Conduct of Parent From the date hereof until the Effective Time except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, as set forth in Section 7.01 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, as consented to in writing by the Company (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) or as required by Applicable Law, Parent shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to conduct its business in all material respects in the ordinary course consistent with past practice and use its commercially reasonable efforts to preserve intact its business organizations and relationships with Third Parties. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, from the date hereof until the Effective Time, except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement, as set forth in Section 7.01 of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, as consented to in writing by the Company or as required by Applicable Law, from the date hereof until the Effective Time Parent shall not, nor shall it permit any of its Subsidiaries to:
(a) amend the articles of incorporation or bylaws of Parent in a manner that would have a material and adverse impact on the value of Parent Class A Common Stock;
(b) without limiting the Company’s obligations under Section 8.01 (including the last sentence of Section 8.01(a)), split, combine or reclassify any shares of capital stock of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or declare, set aside or pay any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, stock or property or any combination thereof) in respect of the capital stock of Parent or its Subsidiaries, or redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire or offer to redeem, repurchase, or otherwise acquire any Parent Securities, except for (i) dividends by any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries, (ii) regular quarterly cash dividends by Parent with customary record and payment dates on shares of Parent Stock not in excess of $0.225 per share per quarter, as such amount may be increased for 2015 in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice; and (iii) repurchases of shares of Parent Stock at then prevailing market prices pursuant to Parent’s share repurchase program as in effect from time to time;
(c) adopt or publicly propose a plan of complete or partial liquidation or resolutions providing for or authorizing such a liquidation or a dissolution, restructuring, recapitalization or reorganization;
(d) knowingly and intentionally take any action that would reasonably be expected to make any representation or warranty of Parent hereunder inaccurate in any material respect at, or immediately prior to, the Effective Time; or
(e) agree, resolve or commit to do any of the foregoing.
Conduct of the Company The Company covenants and agrees that, except for matters (i) expressly permitted or expressly contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) set forth on Part 6.01 of the Company Disclosure Schedule, (iii) reasonably undertaken in connection with any COVID-19 Measures, (iv) undertaken with the prior written consent of Parent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), (v) required by Applicable Law or the rules and regulations of Nasdaq, from the date hereof until the earlier of the Effective Time and the termination of this Agreement in accordance with Article 8 hereof, the Company (A) shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to use commercially reasonable efforts to (1) conduct its business in the ordinary course in all material respects, substantially consistent with past practice, (2) to the extent consistent with the foregoing clause (1), maintain its business as a going concern and (3) keep available the services of its current officers and key employees and to preserve the goodwill of and maintain satisfactory relationships with those Persons having material business relationships with the Company and its Subsidiaries, and (B) shall not, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries not to:
(a) amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or amend any certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or other comparable charter or organizational documents, of the Company’s Subsidiaries;
(b) other than with respect to a direct or indirect wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company, (i) establish a record date for, declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other distributions (whether in cash, stock, property or otherwise) in respect of, or enter into any agreement with respect to the voting of, any capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or securities convertible or exchangeable therefor), (ii) split, reverse split, combine, subdivide or reclassify or otherwise amend the terms of any capital stock (or securities convertible or exchangeable therefor) of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (iii) except as expressly provided in Section 6.01(c), issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for, shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or securities convertible or exchangeable therefor), or (iv) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or offer to purchase, redeem or acquire any Company Securities, except for the net settlement of Company Equity Awards or acquisitions of shares of Company Common Stock by the Company, in each case, in satisfaction by holders of Company Equity Awards of the applicable withholding taxes or in accordance with the terms of the ESPP;
