Shareholders' Agent (a) At the Closing, VenGrowth Private Equity Partners Inc. shall be constituted and appointed as the Shareholders’ Agent. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Shareholders’ Agent” shall mean the agent for and on behalf of the Closing Company Shareholders to: (i) give and receive notices and communications to or from Acquiror (on behalf of itself of any other Indemnified Person) relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions and other matters contemplated hereby or thereby (except to the extent that this Agreement expressly contemplates that any such notice or communication shall be given or received by such shareholders individually); (ii) enter into this Agreement, the General Escrow Agreement and the Separate Escrow Agreement and authorize deliveries to the Indemnified Persons of cash from the Escrow Fund in satisfaction of claims asserted by Acquiror (on behalf of itself or any other Indemnified Person, including by not objecting to such claims); (iii) object to such claims pursuant to Section 9.6, (iv) consent or agree to, negotiate, enter into, or, if applicable, prosecute or defend, settlements and compromises of, and comply with orders of courts with respect to, such claims; (v) provide any consents hereunder, including with respect to any proposed settlement of any claims or agree to any amendment to this Agreement, and (vi) take all actions necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the Shareholders’ Agent for the accomplishment of the foregoing, in each case without having to seek or obtain the consent of any Person under any circumstance. The Person serving as the Shareholders’ Agent may be replaced from time to time by the holders of a majority in interest of the cash then on deposit in the Escrow Fund upon not less than ten days’ prior written notice to Acquiror and the Person serving as the Shareholders’ Agent; provided, however, that any person serving as the Shareholders’ Agent shall not be an employee of Acquiror or any subsidiary thereof. The Shareholders’ Agent shall have the right to resign upon giving ten days’ prior written notice to Acquiror, and a new Person shall be appointed by the holders of a majority in interest of the cash then on deposit in the Escrow Fund, subject to the limitation hereinabove, such appointment to be effective the later of (A) immediately upon resignation of the prior Shareholders’ Agent or (B) the date the Shareholders’ Agent is appointed by the holders of a majority in interest of the cash then on deposit in the Escrow Fund. No bond shall be required of the Shareholders’ Agent, and the Shareholders’ Agent shall receive no compensation for his services.
Stockholders’ Agent (a) At least 5 Business Days prior to the Closing Date the Company shall appointed an agent reasonably acceptable to Parent (the “Stockholders Agent”) to act as agent for and on behalf of the Company Stockholders with the exclusive authority to give and receive notices and communications pursuant to the terms of this ARTICLE 9 solely with respect to indemnification claims by the Parent Indemnified Parties to be satisfied solely by the delivery of Escrow Shares to the applicable Parent Indemnified Parties, to authorize delivery to the Parent Indemnified Parties of the Escrow Shares in satisfaction of indemnification claims by the Parent Indemnified Parties as contemplated by Section 9.3, to object to such deliveries, to agree to, negotiate, enter into settlements and compromises of, and take legal actions and comply with orders of courts and awards of arbitrators with respect to indemnification claims by the Parent Indemnified Parties that will or may be paid or otherwise satisfied solely by the delivery of Escrow Shares, and to take all actions necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the Stockholders Agent for the accomplishment of the foregoing; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, the Stockholder Agent shall have no power or authority to take any of the foregoing actions for or on behalf of any Company Stockholder in respect of any indemnification claims by the Parent Indemnified Parties that will or may be paid or otherwise satisfied other than by the delivery of Escrow Shares to the applicable Parent Indemnified Parties. No bond shall be required of the Stockholders Agent, and the Stockholder Agent shall receive no compensation for services rendered. Notices or communications to or from the Stockholders Agent shall constitute notice to or from each of the Company Stockholders solely with respect to indemnification claims by the Parent Indemnified Parties to be satisfied solely by the delivery of Escrow Shares to the applicable Parent Indemnified Parties.
