by-laws of the Corporation. Notice of any proposal to be presented by any stockholder or of the name of any person to be nominated by any stockholder for election as a director of the Corporation at any meeting of stockholders shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation at its principal executive office not less than 60 nor more than 90 days prior to the date of the meeting; provided, however, that if the date of the meeting is first publicly announced or disclosed (in a public filing or otherwise) less than 70 days prior to the date of the meeting, such advance notice shall be given not more than ten days after such date is first so announced or disclosed. Public notice shall be deemed to have been given more than 70 days in advance of the annual meeting if the Corporation shall have previously disclosed, in these by- laws or otherwise, that the annual meeting in each year is to be held on a determinable date, unless and until the Board determines to hold the meeting on a different date. Any stockholder who gives notice of any such proposal shall deliver therewith the text of the proposal to be presented and a brief written statement of the reasons why such stockholder favors the proposal and setting forth such stockholder’s name and address, the number and class of all shares of each class of stock of the Corporation beneficially owned by such stockholder and any material interest of such stockholder in the proposal (other than as a stockholder). Any stockholder desiring to nominate any person for election as a director of the Corporation shall deliver with such notice a statement in writing setting forth the name of the person to be nominated, the number and class of all shares of each class of stock of the Corporation beneficially owned by such person, the information regarding such person required by paragraphs (a), (e) and (f) of Item 401 of Regulation S-K adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (or the corresponding provisions of any regulation subsequently adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission applicable to the Corporation), such person’s signed consent to serve as a director of the Corporation if elected, such stockholder’s name and address and the number and class of all shares of each class of stock of the Corporation beneficially owned by such stockholder. As used herein, shares “beneficially owned” shall mean all shares as to which such person, together with such person’s affiliates and associates (as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), may be deemed to beneficially own pursuant to Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as well as all shares as to which such person, together with such person’s affiliates and associates, has the right to become the beneficial owner pursuant to any agreement or understanding, or upon the exercise of warrants, options or rights to convert or exchange (whether such rights are exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time or the occurrence of conditions). The person presiding at the meeting, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting, shall determine whether such notice has been duly given and shall direct that proposals and nominees not be considered if such notice has not been given.


ARTICLE II

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 2.1. Powers; Number; Qualifications. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise provided by law or in the certificate of incorporation. The Board of Directors shall consist of one or more members, the number thereof to be determined from time to time by the Board. Directors need not be stockholders.

Section 2.2.

(a) Election. Except as may be otherwise required by the certificate of incorporation, each director shall be elected by the vote of the majority of the votes cast (meaning the number of shares voted “for” a nominee must exceed the number of shares voted “against” such nominee) at any meeting for the election of directors at which a quorum is present, provided that the directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast (instead of by votes cast for or against a nominee) at any meeting at which a quorum is present for which (i) the Secretary of the Corporation receives a notice pursuant to these by-laws that a stockholder intends to nominate a director or directors and (ii) such proposed nomination has not been withdrawn by such stockholder on or prior to the tenth day preceding the date the Corporation first mails its notice of meeting for such meeting to the stockholders.

(b) Term of Office; Resignation; Removal; Vacancies. Each director shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal. Any director may resign at any time upon written notice to the Board of Directors or to the President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall take effect at the time or upon the event specified therein, and unless otherwise specified therein no acceptance of such resignation shall be necessary to make it effective. Any director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors. Whenever the holders of any class or series of stock, voting separately as a class, are entitled to elect one or more directors by the certificate of incorporation, the provisions of the preceding sentence shall apply, in respect to the removal without cause of a director or directors so elected, to the vote of the holders of the outstanding shares of that class or series and not to the vote of the outstanding shares as a whole. Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors elected by all of the stockholders having the right to vote as a single class or from any other cause may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director. Whenever the holders of any class or classes of stock or series thereof are entitled to elect one or more directors by the certificate of incorporation, vacancies and newly created directorships of such class or classes or series may be filled by a majority of the directors elected by such class or classes or series thereof then in office, or by the sole remaining director so elected. Any director elected or appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the stockholders, and until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.


Section 2.3. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such places within or without the State of Delaware and at such times as the Board may from time to time determine, and if so determined notice thereof need not be given.

Section 2.4. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time or place within or without the State of Delaware whenever called by the Chairman of the Board, if any, by the Vice Chairman or any Co-Chairman of the Board, if any, by the President or by any two directors. Reasonable notice thereof shall be given by the person or persons calling the meeting.

Section 2.5. Participation in Meetings by Conference Telephone Permitted. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, members of the Board of Directors, or any committee designated by the Board, may participate in a meeting of the Board or of such committee, as the case may be, by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this by-law shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

Section 2.6. Quorum; Vote Required for Action. At all meetings of the Board of Directors, one-third of the entire Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board unless the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws shall require a vote of a greater number. In case at any meeting of the Board a quorum shall not be present, the members of the Board present may adjourn the meeting from time to time until a quorum shall be present.

Section 2.7. Organization. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be presided over by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the absence of the Chairman of the Board by the Vice Chairman or any Co-Chairman of the Board, if any, or in the absence of the Vice Chairman or any Co-Chairman of the Board by the President, or in their absence by a chairman chosen at the meeting. The Secretary, or in the absence of the Secretary an Assistant Secretary, shall act as secretary of the meeting, but in the absence of the Secretary and any Assistant Secretary the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting.

Section 2.8. Action by Directors Without a Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or of such committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing, and the writing or writings are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee.

Section 2.9. Compensation of Directors. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors.


ARTICLE III

COMMITTEES

Section 3.1. Committees. The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members 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. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors or in these by-laws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to the following matters: (i) approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by law to be submitted to stockholders for approval, (ii) adopting, amending or repealing these By-Laws or (iii) removing or indemnifying directors.

Section 3.2. Committee Rules. Unless the Board of Directors otherwise provides, each committee designated by the Board may adopt, amend and repeal rules for the conduct of its business. In the absence of a provision by the Board or a provision in the rules of such committee to the contrary, a majority of the entire authorized number of members of such committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, the vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting at the time of such vote if a quorum is then present shall be the act of such committee, and in other respects each committee shall conduct its business in the same manner as the Board conducts its business pursuant to Article II of these by-laws.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

Section 4.1. Officers; Election. As soon as practicable after the annual meeting of stockholders in each year, the Board of Directors shall elect a President and a Secretary, and it may, if it so determines, elect from among its members a Chairman of the Board, or Co-Chairman of the Board, and a Vice Chairman of the Board. The Board may also elect one or more Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one or more Assistant Secretaries, a Treasurer and one or more Assistant Treasurers and such other officers as the Board may deem desirable or appropriate and may give any of them such further designations or alternate titles as it considers desirable. Any number of offices may be held by the same person unless the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws otherwise provide.

Section 4.2. Term of Office; Resignation; Removal; Vacancies. Unless otherwise provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors electing any officer, each officer shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal. Any officer may resign at any time upon written notice to the Board or to the President or the Secretary of the Corporation. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, and unless otherwise specified therein no acceptance of such resignation shall be necessary to make it effective. The Board may remove any officer with or without cause at any time. Any such removal shall be without prejudice to the contractual rights of such officer, if any, with the Corporation, but the election of an officer shall not of itself create contractual rights. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation by death, resignation, removal or otherwise may be filled by the Board at any regular or special meeting.


Section 4.3. Powers and Duties. The officers of the Corporation shall have such powers and duties in the management of the Corporation as shall be stated in these by-laws or in a resolution of the Board of Directors which is not inconsistent with these by-laws and, to the extent not so stated, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board. The Secretary shall have the duty to record the proceedings of the meetings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and any committees in a book to be kept for that purpose. The Board may require any officer, agent or employee to give security for the faithful performance of his or her duties.

ARTICLE V

STOCK

Section 5.1. Certificates. Every holder of stock in the Corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by or in the name of the Corporation by the Chairman or Vice Chairman or a Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors, if any, or the President or a Vice President, and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, of the Corporation, representing the number of shares of stock in the Corporation owned by such holder. If such certificate is manually signed by one officer or manually countersigned by a transfer agent or by a registrar, any other signature on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile 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 such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

If the Corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, provided that, except as otherwise provided by law, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate which the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.

Section 5.2. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Stock Certificates; Issuance of New Certificates. The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner’s legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it 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 such new certificate.


ARTICLE VI

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 6.1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 6.2. Seal. The Corporation may have a corporate seal which shall have the name of the Corporation inscribed thereon and shall be in such form as may be approved from time to time by the Board of Directors. The corporate seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.

Section 6.3. Waiver of Notice of Meetings of Stockholders, Directors and Committees. Whenever notice is required to be given by law or under any provision of the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws, a written waiver thereof, signed by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders, directors or members of a committee of directors need be specified in any written waiver of notice unless so required by the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws.

Section 6.4. Indemnification of Directors, Officers and Employees. The Corporation shall indemnify to the full extent permitted by law any person made or threatened to be made a party to any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person or such person’s testator or intestate is or was a director, officer or employee of the Corporation or serves or served at the request of the Corporation any other enterprise as a director, officer or employee. Expenses, including attorneys’ fees, incurred by any such person in defending any such action, suit or proceeding shall be paid or reimbursed by the Corporation promptly upon receipt by it of an undertaking of such person to repay such expenses if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation. The rights provided to any person by this by-law shall be enforceable against the Corporation by such person who shall be presumed to have relied upon it in serving or continuing to serve as a director, officer or employee as provided above. No amendment of this by-law shall impair the rights of any person arising at any time with respect to events occurring prior to such amendment. For purposes of this by-law, the term “Corporation” shall include any predecessor of the Corporation and any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed by the Corporation in a consolidation or merger; the term “other enterprise” shall include any corporation, company, partnership, joint venture, trust or employee benefit plan; service “at the request of the Corporation” shall include service as a director, officer or employee of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer or employee with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to be indemnifiable expenses; and action by a person with respect to an employee benefit plan which such person reasonably believes to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of such plan shall be deemed to be action not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation.

Section 6.5. Interested Directors; Quorum. No contract or transaction between the Corporation and one or more of its directors or officers, or between the Corporation and any other corporation, partnership, association or other organization in which one or more of its directors or officers are directors or officers, or have a financial interest, shall be void or voidable solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the Board of Directors or committee thereof which authorizes the contract or transaction, or solely because his or her or their votes are counted for such purpose,


if: (1) the material facts as to his or her relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the Board or the committee, and the Board or committee in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by the affirmative votes of a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested directors be less than a quorum; or (2) the material facts as to his or her relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the stockholders; or (3) the contract or transaction is fair as to the Corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified, by the Board, a committee thereof or the stockholders. Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee which authorizes the contract or transaction.

Section 6.6. Form of Records. Any records maintained by the Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger, books of account and minute books, may be kept on, or be in the form of, punch cards, magnetic tape, photographs, microphotographs or any other information storage device, provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible form within a reasonable time. The Corporation shall so convert any records so kept upon the request of any person entitled to inspect the same.

Section 6.7. Amendment of By-Laws. These by-laws may be amended or repealed, and new by-laws adopted, by the Board of Directors, but the stockholders entitled to vote may adopt additional by-laws and may amend or repeal any by-law whether or not adopted by them.

Section 6.8. Forum Selection. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee or agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (c) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or the certificate of incorporation or these by-laws (in each case, as they may be amended from time to time), or (d) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware (or if the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware does not have subject matter jurisdiction, a the federal district court for the District of Delaware). Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder. This Section 6.8 shall not apply to any action brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to have consented to the provisions of this Section 6.8.

Exhibit 10.1

TRANSITION SERVICES AGREEMENT

This TRANSITION SERVICES AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of October 7, 2021, is by and between Ziff Davis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo”). Parent and SpinCo are individually referred to herein as a “Party,” and collectively as the “Parties.”

R E C I T A L S:

WHEREAS, the Parties entered into the Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2021 (the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”), pursuant to which SpinCo was separated from Parent and incorporated as a new publicly traded company;

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

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

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

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

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

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

Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

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

Confidential Information” means all confidential and proprietary information concerning the other Party or any member of the other Party’s Group or their respective businesses that is either in its possession (including confidential and proprietary information in its possession prior to the date hereof) or furnished by any such other Party or any member of such Party’s Group or their respective Representatives at any time pursuant to this Agreement.


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

Dispute” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.15(a).

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

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

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

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

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

Income Taxes” (a) means (i) any U.S. federal, state, local or foreign taxes, charges, fees, imposts, levies or other assessments that are based upon, measured by, or calculated with respect to (A) net income or profits (including, but not limited to, any capital gains, gross receipts, or minimum tax, and any tax on items of tax preference, but not including sales, use, value added, real property gains, real or personal property, transfer or similar taxes), (B) multiple bases (including corporate franchise, doing business or occupation taxes), if one or more of the bases upon which such tax may be based, by which it may be measured, or with respect to which it may be calculated is described in clause (a)(i)(A) of this definition, or (C) any net worth, franchise or similar tax, in each case together with (ii) any interest and any penalties, fines, additions to tax or additional amounts imposed by any Tax Authority with respect thereto and (b) shall include any transferee or successor liability in respect of an amount described in clause (a) of this definition.

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

 

2


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

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

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

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

Other Taxes” means any U.S. federal, state, local or foreign taxes, charges, fees, imposts, levies or other assessments of any nature whatsoever, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, shall include superfund, sales, use, ad valorem, value added, occupancy, transfer, recording, escheat, unclaimed property, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, occupation, premium or property taxes (in each case, together with any related interest, penalties and additions to tax, or additional amounts imposed by any Tax Authority thereon); provided, however, that Other Taxes shall not include any Income Taxes.

Parent” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

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

Party” or “Parties” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Service Period” means, with respect to a Service, the period commencing on the Distribution Date and ending on the earliest of (a) the date that a Party terminates the provision of such Service pursuant to Section 4.02, (b) the date that is the two (2)-year anniversary of the Distribution Date and (c) the date specified for termination of such Service on the Schedules hereto.

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

SpinCo” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

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

Tax” means Income Taxes and Other Taxes.

Tax Authority” means a governmental authority (foreign or domestic) or any subdivision, agency, commission or authority thereof or any quasi-governmental or private body having jurisdiction over the assessment, determination, collection or imposition of any Tax (including the U.S. Internal Revenue Service).

Termination Charges” means, with respect to the termination of a Service pursuant to Section 4.02(a)(i), the sum of (a) any and all costs, fees and expenses (other than any severance or retention costs) payable by the Provider of such Service to a Third Party principally because of the early termination of such Service; provided that the Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to minimize any costs, fees or expenses payable to any Third Party in connection with such early termination of such Service; and (b) any additional severance and retention costs, if any, because of the early termination of such Service that the Provider of

 

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such terminated Service incurs to employees who had been retained primarily to provide such terminated Service (it being agreed that the costs set forth in this clause (b) shall only be the amount, if any, in excess of the severance and retention costs that such Provider would have paid to such employees if the Service had been provided for the full period during which such Service would have been provided hereunder but for such early termination).

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

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

ARTICLE II

SERVICES

Section 2.01. Services.

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

(b) If, within ninety (90) days after the Distribution Date, either (i) SpinCo identifies a service that Parent provided to SpinCo prior to the Distribution Date that SpinCo reasonably needs in order for the SpinCo Business to continue to operate in substantially the same manner in which the SpinCo Business operated prior to the Distribution Date, and such service was not included on the Schedules hereto (other than because the Parties agreed such service shall not be provided), or (ii) Parent identifies a service that SpinCo provided to Parent prior to the Distribution Date that Parent reasonably needs in order for the Parent Business to continue to operate in substantially the same manner in which the Parent Business operated prior to the Distribution Date, and such service was not included on the Schedules hereto (other than because the Parties agreed such service shall not be provided) then, in each case, if the identifying Party provides written notice to the other Party within such ninety (90) day period requesting such service, then the Party receiving such notice shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to provide such requested service (such requested additional service, an “Additional Service”); provided that: (A) neither Party shall not be obligated to provide an Additional Service if it does not, in its commercially reasonable judgment, have adequate resources to provide such Additional Service or if the provision of such Additional Service would significantly disrupt the operation of such Party’s or its Subsidiaries’ businesses; and (B) a Party shall not be required to provide an Additional Service if the Parties, acting reasonably and in good faith, are unable to reach agreement on the terms thereof (including with respect to Service Charges therefor). In connection with any request for an Additional Service in accordance with this Section 2.01(b), the Parties shall negotiate in good faith the terms of a supplement to the applicable Schedule, which terms shall be consistent with the terms of, and the pricing methodology used for, similar Services provided under this Agreement. Upon the written agreement of the Parties, the supplement to the applicable Schedule shall describe in reasonable detail the nature, scope, Service Period, termination provisions and other terms applicable to such Additional Service in a manner similar to that in which the other Services are

 

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described in the existing Schedules. Each supplement to the applicable Schedule, as agreed to in writing by the Parties, shall be deemed part of this Agreement as of the date of such agreement and the Additional Service set forth therein shall be deemed included in the definition of “Service” as of such date, in each case subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Section 2.02. Performance of Services.

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

(b) Nothing in this Agreement shall require Provider to perform or cause to be performed any Service to the extent that the manner of such performance would constitute a violation of any applicable Law or any existing contract or agreement with a Third Party. If Provider is or becomes aware of that any such violation is reasonably likely, Provider shall use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly advise Recipient of such potential violation, and the Parties will mutually seek an alternative that addresses such potential violation. The Parties agree to cooperate in good faith and use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any necessary Third-Party consents required under any existing contract or agreement with a Third Party to allow Provider to perform, or cause to be performed, all Services to be provided hereunder in accordance with the standards set forth in this Section 2.02. The Parties shall evenly share any reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses (if any) incurred by Provider or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with obtaining any such Third-Party consent that is required to allow Provider to perform or cause to be performed such Services. If, with respect to a Service, the Parties, despite the use of such commercially reasonable efforts, are unable to obtain a required Third-Party consent, or the performance of such Service by Provider would constitute a violation of any applicable Law, Provider shall have no obligation whatsoever to perform or cause to be performed such Service.

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

 

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

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

Section 2.03. Charges for Services. Unless otherwise provided with respect to a specific Service on the Schedules hereto, Recipient shall reimburse Provider for any third party costs related to such Services or category of Services, as applicable (each fee, a “Charge” and, collectively, “Charges”), which Charges shall be set forth on the applicable Schedules hereto, or if not so set forth, then, unless otherwise provided with respect to a specific Service on the Schedule hereto, based upon the cost of providing such Services as shall be agreed by the Parties from time to time. During the term of this Agreement, the Charges for a Service may be modified to the extent of: (a) any adjustment in the rates or charges imposed by any Third-Party provider that is providing goods or services used in providing the Services; (b) any adjustment in third party costs relating to any changes in the scope, quality, nature, duration or quantity of the Services provided or how the Services are provided; or (c) any adjustment in third party costs resulting from a reasonable change in the pricing methodology for a particular Service provided that Provider is implementing the same change with respect to all of its businesses or divisions that utilize the Service. Together with any invoice for Charges, Provider shall provide Recipient with reasonable documentation, including any additional documentation reasonably requested by Recipient to the extent that such documentation is in Provider’s or its Subsidiaries’ possession or control, to support the calculation of such Charges.

Section 2.04. Reimbursement for Out-of-Pocket Costs and Expenses. In addition to any increase to a Charge contemplated by Section 2.02(c) and Section 2.03, Recipient shall reimburse Provider for reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by Provider or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with providing the Services (including reasonable travel-related

 

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expenses) to the extent that such costs and expenses are not reflected in the Charges for such Services; provided that any such cost or expense shall require advance written approval of Recipient (and if Recipient does not provide such advance written approval and the incurrence of such cost or expense is reasonably necessary for Provider to provide such Service in accordance with the standards set forth in this Agreement, Provider shall not be required to perform such Service). Any authorized travel-related expenses incurred in performing the Services shall be charged to Recipient in accordance with Provider’s then-applicable business travel policies.

Section 2.05. Changes in the Performance of Services.

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

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

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

Section 2.07. Subcontracting and Personnel.

(a) Provider may hire or engage one or more Third Parties to perform any or all of its obligations under this Agreement; provided that: (i) Provider shall use the same degree of care (but at least reasonable care) in selecting each such Third Party as it would if such Third Party was being retained to provide similar services to Provider; and (ii) Provider shall in all cases remain responsible for all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect to the scope of the Services, the performance standard for Services set forth in Section 2.02 and the content of the Services provided to Recipient. Provider shall be responsible for any breach of its obligations under this Agreement by any Third-Party service provider engaged by Provider. Unless otherwise set forth in the Schedules or as otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties, Recipient is not liable for Provider’s costs of any subcontracting contemplated in this Section 2.07. All amounts paid under a subcontracting arrangement in respect of Services provided shall be documented in invoices and any relevant ancillary agreements and clearly itemize any reimbursements or disbursements paid by a Recipient to a Provider or Third Party.

 

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(b) Subject to Provider meeting its obligations with respect to the Level of Service, and notwithstanding the name of any personnel set forth in the Schedule, Provider shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to (i) designate which personnel they will assign to perform the Services and (ii) remove and replace such personnel at any time. In performing their respective duties hereunder, all such personnel shall be under the direction, control and supervision of Provider, and Provider shall have the sole right to exercise all authority with respect to the employment (including termination of employment), assignment and compensation of its personnel.

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

ARTICLE III

BILLING; TAXES

Section 3.01. Procedure. Recipient shall pay, or cause to be paid, to Provider the fees for the Services as set forth on the Schedules, and, without duplication, all other costs incurred by Provider as set forth in this Agreement. Amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement shall be paid by wire transfer (or such other method of payment as may be agreed between the Parties from time to time) to Provider (as directed by Provider), which amounts shall be due (a) in the case of recurring fees, on a monthly basis on or prior to the first (1st) day of the calendar month for which the applicable Service is to be provided and (b) in the case of all other amounts, within thirty (30) days after Recipient’s receipt of each invoice for Charges, including reasonable documentation pursuant to Section 2.03. All amounts due and payable hereunder shall be paid in U.S. dollars. In the event of any billing dispute, Recipient shall promptly pay any undisputed amount.

Section 3.02. Taxes. Without limiting any provisions of this Agreement, Recipient shall bear any and all Taxes and other similar charges (and any related expenses, interest and penalties) imposed on, or payable with respect to, any fees or charges, including any Charges, payable by it pursuant to this Agreement, but excluding any Income Taxes on Provider’s income. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the previous sentence or elsewhere in this Agreement, Recipient shall be entitled to withhold (or cause to be withheld) from any payments to Provider any such Taxes that Recipient is required by applicable Law to withhold and shall pay such Taxes to the applicable Tax Authority.

 

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Section 3.03. No Set-Off. Except as agreed in writing by the Parties, neither Party nor any of its Affiliates shall have any right of set-off or other similar rights with respect to (a) any amounts received pursuant to this Agreement or (b) any other amounts claimed to be owed to the other Party or any of its Subsidiaries arising out of this Agreement.

ARTICLE IV

TERM AND TERMINATION

Section 4.01. Term. This Agreement shall commence at the Effective Time and shall terminate upon the earliest to occur of: (a) the written agreement of the Parties to terminate this Agreement in its entirety; and (b) the date that is the 12-month anniversary of the Distribution Date. Unless otherwise terminated pursuant to Section 4.02, Provider’s obligation to provide a Service shall expire as of the close of business on the date that is the 12-month anniversary of the Distribution Date, unless an earlier date is set forth in the Schedule under the Service Period for such Service. The Parties may, by written consent executed at least ten (10) days prior to the last day of the Service Period for any individual Service, extend the Service Period for such Service on a month-to-month basis for a period not to exceed the two (2)-year anniversary of the Distribution Date. To the extent that Provider’s ability to provide a Service is dependent on the continuation of a specified Service, Provider’s obligation to provide such dependent Service shall terminate automatically with the termination of such supporting Service.

Section 4.02. Early Termination.

(a) Without prejudice to Recipient’s rights with respect to Force Majeure, Recipient may from time to time terminate this Agreement with respect to the entirety of any Service (but not any portion thereof): (i) for any reason or no reason, upon the giving of at least sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to Provider, provided that such termination (x) may only be effective as of the last day of a calendar month and (y) shall be subject to the obligation to pay any applicable Termination Charges pursuant to Section 4.04; or (ii) if Provider has failed to perform any of its material obligations under this Agreement with respect to such Service, and such failure shall continue to be uncured by Provider for a period of at least thirty (30) days after receipt by Provider of written notice of such failure from Recipient, provided that (x) such termination may only be effective as of the last day of a calendar month and (y) Recipient shall not be entitled to terminate this Agreement with respect to the applicable Service if, as of the end of such period, there remains a good-faith Dispute between the Parties (undertaken in accordance with the terms of Section 7.15) as to whether Provider has cured the applicable breach.

(b) Provider may terminate this Agreement with respect to the entirety of any Service (but not any portion thereof) at any time upon prior written notice to Recipient, if Recipient has failed to perform any of its material obligations under this Agreement with respect to such Service, including making payment of Charges for such Service when due, and such failure shall continue to be uncured by Recipient for a period of at least thirty (30) days after receipt by Recipient of a written notice of such failure from Provider; provided that (x) such termination may only be effective as of the last day of a calendar month and (y) Provider shall not be entitled to terminate this Agreement with respect to the applicable Service if, as of the end of such period, there remains a good-faith Dispute between the Parties (undertaken in accordance with the terms of Section 7.15) as to whether Recipient has cured the applicable breach.

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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ARTICLE V

CONFIDENTIALITY; PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENTS

Section 5.01. Parent and SpinCo Obligations. Subject to Section 5.04, until the three (3)-year anniversary of the date of the termination of this Agreement in its entirety, each Party, on behalf of itself and each of its Subsidiaries, agrees to hold, and to cause its respective Representatives to hold, in strict confidence, with at least the same degree of care that applies to Parent’s Confidential Information pursuant to policies in effect as of the Effective Time, all Confidential Information concerning the other Party or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses that is either in its possession (including Confidential Information in its possession prior to the date hereof) or furnished by such other Party or such other Party’s Subsidiaries or their respective Representatives at any time pursuant to this Agreement, and shall not use any such Confidential Information other than for such purposes as may be expressly permitted hereunder.

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

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

Section 5.04. Protective Arrangements. In the event that a Party or any of its Subsidiaries either determines on the advice of its counsel that it is required to disclose any information pursuant to applicable Law or receives any request or demand under lawful process or from any Governmental Authority to disclose or provide information of the other Party (or any of its Subsidiaries) that is subject to the confidentiality provisions hereof, such Party shall notify the other Party (to the extent legally permitted) as promptly as practicable under the circumstances prior to disclosing or providing such information and shall cooperate, at the

 

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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.

Section 5.05. Exclusions. A Party’s confidentiality obligations set forth herein with respect to the other Party’s Confidential Information do not apply to the extent such Confidential Information: (a) is in the public domain or is generally available to the public, other than as a result of a disclosure by such Party or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective Representatives in violation of this Agreement; (b) is lawfully acquired from other sources by such Party or any of its Subsidiaries, which sources are not themselves known by such Party or any of its Subsidiaries to be bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such Confidential Information; or (c) is independently developed or generated without reference to or use of the Confidential Information of the other Party or any of its Subsidiaries. If any Confidential Information of a Party or any of its Subsidiaries is disclosed to the other Party or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with providing the Services, then such disclosed Confidential Information shall be used only as required to perform such Services.

ARTICLE VI

LIMITED LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

Section 6.01. Limitations on Liability.

(a) SUBJECT TO SECTION 6.02, THE LIABILITIES OF PROVIDER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES, COLLECTIVELY, UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY ACT OR FAILURE TO ACT IN CONNECTION HEREWITH (INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OR BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT), OR FROM THE SALE, DELIVERY, PROVISION OR USE OF ANY SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER OR CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE AND STRICT LIABILITY) OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE REASONABLE COSTS INCURRED BY RECIPIENT IN RETAINING A THIRD PARTY TO PERFORM THE SERVICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAME SCOPE AND QUALITY EXPECTED OF PROVIDER AS SET FORTH HEREIN; PROVIDED THAT, NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE TOTAL LIABILITIES OF PROVIDER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES, COLLECTIVELY, UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY ACT OR FAILURE TO ACT IN CONNECTION HEREWITH (INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OR BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT), OR FROM THE SALE, DELIVERY, PROVISION OR USE OF ANY SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER OR CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE AND STRICT LIABILITY) OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED $1,000,000.

 

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

Section 6.02. Obligation to Re-Perform; Liabilities. In the event of any breach of this Agreement by Provider with respect to the provision of any Services (with respect to which Provider can reasonably be expected to re-perform in a commercially reasonable manner), Provider shall, at the request of Recipient, promptly correct in all material respects such error, defect or breach or re-perform in all material respects such Services at the sole cost and expense of Provider. With respect to Services which cannot be re-performed in a commercially reasonably manner by Provider, Provider shall reimburse Recipient for the reasonable costs of procuring a Third Party to perform such services in accordance with the same scope and quality expected of Provider and as set forth in the Schedules. The remedies set forth in this Section 6.02 shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of Recipient for any failure to provide the Services; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit Recipient from exercising its right to terminate this Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Section 4.02(a)(ii) or to seek specific performance in accordance with Section 7.16. Any request for re-performance in accordance with this Section 6.02 by Recipient must be in writing and specify in reasonable detail the particular error, defect or breach, and such request must be made no more than one month from the later of (a) the date on which such breach occurred and (b) the date on which such breach was reasonably discovered by Recipient.

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

Section 6.04. Provider Indemnity. In addition to (but not in duplication of) its other indemnification obligations (if any) under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement, Provider shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Recipient, its Subsidiaries and each of their respective Representatives, and each of the successors and assigns of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Recipient Indemnitees”), from and against any and all Losses in connection with claims by Third Parties relating to, arising out of or resulting from Provider’s gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud in connection with its performance of the Services.

 

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

ARTICLE VII

MISCELLANEOUS

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

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

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

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

 

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

Section 7.06. Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power.

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

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

(c) Parent represents on behalf of itself and, to the extent applicable, each of its Subsidiaries, and SpinCo represents on behalf of itself and, to the extent applicable, each of its Subsidiaries, that: (i) each such Person has the requisite corporate or other power and authority and has taken all corporate or other action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and (ii) this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of it and is enforceable in accordance with the terms hereof.

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

 

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

Section 7.08. Assignability. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement and the other Ancillary Agreements in whole (i.e., the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement and all of the other Ancillary Agreements all at the same time) in connection with a merger, consolidation or other business combination of a Party with or into any other Person or a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of a Party to another Person, in each case so long as the resulting, surviving or acquiring Person assumes all of the obligations of the relevant Party by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party.

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

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

If to Parent, to:

Ziff Davis, Inc.

