Conduct of the Business (a) Except as (i) set forth in Section 5.2(a) of the Sellers’ Disclosure Schedule or (ii) as is necessary and commercially reasonable in response to a Contagion Event or Contagion Event Measures, subject to Sellers providing Purchaser with advance notice and obtaining Purchaser’s prior written consent in respect of any such action (unless it is not reasonably practicable under the circumstances to provide such prior notice and obtain prior consent, in which case Sellers shall provide notice to Purchaser as soon as reasonably practicable), from the date hereof until the earlier of the Closing Date or the termination of this Agreement, the Sellers shall cause the Bank and the Transferred Subsidiaries to (1) carry on their businesses in the ordinary course of business in all material respects; (2) use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve their present business organizations and relationships; and (3) use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve the rights, franchises, goodwill and relations of their customers, clients and others with whom business relationships exist; provided, that this Section 5.2(a) shall not apply to the Excluded Assets and Liabilities. (b) Except as set forth in Section 5.2(b) of the Sellers’ Disclosure Schedule or to the extent required to effect the Excluded Assets and Liabilities Transfer, from the date hereof until the earlier of the Closing Date or the termination of this Agreement, except as (A) otherwise expressly required by this Agreement, (B) consented to in writing in advance by Purchaser (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed), or (C) required by applicable Law, Sellers shall cause the Bank and the Transferred Subsidiaries not to: (i) amend the Bank’s or any Transferred Subsidiaries’ Constituent Documents or permit any waiver or grant any consent under their respective Constituent Documents; (ii) (A) merge or consolidate with any other Person, (B) acquire (including by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets) any interest in any other Person or any division thereof or any assets, securities or property, other than (x) acquisitions of securities under the Bank’s or an applicable Transferred Subsidiary’s investment portfolio consistent with the Bank’s or an applicable Transferred Subsidiary’s investment policy in effect as of the date hereof, (y) as may be deemed necessary or advisable by it in the exercise of its rights in connection with an Extension of Credit, or (z) acquisitions in the ordinary course of business, or (C) adopt a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, recapitalization, restructuring or other reorganization; -55- purchases of federal funds, borrowings from any Federal Home Loan Bank, sales of certificates of deposit, issuances of commercial papers, entry into repurchase agreements and satisfaction of legal requirements in the exercise of trust powers, in each case, on terms and in amounts consistent with past practice) or (y) for any Excluded Assets and Liabilities, (A) subject any material asset of the Bank or of any Transferred Subsidiary to a Lien or permit, allow or suffer to exist any Lien in respect thereof, other than Permitted Liens; or (B) incur any liability for borrowed money (or guarantee any indebtedness for borrowed money), issue any debt securities, assume, guarantee, endorse or otherwise as an accommodation become responsible for the obligations of any other Person (other than a Transferred Subsidiary); (viii) dispose of any material assets (without limiting Section 5.2(b)(xii), other than Intellectual Property) to any person other than a Transferred Subsidiary, including existing branches of the Bank, except in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to Contracts in force as of the date of this Agreement; (ix) other than as required by the terms of any Benefit Plan existing as of the date hereof, (A) increase the compensation or benefits of any Business Employee, other than the payment of incentive compensation for completed performance periods based upon corporate performance, the performance of such employee and, if applicable, such employee’s business, in each case determined in accordance with the terms of the applicable Benefit Plan and in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (B) enter into any change-in-control, retention, employment, severance, termination or other similar agreement or arrangement with any Business Employee, or increase or commit to increase the change-in-control, severance or termination pay or benefits payable to any Business Employee, (C) pay or award, or commit to pay or award, any bonuses or incentive compensation to any Business Employee other than incentive compensation payments contemplated by clause (A) above, (D) enter into, establish, adopt, terminate or amend any Benefit Plan or any plan, program, arrangement, practice or agreement that would be a Benefit Plan if it were in existence on the date hereof, except for de minimis administrative amendments that would not increase the benefits provided thereunder or the cost thereof to the Bank and the Transferred Subsidiaries, (E) take any action to amend or waive any performance or vesting criteria or accelerate vesting, exercisability or funding under any Benefit Plan, with respect to any Business Employee, (F) hire any Business Employee, other than as permitted under Section 