Assignment; Assumption by Successor The rights of the Company under this Agreement may, without the consent of Executive, be assigned by the Company, in its sole and unfettered discretion, to any person, firm, corporation or other business entity which at any time, whether by purchase, merger or otherwise, directly or indirectly, acquires all or substantially all of the assets or business of the Company. The Company will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company expressly to assume and to agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place; provided, however, that no such assumption shall relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder. As used in this Agreement, the “Company” shall mean the Company as hereinbefore defined and any successor to its business and/or assets as aforesaid which assumes and agrees to perform this Agreement by operation of law or otherwise.
Non-Assumption of Liabilities Subject to the limitation on indemnification in Sections 8.6 and 8.7, Buyer does not assume and shall not be responsible for any liabilities, indebtedness or obligations of the Seller or the Business other than the Assumed Liabilities (as defined herein). Without limiting the of the foregoing sentence, the Parties hereby agree that except as expressly set forth in Section 7.2 hereof, Buyer shall not, by the execution and performance of this Agreement or otherwise, assume, become responsible for or incur any liability or obligation of any nature of either Seller or any Shareholder, whether legal or equitable, matured or contingent, known or unknown, foreseen or unforeseen, ordinary or extraordinary, patent or latent, whether arising out of occurrences prior to, at or after the date of this Agreement (provided such occurrences have a basis prior to the Closing Date), not otherwise disclosed to Buyer, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any liability or obligation arising out of or relating to: (a) any occurrence or circumstance (whether known or unknown) having a basis prior to the Closing Date which occurs or exists on or prior to the Closing Date and which constitutes, or which by the lapse of time or giving notice (or both) would constitute, a breach or default under any lease, contract, or other instrument or agreement (whether written or oral); (b) any injury to or death of any person or damage to or destruction of any property, whether based on negligence, breach of warranty, or any other theory having a basis prior to the Closing Date; (c) a violation by Seller or any Shareholder of any Applicable Laws or the requirements imposed by any governmental authority or of the rights of any third person, including, without limitation, any requirements relating to the reporting and payment of federal, state, local or other income, sales, use, franchise, excise or property tax liabilities of Seller; (d) the generation, collection, transportation, storage or disposal by Seller of any materials, including, without limitation, Hazardous Materials, having a basis prior to the Closing Date to or from the Real Property; (e) an agreement or arrangement in existence on the Closing Date between Seller and its employees or any labor or collective bargaining unit representing any such employees; (f) the severance pay obligation of Seller or any employee benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended) or any other fringe benefit program maintained or sponsored by Seller or to which Seller contributes, or any contributions, benefits or liabilities therefor, or any liability for the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from or by reason of the termination of any such plan or program by Seller; (g) indebtedness and all other obligations and liabilities of Seller to any bank or other lender, who has extended credit to Seller for which there is an outstanding indebtedness or obligation owed by Seller to such lender on the Closing Date, except to the extent any such obligations or liability is an Assumed Liability; (h) any liability or obligation arising as a result of or out of any claim, legal or equitable action, proceeding or investigation pertaining to or relating in any way to Seller initiated at any time, having a basis prior to the Closing Date, whether or not listed on Schedule 4.1(h); (i) any liability, obligation, cost or expense related to the Excluded Assets; (j) any liability, obligation cost or expense incurred prior to the Closing Date related to the Operations Property, including, without limitation, the environmental condition thereof; (k) the liabilities or obligations of Seller for brokerage or other commissions relative to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereunder as a result of a contract for this transaction between Seller and such broker; (l) any liability or obligation of Seller for taxes of any kind, whether relating to periods before or after the Closing Date, or whether incurred by Seller in connection with this Agreement, the Business or the transactions contemplated hereby, except any taxes incurred in connection with the operation of the Business by Buyer on or after the Closing, those taxes solely attributable to Buyer and WCA and those taxes specifically prorated at Closing and undertaken by Buyer pursuant to such proration; (m) any liability or obligation to pay for any products, goods, raw materials or services delivered or provided to Seller prior to the Closing Date in respect of the Business or otherwise, except to the extent such liability or obligation is an Assumed Liability or attributable to products and services for Buyer’s benefit; (n) any liability or obligation of Seller under any guarantee or any agreement to provide indemnification to any other person or entity; (o) any liability or obligation arising from the acts or omissions of Seller or its Affiliates, representatives, agents or employees, accrued prior to the Closing Date, except to the extent that any such liability or obligation is an Assumed Obligation; and (p) all trade payables and accruals of the Seller in respect of the Business or otherwise (the items described in this Section 7.1 being referred to, collectively, as the “Retained Liabilities”). The Seller shall retain all of the Retained Liabilities. The assumption of the Assumed Liabilities by Buyer hereunder shall not in any respect enlarge any rights of third parties under contracts or arrangements with Buyer or Seller and nothing herein shall prevent any party from contesting in good faith any of the Retained Liabilities or the Assumed Liabilities, as the case may be, with any third party. Seller agrees to indemnify Buyer and its successors and assigns from and against any liabilities or obligations related to any Retained Liabilities in accordance with Section 8.1 hereof, and Buyer shall indemnify Seller and its successors and assigns from and against any liabilities or obligations of any Assumed Liabilities.