114 5th Avenue

New York, New York 10011

Attention: Legal Department

E-mail: legal@j2.com

 

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

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention: Legal Department

E-mail: legal@j2.com

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

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention: Legal Department

E-mail: vithya.aubee@j2.com

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

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

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

 

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

Section 7.14. Waivers of Default. Waiver by a Party of any default by the other Party of any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver by the waiving Party of any subsequent or other default, nor shall it prejudice the rights of the waiving 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 right or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

Section 7.15. Dispute Resolution.

(a) In the event of any controversy, dispute or claim (a “Dispute”) arising out of or relating to any Party’s rights or obligations under this Agreement (whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise), calculation or allocation of the costs of any Service or otherwise arising out of or relating in any way to this Agreement (including the interpretation or validity of this Agreement), such Dispute shall be resolved by submitting such Dispute first to the relevant Contract Manager of each Party, and the Contract Managers shall seek to resolve such Dispute through informal good faith negotiation. In the event that the Contract Managers fail to meet or, if they meet and fail to resolve a Dispute within twenty (20) business days, then either Party may pursue the remedy set forth in Section 7.15(b).

(b) If the procedures set forth in Section 7.15(a) have been followed with respect to a Dispute and such Dispute remains unresolved, such Dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution process referred to in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

(c) In any Dispute regarding the amount of a Charge or a Termination Charge, if such Dispute is finally resolved pursuant to the dispute resolution process set forth or referred to in Section 7.15(a) and Section 7.15(b) and it is determined that the Charge or the Termination Charge, as applicable, that Provider has invoiced Recipient, and that Recipient has paid to Provider, is greater or less than the amount that the Charge or the Termination Charge, as applicable, should have been, then (i) if it is determined that Recipient has overpaid the Charge or the Termination Charge, as applicable, Provider shall within ten (10) calendar days after such determination reimburse Recipient an amount of cash equal to such overpayment, plus the Interest Payment, accruing from the date of payment by Recipient to the time of reimbursement by Provider; and (ii) if it is determined that Recipient has underpaid the Charge or the Termination Charge, as applicable, Recipient shall within ten (10) calendar days after such determination reimburse Provider an amount of cash equal to such underpayment, plus the Interest Payment, accruing from the date such payment originally should have been made by Recipient to the time of payment by Recipient.

 

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Section 7.16. Specific Performance. Subject to Section 7.15, in the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement, the Party or Parties who are, or are to be, thereby aggrieved shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief (on an interim or permanent basis) in respect of its rights or their rights under this Agreement, in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative. The Parties agree that the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach, 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 by each of the Parties. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Provider shall continue to provide Services and the Parties shall honor all other commitments under this Agreement during the course of dispute resolution pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.15 and this Section 7.16 with respect to all matters not subject to such Dispute; provided that this obligation shall only exist during the term of this Agreement.

Section 7.17. Amendments. No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom enforcement of such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is sought.

Section 7.18. Precedence of Schedules. Each Schedule attached to or referenced in this Agreement is hereby incorporated into and shall form a part of this Agreement; provided that the terms contained in such Schedule shall only apply with respect to the Services provided under that Schedule. In the event of a conflict between the terms contained in an individual Schedule and the terms in the body of this Agreement, the terms in the Schedule shall take precedence with respect to the Services under such Schedule only. No terms contained in individual Schedules shall otherwise modify the terms of this Agreement.

Section 7.19. 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 hereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (c) Article, Section, and Schedule references are to the Articles, Sections, and Schedules to this Agreement, unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes to such agreement; (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified; (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive; (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days; (h) references to “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in the United States or Los Angeles, California; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; and (j) unless expressly stated to the contrary in this Agreement, all references to “the date hereof,” “the date of this Agreement” and “hereby” and words of similar import shall all be references to the Effective Date.

 

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Section 7.20. Mutual Drafting. This Agreement shall be deemed to be the joint work product of the Parties and any rule of construction that a document shall be interpreted or construed against a drafter of such document shall not be applicable to this Agreement.

Remainder of page intentionally left blank.

 

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

 

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeremy Rossen

  Name:   Jeremy Rossen
  Title:   Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel
CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Vithya Aubee

  Name:   Vithya Aubee
  Title:   Vice President

Signature Page to Transition Services Agreement

Exhibit 10.2

TAX MATTERS AGREEMENT

by and between

ZIFF DAVIS,, INC.

and

CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.

Dated as of

October 7, 2021

 


TAX MATTERS AGREEMENT

This TAX MATTERS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of October 7, 2021, by and between Ziff Davis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“SpinCo”).

R E C I T A L S

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

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

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

WHEREAS, Parent intends to use the SpinCo Securities received in exchange for the Contribution, the Cash Distribution and the Additional Cash to retire existing Parent debt;

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

WHEREAS, J2 Global Ireland Limited, an Irish limited company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, will transfer all of its portion of the SpinCo Business to Consensus Cloud Solutions International Ltd., an Irish limited company treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes (“Consensus International”), in exchange for the issuance by Consensus International of new shares of Consensus International to J2 Cloud Services, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Irish Demerger”).

WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Separation Agreement, Parent will contribute all of the SpinCo Assets and all of the equity of J2 Cloud Services, LLC to SpinCo in exchange for SpinCo’s assumption of the SpinCo Liabilities, all of the SpinCo Shares, the SpinCo Cash Amount and the SpinCo Securities (the “Contribution”);

WHEREAS, following the Distribution, Parent may retain up to 19.9% of the outstanding SpinCo Shares (the “Retained Shares”) and intends to, within 12 months of the Distribution, effect distributions of the Retained Shares to Parent stockholders as dividends or in exchange for outstanding shares of Parent common stock (any such distribution, a “Subsequent Distribution”) or transfer such Retained Shares to Parent creditors in satisfaction of certain Parent debt (any such transfer, a “Debt-for-Equity Exchange”);

 


WHEREAS, if any portion of the Retained Shares has not been disposed of pursuant to a Subsequent Distribution within the 12-month period, Parent will dispose of such Retained Shares in all events within five years of the Distribution;

WHEREAS, following the Distribution, Parent shall transfer the SpinCo Securities to certain Persons (the “Debt-for-Debt Exchange Parties”) in exchange for certain debt obligations of Parent held by the Debt-for-Debt Exchange Parties as principals for their own account (the “Debt-for-Debt Exchange”);

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Contribution, the Distribution, any Subsequent Distribution, the Debt-for-Debt Exchange, and any Debt-for-Equity Exchange, taken together, are intended to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355, 368(a)(1)(D) and 361(c) of the Code;

WHEREAS, SpinCo has been incorporated for these purposes but holds no assets and has engaged in no activities; and

WHEREAS, SpinCo and Parent have prepared, and SpinCo has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Form 10, which includes the Information Statement, and which sets forth disclosures concerning SpinCo, the Separation and the Distribution;

WHEREAS, the parties hereto wish to provide for the payment of Taxes and entitlement to Refunds thereof, allocate responsibility and provide for cooperation in connection with the filing of returns in respect of Taxes, and provide for certain other matters relating to Taxes.

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

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, 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:

1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Separation Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

Actually Realized” or “Actually Realizes” shall mean, for purposes of determining the timing of the incurrence of any Spin-Off Tax Liability, Income Tax Liability or Other Tax Liability or the realization of a Refund (or any related Tax cost or Tax Benefit), whether by receipt or as a credit or other offset to Taxes payable, by a Person in respect of any payment, transaction, occurrence or event, the time at which the amount of Taxes paid (or Refund realized) by such Person is increased above (or reduced below) the amount of Taxes that such Person would have been required to pay (or Refund that such Person would have realized) but for such payment, transaction, occurrence or event.

 

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Aggregate Spin-Off Tax Liabilities” shall mean the sum of the Spin-Off Tax Liabilities with respect to each Taxing Jurisdiction.

Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in the United States or Los Angeles, California.

Carryback” shall mean the carryback of a Tax Attribute (including, without limitation, a net operating loss, a net capital loss or a tax credit) by a member of the SpinCo Group from a Post-Distribution Taxable Period to a Pre-Distribution Taxable Period during which such member of the SpinCo Group was included in a Combined Return filed for such Pre-Distribution Taxable Period.

Cash Acquisition Merger” shall mean a merger of a newly formed Subsidiary of SpinCo with a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, general partnership or joint venture (in each case, not previously owned directly or indirectly by SpinCo) pursuant to which SpinCo acquires such corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, general partnership or joint venture solely for cash and no Equity Securities of SpinCo or any SpinCo Subsidiary are issued, sold, redeemed or acquired, directly or indirectly.

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

Combined Return” shall mean a consolidated, combined or unitary Income Tax Return or Other Tax Return that actually includes, by election or otherwise, one or more members of the Parent Group together with either (i) one or more members of the SpinCo Group or (ii) any portion of the SpinCo Business (in either case including any such Income Tax Return that is a consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Return of the Parent Consolidated Group).

Consensus International” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

Contribution” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

Debt-for-Debt Exchange” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

Debt-for-Equity Exchange” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

Distribution” shall mean the distribution, on a pro rata basis, to holders of Parent Shares on the Record Date of at least eighty and one-tenth percent (80.1%) of the outstanding SpinCo Shares owned by Parent pursuant to the Separation Agreement.

Distribution Date” shall mean the date on which the Distribution is completed, pursuant to the Separation Agreement.

 

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Distribution-Related Proceeding” shall mean any Proceeding in which the IRS, another Tax Authority or any other party asserts a position that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the Tax-Free Status of the Spin-Off Transactions.

EMA” shall mean the Employee Matters Agreement by and between Parent and SpinCo dated as of October 7, 2021.

Equity Securities” shall mean any stock or other securities treated as equity for U.S. federal Income Tax purposes, options, warrants, rights, convertible debt, or any other instrument or security that affords any Person the right, whether conditional or otherwise, to acquire stock or to be paid an amount determined by reference to the value of stock.

Final Determination” shall mean the final resolution of liability for any Tax, which resolution may be for a specific issue or adjustment or for a taxable 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 any Taxing Jurisdiction, except that a Form 870 or 870-AD or comparable form shall not constitute a Final Determination to the extent that it reserves (whether by its terms or by operation of law) the right of the taxpayer to file a claim for Refund or the right of the Tax Authority to assert a further deficiency in respect of such issue or adjustment or for such taxable 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 any 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 periods during which such Refund may be recovered (including by way of offset) by the Taxing Jurisdiction imposing such Tax; or (e) by any other final disposition, including by reason of the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations or by mutual agreement of the parties.

Foreign Tax” means any Tax (including any interest, penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts in respect of Tax) that is imposed by any country (other than the United States) or a political subdivision of such country.

Former Employee” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

Global Transaction Structure” shall mean the plan set forth on Schedule 2.1(a) of the Separation Agreement setting forth the restructuring steps to be taken prior to the Distribution Date and the sequence thereof.

Income Taxes” (a) shall mean (i) any U.S. federal, state, local or foreign taxes, charges, fees, imposts, levies or other assessments that are based upon, measured by, or calculated with respect to (A) net income or profits (including, but not limited to, any capital gains, gross receipts, or minimum tax, and any tax on items of tax preference, but not including sales, use, value added, real property gains, real or personal property, transfer or similar taxes), (B) multiple bases (including, but not limited to, corporate

 

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franchise, doing business or occupation taxes), if one or more of the bases upon which such tax may be based, by which it may be measured, or with respect to which it may be calculated is described in clause (a)(i)(A) of this definition, or (C) any net worth, franchise or similar tax, in each case together with (ii) any interest and any penalties, fines, additions to tax or additional amounts imposed by any Tax Authority with respect thereto and (b) shall include any transferee or successor liability in respect of an amount described in clause (a) of this definition.

Income Tax Benefit” shall mean, with respect to the effect of any Carryback on the Income Tax Liability of Parent or the Parent Group for any taxable period, the excess of (a) the hypothetical Income Tax Liability of Parent or the Parent Group for such taxable period, calculated as if such Carryback had not been utilized but with all other facts unchanged over (b) the actual Income Tax Liability of Parent or the Parent Group for such taxable period, calculated taking into account such Carryback (and treating a Refund as a negative Income Tax Liability, for purposes of such calculation).

Income Tax Liabilities” shall mean all liabilities for Income Taxes.

Income Tax Return” shall mean any return, report, filing, statement, questionnaire, declaration or other document required to be filed with a Tax Authority in respect of Income Taxes.

Indemnified Party” shall mean any Person seeking indemnification pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.

Indemnifying Party” shall mean any party hereto from which any Indemnified Party is seeking indemnification pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.

Irish Demerger” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

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

“KPMG” shall mean KPMG LLP.

“KPMG Tax Opinion” shall mean any tax opinion issued by KPMG in connection with the Spin-Off Transactions.

Losses” shall mean any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages, obligations, payments, costs and expenses, matured or unmatured, absolute or contingent, accrued or unaccrued, liquidated or unliquidated, known or unknown (including, without limitation, the costs and expenses of any and all Actions, threatened Actions, demands, assessments, judgments, settlements and compromises relating thereto and attorneys’ fees and any and all expenses whatsoever reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any such Actions or threatened Actions).

Other Tax Liabilities” shall mean all liabilities for Other Taxes.

 

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Other Tax Returns” shall mean any return, report, filing, statement, questionnaire, declaration or other document required to be filed with a Tax Authority in respect of Other Taxes.

Other Taxes” shall mean any U.S. federal, state, local or foreign taxes, charges, fees, imposts, levies or other assessments of any nature whatsoever, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, shall include superfund, sales, use, ad valorem, value added, occupancy, transfer, recording, escheat, unclaimed property, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, occupation, premium or property taxes (in each case, together with any related interest, penalties and additions to tax, or additional amounts imposed by any Tax Authority thereon); provided, however, that Other Taxes shall not include any Income Taxes.

Parent Business” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Separation Agreement.

Parent Combined Return Taxes” shall mean any Taxes (or estimated Taxes) due or required to be paid with respect to or required to be reported on any consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Return of the Parent Consolidated Group or any other Combined Tax Return that are attributable to any member of the Parent Group.

Parent Consolidated Group” shall mean the affiliated group of corporations (within the meaning of Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to the exclusions in Section 1504(b)(1) through (8)) of which Parent is the common parent (and any predecessor or successor to such affiliated group).

Parent Group” shall mean (a) Parent and each Person that is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of Parent (including any Subsidiary of Parent that is disregarded for U.S. federal Income Tax purposes (or for purposes of any state, local, or foreign tax law)) immediately after the Distribution after giving effect to the Spin-Off Transactions, any corporation (or other Person) that shall have merged or liquidated into Parent or any such Subsidiary and any predecessor or successor to any Person otherwise described in this definition.

Parent Group Employee” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

Parent Option Award” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

Parent Restricted Stock Award” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

Parent RSU Award” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

Parent Separate Return” shall mean any Separate Return required to be filed by Parent or any member of the Parent Group.

 

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Parent Shares” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Separation Agreement.

Parties” shall mean the parties to this Agreement.

Permitted Transaction” shall mean any transaction that satisfies the requirements of Section 4(c).

Person” shall mean any individual, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, corporation, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or similar entity or a governmental authority or any department or agency or other unit thereof.

Post-Distribution Taxable Period” shall mean a taxable period that, to the extent it relates to a member of the SpinCo Group, begins 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 Taxable Period” shall mean a taxable period that, to the extent it relates to a member of the SpinCo Group, ends 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.

Post-Separation Parent Awards” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

Private Letter Ruling” shall mean (a) any private letter ruling issued by the IRS in connection with the Spin-Off Transactions (including the private letter ruling issued to Parent on July 6, 2021) or (b) any similar ruling issued by any other Tax Authority in connection with the Spin-Off Transactions.

Private Letter Ruling Documents” shall mean (a) any Private Letter Ruling, any request for a Private Letter Ruling submitted to the IRS (including the request for rulings submitted by Parent to the IRS on April 14, 2021), together with the appendices and exhibits thereto and any supplemental filings or other materials subsequently submitted to the IRS in connection with the Spin-Off Transactions, or (b) any similar filings submitted to any other Tax Authority in connection with any such request for a Private Letter Ruling.

Proceeding” shall mean any audit or other examination, or judicial or administrative proceeding relating to liability for, or Refunds or adjustments with respect to, Taxes.

Refund” shall mean any refund of Taxes, including any reduction in Tax Liabilities by means of a credit, offset or otherwise.

 

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

Restriction Period” shall mean the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the thirty seven (37) month anniversary of the Distribution Date.

RSU” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

Section 336(e) Election” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2(c) of this Agreement.

Separate Return” shall mean (a) in the case of any Tax Return required to be filed by any member of the SpinCo Group (including any consolidated, combined or unitary return), any such Tax Return that does not include any member of the Parent Group and (b) in the case of any Tax Return required to be filed by any member of the Parent Group (including any consolidated, combined or unitary return), any such Tax Return that does not include any member of the SpinCo Group.

Separation Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

SpinCo Adjustment” shall mean an adjustment of any item of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit attributable to any member of the SpinCo Group (including, in the case of any state or local consolidated, combined or unitary income or franchise Taxes, a change in one or more apportionment factors of members of the SpinCo Group) pursuant to a Final Determination for a Pre-Distribution Taxable Period.

SpinCo Awards” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

SpinCo Business” shall mean each trade or business actively conducted (within the meaning of Section 355(b) of the Code) by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group immediately after the Distribution, as set forth in the Tax Opinion Documents.

SpinCo Cash Amount” shall mean the amount of cash distributed to Parent in connection with the Distribution as partial consideration for the Contribution, pursuant to the Separation Agreement.

SpinCo Combined Return Taxes” shall mean any Taxes (or estimated Taxes) due or required to be paid with respect to or required to be reported on any consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Return of the Parent Consolidated Group or any other Combined Tax Return that are attributable to any member of the SpinCo Group or reflect any portion of the SpinCo Business.

 

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SpinCo Consolidated Group” shall mean the affiliated group of corporations (within the meaning of Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to the exclusions in Section 1504(b)(1) through (8)) of which SpinCo is the common parent, determined immediately after the Distribution (and any predecessor or successor to such affiliated group other than the Parent Consolidated Group).

SpinCo Group” shall mean (a) SpinCo and each Person that is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of SpinCo (including any Subsidiary of SpinCo that is disregarded for U.S. federal Income Tax purposes (or for purposes of any state, local, or foreign tax law)) immediately after the Distribution, after giving effect to the Spin-Off Transactions, any corporation (or other Person) that shall have merged or liquidated into SpinCo or any such Subsidiary and any predecessor or successor to any Person otherwise described in this definition.

SpinCo Group Employee” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

SpinCo Option Award” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

SpinCo Restricted Stock Award” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

SpinCo RSU Award” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the EMA.

SpinCo Securities” shall mean the seven-year notes issued by SpinCo and distributed to Parent in connection with the Distribution as partial consideration for the Contribution, pursuant to the Separation Agreement.

SpinCo Separate Return” shall mean any Separate Return required to be filed by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group, including, without limitation, (a) any consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Return of the SpinCo Consolidated Group required to be filed with respect to a Post-Distribution Taxable Period and (b) any consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Return for any group of which any member of the SpinCo Group was the common parent.

SpinCo Service Provider” shall mean any “SpinCo Group Employee” as such term is defined in the EMA or any other provider of services to any member of the SpinCo Group.

SpinCo Shares” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Separation Agreement.

SpinCo Tax Benefit” shall mean, with respect to any Taxing Jurisdiction, any decrease in Tax Liability (or increase in a Refund) Actually Realized with respect to a Combined Return that is attributable to a SpinCo Adjustment.

SpinCo Tax Liability” shall mean, with respect to any Taxing Jurisdiction, any increase in Tax Liability (or reduction in a Refund) Actually Realized with respect to a Combined Return that is attributable to a SpinCo Adjustment.

 

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Spin-Off Transactions” shall mean the Contribution together with the Distribution, the Debt-for-Debt Exchange, any Subsequent Distribution and any Debt-for-Equity Exchange and the Irish Demerger.

Spin-Off Tax Liabilities” shall mean, with respect to any Taxing Jurisdiction, the sum of (a) any increase in Tax Liability (or reduction in a Refund) Actually Realized as a result of any corporate-level gain or income recognized with respect to the failure of the Spin-Off Transactions to qualify for Tax-Free Status under the Income Tax Laws of such Taxing Jurisdiction pursuant to any settlement, Final Determination, judgment, assessment, proposed adjustment or otherwise, (b) interest on such amounts calculated pursuant to such Taxing Jurisdiction’s laws regarding interest on Tax Liabilities at the highest Underpayment Rate for corporations in such Taxing Jurisdiction from the date such additional gain or income was recognized until full payment with respect thereto is made pursuant to Section 3 hereof (or in the case of a reduction in a Refund, the amount of interest that would have been received on the foregone portion of the Refund but for the failure of the Spin-Off Transactions to qualify for Tax-Free Status), and (c) any penalties actually paid to such Taxing Jurisdiction that would not have been paid but for the failure of the Spin-Off Transactions to qualify for Tax-Free Status in such Taxing Jurisdiction.

Straddle Period” shall mean any taxable year or other taxable period that begins on or before the Distribution Date and ends after the Distribution Date.

Tax Attribute” shall mean a consolidated, combined or unitary net operating loss, net capital loss, unused investment credit, unused foreign tax, or excess charitable contribution (as such terms are used in Treasury Regulation Sections 1.1502-79 and 1.1502-79A or comparable provisions of foreign, state or local tax law), or a minimum tax credit or general business credit.

Tax Authority” shall mean a governmental authority (foreign or domestic) or any subdivision, agency, commission or authority thereof or any quasi-governmental or private body having jurisdiction over the assessment, determination, collection or imposition of any Tax (including, without limitation, the IRS).

Tax Benefits” shall mean any (i) deductions, losses, or credits, or (ii) decreases in income, gains or recapture of Tax credits for the benefitting entity (or group of entities).

Tax Counsel” shall mean tax counsel of recognized national standing that is acceptable to Parent.

Tax” or “Taxes” shall mean Income Taxes and Other Taxes.

Tax-Free Status” shall mean the qualification of (i) the Contribution (and Parent’s receipt of the SpinCo Common Stock, the SpinCo Securities, and the SpinCo Cash Amount in connection therewith), the Distribution and any Subsequent Distribution, taken together, as a reorganization described in Sections 368(a)(1)(D) and 355(a) of the Code, with each of Parent and SpinCo being a party to the reorganization, in which no

 

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income or gain is recognized by Parent, SpinCo, or the holders of Parent common stock pursuant to Sections 355, 361, and 1032 of the Code, other than, in the case of Parent, (a) intercompany items or excess loss accounts taken into account pursuant to the Treasury Regulations promulgated pursuant to Section 1502 of the Code and (b) any amount of the Cash Payment that exceeds Parent’s tax basis in the SpinCo Shares immediately prior to the Cash Payment or that Parent does not distribute to its creditors or shareholders within 12 months, and (ii) each of the Debt-for-Debt Exchange and any Debt-for-Equity Exchange as a transfer of “qualified property” to creditors of Parent in connection with the reorganization within the meaning of Section 361(c) of the Code.

Taxing Jurisdiction” shall mean the United States and every other government or governmental unit having jurisdiction to tax Parent or SpinCo or any of their respective Affiliates.

Tax Liabilities” shall mean any liabilities for Taxes.

Tax Opinion” shall mean any tax opinion issued by Tax Counsel in connection with the Spin-Off Transactions.

Tax Opinion Documents” shall mean the Tax Opinion, the KPMG Tax Opinion, and the information and representations provided by, or on behalf of, Parent or SpinCo to Tax Counsel or KPMG in connection therewith.

Tax-Related Losses” shall mean:

(a) the Aggregate Spin-Off Tax Liabilities,

(b) all accounting, legal and other professional fees, and court costs incurred in connection with any settlement, Final Determination, judgment or other determination with respect to such Aggregate Spin-Off Tax Liabilities, and

(c) all costs, expenses and damages associated with stockholder litigation or controversies and any amount paid by Parent or SpinCo in respect of the liability of shareholders, whether paid to shareholders or to the IRS or any other Tax Authority payable by Parent or SpinCo or their respective Affiliates, in each case, resulting from the failure of the Spin-Off Transactions to qualify for Tax-Free Status.

Tax Returns” shall mean Income Tax Returns and Other Tax Returns.

Underpayment Rate” shall mean the annual rate of interest described in Section 6621(c) of the Code for large corporate underpayments of Income Tax (or similar provision of state, local, or foreign Income Tax law, as applicable), as determined from time to time.

Unqualified Tax Opinion” shall mean an unqualified opinion of Tax Counsel on which Parent may rely to the effect that a transaction will not disqualify any of the Spin-Off Transactions from having Tax-Free Status, assuming that the Spin-Off Transactions would have qualified for Tax-Free Status if such transaction did not occur; provided, that

 

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any tax opinion obtained in connection with a proposed acquisition of Equity Securities of SpinCo (or any entity treated as a successor to SpinCo) entered into during the Restriction Period shall not qualify as an Unqualified Tax Opinion unless such tax opinion 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.

2. Tax Returns; Payment of Taxes; Tax Elections.

(a) Filing of Tax Returns; Payment of Taxes.

(i) Parent Consolidated Returns; Other Combined Returns. Parent shall prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed (A) all consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Returns of the Parent Consolidated Group and (B) all other Combined Returns. Except as provided in Section 2(a)(ii), Section 2(a)(iii) or Section 2(a)(vii), Parent shall pay, or cause to be paid, and shall be responsible for, any and all Taxes due or required to be paid with respect to or required to be reported on any such Tax Return; provided, however, that any Tax Liabilities incurred pursuant to the separation of certain members of the SpinCo Group and/or certain members of the Parent Group from groups of companies that file a Combined Return in respect of Foreign Taxes pursuant to the laws of Canada, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, and the Netherlands shall be allocated to fifty percent (50%) to SpinCo and fifty percent (50%) to Parent.

(ii) SpinCo Adjustments. SpinCo shall pay, or cause to be paid, and shall be responsible for, any SpinCo Tax Liabilities and shall be entitled to all SpinCo Tax Benefits.

(iii) Post-Distribution Combined Returns. In the event that any Combined Return is required to be filed pursuant to applicable law in any Taxing Jurisdiction for any Straddle Period or Post-Distribution Taxable Period, Parent shall pay, or cause to be paid, and shall be responsible for, any and all Taxes due or required to be paid with respect to or required to be reported on any such Tax Return that are Parent Combined Return Taxes and SpinCo shall pay, or cause to be paid, and shall be responsible for, any and all Taxes due or required to be paid with respect to or required to be reported on any such Tax Return that are SpinCo Combined Return Taxes.

(iv) Parent Separate Returns. Parent shall prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed all Parent Separate Returns. Parent shall pay, or cause to be paid, and shall be responsible for, any and all Taxes due or required to be paid with respect to or required to be reported on any Parent Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax Liabilities attributable to a Final Determination).

(v) SpinCo Separate Returns. SpinCo shall prepare and file or cause to be prepared and filed all SpinCo Separate Returns. SpinCo shall pay, or cause to be paid, and shall be responsible for, any and all Taxes due or required to be paid with respect to or required to be reported on any SpinCo Separate Return (including any increase in such Tax Liabilities attributable to a Final Determination).

 

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(vi) Straddle Period Taxes. For purposes of this Section 2, in the case of any Straddle Period, (i) Taxes and exemptions, allowances or deductions that are calculated on an annualized basis shall be apportioned between the Pre-Distribution Taxable Period and the Post-Distribution Taxable Period on a daily pro rata basis and (ii) all other Taxes shall be apportioned between the Pre-Distribution Taxable Period and the Post-Distribution Taxable Period on a closing of the books basis as of the close of business on the Distribution Date.

(vii) Special Allocation Rules.

(1) Section 965 Taxes. Any installment payments required to be made pursuant to the election made by a member of the Parent Group or a member of the SpinCo Group (that was a member of the Parent Group prior to the Distribution Date) under Section 965(h) of the Code, and any adjustments thereto, shall be allocated to Parent.

(2) Subpart F Income and GILTI. Solely for purposes of allocating under this Section 2 any Income Taxes resulting from any inclusion in income (an “Inclusion”) of Subpart F or global intangible low-taxed income of a controlled foreign corporation (a “CFC”) under Section 951 or 951A of the Code, or any similar state, local or foreign law (“Subpart F Income”), the defined term “SpinCo Tax Liability” shall additionally mean (i) all Income Taxes attributable to an Inclusion during the taxable period at issue of Subpart F Income of a CFC engaged solely in the SpinCo Business, (ii) in the case of an Inclusion during the taxable period at issue of Subpart F Income of a CFC engaged in the SpinCo Business during the taxable period at issue, all Subpart F Income properly allocable to the SpinCo Business of the CFC to the extent distinguishable with reasonable accuracy, or (iii) to the extent not so distinguishable, the portion of the Inclusion equal to the ratio of revenue of such CFC attributable to the SpinCo Business over the total revenue of such CFC.

(3) Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax. For purposes of allocating under this Section 2 any Taxes imposed under Section 59A of the Code which are or become payable as a result of “base erosion payments” paid or accrued by any member of the Parent Group or any member of the SpinCo Group to a foreign Person which is “related” (within the meaning of Section 59A(d) of the Code) to such member of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group, as applicable, which amount shall be calculated for a given taxable year by comparing (x) the amount of Taxes imposed on the Parent Group under Section 59A of the Code for such taxable year, and (y) the amount of Taxes imposed on the SpinCo Group under Section 59A of the Code for such taxable year, in each case as determined by Parent.

(b) Preparation of Tax Returns.

(i) Parent (or its designee) shall determine the entities to be included in any Combined Return and make or revoke any Tax elections, adopt or change any Tax accounting methods, and determine any other position taken on or in respect of any Tax Return required to be prepared and filed by Parent pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or Section 2(a)(iii). Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, any Tax Return filed by Parent pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or Section 2(a)(iii) shall, to the extent relating to SpinCo or the SpinCo Group, be prepared in good faith. For the avoidance of doubt, with respect to the consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Return of the Parent Consolidated Group for any taxable year that includes the

 

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Distribution, Parent shall determine in its sole discretion whether to elect ratable allocation under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-76. SpinCo shall, and shall cause each member of the SpinCo Group to, take all actions necessary to give effect to such election. SpinCo shall, and shall cause each member of the SpinCo Group to, prepare and submit at Parent’s request (but in no event later than ninety (90) days after such request), at SpinCo’s expense, all information that Parent shall reasonably request, in such form as Parent shall reasonably request, including any such information requested to enable Parent to prepare any Tax Return required to be filed by Parent pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or Section 2(a)(iii). Parent shall make any such Tax Return and related workpapers available for review by SpinCo to the extent such Tax Return relates to Taxes for which SpinCo would reasonably be expected to be liable or with respect to which SpinCo would reasonably be expected to have a claim. If practicable, Parent shall make any such Tax Return available for review sufficiently in advance of the due date for filing such Tax Return to provide SpinCo an opportunity to analyze and comment on such return. Parent and SpinCo shall attempt in good faith to resolve any issues arising out of the review of any such Tax Return.