(c) issue, deliver, sell, grant, announce, pledge, transfer, subject to any Lien, otherwise encumber or dispose of any equity interests of the Company or incur any obligation to make any payments to any Person based on the price or value of any Company Securities, other than (i) the issuance of shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to (A) the terms of Company Equity Awards that are outstanding on the date hereof, in accordance with the applicable terms of such Company Equity Awards as in effect on the date of this Agreement or (B) grants or awards of Company Securities or Company Equity Awards required to be made pursuant to the terms of existing employment or other compensation agreements or arrangements in effect as of the date hereof; provided that such grants or awards are pursuant to a form of award agreement that has been made available to Parent or (ii) the issuance of shares of Company Common Stock under the ESPP and pursuant to the terms thereof and Section 2.06 of this Agreement or (iii) the issuance of equity interests of a wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company to the Company or another wholly owned Subsidiary of the Company;
(d) merge, consolidate or, other than in the ordinary course of business substantially consistent with past practice, enter into strategic alliance or similar legal partnership with any Person, file a voluntary petition for bankruptcy or liquidation, dissolve, liquidate, restructure or recapitalize or adopt a plan or agreement of, or resolutions providing for or authorizing, complete or partial bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(e) (i) increase the salary, wages, benefits, bonuses or other cash compensation payable or to become payable to the Company’s employees, officers, directors or Independent Contractors, except for increases (A) required to be made pursuant to the terms of existing employment or other compensation agreements or arrangements in effect as of the date hereof, (B) required under any Company Employee Plan pursuant to the terms in effect as of the date hereof or Collective Bargaining Agreement or under Applicable Law, (C) made in the ordinary course of business and substantially consistent with past practice, or (D) in connection with changes to benefits as part of annual enrollment; provided that such changes made as part of annual enrollment are made in the ordinary course of business, and (ii) other than as required by the terms of the applicable Company Employee Plan or under Applicable Law, enter into, adopt, amend (including by accelerating the vesting, payment or funding of any benefits under), modify or terminate any Company Employee Plan or plan, agreement, arrangement, or policy that would be a Company Employee Plan if in effect on the date hereof;
(f) hire, engage or terminate the employment or engagement of (other than for cause, as determined by the Company) any employee, officer, director, or Independent Contractor whose annual base cash compensation exceeds $250,000;
(g) negotiate, enter into, amend or extend any Collective Bargaining Agreement;
(h) acquire or commit to acquire any business, assets, real property or capital stock of, or make any loans, advances or capital contribution to any Person or division thereof, whether in whole or in part (and whether by purchase of stock, purchase of assets, merger, consolidation, entrance into a joint venture or otherwise) that, individually involve a purchase price or principal amount of not more than $500,000 individually or $2,000,000 in the aggregate, other than one or more acquisitions of inventory, supplies, intellectual property assets, raw materials, equipment or similar assets in the ordinary course of business and in amounts substantially consistent with past practice;
(i) sell, assign, lease, license, pledge, transfer, abandon, subject to any Lien, permit to lapse or otherwise dispose of any assets, properties, or Company Intellectual Property, in each case having a value in excess of $500,000 individually or $5,000,000 in the aggregate, except in the ordinary course of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ business substantially consistent with past practice;
(j) agree to any exclusivity, non-competition or similar provision or covenant limiting the ability of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to compete or engage in any line of business, with any Person or in any geographic area, or pursuant to which any benefit or right would be required to be given or lost as a result of so competing or engaging, or which would have any such effect on Parent or any of its Affiliates after the Effective Time, except, in each case, in connection with Contracts entered into with customers, contractors, distributors, resellers, partners or suppliers of the Company and its Subsidiaries or similar arrangements, that (x) are made in the ordinary course of business substantially consistent with past practice, (y) are on terms substantially similar to any such restrictions existing on the date of this Agreement and (z) would not have any such effect (or otherwise restrict or bind) on Parent or any of its Affiliates (other than the Company and its Subsidiaries) after the Effective Time;
(k) adopt or change any of the accounting methods used by the Company materially affecting its assets, liabilities or business, except for such changes that are required by (i) GAAP (or any interpretation thereof), (ii) by any Applicable Law, including Regulation S-X under the Securities Act, or (iii) by any Governmental Authority or quasi-governmental authority (including the Financial Accounting Standards Board or any similar organization);
