prem14a
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
(RULE 14A-101)
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
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Filed by the Registrant
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant o |
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Check the appropriate box: |
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x Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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o Definitive Proxy Statement |
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o Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy
Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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o No fee required. |
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1)
and 0-11. |
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1) Title
of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
Common stock, par value $0.10 per share, of Storage Technology
Corporation (StorageTek common stock) |
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2) Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
111,204,635 shares of StorageTek common stock (consisting of 116,632,634 shares of
outstanding shares of StorageTek Common Stock, 3,235,385 shares issuable upon estimated
option exercises, 350,000 shares issuable under StorageTeks employee stock purchase
plan, 351,667 shares of non-employee options, 33,360 shares of non-employee common
stock equivalents and 32,000 restricted stock units but excluding 8,514,716 shares of
treasury stock and 915,695 shares of restricted stock currently
contemplated to be converted to future rights to receive $37 in cash
per share)
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3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the
filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
The filing fee was determined by multiplying 0.0001177 by the
product of $37.00 and 111,204,635 (aggregate number of shares to which the
merger applies)
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4) Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
$4,114,571,495 |
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5) Total
fee paid:
$484,285.06
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o Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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o Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee
was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
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1) Amount Previously Paid: |
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2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: |
PRELIMINARY COPY SUBJECT TO COMPLETION
Storage Technology Corporation
One StorageTek Drive
Louisville, Colorado 80028
[ ],
2005
Dear Stockholder:
We cordially invite you to attend a special meeting of
stockholders of Storage Technology Corporation (also referred to
as StorageTek or we) to be held on
[ ],
2005 at
[ ]
[a.m.] [p.m.], local time, at
[ ].
At the special meeting, we will ask you to consider and vote on
a proposal to approve the merger of a subsidiary of Sun
Microsystems, Inc. (also referred to as Sun) with
and into Storage Technology Corporation and to adopt and approve
the Agreement and Plan of Merger we entered into on June 2,
2005 with Sun Microsystems, Inc., and its wholly owned
subsidiary, Stanford Acquisition Corporation. In the merger,
Stanford Acquisition Corporation will merge with and into
Storage Technology Corporation, and each outstanding share of
our common stock, par value $0.10 will be converted into the
right to receive $37 in cash, without interest. After the
merger, Storage Technology Corporation will be a wholly owned
subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY DETERMINED THAT THE
TERMS OF THE MERGER ARE FAIR TO AND IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF
STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION AND OUR STOCKHOLDERS.
ACCORDINGLY, YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED
THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE
FOR APPROVAL OF THE MERGER AND ADOPTION AND APPROVAL
OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT.
Your vote is very important. We cannot complete the merger
unless the merger agreement is approved by holders of a majority
of our outstanding shares. WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO BE PRESENT
AT THE SPECIAL MEETING, PLEASE COMPLETE, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN
THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD TO ENSURE YOUR SHARES ARE REPRESENTED AT
THE SPECIAL MEETING. If you do not send in your proxy, do not
instruct your broker to vote your shares, or if you abstain from
voting, it will have the same effect as a vote against approval
of the merger and the adoption and approval of the merger
agreement.
The enclosed proxy statement provides you with detailed
information about the merger and related matters. We urge you to
read the proxy statement carefully, including the annexes. If
the merger agreement is adopted and approved and the merger is
completed, you will be sent written instructions for exchanging
your Storage Technology Corporation common stock certificates
for your cash payment. If you hold Storage Technology
Corporation common stock, please do not send us your
certificates until you receive these instructions.
If you have any questions about the merger please call Georgeson
Shareholder Communications, Inc., our proxy solicitor, at
(866) 357-4033.
On behalf of the board of directors, I thank you for your
support and appreciate your consideration of this matter.
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Yours truly, |
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STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION |
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Patrick J. Martin |
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Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer |
THIS PROXY STATEMENT IS
DATED ,
2005 AND IS FIRST BEING MAILED TO STOCKHOLDERS ON OR
ABOUT ,
2005.
Storage Technology Corporation
One StorageTek Drive
Louisville, Colorado 80028
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD
ON ,
2005
A Special Meeting of the stockholders of Storage Technology
Corporation will be held
on ,
2005,
at [a.m.]
[p.m.], local time, at
[ ],
to consider and vote on a proposal to approve the merger and to
adopt and approve the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
June 2, 2005, among Storage Technology Corporation, Sun
Microsystems, Inc. and Stanford Acquisition Corporation, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, Inc., a copy of
which Agreement is attached as Annex A to the proxy
statement accompanying this notice.
Only stockholders of record as of the close of business
on ,
2005, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the special
meeting or any adjournments or postponements of the meeting. The
number of outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to
notice and to vote
on ,
2005, was
[ ].
Each holder of StorageTek common stock is entitled to one vote
for each share of our common stock held on the record date. A
stockholders list will be available at StorageTeks
principal executive office for inspection by any stockholder
entitled to vote at the special meeting beginning ten
(10) business days before the date of the special meeting
and continuing through the special meeting. Holders of shares of
StorageTek common stock are entitled to appraisal rights under
the Delaware General Corporation Law in connection with the
merger if they meet certain conditions. See Appraisal
Rights on page [ ].
A form of proxy and a proxy statement containing more detailed
information with respect to the matters to be considered at the
special meeting, including a copy of the merger agreement,
accompany and form a part of this notice. You should not send
any certificates representing your StorageTek common stock with
your proxy card.
If a quorum is not present at the meeting, or a quorum is
present but sufficient votes to approve a proposal are not
received, the persons named as proxies may propose one or more
adjournments of the meeting to permit further solicitation of
proxies. Any such adjournment will require the affirmative vote
of a majority of the common stock represented at the meeting in
person or by proxy. The persons named as proxies will vote those
proxies that they are entitled to vote FOR the proposal in
favor of an adjournment of the meeting and will vote those
proxies required to be voted AGAINST the proposal against such
adjournment.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL MEETING IN
PERSON, PLEASE DATE AND SIGN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY CARD AND
RETURN IT PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. RETURNING YOUR
PROXY CARD DOES NOT DEPRIVE YOU OF YOUR RIGHT TO ATTEND THE
MEETING AND TO VOTE YOUR SHARES IN PERSON. THANK YOU FOR ACTING
PROMPTLY.
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By order of the Board of Directors, |
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Patrick J. Martin |
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Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer |
Louisville, Colorado
[ ],
2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MERGER
AND THE SPECIAL MEETING
These questions and answers do not, and are not intended to,
address all the information that may be important to you. You
should read the summary and the remainder of this proxy
statement, including all annexes, carefully.
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Q: |
What is the proposed Merger? |
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A: |
Under the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of
June 2, 2005 among Sun Microsystems, Inc.
(Sun), Stanford Acquisition Corporation, a direct
wholly-owned subsidiary of Sun (Merger Sub), and
Storage Technology Corporation (StorageTek),
referred to in this proxy statement as the merger agreement,
Merger Sub will be merged with and into StorageTek with
StorageTek emerging as the surviving corporation and a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Sun. The merger agreement is attached
to this proxy statement as Annex A. We encourage you to
read it carefully. |
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Q: |
What will I receive in the merger? |
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A: |
Upon completion of the merger, you will be entitled to receive
$37 in cash, without interest, in exchange for each share of
StorageTek common stock, par value $0.10 per share, that
you own. |
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Q: |
What are the United States federal income tax consequences of
the merger? |
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A: |
The receipt of cash for shares pursuant to the merger will be a
taxable transaction for United States federal income tax
purposes. In general, a stockholder who receives cash in
exchange for shares pursuant to the merger will recognize gain
or loss for United States federal income tax purposes equal to
the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received and
the stockholders adjusted tax basis in the shares
exchanged for cash pursuant to the merger. Because the tax
consequences of the merger are complex and may vary depending on
your particular circumstances, we recommend that you consult
your tax advisor concerning the federal (and any state, local or
foreign) tax consequences to you of the merger. |
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Q: |
What is the vote required to approve the merger agreement? |
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A: |
Approval of the merger agreement requires the affirmative vote
of a majority of the outstanding shares of StorageTek common
stock. This means that the affirmative vote of at least
[ ] shares
of our common stock is required for adoption of the merger
agreement. |
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Q: |
Is our board of directors recommending that I vote for the
merger agreement? |
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Yes. After considering a number of factors, your board of
directors unanimously believes that the terms of the merger
agreement are fair to and in the best interests of StorageTek
and our stockholders. Your board of directors unanimously
recommends that you vote FOR approval of the merger and
adoption and approval of the merger agreement. |
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Q: |
Why did the directors enter into the voting agreements? |
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A: |
In order to induce Sun to execute the merger agreement, the
directors, each in their capacity as a stockholder of StorageTek
common stock, agreed to vote the StorageTek common stock they
own FOR the merger. The execution and delivery of the voting
agreements was a material condition to Suns willingness to
enter into the merger agreement. As of
[ ],
2005, the directors own an aggregate of
[ ]%
of the outstanding shares of StorageTek common stock. |
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Q: |
When do you expect to complete the merger? |
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A: |
We currently expect to complete the merger in the third calendar
quarter of 2005, as quickly as possible after the special
meeting and after all the conditions to the merger are satisfied
or |
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waived, including expiration or termination of the waiting
periods under the antitrust laws of the United States and the
European Union and other applicable jurisdictions. |
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Q: |
What do I need to do now? |
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A: |
We urge you to read this proxy statement carefully, including
its annexes, consider how the merger would affect you as a
stockholder and then vote. After you read this proxy statement,
you should provide voting instructions as described below. |
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Q: |
How do I vote? |
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A: |
If you hold a stock certificate in your name for
StorageTeks common stock, you are the owner of record. If
you attend the meeting, you may vote in person. If you want to
vote by proxy, there are three ways you may vote, each of which
is valid under Delaware law, our state of incorporation: |
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1. |
Access the Internet address on the proxy card and follow the
instructions at that site; |
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Call the toll-free telephone number listed in the voting
instructions attached to the proxy card and follow the telephone
prompts; OR |
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Complete, sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card. |
Please have the voting
form in hand when voting by Internet or telephone.
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Q: |
If my broker holds my shares in street name, will
my broker vote my shares for me? |
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A: |
If your shares of StorageTek common stock are held in the name
of a broker or financial institution, you are a beneficial owner
and the broker or the financial institution holding your shares
is the record holder. This is often referred to as being held in
street name. You must follow the voting directions
given by the broker or financial institution. If you hold shares
in street name and you intend to vote at the special meeting,
you must bring an executed Power of Attorney or proxy in your
name that has been signed by the record holder. Contact your
broker or financial institution for this information. |
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Q: |
What if I want to change my vote after I have voted? |
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A: |
You may revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time before
the final vote at the meeting. If you are the owner of record,
you may do this by: |
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Giving written notice of revocation to the Corporate Secretary,
Storage Technology Corporation, One StorageTek Drive,
Louisville, Colorado 80028-4309; |
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2. |
Signing another valid proxy bearing a later date; |
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3. |
Voting at a later date by telephone or by using the Internet; OR |
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4. |
Voting in person at the meeting. |
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If you hold stock in street name, you must contact your broker
or financial institution for information on how to revoke your
proxy or change your vote. |
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Q: |
What happens if I do not send in my proxy, if I do not
instruct my broker to vote my shares or if I abstain from
voting? |
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A: |
If you do not send in your proxy, do not instruct your broker to
vote your shares, or if you abstain from voting, it will have
the same effect as a vote AGAINST approval of the merger,
and adoption and approval of the merger agreement. |
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Q: |
What if the merger is not completed? |
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A: |
If the merger is not completed, both companies will continue to
operate as independent companies. As further described under
Expenses and Termination Fee on
page [ ], |
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StorageTek may be required to pay Sun a termination fee if the
merger is not completed for certain reasons. |
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Q: |
Am I entitled to appraisal rights? |
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A: |
Yes. Under the Delaware General Corporations Law
(DGCL), record holders of StorageTek common stock
who follow the procedures set forth in Section 262 of the
DGCL will be entitled to have their shares appraised by the
Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and to receive
payment of the fair value of such shares together with a fair
rate of interest, if any, as determined by such court. The fair
value as determined by the Delaware court is exclusive of any
element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation
of the merger. |
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Q: |
Should I send in my StorageTek stock certificates now? |
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A: |
No. After the merger is completed, you will receive written
instructions for exchanging your shares of StorageTek common
stock for the merger consideration of $37 in cash, without
interest, for each share of your StorageTek common stock. |
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Q: |
Where can I find more information about StorageTek and
Sun? |
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A: |
Storage Technology Corporation and Sun Microsystems, Inc. file
periodic reports and other information with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). You may read and copy
this information at the SECs public reference facilities.
Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information about
these facilities. This information is also available on the
Internet site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. For a
more detailed description of the information available about
Storage Technology Corporation, see Where You Can Find
More Information. |
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Q: |
Whom should I call if I have questions or want additional
copies of documents? |
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A: |
If you have any questions about the merger or this proxy
statement or, if you would like additional copies of this proxy
statement, or the proxy card you should call Georgeson
Shareholder Communications, Inc., our proxy solicitor, at
(866) 357-4033. |
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SUMMARY
This summary, together with the preceding question and answer
section, highlights important information discussed in greater
detail elsewhere in this proxy statement. This summary includes
parenthetical references to pages in other portions of this
proxy statement containing a more detailed description of the
topics presented in this summary. This summary may not contain
all of the information you should consider before voting on the
merger. To more fully understand the merger, you should read
carefully this entire proxy statement and all of its annexes,
including the merger agreement, which is attached as
Annex A, before voting on whether to approve the merger
agreement. All information in this proxy statement was prepared
and supplied by StorageTek, except for the descriptions of the
businesses of Sun and Stanford Acquisition Corporation contained
in this summary below under the heading The Parties to the
Merger Agreement, which descriptions were supplied by Sun
Microsystems.
The Parties to the Merger Agreement
(Page [ ])
STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
One StorageTek Drive
Louisville, Colorado 80028
(303) 673-5151
Storage Technology Corporation, including its wholly owned
subsidiaries (StorageTek, us,
we, our), is primarily engaged in the
data storage business. We provide products and services to a
broad range of customers, including large multinational
companies, midsize and small businesses, universities, and
governmental agencies. We market our products and services to
end-user customers through our direct sales organization and
through our indirect channel partners, including original
equipment manufacturers, value-added distributors, value-added
resellers, and other distributors. We operate sales and service
offices throughout the United States and Canada, as well as
throughout various international regions, including Europe,
Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Our common stock is traded on
The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol STK.
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
4150 Network Circle
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(650) 960-1300
Sun Microsystems, Inc.s (Sun) business is
singularly focused on providing products and services for
network computing. Network computing has been at the core of
Suns offerings for the 23 years of its existence and
is based on the premise that the power of a single computer can
be increased dramatically when interconnected with other
computer systems for the purposes of communication and sharing
of computing power. Together with its partners, Sun provides
network computing infrastructure solutions that comprise
Computer Systems (hardware and software), Network Storage
systems (hardware and software), Support services, Client
solutions (formerly known as Professional services) and
Knowledge services. Suns customers use Suns products
and services to build mission-critical network computing
environments on which they operate essential elements of their
businesses. Suns network computing infrastructure
solutions are used in a wide range of technical/scientific,
business and engineering applications in industries such as
telecommunications, government, financial services,
manufacturing, education, retail, life sciences, media and
entertainment, transportation, energy/utilities and healthcare.
Stanford Acquisition Corporation (Merger Sub) is a
direct wholly owned subsidiary of Sun, formed solely for the
purpose of facilitating the merger.
Matters Relating to the Meeting
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Date, Time and Place. The special meeting will take place
on
[ ],
2005, at
[ ][a.m.]
[p.m.], local time, at
[ ]. |
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Purpose. To vote on a proposal to adopt the merger
agreement and approve the merger as described herein. |
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Record Date and Shares Entitled to Vote; Quorum. The
record date for determining the holders of shares of our common
stock entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting
is ,
2005. |
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Outstanding Shares Held on Record Date. On the record
date,
[ ] shares
of our common stock were outstanding and entitled to vote on the
proposal to approve the merger agreement. |
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Shares Beneficially Owned by our Directors and Officers as of
the Record Date. |
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As of the record date, our directors and officers beneficially
own
[ ] shares
of StorageTek common stock. |
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Quorum Requirement. The presence, in person or by proxy,
of shares representing at least a majority of all the votes
entitled to be cast on the approval of the merger and the
adoption and approval of the merger agreement is necessary to
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the
special meeting. |
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Vote Required. Approval of the merger, and adoption and
approval of the merger agreement require the affirmative vote of
a majority of the outstanding shares of StorageTek common stock. |
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Procedure for Voting. You may vote shares you hold of
record in either of two ways: |
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by completing and returning the enclosed proxy card, or |
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by voting in person at the special meeting. |
If you hold shares of our common stock in street
name through a broker or other financial institution, you
must follow the instructions provided by the broker or other
financial institution regarding how to instruct it to vote those
shares.
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Voting of Proxies. Shares of our common stock represented
by properly executed proxies received at or prior to the special
meeting that have not been revoked will be voted at the special
meeting in accordance with the instructions indicated on the
proxies. |
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Revocability of Proxies. You may revoke your proxy or
change your vote at any time before the final vote at the
meeting. If you are the owner of record, you may do this by
(1) giving written notice of revocation to the Corporate
Secretary, Storage Technology Corporation, One StorageTek
Drive, Louisville, Colorado 80028-4309; (2) signing another
valid proxy bearing a later date; (3) voting at a later
date by telephone or by using the Internet; OR (4) voting
in person at the meeting. If you hold stock in street name, you
must contact your broker or financial institution for
information on how to revoke your proxy or change your vote. |
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Failure to vote. If you do not send in your proxy, do not
instruct your broker to vote your shares or if you abstain from
voting, it will have the same effect as a vote against approval
of the merger, adoption and approval of the merger agreement. |
The Voting Agreements
(Page [ ])
All of our directors, each in their capacity as a stockholder of
StorageTek common stock, entered into voting agreements with Sun
agreeing to vote the StorageTek common stock they own FOR
adoption and approval of the merger agreement and approval of
the principal terms of the merger. The obligations of the
directors under the voting agreements will terminate upon the
valid termination of the merger agreement. The execution and
delivery of the voting agreement was a material condition to
Suns willingness to enter into the merger agreement.
5
Reasons for the Merger, Recommendation of Our Board of
Directors (Page [ ])
Our board of directors has unanimously adopted the merger
agreement, approved the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement and determined that it is fair to and in the best
interests of StorageTek and our stockholders that we enter into
the merger agreement and complete the merger on the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth in the merger agreement. The
factors considered by our board include, among others: increased
competition and pricing pressures experienced by StorageTek in
recent years, trends in the industry, StorageTeks sales
force and distribution infrastructures, customers tendency
to reduce the number of information technology vendors and
reduce information technology spending, the size and portfolio
advantages of our major competitors, the strategic value of
StorageTek to potential buyers, premium to the historic trading
prices of StorageTek common stock represented by the merger
consideration, Suns capital resources to pay the merger
consideration, the ability of our board to entertain a superior
offer in certain circumstances, the reasonable certainty of
consummation of the merger, Evercores fairness opinion,
the general terms and conditions of the merger agreement, the
proposed transaction structure, the termination provisions of
the agreement and our boards evaluation of the likely time
period necessary to close the transaction. Our board also
considered negative factors including, among others, the
prohibition of our actively soliciting alternative proposals,
the payment of a termination fee of $133 million plus
reimbursement of Suns expenses if we terminate the merger
agreement under certain circumstances, the taxability of the
transaction to our stockholders, the potential conflicts of
interest that certain of our directors and officers may have in
connection with the merger, and risks and costs if the merger
does not close. OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS
THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF THE MERGER
AGREEMENT.