(ii) Except as required by applicable law or as a result of a Final Determination, neither Parent nor SpinCo shall (nor shall cause or permit any members of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group, respectively, to) take any position that is either inconsistent with the treatment of the Spin-Off Transactions as having Tax-Free Status (or analogous status under state, local or foreign law) or, with respect to a specific item of income, deduction, gain, loss, or credit on any Tax Return, treat such specific item in a manner which is inconsistent with the manner such specific item is reported on a Tax Return prepared or filed by Parent pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof (including, without limitation, the claiming of a deduction previously claimed on any such Tax Return).

(c) Section 336(e) Election. Parent and SpinCo agree that one or more protective elections under Section 336(e) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and under any comparable provisions of state, local or foreign law (each, a “Section 336(e) Election”) may be made with respect to the Distribution and/or any Subsequent Distribution. SpinCo shall (and shall cause any relevant member of the SpinCo Group to) join with Parent and/or any relevant member of the Parent Group, as applicable, in the making of any such election and shall take any action reasonably requested by Parent or that is otherwise necessary to give effect to any such election (including making any other related election). If a Section 336(e) Election is made with respect to the Distribution and/or any Subsequent 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(s).

3. Indemnity for Taxes.

(a) Indemnification by Parent. From and after the Distribution Date, except as otherwise provided in Section 3(b), Parent and each member of the Parent Group shall jointly and severally indemnify, defend and hold harmless SpinCo and each member of the SpinCo Group and each of their respective Representatives and Affiliates (and the heirs, executors, successors and assigns of any of them) from and against, without duplication, (i) all Spin-Off Tax Liabilities and Tax-Related Losses, (ii) all Tax Liabilities that any member of the Parent Group is responsible for pursuant to Section 2, and (iii) all Tax

 

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Liabilities incurred by any member of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group by reason of the breach by Parent or any member of the Parent Group of any of Parent’s representations or covenants hereunder or made in connection with the Private Letter Ruling, the Tax Opinion, or the KPMG Tax Opinion and, in each case, any related costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses); provided, however, that neither Parent nor any member of the Parent Group shall have any obligation to indemnify, defend or hold harmless any Person pursuant to this Section 3(a) to the extent that such indemnification obligation is otherwise attributable to any breach by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group of any of SpinCo’s representations or covenants hereunder (including any representations made in connection with the Private Letter Ruling or, Tax Opinion, or the KPMG Tax Opinion).

(b) Indemnification by SpinCo. From and after the Distribution Date, SpinCo and each member of the SpinCo Group shall jointly and severally indemnify, defend and hold harmless Parent and each member of the Parent Group and each of their respective Representatives and Affiliates (and the heirs, executors, successors and assigns of any of them) from and against, without duplication, (i) all Tax Liabilities (including, all SpinCo Tax Liabilities), Spin-Off Tax Liabilities and Tax-Related Losses that SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group is responsible for under Section 2 or Section 4 (including, without limitation, any Tax Liabilities, Spin-Off Tax Liabilities or Tax-Related Losses arising with respect to a Permitted Transaction for which SpinCo is liable pursuant to Section 4(e)(i)) and (ii) all Tax Liabilities, Spin-Off Tax Liabilities and Tax-Related Losses incurred by any member of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group by reason of the breach by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group of any of SpinCo’s representations or covenants hereunder (including any representations made in connection with the Private Letter Ruling, the Tax Opinion, or the KPMG Tax Opinion (irrespective of whether Parent made the same representation on behalf of, or with respect to SpinCo)) and, in each case, any related costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses).

(c) Timing of Indemnification. Any payment and indemnification made pursuant to this Section 3 shall be made by the Indemnifying Party promptly, but, in any event, no later than:

(i) in the case of an indemnification obligation with respect to any Tax Liabilities (including any SpinCo Tax Liabilities and any Spin-Off Tax Liabilities), the later of (A) five (5) Business Days after the Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party and (B) five (5) Business Days prior to the date the Indemnified Party is required to make a payment of Taxes, interest, or penalties to the applicable Tax Authority (including a payment with respect to an assessment of a Tax deficiency by any Taxing Jurisdiction or a payment made in settlement of an asserted Tax deficiency) or realizes a reduced Refund; and

(ii) in the case of any payment or indemnification of any Losses not otherwise described in clause (i) of this Section 3(c) (including, but not limited to, any Losses described in clause (b) or (c) of the definition of Tax-Related Losses, attorneys’ fees and expenses, and other indemnifiable Losses), the later of (A) five (5) Business Days after the Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party and (B) five (5) Business Days prior to the date the Indemnified Party makes a payment thereof.

 

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4. Distribution Related Matters.

(a) Representations.

(i) Private Letter Ruling and Tax Opinion Documents. SpinCo hereby represents and warrants that (A) it has examined the Private Letter Ruling Documents and the Tax Opinion Documents (including, without limitation, the representations to the extent that they relate to the plans, proposals, intentions, and policies of SpinCo, its Subsidiaries, the SpinCo Business, or the SpinCo Group) and (B) to the extent in reference to SpinCo, its Subsidiaries, the SpinCo Business, or the SpinCo Group, the facts presented and the representations made therein are true, correct and complete.

(ii) Tax-Free Status. SpinCo hereby represents and warrants that it has no plan or intention of taking any action, or failing to take any action or knows of any circumstance, that could reasonably be expected to (A) cause the Spin-Off Transactions not to have Tax-Free Status or (B) cause any representation or factual statement made in this Agreement, the Separation Agreement, the Private Letter Ruling Documents, the Tax Opinion Documents or any of the Ancillary Agreements to be untrue.

(b) Covenants.

(i) Actions Consistent with Representations and Covenants. Neither Parent nor SpinCo shall take any action or permit any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, respectively, to take any action, or shall fail to take any action or permit any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, respectively, to 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 Agreement, the Private Letter Ruling Documents, the Tax Opinion Documents or any of the Ancillary Agreements.

(ii) Preservation of Tax-Free Status; SpinCo Business. SpinCo shall not (A) take any action (including, but not limited to, any cessation, transfer or disposition of all or any portion of any SpinCo Business, payment of extraordinary dividends and acquisitions or issuances of stock) or permit any member of the SpinCo Group to take any such action, and SpinCo shall not fail to take any such action or permit any member of the SpinCo Group to fail to take any such action, in each case, unless such action or failure to act could not reasonably be expected to cause the Spin-Off Transactions to fail to have Tax-Free Status or could not require Parent or SpinCo to reflect a liability or reserve for Taxes with respect to the Spin-Off Transactions in its financial statements, and (B) until the first day after the Restriction Period, engage in any transaction (including, without limitation, any cessation, transfer or disposition of all or any portion of any SpinCo Business) that could reasonably be expected to result in it or any member of the SpinCo Group ceasing to be a company engaged in any SpinCo Business.

(iii) Sales, Issuances and Redemptions of Equity Securities. Until the first day after the Restriction Period, none of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group shall, or shall agree to, sell or otherwise issue to any Person, or redeem or otherwise acquire from any Person, any Equity Securities of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group; provided, however, that (A) the adoption by SpinCo of a shareholder rights plan shall not constitute a sale

 

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or issuance of such Equity Securities, (B) SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group may repurchase such Equity Securities to the extent that such repurchases meet the requirements of Section 4.05(1)(b) of Revenue Procedure 96-30, (C) SpinCo may issue such Equity Securities to the extent such issuances satisfy Safe Harbor VIII (relating to acquisitions in connection with a person’s performance of services) of Treasury Regulation Section 1.355-7(d) or Safe Harbor IX (relating to acquisitions by a retirement plan of an employer) of Treasury Regulation Section 1.355-7(d), and (D) members of the SpinCo Group other than SpinCo may issue or sell Equity Securities to other members of the SpinCo Group, and may redeem or purchase Equity Securities from other members of the SpinCo group, in each case, to the extent not inconsistent with the Tax-Free Status of the Spin-Off Transactions.

(iv) Tender Offers; Other Business Combination Transactions. Until the first day after the Restriction Period, none of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group shall (A) solicit any Person to make a tender offer for, or otherwise acquire or sell, the Equity Securities of SpinCo, (B) participate in or support any unsolicited tender offer for, or other acquisition, issuance or disposition of, the Equity Securities of SpinCo or (C) approve or otherwise permit any proposed business combination or any transaction which, in the case of clauses (A), (B) or (C), individually or in the aggregate, together with any transaction occurring within the four-year period beginning on the date which is two years before the Distribution Date and any other transaction which is part of a plan or series of related transactions (within the meaning of Section 355(e) of the Code) that includes the Distribution, could result in one or more Persons acquiring (except for acquisitions that otherwise satisfy Safe Harbor VIII of Treasury Regulation Section 1.355-7(d) (relating to acquisitions in connection with a person’s performance of services) or Safe Harbor IX of Treasury Regulation Section 1.355-7(d) (relating to acquisitions by a retirement plan of an employer)) directly or indirectly stock representing a 10% or greater interest, by vote or value, in SpinCo (or any successor thereto). In addition, none of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group shall at any time, whether before or subsequent to the expiration of the Restriction Period, engage in any action described in clauses (A), (B), or (C) of the preceding sentence if it is pursuant to an arrangement negotiated (in whole or in part) prior to the first anniversary of the Distribution, even if at the time of the Distribution or thereafter such action is subject to various conditions.

(v) Dispositions of Assets. Until the first day after the Restriction Period, none of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group shall sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of or agree to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of assets (including, for such purpose, any shares of capital stock of a Subsidiary and any transaction treated for tax purposes as a sale, transfer or disposition) that, in the aggregate, constitute more than 30% of the consolidated gross assets of SpinCo or the SpinCo Group. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) sales, transfers, or dispositions of assets in the ordinary course of business, (B) any cash paid to acquire assets from an unrelated Person in an arm’s-length transaction, (C) any assets transferred to a Person that is disregarded as an entity separate from the transferor for U.S. federal Income Tax purposes or (D) any mandatory or optional repayment (or pre-payment) of any indebtedness of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group. The percentages of gross assets or consolidated gross assets of SpinCo or the SpinCo Group, as the case may be, sold, transferred, or otherwise disposed of, shall be based on the fair market value of the gross assets of SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group as of the Distribution Date. For purposes of this Section 4(b)(v), a merger of SpinCo or one of its Subsidiaries with and into any Person shall constitute a disposition of all of the assets of SpinCo or such Subsidiary.

 

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(vi) Liquidations, Mergers, Reorganizations. Until the first day after the Restriction Period, neither SpinCo nor any of its Subsidiaries shall, or shall agree to, voluntarily dissolve or liquidate (including by converting into an entity that is treated as a “disregarded entity” or partnership for U.S. federal Income Tax purposes) or engage in any transaction involving a merger (except for a Cash Acquisition Merger), consolidation or other reorganization; provided, that, mergers of direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiaries of SpinCo solely with and into SpinCo or with other direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiaries of SpinCo, and liquidations of SpinCo’s subsidiaries are not subject to this Section 4(b)(vi) to the extent not inconsistent with the Tax-Free Status of the Spin-Off Transactions.

(vii) Spinco Securities. Neither SpinCo nor any of its Subsidiaries shall take any action with respect to the SpinCo Securities that might result in their failing to qualify as “securities” of SpinCo, within the meaning of Section 361 of the Code.

(c) Permitted Transactions.

Notwithstanding the restrictions otherwise imposed by Sections 4(b)(iii) through 4(b)(vi), during the Restriction Period, SpinCo may (i) issue, sell, redeem or otherwise acquire (or cause a member of the SpinCo Group to issue, sell, redeem or otherwise acquire) Equity Securities of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group in a transaction that would otherwise breach the covenant set forth in Section 4(b)(iii), (ii) approve, participate in, support or otherwise permit a proposed business combination or transaction that would otherwise breach the covenant set forth in Section 4(b) (iv), (iii) sell or otherwise dispose of the assets of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group in a transaction that would otherwise breach the covenant set forth in Section 4(b)(v), or (iv) merge SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group with another entity without regard to which party is the surviving entity in a transaction that would otherwise breach the covenant set forth in Section 4(b)(vi), if and only if such transaction would not violate Section 4(b)(i) or Section 4(b)(ii) and prior to entering into any agreement contemplating a transaction described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv), and prior to consummating any such transaction, SpinCo shall request that Parent obtain a private letter ruling (or, if applicable, a supplemental private letter ruling) from the IRS and/or any other applicable Tax Authority in accordance with Section 4(d)(ii) of this Agreement to the effect that such transaction will not affect the Tax-Free Status of the Spin-Off Transactions and Parent shall have received such private letter ruling, in form and substance satisfactory to Parent in its sole and absolute discretion, exercised in good faith; provided, that to the extent (A) such private letter ruling cannot be obtained from the IRS under Rev. Proc. 2021-3, 2021-1 I.R.B. 140 (as amended from time to time) (or from any other applicable Tax Authority under any analogous procedure of such Tax Authority) or (B) Parent determines in its sole and absolute discretion not to seek to obtain such private letter ruling, in lieu of such private letter ruling (1) SpinCo shall obtain Parent’s written consent (which may be withheld at Parent’s sole discretion) or (2) SpinCo shall provide Parent with an Unqualified Tax Opinion, in form and substance satisfactory to Parent in its sole and absolute discretion, exercised in good faith (and in determining whether an opinion is satisfactory, Parent may consider, among other factors, the appropriateness of any underlying assumptions and management’s representations if used as a basis for the opinion).

 

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(d) Private Letter Rulings and Restrictions on SpinCo.

(i) Private Letter Ruling at Parent’s Request. Parent shall have the right to obtain a private letter ruling from the IRS and/or any other applicable Tax Authority (or, if applicable, a supplemental private letter ruling) in its sole discretion, exercised in good faith. If Parent determines to obtain any such private letter ruling, SpinCo shall (and shall cause each member of the SpinCo Group to) cooperate with Parent and take any and all actions reasonably requested by Parent in connection with obtaining such private letter ruling (including, without limitation, by making any representation or covenant or providing any materials or information requested by any Tax Authority; provided, that SpinCo shall not be required to make (or cause any member of the SpinCo Group to make) any representation or covenant that is inconsistent with historical facts or as to future matters or events over which it has no control). In connection with obtaining a private letter ruling pursuant to this Section 4(d)(i), (A) Parent shall, to the extent practicable, consult with SpinCo reasonably in advance of taking any material action in connection therewith; (B) Parent shall (1) reasonably in advance of the submission of any documents relating to such private letter ruling, provide SpinCo with a draft copy thereof, (2) reasonably consider SpinCo’s comments on such draft copy, and (3) provide SpinCo with a final copy; and (C) Parent shall provide SpinCo with notice reasonably in advance of, and SpinCo shall have the right to attend and participate in, any formally scheduled meetings with any Tax Authority (subject to the approval of the Tax Authority) that relate to such private letter ruling.

(ii) Private Letter Rulings at SpinCo’s Request. Parent agrees that at the reasonable request of SpinCo pursuant to Section 4(c), Parent shall (and shall cause each member of the Parent Group to) cooperate with SpinCo and use its reasonable best efforts to seek to obtain, as expeditiously as possible, a private letter ruling from the IRS and/or any other applicable Tax Authority (or, if applicable, a supplemental private letter ruling) for the purpose of confirming compliance on the part of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group with its obligations under Section 4(b) of this Agreement; provided, however, that in no event shall Parent be required to file any request for a private letter ruling under this Section 4(d)(ii) unless SpinCo represents that (A) it has read the request for such private letter ruling and any materials, appendices and exhibits submitted or filed therewith, and (B) all information and representations, if any, relating to any member of the SpinCo Group, contained in the related private letter ruling documents are true, correct and complete in all material respects. SpinCo shall reimburse Parent for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Parent Group in obtaining a private letter ruling requested by SpinCo within ten (10) Business Days after receiving an invoice from Parent therefor. SpinCo hereby agrees that Parent shall have sole and exclusive control over the process of obtaining any private letter ruling, and that only Parent shall apply for any private letter ruling. In connection with obtaining a private letter ruling pursuant to this Section 4(d)(ii), (A) Parent shall, to the extent practicable, consult with SpinCo reasonably in advance of taking any material action in connection therewith; (B) Parent shall (1) reasonably in advance of the submission of any related private letter ruling documents, provide SpinCo with a draft copy thereof, (2) reasonably consider SpinCo’s comments on such draft copy, and (3) provide SpinCo with a final copy; and (C) Parent shall provide SpinCo with notice reasonably in advance of, and SpinCo shall have the right to attend and participate in, any formally scheduled meetings with any Tax Authority (subject to the approval of the Tax Authority) that relate to such private letter ruling.

 

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(iii) Prohibition on SpinCo. SpinCo hereby agrees that, except to the extent permitted by Section 4(d)(ii), neither it nor any member of the SpinCo Group shall seek any guidance from the IRS or any other Tax Authority (whether written, verbal or otherwise) concerning the Spin-Off Transactions (or the impact of any transaction on the Spin-Off Transactions).

(e) Liability of SpinCo for Undertaking Certain Actions. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, SpinCo and each member of the SpinCo Group shall be responsible for any and all Tax-Related Losses that are attributable to, or result from:

(i) any act or failure to act by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group, which action or failure to act breaches any of the covenants described in Section 4(b)(i) through 4(b)(vi) of this Agreement (determined without regard to the exceptions or provisos set forth in such provisions or in Section 4(c), so that SpinCo and each member of the SpinCo Group shall be responsible for any and all Tax-Related Losses even if such Tax-Related Losses are attributable to or result from any act or failure to act pursuant to an exception or proviso described in Section 4(b)(i) through 4(b)(vi) or in Section 4(c)), expressly including, for this purpose, any Permitted Transaction and any act or failure to act that breaches Section 4(b)(i) or 4(b)(ii), regardless of whether such act or failure to act is permitted by Section 4(b)(iii) through 4(b)(vi);

(ii) any acquisition of Equity Securities of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group by any Person or Persons (including, without limitation, as a result of an issuance of SpinCo Equity Securities or a merger of another entity with and into SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group) or any acquisition of assets of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group (including, without limitation, as a result of a merger) by any Person or Persons; and

(iii) any breach by SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group of a representation or covenant made in this Agreement, the Separation Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements, any Private Letter Ruling Documents, or any Tax Opinion Documents.

(f) Cooperation.

(i) Without limiting the prohibition set forth in Section 4(d)(iii), until the first day after the Restriction Period, SpinCo shall furnish Parent with a copy of any private letter ruling request that any member of the SpinCo Group may file with the IRS or any other Tax Authority and any opinion received that in any respect relates to, or otherwise reasonably could be expected to have any effect on, the Tax-Free Status of the Spin-Off Transactions.

(ii) Parent shall reasonably cooperate with SpinCo in connection with any request by SpinCo for an Unqualified Tax Opinion pursuant to Section 4(c).

(iii) Until the first day after the Restriction Period, SpinCo will provide adequate advance notice to Parent in accordance with the terms of Section 4(f)(iv) of any action described in Sections 4(b)(i) through 4(b)(vi) within a period of time sufficient to enable Parent to seek injunctive relief pursuant to Section 4(g) in a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

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(iv) Each notice required by Section 4(f)(iii) shall set forth the terms and conditions of any such proposed transaction, including, without limitation, (A) the nature of any related action proposed to be taken by the board of directors of SpinCo, (B) the approximate number of Equity Securities (and their voting and economic rights) of SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group (if any) proposed to be sold or otherwise issued, (C) the approximate value of SpinCo’s assets (or assets of any member of the SpinCo Group) proposed to be transferred, and (D) the proposed timetable for such transaction, all with sufficient particularity to enable Parent to seek such injunctive relief. Promptly, but in any event within thirty (30) days, after Parent receives such written notice from SpinCo, Parent shall notify SpinCo in writing of Parent’s decision to seek injunctive relief pursuant to Section 4(g).

(v) From and after the Distribution Date until the first day after the Restriction Period, neither SpinCo nor any member of the SpinCo Group shall take (or refrain from taking) any action to the extent that such action or inaction would have caused a representation given by or with respect to SpinCo in connection with the Private Letter Ruling, the Tax Opinion, and/or the KPMG Tax Opinion to have been untrue as of the relevant representation date, had SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group intended to take (or refrain from taking) such action on the relevant representation date.

(g) Enforcement. The parties hereto acknowledge that irreparable harm would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Section 4 were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. The parties hereto agree that, in order to preserve the Tax-Free Status of the Spin-Off Transactions, injunctive relief is appropriate to prevent any violation of the foregoing covenants; provided, however, that injunctive relief shall not be the exclusive legal or equitable remedy for any such violation.

5. Refunds. Parent shall be entitled to all Refunds in respect of Taxes paid with respect to any Tax Return for which Parent or any member of the Parent Group is responsible pursuant to Section 2, except to the extent such Refunds are solely attributable to SpinCo Tax Benefits. SpinCo shall be entitled to all Refunds in respect of Taxes paid with respect to any Tax Return for which SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group is responsible pursuant to Section 2 or which are solely attributable to SpinCo Tax Benefits. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event a party obtains a Refund of Taxes for which it was indemnified by another party, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to such Refund. For the absence of doubt, a party entitled to a Refund pursuant to this Section 5 shall also be entitled to (and the party receiving such Refund shall pay over to such other party) any interest thereon received from the applicable Tax Authority, or, in the case of any Combined Return, the amount of any interest thereon that would have been received from such Tax Authority had such Refund related to a hypothetical Tax Return that did not include the other party or any member of such other party’s group but with all other facts unchanged. A party receiving a Refund to which another party is entitled pursuant to this Section 5 shall pay the amount to which such other party is entitled (including interest in accordance with the preceding sentence) within fifteen (15) Business Days after such Refund is Actually Realized. Each of Parent and SpinCo shall cooperate with the other party in connection with any claim for Refund in respect of any Tax for which any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, as the case may be, is responsible pursuant to Section 2.

 

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6. Tax Contests.

(a) Notification. Each of Parent and SpinCo shall notify the other party in writing of any communication with respect to any pending or threatened Proceeding in connection with any Tax Liability (or any issue related thereto) of Parent or any member of the Parent Group, or SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group, respectively, for which a member of the SpinCo Group or the Parent Group, respectively, may be responsible pursuant to this Agreement within ten (10) Business Days of receipt; provided, however, that in the case of any Distribution-Related Proceeding (whether or not SpinCo or Parent may be responsible thereunder), such notice shall be provided no later than ten (10) Business Days after Parent or SpinCo, as the case may be, first receives written notice from the IRS or other Tax Authority of such Distribution-Related Proceeding. Each of Parent and SpinCo shall include with such notification a true, correct and complete copy of any written communication, and an accurate and complete written summary of any oral communication, received by Parent or a member of the Parent Group, or SpinCo or a member of the SpinCo Group, respectively. The failure of Parent or SpinCo timely to forward such notification in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence shall not relieve SpinCo or Parent, respectively, of any obligation to pay such Tax Liability or indemnify Parent and the members of the Parent Group, or SpinCo and the members of the SpinCo Group, respectively, and their respective Representatives, Affiliates, successors and assigns therefor, except to the extent that the failure timely to forward such notification actually prejudices the ability of SpinCo or Parent to contest such Tax Liability or increases the amount of such Tax Liability.

(b) Representation with Respect to Tax Disputes. Parent (or such member of the Parent Group as Parent shall designate) shall have the sole right to represent the interests of the members of the Parent Group and the members of the SpinCo Group and to employ counsel of its choice at its expense in any Proceeding (including any Distribution-Related Proceeding) relating to (i) any consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax Returns of the Parent Consolidated Group, (ii) any other Combined Returns and (iii) any Parent Separate Returns. SpinCo (or such member of the SpinCo Group as SpinCo shall designate) shall have the sole right to represent the interests of the members of the SpinCo Group and to employ counsel of its choice at its expense in any Proceeding relating to SpinCo Separate Returns.

(c) Power of Attorney. Each member of the SpinCo Group shall execute and deliver to Parent (or such member of the Parent Group as Parent shall designate) any power of attorney or other document requested by Parent (or such designee) in connection with any Proceeding described in the first sentence of Section 6(b).

(d) Distribution-Related Proceedings, Proceedings with Respect to SpinCo Tax Liabilities.

(i) In the event of any Distribution-Related Proceeding or Proceeding relating to a SpinCo Tax Liability as a result of which SpinCo could reasonably be expected to become liable for Tax or any Tax-Related Losses and with respect to which Parent has the right to represent the interests of the members of the Parent Group and/or the members of the SpinCo Group pursuant to Section 6(b) above, (A) Parent shall consult with SpinCo reasonably in advance of taking any significant action in connection with such Proceeding, (B) 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 Proceeding, (C) Parent shall

 

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defend such Proceeding diligently and in good faith as if it were the only party in interest in connection with such Proceeding, and (D) Parent shall provide SpinCo copies of any written materials relating to such Proceeding received from the relevant Tax Authority. Notwithstanding anything in the preceding sentence to the contrary, the final determination of the positions taken, including with respect to settlement or other disposition, in (i) any Distribution-Related Proceeding, or (ii) any other Proceeding relating to a SpinCo Tax Liability, which other Proceeding would not reasonably be expected to result in a liability for additional Taxes in an amount exceeding five (5) million dollars for a single Tax year, shall be made in the sole discretion of Parent and shall be final and not subject to the dispute resolution provisions of Section 9 (and Article VII of the Separation Agreement). With respect to any Proceeding relating to a SpinCo Tax Liability (other than any Distribution-Related Proceeding), which could reasonably be expected to result in a liability for additional Taxes in an amount exceeding five (5) million dollars for a single Tax year, SpinCo shall be entitled to participate in such Proceeding, and Parent shall not settle, compromise or abandon any such Proceeding without obtaining the prior written consent of SpinCo, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

(ii) In the event of any Distribution-Related Proceeding with respect to any SpinCo Separate Return, (A) SpinCo shall consult with Parent reasonably in advance of taking any significant action in connection with such Proceeding, (B) 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 Proceeding, (C) SpinCo shall defend such Proceeding diligently and in good faith as if it were the only party in interest in connection with such Proceeding, (D) Parent shall be entitled to participate in such Proceeding and receive copies of any written materials relating to such Proceeding received from the relevant Tax Authority, and (E) SpinCo shall not settle, compromise or abandon any such Proceeding without obtaining the prior written consent of Parent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

7. Apportionment of Tax Attributes; Carrybacks.

(a) Apportionment of Tax Attributes.

(i) If the Parent Consolidated Group has a Tax Attribute, the portion, if any, of such Tax Attribute apportioned to SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Consolidated Group and treated as a carryover to the first Post-Distribution Taxable Period of SpinCo (or such member) shall be determined by Parent in accordance with Treasury Regulation Sections 1.1502-21, 1.1502-21T, 1.1502-22, 1.1502-79 and, if applicable, 1.1502-79A.

(ii) No Tax Attribute with respect to consolidated U.S. federal Income Tax of the Parent Consolidated Group, other than those described in Section 7(a)(i), and no Tax Attribute with respect to consolidated, combined or unitary state, local, or foreign Income Tax, in each case, arising in respect of a Combined Return shall be apportioned to SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group, except as Parent (or such member of the Parent Group as Parent shall designate) determines is otherwise required under applicable law.

 

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(iii) Parent (or its designee) shall determine the portion, if any, of any Tax Attribute which must (absent a Final Determination to the contrary) be apportioned to SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group in accordance with this Section 7(a) and applicable law, and the amount of tax basis and earnings and profits to be apportioned to SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group in accordance with applicable law, and shall provide written notice of the calculation thereof to SpinCo as soon as practicable after the information necessary to make such calculation becomes available to Parent.

(iv) The written notice delivered by Parent pursuant to Section 7(a)(iii) shall be binding on all members of the SpinCo Group and shall not be subject to dispute resolution. Except as otherwise required by applicable law or pursuant to a Final Determination, SpinCo shall not take any position (whether on a Tax Return or otherwise) that is inconsistent with the information contained in the written notice delivered by Parent pursuant to Section 7(a)(iii).

(b) Carrybacks. Except to the extent otherwise consented to by Parent or prohibited by applicable law, SpinCo shall elect to relinquish, waive or otherwise forgo all Carrybacks. In the event that SpinCo (or the appropriate member of the SpinCo Group) is prohibited by applicable law to relinquish, waive or otherwise forgo a Carryback (or Parent consents to a Carryback), (i) Parent shall cooperate with SpinCo, at SpinCo’s expense, in seeking from the appropriate Tax Authority such Refund as reasonably would result from such Carryback, and (ii) SpinCo shall be entitled to any Income Tax Benefit Actually Realized by a member of the Parent Group (including any interest thereon received from such Tax Authority), to the extent that such Refund is directly attributable to such Carryback, within fifteen (15) Business Days after such Refund is Actually Realized; 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 (but not limited to) 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 (x) such Tax attributes expire unutilized, but would have been utilized but for such Carryback, or (y) the use of such Tax attributes is postponed to a later taxable period than the taxable period in which such Tax attributes would have been utilized but for such Carryback. If there is a Final Determination that results in any change to or adjustment of an Income Tax Benefit Actually Realized by a member of the Parent Group that is directly attributable to a Carryback, then Parent (or its designee) shall make a payment to SpinCo, or SpinCo shall make a payment to Parent (or its designee), as may be necessary to adjust the payments between SpinCo and Parent (or its designee) to reflect the payments that would have been made under this Section 7(b) had the adjusted amount of such Income Tax Benefit been taken into account in computing the payments due under this Section 7 (b).

8. Cooperation and Exchange of Information.

(a) Cooperation and Exchange of Information. Each of Parent and SpinCo, on behalf of itself and each member of the Parent Group and the SpinCo Group, respectively, agrees to provide the other party (or its designee) with such cooperation or information as such other party (or its designee) reasonably shall request in connection with the determination of any payment or any calculations described in this Agreement, the preparation or filing of any Tax Return or claim for Refund, or the conduct of any Proceeding. Such cooperation and information shall include, without limitation, upon reasonable notice (i) promptly forwarding copies of appropriate notices and forms or other communications (including, without limitation,

 

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information document requests, revenue agent’s reports and similar reports, notices of proposed adjustments and notices of deficiency) received from or sent to any Tax Authority or any other administrative, judicial or governmental authority, (ii) providing copies of all relevant Tax Returns, together with accompanying schedules and related workpapers, documents relating to rulings or other determinations by any Tax Authority, and such other records concerning the ownership and tax basis of property, or other relevant information, (iii) the provision of such additional information and explanations of documents and information provided under this Agreement (including statements, certificates, forms, returns and schedules delivered by either party) as shall be reasonably requested by Parent (or its designee) or SpinCo (or its designee), as the case may be, (iv) the execution of any document that may be necessary or reasonably helpful in connection with the filing of any Tax Return, a claim for a Refund, or in connection with any Proceeding, including such waivers, consents or powers of attorney as may be necessary for Parent or SpinCo, as the case may be, to exercise its rights under this Agreement, and (v) the use of Parent’s or SpinCo’s, as the case may be, reasonable efforts to obtain any documentation from a governmental authority or a third party that may be necessary or reasonably helpful in connection with any of the foregoing. It is expressly the intention of the parties to this Agreement to take all actions that shall be necessary to establish Parent as the sole agent for Tax purposes of each member of the SpinCo Group with respect to all Combined Returns. Upon reasonable notice, each of Parent and SpinCo shall make its, or shall cause the members of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, as applicable, to make their, employees and facilities available on a mutually convenient basis to provide explanation of any documents or information provided hereunder. Any information obtained under this Section 8 shall be kept confidential, except as otherwise reasonably may be necessary in connection with the filing of Tax Returns or claims for Refund or in conducting any Proceeding.

