Acquisition Proposals (a) The Company shall not, and shall cause its subsidiaries and its and its subsidiaries’ directors, officers and employees not to, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause its and its subsidiaries’ attorneys, investment bankers and other advisors or representatives (collectively with its subsidiaries and its and its subsidiaries’ directors, officers and employees, “Representatives”) not to, directly or indirectly, (i) initiate, solicit, knowingly encourage, knowingly induce or knowingly facilitate (including by providing non-public information relating to the Company or its subsidiaries) the making of any Acquisition Proposal or any inquiry, offer or proposal that would reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal, (ii) engage or otherwise participate in any negotiations or discussions (other than, in response to a bona fide Acquisition Proposal or other inquiry, offer or proposal after the date hereof that was not initiated, solicited, encouraged or facilitated, and did not otherwise result from a material violation of this Section 7.1, contacting such Person and its advisors for the purpose of clarifying the material terms of any such Acquisition Proposal or inquiry, offer or proposal and the likelihood and timing of consummation thereof) concerning, or provide access to its properties, books and records or any confidential or nonpublic information or data to, any Person in connection with, relating to or for the purpose of encouraging or facilitating an Acquisition Proposal or any inquiry, offer or proposal that would reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal, (iii) approve, endorse or recommend, or propose publicly to approve, endorse or recommend, any Acquisition Proposal, or (iv) execute or enter into any letter of intent, agreement in principle, merger agreement, acquisition agreement or other similar written or oral agreement relating to any Acquisition Proposal (each, an “Alternative Acquisition Agreement”), and the Company shall not resolve or agree to do any of the foregoing. Without limiting the foregoing, it is agreed that any violation of any of the restrictions set forth in the preceding sentence by any Representatives of the Company or any of its subsidiaries shall be a breach of this Section 7.1(a) by the Company. The Company shall, shall cause its subsidiaries and its and its subsidiaries’ directors, officers and employees to, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause its and its subsidiaries’ other Representatives to, immediately cease and cause to be terminated any solicitations of, discussions or negotiations with, or provision of access to non-public information relating to the Company or its subsidiaries to, any Person (other than the Parties and their respective Representatives) in connection with any Acquisition Proposal. The Company also agrees that it will promptly request each Person (other than the Parties and their respective Representatives) that has prior to the date hereof executed a confidentiality agreement in connection with its consideration of an Acquisition Proposal to promptly return or destroy all confidential information furnished to such Person by or on behalf of it or any of its subsidiaries prior to the date hereof and shall terminate access to data rooms furnished in connection therewith. The Company shall promptly (and in any event within twenty-four (24) hours) notify Parent orally and in writing of the receipt of any inquiries, proposals or offers, any requests for non-public information, or any requests for discussions or negotiations with the Company or any of its Representatives, in each case with respect to an Acquisition Proposal or any offer, inquiry or proposal that would reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal, which notice shall include a summary of the material terms and conditions of, and the identity of the Person making, such Acquisition Proposal, inquiry, proposal or offer, and, if applicable, copies of any such written requests, proposals or offers, including proposed agreements, and thereafter shall keep Parent reasonably informed, on a prompt basis (and in any event within twenty-four (24) hours), of any material developments regarding any Acquisition Proposals or any material change to the terms and status of any such Acquisition Proposal or the material aspects of any bid process established by the Company to review such proposals or offers. The Company agrees that neither it nor any of its subsidiaries shall terminate, waive or amend to similar effect any existing standstill or similar agreement to which it or one of its subsidiaries is a party, except to the extent that prior to, but not after, obtaining the Company Requisite Vote, after consultation with its outside legal counsel, the Company Board determines that the failure to take such action would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable Law.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, nothing contained herein shall prevent the Company or the Company Board from:
(i) taking and disclosing to its stockholders a position contemplated by Rule 14d-9 and Rule 14e-2(a) promulgated under the Exchange Act (or any similar communication to stockholders in connection with the making or amendment of a tender offer or exchange offer, in each case, to the extent legally required) or from making any other disclosure to stockholders if the Company Board determines in good faith that the failure to make such disclosure would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law (provided that neither the Company nor the Company Board may effect a Change of Recommendation unless expressly permitted by Section 7.1(c) or Section 7.2(d), and provided, further, that any such disclosure that has the substantive effect of withdrawing or adversely modifying the Company Recommendation shall be deemed to be a Change of Recommendation); provided, further, that the issuance by the Company or the Company Board of a “stop, look and listen” communication as contemplated by Rule 14d-9(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act (or any similar communication to its stockholders) in which the Company has not indicated that the Company Board has changed the Company Recommendation shall not constitute a Change of Recommendation;
(ii) prior to, but not after, obtaining the Company Requisite Vote, providing access to its properties, books and records and providing any confidential or non-public information or data in response to a request therefor by a Person or group who has made a bona fide Acquisition Proposal after the date hereof that was not initiated, solicited, encouraged or facilitated, and did not otherwise result from a material violation of this Section 7.1, if the Company Board (A) shall have determined in good faith, after consultation with the Company’s outside legal counsel and financial advisor, that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes or could reasonably be expected to lead to a Superior Proposal and (B) has received from the Person so requesting such information an executed Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement; provided that any such access, information or data has previously been provided to Parent or its Representatives or is provided to Parent prior to or substantially concurrently with the time such access, information or data is provided to such Person or group;
(iii) prior to, but not after, obtaining the Company Requisite Vote, engaging in any negotiations or discussions with any Person and its Representatives who has made a bona fide Acquisition Proposal after the date hereof that was not initiated, solicited, encouraged or facilitated in, and did not otherwise result from a, material violation of this Section 7.1, if the Company Board shall have determined in good faith, after consultation with the Company’s outside legal counsel and financial advisor, that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes or could reasonably be expected to lead to a Superior Proposal; or
(iv) prior to, but not after, obtaining the Company Requisite Vote, making a Change of Recommendation (but only if permitted by Section 7.1(c) or Section 7.2(d)).