(l) except for borrowings of revolving loans under the Existing Credit Agreement and capital leases in the ordinary course of business and except for intercompany loans, guarantees, advance or capital contribution between the Company and any of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries or between any wholly-owned Subsidiaries of the Company, (i) incur, issue, or otherwise become liable for any additional Indebtedness in excess of $5,000,000 in the aggregate, (ii) modify in a manner materially adverse to the Company or its Subsidiaries the terms of any material Indebtedness existing as of the date hereof, (iii) assume, guarantee or endorse the obligations of any Person (other than a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company), (iv) make any loan, advance or capital contribution to any Person in excess of $500,000 in the aggregate, other than capital contributions and loans to any wholly owned Subsidiary, and extensions of trade credit in the ordinary course of business, (v) amend, modify or waive any provision of the Existing Credit Agreement (other than to waive or otherwise cure any “Default” or “Event of Default” thereunder provided that Parent has been provided prior written notice thereof and consented to such amendment, modification or waiver), or (vi) other than the regularly scheduled and required amortization payments under the Existing Credit Agreement, repurchase, prepay, terminate or refinance any Indebtedness arising under the Existing Credit Agreement;
(m) make, change or revoke any material Tax election, change any annual Tax accounting period, file any material amended Tax Return or file any material Tax Return in a manner inconsistent with past practice, enter into any “closing agreement” within the meaning of Section 7121 of the Code (or similar provision of state, local or non-U.S. law) in respect of any material Tax, settle any material Tax Proceeding, surrender any right to claim a material Tax refund, offset or other reduction in Tax liability, or consent to any extension or waiver of the limitations period applicable to any material Tax claim or assessment outside the ordinary course of business;
(n) make any commitment with respect to capital expenditures in excess of the amounts set forth in Part 6.01(n)(i) of the Company Disclosure Schedule;
(o) institute, settle or agree to settle any Proceedings, other than (i) the settlement of claims, liabilities or obligations (A) reserved against on the most recent balance sheet of the Company included in the Company SEC Documents or (B) involving payments of less than $500,000 individually or $1,000,000 in the aggregate; provided that neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall settle or agree to settle any Proceeding which settlement involves a conduct remedy or injunctive or similar relief or has a restrictive impact on the Company’s business or (ii) Proceedings brought against Parent or Merger Sub arising out of a breach or alleged breach of this Agreement by Parent or Merger Sub;
(p) enter into any material new line of business;
(q) fail to maintain in all material respects any Insurance Policies;
(r) other than in the ordinary course of business or as contemplated by this Agreement (i) amend, modify, renew or terminate, or grant any release or waiver under, any Material Contract (excluding the expiration of any Material Contract in accordance with its terms) or enter into any new Contract that would have been a Material Contract if in existence on the date of this Agreement, or (ii) renew or enter into any Contract with an Affiliate of the Company;
(s) voluntarily terminate, amend or fail to renew or preserve any Company Communications License as set forth on Part 6.01(s) of the Company Disclosure Schedule;
(t) conduct any reduction-in-force of employees or other service providers or otherwise implement any layoffs, in each case that could implicate the WARN Act; or
(u) authorize, commit or agree to take any of the foregoing actions. Notwithstanding anything set forth in this Agreement or any other documents related to the Merger, prior to the Closing, neither Parent nor Merger Sub shall, directly or indirectly, exercise any form of control over the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any of the Governmental Permits, within the meaning of the FCC Rules and the FCC’s orders and other published rulings thereunder. In addition, the Company and its Subsidiaries may take such further commercially reasonable actions necessary to (x) respond to emergencies or protect the health and safety of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s employees, suppliers, customers and other individuals having business dealings with the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company (including any COVID-19 Measures) or (y) respond to third-party supply or service disruptions caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; provided that the Company shall, to the extent legally permissible and only if time permits, consult with Parent prior to taking the actions described in this sentence.
Conduct of a Meeting The General Partner shall have full power and authority concerning the manner of conducting any meeting of the Limited Partners or solicitation of approvals in writing, including the determination of Persons entitled to vote, the existence of a quorum, the satisfaction of the requirements of Section 13.4, the conduct of voting, the validity and effect of any proxies and the determination of any controversies, votes or challenges arising in connection with or during the meeting or voting. The General Partner shall designate a Person to serve as chairman of any meeting and shall further designate a Person to take the minutes of any meeting. All minutes shall be kept with the records of the Partnership maintained by the General Partner. The General Partner may make such other regulations consistent with applicable law and this Agreement as it may deem advisable concerning the conduct of any meeting of the Limited Partners or solicitation of approvals in writing, including regulations in regard to the appointment of proxies, the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes and approvals, the submission and examination of proxies and other evidence of the right to vote, and the revocation of approvals in writing.