Opinion of Our Financial Advisor
(Page [ ])
In deciding to approve the merger and adopt and approve the
merger agreement, our board considered the opinion of our
financial advisor, Evercore Group Inc. (together with its
affiliates, Evercore). On June 1, 2005 Evercore
delivered its oral opinion to our board, which opinion was
subsequently confirmed in writing on June 2, 2005, to the
effect that, as of such date and based upon and subject to the
factors and assumptions set forth in the opinion, the $37 in
cash per share in cash consideration to be received by the
holders of StorageTek common stock pursuant to the merger
agreement was fair, from a financial point of view as of the
date of such opinion, to such holders. The full text of
Evercores written opinion is attached to this proxy
statement as Annex B and is incorporated by reference into
this proxy statement. We encourage you to read this opinion
carefully in its entirety for a description of the assumptions
made, procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on
the review undertaken in connection with the opinion.
Evercores opinion is addressed to our board and is one of
many factors considered by our board in deciding to approve the
merger. Evercores opinion does not constitute a
recommendation to any holder of StorageTek common stock as to
how such holder should vote or whether such stockholders should
take any other action relating to merger. Pursuant to a letter
agreement, StorageTek agreed to pay Evercore a fee that was paid
following delivery of the opinion and a fee contingent upon the
consummation of the merger.
Material United States Federal Income Tax Consequences
(Page [ ])
The receipt of cash for shares pursuant to the merger will be a
taxable transaction for United States federal income tax
purposes. In general, a stockholder who receives cash in
exchange for shares pursuant to the merger will recognize gain
or loss for United States federal income tax purposes equal to
the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received and
the stockholders adjusted tax basis in the shares
exchanged for cash pursuant to the merger. If the shares
exchanged constitute capital assets in the hands of the
stockholder, the gain or loss will be capital gain or loss and,
generally speaking, will be long-term capital gain or loss, if
the shares have been held by the stockholder for more than one
year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to
limitations.
BECAUSE THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE MERGER ARE COMPLEX AND MAY
VARY DEPENDING ON YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES, WE RECOMMEND
THAT
6
YOU CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR CONCERNING THE FEDERAL (AND ANY
STATE, LOCAL OR FOREIGN) TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU OF THE MERGER.
Antitrust Matters
(Page [ ])
The completion of the merger is subject to expiration or
termination of the applicable waiting periods under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as
amended, referred to in this proxy statement as the HSR Act, and
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and under any
applicable foreign antitrust law, including the laws of the
European Union.
Interests of Certain Persons in the Merger
(Page [ ])
When considering the recommendation of our board of directors,
you should be aware that some of our directors and officers have
interests that are different from, or in addition to, yours.
These interests include, among others, the payment of benefits
to some of our officers if their employment is terminated, cash
payments in exchange for cancellation of stock options held by
our directors upon the completion of the merger, and
indemnification of our directors and officers against certain
liabilities both before and after the merger.
Appraisal Rights
(Page [ ])
StorageTek stockholders are entitled to appraisal rights in
connection with the merger. Under the Delaware General
Corporations Law, (DGCL), record holders of
StorageTek common stock who follow the procedures set forth in
Section 262 of the DGCL will be entitled to have their
shares appraised by the Court of Chancery of the State of
Delaware and to receive payment of the fair value of such shares
together with a fair rate of interest, if any, as determined by
such court. The fair value as determined by the Delaware court
is exclusive of any element of value arising from the
accomplishment or expectation of the merger.
Shares of common stock owned by stockholders who have perfected
their rights of appraisal in accordance with the DGCL shall not
be converted into the right to receive the merger consideration,
but shall instead be entitled to payment of the appraised value
of their dissenting shares in accordance with the provisions of
the DGCL.
Conditions to the Merger
(Page [ ])
The completion of the merger depends on the satisfaction or
waiver of a number of conditions, including, but not limited to,
the following:
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the approval of the merger and adoption and approval of the
merger agreement by our stockholders; |
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expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under
the HSR Act, the initial waiting period with respect to which
has not yet expired and the obtaining of any material consents
or approvals required to consummate the merger under foreign
antitrust laws; |
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absence of any legal restraint preventing the merger; |
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accuracy of the parties representations and warranties in
the merger agreement, subject to materiality qualifiers; and |
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the performance by each party of its obligations under the
merger agreement in all material respects. |
The obligations of Sun and Merger Sub to complete the merger are
also subject to there being no pending proceeding by any
governmental entity challenging or seeking to restrain or
prohibit the consummation of the merger, or seeking to require
Sun, StorageTek or any subsidiary or affiliate to effect an
action of divestiture that would be reasonably likely to
materially impact Sun and its subsidiaries taken
7
as a whole or StorageTek and its subsidiaries taken as a whole,
and there being and having been no material adverse effect on us
prior to the effective time.
Termination of the Merger Agreement
(Page [ ])
The merger agreement may be terminated:
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by mutual written consent of StorageTek and Sun; |
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by either party if the merger is not consummated by
December 2, 2005, which date shall be extended to
March 2, 2006 if the merger shall not have been consummated
as a result of a failure to obtain required antitrust approvals; |
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by either party if a governmental entity has issued a permanent
injunction or other order or decree preventing the merger that
is in effect and has become final and nonappealable; |
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by either party if the approval of the merger and the adoption
and approval of the merger agreement by our stockholders is not
obtained at the special meeting or adjournment or postponement
of the special meeting; |
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by Sun if (i) our board changes, withdraws or fails to
reaffirm its recommendation of the merger, approves, recommends
or enters into any competing acquisition proposal, or fails to
reject a competing tender offer or exchange offer, or
(ii) we materially breach our obligations not to solicit a
competing transaction; |
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by either party if the other party breaches any of its
representations or warranties in the merger agreement, which
breach is incurable or is not cured within 20 days of
written notice of the breach, unless such breach, if committed
by Sun or Merger Sub, separately or as a whole does not
materially impede their authority to consummate the merger, or,
if committed by us, separately or as a whole will not result in
a material adverse effect on us; |
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by either party if the other party fails to perform all
agreements and covenants in all material respects that are
required to be performed by it before the effective
time; and |
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by StorageTek if our board of directors effects a change of
recommendation of the merger in response to a superior offer and
pays Sun a termination fee of $133 million. |
Expenses and Termination Fee
Costs and expenses related to the merger will generally be paid
by the party incurring those costs or expenses. In addition, we
have agreed to pay to Sun a termination fee of $133 million
if the merger agreement is terminated:
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by us or Sun due to the failure of our stockholders to approve
the merger and adopt and approve the merger agreement, but only
if prior to such termination another acquisition proposal with
respect to StorageTek emerges and within 12 months of
termination of the merger agreement we complete another
acquisition transaction or enter into a definitive agreement for
an acquisition; |
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by Sun if we change, withdraw or fail to reaffirm our
recommendation of the merger, approve, recommend or enter into
any competing acquisition proposal, or fail to reject a
competing tender offer or exchange offer; or |
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by us in order to enter into an agreement with respect to a
superior offer. |
Non-Solicitation
We have agreed that neither we nor any of our subsidiaries,
officers or directors will (and we will use our reasonable
efforts to cause our employees, agents and representatives not
to) directly or indirectly, solicit, initiate, encourage,
knowingly facilitate, induce, discuss or otherwise cooperate
with any person other than Sun concerning any acquisition
proposal by any person other than Sun. However, StorageTek is
8
permitted to respond to an unsolicited acquisition proposal by
furnishing certain information and participating in discussions
and negotiations regarding such acquisition proposal, if our
board of directors determines in good faith, after receiving the
advice of outside counsel that such acquisition proposal is, or
reasonably likely to result in an offer to acquire our company
that is, more favorable from a financial point of view than the
terms of the merger with Sun, and that such acquisition proposal
is reasonably capable of being consummated.
Additional Information
(Page [ ])
If you have any questions about the merger or this proxy
statement or, if you would like additional copies of this proxy
statement or the proxy card you should call Georgeson
Shareholder Communications, Inc., our proxy solicitor, at
(866) 357-4033.
9
RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider the following factors and the
other information in this proxy statement before voting on the
proposal to adopt the merger agreement and approve the merger.
We cannot assure you that the merger will provide greater
value to you than you would have if StorageTek continued as an
independent public company.
Upon completion of the merger, our stockholders will have the
right to receive $37, without interest, for each outstanding
share of our common stock held by such stockholder. The closing
price per share of our common stock on the New York Stock
Exchange on June 1, 2005, the last trading day before we
entered into the merger agreement with Sun, was $31.23. During
the 12-month period ending on
[ ],
2005, the most recent date prior to the mailing of this proxy
statement, the closing price of our common stock varied from a
low of
$[ ]
to a high of
$[ ]
and ended that period at
$[ ].
We are unable to predict with certainty our future prospects or
the market price of our common stock. Therefore, we cannot
assure you that the merger will provide greater value to you
than you would have received if StorageTek continued as an
independent public company.
Failure to complete the merger could have a negative
impact on the market price of our common stock and on our
business.
If the merger is not completed, the price of our common stock
may decline to the extent that the current market price reflects
a market assumption that the merger will be completed. In
addition, our business and operations may be harmed to the
extent that customers, suppliers and others believe that we
cannot compete effectively in the marketplace without the
merger. We also will be required to pay significant costs
incurred in connection with the merger, whether or not the
merger is completed. Moreover, under specified circumstances we
may be required to pay a termination fee of $133 million to
Sun in connection with a termination of the merger agreement.
The no solicitation restrictions and the
termination fee provisions in the merger agreement may
discourage other companies from trying to acquire
StorageTek.
While the merger agreement is in effect, subject to specified
exceptions, we are prohibited from entering into or soliciting,
initiating or encouraging any inquiries or proposals that may
lead to a proposal or offer for a merger or other business
combination transaction with any person other than Sun. In
addition, in the merger agreement, we agreed to pay a
termination fee to Sun in specified circumstances. These
provisions could discourage other parties from trying to acquire
our company even though those other parties might be willing to
offer greater value to our stockholders than Sun has offered in
the merger agreement.
Our directors and officers have potential conflicts of
interest that may have influenced their decision to support the
merger.
You should be aware of potential conflicts of interest, and the
benefits available to directors and officers of StorageTek, when
considering the boards recommendation of the merger. The
directors and officers of StorageTek have interests in the
merger that are in addition to, or different from, their
interests as StorageTek stockholders. The StorageTek board was
aware of these conflicts of interest when it approved the
merger. These interests relate to:
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Receipt of certain benefits for certain officers if their
employment is terminated; |
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Receipt by our directors of certain cash payments for the
options that are subject to accelerated vesting upon the
merger; and |
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Rights to directors and officers insurance coverage
and to indemnification with respect to acts and omissions in
their capacities as directors and officers of StorageTek. |
See also Interests of Certain Persons in the Merger
on page [ ].
10
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This proxy statement contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements
are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations of
management and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed
in the forward-looking statements. Although our management
believes these assumptions are reasonable, we cannot assure you
that they will prove correct. Accordingly, you should not rely
upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual
results. Further, we undertake no obligation to update
forward-looking statements after the date they are made or to
conform the statements to actual results or changes in our
expectations.
The following important factors could affect future results and
could cause those results to differ materially from those
expressed in the forward-looking statements, including, but not
limited to, global economic and political conditions; conditions
and trends in the industry; a decrease in demand for our tape
products or by an inability to maintain key competitive
advantages in tape; pricing pressure and other competitive
pressures as a result of domestic and international competition;
our ability to execute our information lifecycle management
strategy; risks associated with new product development; risks
associated with expanding our service offerings; uneven sales
patterns and by our ability to forecast customer demand
accurately; impact of product mix, channel mix, and resale of
third-party products on our gross profit margin; our ability to
grow our indirect channels successfully; risks associated with
sole source suppliers; a failure to obtain quality parts and
components in a timely manner or by a failure to effectively
manage inventory levels; rapid technological change and evolving
industry standards; risks associated with developing and
protecting intellectual property; litigation and other legal
proceedings; our ability to attract and retain our key
employees; risks of conducting business outside the United
States; the ability of our marketing force to affect the demands
and trends in the markets in which we operate; other economic,
business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting our
business generally; our failure to obtain the requisite consent
of our stockholders to approve the merger; other uncertainties
relating to the merger; uncertainty from terrorist attacks and
volatility in the financial markets; and events which may be
subject to circumstances beyond our control.
The forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction
with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2004 and our subsequent Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q. Our reports on Form 10-K and
Form 10-Q are on file with the SEC, and copies are
available without charge upon written request to our Manager of
Corporate Communications at the address provided in Where
You Can Find More Information.
11
THE PARTIES TO THE MERGER AGREEMENT
Storage Technology Corporation
We are a Delaware corporation and data storage has been our
principal business for 35 years. Through our information
lifecycle management strategy, we enable businesses to align the
cost of storage with the value of information.
We provide products and services to a broad range of customers,
including large multinational companies, midsize and small
businesses, universities, medical institutions, and governmental
agencies. Our customers encompass a broad range of industry
sectors around the world, including financial services, retail
sales, healthcare, broadcasting, telecommunications,
transportation, and a variety of manufacturing industries.
We market our products and services to end-user customers
through our direct sales organization and through our indirect
channel partners, including original equipment manufacturers,
value-added distributors, value-added resellers, and other
distributors.
We maintain a presence in many major cities of the world. We
operate sales and service offices throughout the United States
and Canada, as well as throughout various other international
regions, including Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
U.S. operations accounted for approximately 45% of our
total revenue in 2004, and international operations accounted
for approximately 55%.
Our principal executive office is located at One StorageTek
Drive, Louisville, Colorado 80028 and our telephone number is
(303) 673-5151.
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol STK.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Suns business is singularly focused on providing products
and services for network computing. Network computing has been
at the core of Suns offerings for the 23 years of its
existence and is based on the premise that the power of a single
computer can be increased dramatically when interconnected with
other computer systems for the purposes of communication and
sharing of computing power. Together with its partners, Sun
provides network computing infrastructure solutions that
comprise Computer Systems (hardware and software), Network
Storage systems (hardware and software), Support services,
Client solutions (formerly known as Professional services) and
Knowledge services. Suns customers use its products and
services to build mission-critical network computing
environments on which they operate essential elements of their
businesses. Suns network computing infrastructure
solutions are used in a wide range of technical/scientific,
business and engineering applications in industries such as
telecommunications, government, financial services,
manufacturing, education, retail, life sciences, media and
entertainment, transportation, energy/utilities and healthcare.
Sun was originally incorporated in California in February 1982
and was reincorporated in Delaware in July 1987.
The principal executive office of Sun is located at 4150 Network
Circle, Santa Clara, CA 95054, and its telephone number is
(650) 960-1300.
Suns common stock is traded on The Nasdaq National Market
under the symbol SUNW.
Merger Sub
Merger Sub is a Delaware corporation and a direct wholly owned
subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Merger Sub was formed
solely for the purpose of facilitating the merger.
The mailing address of Merger Subs principal executive
office is c/o Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle,
Santa Clara, CA 95054 and its telephone number is
(650) 960-1300.
12
THE SPECIAL MEETING
We are furnishing this proxy statement to our stockholders as
part of the solicitation of proxies by our board of directors
for use at the special meeting of our stockholders.
Date, Time and Place
We are furnishing this proxy statement to holders of our common
stock in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our
board of directors for use at the special meeting to be held on
[ ],
2005,
[ ]
[a.m.] [p.m.], local time, at
[ ],
and at any adjournments or postponements of the special meeting.
This proxy statement, the attached notice of special meeting and
the accompanying proxy card are first being sent or given to our
stockholders on or about
[ ],
2005.
Matters to be Considered
At the special meeting, holders of record of our common stock as
of the close of business
on ,
2005, will consider and vote on a proposal to approve the merger
and adopt and approve the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as
of June 2, 2005, among StorageTek, Sun and Merger Sub,
referred to in this proxy statement as the merger agreement,
pursuant to which, upon the merger becoming effective, each
share of common stock, par value $0.10 per share, of
StorageTek will be converted into the right to receive $37 in
cash, without interest. No other business will be transacted at
the special meeting other than possible postponements or
adjournments of the special meeting.
Record Date and Shares Entitled to Vote; Procedures for
Voting; Quorum
Our board of directors has fixed the close of business on
[ ],
2005, as the record date for determining the holders of shares
of our common stock who are entitled to notice of, and to vote
at, the special meeting. A stockholders list will be
available at the principal executive office of StorageTek for
inspection by any stockholder entitled to vote at the special
meeting beginning ten (10) business days before the date of
the special meeting and continuing through the special meeting.
As of the record date,
[ ] shares
of our common stock were issued and outstanding. You are
entitled to one vote for each share of our common stock that you
hold as of the record date.
If you are a record holder of shares of our common stock on the
record date, you may vote those shares of our common stock in
person at the special meeting or by proxy as described below
under Voting of Proxies. If you hold shares of our
common stock in street name through a broker or
other financial institution, you must follow the instructions
provided by the broker or other financial institution regarding
how to instruct it to vote those shares.
The presence, in person or by proxy, of shares representing at
least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the
approval of the merger agreement, is necessary to constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business at the special meeting.
Vote Required
The approval of the merger and the adoption and approval of the
merger agreement require the affirmative vote of a majority of
all the outstanding StorageTek common stock entitled to vote. If
you do not send in your proxy, do not instruct your broker to
vote your shares or if you abstain from voting, it will have the
same effect as a vote against the approval of the merger
agreement.
Voting of Proxies
Whether or not you plan to attend the special meeting in person,
you are requested to complete, sign, date and promptly return
the enclosed proxy card in the postage-prepaid envelope provided
for this purpose to ensure that your shares are voted. Shares of
our common stock represented by properly executed proxies
received at or prior to the special meeting that have not been
revoked will be voted at the special meeting in accordance with
the instructions indicated on the proxies as to the proposal to
approve the merger and
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to adopt and approve the merger agreement and in accordance with
the judgment of the persons named in the proxies on all other
matters that may properly come before the special meeting.
Shares of our common stock represented by properly executed
proxies for which no instruction is given on the proxy card will
be voted FOR approval of the merger and the adoption and
approval of the merger agreement.
If the special meeting is postponed or adjourned, at any
subsequent reconvening of the special meeting, all proxies will
be voted in the same manner as these proxies would have been
voted at the original convening of the special meeting (except
for any proxies that previously have been revoked or withdrawn
effectively), notwithstanding that they may have been
effectively voted on the same or any other matter at a previous
meeting.
Please return your marked proxy card promptly so your shares can
be represented at the special meeting.
Revocability of Proxies
You may revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time before
the final vote at the meeting. If you are the owner of record,
you may do this by:
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(1) giving written notice of revocation to the Corporate
Secretary, Storage Technology Corporation, One StorageTek
Drive, Louisville, Colorado 80028-4309; |
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(2) signing another valid proxy bearing a later date; |
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(3) voting at a later date by telephone or by using the
Internet; OR |
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(4) Voting in person at the meeting. |
If you hold stock in street name, you must contact your broker
or financial institution for information on how to revoke your
proxy or change your vote.