5.10(e), (G) terminate the employment of any Business Employee with the title of Managing Director or above, other than for cause or pay any severance, termination pay or benefits to any employee without obtaining an effective comprehensive general release of claims against the Bank and the Transferred Subsidiaries, (H) transfer the employment of any Business Employee to Sellers or any of their Affiliates (other than the Bank or any Transferred Subsidiary), or transfer the employment of any employee, officer, director, or natural person independent contractor of Sellers or any of their Affiliates (other than the Bank or any Transferred Subsidiary) to the Bank or its Affiliates (other than as permitted under Section 5.10(e)), (I) grant to any Business Employee any right to reimbursement, indemnification, or payment for any Taxes incurred under Section 409A or 4999 of the Code, or (J) recognize any union, labor organization or
Conduct of Business; Regulatory Permits Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of or in default under its Certificate of Incorporation, any certificate of designation, preferences or rights of any other outstanding series of preferred stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Bylaws or their organizational charter, certificate of formation, memorandum of association, articles of association, Certificate of Incorporation or certificate of incorporation or bylaws, respectively. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any judgment, decree or order or any statute, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will conduct its business in violation of any of the foregoing, except in all cases for possible violations which could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company is not in violation of any of the rules, regulations or requirements of the Principal Market and has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances that could reasonably lead to delisting or suspension of the Common Stock by the Principal Market in the foreseeable future. During the two years prior to the date hereof, (i) the Common Stock has been listed or designated for quotation on the Principal Market, (ii) trading in the Common Stock has not been suspended by the SEC or the Principal Market and (iii) the Company has received no communication, written or oral, from the SEC or the Principal Market regarding the suspension or delisting of the Common Stock from the Principal Market. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to possess such certificates, authorizations or permits would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit. There is no agreement, commitment, judgment, injunction, order or decree binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party which has or would reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or materially impairing any business practice of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any acquisition of property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or the conduct of business by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as currently conducted other than such effects, individually or in the aggregate, which have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
Liquor Licenses To the extent that a license or permit required for service of alcoholic beverages at the Property (a “Liquor License”) is issued to Seller, Seller shall, to the extent permitted or not prohibited by applicable laws, rules or regulations, transfer such Liquor License to Buyer at Closing. If a Liquor License cannot be transferred to Buyer by Seller or otherwise obtained by Buyer prior to the scheduled Closing, to the extent permitted or not prohibited by applicable law, Seller shall cooperate with Buyer by entering, or causing its Affiliate holding the current liquor permit for the Property to enter into, an interim alcoholic beverage management agreement with respect to the sale of alcoholic beverages at the Property in a form substantially similar to the agreement attached hereto as Exhibit J. Seller shall also assist and cooperate with Buyer if Buyer elects to apply for an interim/temporary liquor license so that alcoholic beverages may continue to be served at the Property pending issuance of the permanent Liquor License. To the extent that a Liquor License is issued to Manager, Manager shall, to the extent permitted by applicable laws, rules or regulations, continue to hold such Liquor License after Closing. To the extent that Seller and/or Manager is not able to transfer a Liquor License to Buyer at Closing, Seller and/or Manager agree to cooperate with Buyer to facilitate the issuance or transfer of the Liquor License. The foregoing provisions of this Section 8.9 notwithstanding, (i) all costs incurred by Manager and/or Seller in connection with obtaining or transferring Liquor License for the Property shall be borne by Buyer, and (ii) neither Seller nor Manager shall have any obligation to transfer an existing liquor permit to Buyer prior to Closing, and (iii) Buyer shall not obtain, and Seller and Manager shall have no obligation to pursue, any Liquor License for the Property prior to Closing if the issuance of such Liquor License would impact the rights of Seller or Manager under any existing liquor permit, and (iv) if this Contract is terminated, Buyer agrees to promptly withdraw any pending application for a Liquor License for the Property.