(b) Retention of Records. Each of Parent and SpinCo agrees to retain all Tax Returns, related schedules and workpapers, and all material records and other documents as required under Section 6001 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (and any similar provision of state, local, or foreign law) existing on the date hereof or created in respect of (i) any taxable period that ends on or before or includes the Distribution Date or (ii) any taxable period that may be subject to a claim hereunder until the later of (A) the expiration of the statute of limitations (including extensions) for the taxable periods to which such Tax Returns and other documents relate and (B) the Final Determination of any payments that may be required in respect of such taxable periods under this Agreement. From and after the end of the period described in the preceding sentence of this Section 8(b), if a member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group wishes to dispose of any such records and documents, then Parent or SpinCo, as the case may be, shall provide written notice thereof to the other party and shall provide the other party the opportunity to take possession of any such records and documents within ninety (90) days after such notice is delivered; provided, however, that if such other party does not, within such 90-day period, confirm its intention to take possession of such records and documents, Parent or SpinCo, as the case may be, may destroy or otherwise dispose of such records and documents. Any notice of an intent to dispose given pursuant to this Section 8(b) shall include a list of the Tax Returns to be disposed of describing in reasonable detail each file, book, or other record accumulation being disposed. The notified Party shall have the opportunity, at its cost and expense, to copy or remove, within such 90-day period, all or any part of such Tax Return.

 

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(c) Remedies. Each of Parent and SpinCo hereby acknowledges and agrees that (i) the failure of any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, as the case may be, to comply with the provisions of this Section 8 may result in substantial harm to the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, as the case may be, including the inability to determine or appropriately substantiate a Tax Liability (or a position in respect thereof) for which the Parent Group (or a member thereof) or the SpinCo Group (or a member thereof), as applicable, would be responsible under this Agreement or appropriately defend against an adjustment thereto by a Tax Authority, (ii) the remedies available to the Parent Group for the breach by a member of the SpinCo Group of its obligations under this Section 8 shall include (without limitation) the indemnification by SpinCo of the Parent Group for any Tax Liabilities incurred or any Tax Benefit lost or postponed by reason of such breach and the forfeiture by the SpinCo Group of any related rights to indemnification by Parent and (iii) the remedies available to the SpinCo Group for the breach by a member of the Parent Group of its obligations under this Section 8 shall include (without limitation) the indemnification by Parent of the SpinCo Group for any Tax Liabilities incurred or any Tax Benefit lost or postponed by reason of such breach and the forfeiture by the Parent Group of any related rights to indemnification by SpinCo.

(d) Reliance by Parent. If any member of the SpinCo Group supplies information to a member of the Parent Group in connection with a Tax Liability and an officer of a member of the Parent Group signs a statement or other document under penalties of perjury in reliance upon the accuracy of such information, then upon the written request of such member of the Parent Group identifying the information being so relied upon, the chief financial officer of SpinCo (or his or her designee) shall certify in writing that to his knowledge (based upon consultation with appropriate employees) the information so supplied is accurate and complete. SpinCo agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each member of the Parent Group and its directors, officers and employees from and against any fine, penalty, or other cost or expense of any kind attributable to a member of the SpinCo Group having supplied, pursuant to this Section 8, a member of the Parent Group with inaccurate or incomplete information in connection with a Tax Liability.

(e) Reliance by SpinCo. If any member of the Parent Group supplies information to a member of the SpinCo Group in connection with a Tax Liability and an officer of a member of the SpinCo Group signs a statement or other document under penalties of perjury in reliance upon the accuracy of such information, then upon the written request of such member of the SpinCo Group identifying the information being so relied upon, the chief financial officer of Parent (or his or her designee) shall certify in writing that to his knowledge (based upon consultation with appropriate employees) the information so supplied is accurate and complete. Parent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each member of the SpinCo Group and its directors, officers and employees from and against any fine, penalty, or other cost or expense of any kind attributable to a member of the Parent Group having supplied, pursuant to this Section 8, a member of the SpinCo Group with inaccurate or incomplete information in connection with a Tax Liability.

9. Resolution of Disputes. The provisions of Article VII of the Separation Agreement (Dispute Resolution) shall apply to any dispute arising in connection with this Agreement; provided, however, that in the case of disputes arising under this Agreement, Parent and SpinCo shall jointly select the arbitrator, who shall be an attorney or accountant who is generally recognized in the tax community as a qualified and competent tax practitioner with experience in the tax area involved in the issue or issues to be resolved.

 

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10. Payments.

(a) Method of Payment. All payments required by this Agreement shall be made by (i) wire transfer to the appropriate bank account as may from time to time be designated by the parties for such purpose; provided, that on the date of such wire transfer, notice of the transfer is given to the recipient thereof in accordance with Section 11, or (ii) any other method agreed to by the parties. All payments due under this Agreement shall be deemed to be paid when available funds are actually received by the payee.

(b) Interest. Any payment required by this Agreement that is not made on or before the date required hereunder shall bear interest, from and after such date through the date of payment, at the Underpayment Rate.

(c) Characterization of Payments. For all Income Tax purposes, the parties hereto agree to treat, and to cause their respective Affiliates to treat, (i) any payment required by this Agreement or by the Separation 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 Distribution and (ii) any payment of interest or non-federal 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, in either case, except as otherwise mandated by applicable law or a Final Determination; provided, that in the event it is determined (A) pursuant to applicable law that it is more likely than not, or (B) pursuant to a Final Determination, that any such treatment is not permissible (or that an Indemnified Party nevertheless suffers an Tax detriment as a result of such payment), the payment in question shall be adjusted to place the Indemnified Party in the same after-Tax position it would have enjoyed absent such applicable law or Final Determination.

11. Compensatory Equity Interests Treatment.

(a) Deductions(b) . To the extent permitted by law, (i) Parent (or the appropriate member of the Parent Group) shall claim all Income Tax deductions arising by reason of (x) exercises of Parent Option Awards held by any Parent Group Employee or Former Employee or SpinCo Group Employee to acquire Parent Shares, (y) payments made with respect to Parent RSU Awards or (z) payments made with respect to Parent Restricted Stock Awards and (ii) SpinCo (or the appropriate member of the SpinCo Group) shall claim all Income Tax deductions arising by reason of (x) exercises of SpinCo Option Awards held by any SpinCo Group Employee to acquire SpinCo Shares, (y) payments made with respect to SpinCo RSU Awards or (z) payments made with respect to SpinCo Restricted Stock Awards.

(b) Withholding. Upon the vesting, payment or settlement, as applicable, of SpinCo Awards, SpinCo shall be solely responsible for ensuring the satisfaction of all applicable Tax withholding requirements with respect to the SpinCo Awards. Upon the vesting, payment or settlement, as applicable, of Post-Separation Parent Awards, Parent shall be solely responsible for ensuring the satisfaction of all applicable Tax withholding requirements with respect to the Post-Separation Parent Awards.

 

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12. Notices. Notices, requests, permissions, waivers, and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given upon (a) a transmitter’s confirmation of a receipt of a facsimile transmission (but only if followed by confirmed delivery of a standard overnight courier the following Business Day or if delivered by hand the following Business Day), or (b) confirmed delivery of a standard overnight courier or delivered by hand, to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other addresses for a party as shall be specified by like notice):

 

If to Parent, to:

   Ziff Davis, Inc.
   700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500
   Los Angeles, California 90017
   Attention:       Legal Department
   Email:             legal@j2.com

If to SpinCo to:

   Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.
   700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500
   Los Angeles, California 90017
   Attention:       Legal Department
   E-mail:           Vithya.aubee@j2.com

Such names and addresses may be changed by notice given in accordance with this Section 12.

13. Designation of Affiliate. Each of Parent and SpinCo may assign any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement to any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, respectively, as it shall designate; provided, however, that no such assignment shall relieve Parent or SpinCo, respectively, of any obligation hereunder, including any obligation to make a payment hereunder to SpinCo or Parent, respectively, to the extent such designee fails to make such payment.

14. Miscellaneous. Except to the extent otherwise provided in this Agreement, this Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of Article XIV (Miscellaneous) of the Separation Agreement to the extent set forth therein.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed on its behalf by its officers thereunto duly authorized, all as of the day and year first written above.

 

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeremy Rossen

Name:   Jeremy Rossen
Title:   Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel
CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Vithya Aubee

Name:   Vithya Aubee
Title:   Vice President

 

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Exhibit 10.3

EMPLOYEE MATTERS AGREEMENT

BY AND BETWEEN

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.

AND

CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.

DATED AS OF OCTOBER 7, 2021

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

     2  

Section 1.01.

  Definitions      2  

Section 1.02.

  Interpretation      9  

ARTICLE II GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR ALLOCATION OF LIABILITIES

     9  

Section 2.01.

  General Principles      9  

Section 2.02.

  Adoption and Transfer and Assumption of Benefit Plans      10  

Section 2.03.

  Individual Agreements      12  

Section 2.04.

  Reimbursement      12  

Section 2.05.

  Non-U.S. Issues      13  

ARTICLE III ASSIGNMENT OF EMPLOYEES

     13  

Section 3.01.

  Active Employees      13  

Section 3.02.

  Payroll and Related Taxes      14  

ARTICLE IV EQUITY, INCENTIVE AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

     15  

Section 4.01.

  Generally      15  

Section 4.02.

  Equity Incentive Awards      15  

Section 4.03.

  Employee Stock Purchase Plan.      19  

Section 4.04.

  Nonequity Incentive Practices and Plans      20  

Section 4.05.

  Director Compensation      21  

ARTICLE V QUALIFIED RETIREMENT PLAN

     21  

Section 5.01.

  SpinCo 401(k) Plan      21  

ARTICLE VI WELFARE BENEFIT PLANS

     22  

Section 6.01.

  Welfare Plans      22  

Section 6.02.

  COBRA      24  

Section 6.03.

  Vacation, Holidays and Leaves of Absence      24  

Section 6.04.

  Workers’ Compensation      24  

Section 6.05.

  Insurance Contracts      24  

Section 6.06.

  Third-Party Vendors      25  

ARTICLE VII MISCELLANEOUS

     25  

Section 7.01.

  Preservation of Rights to Amend      25  

Section 7.02.

  Fiduciary Matters      25  

Section 7.03.

  Further Assurances.      25  

Section 7.04.

  Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power      25  

Section 7.05.

  Governing Law      26  

Section 7.06.

  Assignability      26  

Section 7.07.

  Third-Party Beneficiaries      27  

Section 7.08.

  Notices      27  

Section 7.09.

  Severability      28  

Section 7.10.

  Force Majeure      28  

 

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Section 7.11.

  Headings      28  

Section 7.12.

  Survival of Covenants      28  

Section 7.13.

  Waivers of Default      28  

Section 7.14.

  Dispute Resolution      28  

Section 7.15.

  Specific Performance      28  

Section 7.16.

  Amendments      29  

Section 7.17.

  Interpretation      29  

Section 7.18.

  Limitations of Liability      29  

Section 7.19.

  Mutual Drafting      29  

 

Scheduled 2.02(a)

  Benefit Plans to be Replicated by SpinCo Group

Schedule 7.01(a)

  Parent Welfare Plans

 

 

ii


EMPLOYEE MATTERS AGREEMENT

This EMPLOYEE MATTERS AGREEMENT, dated as of October 7, 2021 (this “Agreement”), is by and between Ziff Davis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo”).

R E C I T A L S:

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

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

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

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

WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, Parent will contribute all of the SpinCo Assets and all of the equity of J2 Cloud Services, LLC to SpinCo in exchange for SpinCo’s assumption of the SpinCo Liabilities, all of the SpinCo Shares, the SpinCo Cash Amount and the SpinCo Securities (the “Contribution”);

WHEREAS, following the Distribution, Parent may retain up to 19.9% of the outstanding SpinCo Shares (the “Retained Shares”) and intends to, within 12 months of the Distribution, distribute Retained Shares to Parent stockholders as dividends or in exchange for outstanding shares of Parent common stock (any such distribution, a “Subsequent Distribution”) or transfer such Retained Shares to Parent creditors in satisfaction of certain Parent debt (any such transfer, a “Debt-for-Equity Exchange”);

WHEREAS, following the Distribution, Parent shall transfer the SpinCo Securities to certain Persons (the “Debt-for-Debt Exchange Parties”) in exchange for certain debt obligations of Parent held by the Debt-for-Debt Exchange Parties as principals for their own account (the “Debt-for-Debt Exchange”);

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Contribution, the Distribution, any Subsequent Distribution, the Debt-for-Debt Exchange, and any Debt-for-Equity Exchange, taken together, are intended to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Sections 355, 368(a)(1)(D) and 361(c) of the Code, and this Agreement is intended to be, and is hereby adopted as, a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-2(g);

 

1


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

WHEREAS, in addition to the matters addressed by the Separation and Distribution Agreement, the Parties desire to enter into this Agreement to set forth the terms and conditions of certain employment, compensation and benefit matters; and

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

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

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

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

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

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

Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Preamble to this Agreement and shall include all Schedules hereto and all amendments, modifications, and changes hereto entered into pursuant to Section 7.16.

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

Benefit Plan” shall mean any contract, agreement, policy, practice, program, plan, trust, commitment or arrangement providing for benefits, perquisites or compensation of any nature from an employer to any Employee, or to any family member, dependent, or beneficiary of any such Employee, including cash or deferred arrangement plans, profit sharing plans, post-employment programs, pension plans, thrift plans, supplemental pension plans, welfare plans, stock option, stock purchase, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance stock units, other equity-based compensation and contracts, agreements, policies, practices, programs, plans, trusts, commitments and arrangements providing for terms of

 

2


employment, fringe benefits, severance benefits, change in control protections or benefits, travel and accident, life, accidental death and dismemberment, disability and accident insurance, tuition reimbursement, adoption assistance, travel reimbursement, vacation, sick, personal or bereavement days, leaves of absences and holidays; provided, however, that the term “Benefit Plan” does not include any government-sponsored benefits, such as workers’ compensation, unemployment or any similar plans, programs or policies or Individual Agreements.

COBRA” shall mean the U.S. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as codified at Section 601 et seq. of ERISA and at Section 4980B of the Code.

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

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

Debt-for-Debt Exchange” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

Debt-for-Debt Exchange Parties” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

Debt-for-Equity Exchange” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

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

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

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

Effective Time” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Employee” shall mean any Parent Group Employee or SpinCo Group Employee.

ERISA” shall mean the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

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

FICA” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.02.

Force Majeure” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Former Employees” shall mean Former Parent Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees.

 

3


Former Parent Group Employee” shall mean any individual who is a former employee of the Parent Group as of the Effective Time and who is not a Former SpinCo Group Employee.

Former SpinCo Group Employee” shall mean any individual who is a former employee of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or former Subsidiaries as of the Effective Time, in each case, whose most recent employment with Parent was with a member of the SpinCo Group or was primarily engaged in the SpinCo Business.

FUTA” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.02.

Global Transaction Structure” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Governmental Authority” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

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

HIPAA” shall mean the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

Individual Agreement” shall mean any individual (a) employment contract, (b) retention, severance or change in control agreement, or (c) other agreement containing restrictive covenants (including confidentiality, noncompetition and nonsolicitation provisions) between a member of the Parent Group and a SpinCo Group Employee or any Former SpinCo Group Employee, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time.

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

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

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

Nasdaq” shall mean the Nasdaq Global Select Market operated by Nasdaq, Inc.

Option Exercise Price Ratio” shall mean, with respect to a Parent Option Award, the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the per share exercise price of such Parent Option immediately prior to the Effective Time, by (ii) the Pre-Separation Parent Stock Value.

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

Parent 401(k) Plan” shall mean the Ziff Davis, Inc. Retirement Savings Plan, as in effect or as it may be amended from time to time.

 

4


Parent Awards” shall mean Parent Option Awards, Parent RSU Awards, and Parent Restricted Stock Awards, collectively.

Parent Benefit Plan” shall mean any Benefit Plan established, sponsored or maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries immediately prior to the Effective Time, but excluding any SpinCo Benefit Plan.

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

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

Parent Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.02(d)(i).

Parent Compensation Committee” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Parent Board.

Parent ESPP” has the meaning specified in Section 4.03(a).

Parent Group” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Parent Group Employees” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(a)(ii).

Parent Liabilities” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Parent Non-Equity Incentive Practices” shall mean the corporate nonequity incentive practices of the Parent Group.

Parent Omnibus Plan” shall mean each of the J2 Global, Inc. 2007 Stock Option Plan and the J2 Global, Inc. 2015 Stock Option Plan, as in effect from time to time.

Parent Option Award” shall mean an award of options to purchase Parent Shares granted pursuant to a Parent Omnibus Plan that is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Parent Ratio” shall mean the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the Pre-Separation Parent Stock Value by (b) the Post-Separation Parent Stock Value.

Parent Restricted Stock Award” shall mean an award of restricted Parent Shares, including any time-based restricted shares or performance restricted shares, granted pursuant to a Parent Omnibus Plan, which is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Parent RSU Award” shall mean an award of restricted stock units, including any time-based restricted stock unit or performance restricted stock unit, granted pursuant to a Parent Omnibus Plan, which is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

5


Parent Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Parent Welfare Plan” shall mean any Parent Benefit Plan which is a Welfare Plan.

Parties” shall mean the parties to this Agreement.

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

Post-Separation Parent Awards” shall mean Post-Separation Parent Option Awards, Post-Separation Parent RSU Awards, and Post-Separation Restricted Stock Awards, collectively.

Post-Separation Parent Option Award” shall mean a Parent Option Award, as adjusted as of the Effective Time in accordance with Section 4.02(a).

Post-Separation Parent Restricted Stock Award” shall mean a Parent Restricted Stock Award, as adjusted as of the Effective Time in accordance with Section 4.02(c).

Post-Separation Parent RSU Award” shall mean a Parent RSU Award, as adjusted as of the Effective Time in accordance with Section 4.02(b).

Post-Separation Parent Stock Value” shall mean the average of the VWAP of Parent Shares for the 30 regular trading days commencing with the Distribution Date.

Pre-Separation Parent Stock Value” shall mean the shall mean the average of the VWAP of Parent Shares for the 30 regular trading days ending on the day before the Distribution Date.

QDRO” shall mean a qualified domestic relations order within the meaning of Section 206(d) of ERISA and Section 414(p) of the Code.

Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Retained Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

Securities Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

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

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

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

SpinCo 401(k) Plan” shall mean the SpinCo 401(k) Savings Plan, to be adopted by SpinCo prior to or on the Distribution Date as described in Section 5.01.

 

6


SpinCo 401(k) Trust” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.01(a).

SpinCo Assets” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

SpinCo Awards” shall mean SpinCo Option Awards, SpinCo RSU Awards and SpinCo Restricted Stock Awards, collectively.

SpinCo Benefit Plan” shall mean any Benefit Plan established, sponsored, maintained or contributed to by a member of the SpinCo Group as of or after the Effective Time.

SpinCo Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of SpinCo.

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

SpinCo Cash Amount” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

SpinCo Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.02(d)(i).

SpinCo Designees” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

SpinCo ESPP” has the meaning specified in Section 4.03(a).

SpinCo Flex Plan” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.01(c).

SpinCo Group” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

SpinCo Group Employees” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(a).

SpinCo Liabilities” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

SpinCo Non-Equity Incentive Practices” shall mean the corporate nonequity incentive practices, as established by SpinCo as of the Effective Time pursuant to Section 2.02(a) and Section 4.04(a).

SpinCo Omnibus Plan” shall mean the SpinCo 2021 Stock Option Plan, as established by SpinCo as of the Effective Time pursuant to Section 2.02(a) and Section 4.01.

SpinCo Option Award” shall mean an award of stock options assumed and granted by SpinCo pursuant to the SpinCo Omnibus Plan in accordance with Section 4.02(a).

SpinCo Ratio” shall mean the quotient obtained by dividing (a) the Pre-Separation Parent Stock Value by (b) the SpinCo Stock Value.

 

7


SpinCo Restricted Stock Award” shall mean an award of restricted SpinCo Shares, including any time-based restricted shares or performance restricted shares, assumed and granted pursuant to the SpinCo Omnibus Plan in accordance with Section 4.02(c).

SpinCo RSU Award” shall mean an award of restricted stock units (including any performance restricted stock units) assumed and granted pursuant to the SpinCo Omnibus Plan in accordance with Section 4.02(b).

SpinCo Securities” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

SpinCo Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

SpinCo Stock Value” shall mean the average of the VWAP of SpinCo Shares for the 30 regular trading days commencing with the Distribution Date.

SpinCo Welfare Plan” shall mean a Welfare Plan established, sponsored, maintained or contributed to by any member of the SpinCo Group for the benefit of SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees.

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

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

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

Third-Party Claim” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Transferred Account Balances” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.01(c).

Transferred Director” shall mean each SpinCo nonemployee director as of the Effective Time who served on the Parent Board immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Transition Services Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

U.S.” shall mean the United States of America.

VWAP” means the volume weighted average price of the applicable stock on the Nasdaq over a specified period of time.

Welfare Plan” shall mean any “welfare plan” (as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA) or a “cafeteria plan” under Section 125 of the Code, and any benefits offered thereunder, and any other plan offering health benefits (including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, mental health, substance abuse and retiree health), disability benefits, or life, accidental death and dismemberment, and business travel insurance, pre-Tax premium conversion benefits, dependent care assistance programs, employee assistance programs, paid time-off programs, contribution funding toward a health savings account, flexible spending accounts or severance.

 

8


Section 1.02. Interpretation. Section 10.13 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement is hereby incorporated by reference.

ARTICLE II

GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR ALLOCATION OF LIABILITIES

Section 2.01. General Principles.

(a) Acceptance and Assumption of SpinCo Liabilities. Except as otherwise provided by this Agreement, on or prior to the Effective Time, but in any case prior to the Distribution, SpinCo and the applicable SpinCo Designees shall accept, assume and agree faithfully to perform, discharge and fulfill all of the following Liabilities in accordance with their respective terms (each of which shall be considered a SpinCo Liability), regardless of when or where such Liabilities arose or arise, or whether the facts on which they are based occurred prior to, at or subsequent to the Effective Time, regardless of where or against whom such Liabilities are asserted or determined (including any Liabilities arising out of claims made by Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, Employees, Former Employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group) or whether asserted or determined prior to the date hereof, and regardless of whether arising from or alleged to arise from negligence, recklessness, violation of Law, fraud or misrepresentation by any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, or any of their respective directors, officers, Employees, Former Employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates:

(i) any and all wages, salaries, incentive compensation, equity compensation, commissions, bonuses and any other employee compensation or benefits payable to or on behalf of any SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees after the Effective Time, without regard to when such wages, salaries, incentive compensation, equity compensation, commissions, bonuses or other employee compensation or benefits are or may have been awarded or earned;

(ii) any and all Liabilities whatsoever with respect to claims under a SpinCo Benefit Plan, taking into account the SpinCo Benefit Plan’s assumption of Liabilities with respect to SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees that were originally the Liabilities of the corresponding Parent Benefit Plan with respect to periods prior to the Effective Time; and

(iii) any and all Liabilities expressly assumed or retained by any member of the SpinCo Group pursuant to this Agreement.

(b) Acceptance and Assumption of Parent Liabilities. Except as otherwise provided by this Agreement, on or prior to the Effective Time, but in any case prior to the Distribution, Parent and certain members of the Parent Group designated by Parent shall accept, assume and agree faithfully to perform, discharge and fulfill all of the following Liabilities in accordance with their respective terms (each of which shall be considered a Parent Liability),

 

9


regardless of when or where such Liabilities arose or arise, or whether the facts on which they are based occurred prior to, at or subsequent to the Effective Time, regardless of where or against whom such Liabilities are asserted or determined (including any Liabilities arising out of claims made by Parent’s or SpinCo’s respective directors, officers, Employees, Former Employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates against any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group) or whether asserted or determined prior to the date hereof, and regardless of whether arising from or alleged to arise from negligence, recklessness, violation of Law, fraud or misrepresentation by any member of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group, or any of their respective directors, officers, Employees, Former Employees, agents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates:

(i) any and all wages, salaries, incentive compensation, equity compensation, commissions, bonuses and any other employee compensation or benefits payable to or on behalf of any Parent Group Employees and Former Parent Group Employees after the Effective Time, without regard to when such wages, salaries, incentive compensation, equity compensation, commissions, bonuses or other employee compensation or benefits are or may have been awarded or earned;

(ii) any and all Liabilities whatsoever with respect to claims under a Parent Benefit Plan, taking into account a corresponding SpinCo Benefit Plan’s assumption of Liabilities with respect to SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees that were originally the Liabilities of such Parent Benefit Plan with respect to periods prior to the Effective Time; and

(iii) any and all Liabilities expressly assumed or retained by any member of the Parent Group pursuant to this Agreement.

(c) Unaddressed Liabilities. To the extent that this Agreement does not address particular Liabilities under any Benefit Plan and the Parties later determine that they should be allocated in connection with the Distribution, the Parties shall agree in good faith on the allocation, taking into account the handling of comparable Liabilities under this Agreement.

Section 2.02. Adoption and Transfer and Assumption of Benefit Plans.

(a) Adoption by SpinCo of Benefit Plans. As of no later than the Effective Time, SpinCo shall adopt Benefit Plans (and related trusts, if applicable) as contemplated and in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, which Benefit Plans are generally intended to contain terms substantially similar in all material respects to those of the corresponding Parent Benefit Plans as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, as listed on Schedule 2.02(a) to this Agreement, with such changes, modifications or amendments to the SpinCo Benefit Plans as may be required by applicable Law or to reflect the Separation and Distribution, including limiting participation in any such SpinCo Benefit Plan to SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees who participated in the corresponding Benefit Plan immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

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(b) Plans Not Required to Be Adopted. With respect to any Benefit Plan not listed or otherwise addressed in this Agreement, the Parties shall agree in good faith on the treatment of such plan taking into account the handling of any comparable plan under this Agreement and, notwithstanding that SpinCo shall not have an obligation to continue to maintain any such plan with respect to the provision of future benefits from and after the Effective Time, SpinCo shall remain obligated to pay or provide any previously accrued or incurred benefits to the SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees consistent with Section 2.01(a) of this Agreement.

(c) Information, Elections and Beneficiary Designations. Each Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to provide the other Party with information describing each Benefit Plan election made by an Employee or Former Employee that may have application to such Party’s Benefit Plans from and after the Effective Time, and each Party shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to administer its Benefit Plans using those elections, including any beneficiary designations. To the extent transferred, any beneficiary designation made by a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee under a corresponding Parent Benefit Plan shall be transferred to and be in full force and effect under the corresponding SpinCo Benefit Plan until such beneficiary designation is replaced or revoked by the SpinCo Employee or Former SpinCo Employee who made the beneficiary designation. Each Party shall, upon reasonable request, use its commercially reasonable efforts to provide the other Party and the other Party’s respective Affiliates, agents, and vendors all information reasonably necessary to the other Party’s operation or administration of its Benefit Plans.

(d) Service Credit and Other Factors Determining Benefits. As of the Effective Time, the SpinCo Benefit Plans shall provide for each SpinCo Group Employee who is employed immediately following the Effective Time by a member of the SpinCo Group and each Former SpinCo Group Employee that all service, all compensation and other factors affecting benefit determinations that, as of the Distribution Date, were recognized under the corresponding Parent Benefit Plan shall receive full recognition and credit and shall be taken into account under such SpinCo Benefit Plan to the same extent as though arising under such SpinCo Benefit Plan, except as duplication of benefits would result.

(e) No Duplication or Acceleration of Benefits. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement, no participant in any Benefit Plan shall receive service credit or benefits or recognition of compensation or other factors to the extent that receipt of such service credit or benefits or recognition of compensation or other factors would result in duplication of benefits provided to such participant by the corresponding Benefit Plan or any other plan, program or arrangement sponsored or maintained by a member of the Group that sponsors the corresponding Benefit Plan. Furthermore, unless expressly provided for in this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or in any Ancillary Agreement or required by applicable Law, no provision in this Agreement shall be construed to (i) create any right to accelerate vesting distributions or entitlements under any Benefit Plan sponsored or maintained by a member of the Parent Group or member of the SpinCo Group on the part of any Employee or Former Employee or (ii) limit the ability of a member of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group to amend, merge, modify eliminate, reduce or otherwise alter in any respect any benefit under any Benefit Plan sponsored or maintained by a member of the Parent Group or SpinCo Group, respectively, or any trust, insurance policy or funding vehicle related thereto.

 

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(f) Transition Services. The Parties acknowledge that the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group may provide administrative services for certain of the other Party’s compensation and benefit programs for a transitional period under the terms of the Transition Services Agreement. The Parties agree to enter into a business associate agreement (if required by HIPAA or other applicable health information privacy Laws) in connection with such Transition Services Agreement.

(g) Beneficiaries. References to Parent Group Employees, Former Parent Group Employees, SpinCo Group Employees, Former SpinCo Group Employees, and current and former nonemployee directors of either Parent or SpinCo, shall be deemed to refer to their beneficiaries, dependents, survivors and alternate payees, as applicable.

Section 2.03. Individual Agreements.

(a) Assignment by Parent. To the extent necessary, Parent shall assign, or cause an applicable member of the Parent Group to assign, to SpinCo or another member of the SpinCo Group, as designated by SpinCo, all Individual Agreements, with such assignment to be effective as of no later than the Effective Time; provided, however, that to the extent that assignment of any such Individual Agreement is not permitted by the terms of such agreement or by applicable Law, effective as of the Effective Time, each member of the SpinCo Group shall be considered to be a successor to each member of the Parent Group for purposes of, and a third-party beneficiary with respect to, such Individual Agreement, such that each member of the SpinCo Group shall enjoy all of the rights and benefits under such agreement (including rights and benefits as a third-party beneficiary), with respect to the business operations of the SpinCo Group; provided, further, that in no event shall Parent be permitted to enforce any Individual Agreement (including any agreement containing noncompetition or nonsolicitation covenants) against a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee for action taken in such individual’s capacity as a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee other than on behalf of SpinCo Group as requested by SpinCo Group in its capacity as a third-party beneficiary.