Proxy Solicitation
This proxy solicitation is being made on behalf of our board of
directors. We will solicit proxies initially by mail. Further
solicitation may be made by our directors, officers and
employees personally, by telephone, facsimile, e-mail, Internet
or otherwise, but they will not be specifically compensated for
these services. Upon request, we will reimburse brokers,
dealers, banks or similar entities acting as nominees for their
reasonable expenses incurred in forwarding copies of the proxy
materials to the beneficial owners of the shares of our common
stock they hold of record. We have retained Georgeson
Shareholder Communications, Inc. to assist us in the
solicitation of proxies, and Georgeson Shareholder
Communications, Inc. will receive fees of up to approximately
$[ ]
in the aggregate, plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.
StorageTek Stock Certificates
PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOURS STORAGETEK COMMON STOCK CERTIFICATES TO
US NOW. AS SOON AS REASONABLY PRACTICABLE AFTER THE EFFECTIVE
TIME OF THE MERGER, THE EXCHANGE AGENT WILL MAIL A LETTER OR
TRANSMITTAL TO YOU. YOU SHOULD SEND YOUR STORAGETEK COMMON STOCK
CERTIFICATES ONLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT WILL
BE PROVIDED IN THE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.
Voting Agreements
All of our directors, each in their capacity as a stockholder of
StorageTek common stock, entered into voting agreements with Sun
agreeing to vote the StorageTek common stock they own FOR
adoption and approval of the merger agreement and approval of
the principal terms of the merger. The obligations of the
directors under the voting agreements will terminate upon the
valid termination of the merger agreement.
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The execution and delivery of the voting agreement was a
material condition to Suns willingness to enter into the
merger agreement.
THE MERGER
Background of the Merger
Our board of directors and senior management have periodically
reviewed and assessed our business strategy, the various trends
and conditions impacting our business generally, and a variety
of strategic alternatives as part of StorageTeks long term
strategy to maximize stockholder value.
Sun Microsystems, Inc. has for several years been a significant
customer of StorageTeks tape products and has also
developed its own portfolio of data storage products and
services.
On February 3, 2005, Patrick Martin, our chairman,
president and chief executive officer, met with Brian Sutphin,
an executive vice president of Sun, at our principal executive
offices in Louisville, Colorado, to discuss strategic
alternatives with respect to StorageTeks business
relationship with Sun. During the meeting, Mr. Sutphin told
Mr. Martin that Sun had been studying the possibility of a
business combination with StorageTek for some time and that
Suns senior management believed such a transaction would
benefit both companies. Mr. Martin said he would discuss
the possibility with the StorageTek board of directors.
On February 15, 2005, Suns senior management briefed
Suns board of directors regarding a possible acquisition
of StorageTek. On the same day, Mr. Sutphin informed
Mr. Martin that Sun was interested in continuing
discussions regarding a potential merger.
On March 3, 2005, Mr. Martin met with Jonathan
Schwartz, Suns president and chief operating officer, and
Mr. Sutphin to discuss Suns interest in exploring a
transaction with StorageTek. Shortly after this meeting senior
officers of StorageTek briefed Evercore, an investment banking
firm with a prior relationship with StorageTek, on the
discussions with Sun.
On March 5, 2005, the mergers and acquisitions committee of
our board of directors met via conference call and
Mr. Martin reported on his meeting with
Messrs. Schwartz and Sutphin. At this meeting, the mergers
and acquisition committee authorized our management to explore a
possible transaction with Sun.
On March 11, 2005, during a telephonic meeting of the
StorageTek board, Mr. Martin briefed our board on his
March 3 meeting with Messrs. Schwartz and Sutphin. At
this meeting, our board authorized management to explore a
possible transaction with Sun.
On March 18, 2005, Mr. Martin had a telephone
conversation with Scott McNealy, Suns chairman and chief
executive officer. During this call Mr. Martin and
Mr. McNealy discussed the anticipated timing of a potential
transaction in light of StorageTeks various pending
strategic alternatives and management transitions that would
have to be put on hold to evaluate and negotiate a transaction.
On March 22 and March 23, 2005, initial due diligence
meetings took place between Suns management and our senior
management in Phoenix. Goldman Sachs & Co.
(Goldman Sachs) also attended the meetings as
Suns financial advisor.
On March 25, 2005, Mr. Martin had a telephone
conversation with Messrs. McNealy and Sutphin.
Mr. Sutphin reiterated Suns strong level of interest
in the transaction. Mr. McNealy told Mr. Martin that
Sun would follow up early the following week with a more
detailed plan for moving forward with a transaction.
On March 29, 2005, Mr. Martin had a telephone call
with Messrs. McNealy and Sutphin, during which
Mr. Sutphin indicated that Sun would be ready to discuss
price terms of the merger in one to two weeks.
15
On March 30, 2005, our board met via conference call and
Mr. Martin updated the board on the March 22 and 23,
2005, due diligence meetings in Phoenix and the status of the
discussions with Sun.
During the period from April 1 to April 25, 2005,
various telephone calls took place between Sun and us, and
between Goldman Sachs and Evercore, regarding Suns due
diligence information requests.
At a meeting of our board on April 26, 2005,
Mr. Martin briefed the board on the status of discussions
with Sun.
On April 29, 2005, Messrs. Schwartz and Sutphin called
Mr. Martin and expressed Suns continued interest in a
transaction with StorageTek. Mr. Schwartz suggested that a
meeting be scheduled between the companies respective
financial advisors followed by a meeting between principals to
discuss price and terms.
On May 1, 2005, representatives of Evercore and Goldman
Sachs met via teleconference and discussed the factors that
StorageTek would take into account when evaluating any offer
from Sun, including the price per share, the form of
consideration and the timing of negotiations and due diligence.
On May 3, 2005, Mr. Martin and Mr. Schwartz met
in person in California. During this meeting, Mr. Schwartz
indicated that Sun was prepared to offer a price per share
in cash that was less than the merger consideration of
$37.00 per share that was later agreed. Mr. Martin
indicated that he would convey the offer to our board, but that
he believed the board would expect a higher offer.
Mr. Martin asked Sun to improve its offer.
On May 4, 2005, representatives of Evercore and Goldman
Sachs discussed the purchase price proposed by Sun. Evercore
stated that StorageTek expected a higher offer based on the
valuation considerations Evercore had previously discussed with
Goldman Sachs.
On May 4, 2005, our board met by conference call to review
and discuss the valuation discussions held with Sun and its
representatives. During the meeting, our board concluded that
Evercore should communicate to Goldman Sachs that further
discussions between the parties were warranted to see if a
mutually acceptable valuation could be reached.
Between May 1 and May 10, 2005, representatives of
Evercore had several telephone conversations with
representatives of Goldman Sachs regarding the terms of a
possible transaction and valuation analysis of StorageTek.
On May 12, 2005, our board met via conference call and
received an update from Mr. Martin on the status of
discussions with Sun. During the meeting our board instructed
management to determine whether negotiations with Sun could be
concluded in the near term and report back to the board.
On May 12, 2005, Mr. Martin called Mr. McNealy.
During that call, Mr. Martin said that our board was of the
view that agreement needed to be reached on the purchase price
before StorageTek could not proceed with any further
negotiations.
On May 13, 2005, representatives of Goldman Sachs contacted
Evercore and said that Sun increased its all cash offer.
Later that day, our board met by conference call. During the
meeting Mr. Martin and representatives of Evercore updated
the board on the status of the discussions with Sun and the
receipt of Suns increased offer. The directors discussed
the proposed transaction with management, representatives of
Evercore and legal counsel. The board then agreed to meet the
following day to discuss the proposed transaction in greater
detail.
On the morning of May 14, 2005, our board of directors met
via telephonic meeting to further discuss the possible
transaction. Evercore presented a valuation analysis of
StorageTek. The directors then discussed Suns increased
offer in consultation with Evercore and the impact of the
potential transaction on StorageTek, its employees and
stockholders. In addition, the directors considered their
fiduciary obligations in evaluating and responding to Suns
offer in consultation with our outside legal counsel,
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
(Cadwalader). The board agreed to meet to review and
receive an update of managements current strategic plan
for 2005 through 2007. At the conclusion of the
16
meeting, the board authorized management to continue discussions
regarding the transaction and the proposed purchase price with
Sun.
On May 15, 2005, Sun increased its proposed purchase price
to $37.00 per share of cash consideration.
On May 16, 2005, representatives of StorageTek, Evercore,
Cadwalader, Sun, Goldman Sachs and Suns legal counsel,
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati Professional Corporation
(WSGR), participated in a conference call to discuss
potential terms of a merger agreement.
On May 17, 2005, our board of directors met in Denver,
Colorado, and management reviewed for the board its strategic
plan for 2005 through 2007. The board then discussed the
proposal by Sun. Following extensive discussions, the board
authorized management to engage in further negotiations with Sun
with a view toward increasing the price offered by Sun and to
permit Sun to conduct additional due diligence.
During the period from May 23, 2005 through June 1,
2005, members of Suns management team and its legal and
financial advisors conducted a due diligence review of
StorageTek. During this period, WSGR and Cadwalader, exchanged
drafts of a proposed merger agreement and engaged in numerous
telephonic conferences along with in-house counsel from
StorageTek and Sun to negotiate the merger agreement and discuss
related legal issues.
On June 1, 2005, the StorageTek board met in Denver,
Colorado. Mr. Martin updated the board on the status of the
negotiations with Sun. Representatives of Evercore then gave a
presentation to the board regarding the valuation analysis
performed by Evercore of StorageTek. Evercore reviewed the
different valuation methodologies used and the valuation ranges
implied by each of these methodologies as well as the
assumptions made. Evercore then delivered its oral opinion to
our board, which opinion was subsequently confirmed in writing
on June 2, 2005, to the effect that, as of such date and
based upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth
in its opinion, the $37 per share of cash consideration for
StorageTek common stock to be received by the holders of
StorageTek common stock pursuant to the merger agreement was
fair, from a financial point of view as of the date of such
opinion, to such holders. Representatives from Cadwalader then
gave a presentation regarding the applicable legal
considerations, the structure of the proposed transaction and
the material terms of the proposed agreement with Sun, including
summarizing for the board the material open contractual issues.
After due deliberations and consideration of various issues
related to the merger, the board of directors deemed it
advisable and in the best interest of StorageTek and our
stockholders to enter into the merger, and resolved to
unanimously approve the merger and adopt and approve the merger
agreement, which approval was conditioned upon management and
counsel finalizing the merger agreement on terms consistent with
the guidelines provided by the board at the meeting.
Following the board meeting on June 1, 2005, StorageTek
resumed negotiations with Sun. During the early morning hours of
June 2, 2005, the parties reached agreement on the
remaining open issues related to the merger agreement, executed
the merger agreement and issued a joint press release announcing
the proposed merger.
Reasons for the Merger; Recommendation of our Board of
Directors
Our board has unanimously (i) determined that the merger is
advisable and fair to, and in the best interest of, StorageTek
and our stockholders, (ii) approved the merger agreement
and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger,
and (iii) recommended that our stockholders approve the
merger and approve and adopt the merger agreement.
In reaching its determination, our board consulted with our
management, as well as its legal and financial advisors, and
considered the following material factors.
17
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Factors Relating to the Transaction Generally: |
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StorageTek has experienced increased competition in recent years
as a result of several factors including industry consolidation,
trends toward disk-to-disk data back-up, data center
consolidation and outsourcing, and competition in tape and open
systems virtual tape storage. |
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StorageTeks sales force and distribution infrastructure is
smaller than the sales forces and distribution infrastructures
of most of our competitors. This results in StorageTek having a
disproportionately lower share of influence in the storage
market and specifically on the ability to influence
customers perceptions regarding the comparative benefits
of tape products versus disk products. |
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As a result of industry consolidation and increased competition,
StorageTek has experienced increased pricing pressures and other
competitive pressures in recent years which require that
StorageTek offer better products and have a stronger product
pipeline than our competitors and introduce new products to the
market faster than our competitors. |
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In recent years customers have tended to reduce the number of
information technology vendors and reduce information technology
spending and utility and outsourcing contracts are gaining
greater importance in the industry. |
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Our major competitors have increasingly used their size and
portfolio breadth as leverage for competitive advantage in the
market today. |
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The environment for acquisitions in the data storage industry is
very competitive such that StorageTek currently represents a
valuable strategic opportunity for potential buyers such as Sun,
given our distinctive, diversified portfolio of products and
services, our long standing experience in the data center
market, and our broad and diversified customer base.
Accordingly, our board concluded that this was a favorable time
to undertake a sale of the company. |
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Factors Relating to the Specific Terms of our Merger
Agreement with Sun: |
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The merger consideration of $37 per share to be received by
our stockholders represents a substantial premium to the
historic trading prices of StorageTek common stock. The merger
consideration represents a 14.6% premium over the closing price
of StorageTek common stock on May 31, 2005 (the trading day
immediately preceding the day prior to the date of execution of
the merger agreement), a 17.3% premium over the closing price of
StorageTek common stock on May 24, and a 30.7% premium over
the closing price of StorageTek common stock on May 3. |
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The merger consideration consists solely of cash, which provides
certainty of value to our stockholders. |
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Sun has, and has represented in the merger agreement that it
has, adequate capital resources to pay the merger consideration. |
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The merger agreement, subject to the limitations and
requirements contained in the agreement, allows our board to
furnish information to and conduct negotiations with a third
party in certain circumstances and, upon the payment to Sun of a
termination fee of $133 million, to terminate the merger
agreement to accept a superior offer. |
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The merger agreement provides reasonable certainty of
consummation, because it includes limited conditions to
Suns obligation to complete the merger, including: |
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Sun is generally obligated to close the merger notwithstanding
any breaches of StorageTeks representations and
warranties, unless those breaches would have a material adverse
effect on StorageTek; and |
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Although Sun has the right not to complete the merger if
changes, among other things, occur that have a material adverse
effect on StorageTek as a whole, the effects of changes in
general |
18
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financial market and industry conditions to the extent such
changes do not disproportionately affect StorageTek, are
excluded in determining whether any material adverse effect has
occurred. |
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The merger must be approved and the merger agreement must be
adopted and approved by a vote of a majority of our outstanding
shares of common stock. |
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Our board considered the presentation of Evercore on
June 1, 2005 and its oral opinion, which opinion was
subsequently confirmed in writing on June 2, 2005, to the
effect that as of such date and based upon and subject to the
factors and assumptions set forth in its opinion, the $37 in
cash per share of StorageTek common stock to be received by the
holders of StorageTek common stock pursuant to the merger
agreement was fair, from a financial point of view as of the
date of such opinion, to such holders. The full text of
Evercores written opinion is attached to this proxy
statement as Annex B and is incorporated by reference into
this proxy statement. We urge you to read this opinion carefully
in its entirety for a description of the assumptions made,
procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the
review undertaken in connection with the opinion. |
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Our board considered the general terms and conditions of the
merger agreement, including the parties representations,
warranties and covenants, the conditions to their respective
obligations as well as the likelihood of the consummation of the
merger, the proposed transaction structure, the termination
provisions of the agreement and our boards evaluation of
the likely time period necessary to close the transaction. |
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Potential Negative Factors Relating to the Transaction: |
In the course of its deliberations, our board also considered a
variety of risks and other potentially negative factors,
including the following:
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The merger agreement precludes us from actively soliciting
alternative proposals. |
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We are obligated to pay to Sun a termination fee of
$133 million plus reimbursement of Suns expenses if
we terminate the merger agreement under certain circumstances.
It is possible that these provisions could discourage a
competing proposal to acquire us or reduce the price in an
alternative transaction. |
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The merger consideration consists solely of cash and will be
taxable to our stockholders for U.S. federal income tax
purposes. In addition, because our stockholders are receiving
cash for their stock, they will not participate after the
closing in any future growth or the benefits of synergies
resulting from the merger. |
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Certain of our directors and officers may have conflicts of
interest in connection with the merger, as they may receive
certain benefits that are different from, and in addition to,
those of our other stockholders. See Interests of
Certain Persons in the Merger. |
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We may incur significant risks and costs if the merger does not
close, including the diversion of management and employee
attention during the period after the signing of the merger
agreement, potential employee attrition and the potential effect
on our business and customer relations. In that regard, under
the merger agreement, we must conduct our business in the
ordinary course and we are subject to a variety of other
restrictions on the conduct of our business prior to completion
of the merger or termination of the merger agreement, which may
delay or prevent us from undertaking business opportunities that
may arise. |
The above discussion is not intended to be exhaustive, but we
believe it addresses the material information and factors
considered by our board of directors in its consideration of the
merger, including factors that support the merger as well as
those that may weigh against it. In view of the number and
variety of factors and the amount of information considered, our
board of directors did not find it practicable to make specific
assessments of, quantify or otherwise assign relative weights to
the specific factors considered in reaching its determination.
In addition, our board of directors did not undertake to make
any specific
19
determination as to whether any particular factor, or any aspect
of any particular factor, was favorable or unfavorable to its
ultimate determination, and individual members of our board of
directors may have given different weights to different factors.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED AND APPROVED THE
MERGER AGREEMENT AND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT OUR
STOCKHOLDERS VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE MERGER AND ADOPTION AND
APPROVAL OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT.
Opinion of our Financial Advisor
On June 1, 2005, Evercore delivered its oral opinion to our
board, which opinion was subsequently confirmed in writing on
June 2, 2005, to the effect that, as of such date and based
upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth in its
opinion, the $37 per share in cash consideration to be
received by the holders of StorageTek common stock pursuant to
the merger agreement was fair, from a financial point of view as
of the date of such opinion, to such holders.
The full text of the written opinion of Evercore, dated
June 2, 2005, which sets forth the assumptions made,
procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the
review undertaken in connection with the opinion, is contained
in Annex B to this proxy statement and is incorporated by
reference into this proxy statement. We encourage you to read
the opinion in its entirety. Evercores opinion is directed
to our board, addresses only the fairness from a financial point
of view of the $37 per share in cash consideration to be
received by the holders of StorageTek common stock pursuant to
the merger agreement and does not address any other aspect of
the merger or constitute a recommendation to any StorageTek
stockholder as to how to vote at the special meeting or respond
to the merger. The following is a summary of Evercores
opinion and the methodology that Evercore used to render its
opinion. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference
to the full text of the opinion.
In connection with rendering its opinion, Evercore has, among
other things:
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analyzed certain publicly available business and financial
statements, including certain financial projections, and other
information relating to StorageTek; |
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analyzed certain internal financial statements and other
financial and operating data concerning StorageTek prepared by
and furnished to Evercore by the management of StorageTek; |
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analyzed certain financial projections concerning StorageTek
prepared by and furnished to Evercore by the management of
StorageTek; |
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discussed the past and current operations and financial
condition and the prospects of StorageTek with the management of
StorageTek; |
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reviewed the reported prices and trading activity of StorageTek
common stock; |
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compared the financial performance of StorageTek and the prices
and trading activity of StorageTek common stock with that of
certain publicly-traded companies and their securities that
Evercore deemed relevant; |
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reviewed the financial terms, to the extent publicly available,
of certain business combinations and other transactions that
Evercore deemed relevant; |
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analyzed the effects of StorageTeks current cash position
on various valuation metrics and implied offer premiums; |
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compared previous management plans to the actual results
ultimately achieved by StorageTek; |
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participated in discussions and negotiations among
representatives of StorageTek, Sun, and their advisers; |
20
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reviewed certain information concerning combination cost savings
and related expenses required to achieve the cost savings
(referred to in this description as synergies) expected to
result from the merger that was prepared by and furnished to
Evercore by the management of StorageTek; |
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reviewed the merger agreement; and |
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performed such other analyses and examinations and considered
such other factors as Evercore in its sole judgment deemed
appropriate. |
For purposes of its analysis and opinion, Evercore did not
assume any responsibility for independently verifying the
accuracy and completeness of the financial and other information
reviewed by Evercore for purposes of its opinion. With respect
to the financial projections of StorageTek and the underlying
analysis concerning the potential synergies which were furnished
to Evercore, Evercore assumed, with our consent, that such
financial projections and estimates of synergies were reasonably
prepared by StorageTek, on bases reflecting the best available
estimates and good faith judgments of the future competitive,
operating and regulatory environments and related future
financial performance of StorageTek. Evercore did not make nor
assume any responsibility for making any independent valuation
or appraisal of the assets or liabilities of StorageTek, nor was
Evercore furnished with any such appraisals. In addition,
Evercore assumed, with the consent of StorageTek, that the
merger will be consummated in accordance with the terms set
forth in the merger agreement with no material waiver, delay or
amendment of any material term, condition or agreement contained
in the merger agreement.