Conduct of Business by Parent Except for matters set forth in Section 8.01 of the Parent Disclosure Letter, otherwise expressly permitted by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents, required by applicable Law or consented to in writing by Weyerhaeuser, from the date hereof to the Effective Time, Parent shall, and shall cause each Parent Subsidiary to, conduct its business in the usual, regular and ordinary course in substantially the same manner as previously conducted and, to the extent consistent therewith, use all commercially reasonable efforts to preserve intact its current business organization, maintain its material Governmental Approvals and Third Party Approvals, keep available the services of its current officers and employees and keep its relationships with customers, suppliers, licensors, licensees, distributors and others having business dealings with it to the end that its goodwill and ongoing business shall be unimpaired in any material respect at the Effective Time. In addition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except for matters set forth in Section 8.01 of the Parent Disclosure Letter or otherwise expressly permitted by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents or required by applicable Law, from the date hereof to the Effective Time, Parent shall not, and shall not permit any Parent Subsidiary to, do any of the following without the prior written consent of Weyerhaeuser, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed:
(a) (i) declare, set aside or pay any dividends or other distributions in respect of its shares of capital stock or other equity interests, other than dividends and distributions by any direct or indirect wholly-owned Parent Subsidiary to its parent, (ii) split, combine or reclassify any of its capital stock or other equity interests, or issue or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in substitution for its shares of capital stock or other equity interests, other than any such transaction by a direct or indirect wholly-owned Parent Subsidiary which remains a direct or indirect wholly-owned Parent Subsidiary after consummation of such transaction, or (iii) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire or amend the terms of any shares of its capital stock or other equity interests or any rights, warrants, options or other equity awards to acquire, directly or indirectly, any such shares of capital stock or other equity interests;
(b) issue, deliver, sell or grant (i) any of its shares of capital stock or other equity interests or (ii) any Voting Parent Debt or Parent Securities, in each case other than (A) the issuance of Parent Common Stock upon the exercise of Parent stock options or in connection with other equity-based awards granted pursuant to the Parent Stock Plan and outstanding on the date hereof and in accordance with their terms, (B) the grant of Parent stock options or other equity-based awards in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice relating to no more than 525,000 shares of Parent Common Stock and (C) any such transaction by a wholly-owned Parent Subsidiary which remains a wholly-owned Parent Subsidiary after consummation of such transaction;
(c) amend its certificate or articles of incorporation or bylaws or comparable organizational documents;
(d) acquire or dispose of, including by entering any lease or option Contract with respect to, any interests in real property, except for (i) acquisitions or dispositions in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (ii) the expiration of any lease or option Contract in accordance with the terms of such Contract;
(e) acquire, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, whether by merging or consolidating with, or by purchasing a substantial equity interest in or a substantial portion of the assets of, or by any other manner, any business or any partnership, corporation, joint venture, limited liability entity or other business organization or division thereof or any other Person (in each case, other than any acquisition of interests in real property permitted under Section 8.01(d)), with a value or purchase price that, individually or in the aggregate, exceeds $10,000,000, except for acquisitions in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice of assets used in the operation or conduct of the Parent Business;
(f) sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, including by entering any license or lease with respect to, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, any property or asset (in each case, other than sales, transfers or dispositions of interests in real property permitted under Section 8.01(d)) with a value or purchase price that, individually or in the aggregate, exceeds $10,000,000, except for dispositions of obsolete or worn-out assets that are no longer used or useful in the operation or conduct of the Parent Business;
(g) (i) adopt, enter into, terminate, amend, extend or renew any collective bargaining agreement or any Parent Benefit Plan, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (ii) increase in any manner the compensation or benefits of, or pay any bonus to, any Parent Employee, except for increases in base salary or payments of bonuses in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (iii) pay or provide to any Parent Employee any benefit not provided for under a Parent Benefit Plan as in effect on the date hereof, other than the payment of base compensation in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or as permitted by clause (ii) above, (iv) except to the extent expressly permitted under Section 8.01(b), grant any awards under any Parent Benefit Plan or remove or modify existing restrictions in any Parent Benefit Plan or awards made thereunder, (v) take any action to fund or in any other way secure the payment of compensation or benefits under any Parent Benefit Plan, (vi) take any action to accelerate the vesting or payment of any compensation or benefits under any Parent Benefit Plan or (vii) make any material determination under any Parent Benefit Plan that is not in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, except in each case (A) as required to ensure that any Parent Benefit Plan in effect on the date hereof is not then out of compliance with applicable Law, (B) as specifically required pursuant to this Agreement or the terms of any Parent Benefit Plan or (C) as would not result in either the Real Estate Business or the Parent Business incurring any material Liabilities;