(b) Assumption by SpinCo. Effective as of the Effective Time, SpinCo shall assume and honor any individual agreement to which any SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee is a party with any member of the Parent Group, including any Individual Agreement.

Section 2.04. Reimbursement.

(a) By SpinCo. From time to time after the completion of the Separation, SpinCo shall promptly reimburse Parent for the cost of any obligations or Liabilities that Parent elects to, or is compelled to, pay or otherwise satisfy, that are or that pursuant to this Agreement have become, the responsibility of the SpinCo Group. Parent shall invoice SpinCo after the end of each fiscal month for all such costs (if any) in such fiscal month. SpinCo shall pay any amounts due by SpinCo hereunder in immediately available funds within thirty (30) days of SpinCo’s receipt of each invoice therefor. Any amount not paid within thirty (30) days after the date when payable shall bear interest at the Applicable Rate (as defined in the Transition Services Agreement) from the date such amount is due. SpinCo shall not deduct, set off,

 

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counterclaim or otherwise withhold any amount owed by it to Parent (on account of any obligation owed by the Parent Group, whether or not such obligation has been finally adjudicated, settled or otherwise agreed upon in writing) against the amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement; provided that in the event SpinCo dispute any amount on an invoice, SpinCo shall notify Parent in writing within twenty (20) days after SpinCo’s receipt of such invoice and shall describe in detail the reason for disputing such amount, provide any documents or other materials supporting its dispute, and will be entitled to withhold only the amount in dispute during the pendency of the dispute. SpinCo shall cause the timely payment of the undisputed portion of each invoice in the manner set forth in this Agreement and shall be subject to late charges at the Applicable Rate and any other costs incurred by Parent pursuant to this Section 2.04(a) on any amount that is unsuccessfully disputed.

(b) By Parent. From time to time after the completion of the Separation, Parent shall promptly reimburse SpinCo for the cost of any obligations or Liabilities that SpinCo elects to, or is compelled to, pay or otherwise satisfy, that are or that pursuant to this Agreement have become, the responsibility of the Parent Group. SpinCo shall invoice Parent after the end of each fiscal month for all such costs (if any) in such fiscal month. Parent shall pay any amounts due by Parent hereunder in immediately available funds within thirty (30) days of Parent’s receipt of each invoice therefor. Any amount not paid within thirty (30) days after the date when payable shall bear interest at the Applicable Rate from the date such amount is due. Parent shall not deduct, set off, counterclaim or otherwise withhold any amount owed by it to SpinCo (on account of any obligation owed by the SpinCo Group, whether or not such obligation has been finally adjudicated, settled or otherwise agreed upon in writing) against the amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement; provided that in the event Parent disputes any amount on an invoice, Parent shall notify SpinCo in writing within twenty (20) days after Parent’s receipt of such invoice and shall describe in detail the reason for disputing such amount, provide any documents or other materials supporting its dispute, and will be entitled to withhold only the amount in dispute during the pendency of the dispute. Parent shall cause the timely payment of the undisputed portion of each invoice in the manner set forth in this Agreement and shall be subject to late charges at the Applicable Rate and any other costs incurred by SpinCo and controlled pursuant to this Section 2.04(b) on any amount that is unsuccessfully disputed.

Section 2.05. Non-U.S. Issues. To the extent that any matter described herein relates to jurisdictions other than the United States, the principles described in this Agreement shall be applied to the maximum extent possible, but shall modified by reasonable agreement of the Parties to the extent required to comply with applicable law.

ARTICLE III

ASSIGNMENT OF EMPLOYEES

Section 3.01. Active Employees.

(a) Assignment and Transfer of Employees. Effective as of no later than the Effective Time and except as otherwise agreed to by the Parties, (i) the applicable member of the Parent Group shall have taken such actions as are necessary to ensure that each individual who is intended to be an employee of the SpinCo Group as of immediately after the Effective Time (including any such individual who is not actively working as of the Effective Time as a result of

 

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an illness, injury or leave of absence approved by the Parent Human Resources department or otherwise taken in accordance with applicable Law) (collectively, the “SpinCo Group Employees”) is employed by a member of the SpinCo Group as of immediately after the Effective Time, and (ii) the applicable member of the Parent Group shall have taken such actions as are necessary to ensure that each individual who is intended to be an employee of the Parent Group as of immediately after the Effective Time (including any such individual who is not actively working as of the Effective Time as a result of an illness, injury or leave of absence approved by the Parent Human Resources department or otherwise taken in accordance with applicable Law) and any other individual employed by the Parent Group as of the Effective Time who is not a SpinCo Group Employee (collectively, the “Parent Group Employees”) is employed by a member of the Parent Group as of immediately after the Effective Time. Each of the Parties agrees to execute, and to seek to have the applicable Employees execute, such documentation, if any, as may be necessary to reflect such assignment and/or transfer.

(b) At-Will Status. Nothing in this Agreement shall create any obligation on the part of any member of the Parent Group or any member of the SpinCo Group to (i) continue the employment of any Employee or permit the return from a leave of absence for any period after the date of this Agreement (except as required by applicable Law) or (ii) change the employment status of any Employee from “at-will,” to the extent that such Employee is an “at-will” employee under applicable Law. Except as provided in this Agreement, this Agreement shall not limit the ability of the Parent Group or the SpinCo Group to change the position, compensation or benefits of any Employees for performance related, business or any other reason.

(c) Severance. The Parties acknowledge and agree that the Separation, Distribution and the assignment, transfer or continuation of the employment of Employees as contemplated by this Section 3.01 shall not be deemed an involuntary termination of employment entitling any SpinCo Group Employee or Parent Group Employee to severance payments or benefits and that the Parties shall reasonably cooperate to avoid any statutory severance or similar obligations.

(d) Not a Change in Control. The Parties acknowledge and agree that neither the consummation of the Separation, Distribution nor any transaction contemplated by this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement shall be deemed a “change in control,” “change of control,” or term of similar import for purposes of any Benefit Plan sponsored or maintained by any member of the Parent Group or member of the SpinCo Group and except as provided in this Agreement or as otherwise required by applicable law or Individual Agreement, no provision of this Agreement shall be construed to accelerate any vesting or create an right or entitlement to any compensation or benefits on the part of any Employee.

Section 3.02. Payroll and Related Taxes. Except as otherwise provided in the Transition Services Agreement, with respect to the SpinCo Group Employees transferred to the SpinCo Group during the tax year ending on and including the Separation, SpinCo will be responsible for all payroll obligations, tax withholding and reporting obligations regarding, all such SpinCo Group Employees, and furnish a Form W-2 or similar earning statement to, all such SpinCo Group Employees for the entire year. Except as otherwise provided in the Transition Services

 

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Agreement, with respect to each affected SpinCo Group Employee, Parent and SpinCo shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to (to the extent practicable and to the extent permitted by applicable Law) (x) treat SpinCo (or the applicable member of the SpinCo Group) as a “successor employer” and treat Parent (or the applicable member of the Parent Group) as a “predecessor” within the meaning of Sections 3121(a)(1) and 3306(b)(1) of the Code, to the extent appropriate, for purposes of taxes imposed under the United States Federal Insurance Contributions Act, as amended (“FICA”), or the United States Federal Unemployment Tax Act, as amended (“FUTA”), and (y) file tax returns, exchange wage payment information and report wage payments made by the respective predecessor and successor employer on the same IRS Forms W-2 or similar earnings statements to each such SpinCo Group Employee for the tax year in which the Separation occurs, in a manner provided under the “alternative procedure” in Revenue Procedure 2004-53.

ARTICLE IV

EQUITY, INCENTIVE AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Section 4.01. Generally. Each Parent Award granted that is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be adjusted as described below; provided, however, effective immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Parent Compensation Committee may provide for different adjustments with respect to some or all Parent Awards to the extent that the Parent Compensation Committee deems such adjustments necessary and appropriate. Any adjustments made by the Parent Compensation Committee pursuant to the foregoing sentence shall be deemed incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth below and shall be binding on the Parties and their respective Affiliates. Before the Effective Time, the SpinCo Omnibus Plan shall be established, with such terms as are necessary to permit the implementation of the provisions of Section 4.02.

Section 4.02. Equity Incentive Awards.

(a) Option Awards. Each Parent Option Award that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted as of the Effective Time into either a Post-Separation Parent Option Award or a SpinCo Option Award as described below:

(i) Each Parent Option Award held by a Parent Group Employee and Former Employee shall be converted as of the Effective Time, through an adjustment thereto, into a Post-Separation Parent Option Award and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02(a), be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as applicable to such Parent Option Award immediately prior to the Effective Time. From and after the Effective Time:

(A) the number of Parent Shares subject to such Post-Separation Parent Option Award, rounded down to the nearest whole share, shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent Option Award immediately prior to the Effective Time, by (2) the Parent Ratio; and

 

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(B) the per share exercise price of such Post-Separation Parent Option Award, rounded up to the nearest cent, shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying (1) the Post-Separation Parent Stock Value, by (2) the Option Exercise Price Ratio.

(ii) Each Parent Option Award held by a SpinCo Group Employee shall be converted as of the Effective Time into a SpinCo Option Award outstanding under the SpinCo Omnibus Plan and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02(a), be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as applicable to such Parent Option Award immediately prior to the Effective Time. From and after the Effective Time:

(A) the number of SpinCo Shares subject to such SpinCo Option Award, rounded down to the nearest whole share, shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent Option Award immediately prior to the Effective Time, by (2) the SpinCo Ratio; and

(B) the per share exercise price of such SpinCo Option Award, rounded up to the nearest cent, shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying (1) the SpinCo Stock Value, by (2) the Option Exercise Price Ratio of the corresponding Parent Option Award.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4.02(a), the exercise price, the number of Parent Shares and SpinCo Shares subject to each Post-Separation Parent Option Award and SpinCo Option Award, and the terms and conditions of exercise of such options, shall be determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code; provided, further, that, in the case of any Parent Option Award to which Section 421 of the Code applies by reason of its qualification under Section 422 of the Code as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, the exercise price, the number of Parent Shares and SpinCo Shares subject to such option award, and the terms and conditions of exercise of such option award shall be determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code.

(b) RSU Awards. Each Parent RSU Award that is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be treated as follows:

(i) If the holder is not a SpinCo Group Employee, such award shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a Post-Separation Parent RSU Award, and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02, be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent RSU Award immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that from and after the Effective Time, the number of Parent Shares subject to such Post-Separation Parent RSU Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent RSU Award immediately prior to the Effective Time by (B) the Parent Ratio. If the Parent RSU Award is subject to performance vesting conditions, the performance goals shall be appropriately adjusted by the Parent Board or a committee thereof; provided that if the performance goals were achieved prior to the Effective Time, the earned Post-Separation RSU Award shall vest solely on the basis of time at the time(s) specified in the applicable award agreement.

 

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(ii) If the holder is a SpinCo Group Employee, such award shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a SpinCo RSU Award, and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02, be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent RSU Award immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that from and after the Effective Time, the number of SpinCo Shares subject to such SpinCo RSU Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent RSU Award immediately prior to the Effective Time by (B) the SpinCo Ratio. If the Parent RSU Award is subject to performance vesting conditions, the performance goals applicable to the converted SpinCo RSU Award shall be appropriately adjusted by the SpinCo Board or a committee thereof; provided that if the performance goals were achieved prior to the Effective Time, the earned SpinCo RSU Award shall vest solely on the basis of time at the time(s) specified in the applicable award agreement.

(c) Restricted Stock. Each Parent Restricted Stock Award that is outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be treated as follows:

(i) If the holder is not a SpinCo Group Employee, such award shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a Post-Separation Parent Restricted Stock Award, and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02, be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent Restricted Stock Award immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that from and after the Effective Time, the number of Parent Shares subject to such Post-Separation Parent Restricted Stock Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent Restricted Stock Award immediately prior to the Effective Time by (B) the Parent Ratio. If the Parent Restricted Stock Award is subject to performance vesting conditions, the performance goals shall be appropriately adjusted by the Parent Board or a committee thereof, provided that if the performance goals were achieved prior to the Effective Time, the earned Post-Separation Restricted Stock Award shall vest solely on the basis of time at the time(s) specified in the applicable award agreement.

(ii) If the holder is a SpinCo Group Employee, such award shall be converted, as of the Effective Time, into a SpinCo Restricted Stock Award, and shall, except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02, be subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and expiration) after the Effective Time as were applicable to such Parent Restricted Stock Award immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that from and after the Effective Time, the number of SpinCo Shares subject to such SpinCo Restricted Stock Award shall be equal to the product, rounded down to the nearest whole share, obtained by multiplying (A) the number of Parent Shares subject to the corresponding Parent Restricted Stock Award immediately

 

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prior to the Effective Time by (B) the SpinCo Ratio. If the Parent Restricted Stock Award is subject to performance vesting conditions, the performance goals applicable to the converted SpinCo Restricted Stock Award shall be appropriately adjusted by the SpinCo Board or a committee thereof; provided that if the performance goals were achieved prior to the Effective Time, the earned SpinCo Restricted Stock Award shall vest solely on the basis of time at the time(s) specified in the applicable award agreement.

(d) Miscellaneous Award Terms.

(i) With respect to Post-Separation Parent Awards and SpinCo Awards, (A) employment with or service to the Parent Group shall be treated as employment with or service to SpinCo with respect to SpinCo Awards held by a Parent Group Employee who is employed by a member of the Parent Group immediately following the Effective Time immediately following the Effective Time, and (B) employment with or service to the SpinCo Group shall be treated as employment with or service to Parent with respect to Post-Separation Parent Awards held by SpinCo Group Employees who is employed by a member of the SpinCo Group immediately following the Effective Time. In addition, none of the Separation, the Distribution or any employment transfer described in Section 3.01(a) shall constitute a termination of employment for any Employee for purposes of any Post-Separation Parent Award or any SpinCo Award. After the Effective Time, for any award adjusted under this Section 4.02, any reference to a “change in control,” “change of control” or similar definition in an award agreement, employment agreement or Parent Omnibus Plan applicable to such award (x) with respect to Post-Separation Parent Awards, shall be deemed to refer to a “change in control,” “change of control” or similar definition as set forth in the applicable award agreement, employment agreement or Parent Omnibus Plan (a “Parent Change in Control”), and (y) with respect to SpinCo Awards, shall be deemed to refer to a “Change in Control” as defined in the SpinCo Omnibus Plan (a “SpinCo Change in Control”). Without limiting the foregoing, with respect to provisions related to vesting of awards, a Parent Change in Control shall be treated as a SpinCo Change in Control for purposes of SpinCo Awards held by Parent Group Employees, Former Employees (to the extent applicable) and Parent nonemployee directors, and a SpinCo Change in Control shall be treated as a Parent Change in Control for purposes of Post-Separation Parent Awards held by SpinCo Group Employees and Transferred Directors.

(ii) Any determination in respect of a Post-Separation Parent RSU Award and SpinCo RSU Award which in either case was adjusted from a Parent RSU Award, in each case, granted to the holder pursuant to the Parent Omnibus Plan or the SpinCo Omnibus Plan, as applicable, and this Section 4.02, shall be made by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Party to which the holder provides services immediately after the Effective Time (Parent or SpinCo, as applicable); provided that any such determination shall apply uniformly to both the applicable Post-Separation Parent Award and the corresponding SpinCo RSU Award held by such holder.

 

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(e) Settlement; Tax Reporting and Withholding.

(i) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 4.02(e), after the Effective Time, Post-Separation Parent Awards, regardless of by whom held, shall be settled by Parent, and SpinCo Awards, regardless of by whom held, shall be settled by SpinCo.

(ii) Upon the vesting, payment or settlement, as applicable, of SpinCo Awards, SpinCo shall be solely responsible for ensuring the satisfaction of all applicable Tax withholding requirements with respect to the SpinCo Awards. Upon the vesting, payment or settlement, as applicable, of Post-Separation Parent Awards, Parent shall be solely responsible for ensuring the satisfaction of all applicable Tax withholding requirements with respect to the Post-Separation Parent Awards.

(f) Cooperation. Each of the Parties shall establish an appropriate administration system to administer, in an orderly manner, (i) exercises of vested Post-Separation Parent Options and SpinCo Options, (ii) the vesting and forfeiture of unvested Post-Separation Parent Awards and SpinCo Awards, and (iii) the withholding and reporting requirements with respect to all awards. Each of the Parties shall work together to unify and consolidate all indicative data and payroll and employment information on regular timetables and make certain that each applicable Person’s data and records in respect of such awards are correct and updated on a timely basis. The foregoing shall include employment status and information required for vesting and forfeiture of awards and Tax withholding/remittance, compliance with trading windows and compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act and other applicable Laws.

(g) Registration and Other Regulatory Requirements. SpinCo agrees to file the appropriate registration statements with respect to, and to cause to be registered pursuant to the Securities Act, the SpinCo Shares authorized for issuance under the SpinCo Omnibus Plan, as required pursuant to the Securities Act, not later than the Effective Time and in any event before the date of issuance of any SpinCo Shares pursuant to the SpinCo Omnibus Plan. The Parties shall take such additional actions as are deemed necessary or advisable to effectuate the foregoing provisions of this Section 4.02(g), including to the extent applicable, compliance with securities Laws and other legal requirements associated with equity compensation awards in affected non-U.S. jurisdictions.

Section 4.03. Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

(a) Effective as of the Distribution Date, SpinCo shall establish an employee stock purchase plan (the “SpinCo ESPP”) that will provide benefits that are similar to those provided under the Parent 2001 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Parent ESPP”) immediately before the Distribution Date.

(b) Effective as of the Distribution Date, Parent shall amend the Parent ESPP to provide that any amounts contributed by SpinCo Group Employees to the Parent ESPP shall be transferred to SpinCo and shall be applied to the purchase of SpinCo Shares under the SpinCo ESPP. The rights to purchase Parent Shares, which have been earned under the Parent ESPP shall be converted, in accordance with the procedures described in Section 4.02(a)(ii) and applicable law, into rights to purchase SpinCo Shares under the SpinCo ESPP effective as of the Distribution Date with respect to a number of SpinCo Shares and at a price determined on the same basis as under Section 4.02(a)(ii). The initial “purchase period” under the SpinCo ESPP will end on the same date that such period is scheduled to end under the Parent ESPP. Additional purchase periods under the SpinCo ESPP will be subject to the terms and conditions determined by SpinCo in its sole discretion.

 

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Section 4.04. Nonequity Incentive Practices and Plans

(a) Corporate Bonus Practices.

(i) The SpinCo Group shall be responsible for determining all bonus awards that would otherwise be payable under the SpinCo Non-Equity Incentive Practices to SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees for any performance periods that are open when the Effective Time occurs. The SpinCo Group shall also determine for SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees (A) the extent to which established performance criteria (as interpreted by the SpinCo Group, in its sole discretion) have been met, and (B) the payment level for each SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee. The SpinCo Group shall assume all Liabilities with respect to any such bonus awards payable to SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees for any performance periods that are open when the Effective Time occurs and thereafter, and no member of the Parent Group shall have any obligations with respect thereto except as provided in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

(ii) The Parent Group shall be responsible for determining all bonus awards that would otherwise be payable under the Parent Non-Equity Incentive Practices to Parent Group Employees or Former Parent Group Employees for any performance periods that are open when the Effective Time occurs. The Parent Group shall also determine for Parent Group Employees or Former Parent Group Employees (A) the extent to which established performance criteria (as interpreted by the Parent Group, in its sole discretion) have been met, and (B) the payment level for each Parent Group Employee or Former Parent Group Employee. The Parent Group shall retain (or assume as necessary) all Liabilities with respect to any such bonus awards payable to Parent Group Employees or Former Parent Group Employees for any performance periods that are open when the Effective Time occurs and thereafter, and no member of the SpinCo Group shall have any obligations with respect thereto.

(b) Parent Retained Bonus Plans. No later than the Effective Time, the Parent Group shall continue to retain (or assume as necessary) any incentive plan for the exclusive benefit of Parent Group Employees and Former Parent Group Employees, whether or not sponsored by the Parent Group, and, from and after the Effective Time, shall be solely responsible for all Liabilities thereunder.

(c) SpinCo Retained Bonus Plans. No later than the Effective Time, the SpinCo Group shall continue to retain (or assume as necessary) any incentive plan for the exclusive benefit of SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees, whether or not sponsored by the SpinCo Group, and, from and after the Effective Time, shall be solely responsible for all Liabilities thereunder.

 

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Section 4.05. Director Compensation. Parent shall be responsible for the payment of any fees for service on the Parent Board that are payable at, before, or after the Effective Time, and SpinCo shall not have any responsibility for any such payments. With respect to any SpinCo nonemployee director, SpinCo shall be responsible for the payment of any fees for service on the SpinCo Board that are payable at any time after the Effective Time and Parent shall not have any responsibility for any such payments.

ARTICLE V

QUALIFIED RETIREMENT PLAN

Section 5.01. SpinCo 401(k) Plan.

(a) Establishment of Plan. Effective on or before the Distribution Date, the SpinCo Board shall adopt and establish the SpinCo 401(k) Plan and a related trust (the “SpinCo 401(k) Trust”), which shall be intended to meet the tax qualification requirements of Section 401(a) of the Code, the tax exemption requirement of Section 501(a) of the Code, and the requirements described in Sections 401(k) and (m) of the Code and which through December 31, 2021 shall have substantially the similar terms in all material respects as of immediately prior to the Distribution Date as the Parent 401(k) Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, SpinCo may make such changes, modifications or amendments to the SpinCo 401(k) Plan as may be required by applicable Law or as are necessary and appropriate to reflect the Separation or which result from vendor limitations. Before the Distribution Date, SpinCo shall provide Parent with (i) a copy of the SpinCo 401(k) Plan, SpinCo 401(k) Trust and favorable opinion regarding the tax-qualified status of the form of the SpinCo 401(k) Plan and (ii) a copy of certified resolutions of the SpinCo Board (or its authorized committee or other delegate) evidencing adoption of the SpinCo 401(k) Plan and SpinCo 401(k) Trust and the assumption by the SpinCo 401(k) Plan of the Liabilities described in Sections 5.01(b) and (c).

(b) Transfer of Account Balances. No later than thirty (30) days following the Effective Time (or such other times as mutually agreed to by the parties), Parent shall cause the trustee of the Parent 401(k) Plan to transfer from the trust which forms a part of the Parent 401(k) Plan to the SpinCo 401(k) Trust, the account balances of SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees under the Parent 401(k) Plan, determined as of the date of the transfer. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, such transfers shall be made in kind, including promissory notes evidencing the transfer of outstanding loans. Any Asset and Liability transfers pursuant to this Section 5.01 shall comply in all respects with Sections 414(l) and 411(d)(6) of the Code and if required, shall be made not less than thirty (30) days after Parent shall have filed the notice under Section 6058(b) of the Code. The parties agree that to the extent that any Assets are not transferred in kind, the assets transferred will be mapped into an appropriate investment vehicle.

(c) Transfer of Liabilities. Effective as of the Effective Time but subject to the Asset transfer specified in Section 5.01(b) above, the SpinCo 401(k) Plan shall assume and be solely responsible for all the Liabilities for or relating to SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees under the Parent 401(k) Plan. SpinCo shall be responsible for all ongoing rights of or relating to SpinCo Group Employees for future participation (including the right to make payroll deductions) in the SpinCo 401(k) Plan.

 

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(d) SpinCo 401(k) Plan Provisions. The SpinCo 401(k) Plan shall provide that:

(i) SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees shall be eligible to participate in the SpinCo 401(k) Plan as of the Effective Time to the extent that they were eligible to participate in the Parent 401(k) Plan as of immediately prior to the Effective Time;

(ii) the account balance of each SpinCo Group Employee and Former SpinCo Group Employees under the Parent 401(k) Plan as of the date of the transfer of Assets from the Parent 401(k) Plan (including any outstanding promissory notes relating to outstanding loans) shall be credited to such individual’s account under the SpinCo 401(k) Plan; and

(iii) the SpinCo 401(k) Plan shall assume and honor the terms of all QDROs in effect under the Parent 401(k) Plan in respect of SpinCo Group Employees and Former SpinCo Group Employees immediately prior to the Effective Time.

(iv) Plan Fiduciaries. For all periods at and after the Effective Time, the parties agree that the applicable fiduciaries of each of the Parent 401(k) Plan and the SpinCo 401(k) Plan, respectively, shall have the authority with respect to the Parent 401(k) Plan and the SpinCo 401(k) Plan, respectively, to determine the investment alternatives, the terms and conditions with respect to those investment alternatives and such other matters as are within the scope of their duties under ERISA and the terms of the applicable plan documents.

(e) No Distributions. No SpinCo Group Employee shall be entitled to a right to a distribution of his or her benefit under the Parent 401(k) Plan as a result of his or her transfer of employment from the Parent Group to the SpinCo Group nor as a result of the completion of the Separation.

ARTICLE VI

WELFARE BENEFIT PLANS

Section 6.01. Welfare Plans.

(a) Establishment of SpinCo Welfare Plans. Except as otherwise provided in this Article VII, as of the Effective Time, SpinCo shall establish the SpinCo Welfare Plans pursuant to Section 2.02(a) that generally correspond to the Parent Welfare Plans in which such SpinCo Group Employees participate immediately prior to the Effective Time. Through December 31, 2018, the SpinCo Welfare Plans shall have terms substantially similar in all material respects to those of the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans listed on Schedule 7.01(a), and in all cases, with such changes, modifications or amendments as may be required by applicable Law or as are necessary and appropriate to reflect the Separation. In addition, SpinCo or members of the SpinCo Group shall retain the right to modify, amend, alter or terminate the terms of any SpinCo Welfare Plan to the same extent that the Parent Group had such rights under the corresponding Parent Welfare Plan.

 

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(b) Waiver of Conditions; Benefit Maximums. To the extent commercially available, SpinCo shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the SpinCo Welfare Plans to:

(i) with respect to initial enrollment as of the Effective Time, waive (x) all limitations as to preexisting conditions, exclusions, and service conditions with respect to participation and coverage requirements applicable to any SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee, other than limitations that were in effect with respect to the SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee under the applicable Parent Welfare Plan as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, and (y) any waiting period limitation or evidence of insurability requirement applicable to a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee other than limitations or requirements that were in effect with respect to such SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee under the applicable Parent Welfare Plans as of immediately prior to the Effective Time; and

(ii) take into account (x) with respect to aggregate annual, lifetime, or similar maximum benefits available under the SpinCo Welfare Plans, a SpinCo Group Employee’s or Former SpinCo Group Employee’s prior claim experience under the Parent Welfare Plans and any Benefit Plan that provides leave benefits; and (y) any eligible expenses incurred by a SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee and his or her covered dependents during the portion of the plan year of the applicable Parent Welfare Plan ending as of the Effective Time to be taken into account under such SpinCo Welfare Plan for purposes of satisfying all deductible, coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket requirements applicable to such SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee and his or her covered dependents for the applicable plan year to the same extent as such expenses were taken into account by Parent for similar purposes prior to the Effective Time as if such amounts had been paid in accordance with such SpinCo Welfare Plan.

(c) Flexible Spending Accounts. As of no later than the Effective Time, SpinCo shall establish SpinCo Welfare Plans that shall provide health or dependent care flexible spending account benefits to SpinCo Group Employees on and after the Effective Time (collectively, the “SpinCo Flex Plan”). The Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that as of the Effective Time any health and dependent care flexible spending accounts of SpinCo Group Employees (whether positive or negative) (the “Transferred Account Balances”) under Parent Welfare Plans are transferred as soon as practicable after the Effective Time, from the Parent Welfare Plans to the SpinCo Flex Plan. Such SpinCo Flex Plan shall assume responsibility as of the Effective Time for all outstanding health or dependent care claims under the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans of each SpinCo Group Employee for the year in which the Effective Time occurs and shall assume and agree to perform the obligations of the corresponding Parent Welfare Plans from and after the Effective Time.

 

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(d) Allocation of Welfare Plan Assets and Liabilities. Effective as of the Effective Time, the Parent Group shall retain or assume, as applicable, and be responsible for all assets (including any insurance contracts, policies or other funding vehicles) and Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from health and welfare coverage or claims incurred by or on behalf of Parent Group Employees or Former Parent Group Employees under the Parent Welfare Plans or SpinCo Welfare Plans before, at, or after the Effective Time, and the SpinCo Group shall retain or assume, as applicable, and be responsible for all assets (including any insurance contracts, policies or other funding vehicles) and Liabilities relating to, arising out of or resulting from health and welfare coverage or claims incurred by or on behalf of SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees under the SpinCo Welfare Plans or Parent Welfare Plans before, at, or after the Effective Time. No SpinCo Welfare Plan shall provide coverage to any Parent Group Employee or Former Parent Group Employee after the Effective Time, and no Parent Welfare Plan shall provide coverage to any SpinCo Group Employee or Former SpinCo Group Employee after the Effective Time.

Section 6.02. COBRA. The Parent Group shall continue to be responsible for complying with, and providing coverage pursuant to, the health care continuation requirements of COBRA, and the corresponding provisions of the Parent Welfare Plans with respect to any Parent Group Employees and any Former Parent Group Employees (and their covered dependents) who incur a qualifying event under COBRA before, as of, or after the Effective Time. Effective as of the Effective Time, the SpinCo Group shall assume responsibility for complying with, and providing coverage pursuant to, the health care continuation requirements of COBRA, and the corresponding provisions of the SpinCo Welfare Plans with respect to any SpinCo Group Employees or Former SpinCo Group Employees (and their covered dependents) who incur a qualifying event or loss of coverage under the SpinCo Welfare Plans and/or the Parent Welfare Plans before, as of, or after the Effective Time. The Parties agree that the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall not constitute a COBRA qualifying event for any purpose of COBRA.

Section 6.03. Vacation, Holidays and Leaves of Absence. Effective as of no later than the Effective Time, the SpinCo Group shall assume all Liabilities of the SpinCo Group with respect to vacation, holiday, annual leave or other leave of absence, and required payments related thereto, for each SpinCo Group Employee, unless otherwise required by applicable Law. The Parent Group shall retain all Liabilities with respect to vacation, holiday, annual leave or other leave of absence, and required payments related thereto, for each Parent Group Employee.

Section 6.04. Workers Compensation. The treatment of workers’ compensation claims shall be governed by Section 5.1 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Section 6.05. Insurance Contracts. To the extent that any Welfare Plan is funded through the purchase of an insurance contract or is subject to any stop loss contract, the Parties shall cooperate and use their commercially reasonable efforts to replicate such insurance contracts for SpinCo or Parent as applicable (except to the extent that changes are required under applicable Law or filings by the respective insurers) and to maintain any pricing discounts or other preferential terms for both Parent and SpinCo for a reasonable term. Neither Party shall be liable for failure to obtain such insurance contracts, pricing discounts, or other preferential terms for the other Party. Each Party shall be responsible for any additional premiums, charges, or administrative fees that such Party may incur pursuant to this Section 6.05.