Evercores opinion was necessarily based on economic,
market and other conditions as in effect on, and the information
and merger agreement and related exhibits and schedules thereto
made available to Evercore as of the date of its opinion.
Developments subsequent to that date may affect Evercores
opinion and Evercore does not have any obligation to update,
revise or reaffirm its opinion. In connection with the merger,
Evercore was not authorized by our board to solicit, nor did
Evercore solicit, third party indications of interest for the
acquisition of all or any part of StorageTek. Additionally,
Evercore was not asked to pass upon, and did not express any
opinion with respect to, any matter other than the fairness from
a financial point of view of the $37 per share of cash
consideration to be received by the holders of StorageTek common
stock pursuant to the merger agreement. Evercore is not a legal,
regulatory, accounting or tax expert and has assumed the
accuracy and completeness of assessments by StorageTeks
other advisors with respect to such issues. Evercores
opinion does not address the relative merits of the merger as
compared to other business strategies that might be available to
StorageTek nor does it address the underlying business decision
of StorageTek to proceed with the merger.
Set forth below is a summary of the material financial analyses
presented by Evercore to our board in connection with rendering
its opinion. The following summary, however, does not purport to
be a complete description of the analyses performed by Evercore.
The order of the analyses described and the results of these
analyses do not represent relative importance or weight given to
these analyses by Evercore. Except as otherwise noted, the
following quantitative information, to the extent that it is
based on market data, is based on market data as it existed on
or before June 2, 2005, and is not necessarily indicative
of current market conditions.
The following summary of financial analyses includes
information presented in tabular format. You should read these
tables together with the text of each summary. The tables alone
do not constitute a complete description of the financial
analyses.
Analysis of Historical Trading Prices and Implied Transaction
Premiums. Evercore reviewed the historical closing prices of
the StorageTek common stock over the three-year period including
and prior to May 31, 2005, and calculated the average daily
closing prices of the StorageTek common stock over the one
month, two months, three months, six months, one year and three
years including and prior to May 31, 2005. Evercore then
calculated and compared the premium that the merger
consideration of
21
$37.00 per share represented relative to the average daily
closing prices of the StorageTek common stock for the selected
periods. The results of these calculations are summarized below:
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Premium of Merger | |
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Consideration of | |
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Historical | |
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$37.00 per Share to | |
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Share Price | |
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Historical Share Price | |
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Current (5/31/05)
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$ |
32.28 |
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14.6% |
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One Week Prior (5/24/05)
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31.54 |
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17.3% |
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Four Weeks Prior (5/3/05)
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28.31 |
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30.7% |
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One Month Average(a)
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30.25 |
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22.3% |
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Two Month Average(b)
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29.43 |
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25.7% |
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Three Month Average(c)
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30.39 |
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21.8% |
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Six Month Average(d)
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30.93 |
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19.6% |
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One Year Average(e)
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28.54 |
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29.6% |
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Three Year Average(f)
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24.67 |
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50.0% |
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Three Year High(g)
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33.92 |
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9.1% |
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Three Year Low(h)
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10.13 |
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265.3% |
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One Month Average includes trading days from May 2, 2005
through May 31, 2005. |
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Two Month Average includes trading days from April 1, 2005
through May 31, 2005. |
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Three Month Average includes trading days from March 1,
2005 through May 31, 2005. |
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Six Month Average includes trading days from December 1,
2004 through May 31, 2005. |
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One Year Average includes trading days from June 1, 2004
through May 31, 2005. |
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Three Year Average includes trading days from May 31, 2002
through May 31, 2005. |
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Three Year High on March 7, 2005. |
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Three Year Low on October 9, 2002. |
Analysis of Past Premiums Paid. Evercore identified and
analyzed 112 acquisition transactions across all industries with
transaction values from $1.0 billion to $10.0 billion
that were announced in the three year period prior to
May 31, 2005, of which 50 represented all cash acquisition
transactions. Using the information from Thomson Financial
Securities Data, a data source that monitors and publishes
information on merger and acquisition transactions, Evercore
calculated the premiums paid in those transactions based on the
value of the per share consideration received in the transaction
relative to the closing stock price of the target company one
day, one week and four weeks prior to the respective dates of
announcement of the transactions. Evercore then compared the
results of the analysis to the premiums
22
implied by the merger consideration of $37.00 per share
relative to StorageTek common stock trading levels at and prior
to May 31, 2005. The results of this analysis are
summarized below:
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Premium of | |
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Merger | |
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Premiums in All Cash | |
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Consideration of | |
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Transactions | |
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Premiums in All Transactions | |
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$37.00 per Share | |
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between $1.0B and $10.0B | |
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between $1.0B and $10.0B | |
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to Historical | |
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Share Price | |
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Avg. | |
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Median | |
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High | |
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Low | |
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Avg. | |
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Median | |
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High | |
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Low | |
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Premium Paid,
1 Day Prior
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14.6%(a)(d) |
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26.6 |
% |
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23.2 |
% |
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129.5 |
% |
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(39.2 |
%) |
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23.4 |
% |
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21.3 |
% |
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129.5 |
% |
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(39.2 |
%) |
Premium Paid,
1 Week Prior
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17.3%(b)(d) |
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29.1 |
% |
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24.8 |
% |
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167.4 |
% |
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(30.8 |
%) |
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25.8 |
% |
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23.0 |
% |
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167.4 |
% |
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(30.8 |
%) |
Premium Paid,
4 Weeks Prior
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30.7%(c)(d) |
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32.6 |
% |
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26.6 |
% |
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156.5 |
% |
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(30.7 |
%) |
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27.0 |
% |
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24.9 |
% |
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156.5 |
% |
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(30.7 |
%) |
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(a) |
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Relative to StorageTeks share price on May 31, 2005. |
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(b) |
|
Relative to StorageTeks share price on May 24, 2005. |
|
(c) |
|
Relative to StorageTeks share price on May 3, 2005. |
|
(d) |
|
Evercore also noted, in light of the fact that StorageTek had
approximately $1.15 billion in cash and cash equivalents on
its balance sheet as of March 31, 2005, that these three
percentages would be 21.7%, 26.0% and 48.9% respectively, if the
premium was calculated net of StorageTeks cash and cash
equivalents. |
Evercore also identified and analyzed thirteen acquisition
transactions involving publicly traded storage and enterprise
hardware companies announced since January 1, 1997, of
which six represented all cash acquisition transactions.
Although none of the selected targets is, in Evercores
opinion, directly comparable to StorageTek, the transactions
included were chosen because they involved publicly traded
target companies with operations that for purposes of this
analysis may be considered similar in certain respects to
certain operations of StorageTek.
|
|
|
|
|
Target |
|
Acquirer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Compaq
|
|
Hewlett-Packard |
|
|
Quantum HDD
|
|
Maxtor |
|
|
Seagate Technology
|
|
Silver Lake/ Texas Pacific |
|
|
Data General
|
|
EMC |
|
|
Mylex
|
|
IBM |
|
|
Sequent Computer
|
|
IBM |
|
|
Stratus Computer
|
|
Ascend Communications |
|
|
ATL Products
|
|
Quantum |
|
|
Digital Equipment Corp.
|
|
Compaq |
|
|
Amdahl
|
|
Fujitsu |
|
|
Tandem
|
|
Compaq |
|
|
Advanced Logic Research
|
|
Gateway 2000 |
|
|
AST Research
|
|
Samsung |
|
|
Using the most recent publicly available information, Evercore
calculated the premiums paid in those transactions based on the
value of the per share consideration received in the transaction
relative to the closing stock price of the target company one
day, one week and four weeks prior to the respective dates of
announcement of the transactions. Evercore then compared the
results of the analysis to the premiums
23
implied by the merger consideration of $37.00 per share
relative to StorageTek common stock trading levels at and prior
to May 31, 2005. The results of this analysis are
summarized below:
|
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|
|
|
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|
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|
|
|
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|
|
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|
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|
Premium of | |
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|
|
|
|
Merger | |
|
Premiums in All Cash | |
|
Premiums in All | |
|
|
Consideration of | |
|
Storage & Enterprise | |
|
Storage & Enterprise Hardware | |
|
|
$37.00 per Share | |
|
Hardware Transactions | |
|
Transactions | |
|
|
to Historical | |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Share Price | |
|
Avg. | |
|
Median | |
|
High | |
|
Low | |
|
Avg. | |
|
Median | |
|
High | |
|
Low | |
|
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| |
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| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Premium Paid, 1 Day Prior
|
|
|
14.6%(a)(d) |
|
|
|
9.3 |
% |
|
|
8.6 |
% |
|
|
17.1 |
% |
|
|
1.6 |
% |
|
|
21.6 |
% |
|
|
16.7 |
% |
|
|
55.5 |
% |
|
|
1.6 |
% |
Premium Paid, 1 Week Prior
|
|
|
17.3%(b)(d) |
|
|
|
14.7 |
% |
|
|
12.9 |
% |
|
|
30.5 |
% |
|
|
2.0 |
% |
|
|
28.5 |
% |
|
|
23.1 |
% |
|
|
60.7 |
% |
|
|
2.0 |
% |
Premium Paid, 4 Weeks Prior
|
|
|
30.7%(c)(d) |
|
|
|
44.3 |
% |
|
|
38.5 |
% |
|
|
106.5 |
% |
|
|
8.8 |
% |
|
|
41.5 |
% |
|
|
42.2 |
% |
|
|
106.5 |
% |
|
|
(2.0 |
%) |
|
|
|
(a) |
|
Relative to StorageTeks share price on May 31, 2005. |
|
(b) |
|
Relative to StorageTeks share price on May 24, 2005. |
|
(c) |
|
Relative to StorageTeks share price on May 3, 2005. |
|
(d) |
|
Evercore also noted, in light of the fact that StorageTek had
approximately $1.15 billion in cash and cash equivalents on
its balance sheet as of March 31, 2005, that these three
percentages would be 21.7%, 26.0% and 48.9% respectively, if the
premium was calculated net of StorageTeks cash and cash
equivalents. |
Analysis of Selected Companies Trading Levels.
Evercore calculated and compared valuation multiples for the
latest twelve months, or LTM, historical results and 2005 and
2006 calendarized estimates for StorageTek, Sun and for selected
companies in the storage hardware and enterprise hardware
industries using closing stock prices as of May 31, 2005.
Valuation multiples that were evaluated include: enterprise
value (which represents total market equity value plus book
value of total debt less cash) as a multiple of revenue;
enterprise value as a multiple of earnings before interest and
taxes, or EBIT; share price as a multiple of earnings per share
(commonly referred to as price earnings ratio); and calendar
year 2005 price earnings ratio as a multiple of estimated
long-term earnings growth (commonly referred to as PEG ratio).
Evercore then calculated these valuation multiples for
StorageTek (i) based on the closing price of the StorageTek
common stock as of May 31, 2005 and (ii) based on the
merger consideration of $37.00 per share and the equity
transaction value and enterprise transaction value implied by
the merger. Evercore then compared these StorageTek multiples to
the mean and median multiples derived for the selected
companies. All of these calculations were based on publicly
available financial data including I/B/E/S International, Inc.
estimates. I/B/E/S is a data source that monitors and publishes
a compilation of earnings per share estimates and other
financial data produced by selected research analysts on
companies of interest to investors. Although none of the
selected companies is, in Evercores opinion, directly
comparable to StorageTek, the companies included were chosen
because they are publicly traded companies with operations that
for purposes of this analysis may be considered similar in
certain respects
24
to certain operations of StorageTek. The range of implied
multiples that Evercore calculated are summarized below:
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Storage and Enterprise Hardware Public Market Multiples | |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Storage | |
|
Enterprise | |
|
|
StorageTek @ | |
|
|
|
Hardware(a) | |
|
Hardware(b) | |
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| |
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| |
|
| |
|
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|
|
Merger | |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consideration of | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Closing Price | |
|
$37.00 per | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5/31/05 | |
|
Share | |
|
Sun | |
|
Mean | |
|
Median | |
|
Mean | |
|
Median | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Enterprise Value/
LTM Revenue |
|
|
1.1 |
x |
|
|
1.3 |
x |
|
|
0.6 |
x |
|
|
2.2 |
x |
|
|
0.5 |
x |
|
|
1.3 |
x |
|
|
1.4x |
|
Enterprise Value/
CY 2005E Revenue |
|
|
1.1 |
|
|
|
1.3 |
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
|
|
1.8 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
1.2 |
|
|
|
1.4 |
|
Enterprise Value/
CY 2006E Revenue |
|
|
1.0 |
|
|
|
1.2 |
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
|
|
1.5 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
1.1 |
|
|
|
1.3 |
|
Enterprise Value/
LTM EBIT |
|
|
11.0 |
|
|
|
13.2 |
|
|
|
NM |
|
|
|
23.7 |
|
|
|
22.0 |
|
|
|
15.4 |
|
|
|
13.5 |
|
Enterprise Value/
CY 2005E EBIT |
|
|
10.9 |
|
|
|
13.2 |
|
|
|
64.4 |
|
|
|
17.6 |
|
|
|
15.6 |
|
|
|
13.6 |
|
|
|
11.6 |
|
Enterprise Value/
CY 2006E EBIT |
|
|
10.4 |
|
|
|
12.6 |
|
|
|
17.9 |
|
|
|
13.9 |
|
|
|
12.6 |
|
|
|
12.2 |
|
|
|
11.0 |
|
Price/ LTM Earnings |
|
|
18.4 |
|
|
|
21.0 |
|
|
|
NM |
|
|
|
34.9 |
|
|
|
33.6 |
|
|
|
21.5 |
|
|
|
17.2 |
|
Price/ CY 2005E Earnings |
|
|
17.9 |
|
|
|
20.5 |
|
|
|
138.5 |
|
|
|
27.3 |
|
|
|
24.3 |
|
|
|
18.6 |
|
|
|
15.6 |
|
Price/ CY 2006E Earnings |
|
|
16.7 |
|
|
|
19.1 |
|
|
|
59.5 |
|
|
|
24.9 |
|
|
|
22.5 |
|
|
|
16.2 |
|
|
|
14.0 |
|
2005E PEG |
|
|
2.3 |
|
|
|
2.6 |
|
|
|
7.6 |
|
|
|
1.5 |
|
|
|
1.5 |
|
|
|
1.4 |
|
|
|
1.4 |
|
|
|
|
(a) |
|
Storage Hardware companies include: EMC, Network Appliance,
Quantum, ADIC, and Overland Storage. |
|
(b) |
|
Enterprise Hardware companies include: IBM, Dell, and
Hewlett-Packard. |
Analysis of Selected Transactions. Evercore performed
analysis of selected transactions to compare multiples paid in
other transactions to the multiples implied in this transaction.
Evercore identified and
25
analyzed a group of 14 acquisition transactions in the storage
and enterprise hardware industry that were announced between
1997 and 2005:
|
|
|
|
|
Target |
|
Acquirer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Certance
|
|
Quantum |
|
|
Compaq
|
|
Hewlett-Packard |
|
|
Quantum HDD
|
|
Maxtor |
|
|
Seagate Technology
|
|
Silver Lake/ Texas Pacific |
|
|
Data General
|
|
EMC |
|
|
Mylex
|
|
IBM |
|
|
Sequent Computer
|
|
IBM |
|
|
Stratus Computer
|
|
Ascend Communications |
|
|
ATL Products
|
|
Quantum |
|
|
Digital Equipment Corp.
|
|
Compaq |
|
|
Amdahl
|
|
Fujitsu |
|
|
Tandem
|
|
Compaq |
|
|
Advanced Logic Research
|
|
Gateway 2000 |
|
|
AST Research
|
|
Samsung |
|
|
Evercore calculated various multiples implied by these
transactions including: enterprise value as a multiple of LTM,
revenue; enterprise value as a multiple of LTM earnings before
interest and taxes, or EBIT; and equity value as a multiple of
LTM net income. Evercore then calculated the multiples for
StorageTek based on the merger consideration of $37.00 per
share and the equity transaction value and enterprise
transaction value implied by the merger. Evercore then compared
these StorageTek multiples to the multiples derived for the
selected acquisition transactions in the storage and enterprise
hardware industry. Although none of the selected targets is, in
Evercores opinion, directly comparable to StorageTek, the
transactions included were chosen because they involve companies
with operations that for purposes of this analysis may be
considered similar in certain respects to certain operations of
StorageTek. The range of implied multiples that Evercore
calculated are summarized below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Storage & Enterprise | |
|
|
|
|
Hardware | |
|
|
StorageTek @ Merger | |
|
Transaction Multiples | |
|
|
Consideration of | |
|
| |
|
|
$37.00 per Share | |
|
Mean | |
|
|
|
Median | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Enterprise Value/ LTM Revenue
|
|
|
1.3x |
|
|
|
0.9x |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.7x |
|
Enterprise Value/ LTM EBIT
|
|
|
13.2 |
|
|
|
20.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12.4 |
|
Equity Value/ LTM Net Income
|
|
|
21.0 |
|
|
|
27.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23.7 |
|
Research Analyst Price Target Analysis. Evercore also
analyzed Wall Street research analyst estimates of potential
future value for the StorageTek common stock (commonly referred
to as price targets) based on publicly available equity research
published on StorageTek. As of May 31, 2005, analyst price
targets for the StorageTek common stock ranged from $28.00 to
$35.00 and produced an average price target of $31.29. Evercore
then compared the results of this analysis to the merger
consideration of $37.00 per share.
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis. Evercore performed a
discounted cash flow analysis, or DCF, which calculates the
present value of a companys future cash flow based upon
assumptions with respect to such cash flow and assumed discount
rates. Evercores DCF analysis of StorageTek was based upon
(i) the financial projections prepared by and furnished to
Evercore by the management of StorageTek (the Current
Management Projections) and (ii) publicly available
financial data including I/B/E/S
26
International, Inc. estimates that were reviewed with the
management of StorageTek (the Wall Street Consensus
Projections).
Evercore calculated a range of implied per share values for the
StorageTek common stock determined by: (i) adding
(a) the implied present value of the unlevered free cash
flows (operating income less income taxes, plus depreciation and
amortization, less increases in working capital and less capital
expenditures) projected to be generated by StorageTek over the
four-year and nine-month period from March 31, 2005 through
December 31, 2009, using a weighted average cost of capital
range of between 13.0% and 15.0% (weighted average cost of
capital is a measure of the average expected return on all of a
companys securities or loans based on the proportions of
those securities or loans in such companys capital
structure), (b) the implied present value of the terminal
value of StorageTeks future cash flows as of
December 31, 2009, calculated by multiplying the EBIT
estimated for fiscal year 2009 by a range of multiples of 9.0x
to 11.0x and discounting the result over a four-year and
nine-month period using a weighted average cost of capital range
of between 13.0% and 15.0%, and (c) StorageTeks cash,
net of debt, as of March 31, 2005; and (ii) dividing
the amount resulting from the calculation described in
(i) above by the number of shares of StorageTek common
stock outstanding, adjusted for certain restricted stock and
stock options outstanding using the treasury stock method, as of
the date of the merger agreement. This analysis yielded implied
per share present values of the StorageTek common stock ranging
from $33.50 to $38.64 using the Current Management Projections
and ranging from $28.11 to $31.94 using the Wall Street
Consensus Projections. Evercore then compared the results of
this analysis to the merger consideration of $37.00 per
share.
Present Value of Future Stock Price Analysis. Evercore
performed a present value of future stock price analysis of
StorageTek based upon (i) the Current Management
Projections and (ii) the Wall Street Consensus Projections.
Evercore calculated a range of implied per share values for the
StorageTek common stock determined by: (i) calculating the
implied terminal value per share by multiplying the earnings per
share estimated for fiscal year 2006 by 18.4x, 18.0x and 19.8x,
representing the LTM price earnings ratio for StorageTek as of
May 31, 2005, the one-year average LTM price earnings ratio
for StorageTek for the period ending May 31, 2005, and the
three-year average LTM price earnings ratio for StorageTek for
the period ending May 31, 2005, respectively; and
(ii) calculating the present value of the implied share
price by discounting the amount resulting from the calculation
described in (i) above over a one-year and nine-month
period using an assumed equity cost of capital of between 13.0%
and 15.0%. This analysis yielded implied per share present
values of the StorageTek common stock ranging from $30.37 to
$34.41 using the Current Management Projections and ranging from
$27.28 to $30.90 using the Wall Street Consensus Projections.
Evercore then compared the results of this analysis to the
merger consideration of $37.00 per share.
Leveraged Buyout Analysis. Evercore performed a leveraged
buyout analysis of StorageTek in order to ascertain the price of
the StorageTek common stock which might be attractive to a
potential financial buyer based upon (i) the Current
Management Projections and (ii) the Wall Street Consensus
Projections.
Evercore assumed the following in its analysis:
(i) a capital structure for StorageTek comprised of senior
debt equal to 3.0x estimated earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, and subordinated debt
equal to 2.0x estimated EBITDA in fiscal year 2005; (ii) a
projected 2010 EBITDA exit multiple ranging from 5.5x to 7.5x;
and (iii) an equity investment that would achieve an annual
rate of return over the five-year period of between 16.0% and
24.0%. This analysis yielded implied per share present values of
the StorageTek common stock ranging from $30.01 to $36.36 using
the Current Management Projections and ranging from $26.30 to
$30.91 using the Wall Street Consensus Projections. Evercore
then compared the results of this analysis to the merger
consideration of $37.00 per share.
Potential Synergies. Evercore also performed an analysis
of potential synergies resulting from the merger based on
estimates prepared by the management of StorageTek and furnished
to Evercore.
27
Evercore valued potential synergies from the merger by:
(i) capitalizing the value of estimated annual after tax
synergies using (a) a range of discount rates and
(b) a range of price earnings ratios; (ii) calculating
the average of the results of the two capitalization techniques
described in (i) above; (iii) subtracting the
estimated after tax costs to achieve the synergies from the
amount resulting from (ii) above; and (iv) multiplying
the amount calculated in (iii) above by 50% as an estimate
of the percentage of synergy value, which, for the purposes of
our analysis, we assumed to be allocated to holders of the
StorageTek common stock in the merger. This analysis yielded
implied present values for the synergies ranging from $2.88 to
$3.63 per share of the StorageTek common stock.
In connection with the review of the merger by our board,
Evercore performed a variety of financial and comparative
analyses for purposes of rendering its opinion. The preparation
of a fairness opinion is a complex process and is not
necessarily susceptible to partial analysis or summary
description. Selecting portions of the analyses or of the
summary described above, without considering the analyses as a
whole, could create an incomplete view of the processes
underlying Evercores opinion. In arriving at its fairness
determination, Evercore considered the results of all the
analyses and did not attribute any particular weight to any
factor or analysis considered by it. Rather, Evercore made its
determination as to fairness on the basis of its experience and
professional judgment after considering the results of all the
analyses. In addition, Evercore may have deemed various
assumptions more or less probable than other assumptions, so
that the range of valuations resulting from any particular
analysis described above should therefore not be taken to be
Evercores view of the value of StorageTek. No company used
in the above analyses as a comparison is directly comparable to
StorageTek, and no transaction used is directly comparable to
the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Further,
in evaluating comparable transactions, Evercore made judgments
and assumptions with regard to industry performance, general
business, economic, market and financial conditions and other
matters, many of which are beyond the control of StorageTek and
Evercore, such as the impact of competition on StorageTek and
the industry generally, industry growth and the absence of any
adverse material change in the financial condition of StorageTek
or in the financial markets generally.
Evercore prepared these analyses for the purpose of providing an
opinion to our board as to the fairness from a financial point
view of the $37 per share of cash consideration to be
received by the holders of StorageTek common stock. These
analyses do not purport to be appraisals or to necessarily
reflect the prices at which the business or securities actually
may be sold. Analyses based upon forecasts of future results are
not necessarily indicative of actual future results, which may
be significantly more or less favorable than suggested by these
analyses. Because these analyses are inherently subject to
uncertainty and are based upon numerous factors, assumptions
with respect to industry performance, general business and
economic conditions and other matters or events beyond the
control of StorageTek and Evercore, neither StorageTek nor
Evercore assumes responsibility if future results are materially
different from those forecast. The $37 per share in cash
consideration to be received by the holders of StorageTek common
stock pursuant to the merger agreement was determined through
arms-length negotiations between StorageTek and Sun and
was approved by our board. Evercore did not recommend any
specific merger consideration to StorageTek or that any given
merger consideration constituted the only appropriate merger
consideration for the merger.
As described above, the opinion of Evercore was one of many
factors taken into consideration by our board in making the
determination to approve the merger and the merger agreement.
Consequently, the analyses described above should not be viewed
as determinative of the opinion of our board with respect to the
merger consideration of $37 per share or of whether our
board would have been willing to agree to a different merger
consideration. Additionally, Evercores opinion is not
intended to confer any rights or remedies upon any employee or
creditor of StorageTek.
Evercore is a nationally recognized investment banking firm that
is regularly engaged in the valuation of businesses and their
securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions and
similar transactions. Our board retained Evercore based on these
qualifications as well as its familiarity with StorageTek.
28
Our board engaged Evercore to act as its sole financial advisor
in connection with the merger. Pursuant to a letter agreement,
StorageTek agreed to pay Evercore a fee that was paid following
delivery of the opinion and a fee contingent upon the
consummation of the merger. In the past, Evercore has provided
financial advisory services to StorageTek and have received fees
for the rendering of these services. StorageTek has additionally
agreed to reimburse Evercores expenses and to indemnify
Evercore against certain liabilities arising out of its
engagement, including liabilities under the federal securities
laws.
Material United States Federal Income Tax Consequences
General
The following is a summary of the material United States federal
income tax consequences of the merger to our stockholders whose
shares are converted into the right to receive cash in the
merger. The discussion does not purport to consider all aspects
of United States federal income taxation that might be relevant
to our stockholders. The discussion is based on current
provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
Code), existing, proposed and temporary regulations
promulgated thereunder and administrative and judicial
interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change,
possibly with retroactive effects that could affect the
continuing validity of this discussion. The discussion applies
only to stockholders that hold (generally speaking, stock held
for investment purposes) shares of our common stock are capital
assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code and
who neither own (directly or indirectly) nor are deemed to own
5% or more of our stock. This discussion does not apply to
shares of common stock received pursuant to the exercise of
employee stock options or otherwise as compensation, to
stockholders who hold shares of our common stock as part of a
hedging, straddle, conversion or other integrated
transaction, or to certain types of stockholders (such as
insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, retirement plans,
financial institutions, broker-dealers, traders and persons that
mark-to-market their securities) who may be subject to special
rules. This discussion does not discuss the United States
federal income tax consequences of the merger to any stockholder
who, for United States federal income tax purposes, is a United
States expatriate, a non-resident alien individual who uses a
functional currency other than the United States
dollar, a foreign corporation, a foreign partnership or a
foreign estate or trust, nor does it consider the effect of any
foreign, state or local tax or any United States federal tax
other than income tax.
BECAUSE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES MAY DIFFER, EACH STOCKHOLDER
SHOULD CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN TAX ADVISOR TO DETERMINE THE
APPLICABILITY OF THE RULES DISCUSSED BELOW AND THE
PARTICULAR TAX EFFECTS OF THE MERGER ON A BENEFICIAL HOLDER OF
SHARES OF OUR COMMON STOCK, INCLUDING THE APPLICATION AND EFFECT
OF THE ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX, AND ANY STATE, LOCAL AND FOREIGN
TAX LAWS AND OF CHANGES IN SUCH LAWS.
Consequences of the Merger to StorageTek Stockholders
The exchange of shares of common stock for cash pursuant to the
merger will be a taxable transaction for United States federal
income tax purposes. In general, a stockholder who receives cash
in exchange for shares of common stock pursuant to the merger
will recognize capital gain or loss for United States federal
income tax purposes in an amount equal to the difference, if
any, between the amount of cash received and the
stockholders adjusted tax basis in the shares exchanged
for cash pursuant to the merger. Such gain or loss will be
long-term capital gain or loss provided that a
stockholders holding period for such shares of common
stock is more than one year at the time of completion of the
merger. For non-corporate stockholders, including individuals,
long-term capital gain is generally subject to a maximum rate of
15% under current law. Certain limitations apply to the use of a
stockholders capital losses. Gain or loss will be
determined separately for each block of shares (i.e.,
shares acquired at the same cost in a single transaction)
exchanged for cash pursuant to the merger. Stockholders that
hold separate blocks of stock should consult their tax advisors
with respect to these rules.
29
Dissenting Holders
A stockholder who receives payment for shares in cash in
connection with their exercise of appraisal rights will
recognize gain or loss, for federal income tax purposes,
measured by the difference between the stockholders basis
in such shares and the amount of cash received.
Information Reporting and Backup Tax Withholding
Under the backup withholding provisions of United
States federal income tax law, the exchange agent for the merger
may be required to withhold and pay over to the Internal Revenue
Service (the IRS), a portion of the amount of any
payments you receive in connection with the merger unless you
(1) provide a correct taxpayer identification number
(which, if you are an individual, is your Social Security
number) and any other required information to the exchange
agent, or (2) are a corporation or come within certain
exempt categories and, when required, demonstrate this fact and
otherwise comply with applicable requirements of the backup
withholding rules. The current backup withholding rate is 28%.
If you do not provide a correct taxpayer identification number,
you may be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS. Any amount
withheld as backup withholding does not constitute an additional
tax and will be creditable against your United States federal
income tax liability. If withholding results in an overpayment
of taxes, a refund may be obtained by filing a tax return with
the IRS. You should consult with your own tax advisor as to your
qualification for exemption from backup withholding and the
procedure for obtaining such exemption.
If you are a United States person (as defined for United States
federal income tax purposes), you may prevent backup withholding
by completing the IRS Form W-9 (or substitute form) that
will be included with the letter of transmittal mailed to you by
the exchange agent and submitting the completed IRS
Form W-9 (or substitute form) to the exchange agent when
you submit your stock certificate(s) following the effective
time of the merger. Foreign stockholders should complete and
sign the appropriate IRS Form W-8 (a copy of which may be
obtained from the exchange agent) in order to avoid backup
withholding. Such stockholders should consult a tax advisor to
determine which IRS Form W-8 is appropriate. Please see the
instructions in the letter of transmittal for more details.
YOU ARE URGED TO CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR WITH RESPECT TO THE
TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE MERGER GIVEN YOUR PARTICULAR
CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF APPLICABLE STATE, LOCAL,
FOREIGN OR OTHER TAX LAWS.
Interests of Certain Persons in the Merger
In considering the recommendation of our board of directors, you
should be aware that some of our directors and officers have
interests in the merger that are different from, or in addition
to, those of our stockholders. StorageTeks board of
directors was aware of these interests and considered them,
among other matters, in making their recommendation.
Employment Contracts, Termination of Employment, and Cash
Based Change in Control Arrangements
(i) Amended and Restated CEO Employment Agreement with
Patrick J. Martin
On March 27, 2003, StorageTek and Mr. Martin entered
into an amended and restated CEO employment agreement that,
among other things, extended the term of his employment by two
years until June 30, 2006. If Mr. Martins
employment is terminated (other than for cause) within
24 months following the merger, or terminated as a result
of a substantial diminution of duties, a material reduction in
compensation and other benefits, a relocation, failure to elect
him to or removal of him from the position as our chairman,
president or chief executive officer, or his reporting to any
person other than our board, he is entitled to certain cash
payments (Cash-Based Change in Control Payments) of:
(a) a severance payment of $6,000,000 in cash (three times
his base salary of $1,000,000 and three times his target bonus
of $1,000,000); (b) a prorated target bonus for the current
year; (c) the cash value of a
30
prorated portion of StorageTeks annual equity award
program at target performance for the current year; and
(d) a tax gross-up payment on amounts deemed to be excess
parachute payments subject to an excise tax.
Upon the merger, all of Mr. Martins stock options and
shares of restricted stock will vest and he will have the
originally scheduled terms to exercise his stock options.
In addition, Mr. Martin is entitled to relocation costs,
grossed up for taxes, along with reimbursement for the loss, if
any, on the sale of his then-principal residence, and lifetime
medical benefits for himself and his spouse. Mr. Martin is
also entitled to certain other perquisites for 36 months
after termination, including: (a) life insurance coverage
of $5,000,000, long-term disability insurance, and a medical
benefits program with a supplemental payment coverage of
$15,000 per year; and (b) on a tax grossed-up basis,
annual reimbursement for financial and tax and estate planning
expenses not to exceed $25,000 per year; a car allowance;
and membership in a country club.
Under the agreement, StorageTek indemnifies Mr. Martin to
the fullest extent permitted by law against liability arising
out of the fact that he is or was a director or officer of
StorageTek. StorageTek will also indemnify Mr. Martin for
certain losses, if any, in connection with benefits under
certain company benefit plans.
Cause means conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude or
fraud against StorageTek, or willful gross neglect or willful
gross misconduct in carrying out his duties, resulting, in
either case, in material economic harm to StorageTek.
(ii) Executive Agreements
In February 2003, StorageTek entered into executive agreements
(each, an Executive Agreement) with Pierre Cousin,
Angel Garcia, Roger Gaston, Robert Kocol, Michael McLay, and Roy
Perry. StorageTek entered into Executive Agreements with Eula
Adams, Jon Bensen, Nigel Dessau and Brenda Zawatski in March
2004, February 2004, April 2005, and February 2005,
respectively. Pursuant to each of these Executive Agreements, if
the executive officers employment is terminated (other
than for cause) or the executive officer terminates for good
reason, in each case within 24 months following the merger,
the executive officer is entitled to receive Cash-Based Change
in Control Payments of: (a) a severance payment of two
times current annual salary plus two times the current target
bonus; (b) a prorated target bonus for the current year;
(c) with the exception of Nigel Dessau and Brenda Zawatski,
the cash value of a prorated portion of StorageTeks annual
equity award program at target performance for the current year;
and (d) a tax gross-up payment on amounts deemed to be
excess parachute payments subject to an excise tax. In addition,
each executive officer is entitled to an amount equal to
24 months of company matching contributions to 401(k) and
deferred compensation plans, based upon the executive
officers current level of participation in such plans, and
his or her benefits and perquisites, including health and life
insurance, shall continue for 24 months following
termination. All outstanding stock options and restricted stock
will vest upon such termination.
Cause means willful and continued failure to attempt to perform
substantially ones duties or willful misconduct that is
materially injurious to StorageTek. Good reason means a
substantial diminution of duties, a material reduction in
compensation including benefit and incentive plans, or more than
one relocation.
Equity Based Change in Control Payments Arrangements
(i) Executive Arrangements
Pursuant to the terms of the change in control arrangements
described above, all unvested stock options and restricted stock
held by our executive officers will become vested upon an
involuntary termination following the merger as described above,
except that stock options and restricted stock held by certain
executive officers, including Patrick Martin, will vest upon the
consummation of the merger. Outstanding stock options will be
converted to Sun stock options upon the consummation of the
merger.
31
Equity-Based Change in Control Payments for Executive
Officers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dollar Value of | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accelerated Stock | |
|
|
|
|
Shares of | |
|
Options and | |
|
|
Unvested Options to | |
|
Restricted Stock to | |
|
Restricted Stock | |
|
|
Vest (#) | |
|
Vest (#) | |
|
($)(1) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Patrick J. Martin
|
|
|
524,039 |
|
|
|
411,605 |
|
|
|
19,714,053 |
|
Eula L. Adams
|
|
|
93,065 |
|
|
|
24,549 |
|
|
|
1,657,727 |
|
Jon H. Benson
|
|
|
48,093 |
|
|
|
18,512 |
|
|
|
1,065,550 |
|
Pierre J. Cousin
|
|
|
128,875 |
|
|
|
34,106 |
|
|
|
2,678,671 |
|
Nigel Dessau
|
|
|
34,840 |
|
|
|
17,029 |
|
|
|
923,426 |
|
Angel P. Garcia
|
|
|
141,498 |
|
|
|
36,810 |
|
|
|
2,697,139 |
|
Roger C. Gaston
|
|
|
113,065 |
|
|
|
32,884 |
|
|
|
2,250,726 |
|
Robert S. Kocol
|
|
|
135,695 |
|
|
|
61,409 |
|
|
|
3,492,918 |
|
Michael R. McLay
|
|
|
125,121 |
|
|
|
32,784 |
|
|
|
2,627,901 |
|
Roy G. Perry
|
|
|
121,594 |
|
|
|
32,778 |
|
|
|
2,332,927 |
|
Brenda J. Zawatski
|
|
|
79,579 |
|
|
|
33,315 |
|
|
|
1,643,930 |
|
|
|
(1) |
The dollar value of accelerated stock options is calculated by
subtracting the exercise price from $37.00 per share and
multiplying this amount by the total number of option shares
that may be accelerated. The dollar value of accelerated
restricted stock is calculated by multiplying the number of
shares held by $37.00 less, if applicable, any cash that the
officer paid for the restricted stock. The actual value of stock
options and restricted stock that are converted to Sun stock
options and restricted stock is dependent upon the market value
of Sun stock at the time the stock options are exercised or the
restricted stock vests. |
Pursuant to the terms of the change in control arrangements in
the merger agreement, non-employee directors will receive a cash
payout equal to the value of their vested and non-vested stock
options. The value of the non-vested stock options held by
non-employee directors is as follows:
Equity-Based Change in Control Payments for Non-Employee
Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dollar Value of | |
|
|
Unvested Options to Vest | |
|
Accelerated Stock | |
|
|
(#) | |
|
Options($) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
James R. Adams
|
|
|
11,499 |
|
|
|
107,672 |
|
Charles E. Foster
|
|
|
21,500 |
|
|
|
297,691 |
|
Mercedes Johnson
|
|
|
29,499 |
|
|
|
308,933 |
|
William T. Kerr
|
|
|
11,499 |
|
|
|
107,672 |
|
Robert E. Lee
|
|
|
12,500 |
|
|
|
118,817 |
|
Judy C. Odom
|
|
|
29,499 |
|
|
|
323,432 |
|
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Article VI, Section 2 of StorageTeks bylaws
provides that StorageTek shall indemnify its officers and
directors for such expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid
in settlement to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the
State of Delaware.
32
Under StorageTeks insurance policies, directors and
officers of StorageTek may be indemnified against certain losses
arising from certain claims, including claims under the
Securities Act of 1933, which may be made against such persons
by reason of their being such directors or officers.
In addition, StorageTek has entered into indemnification
agreements with our directors providing for the advancement of
expenses and indemnification of the directors to the fullest
extent permitted by Delaware law. The agreements create certain
presumptions in favor of indemnification and provide a mechanism
for directors to seek such payments, including the use of an
independent counsel to make the determination as to whether
indemnification is proper in the event of certain changes of
control.
Pursuant to the merger agreement, Sun will, and will cause the
surviving corporation to, assume and honor StorageTeks
obligations under its bylaws and existing indemnification
agreements to indemnify, defend and hold harmless our directors,
officers and certain employees against any loss, claim, damage,
cost, expense, fine, liability, judgment or settlement as a
result of that persons position with us, including those
relating to the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement. All rights to
indemnification for acts or omissions occurring prior to the
merger as provided in StorageTeks certificate of
incorporation and bylaws and indemnification agreements will
survive the merger and continue in full force and effect in
accordance with their terms, and the relevant provisions in the
certificate of incorporation and bylaws may not be amended,
repealed or modified unless the surviving corporation provides
sufficient assurance to ensure the continued exculpation,
indemnification and advancement of expenses of our current
directors and officers as provided in such bylaws prior to such
amendment, repeal or modification. Upon the completion of the
merger, Sun will maintain in effect for six years
StorageTeks current directors and officers
liability insurance policy covering current directors and
officers of StorageTek, except that Sun will not be required to
pay more than 250% of the annual premium currently paid by
StorageTek for such coverage.
33
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND
MANAGEMENT
The following table shows beneficial ownership of StorageTek
common stock as of [record date], by: (a) each current
director; (b) each executive officer; and (c) all
current directors and executive officers as a group.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares | |
|
Right to Acquire | |
|
|
|
Percent of Shares | |
Name |
|
Owned(1) (a) | |
|
(2)(b) | |
|
Total (a) + (b) | |
|
Outstanding %(3) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Non-employee Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James R. Adams
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Charles E. Foster
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Mercedes Johnson
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
William T. Kerr
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Robert E. Lee
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Judy C. Odom
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Current Executive Officers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eula Adams
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jon Benson
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pierre Cousin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nigel Dessau
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Angel P. Garcia
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Roger C. Gaston
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Patrick J. Martin**
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roy G. Perry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Robert S. Kocol
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Brenda Zawatski
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
Current Executive
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Officers and Directors as a Group (17 persons)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
** |
Also serves as a director |
|
|
(1) |
Unless otherwise noted, the persons named have sole voting and
dispositive power over the shares shown as owned by them. Each
director has entered into a Voting Agreement with StorageTek and
Sun pursuant to which the director has agreed to vote all shares
of capital stock of StorageTek such person beneficially owns in
favor of the approval of the Merger Agreement and the merger.
See Description of the Transaction Voting
Agreement. Includes common stock equivalents held by three
directors that will be settled in shares of common stock upon or
after each directors termination, as follows:
Mr. Foster, shares;
Mr. Kerr, shares;
and
Mr. Lee, shares. |
|
(2) |
Represents stock option shares that are exercisable for shares
of common stock by [60 days after record date]. |
|
(3) |
The percentage is calculated
using shares
of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote on [record
date], plus for each person or group, the number of shares shown
in column (b) that such person or group has a right to
acquire on or before [60 days after record date]. |
34
Employee Equity Awards
Upon the merger, our stock options will be converted to
Suns stock options. Options granted under the 2004 Long
Term Incentive Plan (2004 Plan) will become fully
vested and exercisable immediately prior to the merger. Options
held by current employees that were granted under the 1995
Equity Participation Plan (1995 Plan) will retain
their original vesting schedules and other existing terms and
conditions. Certain key employees, including the executive
officers, will be entitled to accelerated vesting of their 1995
Plan options if their employment is involuntarily terminated
without cause or if the employees terminate their employment for
good reason, as defined in agreements between StorageTek and
these employees, within 24 months after the merger. Options
held by Mr. Martin will vest upon completion of the merger.
Stock options held by former employees will be cancelled on or
prior to the completion of the merger. Stock options held by
non-employee directors will become fully vested and exercisable
immediately prior to the merger and upon completion of the
merger, these stock options will be cancelled and the
non-employee directors will receive a cancellation cash payment
equal to the excess of the merger consideration over the
exercise price of the options.
All 1995 Plan common stock equivalents held by current employees
will be assumed by Sun and converted into rights to acquire
Suns common stock with the original vesting schedules.
Certain key employees, including one executive officer, will be
entitled to accelerated vesting of their 1995 Plan common stock
equivalents if his or her employment is involuntarily terminated
without cause or if the employee terminates his or her
employment for good reason, as defined in an agreement between
the employee and StorageTek, within 24 months after the
merger.
Common stock equivalents held by non-employee directors will be
cancelled upon completion of the merger and the non-employee
directors will receive a cash amount of $37.00 per share,
either upon the close of the merger or one year thereafter,
depending upon the original terms of the common stock
equivalents.
The vesting of restricted stock granted under the 2004 Plan will
be accelerated immediately prior to the merger. Holders of 2004
Plan restricted stock will receive StorageTek common stock net
of shares that may be withheld for applicable taxes. These
shares of StorageTek common stock will then be converted in the
merger to a right to receive $37.00 per share.
Pursuant to the merger agreement, restricted stock that was
granted under the 1995 Plan and the 1987 Equity Participation
Plan (1987 Plan) will be converted into the right to
receive $37 in cash per share, and will remain subject to the
existing terms and conditions governing such restricted stock,
including the existing vesting schedule.
35
Based on equity compensation holdings as of June 2, 2005,
the following table sets forth a summary of shares of restricted
stock, vested and unvested stock options and vested and unvested
restricted stock units and common stock equivalents held by our
officers and directors:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted | |
|
Unvested | |
|
Common | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average | |
|
Restricted | |
|
Stock | |
|
|
Vested | |
|
Unvested | |
|
Exercise Price | |
|
Stock | |
|
Equivalents | |
Name |
|
Options (#) | |
|
Options (#) | |
|
per share($) | |
|
(#) | |
|
(#) | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Non-employee Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James R. Adams
|
|
|
45,001 |
|
|
|
11,499 |
|
|
|
21.43 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Charles E. Foster
|
|
|
23,000 |
|
|
|
21,500 |
|
|
|
21.15 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
6,271 |
|
Mercedes Johnson
|
|
|
11,001 |
|
|
|
29,499 |
|
|
|
26.34 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
William T. Kerr
|
|
|
74,001 |
|
|
|
11,499 |
|
|
|
34.41 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
16,003 |
|
Robert E. Lee
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
|
12,500 |
|
|
|
21.51 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
10,286 |
|
Judy C. Odom
|
|
|
11,001 |
|
|
|
29,499 |
|
|
|
25.80 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Current Executive Officers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eula Adams
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
|
93,065 |
|
|
|
28.64 |
|
|
|
24,549 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Jon Benson
|
|
|
23,510 |
|
|
|
48,093 |
|
|
|
26.69 |
|
|
|
18,512 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Pierre Cousin
|
|
|
109,866 |
|
|
|
141,759 |
|
|
|
23.46 |
|
|
|
34,106 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Nigel Dessau
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
34,840 |
|
|
|
28.58 |
|
|
|
17,029 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Angel P. Garcia
|
|
|
25,156 |
|
|
|
158,998 |
|
|
|
26.36 |
|
|
|
39,310 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Roger C. Gaston
|
|
|
52,500 |
|
|
|
113,065 |
|
|
|
26.01 |
|
|
|
32,884 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Robert S. Kocol
|
|
|
117,678 |
|
|
|
158,785 |
|
|
|
28.26 |
|
|
|
61,409 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Patrick J. Martin*
|
|
|
622,041 |
|
|
|
524,039 |
|
|
|
22.10 |
|
|
|
411,605 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Michael R. McLay
|
|
|
28,762 |
|
|
|
125,121 |
|
|
|
26.53 |
|
|
|
21,538 |
|
|
|
11,246 |
|
Roy G. Perry
|
|
|
35,803 |
|
|
|
173,345 |
|
|
|
23.97 |
|
|
|
51,528 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Brenda Zawatski
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
79,579 |
|
|
|
31.79 |
|
|
|
33,315 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
Directors and Officers Indemnification
Pursuant to the merger agreement, Sun will, and will cause the
surviving corporation to, assume and honor StorageTeks
obligations under its bylaws and existing indemnification
agreements to indemnify, defend and hold harmless our directors,
officers and certain employees against any loss, claim, damage,
cost, expense, fine, liability, judgment or settlement as a
result of that persons position with us, including those
relating to the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement. All rights to
indemnification for acts or omissions occurring prior to the
merger as provided in StorageTeks certificate of
incorporation and bylaws and indemnification agreements will
survive the merger and continue in full force and effect in
accordance with their terms, and the relevant provisions in the
certificate of incorporation and bylaws may not be amended,
repealed or modified unless the surviving corporation provides
sufficient assurance to ensure the continued exculpation,
indemnification and advancement of expenses of our current
directors and officers as provided in such bylaws prior to such
amendment, repeal or modification. Upon the completion of the
merger, Sun will maintain in effect for six years
StorageTeks current directors and officers
liability insurance policy covering current directors and
officers of StorageTek, except that Sun will not be required to
pay more than 250% of the annual premium currently paid by
StorageTek for such coverage.
36
Appraisal Rights
Holders of record of StorageTek common stock who do not vote in
favor of adopting the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, and
who otherwise comply with the applicable provisions of
Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which
we refer to throughout this proxy statement as the DGCL, will be
entitled to exercise appraisal rights under Section 262 of
the DGCL. A person having a beneficial interest in shares of
StorageTek common stock held of record in the name of another
person, such as a broker, bank or other nominee, must act
promptly to cause the record holder to follow the steps
summarized below properly and in a timely manner to perfect
appraisal rights.
The following discussion is not a complete statement of the
law pertaining to appraisal rights under the DGCL and is
qualified in its entirety by the full text of Section 262
of the DGCL, which is reprinted in its entirety as Annex C
and incorporated into this proxy statement by reference. All
references in Section 262 of the DGCL and in this summary
to a shareholder, stockholder or
holder are to the record holder of the shares of
StorageTek common stock as to which appraisal rights are
asserted.
Under Section 262 of the DGCL, holders of shares of
StorageTek common stock who follow the procedures set forth in
Section 262 of the DGCL will be entitled to have their
StorageTek common stock appraised by the Delaware Court of
Chancery and to receive payment in cash of the fair
value of these shares of StorageTek common stock,
exclusive of any element of value arising from the
accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with a
fair rate of interest, if any, as determined by that court.
Under Section 262 of the DGCL, when a proposed merger is to
be submitted for approval at a meeting of stockholders, as in
the case of the approval of the merger agreement and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the
merger, by StorageTek stockholders, the company, not less than
20 days prior to the meeting, must notify each of its
stockholders who was a stockholder on the record date for this
meeting with respect to shares for which appraisal rights are
available, that appraisal rights are so available, and must
include in this required notice a copy of Section 262 of
the DGCL.
This proxy statement constitutes the required notice to the
holders of these shares of StorageTek common stock and the
applicable statutory provisions of the DGCL are attached to this
proxy statement as Annex C. Any StorageTek stockholder who
wishes to exercise their appraisal rights or who wishes to
preserve their right to do so should review the following
discussion and Annex C carefully, because failure to timely
and properly comply with the procedures specified in
Annex C will result in the loss of appraisal rights under
the DGCL.
A holder of StorageTek common stock wishing to exercise
appraisal rights must not vote in favor of the approval and
adoption of the merger agreement and must deliver to StorageTek
before the taking of the vote on the merger agreement and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the
merger, at the StorageTek shareholder meeting a written demand
for appraisal of their StorageTek common stock. This written
demand for appraisal must be separate from any proxy or vote
abstaining from the vote on the merger or against the merger.
This demand must reasonably inform StorageTek of the identity of
the stockholder and of the stockholders intent thereby to
demand appraisal of their shares. A holder of StorageTek common
stock wishing to exercise appraisal rights must be the record
holder of these shares of StorageTek common stock on the date
the written demand for appraisal is made and must continue to
hold these shares of StorageTek common stock through the
effective date of the merger. Accordingly, a holder of
StorageTek common stock who is the record holder of StorageTek
common stock on the date the written demand for appraisal is
made, but who thereafter transfers these shares of StorageTek
common stock prior to consummation of the merger, will lose any
right to appraisal in respect of these shares of StorageTek
common stock.
A proxy that is signed and does not contain voting instructions
will, unless revoked, be voted in favor of the approval and
adoption of the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, and
it will constitute a waiver of the stockholders right of
appraisal and
37
will nullify any previously delivered written demand for
appraisal. Therefore, a stockholder who votes by proxy and who
wishes to exercise appraisal rights must vote against the
approval and adoption of the merger agreement and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the
merger, or abstain from voting on the merger agreement.
Only a holder of record of StorageTek common stock on the record
date for the StorageTek annual meeting is entitled to assert
appraisal rights for the shares of StorageTek common stock
registered in that holders name. A demand for appraisal
should be executed by or on behalf of the holder of record,
fully and correctly, as the holders name appears on the
holders stock certificates, should specify the
holders mailing address and the number of shares
registered in the holders name, and must state that the
person intends to demand appraisal of the holders shares
pursuant to the merger agreement. If the shares of StorageTek
common stock are held of record in a fiduciary capacity, such as
by a trustee, guardian or custodian, execution of the demand
should be made in that capacity, and if the StorageTek common
stock is held of record by more than one holder as in a joint
tenancy or tenancy in common, the demand should be executed by
or on behalf of all joint holders. An authorized agent,
including an agent for one or more joint holders, may execute a
demand for appraisal on behalf of a holder of record. The agent,
however, must identify the record holder or holders and
expressly disclose the fact that, in executing the demand, the
agent is acting as agent for the holder or holders. A record
holder such as a broker who holds StorageTek common stock as
nominee for several beneficial owners may exercise appraisal
rights with respect to the shares of StorageTek common stock
held for one or more beneficial owners while not exercising
appraisal rights with respect to the StorageTek common stock
held for other beneficial owners. In this case, the written
demand should set forth the number of shares of StorageTek
common stock as to which appraisal is sought. When no number of
shares of StorageTek common stock is expressly mentioned, the
demand will be presumed to cover all StorageTek common stock in
brokerage accounts or other nominee forms held by such record
holder, and those who hold shares in brokerage accounts or other
nominee forms and who wish to exercise appraisal rights under
Section 262 of the DGCL are urged to consult with their
brokers to determine the appropriate procedures for the making
of a demand for appraisal by such a nominee.
All written demands for appraisal should be sent or delivered
to Storage Technology Corporation, One StorageTek Drive,
Louisville, Colorado 80028, Attention: Corporate Secretary.
Within ten days after the effective date of the merger,
StorageTek, or its successor in interest, which we refer to
generally as the surviving company, will notify each former
StorageTek stockholder who has properly asserted appraisal
rights under Section 262 of the DGCL and has not voted in
favor of adopting the merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, of
the date the merger became effective.
Within 120 days after the effective date of the merger, but
not thereafter, the surviving company or any former StorageTek
stockholder who has complied with the statutory requirements
summarized above may file a petition in the Delaware Court of
Chancery demanding a determination of the fair value of the
shares of StorageTek common stock that are entitled to appraisal
rights. None of Sun, the surviving company or StorageTek is
under any obligation to and none of them has any present
intention to file a petition with respect to the appraisal of
the fair value of the shares of StorageTek common stock.
Accordingly, it is the obligation of StorageTek stockholders
wishing to assert appraisal rights to take all necessary action
to perfect and maintain their appraisal rights within the time
prescribed in Section 262 of the DGCL.
Within 120 days after the effective date of the merger, any
former StorageTek stockholder who has complied with the
requirements for exercise of appraisal rights will be entitled,
upon written request, to receive from the surviving company a
statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares of
StorageTek common stock not voted in favor of adopting the
merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement, including the merger, and with respect to which
demands for appraisal have been timely received and the
aggregate number of former holders of these shares of StorageTek
common stock. These statements must be mailed within ten days
after a written request
38
therefore has been received by the surviving company or within
10 days after expiration of the period for delivery of
demands for appraisal under Section 262 of the DGCL,
whichever is later.
If a petition for an appraisal is filed timely with the Delaware
Court of Chancery by a former StorageTek stockholder and a copy
thereof is served upon the surviving company, the surviving
company will then be obligated within 20 days of service to
file with the Delaware Register in Chancery a duly certified
list containing the names and addresses of all former StorageTek
stockholders who have demanded appraisal of their shares of
StorageTek common stock and with whom agreements as to value
have not been reached. After notice to such former StorageTek
stockholders as required by the Delaware Court of Chancery, the
Delaware Court of Chancery may conduct a hearing on such
petition to determine those former StorageTek stockholders who
have complied with Section 262 of the DGCL and who have
become entitled to appraisal rights thereunder. The Delaware
Court of Chancery may require the former StorageTek stockholders
who demanded appraisal of their shares of StorageTek common
stock to submit their stock certificates to the Register in
Chancery for notation thereon of the pendency of the appraisal
proceeding. If any former stockholder fails to comply with such
direction, the Delaware Court of Chancery may dismiss the
proceedings as to that former stockholder.
After determining which, if any, former StorageTek stockholders
are entitled to appraisal, the Delaware Court of Chancery will
appraise their shares of StorageTek common stock, determining
their fair value, exclusive of any element of value
arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger,
together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to be paid upon
the amount determined to be the fair value. In determining such
fair value, the Court shall take into account all relevant
factors. StorageTek stockholders considering seeking appraisal
should be aware that the fair value of their shares of
StorageTek common stock as determined under Section 262 of
the DGCL could be more than, the same as or less than the value
of the consideration they would receive pursuant to the merger
agreement if they did not seek appraisal of their shares of
StorageTek common stock.
The costs of the appraisal action may be determined by the
Delaware Court of Chancery and levied upon the parties as the
Delaware Court of Chancery deems equitable. Upon application of
a former StorageTek stockholder, the Delaware Court of Chancery
may also order that all or a portion of the expenses incurred by
any former StorageTek stockholder in connection with an
appraisal proceeding, including, without limitation, reasonable
attorneys fees and the fees and expenses of experts used
in the appraisal proceeding, be charged pro rata against the
value of all of the shares of StorageTek common stock entitled
to appraisal.
Any holder of StorageTek common stock who has duly demanded an
appraisal in compliance with Section 262 of the DGCL will
not, after the consummation of the merger, be entitled to vote
the shares of StorageTek common stock subject to this demand for
any purpose or be entitled to the payment of dividends or other
distributions on those shares of StorageTek common stock (except
dividends or other distributions payable to holders of record of
StorageTek common stock as of a record date prior to the
effective date of the merger).
If any stockholder who properly demands appraisal of their
StorageTek common stock under Section 262 of the DGCL fails
to perfect, or effectively withdraws or loses, their right to
appraisal, as provided in Section 262 of the DGCL, that
stockholders shares of StorageTek common stock will be
converted into the right to receive the consideration payable
with respect to those shares of StorageTek common stock in
accordance with the merger agreement (without interest). A
StorageTek stockholder will fail to perfect, or effectively lose
or withdraw, their right to appraisal if, among other things, no
petition for appraisal is filed within 120 days after the
effective date of the merger, or if the stockholder delivers to
StorageTek or the surviving company, as the case may be, a
written withdrawal of their demand for appraisal. Any attempt to
withdraw an appraisal demand in this matter more than
60 days after the effective date of the merger will require
the written approval of the surviving company and, once a
petition for appraisal is filed, the appraisal proceeding may
not be dismissed as to any holder absent court approval.