(b) The Stockholders Agent shall not be liable for any act done or omitted hereunder in his capacity as Stockholders Agent, except to the extent it has acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct, and any act done or omitted pursuant to the advice of counsel shall be conclusive evidence that he did not act with gross negligence or willful misconduct. The other Company Stockholders shall severally and not jointly indemnify the Stockholders Agent and hold it harmless against any loss, liability or expense incurred without gross negligence or bad faith on the part of the Stockholders Agent and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the duties hereunder, including any out-of-pocket costs and expenses and legal fees and other legal costs reasonably incurred by the Stockholders Agent (“Outstanding Stockholders Agent Expenses”). If not paid directly to the Stockholders Agent by the Company Stockholders, such losses, liabilities or expenses may be recovered by the Stockholders Agent from the Escrow Shares (if any) that otherwise would be distributed to the Company Stockholders following the Initial Escrow Release Date after giving effect to, and satisfaction of, all claims for indemnification made by the Parent Indemnified Parties pursuant to ARTICLE 9, and such recovery (if any) of Outstanding Stockholders Agent Expenses from such Escrow Shares will be made from the Company Stockholders according to their respective Pro Rata Shares.
(c) A decision, act, consent or instruction of the Stockholders Agent shall constitute a decision of all the Company Stockholders and shall be final, binding and conclusive upon each of the Company Stockholders, and the Escrow Agent and Parent may rely upon any decision, act, consent or instruction of the Stockholders Agent as being the decision, act, consent or instruction of each of the Company Stockholders. The Escrow Agent and Parent are hereby relieved from any liability to any person for any acts done by them in accordance with such decision, act, consent or instruction of the Stockholders Agent.
Dissenting Shareholders Any holder of shares of Target Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time with respect to which dissenters’ rights, if any, are available by reason of the Merger pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL or Chapter 13 of the California Corporations Code (the “CCC”) who has not voted in favor of the Merger or consented thereto in writing and who complies with Section 262 of the DGCL or Chapter 13 of the CCC (the “Target Dissenting Shares”) shall not be entitled to receive any Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to this ARTICLE II, unless such holder fails to perfect, effectively withdraws or loses its dissenters’ rights under the DGCL or the CCC. Such holder shall be entitled to receive only such rights as are granted under Section 262 of the DGCL or Chapter 13 of the CCC, as applicable. If any such holder fails to perfect, effectively withdraws or loses such dissenters’ rights under the DGCL or the CCC, as applicable, such Target Dissenting Shares shall thereupon be deemed to have been converted as of the Effective Time into the right to receive that number of shares of the Series B Preferred Stock to which such shares of Target securities are entitled pursuant to this ARTICLE II, in each case without interest. Prior to the Effective Time, the Target shall give Orion prompt notice of any written demands for appraisal pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL or Chapter 13 of the CCC, as applicable, received by the Target, withdrawals of any such written demands and any other documents or instruments received by the Target in connection therewith. Orion shall have the right to participate in and direct all negotiations and proceedings with respect to any such demands. Prior to the Effective Time, the Target shall not, except with the prior written consent of Orion, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, make any payment with respect to, or settle or offer to settle, any such demands, or agree to do any of the foregoing. Any payments made with respect to Target Dissenting Shares shall be made solely by the Surviving Corporation, and no funds or other property shall be provided by Target, Orion or Merger Sub for such payment.
Dissenting Stockholders Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, shares of Common Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time and which are held by a Stockholder who did not vote in favor of the Merger (or consent thereto in writing) and who is entitled to demand and properly demands appraisal of such shares (the “Dissenting Shares”) pursuant to, and who complies in all respects with, the provisions of Section 262 of the DGCL (the “Dissenting Stockholders”) shall not be converted into or be exchangeable for the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration, but instead such holder shall be entitled to receive such consideration as may be determined to be due to such Dissenting Stockholder pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL, unless and until such holder shall have failed to perfect or shall have effectively withdrawn or lost its right to appraisal under the DGCL. If any Dissenting Stockholder shall have failed to perfect or shall have effectively withdrawn or lost such right, such holder’s shares of Common Stock shall thereupon be treated as if they had been converted into and become exchangeable for the right to receive, as of the Effective Time, the Per Share Merger Consideration for each such share, in accordance with Section 3.1, without interest. The Company shall give Parent prompt notice and a copy of any written demands for appraisal, attempted withdrawals of such demands, and any other instruments served pursuant to applicable Law that are received by the Company relating to Stockholders’ rights of appraisal, and, at Parent’s expense, Parent shall have the opportunity and right to direct all negotiations and proceedings with respect to demands for appraisal by Stockholders under the DGCL, so long as Parent does not create any pre-Closing obligations of the Company. The Company shall not, except with the prior written consent of Parent, make any payment with respect to any demands for appraisal, offer to settle or settle any such demands or approve any withdrawal of any such demands.