 

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Section 6.06. Third-Party Vendors. Except as provided below, to the extent that any Welfare Plan is administered by a third- party vendor, the Parties shall cooperate and use their commercially reasonable efforts to replicate any contract with such third-party vendor for Parent or SpinCo, as applicable and to maintain any pricing discounts or other preferential terms for both Parent and SpinCo for a reasonable term. Neither Party shall be liable for failure to obtain such pricing discounts or other preferential terms for the other Party. Each Party shall be responsible for any additional premiums, charges, or administrative fees that such Party may incur pursuant to this Section 6.06.

ARTICLE VII

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 7.01. Preservation of Rights to Amend. Except as set forth in this Agreement, the rights of each member of the Parent Group and each member of the SpinCo Group to amend, waive, or terminate any plan, arrangement, agreement, program, or policy referred to herein shall not be limited in any way by this Agreement.

Section 7.02. Fiduciary Matters. Parent and SpinCo each acknowledge that actions required to be taken pursuant to this Agreement may be subject to fiduciary duties or standards of conduct under ERISA or other applicable Law, and no Party shall be deemed to be in violation of this Agreement if it fails to comply with any provisions hereof based upon its good faith determination (as supported by advice from counsel experienced in such matters) that to do so would violate such a fiduciary duty or standard. Each Party shall be responsible for taking such actions as are deemed necessary and appropriate to comply with its own fiduciary responsibilities and shall fully release and indemnify the other Party for any Liabilities caused by the failure to satisfy any such responsibility.

Section 7.03. Further Assurances. Each Party hereto shall take, or cause to be taken, any and all reasonable actions, including the execution, acknowledgment, filing and delivery of any and all documents and instruments that any other Party hereto may reasonably request in order to effect the intent and purpose of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.

Section 7.04. Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power.

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

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

 

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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 to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and

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

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

Section 7.05. Governing Law. This Agreement (and any claims or disputes arising out of or related hereto or to the transactions contemplated hereby or to the inducement of any Party to enter herein, whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise and whether predicated on common law, statute or otherwise) shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware, irrespective of the choice of laws principles of the State of Delaware, including all matters of validity, construction, effect, enforceability, performance and remedies.

Section 7.06. Assignability. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and all other Ancillary Agreements (except as may be otherwise provided in any such Ancillary Agreement) in whole (i.e., the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and all Ancillary Agreements at the same time) in connection with a change of control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant party thereto by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party.

 

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Section 7.07. Third-Party Beneficiaries. The provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties and are not intended to confer upon any Person except the Parties any rights or remedies hereunder. There are no third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall not provide any Third Party with any remedy, claim, Liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to amend any employee benefit plan or affect the applicable plan sponsor’s right to amend or terminate any employee benefit plan pursuant to the terms of such plan. The provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties, and no current or former Employee, officer, director, or independent contractor or any other individual associated therewith shall be regarded for any purpose as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement.

Section 7.08. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by certified mail, return receipt requested or by electronic mail (e-mail) so long as the confirmation of receipt of such e-mail is requested and received, to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 7.08):

If to Parent, to:

Ziff Davis, Inc.

114 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10011

Attention:     Legal Department

E-mail:         legal@j2.com

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

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention:     Legal Department

E-mail:         legal@j2.com

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

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention:     Legal Department

E-mail:         vithya.aubee@j2.com

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

 

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Section 7.09. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to any Person or circumstance is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof, or the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby. Upon such determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon such a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the Parties.

Section 7.10. 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 to which any delay or failure in the fulfillment of such obligation is prevented, frustrated, hindered or delayed as a consequence of circumstances of Force Majeure. In the event of any such excused delay, the time for performance of such obligations (other than a payment obligation) shall be extended for a period equal to the time lost by reason of the delay. A Party claiming the benefit of this provision shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the occurrence of any such event, (a) provide written notice to the other Party of the nature and extent of any such Force Majeure condition; and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to remove any such causes and resume performance under this Agreement as soon as reasonably practicable.

Section 7.11. Headings. The article, section and paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

Section 7.12. Survival of Covenants. Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, the covenants, representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and Liability for the breach of any obligations contained herein, shall survive the Separation and Distribution and shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 7.13. Waivers of Default. Waiver by a Party of any default by the other Party of any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver by the waiving Party of any subsequent or other default, nor shall it prejudice the rights of the other Party. No failure or delay by a Party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof prejudice any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

Section 7.14. Dispute Resolution. The dispute resolution procedures set forth in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement shall apply to any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

Section 7.15. Specific Performance. Subject to the provisions of Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, in the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement, the Party or Parties who are, or are to be, thereby aggrieved shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief in respect of its or their rights under this Agreement, in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and

 

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remedies shall be cumulative. The Parties agree that the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach, including monetary damages, are inadequate compensation for any loss and that any defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate is waived. Any requirements for the securing or posting of any bond with such remedy are waived by each of the Parties.

Section 7.16. Amendments. No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification.

Section 7.17. Interpretation. In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires; (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto and thereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement, unless otherwise specified; (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement) shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes (including all Schedules, Exhibits and Appendixes) thereto; (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 the United States or Los Angeles, California; (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; and (j) unless expressly stated to the contrary in this Agreement, all references to “the date hereof,” “the date of this Agreement,” “hereby” and “hereupon” and words of similar import shall all be references to October 7, 2021.

Section 7.18. Limitations of Liability. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group, on the one hand, nor Parent or any member of the Parent Group, on the other hand, shall be liable under this Agreement to the other for any indirect, incidental, punitive, exemplary, remote, speculative or similar damages in excess of compensatory damages of the other arising in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby (other than any such Liability with respect to a Third-Party Claim).

Section 7.19. Mutual Drafting. This Agreement shall be deemed to be the joint work product of the Parties and any rule of construction that a document shall be interpreted or construed against a drafter of such document shall not be applicable.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

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

 

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeremy Rossen

  Name:   Jeremy Rossen
  Title:   Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel

 

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CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Vithya Aubee

  Name:  

Vithya Aubee

  Title:  

Vice President

 

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Exhibit 10.4

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LICENSE AGREEMENT

This INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LICENSE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of October 7, 2021, is by and between Ziff Davis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo”). Parent and SpinCo are individually referred to herein as a “Party,” and collectively as the “Parties.”

R E C I T A L S:

WHEREAS, the Parties entered into the Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of October 7, 2021 (the “Separation and Distribution Agreement”), pursuant to which SpinCo was separated from Parent and incorporated as a new publicly traded company;

WHEREAS, the Separation and Distribution Agreement requires the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Parties as of the Effective Time;

WHEREAS, in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Parent desires to grant to SpinCo and its Subsidiaries a license under certain intellectual property owned and controlled by Parent, and SpinCo and its Subsidiaries desire to receive such license for use in a manner consistent with each Party’s current practice as of the date of this Agreement); and

WHEREAS, in accordance with and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, SpinCo desires to grant to Parent and its Subsidiaries a license under certain intellectual property owned and controlled by SpinCo, and Parent and its Subsidiaries desire to receive such license for use in a manner consistent with each Party’s current practice as of the date of this Agreement).

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

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

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

Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

Bankruptcy Code” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.19.

Dispute” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.16.


Improvements” means improvements, enhancements, or modifications to, or derivative works of, the Intellectual Property.

Intellectual Property” means all of the following whether arising under the Laws of the United States or of any foreign or multinational jurisdiction: (a) works of authorship and copyrights, including Software and Internet websites, (“Copyrights”); (b) patents and patent applications, including all reissues, divisions, renewals, extensions, provisionals, continuations and continuations-in-part thereof, (“Patents”); (c) trade secrets, invention disclosures, processes and know-how and any rights therein and thereto, (“Know-How”); (d) other intellectual property rights (“Other IP”); and (e) all registrations and applications to register all of the foregoing. For the purposes of this Agreement, Intellectual Property does not include trademarks, service marks, logos, trade names, trade dress, Internet domain names, accounts or “handles” with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or similar social media platforms, or other indicia of origin, or the goodwill associated with any or all of the foregoing or symbolized thereby (“Marks”).

Licensed IP” means the Parent Licensed IP or SpinCo Licensed IP, as applicable.

Parent” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

Parent Licensed IP” means all Intellectual Property owned, licensable, or sublicensable the Parent or any member of the Parent Group as of the Effective Time.

Party” or “Parties” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

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.

SpinCo Licensed IP” means all Intellectual Property owned, licensable, or sublicensable SpinCo or any member of the SpinCo Group as of the Effective Time.

ARTICLE II

LICENSE

Section 2.01. SpinCo License. Parent, on behalf of itself and Parent Group, hereby grants to SpinCo and SpinCo Group a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable (subject to Section 4.02), royalty-free, fully paid-up, worldwide, non-transferrable (except in accordance with Section 7.09), non-sublicensable (except as provided in Section 2.03) license: (a) under the Parent Licensed IP (including all Improvements thereto) to make, have made, use (including the right to practice any method which is involved in the use), import, offer for sale, sell and otherwise dispose of products and services of the SpinCo Business as of the Effective Time and any natural evolutions and extensions thereof; and (b) to reproduce, create derivative works of, distribute (including digital distribution), perform and display the Parent Licensed IP (including all Improvements thereto) solely as used in the SpinCo Business as of the Effective Time and any natural evolutions and extensions thereof.

 

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Section 2.02. Parent License. SpinCo, on behalf of itself and SpinCo Group, hereby grants to Parent and Parent Group a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable (subject to Section 4.02), royalty-free, fully paid-up, worldwide, non-transferrable (except in accordance with Section 7.09), non-sublicensable (except as provided in Section 2.03) license under the SpinCo Licensed IP: (a) under the SpinCo Licensed IP to make, have made, use (including the right to practice any method which is involved in the use), import, offer for sale, sell and otherwise dispose of products and services of the Parent Business and any natural evolutions and extensions thereof; and (b) to reproduce, create derivative works of, distribute (including digital distribution), perform and display the SpinCo Licensed IP (including all Improvements thereto) solely as used in the Parent Business and any natural evolutions and extensions thereof.

Section 2.03. Sublicensing Rights. The rights granted in Section 2.01 and Section 2.02, respectively, include the right to grant sublicenses, within the scope of the licenses granted in Section 2.01 and Section 2.02, respectively, through multiple tiers, to any of a Party’s or its Group members’: (i) customers or end-users in connection with any products or services provided by such Party or its Group members in substantially the same manner that such sublicenses were granted by such Party or its Group members as of the Effective Time and (ii) suppliers, distributors, contractors and consultants as necessary or useful to exercise the license rights granted to such Party or Group members under Section 2.01 and Section 2.02, respectively.

Section 2.04. Improvements. As between the Parties and their Group members, all title and ownership rights, including all Intellectual Property rights, throughout the world in any Improvements first conceived and reduced to practice by a Party hereunder shall vest in such Party.

Section 2.05. Maintenance. Neither Party, nor any of its Group members, is required to provide the other Party with any maintenance, support or other services with respect to the Licensed IP hereunder.

Section 2.06. Foundry Activities. SpinCo and Parent, respectively, understand and acknowledge that the rights and licenses granted hereunder are intended to cover only the products and services of SpinCo and SpinCo Group, and the products and services of the Parent and Parent Group, respectively. The rights and licenses granted in Section 2.01 and Section 2.02, respectively, shall not apply in any way to specifications obtained from a Third Party for products sold, directly or indirectly, to or on behalf of such Third Party or permit a Party to be a foundry for Third Parties.

Section 2.07. Reservation of Rights. In no event shall anything set forth herein be deemed to grant a Party any right or license, express or implied, with respect to the Marks of the other Party, and except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, neither Party nor any Parent Group members shall have any rights or licenses hereunder, express or implied, with respect to any Intellectual Property, owned, licensed or sublicensed by the other Party or any of such other Party’s Group members. Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, all rights, licenses, title and interests not expressly granted in this Agreement are expressly reserved by each applicable Party and its Group members.

 

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ARTICLE III

COVENANTS

Section 3.01. Ownership. The Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that, as between the Parties, Parent shall be the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in and to the Parent Licensed IP, and SpinCo shall be the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in and to the SpinCo Licensed IP. Each Party agrees not to represent to any Third Party that such Party has any ownership interest in the Licensed IP of the other Party.

Section 3.02. Prosecution and Maintenance. Each Party retains the sole right (but not the obligation) to protect in its sole discretion the Licensed IP owned or controlled by such Party, including deciding whether and how to file and prosecute applications for registration, whether to abandon prosecution of such applications and whether to pay or not pay any maintenance or renewal fees.

Section 3.03. Subsidiaries. Each Party shall cause all of its Group members to comply with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

ARTICLE IV

TERM AND TERMINATION

Section 4.01. Term. This Agreement, including the licenses granted hereunder, shall become effective on the Effective Time and shall continue thereafter in full force and effect unless and until terminated pursuant to Section 4.02 or the expiration of the last to expire of the SpinCo Licensed IP and the Parent Licensed IP, whichever is earlier.

Section 4.02. Termination. This Agreement may only be terminated upon the written agreement of the Parties. In the event of a breach of this Agreement, the sole and exclusive remedy of the non-breaching Party shall be to recover monetary damages and/or to obtain injunctive or other equitable relief.

Section 4.03. Survival. Article I, Section 2.01 (solely with respect to activity prior to the date of termination), Section 2.02 (solely with respect to activity prior to the date of termination), Section 2.04, Section 2.07, Article III, this Section 4.03, Article V, Article VI and Article VII shall survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement.

ARTICLE V

DISCLAIMER; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Section 5.01. Disclaimer. EACH PARTY (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND EACH MEMBER OF ITS GROUP) ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT, UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, ALL PARENT LICENSED IP AND ALL SPINCO LICENSED IP IS LICENSED ON AN “AS IS, WHERE IS” BASIS AND THAT NEITHER SPINCO NOR ANY SPINCO GROUP MEMBER, NOR PARENT NOR ANY PARENT GROUP MEMBER, HAS MADE OR MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WHATSOEVER WITH RESPECT TO THE LICENSED IP, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, ENFORCEABILITY OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

 

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Section 5.02. Limitation on Liability. IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY OR MEMBERS OF ITS GROUP BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY OR ITS RESPECTIVE GROUP MEMBERS FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR DAMAGES BASED ON LOST PROFITS, IN EACH CASE, HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

ARTICLE VI

CONFIDENTIALITY

Section 6.01. Parent and SpinCo Obligations. Subject to Section 6.03, each Party, on behalf of itself and each of its Group members, agrees to hold, and to cause its respective Representatives to hold, in strict confidence, with at least the same degree of care that applies to Parent’s Confidential Information pursuant to policies in effect as of the Effective Time, all Confidential Information included in the Licensed IP, and shall not use any such Confidential Information other than for such purposes as may be expressly permitted hereunder.

Section 6.02. No Release; Return or Destruction. Each Party agrees (a) not to release or disclose, or permit to be released or disclosed, any Confidential Information included in the Licensed IP of the other Party to any other Person, except its Representatives who need to know such Confidential Information in their capacities as such (who shall be advised of their obligations hereunder with respect to such Confidential Information) and (b) to use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain such Confidential Information in accordance with Section 6.4 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Section 6.03. Protective Arrangements. In the event that a Party or any of its Group members either determines on the advice of its counsel that it is required to disclose any information pursuant to applicable Law or receives any request or demand under lawful process or from any Governmental Authority to disclose or provide information of the other Party (or any of its Group members) 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.

 

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Section 6.04. Exclusions. A Party’s confidentiality obligations set forth herein with respect to the other Party’s Confidential Information included in the Licensed IP do not apply to the extent such Confidential Information: (a) is in the public domain or is generally available to the public, other than as a result of a disclosure by such Party or any of its Group members or any of their respective Representatives in violation of this Agreement; (b) is lawfully acquired from other sources by such Party or any of its Group members, which sources are not themselves known by such Party or any of its Group members to be bound by a confidentiality obligation or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of confidentiality with respect to such Confidential Information; or (c) is independently developed or generated without reference to or use of such Confidential Information of the other Party or any of its Group members.

ARTICLE VII

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 7.01. Export Restrictions. Each Party shall adhere to all applicable Laws relating to the export of technical data, and shall not export or re-export any technical data, any products received from the other Party, or the direct product of such technical data, to any proscribed country listed in such applicable Laws, unless permitted thereby and in accordance with any associated requirements.

Section 7.02. Mutual Cooperation. Each Party shall, and shall cause its Group members to, cooperate with the other Party and its Group members in connection with the performance of this Agreement; provided that: (a) such cooperation shall not unreasonably disrupt the normal operations of such Party or its Group members; and (b) this Section 7.02 shall not require such Party to incur any out-of-pocket costs or expenses, unless and except as expressly provided in this Agreement or otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties.

Section 7.03. Further Assurances. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, each Party shall take, or cause to be taken, any and all reasonable actions, including the execution, acknowledgment, filing and delivery of any and all documents and instruments that any other Party may reasonably request in order to effect the intent and purpose of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.

Section 7.04. Audit Assistance. Each of the Parties and their respective Group members are or may be subject to regulation and audit by a Governmental Authority, standards organizations, customers or other parties to contracts with such Parties or their respective Group members under applicable Law, standards or contract provisions. If a Governmental Authority, standards organization, customer or other party to a contract with a Party or its Group member exercises its right to examine or audit such Party’s or its Group member’s books, records, documents or accounting practices and procedures pursuant to such applicable Law, standards or contract provisions, and such examination or audit relates to the Intellectual Property, then the other Party shall provide, at the sole cost and expense of the requesting Party, all assistance reasonably requested by the Party that is subject to the examination or audit in responding to such examination or audits or requests for Information, to the extent that such assistance or Information is within the reasonable control of the cooperating Party and is related to the Intellectual Property.

 

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Section 7.05. Title to Intellectual Property. Except as expressly provided for under the terms of this Agreement or the Separation and Distribution Agreement, each Party acknowledges that it shall acquire no right, title or interest (including any license rights or rights of use) in any Intellectual Property that is owned or licensed by the other Party. Each Party shall not remove or alter any copyright, trademark, confidentiality or other proprietary notices that appear on any Intellectual Property owned or licensed by the other Party, and each Party shall reproduce any such notices on any and all copies thereof. Each Party shall not attempt to decompile, translate, reverse engineer or make excessive copies of any Intellectual Property owned or licensed by the other Party, and shall promptly notify the other Party of any such attempt, regardless of whether by the Party or any Third Party, of which the Party becomes aware.

Section 7.06. Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power.

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

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

(c) Parent represents on behalf of itself and, to the extent applicable, each Parent Group member, and SpinCo represents on behalf of itself and, to the extent applicable, each SpinCo Group member, that: (i) each such Person has the requisite corporate or other power and authority and has taken all corporate or other action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; and (ii) this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of it and is enforceable in accordance with the terms hereof.

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

 

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

Section 7.08. Consent to Jurisdiction. Each of the Parties irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that any legal action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement and the rights and obligations arising hereunder, or for recognition and enforcement of any judgment in respect of this Agreement and the rights and obligations arising hereunder brought by a Party, shall be brought and determined exclusively in the federal and state courts sitting in the State of Delaware. Each of the Parties hereby irrevocably submits, generally and unconditionally, to the personal jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts and agrees that it will not bring any action relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in any court other than the aforesaid courts. Each of the Parties hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense, counterclaim or otherwise, in any action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement, (a) any argument that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of the above named courts for any reason other than the failure to serve in accordance with this Section 7.08, (b) any argument that it or its property is exempt or immune from jurisdiction of any such court or from any legal process commenced in such courts (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution of judgment, execution of judgment or otherwise) and (c) to the fullest extent permitted by the applicable Law, any argument that (i) the suit, action or proceeding in such court is brought in an inconvenient forum, (ii) the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper or (iii) this Agreement, or the subject matter hereof, may not be enforced in or by such courts. Notwithstanding the above, this paragraph shall not prohibit either Party from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Section 7.09. Assignability. 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement and the other Ancillary Agreements in whole (i.e., the assignment of a Party’s rights and obligations under the Separation and Distribution Agreement, this Agreement and all of the other Ancillary Agreements all at the same time) (a) to an Affiliate or (b) in connection with a merger, consolidation or other business combination of a Party with or into any other Person or a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of a Party to another Person, in each case so long as the resulting, surviving or acquiring Person assumes all of the obligations of the relevant Party by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party.

Section 7.10. Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the Parties and their permitted assigns and each Party intends that this Agreement shall not benefit, or create a right or cause of action in or on behalf of, any person or entity other than the Parties, their permitted assigns.

 

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Section 7.11. Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and except as provided herein shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by certified mail, return receipt requested, by facsimile, or by electronic mail (“e-mail”), so long as confirmation of receipt of such e-mail is requested and received, to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 7.11):

If to Parent, to:

Ziff Davis, Inc.

114 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10011

Attention:     Legal Department

E-mail:         legal@j2.com

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

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention:     Legal Department

E-mail:         legal@j2.com

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

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention:     Legal Department

E-mail:         vithya.aubee@j2.com

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

Section 7.12. 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 the application of such provision to Persons or circumstances or in jurisdictions other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby. Upon such determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon such a suitable and equitable provision to effect the original intent of the Parties.

Section 7.13. Force Majeure. Neither Party shall be deemed in default of this Agreement for any delay or failure to fulfill any obligation (other than a payment obligation) hereunder so long as and to the extent to which any delay or failure in the fulfillment of such obligation is prevented, frustrated, hindered or delayed as a consequence of circumstances of Force Majeure. Without limiting the termination rights contained in this Agreement, in the event of any such

 

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excused delay, the time for performance of such obligation (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 Force Majeure: (a) provide written notice to the other Party of the nature and extent of such Force Majeure; and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to remove any such causes and resume performance under this Agreement as soon as reasonably practicable (and in no event later than the date that the affected Party resumes analogous performance under any other agreement for itself, its Group members or any Third Party), unless this Agreement has previously been terminated under Article IV or this Section 7.13.

Section 7.14. Headings. The Article and Section headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

Section 7.15. Waivers of Default. Waiver by a Party of any default by the other Party of any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver by the waiving Party of any subsequent or other default, nor shall it prejudice the rights of the waiving 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 right or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

Section 7.16. Dispute Resolution. In the event of any controversy, dispute or claim (a “Dispute”) arising out of or relating to any Party’s rights or obligations under this Agreement (whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise), such Dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution process referred to in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Section 7.17. Specific Performance. Subject to Section 7.16, in the event of any actual or threatened default in, or breach of, any of the terms, conditions and provisions of this Agreement, the Party thereby aggrieved shall have the right to specific performance and injunctive or other equitable relief (on an interim or permanent basis) in respect of its rights or their rights under this Agreement, in addition to any and all other rights and remedies at law or in equity, and all such rights and remedies shall be cumulative. The Parties agree that the remedies at law for any breach or threatened breach, 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 by each of the Parties. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the Parties shall honor all other commitments under this Agreement during the course of dispute resolution pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.16 and this Section 7.17 with respect to all matters not subject to such Dispute; provided that this obligation shall only exist during the term of this Agreement.

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

 

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Section 7.19. Bankruptcy. Should a Party become the subject of a bankruptcy or similar insolvency proceeding or any analogous proceeding in any jurisdiction to which such Party is subject, the other Party and its Group members shall be permitted to retain its licenses in the Intellectual Property licensed pursuant to this Agreement and to take appropriate action as may be reasonably required to retain such licenses. Without limiting the foregoing, all licenses granted to a Party and its Group members under this Agreement are, and shall otherwise be deemed to be, for purposes of Section 365(n) of the United States Bankruptcy Code, as amended (the “Bankruptcy Code”), licenses to rights to “intellectual property” as defined in the Bankruptcy Code. In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing: (a) upon the commencement of any bankruptcy proceeding by or against Parent or any Parent Group members under the Bankruptcy Code, SpinCo and SpinCo Group members may fully exercise all of their rights and elections under the Bankruptcy Code to retain the licensed rights granted to them by Parent pursuant to this Agreement and to use the Parent Licensed IP as in effect immediately prior to such proceeding, notwithstanding any rejection of this Agreement in any such proceeding, and (b) upon the commencement of any bankruptcy proceeding by or against SpinCo or any SpinCo Group member under the Bankruptcy Code, Parent and Parent Group members may fully exercise all of their rights and elections under the Bankruptcy Code to retain the licensed rights granted to them by SpinCo pursuant to this Agreement and to use the SpinCo Licensed IP as in effect immediately prior to such proceeding, notwithstanding any rejection of this Agreement in any such proceeding. No Party shall be deemed to have terminated this Agreement unless it has expressly done so in writing.

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

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

Remainder of page intentionally left blank.

 

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

 

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Jeremy Rossen

Name:  

Jeremy Rossen

Title:  

Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel

CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.
By:  

/s/ Vithya Aubee

Name:  

Vithya Aubee

Title:  

Vice President

Signature Page to Intellectual Property License Agreement

Exhibit 10.5

STOCKHOLDER AND REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

BY AND BETWEEN

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.

AND

CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.

DATED AS OF OCTOBER 7, 2021

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

 

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

     1  

ARTICLE II REGISTRATION RIGHTS

     6  

Section 2.01

  Registration      6  

Section 2.02

  Piggyback Registrations      10  

Section 2.03

  Registration Procedures      12  

Section 2.04

  Underwritten Offerings or Exchange Offers      17  

Section 2.05

  Registration Expenses Paid by SpinCo.      18  

Section 2.06

  Indemnification      21  

Section 2.07

  Reporting Requirements; Rule 144      21  

Section 2.08

  Registration Rights Covenant      21  

Section 2.09

  Registration Rights Agreement with Participating Banks   

ARTICLE III VOTING RESTRICTIONS

     21  

Section 3.01

  Voting of SpinCo Shares      21  

ARTICLE IV MISCELLANEOUS

     22  

Section 4.01

  Further Assurances      22  

Section 4.02

  Term and Termination      22  

Section 4.03

  Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power      22  

Section 4.04

  Disputes and Governing Law      23  

Section 4.05

  Successors, Assigns and Transferees      24  

Section 4.06

  Third-Party Beneficiaries      25  

Section 4.07

  Notices      25  

Section 4.08

  Severability      26  

Section 4.09

  Headings      26  

Section 4.10

  Waiver of Default      26  

Section 4.11

  Amendments      26  

Section 4.12

  Interpretation      27  

Section 4.13

  Performance      27  

Section 4.14

  Registrations, Exchanges, etc.      28  

Section 4.15

  Mutual Drafting      28  

Exhibit A – Form of Agreement to be Bound

     A-1  

 

 

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STOCKHOLDER AND REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This STOCKHOLDER AND REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of October 7, 2021 (this “Agreement”), is by and between Ziff Davis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“SpinCo”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in Article I.

R E C I T A L S

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent (the “Parent Board”) has determined that it is appropriate and desirable to distribute at least 80.1% of the outstanding SpinCo Shares owned by Parent to Parent’s shareholders (the “Distribution”);

WHEREAS, following the Distribution, Parent may effect distributions of any SpinCo Shares (as defined below) that are not distributed in the Distribution (such SpinCo Shares not distributed in the Distribution, the “Retained Shares”) to Parent stockholders as dividends or in exchange for outstanding shares of Parent common stock, or through one or more subsequent exchanges of SpinCo Shares for Parent debt held by Parent creditors, including pursuant to one or more transactions registered under the Securities Act;

WHEREAS, SpinCo desires to grant to the Parent Group the Registration Rights for the Retained Shares and other Registrable Securities, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Parent Group desires to grant SpinCo a proxy to vote the Retained Shares in proportion to the votes cast by SpinCo’s other stockholders, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement.

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

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

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

Affiliate” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

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

Ancillary Agreements” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

 

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Ancillary Filings” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.03(a)(i).

Blackout Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d).

Blackout Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d).

Block Trade” means an Underwritten Offering not involving any “road show” or other substantial marketing efforts by SpinCo, including, without limitation, a same day trade, overnight trade, bought deal or similar transaction.

Change of Control” with respect to a Person shall mean any occurrence resulting in (i) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities entitled to vote in the election of members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person having 50% or more of the then outstanding voting power of such Person; (ii) such Person becoming a party to a merger, consolidation, share exchange, reorganization, sale of assets or other similar extraordinary transaction, or a proxy contest, in each case as a consequence of which members of the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person in office immediately prior to such transaction or event constitute less than a majority of such board or other body thereafter; or (iii) during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the board of directors or similar governing body of such Person (including for this purpose any new director or similar person whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors or similar persons then still in office who served in such capacities at the beginning of such period, other than those such directors or similar persons appointed, or nominated for election, in connection with an actual or threatened proxy contest or other non-consensual attempt to influence or modify such board or other body) ceasing for any reason to constitute at least a majority of such board or other body.

Debt” shall mean any indebtedness of any member of the Parent Group, including debt securities, notes, credit facilities, credit agreements and other debt instruments, including, in each case, any amounts due thereunder.

Demand Registration” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(a).

Disadvantageous Condition” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(d).

Dispute” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.04(a).

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

Distribution Date” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Exchanges” shall mean one or more Public Exchanges or Private Exchanges.

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

Exchange Offer” shall mean an exchange offer of Registrable Securities for outstanding securities of a Holder.

FINRA” shall mean the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

 

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Governmental Authority” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Group” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Holder” shall mean any member of the Parent Group, so long as such Person holds any Registrable Securities, and any Permitted Transferee, so long as such Person holds any Registrable Securities.

Indemnifying Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.06(c).

Indemnitee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.06(c).

Initiating Holder” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(a).

Law” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Losses” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.06(a).

Offering Confidential Information” shall mean, with respect to a Piggyback Registration, (i) SpinCo’s plan to file the relevant Registration Statement and engage in the offering being registered, (ii) any information regarding the offering being registered (including the potential timing, price, number of shares, underwriters or other counterparties, selling stockholders or plan of distribution) and (iii) any other information (including information contained in draft supplements or amendments to offering materials) provided to any Holders by SpinCo (or by third parties) in connection with a Piggyback Registration; provided, that Offering Confidential Information shall not include information that (x) was or becomes generally available to the public (including as a result of the filing of the relevant Registration Statement) other than as a result of a disclosure by any Holder, (y) was or becomes available to any Holder from a source not bound by any confidentiality agreement with SpinCo or (z) was otherwise in such Holder’s possession prior to it being furnished to such Holder by SpinCo or on SpinCo’s behalf.

Other Holders” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(f).

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

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

Parent Group” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Participating Banks” means such investment banks that engage in any Exchange with one or more members of the Parent Group.