Conduct of Business and Maintenance of Existence and Assets (a) Conduct continuously and operate actively its business according to good business practices and maintain all of its properties useful or necessary in its business in good working order and condition (reasonable wear and tear excepted and except as may be disposed of in accordance with the terms of this Agreement), including all licenses, patents, copyrights, design rights, tradenames, trade secrets and trademarks and take all actions necessary to enforce and protect the validity of any intellectual property right or other right included in the Collateral; (b) keep in full force and effect its existence and comply in all material respects with the laws and regulations governing the conduct of its business where the failure to do so could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (c) make all such reports and pay all such franchise and other taxes and license fees and do all such other acts and things as may be lawfully required to maintain its rights, licenses, leases, powers and franchises under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof where the failure to do so could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Conduct of Business in Normal Course Seller shall carry on its business and activities diligently and in substantially the same manner as it previously has been carried on, and shall not make or institute any unusual or novel methods of purchase, sale, lease, management, accounting or operation that will vary materially from the methods used by Seller as of the date of this Agreement.
Conduct of Business of the Company During the period from the date of this Agreement and continuing until the earlier of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to its terms and the Effective Time, the Company (which for the purposes of this Section 6.1 shall include the Company and each of its Subsidiaries) agrees, except to the extent that Parent shall otherwise consent in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), to carry on its business and to cause each of its Subsidiaries to carry on its business in the usual, regular and ordinary course in substantially the same manner as heretofore conducted, and to use and cause each of its Subsidiaries to use all commercially reasonable efforts consistent with past practices and policies to preserve intact its present business organizations, keep available the services of its present officers and employees and preserve its relationships with customers, suppliers, distributors, licensors, licensees, and others having business dealings with the Company or any such Subsidiaries, to the end that the goodwill and ongoing businesses of Company and each of its Subsidiaries be unimpaired at the Effective Time. Except as expressly provided for by this Agreement, the Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, prior to the Effective Time or earlier termination of this Agreement pursuant to its terms, without the prior written consent of Parent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed):
Access to Properties and Records (a) CCE shall, and shall cause TPC to, afford to ETP and ETP’s accountants, counsel and representatives full reasonable access during normal business hours throughout the period prior to the Closing Date (or the earlier termination of this Agreement pursuant to Article VII hereof) to all of the properties, books, contracts, commitments and records (including all environmental studies, reports and other environmental records and all pipeline cost-of-service and rate-related studies, reports and records related to TPC and, during such period, shall furnish to ETP all information concerning the business, properties, Liabilities and personnel related to TPC as ETP may request, provided, however, that no investigation or receipt of information pursuant to this Section 5.2 shall affect any representation or warranty of CCE or the conditions to the obligations of ETP. To the extent not located at the offices or properties of TPC as of the Closing Date, as promptly as practicable thereafter, CCE shall deliver, or cause its appropriate Affiliates to deliver to ETP all of the books of accounts, minute books, record books and other records (including safety, health, environmental, maintenance and engineering records and drawings) pertaining to the business operations of TPC and all financial and accounting records related to TPC. Such delivery shall include all work papers, pleadings, testimony, exhibits, spread sheets, research, drafts, memoranda, correspondence and other documents related to the TPC Rate Case (“TPC Rate Case Work Product”). TPC Rate Case Work Product has been and will be prepared in contemplation of litigation, and the use of TPC Rate Case Work Product has been and will be under the control of TPC’s attorneys. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, CCE shall not be obligated to provide to ETP any documents or records relating to litigation and regulatory matters in which TPC is involved to the extent that CCE reasonably believes such documents or records are subject to the attorney-client or other applicable privilege in circumstances in which TPC is not the sole client unless the parties entitled to such attorney-client or other applicable privilege shall consent thereto and enter into an appropriate joint defense agreement for the purpose of preservation of such attorney-client or other applicable privilege.
Conduct of Business of Parent Except as contemplated by this Agreement, from the date of this Agreement until the Effective Time, Parent will not do, and will not permit any of its subsidiaries to do, any of the following without the prior written consent of the Company (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed):
Conduct of Business The business of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be conducted in violation of any law, ordinance or regulation of any governmental entity, except where such violations would not result, either individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect.
Conduct of Business Pending Closing Between the date of this Agreement and the Funding and Consummation Date, the Company will, except as set forth on Schedule 7.2:
