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AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
among
AT&T CORP.,
SBC COMMUNICATIONS INC.
and
TAU MERGER SUB CORPORATION
Dated as of January 30, 2005
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (hereinafter called this "Agreement"),
dated as of January 30, 2005, among AT&T Corp., a New York corporation (the "Company"),
SBC Communications Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Parent"), and Tau
Merger Sub Corporation, a New York corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Parent ("Merger Sub," the Company and Merger Sub sometimes hereinafter
being referred to together as the "Constituent Corporations").
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the respective Boards of Directors of each of the Company, Parent
and Merger Sub have, by resolutions duly adopted, declared that the merger of
Merger Sub with and into the Company (the "Merger") upon the terms and subject
to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and the other transactions contemplated
by this Agreement are advisable, the Board of Directors of Parent has approved this
Agreement and the Board of Directors of each of the Company and Merger Sub has adopted
this Agreement;
WHEREAS, it is intended that, for federal income tax purposes, the Merger
shall qualify as a reorganization under the provisions of Section 368(a) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"); and
WHEREAS, the Company, Parent and Merger Sub desire to make certain representations,
warranties, covenants and agreements in connection with this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, and of the representations,
warranties, covenants and agreements contained herein, the parties hereto agree
as follows:
ARTICLE I
The Merger; Closing; Effective Time
1.1. The Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions
set forth in this Agreement, at the Effective Time (as defined in Section 1.3)
Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company and the separate corporate
existence of Merger Sub shall thereupon cease. The Company shall be the
surviving corporation in the Merger (sometimes hereinafter referred to as the "Surviving Corporation"),
and the separate corporate existence of the Company, with all its rights,
privileges, immunities, powers and franchises, shall continue unaffected by the
Merger, except as set forth in Article II. The Merger shall have the effects
specified in Section 906 of the New York Business Corporation Law, as amended
(the "NYBCL").
1.2. Closing. The closing of the Merger (the "Closing")
shall take place (i) at the offices of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, 125 Broad
Street, New York, New York at 9:00 A.M. on the fifth business day following the
day on which the last to be satisfied or waived of the conditions set forth in
Article VII (other than those conditions that by their terms are to be satisfied
at the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of those conditions)
shall be satisfied or waived in accordance with this Agreement or (ii) at such
other place and time or on such other date as the Company and Parent may agree
in writing (the "Closing
Date").
1.3. Effective Time. As soon as practicable following the
Closing, the Company and Parent will cause a Certificate of Merger (the "New York Certificate
of Merger") to be executed, acknowledged and delivered to the Department
of State of the State of New York as provided in Section 904 of the NYBCL. The
Merger shall become effective on the date on which the New York Certificate of
Merger has been filed by the Department of State of the State of New York or at
such later time as may be agreed by the parties in writing and specified in the
New York Certificate of Merger (the "Effective Time").
ARTICLE II
Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws
of the Surviving Corporation
2.1. The Certificate of Incorporation. At the Effective Time,
the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation (the "Charter") shall
be amended in its entirety to read as set forth on Exhibit A hereto, until thereafter
duly amended as provided therein or by applicable Laws (as defined in Section 5.1(i)).
2.2. The By-Laws. The by-laws of Merger Sub in effect at the
Effective Time shall be the by-laws of the Surviving Corporation (the "By-Laws"),
until thereafter amended as provided therein or by applicable Laws.
ARTICLE III
Directors and Officers
3.1. Directors. The directors of Merger Sub at the Effective Time shall,
from and after the Effective Time, be the directors of the Surviving Corporation
until their successors shall have been duly elected or appointed and qualified or
until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the Charter
and the By-Laws.
3.2. Officers. The officers of Merger Sub at the Effective Time shall,
from and after the Effective Time, be the officers of the Surviving Corporation
until their successors shall have been duly elected or appointed and qualified or
until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the Charter
and the By-Laws.
3.3. Parents Board of Directors. As of the Effective Time,
(a) Parent shall increase the size of its Board of Directors to enable it to
appoint David W. Dorman plus two other members of the Board of Directors of the
Company selected by mutual agreement of Parent and the Company (the "Director Designees")
as members of such Board of Directors and (b) the Parent Board of Directors shall
appoint each of the Director Designees to such Board of Directors, to serve in such
capacities until their successors shall have been duly elected or appointed and
qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with
the certificate of incorporation and by-laws of Parent.
ARTICLE IV
Effect of the Merger on Capital Stock;
Exchange of Certificates
4.1. Effect on Capital Stock. At the Effective Time, as a result of the
Merger and without any action on the part of the holder of any capital stock of
the Company:
(a) Merger Consideration. (i) Each share of Common Stock, par
value $1.00 per share, of the Company (a "Share" and, collectively, the "Shares")
issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than (i) Shares
owned by Parent or any direct or indirect Subsidiary (as defined in Section 5.1(a))
of Parent and (ii) any Shares owned by the Company or any direct or indirect Subsidiary
of the Company except, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), for any such Shares
held on behalf of third parties (each, an "Excluded Share" and
collectively, "Excluded Shares")) (each such Share not constituting an
Excluded Share, an "Outstanding Share" and, collectively, the "Outstanding
Shares") shall be converted into, and become exchangeable for, 0.77942 (the
"Exchange Ratio") common shares (the "Per Share Merger Consideration"),
par value $1.00 per share, of Parent ("Parent Common Stock"). At the
Effective Time, all of the Shares shall cease to be outstanding, shall be
cancelled and retired and shall cease to exist, and each certificate (a "Certificate")
formerly representing any of the Shares (other than Excluded Shares) shall thereafter
represent only the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration and the right,
if any, to receive pursuant to Section 4.2(e) cash in lieu of fractional shares
into which such Shares have been converted pursuant to this Section 4.1(a) and any
dividend or distribution with respect to shares of Parent Common Stock pursuant
to Section 4.2(c).
(ii) Each Substitute Preferred Share (as defined in Section 6.4(b)) issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into, and
become exchangeable for, one Parent Preferred Share (as defined in Section 5.2(b))
having (A) a value substantially equivalent, in the judgment of Parent, to such
Substitute Preferred Share as of the Effective Time, (B) such other terms as are necessary
to ensure that such Parent Preferred Shares would not constitute "non-qualified
preferred stock" under Section 351(g) of the Code and (C) such other terms, if
any, as are reasonably necessary so that the terms of such Parent Preferred
Shares do not prevent the delivery of the tax opinions set forth in Sections
7.2(f) and 7.3(c) (collectively, the "New Parent Preferred Shares"). At the Effective
Time, all of the Substitute Preferred Shares shall cease to be outstanding, shall
be cancelled and retired and shall cease to exist, and each certificate formerly
representing such shares shall thereafter represent only the right to receive New
Parent Preferred Shares in accordance with the foregoing.
(b) Cancellation of Shares. Each Excluded Share shall, by virtue of the
Merger and without any action on the part of the holder thereof, cease to be outstanding,
shall be cancelled and retired without payment of any consideration therefor and
shall cease to exist.
(c) Merger Sub. At the Effective Time, each share of common stock, par
value $0.01 per share, of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to
the Effective Time shall be converted into one share of common stock, par value
$0.01 per share, of the Surviving Corporation.
4.2. Exchange of Certificates for Shares.
(a) Exchange Agent. As of the Effective Time, Parent shall
deposit, or shall cause to be deposited, with an exchange agent selected by
Parent with the Companys prior approval, which shall not be unreasonably
withheld or delayed (the "Exchange Agent"), for the benefit of the
holders of Outstanding Shares, certificates representing the shares of Parent
Common Stock to be exchanged for Outstanding Shares in respect of the Per Share
Merger Consideration to be paid in the Merger and, after the Effective Time, if
applicable, any cash and dividends or other distributions with respect to the
Parent Common Stock to be paid or to be issued pursuant to Section 4.2(e) or
4.2(c) in exchange for Outstanding Shares (such certificates for shares of
Parent Common Stock, together with the amount of any cash payable pursuant to
Section 4.2(e) in lieu of fractional shares and dividends or other distributions
payable with respect thereto pursuant to Section 4.2(c), being hereinafter
referred to as the "Exchange Fund").
(b) Exchange Procedures. Appropriate transmittal materials, to be reasonably
agreed upon by Parent and the Company, shall be provided as soon as practicable
after the Effective Time by the Exchange Agent to holders of record of Outstanding
Shares converted in the Merger, advising such holders of the effectiveness of the
Merger and the procedure for surrendering the Certificates to the Exchange Agent.
Upon the surrender of a Certificate (or affidavit of loss in lieu thereof) to the
Exchange Agent in accordance with the terms of such transmittal materials, the holder
of such Certificate shall be entitled to receive in exchange therefor (1) a certificate
representing that number of whole shares of Parent Common Stock that such holder
is entitled to receive pursuant to this Article IV, (2) a check in the amount (after
giving effect to any required tax withholdings) of (A) any cash payable pursuant to Section 4.2(e)
in lieu of fractional shares plus (B) any unpaid non-stock dividends and any other
dividends or other distributions that such holder has the right to receive pursuant
to Section 4.2(c), and, in each case, the Certificate so surrendered shall forthwith
be cancelled. No interest will be paid or accrued on any amount payable upon due
surrender of the Certificates. In the event of a transfer of ownership of Shares
that is not registered in the transfer records of the Company, a certificate representing
the proper number of shares of Parent Common Stock, together with a check for any
cash to be paid upon due surrender of the Certificate and any other dividends or
distributions in respect thereof, may be issued and/or paid to such a transferee
if the Certificate formerly representing such Shares is presented to the Exchange
Agent, accompanied by all documents required to evidence and effect such transfer
and to evidence that any applicable stock transfer taxes have been paid or are not
applicable. If any certificate for shares of Parent Common Stock is to be issued
in a name other than that in which the Certificate surrendered in exchange therefor
is registered, it shall be a condition of such exchange that the Person (as defined
below) requesting such exchange shall pay any transfer or other taxes required by
reason of the issuance of certificates for shares of Parent Common Stock in a name
other than that of the registered holder of the Certificate surrendered, or shall
establish to the satisfaction of Parent or the Exchange Agent that such tax has
been paid or is not applicable.