(h) incur any indebtedness for borrowed money, issue or sell any debt securities, guarantee or otherwise become contingently liable for any such indebtedness or debt securities of another Person, or enter into any “keep well” or other agreement to maintain any financial statement condition of another Person, except for (i) indebtedness solely between or among Parent and the Parent Subsidiaries, (ii) borrowings under Parent’s existing credit facilities (as in effect on the date hereof or amended after the date hereof not in contravention of this Agreement) in the ordinary course of business, so long as such borrowings would not reasonably be expected to result in the sum of available funds under the Closing Date Revolving Credit Facility (as defined in the New Debt Commitment Letter) together with unrestricted cash on hand of Parent and the Parent Subsidiaries being less than $100,000,000 as of immediately prior to the REB Transfer Time, (iii) borrowings that do not exceed the amounts budgeted in the operating plan set forth in Section 8.01(h) of the Parent Disclosure Letter, (iv) short-term borrowings incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (v) letters of credit and surety bonds issued in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(i) encumber or subject any of its material assets to any Liens, other than Parent Permitted Liens and Liens securing indebtedness that would not be prohibited by Section 8.01(h);
(j) (i) make any loan, advance or capital contribution to, or investment in, any Person other than any wholly-owned Parent Subsidiary that, individually or in the aggregate, exceeds $10,000,000 except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or (ii) authorize or make any capital expenditure (other than in respect of any acquisition of interests in real property permitted under Section 8.01(d)) in any fiscal quarter that, individually or in the aggregate, exceeds by more than 20% the amounts budgeted for such fiscal quarter in the operating plan set forth in Section 8.01(h) of the Parent Disclosure Letter;
(k) make any material change in its tax accounting or financial accounting methods, principles and practices in effect on the date of the Parent Balance Sheet, except as may be required by a change in GAAP;
(l) make any material Tax election inconsistent with past practice or settle or compromise any material Tax liability or refund;
(m) adopt a plan or agreement of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other material reorganization;
(n) adopt or implement any stockholder rights plan or similar arrangement;
(o) modify, amend, enter into or terminate any Parent Material Contract or waive, release or assign any material rights or claims of Parent or any Parent Subsidiary under any Parent Material Contract, except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, other than entry into any Parent Material Contract providing for (i) acquisitions or dispositions that would not be prohibited by Sections 8.01(d), 8.01(e) and 8.01(f), (ii) indebtedness that would not be prohibited by Section 8.01(h), (iii) Liens that would not be prohibited by Section 8.01(i) or (iv) loans, advances, capital contributions, investments or capital expenditures that would not be prohibited by Section 8.01(j) that, in the case of each of clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), does not otherwise require consent under this Section 8.01;
(p) settle any Action if such settlement would require any payment by Parent or any Parent Subsidiary in an amount in excess of $5,000,000 individually or $10,000,000 in the aggregate, or would obligate Parent or any Parent Subsidiary to take any material action or restrict Parent or any Parent Subsidiary in any material respect from taking any action;
(q) engage in any business other than the Parent Business substantially as currently conducted; or
(r) authorize any of, or commit or agree to take any of, the foregoing actions.
Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings Any person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided that any person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall have the right to employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such claim, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such person unless (a) the indemnifying party has agreed to pay such fees or expenses, or (b) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such person or (c) in the reasonable judgment of any such person, based upon written advice of its counsel, a conflict of interest exists between such person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such person); and provided, further, that the failure of any indemnified party to give notice as provided herein shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder, except to the extent that such failure to give notice shall materially adversely affect the indemnifying party in the defense of any such claim or litigation. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for fees or expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties. No indemnifying party will, except with the consent of the indemnified party, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement that does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect of such claim or litigation.