Parties” shall mean the parties to this Agreement.

Permitted Transferee” shall mean any Transferee and any Subsequent Transferee.

 

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

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

Private Exchange” shall mean a private exchange pursuant to which one or more members of the Parent Group shall Sell some or all of their Registrable Securities to one or more Participating Banks in exchange, directly or indirectly, for any equity interest of Parent or the satisfaction of Debt, in a transaction or series of transactions not required to be registered under the Securities Act.

Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, all amendments and supplements to such prospectus (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Takedown Prospectus Supplement), including post-effective amendments, and all other material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.

Public Exchange” shall mean a public exchange pursuant to which one or more members of the Parent Group shall Sell some or all of their Registrable Securities to one or more Participating Banks in exchange, directly or indirectly, for any equity interest of Parent or the satisfaction of Debt, in a transaction or series of transactions registered under the Securities Act.

Registrable Securities” shall mean the Retained Shares and any SpinCo Shares or other securities issued with respect to, in exchange for, or in replacement of such Retained Shares; provided, that the term “Registrable Securities” excludes any security (i) the offering and Sale of which has been effectively registered under the Securities Act and which has been Sold in accordance with a Registration Statement, (ii) that has been Sold by a Holder in a transaction or transactions exempt from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act under Section 4(a)(1) thereof (including transactions pursuant to Rule 144) such that the further Sale of such securities by the transferee or assignee is not restricted under the Securities Act or (iii) that has been Sold by a Holder in a transaction in which such Holder’s rights under this Agreement are not, or cannot be, assigned.

Registration” shall mean a registration with the SEC of the offer and Sale to the public of any Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement. The terms “Register” and “Registering” shall have correlative meanings.

Registration Expenses” shall mean all expenses incident to the SpinCo Group’s performance of or compliance with this Agreement, including all (i) registration, qualification and filing fees, (ii) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky Laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue sky qualifications within the United States of any Registrable Securities being registered), (iii) printing expenses, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) internal expenses of SpinCo Group (including all salaries and expenses of employees of members of SpinCo Group performing legal or accounting duties), (v) fees and disbursements of counsel for Parent and SpinCo and customary fees and expenses for independent certified public accountants retained by the SpinCo Group (including the expenses of any comfort letters or costs associated with the delivery by SpinCo Group members’ independent certified public accountants of comfort letters customarily requested by underwriters) and (vi) fees and expenses of listing any Registrable Securities on any securities exchange on which the SpinCo Shares are then listed and FINRA registration and filing fees; but excluding any fees or disbursements of any Holder, all expenses incurred in connection with the printing, mailing and delivering of copies of any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, any other offering documents and any amendments and supplements thereto to any underwriters and dealers; any underwriting discounts, fees or commissions attributable to the offer and Sale of any Registrable Securities, any fees and expenses of the underwriters or dealer managers, the cost of preparing, printing or producing any agreements among underwriters, underwriting agreements and blue sky or legal investment memoranda, any selling agreements and any other similar documents in connection with the offering, Sale, distribution or delivery of

 

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the Registrable Securities or other SpinCo Shares to be Sold, including any fees of counsel for any underwriters in connection with the qualification of the Registrable Securities or other SpinCo Shares to be Sold for offering and Sale or distribution under state securities Laws, any stock transfer taxes, out-of-pocket costs and expenses relating to any investor presentations on any “road show” presentations undertaken in connection with marketing of the Registrable Securities and any fees and expenses of any counsel to the Holder or the underwriters or dealer managers.

Registration Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(c).

Registration Rights” shall mean the rights of the Holders to cause SpinCo to Register Registrable Securities pursuant to Article II.

Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement of SpinCo filed with, or to be filed with, the SEC under the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act, including the related Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement, including post-effective amendments, and all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference into such registration statement. For the avoidance of doubt, it is acknowledged and agreed that such Registration Statement may be on any applicable form, including Form S-1, Form S-3 or Form S-4 and may be a Shelf Registration Statement.

Retained Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals.

Sale” shall mean the direct or indirect transfer, sale, assignment or other disposition of a security. The terms “Sell” and “Sold” shall have correlative meanings.

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

Securities Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Separation” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Separation and Distribution Agreement” shall mean the Separation and Distribution Agreement by and between Parent and SpinCo in connection with the Separation and the Distribution, as it may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

Shelf Registration” means a registration pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement.

Shelf Registration Statement” shall mean a Registration Statement of SpinCo for an offering of Registrable Securities to be made on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or similar provisions then in effect).

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

SpinCo Board” shall mean the board of directors of SpinCo.

 

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SpinCo Group” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

SpinCo Public Sale” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.02 (a).

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

Subsequent Transferee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.05(b).

Subsidiary” shall have the meaning given to such term in the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

Takedown Prospectus Supplement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(g).

Takedown Request” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.01(g).

Transferee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.05(b).

Underwritten Offering” shall mean a Registration in which Registrable Securities are Sold to an underwriter or underwriters on a firm commitment basis for reoffering to the public.

ARTICLE II

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

Section 2.01 Registration.

(a) At any time prior to or on the fifth anniversary of the Distribution Date, any Holder(s) of 10% or more of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities (and any Holders acting together which collectively hold 10% or more of the then outstanding Registrable Securities) (collectively, the “Initiating Holder”; provided, that the 10% ownership threshold shall not apply to any Holder that is a member of the Parent Group) shall have the right to request that SpinCo file a Registration Statement with the SEC on the appropriate registration form for all or part of the Registrable Securities held by such Initiating Holder, by delivering a written request thereof to SpinCo specifying the number of shares of Registrable Securities such Initiating Holder wishes to Register (a “Demand Registration”). SpinCo shall (i) within five days of the receipt of a Demand Registration, give written notice of such Demand Registration to all Holders of Registrable Securities, (ii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to prepare and file the Registration Statement as expeditiously as possible, but in any event within 30 days of such request and (iii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective in respect of each Demand Registration in accordance with the intended method of distribution set forth in the written request delivered by the Initiating Holder. SpinCo shall include in such Registration all Registrable Securities with respect to which SpinCo receives, within the 10 days immediately following the receipt by the Holder(s) of such notice from SpinCo, a request for inclusion in the Registration from the Holder(s) thereof. Each such request from a Holder of Registrable Securities for inclusion in the Registration shall also specify the aggregate amount of Registrable Securities proposed to be Registered. The Initiating Holder may request that the Registration Statement be on any appropriate form, including Form S-4 in the case of an Exchange Offer or a Form S-3 (if SpinCo is then eligible to use Form S-3) in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, and SpinCo shall effect the Registration on the form so requested.

 

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(b) The Holder(s) may collectively make a total of four Demand Registration requests pursuant to Section 2.01(a) (including any exercise of rights to Demand Registration transferred pursuant to Section 4.05 and including any exercise of rights to Demand Registration made pursuant to any registration rights agreement entered into pursuant to Section 2.09); provided that the Holder(s) may not make more than two Demand Registration requests in any 365-day period. In addition, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Parent Group shall be permitted to engage in up to four Private Exchanges within any 365-day period following the date hereof, and Demand Registration request(s) made by the Participating Banks in such Private Exchanges pursuant to one or more registration rights agreements with SpinCo pursuant to Section 2.09 shall collectively count only as one Demand Registration request for purposes of the limitation on the number of Demand Registration requests set forth in the first sentence of this Section 2.01(b) (it being understood that the Parent Group shall be permitted to engage in additional Private Exchanges outside such twelve-month period, but each Demand Registration request by the Participating Banks for such Private Exchange pursuant to its registration rights agreement with SpinCo pursuant to Section 2.09 shall count as an additional Demand Registration request for purposes of the limitation on the number of Demand Registration requests set forth in the first sentence of this Section 2.01(b)). Furthermore, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary, if, at the time of the second Demand Registration, SpinCo is prohibited under then-existing SEC rules from registering all remaining Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration, regardless of whether the Holder or Holders has requested that such third Demand Registration be a Shelf Registration or otherwise, then such Demand Registration shall not count toward the total number of Demand Registration requests made by the Holder(s), and the Holder(s) shall continue to be able to make additional Demand Registration requests until such time as SpinCo is permitted under then-existing SEC rules to register all of the remaining Registrable Securities pursuant to a Shelf Registration.

(c) SpinCo shall be deemed to have effected a Registration for purposes of this Section 2.01 if the Registration Statement is declared effective by the SEC or becomes effective upon filing with the SEC and remains effective until the earlier of (i) the date when all Registrable Securities thereunder have been Sold and (ii) in the case of a Registration Statement that is not a Shelf Registration Statement, (x) 60 days from the effective date of the Registration Statement, in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-1, (y) 12 months from the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 or (z) 24 months from the effective date of the Shelf Registration Statement in the case of a Shelf Registration Statement on any other form (such period, as applicable, the “Registration Period”). No Registration shall be deemed to have been effective if the conditions to closing specified in the underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement, if any, entered into in connection with such Registration are not satisfied by reason of a wrongful act, misrepresentation or breach of such applicable underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement by any member of the SpinCo Group. If during the Registration Period, such Registration is interfered with by any stop order, injunction or other order or requirement of the SEC or other Governmental Authority or the need to update or supplement the Registration Statement, the Registration Period shall be extended on a day-for-day basis for any period in which the Holder(s) is unable to complete an offering as a result of such stop order, injunction or other order or requirement of the SEC or other Governmental Authority.

(d) With respect to any Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement, whether filed or to be filed pursuant to this Agreement, if SpinCo shall reasonably determine, upon the advice of legal counsel, that maintaining the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or filing an amendment or supplement thereto (or, if no Registration Statement has yet been filed, filing such a Registration Statement), or filing such Takedown Prospectus Supplement, would (i) require the public disclosure of material nonpublic information concerning any transaction or negotiations involving SpinCo or any of its consolidated Subsidiaries that would materially interfere with such transaction or negotiations or (ii) require

 

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the public disclosure of material nonpublic information concerning SpinCo that, if disclosed at such time, would be materially adverse to SpinCo (a “Disadvantageous Condition”), SpinCo may, for the shortest period reasonably practicable, and in any event for not more than 60 consecutive calendar days (a “Blackout Period”), notify the Holders whose offers and Sales of Registrable Securities are covered (or to be covered) by such Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement that such Registration Statement is unavailable for use (or will not be filed as requested) (such notice, a “Blackout Notice”). Upon the receipt of any Blackout Notice, the Holders shall forthwith discontinue use of the Prospectus or Takedown Prospectus Supplement contained in any effective Registration Statement; provided, that, if at the time of receipt of such Blackout Notice any Holder shall have Sold its Registrable Securities (or have signed a firm commitment underwriting agreement with respect to the purchase of such shares) and the Disadvantageous Condition is not of a nature that would require a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement, then SpinCo shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to take such action as to eliminate any restriction imposed by federal securities Laws on the timely delivery of such Registrable Securities. When any Disadvantageous Condition as to which a Blackout Notice has been previously delivered shall cease to exist, SpinCo shall as promptly as reasonably practicable notify the Holders and take such actions in respect of such Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement as are otherwise required by this Agreement. The effectiveness period for any Demand Registration or Shelf Registration Statement for which SpinCo has given notice of a Blackout Period shall be increased by the length of time of such Blackout Period. SpinCo shall not impose, in any 365-day period, Blackout Periods lasting, in the aggregate, in excess of 90 calendar days. If SpinCo declares a Blackout Period with respect to a Demand Registration for a Registration Statement that has not yet been declared effective or a Takedown Request for which a Takedown Prospectus Supplement has not yet been filed, (i) the Holders may by notice to SpinCo withdraw the related Demand Registration request or Takedown Request, in the case of a Demand Registration request without such Demand Registration request counting against the number of Demand Registration requests permitted to be made under Section 2.01(b), and (ii) the Holders shall not be responsible for any of SpinCo’s related Registration Expenses.

(e) If the Initiating Holder so indicates at the time of its request pursuant to Section 2.01(a) or Section 2.01(g), such offering of Registrable Securities shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering or an Exchange Offer, and SpinCo shall include such information in the written notice to the Holders required under Section 2.01(a). In the event that the Initiating Holder intends to Sell the Registrable Securities by means of an Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer, the right of any Holder to include Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the Underwritten Offering or the Exchange Offer to the extent provided herein. The Holders of a majority of the outstanding Registrable Securities being included in any Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer shall select the underwriter(s) in the case of an Underwritten Offering or the dealer manager(s) in the case of an Exchange Offer, provided that such underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) are reasonably acceptable to SpinCo. SpinCo shall be entitled to designate counsel for such underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) (subject to their approval), provided that such designated underwriters’ counsel shall be a firm of national reputation representing underwriters or dealer managers in capital markets transactions.

 

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(f) If the managing underwriter or underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to this Section 2.01 inform(s) in writing the Holders participating in such Registration that, in its or their opinion, the number of securities requested to be included in such Registration exceeds the number that can be Sold in such offering without being likely to have a significant adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities offered or the market for the securities offered, the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such Registration shall be reduced to the maximum number recommended by the managing underwriter or underwriters and allocated first to any members of the Parent Group participating in the Registration, and then pro rata among the other Holders, including the Initiating Holder (other than any member of the Parent Group), in proportion to the number of Registrable Securities each Holder has requested to be included in such Registration; provided, that the Initiating Holder may notify SpinCo in writing that the Registration Statement shall be abandoned or withdrawn, in which event SpinCo shall abandon or withdraw such Registration Statement. In the event the Initiating Holder notifies SpinCo that such Registration Statement shall be abandoned or withdrawn, such Holder shall not be deemed to have requested a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.01(a), and SpinCo shall not be deemed to have effected a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.01(b). If the amount of Registrable Securities to be underwritten has not been limited in accordance with the first sentence of this Section 2.01(f), SpinCo and the holders of SpinCo Shares or, if the Registrable Securities include securities other than SpinCo Shares, the holders of securities of the same class of those securities included in the Registrable Securities, in each case, other than the Holders (“Other Holders”), may include such securities for their own account or for the account of Other Holders in such Registration if the underwriter(s) so agree and to the extent that, in the opinion of such underwriter(s), the inclusion of such additional amount will not adversely affect the offering of the Registrable Securities included in such Registration.

(g) With respect to any Demand Registration, the requesting Holders may request that SpinCo effect a registration of the Registrable Securities under a Shelf Registration, in which event SpinCo shall file, and shall thereafter use its commercially reasonable efforts to make and keep effective in accordance with Section 2.01(c) (including by renewing or refiling upon expiration), a Shelf Registration Statement; provided, that SpinCo shall not be required to maintain in effect more than one Shelf Registration at any one time pursuant to this Section 2.01(g). Thereafter, SpinCo shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable following the written request of Holders for a resale of Registrable Securities (a “Takedown Request”), file a prospectus supplement (a “Takedown Prospectus Supplement”) to such Shelf Registration Statement under Rule 424 promulgated under the Securities Act with respect to resales of the Registrable Securities pursuant to Holder’s intended method of distribution thereof. Each Takedown Request shall specify the Registrable Securities to be registered, their aggregate amount and the intended method or methods of distribution thereof. If, in the case of an Underwritten Offering pursuant to a Takedown Request, the requesting Holder(s) so elect, such offering shall be in the form of a Block Trade, in which such event the requesting Holder(s) shall give at least ten (10) business days’ prior notice in writing of such transaction to SpinCo (which such notice shall identify the potential underwriter(s) and include contact information for such underwriter(s)), and SpinCo shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with such requesting Holder(s) to the extent it is reasonably able and shall not be required to give notice thereof to other Holders of Registrable Securities or permit their participation therein unless SpinCo determines it is reasonably practicable to do so. In no event shall SpinCo be required to effect, pursuant to this Section 2.01(g), during any 90-day period, more than (A) two Block Trades or (B) more than one Underwritten Offering that is not a Block Trade pursuant to a Takedown Request (it being understood, for the avoidance of doubt, that a Takedown Request shall not count as a Demand Registration request for purposes of the limit set forth in Section 2.01(b)).

 

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Section 2.02 Piggyback Registrations.

(a) At any time prior to the earlier to occur of the fifth anniversary of the Distribution Date or the date on which the Registrable Securities then held by the Holder(s) may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144, or any successor rule promulgated under the Securities Act (with no volume, manner of sale or current public information requirement or other limitations), if SpinCo proposes to file a Registration Statement (other than a Shelf Registration) or a Prospectus supplement filed pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to any offering of such securities for its own account and/or for the account of any Other Holders (other than (i) a Registration or Takedown Prospectus Supplement under Section 2.01, (ii) a Registration pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-8 or Form S-4 or similar form that relates to a transaction subject to Rule 145 under the Securities Act, (iii) in connection with any dividend reinvestment or similar plan, (iv) for the purpose of offering securities to another entity or its security holders in connection with the acquisition of assets or securities of such entity or any similar transaction or (v) a Registration in which the only SpinCo Shares being registered are SpinCo Shares issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being registered) (a “SpinCo Public Sale”), then, as soon as practicable, but in any event not less than 15 days prior to the proposed date of filing such Registration Statement, SpinCo shall give written notice of such proposed filing to each Holder, and such notice shall offer such Holders the opportunity to Register under such Registration Statement such number of Registrable Securities as each such Holder may request in writing (a “Piggyback Registration”). Subject to Section 2.02(b) and Section 2.02(c), SpinCo shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to include in a Registration Statement with respect to a SpinCo Public Sale all Registrable Securities that are requested to be included therein within five business days after the receipt of any such notice; provided, however, that if, at any time after giving written notice of its intention to Register any securities and prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement filed in connection with such Registration, SpinCo shall determine for any reason not to Register or to delay Registration of the SpinCo Public Sale, SpinCo may, at its election, give written notice of such determination to each such Holder and, thereupon, (x) in the case of a determination not to Register, shall be relieved of its obligation to Register any Registrable Securities in connection with such Registration, without prejudice, however, to the rights of any Holder to request that such Registration be effected as a Demand Registration under Section 2.01 and (y) in the case of a determination to delay Registration, shall be permitted to delay Registering any Registrable Securities for the same period as the delay in Registering such other SpinCo Shares in the SpinCo Public Sale. No Registration effected under this Section 2.02 shall relieve SpinCo of its obligation to effect any Demand Registration under Section 2.01. For purposes of clarification, SpinCo’s filing of a Shelf Registration Statement shall not be deemed to be a SpinCo Public Sale; provided, however, that any prospectus supplement filed pursuant to a Shelf Registration Statement with respect to an offering of SpinCo Shares for its own account and/or for the account of any other Persons will be a SpinCo Public Sale, unless such offering qualifies for an exemption from the SpinCo Public Sale definition in this Section 2.02(a).

 

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(b) In the case of any Underwritten Offering, each Holder shall have the right to withdraw such Holder’s request for inclusion of its Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.02(a) at any time prior to the execution of an underwriting agreement with respect thereto by giving written notice to SpinCo of such Holder’s request to withdraw and, subject to the preceding clause, each Holder shall be permitted to withdraw all or part of such Holder’s Registrable Securities from a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effective date thereof.

(c) If the managing underwriter or underwriters of any proposed Underwritten Offering of a class of Registrable Securities included in a Piggyback Registration informs SpinCo and each Holder in writing that, in its or their opinion, the number of securities of such class that such Holder and any other Persons intend to include in such offering exceeds the number that can be Sold in such offering without being likely to have an adverse effect on the price, timing or distribution of the securities offered or the market for the securities offered, then the securities to be included in such Registration shall be (i) first, all securities of SpinCo and any other Persons (other than SpinCo’s executive officers and directors) for whom SpinCo is effecting the Registration, as the case may be, proposes to Sell, (ii) second, the number, if any, of Registrable Securities of such class that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be Sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated pro rata among the members of the Parent Group that hold Registrable Securities and have requested to participate in such Registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities of such class requested by such Person to be included in such Sale, (iii) third, the number, if any, of Registrable Securities of such class that, in the opinion of such managing underwriter or underwriters, can be Sold without having such adverse effect, with such number to be allocated pro rata among the Holders (other than members of the Parent Group) that hold Registrable Securities and have requested to participate in such Registration based on the relative number of Registrable Securities of such class requested by such Person to be included in such Sale, (iv) fourth, the number of securities of executive officers and directors of SpinCo for whom SpinCo is effecting the Registration, as the case may be, with such number to be allocated pro rata among the executive officers and directors and (v) fifth, any other securities eligible for inclusion in such Registration, allocated among the holders of such securities in such proportion as SpinCo and those holders may agree.

(d) After a Holder has been notified of its opportunity to include Registrable Securities in a Piggyback Registration, such Holder shall (i) treat the Offering Confidential Information as confidential information, (ii) not use any Offering Confidential Information for any purpose other than to evaluate whether to include its Registrable Securities (or other SpinCo Shares) in such Piggyback Registration and (iii) not disclose any Offering Confidential Information to any Person other than such of its agents, employees, advisors and counsel as have a need to know such Offering Confidential Information, and to cause such agents, employees, advisors and counsel to comply with the requirements of this Section 2.02(d); provided, that any such Holder may disclose Offering Confidential Information if such disclosure is required by legal process, but such Holder shall cooperate with SpinCo to limit the extent of such disclosure through protective order or otherwise, and to seek confidential treatment of the Offering Confidential Information.

 

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Section 2.03 Registration Procedures.

(a) In connection with SpinCo’s Registration obligations under Sections 2.01 and 2.02, SpinCo shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such Registration to permit the offer and Sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method or methods of distribution thereof as expeditiously as practicable, and in connection therewith, SpinCo shall, and shall cause the members of the SpinCo Group to:

(i) prepare and file the required Registration Statement or Takedown Prospectus Supplement, including all exhibits and financial statements and, in the case of an Exchange Offer, any document required under Rule 425 or Rule 165 with respect to such Exchange Offer (collectively, the “Ancillary Filings”) required under the Securities Act to be filed therewith, and before filing with the SEC a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, (A) furnish to the underwriters or dealer managers, if any, and to the Holders, copies of all documents prepared to be filed, which documents shall be subject to the review and comment of such underwriters or dealer managers and such Holders and their respective counsel, and provide such underwriters or dealer managers, if any, and such Holders and their respective counsel reasonable time to review and comment thereon and (B) not file with the SEC any Registration Statement or Prospectus or amendments or supplements thereto or any Ancillary Filing to which the Holders or the underwriters or dealer managers, if any, shall reasonably object;

(ii) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and post-effective amendments to such Registration Statement and supplements to the Prospectus and any Ancillary Filing as may be reasonably requested by the participating Holders;

(iii) promptly notify the participating Holders and the managing underwriters or dealer managers, if any, and, if requested, confirm such advice in writing and provide copies of the relevant documents, as soon as reasonably practicable after notice thereof is received by any member of the SpinCo Group (A) when the applicable Registration Statement or any amendment thereto has been filed or becomes effective, the applicable Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Prospectus has been filed, or any Ancillary Filing has been filed, (B) of any comments (written or oral) by the SEC or any request (written or oral) by the SEC or any other Governmental Authority for amendments or supplements to such Registration Statement, such Prospectus or any Ancillary Filing, or for any additional information, (C) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement, any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary or final Prospectus or any Ancillary Filing, or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for such purposes, (D) if, at any time, the representations and warranties (written or oral) in any applicable underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement cease to be true and correct in all material respects and (E) of the receipt by any member of the SpinCo Group of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Registrable Securities for offering or Sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose;

 

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(iv) (A) promptly notify each participating Holder and the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, when SpinCo becomes aware of the occurrence of any event as a result of which the applicable Registration Statement, the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (as then in effect) or any Ancillary Filing contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of such Prospectus and any preliminary Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, or if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such time period to amend or supplement such Registration Statement, Prospectus or any Ancillary Filing in order to comply with the Securities Act, and (B) in either case, as promptly as reasonably practicable thereafter, prepare and file with the SEC, and furnish without charge to each participating Holder and the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, an amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement, Prospectus or Ancillary Filing that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance;

(v) use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent or obtain the withdrawal of any stop order or other order suspending the use of any preliminary or final Prospectus;

(vi) promptly (A) incorporate in a Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment such information as the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, and the Holders agree should be included therein relating to the plan of distribution with respect to such Registrable Securities and (B) make all required filings of such Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment as soon as reasonably practicable after being notified of the matters to be incorporated in such Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment;

(vii) furnish to each participating Holder and each underwriter or dealer manager, if any, without charge, as many conformed copies as such Holder or underwriter or dealer manager may reasonably request of the applicable Registration Statement and any amendment or post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated therein by reference and all exhibits (including those incorporated by reference), but excluding all documents and exhibits that are available via the SEC’s EDGAR system;

(viii) deliver to each participating Holder and each underwriter or dealer manager, if any, without charge, as many copies of the applicable Prospectus (including each preliminary Prospectus) and any amendment or supplement thereto as such Holder or underwriter or dealer manager may reasonably request (it being understood that SpinCo consents to the use of such Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto by each participating Holder and the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, in connection with the offering and Sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto) and such other documents as such participating Holder or underwriter or dealer manager may reasonably request in order to facilitate the Sale of the Registrable Securities by such Holder or underwriter or dealer manager;

 

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(ix) on or prior to the date on which the applicable Registration Statement is declared effective or becomes effective, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify, and cooperate with each participating Holder, the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, and their respective counsel, in connection with the registration or qualification of, such Registrable Securities for offer and Sale under the securities or “blue sky” Laws of each state and other jurisdiction of the United States as any participating Holder or managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, or their respective counsel reasonably request, and in any foreign jurisdiction mutually agreeable to SpinCo and the participating Holders, and do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary or advisable to keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as such Registration Statement remains in effect and so as to permit the continuance of offers and Sales and dealings in such jurisdictions for so long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement; provided that SpinCo will not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, to take any action which would subject it to taxation or general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or conform its capitalization or the composition of its assets at the time to the securities or blue sky Laws of any such jurisdiction;

(x) in connection with any Sale of Registrable Securities that will result in such securities no longer being Registrable Securities, cooperate with each participating Holder and the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, to (A) facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be Sold and not bearing any restrictive Securities Act legends and (B) register such Registrable Securities in such denominations and such names as such participating Holder or the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, may request at least two business days prior to such Sale of Registrable Securities; provided that SpinCo may satisfy its obligations hereunder without issuing physical stock certificates through the use of the Depository Trust Company’s Direct Registration System;

(xi) cooperate and assist in any filings required to be made with FINRA and each securities exchange, if any, on which any of SpinCo’s securities are then listed or quoted and on each inter-dealer quotation system on which any of SpinCo’s securities are then quoted, and in the performance of any due diligence investigation by any underwriter or dealer manager (including any “qualified independent underwriter”) that is required to be retained in accordance with the rules and regulations of each such exchange, and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other Governmental Authorities as may be necessary to enable the seller or sellers thereof or the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, to consummate the Sale of such Registrable Securities;

(xii) not later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, provide a CUSIP number for all Registrable Securities and provide the applicable transfer agent with printed certificates for the Registrable Securities which are in a form eligible for deposit with the Depository Trust Company; provided, that SpinCo may satisfy its obligations hereunder without issuing physical stock certificates through the use of the Depository Trust Company’s Direct Registration System;

 

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(xiii) obtain for delivery to and addressed to each participating Holder and to the underwriter(s) or dealer manager (s), if any, opinions from counsel for SpinCo, in each case dated the effective date of the Registration Statement or, in the event of an Underwritten Offering, the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement or, in the event of an Exchange Offer, the date of the closing under the dealer manager agreement or similar agreement or otherwise, and in each such case in customary form and content for the type of Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer, as applicable;

(xiv) in the case of an Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer, obtain for delivery to and addressed to SpinCo and the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), if any, and, to the extent requested, each participating Holder, a cold comfort letter from SpinCo’s independent registered public accounting firm in customary form and content for the type of Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer, dated the date of execution of the underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement or, if none, the date of commencement of the Exchange Offer, and brought down to the closing, whether under the underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement, if applicable, or otherwise;

(xv) in the case of an Exchange Offer that does not involve a dealer manager, provide to each participating Holder such customary written representations and warranties or other covenants or agreements as may be requested by any participating Holder comparable to those that would be included in an underwriting or dealer manager agreement;

(xvi) use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and make generally available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any event no later than 90 days, after the end of the 12-month period beginning with the first day of SpinCo’s first quarter commencing after the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, an earnings statement satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and covering the period of at least 12 months, but not more than 18 months, beginning with the first month after the effective date of the Registration Statement;

(xvii) provide and cause to be maintained a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement from and after a date not later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;

(xviii) cause all Registrable Securities covered by the applicable Registration Statement to be listed on each securities exchange on which any of SpinCo’s securities are then listed or quoted and on each inter-dealer quotation system on which any of SpinCo’s securities are then quoted;

(xix) provide (A) each Holder participating in the Registration, (B) the underwriters (which term, for purposes of this Agreement, shall include any Person deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act), if any, of the Registrable Securities to be registered, (C) the Sale or placement agent therefor, if any, (D) the dealer manager therefor, if any, (E) counsel for such Holder,

 

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underwriters, agent, or dealer manager and (F) any attorney, accountant or other agent or representative retained by such Holder or any such underwriter or dealer manager, as selected by such Holder, in each case, the opportunity to participate in the preparation of such Registration Statement, each Prospectus included therein or filed with the SEC, and each amendment or supplement thereto; and for a reasonable period prior to the filing of such Registration Statement, upon execution of a customary confidentiality agreement, make available for inspection upon reasonable notice at reasonable times and for reasonable periods, by the parties referred to in clauses (A) through (F) above, all pertinent financial and other records, pertinent corporate and other documents and properties of the SpinCo Group that are available to SpinCo, and cause all of the SpinCo Group’s officers, directors and employees and the independent public accountants who have certified its financial statements to make themselves available at reasonable times and for reasonable periods to discuss the business of SpinCo and to supply all information available to SpinCo reasonably requested by any such Person in connection with such Registration Statement as shall be necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence or other responsibility, subject to the foregoing; provided, that in no event shall any member of the SpinCo Group be required to make available any information which the SpinCo Board determines in good faith to be competitively sensitive or confidential. The recipients of such information shall coordinate with one another so that the inspection permitted hereunder will not unnecessarily interfere with the SpinCo Group’s conduct of business. Each Holder agrees that information obtained by it as a result of such inspections shall be deemed confidential and shall not be used by it as the basis for any market transactions in the securities of SpinCo or its Affiliates unless and until such information is made generally available to the public by SpinCo or such Affiliate or for any reason not related to the Registration of Registrable Securities;

(xx) cause the senior executive officers of SpinCo to participate at reasonable times and for reasonable periods in the customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the managing underwriter(s) or dealer manager (s), if any, and otherwise to facilitate, cooperate with, and participate in each proposed offering contemplated herein and customary selling efforts related thereto, except to the extent that such participation materially interferes with the management of SpinCo’s business; and

(xxi) comply with all requirements of the Securities Act, Exchange Act and other applicable Laws, rules and regulations, as well as all applicable stock exchange rules; and (xxii) take all other customary steps reasonably necessary or advisable to effect the Registration and distribution of the Registrable Securities contemplated hereby.