For the purposes of this Agreement, the term "Person" shall mean
any individual, corporation (including not-for-profit), general or limited partnership,
limited liability company, joint venture, estate, trust, association, organization,
Governmental Entity (as defined in Section 5.1(d)(i)) or other entity of any kind
or nature.
(c) Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Shares; Voting. (i) All
shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Merger shall be deemed
issued and outstanding as of the Effective Time and whenever a dividend or other
distribution is declared by Parent in respect of the Parent Common Stock, the record
date for which is after the Effective Time, that declaration shall include dividends
or other distributions in respect of all shares issuable pursuant to this Agreement.
No dividends or other distributions in respect of the Parent Common Stock shall
be paid to any holder of any unsurrendered Certificate until such Certificate is
surrendered for exchange in accordance with this Article IV. Subject to the effect
of applicable laws, following surrender of any such Certificate, there shall be
issued and/or paid to the holder of the certificates representing whole shares of
Parent Common Stock issued in exchange therefor, without interest, (A) at the time
of such surrender, the dividends or other distributions with a record date after
the Effective Time theretofore payable with respect to such whole shares of Parent
Common Stock and not paid and (B) at the appropriate payment date, the dividends
or other distributions payable with respect to such whole shares of Parent Common
Stock with a record date after the Effective Time but with a payment date subsequent
to surrender.
(ii) Holders of unsurrendered Certificates shall be entitled to vote after the
Effective Time at any meeting of Parent stockholders the number of whole shares
of Parent Common Stock represented by such Certificates, regardless of whether such
holders have exchanged their Certificates.
(d) Transfers. After the Effective Time, there shall be no transfers on
the stock transfer books of the Company of the Outstanding Shares.
(e) No Fractional Shares. Notwithstanding any other provision
of this Agreement, no fractional shares of Parent Common Stock will be issued
and any holder of Shares entitled to receive a fractional share of Parent Common
Stock but for this Section 4.2(e) shall be entitled to receive a cash payment in
lieu thereof, which payment shall be calculated by the Exchange Agent and shall
represent such holders proportionate interest in a share of Parent Common Stock
based on the average of the per share closing prices of Parent Common Stock as
reported on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the "NYSE") composite transactions reporting
system for the 20 trading days ending on the fifth trading day prior to the Closing
Date.
(f) Termination of Exchange Fund. Any portion of the Exchange Fund (including
the proceeds of any investments thereof and any shares of Parent Common Stock) that
remains unclaimed by the shareholders of the Company for 180 days after the Effective
Time shall be delivered to Parent. Any shareholders of the Company who have not
theretofore complied with this Article IV shall thereafter look only to Parent for
delivery of any cash or any shares of Parent Common Stock and payment of any cash,
dividends and other distributions in respect thereof payable or deliverable pursuant
to Section 4.1, Section 4.2(c) and Section 4.2(e) upon due surrender of their Certificates
(or affidavits of loss in lieu thereof), in each case, without any interest thereon.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of Parent, the Surviving Corporation, the Exchange
Agent or any other Person shall be liable to any former holder of Shares for any
amount properly delivered to a public official pursuant to applicable abandoned
property, escheat or similar Laws (as defined in Section 5.1(i)(i)).
(g) Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. In the event any Certificate
shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that
fact by the Person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and,
if required by Parent, the posting by such Person of a bond in customary amount
and upon such terms as may be required by Parent as indemnity against any claim
that may be made against it or the Surviving Corporation with respect to such Certificate,
the Exchange Agent will issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate
the cash or the shares of Parent Common Stock and any cash, unpaid dividends or
other distributions in respect thereof that would be payable or deliverable pursuant
to this Agreement had such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate been surrendered.
(h) Uncertificated Shares. In the case of any shares of Company Common
Stock that are not represented by certificates, the Exchange Agent shall issue at
the Effective Time Parent Common Stock to the holders of such shares without any
action by such holders, and the parties shall make appropriate adjustments to this
Section 4.2 to assure the equivalent treatment thereof.
4.3. No Dissenters Rights. In accordance with Section 910 of the NYBCL,
no appraisal rights shall be available to holders of Shares in connection with the
Merger.
4.4. Adjustments to Prevent Dilution. In the event that the Company changes
the number of Shares or securities convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable
for Shares, or Parent changes the number of shares of Parent Common Stock or securities
convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for shares of Parent Common Stock,
issued and outstanding prior to the Effective Time as a result of a reclassification,
stock split (including a reverse stock split), stock dividend or distribution, recapitalization,
merger, subdivision, issuer tender or exchange offer, or other similar transaction,
the Exchange Ratio shall be equitably adjusted.
4.5. Company Stock Based Plans.
(a) At the Effective Time, each outstanding option to purchase
Shares (a "Company
Option") under the Companys stock-based benefit plans and under individual
employment agreements to which the Company is a party (the "Company Stock
Plans "), whether vested or unvested, shall be converted into an option
to acquire a number of shares of Parent Common Stock equal to the product (rounded
up to the nearest whole number) of (x) the number of Shares subject to the Company
Option immediately prior to the Effective Time and (y) the Exchange Ratio, at an
exercise price per share (rounded down to the nearest whole cent) equal to (A) the
exercise price per Share of such Company Option immediately prior to the Effective
Time divided by (B) the Exchange Ratio; provided, however, that the
exercise price and the number of shares of Parent Common Stock purchasable pursuant
to the Company 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 Company Option to which Section 422 of the Code applies, the exercise price
and the number of shares of Parent Common Stock purchasable pursuant to such option
shall be determined in accordance with the foregoing, subject to such adjustments
as are necessary in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code.
Except as specifically provided above, following the Effective Time, each Company
Option shall continue to be governed by the same terms and conditions as were applicable
under such Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time. At or prior to
the Effective Time, the Company shall adopt appropriate amendments to the Company
Stock Plans, if applicable, and the Board of Directors of the Company shall adopt
appropriate resolutions, if applicable, to effectuate the provisions of this Section
4.5(a). Parent shall take all actions as are necessary for the assumption of the
Company Stock Plans pursuant to this Section 4.5, including the reservation, issuance
(subject to Section 4.5(c)) and listing of Parent Common Stock as necessary to effect
the transactions contemplated by this Section 4.5.
(b) At the Effective Time, each right of any kind, contingent
or accrued, to acquire or receive Shares or benefits measured by the value of
Shares, and each award of any kind consisting of Shares that may be held,
awarded, outstanding, payable or reserved for issuance under the Company Stock
Plans and any other Compensation and Benefits Plans, other than Company Options
(the "Company Awards"),
shall be deemed to be converted into the right to acquire or receive benefits measured
by the value of (as the case may be) the number of shares of Parent Common Stock
equal to the product of (x) the number of Shares subject to such Company Award immediately
prior to the Effective Time and (y) the Exchange Ratio, and each such right shall
otherwise be subject to the terms and conditions applicable to such right under
the relevant Company Stock Plan or other Compensation and Benefit Plan. At or prior
to the Effective Time, the Company shall adopt appropriate amendments to the Company
Stock Plans and such Compensation and Benefits Plans, if applicable, and the Board
of Directors of the Company shall adopt appropriate resolutions, if applicable,
to effectuate the provisions of this Section 4.5(b).
(c) If registration of any interests in the Company Stock Plans or other Compensation
and Benefit Plans or the shares of Parent Common Stock issuable thereunder is
required under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"),
Parent shall file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")
prior to the Effective Time a registration statement on Form S-3 or Form S-8, as
the case may be (or any successor form), or another appropriate form with respect
to such interests or Parent Common Stock, and shall use its reasonable best efforts
to have such registration statement declared effective by the SEC as of the Effective
Time and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement (and maintain
the current status of the prospectus or prospectuses contained therein and comply
with any applicable state securities or "blue sky" laws) for so long as the relevant
Company Stock Plans or other Compensation and Benefit Plans, as applicable, remain
in effect and such registration of interests therein or the shares of Parent Common
Stock issuable thereunder (and compliance with any such state laws) continues to
be required. As soon as practicable after the registration of such interests or
shares, as applicable, Parent shall deliver to the holders of Company Options and
Company Awards appropriate notices setting forth such holders rights pursuant to
the respective Company Stock Plans and agreements evidencing the grants of such
Company Options and Company Awards, and stating that such Company Options and Company
Awards and agreements have been assumed by Parent and shall continue in effect on
the same terms and conditions (subject to the adjustments required by this Section
4.5 after giving effect to the Merger and the terms of the Company Stock Plans).
(d) Without limiting the applicability of the preceding paragraph, the Company
and Parent shall take all necessary action to ensure that the Surviving Corporation
will not be required to deliver Shares or other capital stock of the Company to
any Person pursuant to or in settlement of Company Options or Company Awards after
the Effective Time. At or prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall adopt appropriate
amendments to all Company Stock Plans conferring any rights to Shares or other capital stock of the Company, if applicable, and the Board of Directors
of the Company shall adopt appropriate resolutions, if applicable, to effectuate
the provisions of this Section 4.5(d).
(e) The Board of Directors of the Company (or a committee thereof to the extent
applicable) shall take all necessary actions to ensure that the terms of the Company
Options and Company Awards then outstanding under each Company Stock Plan are equitably
adjusted to take into account the payment of the Special Dividend pursuant to Section
6.18 of this Agreement, and that any applicable performance goals with respect to
Company Options, Company Awards and other Company compensation are, if impacted
by the Special Dividend, equitably adjusted.