Failure to follow the steps required by Section 262 of the
DGCL for perfecting appraisal rights may result in the loss of
these rights, in which event a StorageTek stockholder will be
entitled to receive the
39
consideration payable with respect to their shares of StorageTek
common stock in accordance with the merger agreement (without
interest).
Consequently, any stockholder willing to exercise appraisal
rights is urged to consult with legal counsel prior to
attempting to exercise such rights.
Voting Agreements
The directors, each in their capacity as a stockholder of
StorageTek common stock, entered into voting agreements with Sun
agreeing to vote the StorageTek common stock they own FOR the
merger. The obligations of the directors under the voting
agreements will terminate upon valid termination of the merger
agreement, including the termination by the board of directors
of the merger agreement to entertain a superior offer. The
execution and delivery of the voting agreement was a material
condition to Suns willingness to enter into the merger
agreement. As of
[ ],
2005, the directors own an aggregate of
[ ]%
of the outstanding shares of StorageTek common stock.
THE MERGER AGREEMENT
The following is a summary of the material terms of the merger
agreement. The summary is qualified in its entirety by reference
to the merger agreement, which is attached to this proxy
statement as Annex A and incorporated by reference in this
section of the proxy statement. We urge you to read carefully
the full text of the merger agreement.
THE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES GIVEN BY STORAGETEK IN THE
MERGER AGREEMENT ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR
STOCKHOLDERS BUT RATHER ARE SOLELY FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUN AND
ITS WHOLLY-OWNED MERGER SUB TO BE USED IN THE MERGER. THESE
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS WHICH WERE SET FORTH IN A
DISCLOSURE LETTER DELIVERED BY US TO SUN AT THE TIME OF SIGNING
OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT. THE CONTENTS OF THIS DISCLOSURE LETTER
ARE HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL AND HAVE NOT BEEN ATTACHED TO OR
SUMMARIZED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT.
Structure and Effective Time
The merger agreement provides that, following the approval of
the merger agreement by our stockholders and the satisfaction or
waiver of the other conditions to the merger, including receipt
of requisite regulatory approvals, Merger Sub will be merged
with and into us, and we will be the surviving corporation. The
merger will become effective upon the filing of certificate of
merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or
at a later time agreed to by the parties and specified in the
certificate of merger.
While we anticipate that the merger will be completed during the
third quarter of 2005, we cannot specify when, or assure you
that, all conditions to the merger will be satisfied or waived.
We intend to complete the merger as promptly as practicable
subject to receipt of stockholder approval and all requisite
regulatory approvals.
Merger Consideration
Under the terms of the merger agreement between Sun and
StorageTek, Merger Sub, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Sun
will be merged with and into StorageTek with StorageTek emerging
as the surviving corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Sun. Each share of StorageTek common stock, par value
$0.10 per share, will be exchanged for $37.00 in cash,
without interest. Each holder of a certificate representing
shares of our common stock will cease to have any voting or
other rights with respect to those shares, except the right to
receive merger consideration.
40
Prior to the effective time of the merger, Sun will designate an
institution reasonably satisfactory to us to act as exchange
agent for the payment of merger consideration (exchange
agent). Promptly after the effective time of the merger,
Sun will make available to the exchange agent funds necessary
for the payment of the merger consideration. Any funds deposited
by Sun with the exchange agent are referred to as the exchange
fund.
As soon as reasonably practicable after the effective time of
the merger, the exchange agent will mail a letter of transmittal
to you. The letter of transmittal will tell you how to surrender
your StorageTek common stock certificates in exchange for the
$37 per share merger consideration. Please do not send your
StorageTek common stock certificates to us now. You should send
them only in compliance with the instructions that will be
provided in the letter of transmittal. In all cases, the merger
consideration will be paid only in accordance with the
procedures set forth in the merger agreement and the letter of
transmittal.
Holders of StorageTek common stock whose certificates are lost,
stolen or destroyed will be required to make an affidavit
identifying the certificate or certificates as lost, stolen or
destroyed and, if required by Sun, to post a bond in a
reasonable amount as directed by Sun to indemnify against any
claim that may be made against Sun with respect to the
certificates.
None of Sun, Merger Sub, StorageTek or the exchange agent will
be liable to any person in respect of any merger consideration
delivered to a public official pursuant to any applicable
abandoned property, escheat or similar law.
Sun, StorageTek and the exchange agent, as applicable, shall be
entitled to deduct and withhold from the consideration otherwise
payable to holders of shares of our common stock such amounts as
are required to be withheld under any tax laws.
Stock Options and Common Stock Equivalents
The treatment of our stock options and common stock equivalents
depends upon the plan under which the award was granted; whether
the award is held by a current employee, a former employee or a
non-employee director; and whether the holder has an agreement
that overrides the standard provisions of the plan.
In the merger, our stock options will be converted to Sun stock
options. Options granted under the 2004 Plan will become fully
vested and exercisable immediately prior to the merger. Options
held by current employees that were granted under the 1995 Plan
will retain their original vesting schedules and other existing
terms and conditions. Certain key employees, including the
executive officers, will be entitled to accelerated vesting of
their 1995 Plan options if their employment is involuntarily
terminated without cause or if the employee terminates his or
her employment for good reason, as defined in an agreement
between the employee and StorageTek, in either case within
24 months after the merger. Options held by
Mr. Martin, our chairman, president, and chief executive
officer, will vest upon completion of the merger.
Stock options held by former employees will be cancelled on or
prior to the close of the merger. Stock options held by
non-employee directors will become fully vested and exercisable
immediately prior to the merger and upon close of the merger,
these stock options will be cancelled and the non-employee
directors will receive a cancellation cash payment equal to the
excess of the merger consideration over the exercise price of
the options.
All 1995 Plan common stock equivalents held by current employees
will be assumed by Sun and converted into rights to acquire
Suns common stock equivalents with the original vesting
schedules. Certain key employees, including one executive
officers will be entitled to accelerated vesting of their 1995
Plan common stock equivalents if their employment is
involuntarily terminated without cause within 24 months
after the merger.
41
Common stock equivalents held by non-employee directors will be
cancelled upon close of the merger and the non-employee
directors will receive a cash amount of $37.00 per share,
either upon the close of the merger or one year thereafter,
depending upon the original terms of the common stock
equivalents.
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
The treatment of our restricted stock and restricted stock units
depends upon the plan under which the award was granted, and
whether the holder has an agreement that overrides the standard
provisions of the plan.
The vesting of restricted stock granted under the 2004 Plan will
be accelerated immediately prior to the merger. Holders of 2004
Plan restricted stock will receive StorageTek common stock net
of shares that may be withheld for applicable taxes. These
shares of StorageTek common stock will then be converted in the
merger to a right to receive $37.00 per share.
Pursuant to the merger agreement, restricted stock that was
granted under the 1995 Plan and the 1987 Equity Participation
Plan (1987 Plan) will be converted into right to
receive $37 in cash per share, and will remain subject to the
existing terms and conditions governing such restricted stock,
including the existing vesting schedule.
The vesting of restricted stock units granted under the 2004
Plan will be accelerated immediately prior to the merger.
Holders of 2004 Plan restricted stock units will receive
StorageTek common stock net of shares that may be withheld for
applicable taxes. These shares of StorageTek common stock will
then be converted in the merger to a right to receive
$37.00 per share.
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
When the merger becomes effective, the certificate of
incorporation and bylaws of Merger Sub, as in effect immediately
prior to the effective time of the merger, will be the
certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the surviving
corporation, until thereafter changed or amended as provided
therein or by applicable law.
Directors and Officers
The directors and officers of Merger Sub immediately prior to
the effective time of the merger will be the directors and
officers of the surviving corporation until their respective
successors are duly elected and qualified. In addition, the
directors and officers of Merger Sub immediately prior to the
effective time will be the directors and officers of each of our
subsidiaries, until their respective successors are duly elected
and qualified.
Representations and Warranties
The merger agreement contains representations and warranties,
subject to exceptions set forth in the disclosure letter
delivered by us to Sun concurrently with the execution of the
merger agreement. The contents of the disclosure letter are
highly confidential and are not discussed in this proxy
statement. The representations and warranties in the merger
agreement, with respect to us and our subsidiaries relate to,
among other things:
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organization, corporate power, capital structure and similar
corporate matters; |
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authorization, execution, delivery, performance and
enforceability of the merger agreement and related matters, and
the stockholder vote required to approve the merger agreement; |
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the absence of any violation of, or conflicts with,
organizational documents, certain material contracts, judgments,
orders, laws or regulations as a result of entering into the
merger agreement or completing the merger; |
42
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the consents we are required to obtain and the filings we are
required to make in connection with the merger agreement and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement; |
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the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in
the reports and financial statements that we file with the SEC,
and the compliance of our SEC filings with applicable
requirements of federal securities laws; |
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the establishment and maintenance of a system of internal
controls and the absence of any significant or material weakness
identified in those internal controls; |
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the absence, since April 1, 2005 through June 2, 2005,
of a material adverse effect, or specified types of
distributions, amendments to material contracts, entry into
joint ventures, strategic partnerships, or alliances, incurrence
of debt, extension of credit, acquisition or disposition of
material assets or equity securities, changes in capital
structure, increases in benefits or compensation, changes in
severance, termination or bonus policies and practices, entry
into material non-standard customer contracts, granting of
material allowances to customers, material restructuring
activities, material purchases of fixed assets, spares or other
long-term assets, accounting changes, changes in tax elections
or any material revaluation of any assets; |
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adequacy of the governmental authorizations and permits needed
to conduct our business, compliance with applicable laws and
governmental orders, including export control laws, the Foreign
Corrupt Practice Act, the False Claims Act, the Procurement
Integrity Act and the Truth in Negotiations Act, and the absence
of material pending or threatened legal proceedings against us
or any material claims by us against any insurance companies; |
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the maintenance of ownership and leasehold interests of real
property material to StorageTek; |
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absence of default or breach under our material intellectual
property contracts, absence of infringement on third
parties intellectual property, absence of granting
additional rights by Sun or the surviving corporation as a
result of the merger, information regarding our open source
policies, deposits of our source codes, our material license-in
and license-out contracts, and our customer information; |
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absence of contracts that materially limit our ability to engage
in business or use our intellectual property, grant exclusive
distribution rights, or otherwise are materially adverse to our
right to sell, distribute or manufacture our products or
material intellectual property or to purchase or otherwise
obtain any material software, components, parts or subassemblies; |
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tax, environmental, labor and employment, employee welfare and
benefit plan matters; |
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the absence of undisclosed brokers or finders fees; |
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absence of transactions with affiliates; |
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validness and effectiveness of our material contracts, including
contracts with certain governmental entities, and absence of our
default or breach under our material contracts; |
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the accuracy and completeness of this proxy statement at the
time it is filed with the SEC, at the time it is mailed to our
stockholders and at the time of the special meeting; and |
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the receipt by us of an opinion from our financial advisor. |
The merger agreement contains customary representations and
warranties by Sun and Merger Sub relating to, among other things:
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their organization, standing, corporate power and similar
corporate matters; |
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the authorization, execution, delivery, performance and
enforceability of the merger agreement and related matters; |
43
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the absence of any violation of, or conflicts with,
organizational documents, laws or contracts, judgments, orders,
laws and regulations as a result of entering into the merger
agreement or completing the merger; |
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the consents Sun and Merger Sub are required to obtain and the
filings Sun and Merger Sub are required to make in connection
with the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by
the merger agreement; |
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the accuracy and completeness of the information supplied by Sun
and Merger Sub for inclusion in this proxy statement; |
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the sufficiency of capital resources available to Sun to pay the
merger consideration and to consummate, on the terms
contemplated by the merger agreement, the merger and the other
transactions contemplated thereby; and |
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the creation of Merger Sub solely for the purpose of engaging in
the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. |
The representations and warranties in the merger agreement are
subject, in some cases, to specified exceptions and
qualifications. All of the representations and warranties will
expire at the effective time of the merger.
Covenants Relating to the Conduct of our Business
Except as contemplated by the merger agreement or consented to
in advance in writing by Sun, until the effective time of the
merger, we have agreed that we will (and will cause our
subsidiaries to) carry on business in the usual, regular and
ordinary course substantially consistent with past practice and
in compliance with applicable laws, pay our debts and taxes when
due, pay or perform other material obligations when due, and we
will (and will cause our subsidiaries to) adopt and implement a
communications plan in consultation with Sun intended to
preserve intact our business, human resources and third-party
relationships. We have agreed to promptly notify Sun of any
material adverse event involving our business or operations. In
addition, we have agreed that we will not (and will not permit
any of our subsidiaries to) take any of the following actions,
except as expressly contemplated by the merger agreement or
disclosed to Sun in the disclosure letter delivered to it prior
to the signing of the merger agreement, without Suns prior
written consent:
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enter into any material new line of business; |
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declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other
distributions in respect of, our or a subsidiarys capital
stock, split, combine, or reclassify any capital stock or issue
or authorize the issuance of any other securities in respect of,
in lieu of, or in substitution for, shares of capital stock,
other than any such transaction by a wholly-owned subsidiary of
it that remains a wholly-owned subsidiary after such
transaction, in the ordinary course of business consistent with
past practice; |
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purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any shares of capital
stock, except for repurchases of our unvested common stock at
cost in connection with the termination of the employment
relationship with any employee pursuant to existing stock option
or purchase agreements; |
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issue, deliver, sell, pledge or otherwise encumber any shares of
our capital stock, Voting Debt (as defined in the merger
agreement) or any securities convertible into such securities,
or subscriptions, rights, warrants or options to acquire any
such securities, or enter into any other agreements or
commitments obligating it to issue any such securities or
rights, other than issuances of StorageTek common stock upon the
exercise of existing options or options granted under existing
arrangements; issuance of StorageTek common stock to
participants in the company purchase plan; and grants of stock
options or other awards to our non-executive employees to
acquire up to 10,000 shares of StorageTek common stock
individually or up to 200,000 shares in the aggregate in
any 30-day period in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practices in connection with ordinary |
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course promotions or to new hires and which options or awards
have a vesting schedule no more favorable than ratable monthly
installments that vest over not less than four years and do not
accelerate, or become subject to acceleration, directly or
indirectly, as a result of the merger; |
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amend our or a subsidiarys certificates of incorporation,
bylaws or other charter documents; |
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acquire or agree to acquire by merger or otherwise any business,
business organization, or division thereof, or any person or
material assets; |
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enter into any agreement, commitment or understanding with
regard to any material joint venture, partnership or alliance; |
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sell, lease, license, encumber or otherwise dispose of any
material properties or assets, except for the sale, lease,
license, encumbrance, or disposition of immaterial properties or
assets in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice; |
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effect any material restructuring activities, including any
material reductions in force, lease terminations, restructuring
of contracts or similar actions; |
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make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or
investments in, any other person or entity, other than loans or
investments to or in StorageTek or any of our wholly-owned
subsidiaries, or employee loans or advances for travel and
entertainment expenses made in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practices; |
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make any change in our methods or principles of accounting or
revalue any of our assets, except as required by concurrent
changes in GAAP or the SEC as concurred in by our independent
auditors; |
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make or change any material election or accounting method, enter
into any agreement or settle any material claim or assessment,
or consent to any extension or waiver of the limitation period
applicable to any claim or assessment in respect of taxes that
would adversely affect us or Sun or its subsidiaries after the
closing of the merger; |
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enter into certain types of contracts, agreements, or
obligations, which either provide for payments by or to us of
over $20 million in any one year and not cancelable with
30 day notice, or which involve any exclusive terms binding
on us, except in the ordinary course of business consistent with
past practice; |
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cancel or terminate without reasonable substitute policy
therefor, or materially amend or enter into any material
insurance policy, other than the renewal of existing insurance
policies on substantially the same terms; |
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commence or settle any lawsuit or proceeding by or against us or
relating to any of our businesses, properties or assets, other
than settlements with prejudice entered into in the ordinary
course of business and requiring payment by us of monetary
damages less than $250,000, net of any insurance payments; |
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increase compensation or benefits to any of our employees or
directors, adopt or amend or make any contribution to any
employee plan, waive or increase any rights with regard to any
company options, accelerate, amend or change the period of
exercisability of any company options, reprice any company
options or authorize cash payments in exchange for company
options, enter into any employee agreement or indemnification
agreement with any employee (other than offer letters and letter
agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice with employees who are terminable
at will) or enter into any collectively bargained
agreement; |
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enter into any contracts with any non-competition, exclusivity,
most favored nations or other preferential pricing
or other material restrictions on StorageTek as the surviving
corporation or Sun after the merger, except for exclusivity or
preferential pricing provisions which would not restrict Sun
(other than StorageTek as the surviving corporation) and entered
into in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice; |
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provide any material refund, credit, rebate or other allowance
to any end user, customer, reseller or distributor, in each
case, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practice; |
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hire any non-officer employees other than in the ordinary course
of business consistent with past practice or hire, elect or
appoint any officers or directors; |
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incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee any
indebtedness, issue or sell any debt securities or options,
warranties, calls or other rights to acquire debt securities of
StorageTek or any of our subsidiaries, enter into any guarantee
or any agreement to maintain any financial statement condition
of any person, other than any guarantee of obligations of our
wholly-owned subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, or
in connection with the financing of ordinary course trade
payables consistent with past practice; |
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enter into, modify, amend or terminate any material contract, or
waive, release or assign any material rights or claims under any
material contract, in each case in a manner materially adverse
to StorageTek and the subsidiaries as a whole, other than any
entry into, modification, amendment or termination of any such
material contract in the ordinary course of business, consistent
with past practice; or |
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take or agree to take any of the actions described above, or any
other action that would prevent us from performing our covenants
or agreements under the merger agreement. |
Additional Agreements
In addition to our agreement to conduct our business in
accordance with the covenants described in Covenants
Relating to the Conduct of Our Business, the merger
agreement contains agreements by us or by us and Sun to take
several other actions in anticipation of the merger as described
below.