(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if, at any time prior to, but not after, obtaining the Company Requisite Vote, in response to a bona fide Acquisition Proposal that was made after the date hereof and was not initiated, solicited, encouraged or facilitated, and did not otherwise result from a material violation of this Section 7.1, the Company Board determines in good faith (i) after consultation with the Company’s outside legal counsel and financial advisor, that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal taking into account any adjustment to the terms and conditions of this Agreement proposed by Parent and the Merger Subs in response to such Acquisition Proposal and (ii) after consultation with the Company’s outside legal counsel, that the failure to take the action in (A) and/or (B) below would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law, the Company or the Company Board may (and may resolve or agree to) (A) terminate this Agreement under Section 9.1(d)(ii) and enter into a definitive merger agreement, acquisition agreement or similar written agreement with respect to such Superior Proposal and/or (B) effect a Change of Recommendation in accordance with clause (1)(A) of Section 7.2(d); provided, however, that, if the Company terminates the Agreement pursuant to Section 9.1(d)(ii), the Company pays to Parent the Company Termination Fee required to be paid under Section 9.2(b)(i) concurrently with or prior to such termination; provided, further, that the Company shall not be entitled to enter into such Alternative Acquisition Agreement and terminate this Agreement or effect a Change of Recommendation pursuant to clause (1)(A) of Section 7.2(d) unless (1) the Company delivers to Parent a written notice (a “Company Notice”), advising Parent that the Company Board proposes to take such action and containing the material terms and conditions of the Superior Proposal that is the basis of the proposed action by the Company Board (including the identity of the party making such Superior Proposal and copies of any written proposals or offers, including proposed agreements) and (2) at or after 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on the fourth (4th) Business Day immediately following the day on which the Company delivered the Company Notice (such period from the time the Company Notice is provided until 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on the fourth (4th) Business Day immediately following the day on which the Company delivered the Company Notice, the “Notice Period”), the Company Board reaffirms in good faith (after consultation with the Company’s outside legal counsel and financial advisor and taking into account any adjustment to the terms and conditions of this Agreement proposed by Parent during the Notice Period) that such Acquisition Proposal continues to constitute a Superior Proposal and (after consultation with the Company’s outside legal counsel) that the failure to take such action would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with the Company Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable Law. If requested by Parent, the Company will, and will cause its Representatives to, during the Notice Period, engage in good faith negotiations with Parent and its Representatives regarding any adjustments in the terms and conditions of this Agreement proposed by Parent so that such Acquisition Proposal would cease to constitute a Superior Proposal. The Company agrees to notify Parent promptly if it determines during such Notice Period not to terminate this Agreement and enter into the Alternative Acquisition Agreement referred to in the Company Notice. Any amendment to the financial terms or any other material amendment to the terms and conditions of a proposed Alternative Acquisition Agreement relating to a Superior Proposal will be deemed to be a new proposal or proposed Alternative Acquisition Agreement relating to a Superior Proposal for purposes of this Section 7.1(c) requiring a new Company Notice and an additional Notice Period; provided, however, that such additional Notice Period shall expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on the second (2nd) Business Day immediately following the day on which the Company delivers such new Company Notice (it being understood and agreed that in no event shall any such additional two (2) Business Day Notice Period be deemed to shorten the initial four (4) Business Day Notice Period).
(d) For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned below:
Notice of Proposed Actions (a) In case the Company, after the Distribution Date, shall propose (i) to effect any of the transactions referred to in Section 11(a)(i) or to pay any dividend to the holders of record of its Preferred Stock payable in stock of any class or to make any other distribution to the holders of record of its Preferred Stock (other than a regular periodic cash dividend), or (ii) to offer to the holders of record of its Preferred Stock or options, warrants, or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase shares of Preferred Stock (including any security convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Stock) or shares of stock of any other class or any other securities, options, warrants, convertible or exchangeable securities or other rights, or (iii) to effect any reclassification of its Preferred Stock or any recapitalization or reorganization of the Company, or (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger with or into, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of more than 50% of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person or Persons, or (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such case, the Company shall give to each holder of record of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such transaction referred to in Section 11(a)(i), or such dividend or distribution, or the date on which such reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, consolidation, merger, sale or transfer of assets, liquidation, dissolution or winding up is to take place and the record date for determining participation therein by the holders of record of Preferred Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of record of the Preferred Stock for purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of record of Preferred Stock, whichever shall be the earlier.
(b) In case any of the transactions referred to in Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 of this Rights Agreement are proposed, then, in any such case, the Company shall give to each holder of Rights, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, notice of the proposal of such transaction at least 10 days prior to consummating such transaction, which notice shall specify the proposed event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13 hereof, as the case may be, and, upon consummating such transaction, shall similarly give notice thereof to each holder of Rights.
(c) The failure to give notice required by this Section 25 or any defect therein shall not affect the legality or validity of the action taken by the Company or the vote upon any such action.