ARTICLE V
Representations and Warranties
5.1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as
set forth in the disclosure letter (subject to Section 9.12(c) of this
Agreement) delivered to Parent by the Company prior to entering into this
Agreement (the "Company
Disclosure Letter") or, to the extent the qualifying nature of such disclosure
with respect to a specific representation and warranty is readily apparent therefrom,
as set forth in the Company Reports (as defined in Section 5.1(e)) filed on or after
January 1, 2004 and prior to the date hereof (excluding any disclosures included
in any such Company Report that are predictive or forward-looking in nature), the
Company hereby represents and warrants to Parent and Merger Sub that:
(a) Organization, Good Standing and Qualification. Each of the Company
and its Subsidiaries is a legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the Laws of its respective jurisdiction of organization and has all
requisite corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its
properties and assets and to carry on its business as presently conducted and is
qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each
jurisdiction where the ownership, leasing or operation of its assets or properties
or conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure
to be so organized, validly existing, qualified or in good standing, or to have
such power or authority, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below). The Company
has made available to Parent complete and correct copies of the Companys certificate
of incorporation and by-laws, each as amended to date, and each as so delivered
is in full force and effect. As used in this Agreement, the term (i) "Subsidiary"
means, with respect to any Person, any other Person of which at least a majority
of the securities or ownership interests having by their terms ordinary voting
power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing
similar functions is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by such Person
or by one or more of its respective Subsidiaries or by such Person and any one
or more of its respective Subsidiaries, provided, however, that Cingular LLC
shall be considered a Subsidiary of Parent solely for purposes of Sections
5.2(a), 5.2(e), 5.2(f)(iv) (subject to the limitation set forth in Section
5.2(f)(iv)), 5.2(g), 5.2(h), 5.2(i) and 6.1(iii) (subject to the limitation set
forth in Section 6.1(iii)), and (ii) "Material Adverse Effect" means (x)
a material adverse effect on the financial condition, assets, liabilities,
business or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a
whole, excluding any such effect resulting from (I) changes in political or
regulatory conditions generally, (II) changes or conditions generally affecting
the U.S. economy or financial markets or generally affecting any of the segments
of the telecommunications industry in which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries operates or (III) the announcement or consummation of this
Agreement, or (y) an effect that would prevent, materially delay or materially
impair the ability of the Company to consummate the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Any determination of "Material
Adverse Effect"
with respect to the Company shall exclude the matters set forth in Section 5.1(a)
of the Company Disclosure Letter.
(b) Capital Structure. The authorized capital stock of the
Company consists of (x) 2,500,000,000 Shares, of which 799,007,457 Shares were
outstanding as of the close of business on January 27, 2005, and (y) 100,000,000
preferred shares, par value $1.00 per share (the "Company Preferred Shares"),
of which 2,000,000 shares were designated Subsidiary Exchangeable Preferred
Stock, Series 2 (the "Subsidiary Preferred Shares"). 768,391.4 Subsidiary Preferred
Shares were outstanding as of the close of business on January 28, 2005. Each of
the outstanding Subsidiary Preferred Shares is held by a wholly-owned Subsidiary
of the Company, and the Subsidiaries of the Company hold no other shares of capital
stock of the Company, or securities or obligations convertible or exchangeable into
or exercisable for such capital stock. All of the outstanding Shares have been duly
authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. The Company
has no Shares or Company Preferred Shares reserved for issuance, except that, as
of January 27, 2005, there were an aggregate of 30,733,276 Shares reserved for issuance
pursuant to the Company Stock Plans. Section 5.1(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter
contains a correct and complete list as of December 31, 2004 of (i) the number of
outstanding Company Options under each of the Company Stock Plans, the exercise
prices of all Company Options and the number of Shares issuable at each such exercise
price and (ii) the number of outstanding Company Awards under each of the Company
Stock Plans, the date of grant and number of Shares subject thereto. From December
31, 2004 to the date hereof the Company has not issued any shares of Common Stock
except pursuant to the exercise of Company Options and the settlement of Company
Awards outstanding on December 31, 2004 in accordance with their terms, and except
for issuances under the Companys dividend reinvestment plan. From December 31,
2004 through the date hereof, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
granted or issued any Company Options or Company Awards. Each of the outstanding
shares of capital stock or other securities of each of the Companys Subsidiaries
has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable
and, to the extent owned by the Company or by a direct or indirect wholly-owned
Subsidiary of the Company, is owned free and clear of any lien, charge, pledge,
security interest, claim or other encumbrance (each, a "Lien").
Except as set forth above, as of the date of this Agreement, there are no preemptive
or other outstanding rights, options, warrants, conversion rights, stock appreciation
rights, redemption rights, repurchase rights, agreements, arrangements, calls, commitments
or rights of any kind that obligate the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to issue
or sell any shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or any securities or obligations convertible or exchangeable into
or exercisable for, or giving any Person a right to subscribe for or acquire, any
securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and no securities or obligations
evidencing such rights are authorized, issued or outstanding. Upon any issuance
of any Shares in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans, such Shares
will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free
and clear of any Lien. The Company does not have outstanding any bonds,
debentures, notes or other obligations the holders of which have the right to
vote (or convertible into or exercisable for securities having the right to
vote) with the shareholders of the Company on any matter. Section 5.1(b) of the
Company Disclosure Letter contains a true and complete list of each Person in
which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, any voting interest that may
require a filing by Parent or any "Affiliate" (as defined in Rule 12b-2
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) of Parent under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the "HSR Act").
(c) Corporate Authority; Approval and Fairness. (i) The
Company has all requisite corporate power and authority and has taken all
corporate action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform its
obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the Merger, subject only to
adoption of this Agreement by the holders of a majority of the outstanding
Shares entitled to vote on such matter at a shareholders meeting duly called
and held for the purpose (the "Company Requisite Vote"). This Agreement
is a valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company
in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability
relating to or affecting creditors rights and to general equity principles (the
"Bankruptcy
and Equity Exception").
(ii) The Board of Directors of the Company has (A) declared
that the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby are advisable and
has adopted this Agreement; (B) received the opinions of its financial advisors,
Credit Suisse First Boston Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated to the
effect that the Per Share Merger Consideration, together with the Special
Dividend, is fair from a financial point of view to the holders of Shares (other
than Excluded Shares); (C) resolved to recommend adoption of this Agreement to
the holders of Shares (such recommendations being the "Directors Recommendation"); and (D) directed that this Agreement
be submitted to the holders of Shares for their adoption.
(d) Governmental Filings; No Violations; Certain Contracts. (i) Other
than the notices, reports, filings, consents, registrations, approvals, permits
or authorizations (A) pursuant to Section 1.3; (B) required under the HSR Act,
European Union Council Regulation (EC) No. 139/2000 of January 20, 2004 (the "EC Merger
Regulation") (if applicable), the Securities Act and the Exchange Act; (C)
with or to the Federal Communications Commission (the "FCC"); (D) with or
to those State public service or public utility commissions or similar State
regulatory bodies ("State Commissions") set forth in Section 5.1(d)(i)(D)
of the Company Disclosure Letter; (E) with or to those foreign Governmental Entities
regulating competition and telecommunications businesses or the use of radio spectrum
or regulating or limiting investment set forth in Section 5.1(d)(i)(E) of the
Company Disclosure Letter; and (F) with or to those State agencies or
departments or local governments that have issued competitive access provider or
other telecommunications franchises or any other similar authorizations, no
notices, reports or other filings are required to be made by the Company with,
nor are any consents, registrations, approvals, permits or authorizations
required to be obtained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries from, any
domestic or foreign governmental or regulatory authority, agency, commission,
body, court or other legislative, executive or judicial governmental entity
(each a "Governmental Entity"), in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by
the Company of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby, or in
connection with the continuing operation of the business of the Company and its
Subsidiaries following the Effective Time, except those that the failure to make
or obtain would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement
by the Company do not, and the consummation by the Company of the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated hereby will not, constitute or result in (A) a
breach or violation of, or a default under, the certificate of incorporation or
by-laws of the Company or the comparable governing documents of any of its
Subsidiaries; (B) with or without notice, lapse of time or both, a breach or
violation of, a termination (or right of termination) or default under, the
creation or acceleration of any obligations under or the creation of a Lien on
any of the assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to any
agreement, lease, license, contract, note, mortgage, indenture or other legally
binding obligation (a "Contract") binding
upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, assuming (solely with respect to
performance of this Agreement and consummation by the Company of the Merger and
the other transactions contemplated hereby) compliance with the matters referred
to in Section 5.1(d)(i), any Law or governmental or non-governmental permit or license
to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject; or (C) any change in
the rights or obligations of any party under any Material Contract (as defined in
Section 5.1(j)(i)(I)) binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including,
without limitation, any change in pricing, put or call rights, rights of first offer,
rights of first refusal, tag-along or drag-along rights or any similar rights or
obligations which may be exercised in connection with the Merger and the other transactions
contemplated hereby), except, in the case of clause (B) or (C) above, for any such
breach, violation, termination, default, creation, acceleration or change that would
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect. Section 5.1(d)(ii) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth
a correct and complete list of Material Contracts of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
pursuant to which consents or waivers are or may be required prior to consummation
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(iii) As of the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
holds claims, as creditor or claimant, of greater than $10,000,000 with respect
to any one debtor or debtor-in-possession subject to proceedings under chapter 11
of title 11 of the United States Code.
(e) Company Reports; Financial Statements. (i) The Company has
made available to Parent each registration statement, report, proxy statement or
information statement prepared by it since December 31, 2003 (the "Audit Date")
and filed with the SEC, including the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2003 and the Companys Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q for the quarterly periods ending March 31, June 30 and September 30, 2004,
each in the form (including exhibits, annexes and any amendments thereto) filed
with the SEC. The Company has filed or furnished all forms, statements, reports
and documents required to be filed or furnished by it with the SEC pursuant to
applicable securities statutes, regulations, policies and rules since the Audit
Date (the forms, statements, reports and documents filed or furnished with the
SEC since the Audit Date and those filed or furnished with the SEC subsequent to
the date of this Agreement, if any, including any amendments thereto, the "Company Reports").