Shareholders’ Representative (a) The Selling Parties, by adopting this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, hereby irrevocably appoint and constitute K Laser as the Shareholders’ Representative for and on behalf of the Selling Parties, with the authority (i) to perform the obligations of the Shareholders’ Representative set forth in this Agreement and the Option Agreement, (ii) to give and receive notices and communications, (iii) to agree to, negotiate, enter into and provide amendments and supplements to and waivers in respect of this Agreement and the Option Agreement, (iv) to retain legal counsel, accountants, consultants and other experts, and incur any other reasonable expenses, in connection with, and to take all actions necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the Shareholders’ Representative for the accomplishment of, any or all of the foregoing. K Laser hereby accepts its appointment as the Shareholders’ Representative. Such agency may be changed by the holders of a majority in interest of the shares of Everest of the Selling Parties from time to time upon not less than ten (10) days’ prior written notice to all of the Selling Parties and to Parent and Purchaser. No bond shall be required of the Shareholders’ Representative. Notices or communications to or from the Shareholders’ Representative to Parent shall constitute notice to or from each of the Selling Parties, except for notices related to any action for which the Selling Parties’ consent is required under the terms of this Agreement or applicable law. Each Selling Party agrees to receive correspondence from the Shareholders’ Representative, including in electronic form.
(b) The Shareholders’ Representative shall not be liable for any act done or omitted hereunder as the Shareholders’ Representative while acting in good faith and without negligence and any act done or omitted pursuant to the advice of counsel shall be conclusive evidence of such good faith and absence of negligence. The Selling Parties shall severally (and not jointly), according to each Selling Parties’ pro-rata interest in the shares of Everest, indemnify the Shareholders’ Representative and hold it harmless against any loss, liability or expense incurred without gross negligence or bad faith on the part of the Shareholders’ Representative and arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of his duties hereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall require the Shareholders’ Representative to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the exercise or performance of any of its powers, rights, duties or privileges under this Agreement on behalf of any Selling Parties. The Shareholders’ Representative may in good faith rely conclusively upon the information, reports, statements and opinions prepared or presented by counsel or other professionals retained by it, and any action taken by the Shareholders’ Representative based on such reliance shall be deemed conclusively to have been taken in good faith.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions in this ARTICLE VIII, or any provision to the contrary set forth in this Agreement or the Option Agreement, the Shareholders’ Representative shall only have the power or authority to act with respect to matters pertaining to the Selling Parties as a group and not matters pertaining to an individual Selling Party (for example but not by way of limitation, an action against an individual Selling Party for his, her or its individual breach of a covenant in this Agreement), and the powers conferred on the Shareholders’ Representative herein and in the Option Agreement shall not authorize or empower the Shareholders’ Representative to do or cause to be done any action (including by amending, modifying or waiving any provision of this Agreement or the Option Agreement) that (i) results in the amounts payable hereunder to any Selling Party being distributed in any manner other than as permitted pursuant to this Agreement and the Option Agreement, (ii) alters the consideration payable to any Selling Party pursuant to this Agreement or the Option Agreement, or (iii) adds to or results in an increase of any Selling Party’s indemnity or other obligations or liabilities under this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any change to the nature of the indemnity obligations), in each case with respect to clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of this Section 8.1(c), without first obtaining the prior written approval of the Selling Parties.