(b) As a condition precedent to any Registration hereunder, SpinCo may require each Holder as to which any Registration is being effected to furnish to SpinCo such information regarding the distribution of such securities and such other information relating to such Holder, its ownership of Registrable Securities and other matters as SpinCo may from time to time reasonably request in writing. Each such Holder agrees to furnish such information to SpinCo and to cooperate with SpinCo as reasonably necessary to enable SpinCo to comply with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

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(c) Each Holder shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable, notify SpinCo, at any time when a Prospectus is required to be delivered (or deemed delivered) under the Securities Act, of the occurrence of an event, of which such Holder has knowledge, relating to such Holder or its Sale of Registrable Securities thereunder requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such Prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered (or deemed delivered) to the purchasers of such Registrable Securities, such Prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

(d) Parent agrees (on behalf of itself and each member of the Parent Group), and any other Holder agrees by acquisition of such Registrable Securities, that, upon receipt of any written notice from SpinCo of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 2.03(a)(iv), such Holder will forthwith discontinue Sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by Section 2.03(a)(iv), or until such Holder is advised in writing by SpinCo that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed, and if so directed by SpinCo, such Holder will deliver to SpinCo, at SpinCo’s expense, all copies of the Prospectus covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice. In the event SpinCo shall give any such notice, the period during which the applicable Registration Statement is required to be maintained effective shall be extended by the number of days during the period from and including the date of the giving of such notice through the date when each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement either receives the copies of the supplemented or amended Prospectus contemplated by Section 2.03(a)(iv) or is advised in writing by SpinCo that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed.

Section 2.04 Underwritten Offerings or Exchange Offers.

(a) If requested by the managing underwriter(s) for any Underwritten Offering or dealer manager(s) for any Exchange Offer that is requested by Holders pursuant to a Demand Registration or Takedown Request under Section 2.01, SpinCo shall enter into an underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement, as applicable, with such underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) for such offering, such agreement to be reasonably satisfactory in substance and form to SpinCo and the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) and, if Parent Group is a participating Holder, to Parent Group. Such agreement shall contain such representations and warranties by SpinCo and such other terms as are generally prevailing in agreements of that type. Each Holder with Registrable Securities to be included in any Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer by such underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s) shall enter into such underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement at the request of SpinCo, which agreement shall contain such reasonable representations and warranties by the Holder and such other reasonable terms as are generally prevailing in agreements of that type.

(b) In the event of a SpinCo Public Sale involving an offering of SpinCo Shares or other equity securities of SpinCo in an Underwritten Offering (whether in a Demand Registration or a Piggyback Registration or pursuant to a Takedown Request, whether or not the Holders participate therein), the Holders hereby agree, and, in the event of a SpinCo Public Sale of SpinCo Shares or other equity securities of SpinCo in an Underwritten Offering or an

 

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Exchange Offer, SpinCo shall agree, and, except in the case of a Shelf Registration, it shall cause its executive officers and directors to agree, if requested by the managing underwriter or underwriters in such Underwritten Offering or by the Holder or the dealer manager or dealer managers, in an Exchange Offer, not to effect any Sale or distribution (including any offer to Sell, contract to Sell, short Sale or any option to purchase) of any securities (except, in each case, as part of the applicable Registration, if permitted hereunder) that are of the same type as those being Registered in connection with such public offering and Sale, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such securities, during the period beginning five days before, and ending 90 days (or such lesser period as may be permitted by SpinCo or the participating Holder(s), as applicable, or such managing underwriter or underwriters) after, the effective date of the Registration Statement filed in connection with such Registration (or, if later, the date of the Prospectus), to the extent timely notified in writing by such selling Person or the managing underwriter or underwriters or dealer manager or dealer managers. The participating Holders and SpinCo, as applicable, also agree to execute an agreement evidencing the restrictions in this Section 2.04(b) in customary form, which form is reasonably satisfactory to SpinCo or the participating Holder(s), as applicable, and the underwriter(s) or dealer manager(s), as applicable; provided that such restrictions may be included in the underwriting agreement or dealer manager agreement, if applicable. SpinCo may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the securities subject to the foregoing restriction until the end of the required stand-off period.

(c) No Holder may participate in any Underwritten Offering or Exchange Offer hereunder unless such Holder (i) agrees to Sell such Holder’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements or dealer manager agreements approved by SpinCo or other Persons entitled to approve such arrangements and (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements, dealer manager agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements or dealer manager agreements or this Agreement.

Section 2.05 Registration Expenses Paid by SpinCo.

In the case of any Registration of Registrable Securities required pursuant to this Agreement, SpinCo shall pay all Registration Expenses regardless of whether the Registration Statement becomes effective; provided, however, that SpinCo shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any Registration begun pursuant to Section 2.01 if the Demand Registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be Registered (in which case all participating Holders shall bear such expenses), unless the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities agree to forfeit their right to one Demand Registration to which they have the right pursuant to Section 2.01(b).

Section 2.06 Indemnification.

(a) SpinCo agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, to the full extent permitted by applicable Law, each Holder whose shares are included in a Registration Statement, such Holder’s Affiliates and their respective officers, directors, agents, advisors, employees and each Person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) such Holder, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities (or actions or

 

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proceedings in respect thereof, whether or not such indemnified party is a party thereto) and expenses, joint or several (including reasonable costs of investigation and legal expenses) (each, a “Loss” and collectively, “Losses”) arising out of or based upon (i) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement under which the offering and Sale of such Registrable Securities was Registered under the Securities Act (including any final or preliminary Prospectus contained therein or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any documents incorporated by reference therein), or any such statement made in any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that SpinCo has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or any Ancillary Filing, (ii) any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of a Prospectus, preliminary Prospectus or free writing prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading; provided, that with respect to any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in any Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall not apply to the extent that any such liability or Loss results from or arises out of (A) the fact that a current copy of the Prospectus was not sent or given to the Person asserting any such liability at or prior to the written confirmation of the Sale of the Registrable Securities concerned to such Person if it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable judgment that SpinCo has provided such Prospectus and it was the responsibility of such Holder or its agents to provide such Person with a current copy of the Prospectus and such current copy of the Prospectus would have cured the defect giving rise to such liability, (B) the use of any Prospectus by or on behalf of any Holder after SpinCo has notified such Person in writing (x) that such Prospectus contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (y) that a stop order has been issued by the SEC with respect to a Registration Statement, or (C) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to SpinCo by or on behalf of the Indemnitee (as hereinafter defined), in either case expressly for use in such Registration Statement or Prospectus. This indemnity shall be in addition to any liability SpinCo may otherwise have, including under the Separation and Distribution Agreement. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of such Holder or any indemnified party and shall survive the Sale of such securities by such Holder.

(b) Each participating Holder whose Registrable Securities are included in a Registration Statement agrees (severally and not jointly) to indemnify and hold harmless, to the full extent permitted by applicable Law, SpinCo, its directors, officers, agents, advisors, employees and each Person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act) SpinCo from and against any and all Losses (i) arising out of or based upon information furnished in writing by such Holder or on such Holder’s behalf, in either case expressly for use in a Registration Statement, Prospectus, free writing prospectus or Ancillary Filing relating to such Holder’s Registrable Securities or (ii) resulting from (A) the fact that a current copy of the Prospectus was not sent or given to the Person asserting any such liability at or prior to the written confirmation of the Sale of the Registrable Securities concerned to such Person if it is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final and non-appealable judgment that it was the responsibility of such Holder or its agent to provide such Person with a current copy of the Prospectus and such current copy of the Prospectus would have cured the

 

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defect giving rise to such liability, or (B) the use of any Prospectus by or on behalf of any Holder after SpinCo has notified such Person in writing (x) that such Prospectus contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (y) that a stop order has been issued by the SEC with respect to a Registration Statement. This indemnity shall be in addition to any liability the participating Holder may otherwise have, including under the Separation and Distribution Agreement. In no event shall the liability of any participating Holder hereunder be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such holder under the Sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification obligation. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of SpinCo or any indemnified party.

(c) Any claim or action with respect to which a Party (an “Indemnifying Party”) may be obligated to provide indemnification to any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder (an “Indemnitee”) shall be subject to the procedures for indemnification set forth in Sections 4.4, 4.5 and 4.6 of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

(d) If for any reason the indemnification provided for in Sections 2.06(a) or 2.06(b) is unavailable to an Indemnitee or insufficient to hold it harmless as contemplated by Sections 2.06(a) or 2.06(b), then the Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Indemnitee as a result of such Loss in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party on the one hand and the Indemnitee on the other hand. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Indemnifying Party or the Indemnitee and the Parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. For the avoidance of doubt, the establishment of such relative fault, and any disagreements or disputes relating thereto, shall be subject to Section 4.04. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2.06(d) to the contrary, no Indemnifying Party (other than SpinCo) shall be required pursuant to this Section 2.06(d) to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds received by such Indemnifying Party from the Sale of Registrable Securities in the offering to which the Losses of the Indemnitees relate (before deducting expenses, if any) exceeds the amount of any damages which such Indemnifying Party has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or omission. The Parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 2.06(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 2.06(d). No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnitee hereunder shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 2.06(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnitee in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending against or appearing as a third party witness in respect of, or otherwise incurred in connection with, any such Loss, claim, damage, expense, liability, action, investigation or proceeding. If indemnification is available under this Section 2.06, the Indemnifying Parties shall indemnify each Indemnitee to the full extent provided in Sections 2.06(a) and 2.06(b) without regard to the relative fault of said Indemnifying Parties or Indemnitee. Any Holders’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 2.06(d) are several and not joint.

 

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Section 2.07 Reporting Requirements; Rule 144.

Until the earlier of (a) the expiration or termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms and (b) the date upon which there cease to be any Holders of Registrable Securities, SpinCo shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to be and remain in compliance with the periodic filing requirements imposed under the SEC’s rules and regulations, including the Exchange Act, and any other applicable Laws or rules, and thereafter shall timely file such information, documents and reports as the SEC may require or prescribe under Sections 13, 14 and 15(d), as applicable, of the Exchange Act so that SpinCo will qualify for registration on Form S-3 and to enable the Holders to Sell Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act consistent with the exemptions from registration under the Securities Act provided by (i) Rule 144 or Regulation S under the Securities Act, as amended from time to time, or (ii) any similar SEC rule or regulation then in effect. From and after the date hereof through such earlier date, SpinCo shall forthwith upon request furnish any Holder (x) a written statement by SpinCo as to whether it has complied with such requirements and, if not, the specifics thereof, (y) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of SpinCo and (z) such other reports and documents filed by SpinCo with the SEC as such Holder may reasonably request in availing itself of an exemption for the offering and Sale of Registrable Securities without registration under the Securities Act.

Section 2.08 Registration Rights Covenant.

SpinCo covenants that it will not, and it will cause the members of the SpinCo Group not to, grant any right of registration under the Securities Act relating to the SpinCo Shares or any of its other securities to any Person other than pursuant to this Agreement, unless the rights so granted to another Person do not limit or restrict the rights of the Holder(s) hereunder. If SpinCo enters into any agreement after the date hereof granting any Person registration rights with respect to any security of SpinCo which agreement contains any material provisions more favorable to such Person than those set forth in this Agreement, SpinCo will notify Parent and will agree to such amendments to this Agreement as may be necessary to provide these rights to Parent, at Parent’s election.

Section 2.09 Registration Rights Agreement With Participating Banks.

If one or more members of the Parent Group decides to engage in a Private Exchange with one or more Participating Banks, SpinCo shall enter into a registration rights agreement with the Participating Banks in connection with such Private Exchange on terms and conditions consistent with this Agreement (other than the voting provisions contained in Article III hereof) and reasonably satisfactory to SpinCo and the Parent Group.

ARTICLE III

VOTING RESTRICTIONS

Section 3.01 Voting of SpinCo Shares.

(a) From the date of this Agreement and until the date that the Parent Group ceases to own any Retained Shares, Parent shall, and shall cause each member of the Parent Group to (in each case, to the extent that they own any Retained Shares), be present, in person or by proxy, at each and every SpinCo stockholder meeting, and otherwise to cause all Retained Shares owned by them to be counted as present for purposes of establishing a quorum at any such meeting, and to vote or consent on any matter (including waivers of contractual or statutory rights), or cause to be voted or consented on any such matter, all such Retained Shares in proportion to the votes cast by the other holders of SpinCo Shares on such matter.

 

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(b) From the date of this Agreement and until the date that the Parent Group ceases to own any Retained Shares, Parent hereby grants, and shall cause each member of the Parent Group (in each case, to the extent that they own any Retained Shares) to grant, an irrevocable proxy, which shall be deemed coupled with an interest sufficient in Law to support an irrevocable proxy to SpinCo or its designees, to vote, with respect to any matter (including waivers of contractual or statutory rights), all Retained Shares owned by them, in proportion to the votes cast by the other holders of SpinCo Shares on such matter; provided, that (i) such proxy shall automatically be revoked as to a particular Retained Share upon any Sale of such Retained Share from a member of the Parent Group to a Person other than a member of the Parent Group and (ii) nothing in this Section 3.01(b) shall limit or prohibit any such Sale.

(c) Parent acknowledges and agrees (on behalf of itself and each member of the Parent Group) that SpinCo will be irreparably damaged in the event any of the provisions of this Article III are not performed by Parent in accordance with their terms or are otherwise breached. Accordingly, it is agreed that SpinCo shall be entitled to an injunction to prevent breaches of this Article III and to specific enforcement of the provisions of this Article III in any action instituted in any court of the United States or any state having subject matter jurisdiction over such action.

ARTICLE IV

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 4.01 Further Assurances.

In addition to the actions specifically provided for elsewhere in this Agreement, each of the Parties shall use its commercially reasonable efforts, prior to, on and after the date hereof, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things, reasonably necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws, regulations and agreements to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

Section 4.02 Term and Termination.

This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of (a) five years after the Distribution Date, (b) the time at which all Registrable Securities are held by Persons other than Holders and (c) the time at which all Registrable Securities have been Sold in accordance with one or more Registration Statements; provided, that the provisions of Sections 2.05, 2.06 and this Article IV shall survive any such termination.

Section 4.03 Counterparts; Entire Agreement; Corporate Power.

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

 

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

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

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

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

(d) Each Party acknowledges that it and each other Party may execute this Agreement by facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature, and that delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement (whether executed by manual, stamp or mechanical signature) by facsimile or by email in portable document format (PDF) shall be effective as delivery of such executed counterpart of this Agreement. Each Party expressly adopts and confirms each such facsimile, stamp or mechanical signature (regardless of whether delivered in person, by mail, by courier, by facsimile or by email in portable document format (PDF)) made in its respective name as if it were a manual signature delivered in person, agrees that it shall not assert that any such signature or delivery is not adequate to bind such Party to the same extent as if it were signed manually and delivered in person.

Section 4.04 Disputes and Governing Law.

(a) Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement (including the validity, interpretation, breach or termination of this Agreement) (a “Dispute”), shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement, which shall be the sole and exclusive procedures for the resolution of any such Dispute unless otherwise specified in this Agreement or in Article VII of the Separation and Distribution Agreement.

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

 

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(c) THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY WAIVE AND FOREGO ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.

Section 4.05 Successors, Assigns and Transferees.

(a) Except as set forth herein, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns; provided, however, that neither Party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other Party hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such consent shall be required for the assignment of a party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (except as otherwise provided herein) in whole (i.e., the assignment of a party’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and all other Ancillary Agreements all at the same time) in connection with a Change of Control of a Party so long as the resulting, surviving or transferee Person assumes all the obligations of the relevant party thereto by operation of Law or pursuant to an agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the other Party. Nothing herein is intended to, or shall be construed to, prohibit either Party or any member of its Group from being party to or undertaking a Change of Control.

(b) Notwithstanding any other terms of this Section 4.05, in connection with the Sale of Registrable Securities, Parent may assign its Registration-related rights and obligations under this Agreement relating to such Registrable Securities to the following transferees in such Sale: (i) a member of the Parent Group to which Registrable Securities are Sold; (ii) one or more Participating Banks to which Registrable Securities are Sold; (iii) any transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, if SpinCo provides prior written consent to the transfer of such Registration-related rights and obligations along with the Sale of Registrable Securities; or (iv) any other transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, unless such Sale consists of Registrable Securities representing less than 1% of SpinCo’s then-issued and outstanding securities of the same class as the Registrable Securities and such Registrable Securities are eligible for Sale pursuant to an exemption from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act under Section 4(a)(1) thereof (including transactions pursuant to Rule 144); provided, that in the case of clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv), (x) SpinCo is given written notice prior to or at the time of such Sale stating the name and address of the transferee and identifying the securities with respect to which the Registration-related rights and obligations are being Sold and (y) the transferee executes a counterpart in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and delivers the same to SpinCo (any such transferee in such Sale, a “Transferee”). In connection with the Sale of Registrable Securities, a Transferee or Subsequent Transferee (as defined below) may assign its Registration-related rights and obligations under this Agreement relating to such Registrable Securities to the following subsequent transferees: (A) an Affiliate of such Transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, (B) any subsequent transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, if SpinCo provides prior written consent to the transfer of such Registration-related rights and obligations along with the Sale of Registrable Securities or (C) any other subsequent transferee to which Registrable Securities are Sold, unless such Sale consists of Registrable Securities representing less than 1% of SpinCo’s then-issued and outstanding securities of the same class as the Registrable Securities and such Registrable Securities are eligible for Sale pursuant to an exemption from the registration and prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act under Section 4(a) thereof (including transactions pursuant to Rule 144); provided, that in the case of clauses (A), (B) or

 

24


(C), (x) SpinCo is given written notice prior to or at the time of such Sale stating the name and address of the subsequent transferee and identifying the securities with respect to which the Registration-related rights and obligations are being assigned and (y) the subsequent transferee executes a counterpart in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and delivers the same to SpinCo (any such subsequent transferee, a “Subsequent Transferee”).

Section 4.06 Third-Party Beneficiaries.

Except for any Person expressly entitled to indemnification rights under this Agreement, (a) the provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Parties hereto and parties thereto, respectively, and are not intended to confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder, and (b) there are no third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement and this Agreement shall not provide any third Person with any remedy, claim, liability, reimbursement, claim of action or other right in excess of those existing without reference to this Agreement.

Section 4.07 Notices.

All notices, requests, claims, demands or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given or made (and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made upon receipt) by delivery in person, by overnight courier service, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by electronic mail (“e-mail”), so long as confirmation of receipt of such e-mail is requested and received, to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 4.07):

If to Parent, to:

Ziff Davis, Inc.

114 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York 10011

Attention:         Legal Department

E-mail:             legal@j2.com

with a copy to:

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

200 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10166

Attention:         Barbara Becker

                          Saee Muzumdar

E-mail:             BBecker@gibsondunn.com

                          SMuzumdar@gibsondunn.com

If to SpinCo, to:

Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

700 South Flower Street, Suite 1500

Los Angeles, California 90017

Attention:         Legal Department

E-mail:             Vithya.aubee@j2.com

 

25


with a copy to:

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

200 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10166

Attention:         Barbara Becker

                          Saee Muzumdar

E-mail:             BBecker@gibsondunn.com

                          SMuzumdar@gibsondunn.com

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

Section 4.08 Severability.

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

Section 4.09 Headings.

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

Section 4.10 Waiver of Default.

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

Section 4.11 Amendments.

No provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed waived, amended, supplemented or modified by a Party, unless such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is in writing and signed by the authorized representative of the Party against whom it is sought to enforce such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification, or the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities, if such waiver, amendment, supplement or modification is sought to be enforced against a Holder.

 

26


Section 4.12 Interpretation.

In this Agreement, (a) words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other genders as the context requires, (b) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices hereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement, (c) Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit and Appendix references are to the Articles, Sections, Schedules, Exhibits and Appendices to this Agreement unless otherwise specified, (d) unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement (including this Agreement, the Separation and Distribution Agreement and each other Ancillary Agreement) shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes to such agreement, (e) the word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless otherwise specified, (f) the word “or” shall not be exclusive, (g) unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days, (h) references to “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are generally authorized or required by law to close in Los Angeles, California or New York, New York, (i) references herein to this Agreement or any other agreement contemplated herein shall be deemed to refer to this Agreement or such other agreement as of the date on which it is executed and as it may be amended, modified or supplemented thereafter, unless otherwise specified; the word “extent” in the phrase “to the extent” shall mean the degree to which a subject or other thing extends, and such phrase shall not mean simply “if” and (j) unless expressly stated to the contrary in this Agreement, all references to “the date hereof,” “the date of this Agreement,” “hereby” and “hereupon” and words of similar import shall all be references to October 7, 2021.

Section 4.13 Performance.

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

 

27


Section 4.14 Registrations, Exchanges, etc.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary that may be contained in this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall apply to the full extent set forth herein with respect to (a) any SpinCo Shares, now or hereafter authorized to be issued, (b) any and all securities of SpinCo into which SpinCo Shares are converted, exchanged or substituted in any recapitalization or other capital reorganization by SpinCo and (c) any and all securities of any kind whatsoever of SpinCo or any successor or permitted assign of SpinCo (whether by merger, consolidation, sale of assets or otherwise) which may be issued on or after the date hereof in respect of, in conversion of, in exchange for or in substitution of, SpinCo Shares, and shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividends, or other distributions, stock splits or reverse stock splits, combinations, recapitalizations, mergers, consolidations, exchange offers or other reorganizations occurring after the date hereof.

Section 4.15 Mutual Drafting.

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

[The remainder of this page has been left blank intentionally.]

 

28


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

 

ZIFF DAVIS, INC.

By:

 

/s/ Jeremy Rossen

 

Name:

  Jeremy Rossen
 

Title:

  Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel

[Signature Page to Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement]


CONSENSUS CLOUD SOLUTIONS, INC.

By:

 

/s/ Vithya Aubee

 

Name:

 

Vithya Aubee

 

Title:

 

Vice President

[Signature Page to Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement]


Exhibit A

Exhibit A – Form of Agreement to be Bound

THIS INSTRUMENT forms part of the Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement (the “Agreement”), dated as of October 7, 2021, by and between Ziff Davis, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation. The undersigned hereby acknowledges having received a copy of the Agreement and having read the Agreement in its entirety, and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound, hereby agrees that the terms and conditions of the Agreement binding upon and inuring to the benefit of Parent shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the undersigned and its successors and permitted assigns as if it were an original party to the Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this instrument on this ______ day of _______________, 20 .

 

 

(Signature of transferee)

 

Print name

 

A-1

Exhibit 99.1

Ziff Davis, Inc. Completes Separation of Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc.

New York, NY—7am ET, October 8, 2021—Ziff Davis, Inc. (“Ziff Davis”) (formerly known as J2 Global, Inc.) (Nasdaq: ZD) announced today that it has completed the previously announced separation of its Consensus business into an independent, publicly traded company. The new company, Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (“Consensus”), is a leading provider of secure information-delivery services.

Ziff Davis common stock will begin regular-way trading today on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “ZD.” Consensus common stock will begin regular-way trading today on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “CCSI.”

“We are thrilled to complete the separation of Ziff Davis and Consensus into two leading independent public companies,” said Vivek Shah, CEO of Ziff Davis. “My colleagues and I are excited to continue Ziff Davis’ mission of creating enduring value through vertical market innovation, digital transformation, and exceptional capital allocation. I am grateful to our Board and employees, whose hard work enabled us to reach today’s milestone. I know they join me in wishing the Consensus team great success as a standalone public company.”

The separation was achieved through a pro rata distribution to Ziff Davis stockholders of 80.1% of the outstanding shares of Consensus on October 7, 2021. The special dividend distribution gave Ziff Davis stockholders one share of Consensus common stock for every three shares of Ziff Davis common stock outstanding as of the close of business on October 1, 2021, the record date for the distribution. No fractional shares of Consensus were issued and stockholders received cash in lieu of fractional shares.


Citi is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is acting as legal counsel to Ziff Davis.

About Ziff Davis

Ziff Davis (Nasdaq: ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, entertainment, shopping, health, cybersecurity, and martech. For more information, visit www.ziffdavis.com.

“Safe Harbor” Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Certain statements in this Press Release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the proposed spin-off transaction. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including market and other conditions and include uncertainties regarding expected operating performance and financial position of the companies after the separation, the costs and expected benefits of the proposed transaction, and the expected tax treatment of the transaction. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those factors described in Ziff Davis’ (formerly J2 Global) Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other documents filed from time to time by Ziff Davis with the SEC. Ziff Davis assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Rebecca Wright

Ziff Davis, Inc.

(800) 577-1790

investor@ziffdavis.com

Source: Ziff Davis, Inc.

Exhibit 99.2

Ziff Davis (formerly J2 Global) Announces Early Tender Results of Cash Tender For A

Portion Of Its 4.625% Senior Notes Due 2030

New York, NY October 8, 2021, 7:30am ET – Ziff Davis, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZD) (formerly J2 Global, Inc.) (the “Company”) today announced the early tender results of its cash tender offer (the “Tender Offer”) to purchase up to $90,000,000, exclusive of accrued but unpaid interest (the “Maximum Purchase Amount”) of its outstanding 4.625% Senior Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”).

According to the information received from Global Bondholder Services Corporation, the information agent and tender agent for the Tender Offer, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 7, 2021 (the “Early Tender Time”), the Company had received, and has informed Global Bondholder Services Corporation that it is accepting, valid tenders from holders of the Notes as outlined in the table below:

 

Title of
Security

 

CUSIP
Number

 

Principal
Amount
Outstanding

 

Aggregate
Principal Amount
Tendered

 

Aggregate
Principal Amount
Accepted

 

Maximum

Purchase

Price

 

Total
Consideration
Per $1,000
Principal Amount

 

Proration Factor

4.625% Senior Notes due 2030  

48123VAF9;

U52503AB2

  $750,000,000   $639,101,000   $83,333,000   $89,999,640   $1,080(1)(2)   13.08%

 

(1)

Does not include accrued but unpaid interest, which will also be payable as provided in the Offer to Purchase.

(2)

Includes the Early Tender Premium (as defined below).

The terms and conditions of the Tender Offer are described in an Offer to Purchase, dated September 24, 2021 (the “Offer to Purchase”).

Holders of Notes that were validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 7, 2021 (the “Early Tender Time”) and accepted for purchase will receive the Total Consideration set forth in the table above, which includes an early tender premium of $50.00 per $1,000 principal amount of the Notes accepted for purchase (the “Early Tender Premium”). As the Tender Offer was fully subscribed up to the Maximum Purchase Amount as of the Early Tender Time, holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Time will not have any of such Notes accepted for payment unless the Company increases the Maximum Purchase Amount. Notes tendered in the Tender Offer prior to the Early Tender Time and not purchased on the Early Settlement Date will be returned promptly after the Early Settlement Date. Holders of Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time will be eligible only to receive the Tender Offer Consideration of $1,030 per $1,000 principal amount (the “Tender Offer Consideration”), which is the Total Consideration minus the Early Tender Premium, plus accrued but unpaid interest.

In addition to the Tender Offer Consideration or the Total Consideration, as applicable, all holders of Notes accepted for purchase will receive accrued and unpaid interest from and including the last interest payment date to, but not including, the applicable Settlement Date (as defined below) for such Notes.


The Withdrawal Time for the Tender Offer was 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 7, 2021 and was not extended. Accordingly, Notes tendered in the Tender Offer may not be withdrawn except as provided in the Offer to Purchase or applicable law.

The Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 22, 2021, unless extended by the Company in its sole discretion (the “Expiration Time”).

Provided that the conditions to the Tender Offer have been satisfied or waived, payment for Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer will be made on October 12, 2021, the second business day following the Early Tender Time, or as promptly as practicable thereafter (the “Early Settlement Date”).

Provided that the conditions to the Tender Offer have been satisfied or waived, and assuming acceptance for purchase by the Company of any Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time and before the Expiration Time, pursuant to the Tender Offer, payment for any Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time, but at or prior to the Expiration Time, and accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer will be made on the settlement date that is expected to be the second business day following the Expiration Time (the “Final Settlement Date” and, together with the Early Settlement Date, the “Settlement Dates”).

The Company reserves the right, but is under no obligation, to increase the Maximum Purchase Amount at any time, subject to compliance with applicable law, which could result in the Company purchasing a greater aggregate principal amount of Notes in the Tender Offer. There can be no assurance that the Company will exercise its right to increase the Maximum Purchase Amount.

The Tender Offer is not contingent upon the tender of any minimum principal amount of Notes. The Company’s obligation to accept for purchase and to pay for the Notes validly tendered in the Tender Offer is subject to and conditioned on the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions described in the Offer to Purchase. The condition relating to the consummation of the separation described below under “About Ziff Davis” has been satisfied. The Company reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to extend the Expiration Time to a later date and time as announced by the Company; (b) increase the Maximum Purchase Amount; (c) waive or modify in whole or in part any or all conditions to the Tender Offer; (d) delay the acceptance for purchase of any Notes or delay the purchase of any Notes; or (e) otherwise modify or terminate the Tender Offer.

The dealer manager for the Tender Offer is Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Any questions regarding the terms of the Tender Offer should be directed to the Dealer Manager, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at (toll-free) (800) 558-3745 or (collect) (212) 723-6106. The information agent and tender agent is Global Bondholder Services, Inc. Any questions regarding procedures for tendering Notes or requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase or other documents relating to the Tender Offer should be directed to the information agent for the Tender Offer, Global Bondholder Services, Inc. at (866) 807-2200 (toll-free) or (212) 430-3774.


This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy or an offer to purchase or sell any securities. The Tender Offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and only in such jurisdictions as is permitted under applicable law.

About Ziff Davis (formerly J2 Global)

Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, entertainment, shopping, health, cybersecurity, and martech. For more information, visit www.ziffdavis.com.

On September 21, 2021, J2 Global announced that its Board of Directors approved its previously announced separation into two independent publicly traded companies – J2 Global, Inc., which is now known as Ziff Davis, Inc. after the separation, and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (“Consensus”). The J2 Global Board of Directors declared a special dividend distribution of one share of Consensus common stock for every three shares of J2 Global common stock outstanding as of the close of business on October 1, 2021, the record date for the distribution. The separation was completed on October 7, 2021.

“Safe Harbor” Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Certain statements in this Press Release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the proposed spin-off transaction. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including market and other conditions and include uncertainties regarding expected operating performance and financial position of the companies after the separation, the costs and expected benefits of the proposed separation, and the expected tax treatment of the transaction. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those factors described in Ziff Davis’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other documents filed from time to time by Ziff Davis with the SEC.

Rebecca Wright

(800) 577-1790

Ziff Davis, Inc.

investor@ziffdavis.com

Source: Ziff Davis, Inc.