Each of the Company Reports, at the time of its filing, complied or will comply
in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act
and the rules and regulations thereunder and complied in all material respects
with the then applicable accounting standards. As of their respective dates (or,
if amended, as of the date of such amendment), the Company Reports did not, and
any Company Reports filed with the SEC subsequent to the date hereof will not,
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements made therein,
in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading. The
Company Reports included or will include all certificates required to be
included therein pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002, as amended (the "SOX Act"), and the internal control report and attestation of
the Companys outside auditors required by Section 404 of the SOX Act.
(ii) Each of the consolidated balance sheets included in or
incorporated by reference into the Company Reports (including the related notes
and schedules) fairly presents, or, in the case of Company Reports filed after
the date hereof, will fairly present, the consolidated financial position of the
Company and any other entity included therein and their respective Subsidiaries
as of its date, and each of the consolidated statements of income, changes in
shareowners equity and cash flows included in or incorporated by reference into
the Company Reports (including any related notes and schedules) fairly presents,
or in the case of Company Reports filed after the date hereof, will fairly
present, the net income, total shareowners equity and net increase (decrease)
in cash and cash equivalents, as the case may be, of the Company and any other
entity included therein and their respective Subsidiaries for the periods set
forth therein (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to notes and normal
year-end audit adjustments that will not be material in amount or effect), in
each case in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP")
consistently applied during the periods involved, except as may be noted therein.
(iii) The management of the Company has (x) implemented disclosure controls and
procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) to ensure that material
information relating to the Company, including its consolidated Subsidiaries, is
made known to the management of the Company by others within those entities, and
(y) has disclosed, based on its most recent evaluation, to the Companys outside
auditors and the audit committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (A) all
significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal
controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange
Act) which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Companys ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial data and (B) any fraud, whether or not material,
that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Companys
internal controls over financial reporting. Since the Audit Date, any material change
in internal control over financial reporting required to be disclosed in any Company
Report has been so disclosed.
(iv) Since the Audit Date, (x) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
nor, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, any director, officer, employee,
auditor, accountant or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
has received or otherwise had or obtained knowledge of any material complaint, allegation,
assertion or claim, whether written or oral, regarding the accounting or auditing
practices, procedures, methodologies or methods of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
or their respective internal accounting controls relating to periods after the Audit
Date, including any material complaint, allegation, assertion or claim that the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries has engaged in questionable accounting or auditing
practices (except for any of the foregoing after the date hereof which have no reasonable
basis), and (y) no attorney representing the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
whether or not employed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, has reported
evidence of a material violation of securities Laws, breach of fiduciary duty or
similar violation, relating to periods after the Audit Date, by the Company or any
of its officers, directors, employees or agents to the Board of Directors of the
Company or any committee thereof or, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company,
to any director or officer of the Company.
(f) Absence of Certain Changes. Since the Audit Date the Company and its
Subsidiaries have conducted their respective businesses only in, and have not engaged
in any material transaction other than in accordance with, the ordinary course of
such businesses. Since the Audit Date, there has not been any Material Adverse Effect
or any event, occurrence, discovery or development which would, individually or
in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Since
the Audit Date and prior to the date hereof, there has not been:
(i) any recapitalization of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any merger
or consolidation of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with any other Person
(other than any such transaction involving only wholly-owned Subsidiaries);
(ii) any acquisition of any (A) business from any other Person having a value
in excess of $50,000,000 or (B) assets from any other Person having a value in excess
of $50,000,000 other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice;
(iii) any creation or incurrence of any material Liens on any assets used in
the businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries having an aggregate value in
excess of $50,000,000;
(iv) any making of any material loan, advance or capital contribution to, or
investment in, any Person other than (A) loans, advances or capital contributions
to, or investments in, wholly-owned Subsidiaries of the Company and (B) loans, advances
or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person in an amount not
in excess of $50,000,000 in the aggregate;
(v) any declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or distribution
(whether in cash, stock, property or any combination thereof) with respect to any
shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (except for the
Companys regular quarterly cash dividend and dividends or distributions by any
direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary to the Company or any wholly-owned Subsidiary
of the Company, and except for dividends or distributions by other Subsidiaries
of the Company for which the portion of such dividends or distributions not payable
to a direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Company did not exceed $10,000,000
in value in the aggregate for all such dividends and distributions, or any repurchase,
redemption or other acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, directly
or indirectly, of any outstanding shares of capital stock or other securities of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(vi) any incurrence of indebtedness for borrowed money or issuance of any guarantee
of indebtedness of another Person by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or
issuance or sale of any debt securities or warrants or other rights to acquire any
debt security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, in each case, other than
refinancing on ordinary commercial terms and other than involving an aggregate principal
amount or guaranteed amount not in excess of $50,000,000;
(vii) any issuance of Shares or other equity securities of the Company except
pursuant to the Company Stock Plans and except pursuant to the Companys dividend
reinvestment program;
(viii) any material change with respect to accounting policies or procedures
by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except for any such change required by
changes in GAAP or by applicable Law;
(ix) (A) any increase in the compensation payable or to become
payable to its officers or employees (except for increases in the ordinary
course of business and consistent with past practice in salaries or wages of
employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries who are not among the
officers of the Company for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act ("Section 16 Officers") or (B) except
for the AT&T Corp. 2004 Long Term Incentive Program, any establishment, adoption,
entry into or amendment of any collective bargaining, bonus, profit sharing, thrift,
compensation, employment, termination, severance or other plan, agreement, trust,
fund, policy or arrangement for the benefit of any director, officer or group of
employees, except to the extent required by applicable Laws;
(x) any sale, lease, license or other disposition of any assets of the Company
or its Subsidiaries, except for (A) obsolete assets and (B) sales, leases, licenses
or other dispositions of assets in the ordinary course of business or for a purchase
price not in excess of, or with a fair market value not in excess of, $50,000,000
in any single transaction or series of related transactions; or
(xi) any agreement to do any of the foregoing.
(g) Litigation and Liabilities. (i) There are no (A) civil, criminal or
administrative actions, suits, claims, hearings, arbitrations, investigations or
proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, threatened
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or (B) litigations,
arbitrations, investigations or other proceedings, or injunctions or final judgments
relating thereto, pending or, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, threatened
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates before any Governmental
Entity, including, without limitation, the FCC, except in the case of either clause
(A) or (B), for those that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is a party to or subject to the provisions of any
judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree or award of any Governmental Entity which
would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(ii) There are no liabilities or obligations of the Company or any Subsidiary
of the Company, whether or not accrued, contingent or otherwise and whether or not
required to be disclosed, or any other facts or circumstances that would reasonably
be expected to result in any obligations or liabilities of, the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries, other than:
(A) liabilities or obligations to the extent (I) reflected on the consolidated
balance sheet of the Company or (II) readily apparent in the notes thereto, in each
case included in the Companys quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended
September 30, 2004;
(B) liabilities or obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business since
September 30, 2004;
(C) performance obligations under contracts required in accordance with their
terms, or performance obligations, to the extent required under applicable Law,
in each case to the extent arising after the date hereof; or
(D) liabilities or obligations that would not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(h) Employee Benefits.
(i) All benefit and compensation plans, programs, contracts, policies or arrangements
covering current or former employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries and current
or former directors of the Company, including, but not limited to, the Company Stock
Plans, "employee benefit plans" within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"),
and deferred compensation, pension, retirement, profit-sharing, thrift, savings,
employee stock ownership, stock bonus, stock purchase, restricted stock, stock
option, stock appreciation rights, performance share, performance unit,
incentive compensation, performance-based compensation, stock-based
compensation, bonus, employment, retention, termination, severance, other
compensation, medical, health, fringe benefit or other plans, programs,
contracts, policies or arrangements (the "Compensation and
Benefit Plans") other than those that did not require the payment of in
excess of $500,000 per annum for the year ending December 31, 2004 individually
or the payment of in excess of $2,500,000 per annum for the year ending December
31, 2004 in the aggregate (unless more than 500 employees are eligible to participate
in the plan, program, contract, policy or arrangement or the plan, program, contract,
policy or arrangement contains a change-in-control or similar provision) are listed
in Section 5.1(h)(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter, except for Compensation and
Benefit Plans exclusively covering current or former employees of the Company and
its Subsidiaries and current or former directors of the Company, in each case located
in jurisdictions other than the United States of America (a list of which shall
be provided to Parent within 30 days following the date of this Agreement) and each
Compensation and Benefit Plan that has received a favorable opinion letter from
the Internal Revenue National Office, including any master or prototype plan, has
been separately identified. True and complete copies of all Compensation and Benefit
Plans listed in Section 5.1(h)(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter, including any
trust agreement or other trust instrument, insurance contract forming a part of
such Compensation and Benefit Plans, and, with respect to any employee stock ownership
plan, any associated loan or credit agreement, and all amendments thereto, have
been made available to Parent prior to the date hereof.
(ii) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected
to result in a Material Adverse Effect, all Compensation and Benefit Plans are in
compliance with all applicable Laws, including the Code and, to the extent applicable,
ERISA. Each Compensation and Benefit Plan that is an "employee pension benefit
plan" within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA (a "Pension Plan") and
that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a
favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS")
covering all tax law changes prior to the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation
Act of 2001, or has applied to the IRS for such favorable determination letter within
the applicable remedial amendment period under Section 401(b) of the Code, and the
Company is not aware of any circumstances likely to result in the loss of the qualification
of such Pension Plan under Section 401(a) of the Code. Except as would not, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect,
(A) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened litigation
relating to the Compensation and Benefit Plans, (B) any voluntary employees beneficiary
association within the meaning of Section 501(c)(9) of the Code which provides benefits
under a Compensation and Benefit Plan has received an opinion letter from the IRS
recognizing its exempt status under Section 501(c)(9) of the Code, has timely filed
notice under Section 505(c) of the Code, and the Company is not aware of circumstances
likely to result in the loss of such exempt status under Section 501(c)(9) of the
Code, (C) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred or reasonably
expects to incur a tax or penalty imposed by Section 4980F of the Code or Section
502 of ERISA, and (D) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has engaged
in a transaction with respect to any Compensation and Benefit Plan that, assuming
the taxable period of such transaction expired as of the date hereof, would subject
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to a tax or penalty imposed by either Section
4975 of the Code or Section 502 of ERISA.
(iii) No liability under Subtitle C or D of Title IV of ERISA has been or is
expected to be incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to any ongoing,
frozen or terminated "single-employer plan", within the meaning of Section
4001(a)(15) of ERISA, currently or formerly maintained by any of them, or the
single-employer plan of any entity which is considered one employer with the
Company under Section 4001 of ERISA or Section 414 of the Code (an "ERISA Affiliate"). The
Company and its Subsidiaries have not contributed, or been obligated to contribute,
to a multiemployer plan under Subtitle E of Title IV of ERISA at any time within
the past six years, and no notice of a "reportable event", within the meaning of
Section 4043 of ERISA, for which the 30-day reporting requirement has not been waived,
has been required to be filed for any Pension Plan or by any ERISA Affiliate within
the 12-month period ending on the date hereof or will be required to be filed in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(iv) All contributions required to be made under the terms of any Compensation
and Benefit Plan as of the date hereof have been timely made and all obligations
in respect of each Compensation and Benefit Plan have been properly accrued and
reflected on the most recent consolidated balance sheet filed or incorporated by
reference in the Company Reports to the extent required by GAAP. As of the date
of this Agreement, neither any Pension Plan nor any single-employer plan of an ERISA
Affiliate has an "accumulated funding deficiency" (whether or not waived) within
the meaning of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA. Neither the Company
nor its Subsidiaries has provided, or is required to provide, security to any Pension
Plan or to any single-employer plan of an ERISA Affiliate pursuant to Section 401(a)(29)
of the Code.
(v) Under each Pension Plan which is a single-employer plan, as of the last day
of the most recent plan year ended prior to the date of this Agreement, the actuarially
determined present value of all "benefit liabilities", within the meaning of Section
4001(a)(16) of ERISA (as determined on the basis of the actuarial assumptions contained
in the Pension Plans most recent actuarial valuation), did not exceed the then
current value of the assets of such Pension Plan, and there has been no material
adverse change in the financial condition of such Pension Plan since the last day
of the most recent plan year.
(vi) Except as set forth in Section 5.1(h)(vi) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any obligations for retiree
health or life benefits under any Compensation and Benefit Plan other than as required
by applicable law or the continuation of health or life benefits after a severance
event pursuant to any severance plan, program, arrangement or agreement.
(vii) The consummation of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated
by this Agreement will not (w) entitle any employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries
to severance pay or any increase in severance pay upon any termination of employment
after the date hereof; (x) accelerate the time of payment or vesting or result in
any payment or funding (through a grantor trust or otherwise) or trigger any payment
of compensation or benefits under, increase the amount payable or trigger any other
material obligation pursuant to, any of the Compensation and Benefit Plans; (y)
limit or restrict the right of the Company or, after consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby, Parent to merge, amend or terminate any of the Compensation
and Benefit Plans; or (z) result in any breach or violation of, or default under,
any of the Compensation and Benefit Plans.
(viii) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected
to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) all Compensation and Benefit Plans covering
current or former non-U.S. employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries comply
with applicable local Laws and (B) the Company and its Subsidiaries have no unfunded
liabilities with respect to any Pension Plan that covers such non-U.S. employees
and that are not set forth in the Financial Statements.
(i) Compliance with Laws; Licenses.
(i) The businesses of each
of the Company and its Subsidiaries have not been conducted in violation of any
federal, state, local or foreign law, statute or ordinance, common law, or any
rule, regulation, standard, judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree,
arbitration award, agency requirement, license or permit of any Governmental
Entity (collectively, "Laws"), except for such violations that would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect. No investigation or review by any Governmental Entity with
respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is pending or, to the
knowledge of the officers of the Company, threatened, nor has any Governmental
Entity indicated an intention to conduct the same, except for any such
investigations or reviews that would not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the
Company and its Subsidiaries has obtained and is in substantial compliance with
all permits, licenses, certifications, approvals, registrations, consents,
authorizations, franchises, variances, exemptions and orders issued or granted
by a Governmental Entity ("Licenses")
necessary to conduct its business as presently conducted, except for any failures
to have or to be in compliance with such Licenses which would not, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is in compliance
in all material respects with each FCC License and State License (each as
defined in Section 6.1(ii) and, collectively, the "Communications Licenses").
Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with (A) its
obligations under each of the Company Licenses (as defined in Section 6.1(ii))
and (B) the rules and regulations of the Governmental Entity issuing such
Company Licenses, except for any failures to be in compliance which would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect. There is not pending or, to the knowledge of the officers of the
Company, threatened before the FCC, the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") or any other Governmental Entity any
material proceeding, notice of violation, order of forfeiture or complaint or investigation
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries relating to any of the Company Licenses,
except, in the case of Company Licenses other than Communications Licenses, for
any of the foregoing that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The actions of the applicable
Governmental Entities granting all Company Licenses have not been reversed, stayed,
enjoined, annulled or suspended, and there is not pending or, to the knowledge of
the officers of the Company, threatened, any material application, petition, objection
or other pleading with the FCC, the FAA or any other Governmental Entity which challenges
or questions the validity of or any rights of the holder under any Company License,
except, in the case of Company Licenses other than Communications Licenses, for
any of the foregoing that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(iii) All of the microwave paths of the Company and its Subsidiaries in respect
of which a filing with the FCC or the FAA was required have been constructed and
are currently operated in all respects as represented to the FCC or the FAA in currently
effective filings, and modifications to such microwave paths have been preceded
by the submission to the FCC or the FAA of all required filings, in each case, except
as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result
in a Material Adverse Effect.
(iv) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected
to result in a non-de minimis adverse effect on the operation of
transmission towers by the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (A)
all transmission towers located on property owned or leased by the Company and
its Subsidiaries are obstruction-marked and lighted to the extent required by,
and in accordance with, the rules and regulations of the FAA (the "FAA Rules"), and (B) appropriate
notification to the FAA has been made for each transmission tower located on property
owned or leased by the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(j) Material Contracts. (i) Except as set forth in Schedule 5.1(j)(i)
of the Company Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to or bound by:
(A) any lease of real or personal property providing for annual rentals of $15,000,000
or more;
(B) any agreement or agreements involving more than $5,000,000 individually or
$10,000,000 in the aggregate to acquire (I) a License, or an interest in an entity
holding a License, that upon acquisition by the Company would become a Communications
License or (II) any interest in an entity that holds a License that upon acquisition
of such entity by the Company would become a Foreign License;
(C) any partnership, joint venture or other similar agreement or arrangement
relating to the formation, creation, operation, management or control of any partnership
or joint venture material to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or in which
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries owns any interest valued at more than $10,000,000
without regard to percentage voting or economic interest (unless pursuant to such
agreement or arrangement the Company and its Subsidiaries do not have a future funding
obligation reasonably likely to require funding of more than $15,000,000 in the
aggregate);
(D) any Contract (other than among direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiaries
of the Company) relating to indebtedness for borrowed money or the deferred purchase
price of property (in either case, whether incurred, assumed, guaranteed or secured
by any asset) in excess of $50,000,000;
(E) any Contract required to be filed as an exhibit to the Companys Annual Report
on Form 10-K pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K under the Securities
Act;
(F) any non-competition Contract or other Contract that (I) purports to limit
in any material respect either the type of business in which the Company or its Subsidiaries (or, after the Effective Time, Parent or its Affiliates) may
engage or the manner or locations in which any of them may so engage in any business
or (II) could require the disposition of any material assets or line of business
of the Company or its Subsidiaries or, after the Effective Time, Parent or its Affiliates;
(G) any Contract (other than (I) a Contract with respect to compensation or similar
arrangements not involving a director of the Company or one of the Section 16 Officers
and (II) any Contract entered into in the ordinary course of business) between the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries and any director or officer of the Company or
any Person beneficially owning, as of the date hereof, five percent or more of the
outstanding Shares;
(H) any Contract that contains a put, call or similar right pursuant to which
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries could be required to purchase or sell, as
applicable, any equity interests of any Person or assets that have a fair market
value or purchase price of more than $25,000,000; and
(I) any other Contract or group of Contracts with a single
counterparty that, if terminated or subject to a default by any party thereto,
would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect (the Contracts described in clauses (A) (I), together
with all exhibits and schedules to such Contracts, being the "Material Contracts").
(ii) A true and complete copy of each Material Contract has previously been delivered
or made available to Parent (subject to applicable confidentiality restrictions)
and each such Contract is a valid and binding agreement of the Company or one of
its Subsidiaries, as the case may be, and is in full force and effect, and neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the officers of
the Company, any other party thereto is in material default or breach under the
terms of any such Material Contract.
(k) Real Property. (i) Except in any such case as would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect, with respect to the real property owned by the Company or its
Subsidiaries (the "Owned Real Property"), (A) the Company or one of its Subsidiaries,
as applicable, has good and marketable title to the Owned Real Property, free and
clear of any Encumbrance, and (B) there are no outstanding options or rights of
first refusal to purchase the Owned Real Property, or any portion thereof or interest
therein.
(ii) With respect to the real property leased or subleased to
the Company or its Subsidiaries (the "Leased Real Property"), (A) the lease or sublease
for such property is valid, legally binding, enforceable and in full force and effect,
and none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is in breach of or default under
such lease or sublease, and no event has occurred which, with notice, lapse of time
or both, would constitute a breach or default by any of the Company or its Subsidiaries
or permit termination, modification or acceleration by any third party thereunder,
and (B) no third party has repudiated or has the right to terminate or repudiate such lease or
sublease (except for the normal exercise of remedies in connection with a default
thereunder or any termination rights set forth in the lease or sublease) or any
provision thereof, except in each case, for such invalidity, failures to be binding,
unenforceability, ineffectiveness, breaches, defaults, terminations, modifications,
accelerations, repudiations and rights to terminate or repudiate that would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(iii) For purposes of this Section 5.1(k) only, "Encumbrance" means
any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest, easement, covenant, or other
restriction or title matter or encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset
except for (A) specified encumbrances described in Section 5.1(k)(iii) of the Company
Disclosure Letter; (B) encumbrances for current Taxes or other governmental charges
not yet due and payable; (C) mechanics, carriers, workmens, repairmens or other
like encumbrances arising or incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practice relating to obligations as to which there is no default on the
part of Company, or the validity or amount of which is being contested in good faith
by appropriate proceedings; and (D) other encumbrances that do not, individually
or in the aggregate, materially impair the continued use, operation, value or marketability
of the specific parcel of Owned Real Property or Leased Real Property to which they
relate or the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as presently
conducted.
(l) Right-of-Way Agreements. (i) Except in any such case as
would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in
a Material Adverse Effect, (A) each right-of-way agreement, license agreement or
other agreement permitting or requiring the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
to lay, build, operate, maintain or place cable, wires, conduits or other
equipment and facilities over land or underground (each, a "Right-of-Way Agreement") is valid, legally
binding, enforceable and in full force and effect, and none of the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries is in breach of or default under any Right-of-Way Agreement,
(B) no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time, would constitute
a breach or default by any of the Company or its Subsidiaries or permit termination,
modification or acceleration by any third party thereunder and (C) no third party
has repudiated or has the right to terminate or repudiate any Right-of-Way Agreement.
(ii) To the knowledge of the officers of the Company, the Company is not in violation
of any Laws which, individually or in combination with any others, would materially
and adversely affect the ability of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to use
any of the rights associated with the Right-of-Way Agreements, taken as a whole,
in the manner and scope in which such rights are now being used.
(m) Takeover Statutes. No "fair price," "moratorium," "control
share acquisition" or other similar anti-takeover statute or regulation (each a
"Takeover Statute")
is applicable to the Company, the Shares, the Merger or the other transactions contemplated
by this Agreement. The Board of Directors of the Company has taken all action so that Parent will not be prohibited from entering into a
"business combination"
with the Company or any of its Affiliates as an "interested shareholder" (in each
case as such term is used in Section 912 of the NYBCL) as a result of the execution
of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(n) Environmental Matters. Except for such matters as would not, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect:
(i) the Company and its Subsidiaries have complied at all times with all applicable
Environmental Laws (as defined below); (ii) no property currently owned, leased
or operated by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (including soils, groundwater,
surface water, buildings or other structures) is contaminated with any Hazardous
Substance (as defined below) in a manner that is or could be required to be Remediated
or Removed (as such terms are defined below), that is in violation of any Environmental
Law, or that is reasonably likely to give rise to any Environmental Liability; (iii)
the Company and its Subsidiaries have no information that any property formerly
owned, leased or operated by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries was contaminated
with any Hazardous Substance during or prior to such period of ownership, leasehold,
or operation; (iv) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any prior
owner or operator has incurred in the past or is now subject to any Environmental
Liabilities (as defined below); (v) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
has received any notice, demand, letter, claim or request for information alleging
that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries may be in violation of or subject to
liability under any Environmental Law; (vi) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
is subject to any order, decree, injunction or agreement with any Governmental Entity,
or any indemnity or other agreement with any third party, concerning liability or
obligations relating to any Environmental Law or otherwise relating to any Hazardous
Substance or any environmental, health or safety matter; and (vii) there are no
other circumstances or conditions involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
that could reasonably be expected to result in any Environmental Liability.
As used herein, the term "Environmental Laws" means all Laws (including
any common law) relating to: (A) the protection, investigation or restoration of
the environment, health, safety, or natural resources, (B) the handling, use, presence,
disposal, Release or threatened release of any Hazardous Substance or (C) noise,
odor, indoor air, employee exposure, electromagnetic fields, wetlands, pollution,
contamination or any injury or threat of injury to persons or property relating
to any Hazardous Substance.
As used herein, the term "Environmental Liability" means (i) any
obligations or liabilities (including any notices, claims, complaints, suits or
other assertions of obligations or liabilities) that are: (A) related to environment,
health or safety issues (including on-site or off-site contamination by Hazardous
Substances of surface or subsurface soil or water, and occupational safety and health);
and (B) based upon (I) any provision of Environmental Laws or (II) any order, consent,
decree, writ, injunction or judgment issued or otherwise imposed by any Governmental
Entity.
The term "Environmental Liabilities" includes, without limitation: (A) fines,
penalties, judgments, awards, settlements, losses, damages (including consequential
damages), costs, fees (including attorneys and consultants fees), expenses and
disbursements relating to environmental, health or safety matters; (B) defense and
other responses to any administrative or judicial action (including notices, claims,
complaints, suits and other assertions of liability) relating to environmental,
health or safety matters; and (C) financial responsibility for (x) cleanup costs
and injunctive relief, including any Removal, Remedial or Response actions, and
natural resource damages, and (y) other Environmental Laws compliance or remedial
measures.
As used herein, the term "Hazardous Substance" means any
"hazardous
substance" and any "pollutant or contaminant" as those terms are defined in the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980,
as amended ("CERCLA"); any "hazardous waste" as that term is defined in
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ("RCRA"); and any "hazardous
material" as that term is defined in the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act
(49 U.S.C. § 1801 et seq.), as amended (including as those terms are
further defined, construed, or otherwise used in rules, regulations, standards,
orders, guidelines, directives, and publications issued pursuant to, or otherwise
in implementation of, said Laws); and including, without limitation, any petroleum
product or byproduct, solvent, flammable or explosive material, radioactive material,
asbestos, lead paint, polychlorinated biphenyls (or PCBs), dioxins, dibenzofurans,
heavy metals, radon gas, mold, mold spores, and mycotoxins.
As used herein, the term "Release" means any spilling, leaking,
pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching,
dumping, placing, discarding, abandonment, or disposing into the environment (including
the placing, discarding or abandonment of any barrel, container or other receptacle
containing any Hazardous Substance or other material).
As used herein, the term "Removal, Remedial or Response" actions
include the types of activities covered by CERCLA, RCRA, and other comparable Environmental
Laws, and whether such activities are those which might be taken by a Governmental
Entity or those which a Governmental Entity or any other person might seek to require
of waste generators, handlers, distributors, processors, users, storers, treaters,
owners, operators, transporters, recyclers, reusers, disposers, or other persons
under "removal," "remedial," or other "response" actions.
(o) Taxes. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect: the Company and each of its
Subsidiaries (i) have prepared in good faith and duly and timely filed (taking into
account any extension of time within which to file) all Tax Returns (as defined
below) required to be filed by any of them and all such filed Tax Returns are complete
and accurate in all material respects; and (ii) have paid all Taxes (as defined
below) that are required to be paid or that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
are obligated to withhold from amounts owing to any employee, creditor or third
party, except with respect to matters contested in good faith or for which adequate reserves have
been established. As of the date hereof, except as would not, individually or in
the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in an increase in Taxes that is
material to the Company, there are no audits, examinations, investigations or other
proceedings, in each case, pending or threatened in writing, in respect of Taxes
or Tax matters. The Company has made available to Parent true and correct copies
of the United States federal income Tax Returns filed by the Company and its Subsidiaries
for each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2000. None
of the Company or its Subsidiaries has been a "distributing corporation" or "controlled
corporation" in any distribution occurring during the last 30 months that was purported
or intended to be governed by Section 355 of the Code (or any similar provision
of state, local or foreign law).
As used in this Agreement, (i) the term "Tax"
(including, with correlative meaning, the term "Taxes") includes all
federal, state, local and foreign income, profits, franchise, gross receipts,
environmental, customs duty, capital stock, severances, stamp, payroll, sales,
employment, unemployment, disability, use, property, withholding, excise,
production, value added, occupancy and other taxes, duties or assessments of any
nature whatsoever, together with all interest, penalties and additions imposed
with respect to such amounts and any interest in respect of such penalties and
additions, and (ii) the term "Tax Return"
includes all returns and reports (including elections, declarations, disclosures,
schedules, estimates and information returns) required to be supplied to a Tax authority
relating to Taxes.
(p) Labor Matters. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is
a party to or otherwise bound by any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract
with a labor union or labor organization, nor (except for proceedings involving
individual employees arising in the ordinary course of business) is the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries the subject of any material proceeding asserting that
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has committed an unfair labor practice or
seeking to compel it to bargain with any labor union or labor organization. There
is not pending or, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, threatened,
nor has there been for the past five years, any labor strike, dispute, walk-out,
work stoppage, slow-down or lockout involving more than 100 employees of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries. To the knowledge of the officers of the Company, there
are no organizational efforts with respect to the formation of a collective bargaining
unit presently being made or threatened involving more than 100 employees of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(q) Intellectual Property and IT Assets. Except for such matters as would
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect:
(i) All patents, patent applications, trademark and copyright registrations and
applications for registration, and Internet domain name registrations claimed to
be owned by the Company are owned exclusively by the Company and are valid, subsisting
and, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, enforceable.
(ii) The Company and/or each of its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed or otherwise
possesses legally enforceable rights to use, all Intellectual Property necessary
to conduct the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted,
all of which rights shall survive unchanged the execution and delivery of this Agreement
and the consummation of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereunder.
(iii) The conduct of the business as currently conducted by the Company and its
Subsidiaries and for the three (3) year period immediately preceding the date of
this Agreement does not and did not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate
the Intellectual Property rights of any third Person. There is no claim, action
or proceeding asserted, or to the knowledge of the officers of the Company threatened,
against the Company or its Subsidiaries or any indemnities thereof concerning the
ownership, validity, registerability, enforceability, infringement, use or licensed
right to use any Intellectual Property claimed to be owned or held by the Company
or its Subsidiaries or used or alleged to be used in the business of the Company
or its Subsidiaries.
(iv) To the knowledge of the officers of the Company, no third Person has for
the three (3) year period immediately preceding the date of this Agreement infringed,
misappropriated or otherwise violated the Intellectual Property rights of the Company
or its Subsidiaries. There are no claims, actions or proceedings asserted or threatened
by the Company, or decided by the Company to be asserted or threatened, that (A)
a third Person infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates, or for the three
(3) year period immediately preceding the date of this Agreement infringed, misappropriated
or otherwise violated, the Intellectual Property rights of the Company or its Subsidiaries;
or (B) a third Persons owned or claimed Intellectual Property interferes with,
infringes, dilutes or otherwise harms the Intellectual Property rights of the Company
or its Subsidiaries.
(v) The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable measures to protect
the confidentiality of all material Trade Secrets that are owned, used or held by
the Company and its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company,
such material Trade Secrets have not been used, disclosed to or discovered by any
Person except pursuant to valid and appropriate non-disclosure and/or license agreements
which have not been breached.
(vi) The IT Assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries operate and perform in
all material respects in accordance with their documentation and functional specifications
and otherwise as required by the Company and its Subsidiaries for the operation
of their respective businesses, and have not malfunctioned or failed within the
three (3) year period immediately preceding the date of this Agreement. To the knowledge
of the officers of the Company, no Person has gained unauthorized access to such
IT Assets. The Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained for
the three (3) year period immediately preceding the date of this Agreement reasonable
and sufficient backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry
practices.
As used herein,
(1) "Computer Software" means all computer software and databases
(including, without limitation, source code, object code, and all related documentation).
(2) "Intellectual Property" means, collectively, all United States
and foreign (i) trademarks, service marks, brand names, certification marks, collective
marks, d/b/as, Internet domain names, logos, symbols, trade dress, assumed
names, fictitious names, trade names, and other indicia of origin, all
applications and registrations for the foregoing, and all goodwill associated
therewith and symbolized thereby, including all renewals of same (collectively,
"Trademarks");
(ii) inventions and discoveries, whether patentable or not, and all patents, registrations,
invention disclosures and applications therefor, including divisions,
continuations, continuations-in-part and renewal applications, and including
renewals, extensions and reissues (collectively, "Patents"); (iii) trade
secrets and confidential information and know-how, including processes,
schematics, business methods, formulae, drawings, prototypes, models, designs,
customer lists and supplier lists (collectively, "Trade Secrets"); (iv) published and unpublished works of authorship,
whether copyrightable or not (including without limitation Computer Software and
other compilations of information), copyrights therein and thereto, and registrations
and applications therefor, and all renewals, extensions, restorations and
reversions thereof (collectively, "Copyrights"); (v) moral rights, rights of
publicity and rights of privacy; and (vi) all other intellectual property or proprietary
rights.
(3) "IT Assets" means computers, Computer Software, firmware, middleware,
servers, workstations, routers, hubs, switches, data communications lines, and all
other information technology equipment and elements, and all associated documentation.
(r) GSA Action. The Company is not subject to any debarment or
suspension and has not received any notice that would reasonably be expected to
result in a debarment or suspension (any of the foregoing, a "GSA Action") from
the United States General Services Administration with respect to the provision
of services by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any United States Federal
Governmental Entity.
(s) Export Controls and Trade Sanctions. Except for such matters as would
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to impair materially
the Companys and its Subsidiaries ability to engage in material export operations:
(i) The Company and its Affiliates have complied with all statutory and regulatory
requirements relating to export controls and trade sanctions under the Laws of the
United States, as well as applicable Laws of each jurisdiction in which the Company
or its Affiliates are doing business, including, without limitation, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Export Administration Regulations,
antiboycott provisions, regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets
Control, and provisions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
(ii) The Company and its Affiliates have developed and implemented an export
control and trade sanctions compliance program which includes corporate policies
and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable government export control and
trade sanctions statutes, regulations, and other obligations, including obtaining
licenses or other authorizations as required for access by foreign nationals in
the U.S. to controlled technology.
(iii) In connection with its export control and trade sanctions matters, there
are no adverse or negative past performance evaluations or ratings by the U.S. Government,
or any voluntary disclosures under the export control and trade sanctions Laws,
any enforcement actions or threats of enforcement actions, or, to the knowledge
of the officers of the Company, any facts that could result in any adverse or negative
performance evaluation that, in each case, could affect the evaluation of the Companys
or its Affiliates (or their successors) obtaining approval for future export activity.
(iv) Neither the U.S. Government nor any other Person has notified the Company
or any of its Affiliates in writing of any actual or alleged violation or breach
of any statute, regulation, representation, certification, disclosure obligation,
licensing obligation or other authorization or provision relating to export controls
or trade sanctions.
(v) None of the Company or its Affiliates has undergone or is undergoing any
audit, review, inspection, investigation, survey or examination of records relating
to the Companys or any of its Affiliates export activity that would, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to affect adversely its future export
activity, and, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, there is no basis
for any such audit, review, inspection, investigation, survey or examination of
records.
(vi) The Company and its Affiliates have not been and are not now under any administrative,
civil or criminal investigation or indictment involving alleged false statements,
false claims or other improprieties relating to the Companys or any of its Affiliates
export activity, nor, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, is there
any basis for any such investigation or indictment.
(vii) The Company and its Affiliates have not been and are not now a party to
any administrative or civil litigation involving alleged false statements, false
claims or other improprieties relating to the Companys or any of its Affiliates
export activity, nor, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, is there
any basis for any such proceeding.
(t) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Except for such matters as would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a material
adverse impact on the ability of the Company and its Subsidiaries to conduct
their operations in the ordinary course of business:
(i) The Company and its Affiliates have developed and implemented a Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act compliance program which includes corporate policies and procedures
to ensure compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
(ii) In connection with its compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,
there are no adverse or negative past performance evaluations or ratings by the
U.S. Government, or any voluntary disclosures under the Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act, any enforcement actions or threats of enforcement actions, or any facts that,
in each case, could result in any adverse or negative performance evaluation related
to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
(iii) Neither the U.S. Government nor any other Person has notified the Company
or any of its Affiliates in writing of any actual or alleged violation or breach
of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
(iv) None of the Company or its Affiliates has undergone and is undergoing any
audit, review, inspection, investigation, survey or examination of records relating
to the Companys or any of its Affiliates compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practice
Act, and, to the knowledge of the officers of the Company, there is no basis for
any such audit, review, inspection, investigation, survey or examination of records.
(v) The Company and its Affiliates have not been and are not now under any administrative,
civil or criminal investigation, charge or indictment involving alleged false statements,
false claims or other improprieties relating to the Companys or any of its Affiliates
compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, nor, to the knowledge of the
officers of the Company, is there any basis for any such investigation or indictment.
(vi) None of the Company or its Affiliates has been and is not now a party to
any administrative or civil litigation involving alleged false statements, false
claims or other improprieties relating to the Companys or any of its Affiliates
compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, nor, to the knowledge of the
officers of the Company, is there any basis for any such proceeding.
(u) Brokers and Finders. Neither the Company nor any of its officers,
directors or employees has employed any broker or finder or incurred any liability
for any brokerage fees, commissions or finders, fees in connection with the Merger
or the other transactions contemplated in this Agreement, except that the Company
has employed Credit Suisse First Boston Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
as its financial advisors, and copies of the engagement letters with such financial
advisors have been provided to Parent prior to the date hereof.
5.2. Representations and Warranties of Parent and Merger Sub.
Except as set forth in the disclosure letter (subject to Section 9.12(c) of this
Agreement) delivered to the Company by Parent prior to entering into this
Agreement (the "Parent
Disclosure Letter") or, to the extent the qualifying nature of such disclosure
with respect to a specific representation and warranty is readily apparent therefrom,
as set forth in the Parent Reports (as defined in Section 5.2(f)) filed on or after
January 1, 2004 and prior to the date hereof (excluding any disclosures included
in any such Parent Report that are predictive or forward-looking in nature), Parent
and Merger Sub each hereby represent and warrant to the Company that:
(a) Organization, Good Standing and Qualification. Each of
Parent and Merger Sub is a legal entity duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the Laws of its respective jurisdiction of organization and
has all requisite corporate or similar power and authority to own and operate
its properties and assets and to carry on its business as presently conducted
and is qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation
in each jurisdiction where the ownership or operation of its assets or
properties or conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where
the failure to be so organized, validly existing, qualified or in good standing,
or to have such power or authority, would not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected (x) to result in a material adverse effect on the
financial condition, assets, liabilities, business or results of operations of
Parent and its Subsidiaries (with respect to Cingular LLC and its Subsidiaries,
including only Parents interest therein) taken as a whole, excluding any such
effect resulting from (I) changes in political or regulatory conditions
generally, (II) changes or conditions generally affecting the U.S. economy or
financial markets or generally affecting any of the segments of the
telecommunications industry in which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries operates
or (III) the announcement or consummation of this Agreement, or (y) to prevent,
materially delay or materially impair the ability of Parent and Merger Sub to
consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement
(a "Parent Material Adverse Effect").
Parent has made available to the Company a complete and correct copy of the certificate
of incorporation and by-laws of Parent and Merger Sub, each as in effect on the
date of this Agreement.
(b) Capital Structure of Parent. The authorized capital stock
of Parent consists of 7,000,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock, of which
3,302,815,078 shares were outstanding as of the close of business on January 28,
2005, and 10,000,000 preferred shares, par value $1.00 per share (the "Parent Preferred Shares"),
of which no shares were authorized for issuance or outstanding as of the close
of business on January 28, 2005. All of the outstanding shares of Parent Common
Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and
nonassessable. Parent has no shares of Parent Common Stock or Parent Preferred
Shares reserved for issuance. As of January 28, 2005, Parent has no more than
330,000,000 shares of Parent Common Stock authorized for issuance pursuant to
employee or director benefit plans (the "Parent Stock Plans"). Except as set forth above,
as of the date of this Agreement, there are no preemptive or other outstanding rights,
options, warrants, conversion rights, stock appreciation rights, redemption rights, repurchase rights, agreements, arrangements,
calls, commitments or rights of any kind that obligate Parent to issue or sell any
shares of capital stock or other securities of Parent or any securities or obligations
convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for, or giving any Person a right
to subscribe for or acquire, any securities of Parent, and no securities or obligations
evidencing such rights are authorized, issued or outstanding. Parent does not have
outstanding any bonds, debentures, notes or other obligations the holders of which
have the right to vote (or convertible into or exercisable for securities having
the right to vote) with the stockholders of Parent on any matter. All shares of
Parent Common Stock to be issued in the Merger will be, when issued in accordance
with the terms of this Agreement, duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid
and nonassessable and free and clear of all Liens.
(c) Capitalization of Merger Sub. The authorized capital stock of Merger
Sub consists solely of 1,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share,
all of which are validly issued and outstanding. All of the issued and outstanding
capital stock of Merger Sub is, and at the Effective Time will be, owned by Parent
or a direct or indirect wholly-owned Subsidiary of Parent. Merger Sub has not conducted
any business prior to the date hereof and has no, and prior to the Effective Time
will have no, assets, liabilities or obligations of any nature other than those
incident to its formation and pursuant to this Agreement and the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Corporate Authority; Approval and Fairness. (i) No vote of holders
of capital stock of Parent is necessary to approve this Agreement and the Merger
and the other transactions contemplated hereby. Each of Parent and Merger Sub has
all requisite corporate power and authority and has taken all corporate action necessary
in order to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement and
to consummate the Merger. This Agreement is a valid and binding agreement of Parent
and Merger Sub, enforceable against each of Parent and Merger Sub in accordance
with its terms, subject to the Bankruptcy and Equity Exception.
(ii) (A) The Board of Directors of each of Parent and Merger Sub has declared
that the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby are advisable, the
Board of Directors of Parent has approved this Agreement and the Board of Directors
of Merger Sub has adopted this Agreement; and (B) Parent has received the opinion
of its financial advisors, Lehman Brothers Inc. and Evercore Partners Inc., to the
effect that the Per Share Merger Consideration, together with the Special Dividend,
is fair from a financial point of view to Parent.
(e) Governmental Filings; No Violations; Etc. (i) Other than the reports,
filings, registrations, consents, approvals, permits, authorizations and/or notices
(A) pursuant to Section 1.3; (B) under the HSR Act, EC Merger Regulation (if applicable),
the Securities Act and the Exchange Act; (C) with or to the FCC; (D) with or to
the State Commissions set forth in Section 5.2(e)(i)(D) of the Parent Disclosure
Letter; and (E) with or to those foreign Governmental Entities regulating competition
and telecommunications businesses set forth in Section 5.2(e)(i)(E) of the Parent
Disclosure Letter, no notices, reports or other filings are required to be made
by Parent with, nor are any consents, registrations, approvals, permits or authorizations
required to be obtained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries from, any Governmental
Entity in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement
by Parent and the consummation by Parent and Merger Sub of the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated hereby, except those that the failure to make or obtain
would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in
a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Parent and
Merger Sub do not, and the consummation by Parent and Merger Sub of the Merger and
the other transactions contemplated hereby will not, constitute or result in (A)
a breach or violation of, or a default under, the certificate of incorporation or
by-laws of Parent or Merger Sub; (B) with or without notice, lapse of time or both,
a breach or violation of, a termination (or right of termination) or a default under,
the creation or acceleration of any obligations under or the creation of a Lien
on any of the assets of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to any material
Contract binding upon Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or, assuming (solely with
respect to performance of this Agreement and consummation by Parent and Merger Sub
of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby) compliance with the
matters referred to in Section 5.2(e)(i), any Law or governmental or non-governmental
permit or license to which Parent or any of its Subsidiaries is subject; or (C)
any change in the rights or obligations of any party under any of such material
Contracts, except, in the case of clause (B) or (C) above, for any breach, violation,
termination, default, creation, acceleration or change that would not, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent the ability of Parent or
Merger Sub to consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
(f) Parent Reports; Financial Statements. (i) Parent has made
available to the Company each registration statement, report, proxy statement or
information statement prepared by it since December 31, 2003 (the "Parent Audit Date")
and filed with the SEC, including Parents Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2003 and Parents Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the
quarterly periods ending March 31, June 30 and September 30, 2004, each in the
form (including exhibits, annexes and any amendments thereto) filed with the
SEC. Parent has filed or furnished all forms, statements, reports and documents
required to be filed or furnished by it with the SEC pursuant to applicable
securities statutes, regulations, policies and rules since the Parent Audit Date
(the forms, statements, reports and documents filed or furnished with the SEC
since the Parent Audit Date and those filed or furnished with the SEC subsequent
to the date of this Agreement, if any, including any amendments thereto, the "Parent Reports"). Each of the
Parent Reports, at the time of its filing, complied or will comply in all material
respects with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder and complied in all material respects with the then applicable
accounting standards. As of their respective dates (or, if amended, as of the date of such amendment), the Parent Reports did not, and any Parent Reports
filed with the SEC subsequent to the date hereof will not, contain any untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances
in which they were made, not misleading. The Parent Reports included or will include
all certificates required to be included therein pursuant to Sections 302 and 906
of the SOX Act, and the internal control report and attestation of Parents outside
auditors required by Section 404 of the SOX Act.
(ii) Each of the consolidated balance sheets included in or incorporated by reference
into the Parent Reports (including the related notes and schedules) fairly presents,
or, in the case of Parent Reports filed after the date hereof, will fairly present
the consolidated financial position of Parent and any other entity included therein
and their respective Subsidiaries as of its date and each of the consolidated statements
of income, shareowners equity and cash flows included in or incorporated by reference
into the Parent Reports (including any related notes and schedules) fairly presents,
or in the case of Parent Reports filed after the date hereof, will fairly present,
the net income, total shareowners equity and net increase in cash and cash equivalents,
as the case may be, of Parent and any other entity included therein and their respective
Subsidiaries for the periods set forth therein (subject, in the case of unaudited
statements, to notes and normal year-end audit adjustments that will not be material
in amount or effect), in each case in accordance with GAAP consistently applied
during the periods involved, except as may be noted therein.
(iii) The management of Parent has (x) implemented disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) to ensure that material information
relating to Parent, including its consolidated Subsidiaries, is made known to the
management of Parent by others within those entities, and (y) has disclosed, based
on its most recent evaluation, to Parents outside auditors and the audit committee
of the Board of Directors of Parent (A) all significant deficiencies and material
weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting
(as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) which are reasonably likely to
adversely affect Parents ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
data and (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in Parents internal controls over financial
reporting. Since the Audit Date, any material change in internal control over financial
reporting required to be disclosed in any Parent Report has been so disclosed.
(iv) Since the Audit Date, (x) neither Parent nor any of its Subsidiaries nor,
to the knowledge of the officers of Parent, any director, officer, employee, auditor,
accountant or representative of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries has received or
otherwise had or obtained knowledge of any material complaint, allegation, assertion
or claim, whether written or oral, regarding the accounting or auditing practices,
procedures, methodologies or methods of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or their
respective internal accounting controls relating to periods after the Audit Date,
including any material complaint, allegation, assertion or claim that Parent or any of its Subsidiaries
has engaged in questionable accounting or auditing practices (except for any of
the foregoing after the date hereof which have no reasonable basis), and (y) no
attorney representing Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not employed
by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, has reported evidence of a material violation
of securities Laws, breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation, relating to periods
after the Audit Date, by Parent or any of its officers, directors, employees or
agents to the Board of Directors of Parent or any committee thereof or, to the knowledge
of the officers of Parent, to any director or officer of Parent; provided,
however, that with respect to Cingular LLC and its Subsidiaries all of the
representations and warranties in this Section 5.2(f)(iv) shall be only to the knowledge
of the officers of Parent.
(g) Litigation and Liabilities. (i) As of the date of this Agreement,
there are no civil, criminal or administrative actions, suits, claims, hearings,
arbitrations, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the
officers of Parent, threatened against Parent or Merger Sub that seek to enjoin,
or would reasonably be expected to have the effect of preventing, making illegal,
or otherwise interfering with, any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
result in a Parent Material Adverse Effect. There are no (A) civil, criminal or
administrative actions, suits, claims, hearings, investigations or proceedings pending
or, to the knowledge of the officers of Parent, threatened against Parent or its
Subsidiaries or Affiliates or (B) litigations, arbitrations, investigations or other
proceedings, or injunctions or final judgments relating to, pending or, to the knowledge
of the officers of Parent, threatened against Parent or any of its Subsidiaries
before any Governmental Entity, including without limitation the FCC, except in
the case of either clause (A) or (B), for those that would not, individually or
in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Parent Material Adverse
Effect. None of Parent or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is a party to or
subject to the provisions of any judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree or award
of any Governmental Entity which would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably
be expected to result in a Parent Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) There are no liabilities or obligations of Parent or any Subsidiary of Parent,
whether or not accrued, contingent or otherwise and whether or not required to be
disclosed, or any other facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected
to result in any obligations or liabilities of, Parent or any of its Subsidiaries,
other than:
(A) liabilities or obligations to the extent (I) reflected on the consolidated
balance sheet of Parent or (II) readily apparent in the notes thereto, in each case
included in Parents quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September
30, 2004;
(B) liabilities or obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business since
September 30, 2004;
(C) performance obligations under contracts required in accordance with their
terms, or performance obligations, to the extent required under applicable Law,
in each case t |