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PROXY STATEMENT. We have agreed to prepare and file preliminary
and definitive proxy statements with the SEC. We have also
agreed to amend or supplement the proxy statement to reflect
material information discovered prior to the effective time of
the merger. Any filing of, or amendment or supplement to, the
proxy statement will be carried out in consultation with Sun and
subject to a reasonable opportunity for Sun to review and
comment. We have agreed to advise Sun of any comments, or
requests for further information, made by the SEC. We will
arrange for the proxy statement to be mailed to its stockholders
at the earliest practicable time after the definitive proxy
statement is filed with the SEC. |
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STOCKHOLDER MEETING. We have agreed to make arrangements for and
hold a stockholders meeting as promptly as reasonably
practicable after the date of the merger agreement for the
purpose of obtaining stockholder approval of the merger
agreement. We have further agreed that we will, through our
board of directors, recommend that our stockholders approve the
merger agreement. In addition, our directors have entered into
voting agreements under which they will vote the shares of
StorageTek common stock they own FOR the merger. We may adjourn
or postpone the stockholders meeting to the extent
necessary to ensure that any necessary supplement or amendment
to the proxy statement is provided to our stockholders in
advance of a vote on the merger agreement or, if as of the time
the meeting is originally scheduled, there are insufficient
shares of our common stock represented at the meeting to
constitute a quorum necessary to conduct business at the meeting. |
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CONFIDENTIALITY; ACCESS TO INFORMATION; NO MODIFICATION OF
REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES OR COVENANTS. We have previously
entered into a confidentiality agreement with Sun, and in the
merger agreement, we and Sun each reaffirmed and acknowledged
our respective obligations under that agreement. We have agreed
to afford to Sun and its representatives reasonable access to
our properties, books, records, personnel, and all other
information concerning our business, properties and personnel
that Sun reasonably requests, which access will in each case be
subject to certain restrictions. |
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PUBLIC DISCLOSURE. We, on the one hand, and Sun and Merger Sub,
on the other hand, are generally required to give the other the
opportunity to review and comment upon, prior to issuing (or
permitting any affiliate to issue), any press release or other
public announcement or statement with respect to the merger
agreement, the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement, or any other acquisition proposal from a third
person, except if the statement is required by law, or by any
national securities exchange or the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. |
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REGULATORY FILINGS; REASONABLE EFFORTS; ADVICE OF CHANGES. We
and Sun have agreed that each of us will (and will cause our
subsidiaries to) use our reasonable efforts to complete the
merger, including using reasonable efforts to accomplish the
following: |
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comply with and refrain from taking any action that would impede
compliance with all applicable law; |
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obtaining any necessary consent, authorization, waiver, order or
approval of, any governmental entity or any other public or
private third party which is required to be obtained in
connection with the merger and the transactions contemplated by
the merger agreement and the making or obtaining of all
necessary filings and registrations, including, without
limitation, filing the Notification and Report Form pursuant to
the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976,
as amended and the relevant filings pursuant to the antitrust
laws of the European Union and other applicable jurisdictions; |
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promptly supply the other party with any information that may be
required in order to effectuate any filings or application
discussed above; consult with the other party and permit the
other party to review and discuss in advance before making or
submitting any of the filings to any governmental entity;
coordinate with the other party in preparing and exchanging such
information and promptly provide the other parties with copies
of all filings, presentations or submissions with any
governmental entity in connection with the merger, provided that
with respect to any such filing, presentation or submission,
unless such exchange is prohibited by law. |
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notify the other promptly upon receipt of any comments and
requests from any officials of any governmental entity in
connection with filings made pursuant to the merger agreement; |
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defend any lawsuits or other legal proceedings challenging the
merger agreement; |
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take any other actions necessary to cause the satisfaction of
the closing conditions; and |
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the execution and delivery of any additional instruments
necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by, and to
carry out the purposes of, the merger agreement. |
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We and Sun have agreed not to take any action that would result
in the representations and warranties in the merger agreement
that are qualified as to materiality or material adverse effect
becoming untrue, any of such representations and warranties that
are not so qualified becoming materially untrue or any of the
conditions to the merger not being satisfied, and we and Sun
will promptly advise each other of any change or event which
would cause or constitute a material breach of any of the
representations and warranties under the merger agreement. |
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THIRD PARTY CONSENTS. We have agreed to use reasonable efforts
to seek such material third party consents, waivers and
approvals required to be obtained in connection with the
consummation of the merger as may be reasonably requested by
Sun, and will keep Sun informed of material developments and
upon request include Sun in any discussions or communications
with such third parties. If the merger does not close for any
reason, Sun will not be liable for any costs, claims,
liabilities or damages resulting from seeking to obtain such
third party consents, waivers and approvals. |
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FORM S-8. Sun has agreed to file a registration statement on
Form S-8 for the shares of Suns common stock issuable
with respect to assumed StorageTek options to the extent
Form S-8 is available within 60 days after the
effective time of the merger. |
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SECTION 16 MATTERS. Prior to the effective time, we will
take all necessary steps to cause any dispositions of StorageTek
common stock (including derivative securities with respect to
StorageTek common stock) resulting from the merger by each
individual subject to the reporting requirements of
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to
StorageTek to be exempt under Exchange Act Rule 16b-3. |
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INSURANCE APPROVAL. At least 15 days prior to the effective
time, we will deliver to Sun a letter which authorizes
Suns insurance broker, effective as of the effective time,
to act as our insurance broker of record with respect to all
insurance policies held by StorageTek. |
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IMMIGRATION-RELATED LIABILITIES. Following the effective time,
Sun will assume all immigration-related liabilities of
StorageTek with respect to persons who are our employees as of
the effective time. |
No Solicitation of Transactions
We have agreed that neither we nor any of our subsidiaries,
officers or directors will (and we will use our reasonable
efforts to cause our employees, agents and representatives not
to) directly or indirectly, solicit, initiate, encourage,
knowingly facilitate, induce, discuss or otherwise cooperate
with any person other than Sun concerning any acquisition
proposal. However, in the event that a person makes an
unsolicited acquisition proposal, StorageTek may furnish
information with respect to it and its subsidiaries and
participate in discussions and negotiations regarding such
acquisition proposal, if the board of directors determines in
good faith, after receiving the advice of outside counsel, that
such acquisition proposal constitutes, or is reasonably likely
to result in, a superior offer and provides certain
information and notices to Sun.
An acquisition proposal means any offer or proposal
(other than the merger with Sun) involving: (a) any
purchase or acquisition by any person or group (as
defined under Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder) of more than a 10% interest in
the total outstanding voting securities of StorageTek or any of
its subsidiaries or any tender offer or exchange offer that if
consummated would result in any person or group beneficially
owning 10% or more of the total outstanding voting securities of
StorageTek or any of its subsidiaries, (b) any merger,
consolidation, business combination or similar transaction
involving StorageTek or any of its subsidiaries, (c) any
sale, lease (other than in the ordinary course of business),
exchange, transfer, license (other than in the ordinary course
of business), acquisition or disposition of more than 10% of the
assets of StorageTek, or (d) any liquidation or dissolution
of StorageTek.
A superior offer means an unsolicited, bona fide
written offer made by a third party to acquire, directly or
indirectly, pursuant to a tender offer, exchange offer, merger,
consolidation or other business combination, all or
substantially all of the assets of StorageTek or all of the
outstanding voting securities of StorageTek as a result of which
the stockholders of StorageTek immediately preceding such
transaction would hold less than 50% of the equity interests in
the surviving or resulting entity of such transaction and any
direct or indirect parent or subsidiary thereof, on terms that
the board of directors of StorageTek has in good faith concluded
(following consultation with its outside legal counsel and its
financial adviser), taking into account, among other things, all
legal, financial, regulatory and other aspects of the offer and
the person making the offer, to be more favorable, from a
financial point of view, to StorageTeks stockholders than
the terms of the merger with Sun and is reasonably capable of
being consummated.
If at any time prior to the approval of the merger by our
stockholders, our board determines in good faith, after
consultation with our financial and legal advisors, in response
to an unsolicited acquisition proposal, that the proposal is a
superior offer, we can terminate the merger agreement so long as
we pay
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the termination fee described below under the heading
Expenses; but we cannot terminate the merger
agreement or recommend the superior offer to our stockholders
unless:
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we give Sun at least five days prior written notice advising
them that we intend to change our recommendation for the merger,
specifying in reasonable detail the material terms and
conditions of the Superior Proposal; |
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during this five day period, we and our advisors negotiate in
good faith with Sun to make adjustments in the terms and
conditions of the merger agreement, and our board fully
considers these adjustments and still concludes in good faith,
after consultation with and receipt of advice from our financial
and legal counsel, that we must terminate the merger
agreement; and |
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we have not breached our non-solicitation obligations or failed
to handle acquisition proposals in accordance with the merger
agreement. |
Directors and Officers Indemnification
Pursuant to the merger agreement, Sun shall, and shall cause the
surviving corporation to assume and honor StorageTeks
obligations to indemnify, defend and hold harmless our directors
and officers against any loss, claim, damage, cost, expense,
fine, liability, judgment or settlement as a result of that
persons position with us, including those relating to the
merger agreement and the transactions contemplated by the merger
agreement. All rights to indemnification for acts or omissions
occurring prior to the merger as provided in StorageTeks
certificate of incorporation and bylaws and indemnification
agreements will survive the merger and continue in full force
and effect in accordance with their terms, and the relevant
provisions in the certificate of incorporation and bylaws may
not be amended, repealed or modified unless the surviving
corporation provides sufficient assurance to ensure the
continued exculpation, indemnification and advancement of
expenses of our current directors and officers as provided in
such bylaws prior to such amendment, repeal or modification.
For six years, Sun will maintain in effect StorageTeks
current directors and officers liability insurance
policy covering current directors and officers of StorageTek,
except that it will not be required to pay more than 250% of the
annual premium currently paid by StorageTek for such coverage.
Employee Benefit Matters
In addition to the arrangements described under the sections
entitled Stock Options and Common Stock
Equivalents and Restricted Stock and
Restricted Stock Units, the merger agreement also provides
for the termination of all employee stock purchase plans and all
401(k) plans of StorageTek prior to the effective time of the
merger.
Conditions to the Merger
Each partys obligation to complete the merger is subject
to a number of conditions, including the following:
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the merger shall have been duly approved and the merger
agreement shall have been approved and adopted by the requisite
vote under applicable law, by our stockholders; |
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there are no statutes, rules, regulations, executive orders,
decrees, injunctions or other orders enacted, issued,
promulgated, or enforced or entered by any governmental entity
which is in effect and has the effect of making the merger
illegal or otherwise prohibiting or preventing consummation of
the merger; |
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waiting periods under the HSR Act must have expired or been
terminated, and any material consents or approvals required to
consummate the merger under any foreign antitrust laws must have
been obtained. |
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The obligations of Sun and Merger Sub to complete the merger are
subject to additional conditions, including the following:
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as of closing, the representations and warranties made by us
must be true and correct, and our representations and warranties
relating to capitalization, authority, takeover statutes and
rights plans must be true and correct in all material respects,
except where the failure to be true and correct would not,
individually or in aggregate, have a material adverse effect on
us; |
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we must have performed or complied in all material respects with
all agreements and covenants required to be performed or
complied with by us under the merger agreement; |
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no material adverse effect on StorageTek has occurred; and |
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there must not be any pending or threatened suit, action or
proceeding asserted by any governmental entity challenging or
seeking to restrain or prohibit the merger and other
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, or seeking to
require us, Sun or any of our or Suns affiliates to effect
an action of divestiture. |
Our obligation to complete the merger is subject to additional
conditions, including:
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as of closing, the representations and warranties made by Sun
and Merger Sub must be true and correct, except where the
failure to be true and correct does not, individually or in
aggregate, materially impede the authority of Sun and Merger Sub
to consummate the transactions contemplated under the merger
agreement; and |
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Sun and Merger Sub must have performed or complied with, in all
material respects, all agreements and covenants required to be
performed or complied with by Sun and Merger Sub under the
merger agreement. |
Material Adverse Effect
Under the merger agreement, a material adverse effect means any
change, event, violation, inaccuracy, circumstance or effect,
individually or when taken together with all other effects that
have occurred prior to the relevant date, that is or is
reasonably likely to:
(i) be materially adverse to the business, assets,
liabilities, capitalization, financial condition or results of
operations of such entity taken as a whole with its
subsidiaries, other than any effect primarily resulting from:
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changes affecting the U.S. or world economy generally; |
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changes affecting the industry in which such entity operates
generally; |
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changes in such entitys stock price or the trading volume
in such stock; |
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any acts of terrorism or war; |
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the announcement of this merger agreement and the transactions
contemplated thereby; or |
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failure to meet securities analysts published revenue or
earnings predictions; or |
(ii) materially impede the authority of such entity, or in
any case, Suns authority to consummate the transactions
contemplated by the merger agreement in accordance with its
terms and applicable legal requirements.
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Termination of the Merger Agreement
The merger agreement may be terminated:
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by mutual written consent duly authorized by the boards of
director of each of Sun and us; |
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by Sun or us if the merger is not consummated by
December 2, 2005, which date shall be extended to
March 2, 2006 if the merger shall not have been consummated
as a result of a failure to obtain required antitrust approvals; |
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by either party if a governmental entity has issued a permanent
injunction or other order or decree preventing the merger that
is in effect and has become final and nonappealable; |
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by either party if the required approval of the merger agreement
by our stockholders is not obtained at the special meeting or
adjournment or postponement of the special meeting; |
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by Sun if StorageTek materially breaches its non-solicitation
obligations, changes, withdraws or fails to reaffirm its
recommendations of the merger, approves, recommends or enters
into any competing acquisition proposal, or fails to reject a
competing tender offer or exchange offer; |
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by either party if the other party breaches any of its
representations, warranties, covenants or agreements in the
merger agreement, which breach is incurable or is not cured
within 20 days of written notice of the breach, unless such
breach, if committed by Sun or Merger Sub, separately or as a
whole, does not materially impede their authority to consummate
the merger, or, if committed by us, separately or as a whole
will not result in a material adverse effect on us; |
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by either party if the other party fails to perform all
agreements and covenants in all material respects that are
required to be performed before the effective time; or |
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by us if our board of directors effects a change of
recommendation pursuant to and in compliance with the provisions
described in No Solicitation of Transactions, upon
payment by us to Sun of the termination fee of $133 million
and upon our public announcement of our intention to accept or
enter into the superior offer which was the subject of such
change of recommendation. |
In the event of termination of the merger agreement by either
party under the merger agreement provisions described above, the
merger agreement will become void and have no effect; provided,
however, that this will not relieve any breaching party from
liability for any prior intentional and material breach of any
of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements
under the merger agreement.
Expenses
Whether or not the merger is completed, all costs and expenses
incurred in connection with the merger agreement and the
transactions contemplated by the merger agreement will generally
be paid by the party incurring those costs or expenses.
In addition, we agreed to pay to Sun a termination fee of
$133 million if the merger agreement is terminated:
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by either us or Sun because our stockholders fail to approve the
merger at a duly convened special meeting, but only if prior to
such termination another acquisition proposal to us emerges and
within 12 months we either consummate an acquisition
proposal or enter into a definitive agreement regarding an
acquisition of StorageTek; |
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by Sun because we change, withdraw or fail to reaffirm our
recommendations of the merger, approve, recommend or enter into
any competing acquisition proposal, or fail to reject a
competing tender offer or exchange offer; or |
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by us in order to enter into an agreement with respect to a
superior offer. |
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Amendment; Waiver
The merger agreement may be amended by written instrument among
Sun, Merger Sub and us, by action taken or authorized by our
respective boards of directors, provided, after approval of the
merger by our stockholders, no amendment that by law or any
relevant stock exchange rules requires further approval by our
stockholders may be made without such further stockholder
approval.
Accounting Treatment
The merger will be accounted for by Sun using the purchase
method of accounting. Under this method of accounting, the
purchase price will be allocated to the fair value of the assets
acquired and the liabilities assumed. The excess purchase price
over the net of the amounts assigned to the assets acquired and
the liabilities assumed will be allocated to goodwill.
Antitrust Matters
The HSR Act provides that transactions such as the merger may
not be completed until certain information has been submitted to
the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the
U.S. Department of Justice and the specified waiting period
has expired or has been terminated. We and Sun have made the
required filings under the HSR Act and the waiting period has
not yet expired.
Prior to the expiration of the HSR waiting period, the Federal
Trade Commission and the Department of Justice may extend such
waiting period by requesting from us and/or Sun additional
information or documentary material relevant to the merger. If
this request is made, the waiting period will be extended until
the 30th day after substantial compliance by us and Sun with the
request. Thereafter, the waiting period can be extended only by
court order or by agreement of the parties to the merger
agreement.
In addition, the merger will require filings of notices with
competition authorities in the European Union, Japan and South
Korea. We and Sun expect to make the required filings with the
competition authorities in the European Union and other
applicable jurisdictions under their respective antitrust laws,
and expect the applicable waiting periods to expire, in each
case, prior to the effective time of the merger to the extent
required.
The European competition authorities may request from us and/or
Sun additional information or documentary material relevant to
the merger and conduct further investigations, which may result
in extensions of the waiting period until the fourth quarter of
2005 or even the first quarter of 2006 and may delay the
consummation of the merger.
It is possible that other state, local or foreign governmental
entities or third parties may seek to challenge the merger. In
addition, it is possible that governmental entities having
jurisdiction over Sun and us may seek regulatory concessions as
conditions for granting approval of the merger. Under the merger
agreement, we have both agreed to use our reasonable efforts to
take all actions to obtain all necessary regulatory and
governmental approvals necessary to complete the merger and to
defend any lawsuits or other legal proceedings challenging the
merger agreement. Neither we nor Sun is required to divest or
enter into any licensing or similar arrangement with respect to
any assets or any portion of the business of Sun, StorageTek or
any of Suns or our respective subsidiaries that would be
reasonably likely to materially impact those parties. While we
do not expect the closing of the merger to be prevented or
materially delayed by any challenge by regulatory authorities
within or outside the United States, we can give no assurance
that the required regulatory approvals will be obtained on terms
that satisfy the conditions to completion of the merger or
within the time frame contemplated by Sun and us.
BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF STORAGETEK COMMON STOCK
The following table sets forth certain information as to all
persons who, to the knowledge of StorageTek, were beneficial
owners of five percent or more of StorageTek common stock as of
March 31, 2005, or are one of the executive officers of
StorageTek, and all directors and officers of StorageTek as a
52
group. Unless otherwise indicated, the owner has sole voting and
investment power with respect to the shares indicated (other
than unissued securities, the ownership of which has been
imputed to the owner).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares of | |
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner |
|
Common Stock | |
Name of Executive Officer |
|
(Percent of Class) | |
|
|
| |
Dodge & Cox Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
555 California Street, 40th Floor,
|
|
|
14,697,733 |
|
|
San Francisco, California 94104
|
|
|
(13.7% |
) |
Fidelity Investments
|
|
|
8,861,520 |
|
|
82 Devonshire Street,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
|
|
|
(8.2% |
) |
Iridian Asset Management
|
|
|
8,382,625 |
|
|
276 Post Road West,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Westport, Connecticut 06880
|
|
|
(7.8% |
) |
Putnam Investment Management
|
|
|
7,646,676 |
|
|
One Post Office Square,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
|
|
|
(7.1% |
) |
Private Capital Management
|
|
|
6,442,235 |
|
|
8889 Pelican Bay Blvd.,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Naples, Florida 34108
|
|
|
(6.0% |
) |
PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DIVIDENDS
Our common stock is traded on The New York Stock Exchange under
the symbol STK. The table below sets forth by
quarter, since the beginning of our fiscal year 2003, the high
and low closing per-share sale price for our common stock on The
New York Stock Exchange.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Market Prices | |
|
|
| |
|
|
High | |
|
Low | |
|
|
| |
|
| |
Fiscal Year 2003
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$ |
25.43 |
|
|
$ |
20.00 |
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$ |
27.00 |
|
|
$ |
20.22 |
|
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$ |
27.90 |
|
|
$ |
24.30 |
|
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$ |
26.71 |
|
|
$ |
22.35 |
|
Fiscal Year 2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$ |
30.41 |
|
|
$ |
25.40 |
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$ |
28.62 |
|
|
$ |
25.79 |
|
|
Third Quarter
|
|
$ |
29.00 |
|
|
$ |
23.14 |
|
|
Fourth Quarter
|
|
$ |
31.62 |
|
|
$ |
23.82 |
|
Fiscal Year 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
First Quarter
|
|
$ |
33.92 |
|
|
$ |
29.57 |
|
|
Second Quarter
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
Third Quarter through
[ ],
2005
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
On June 1, 2005, the last full trading day prior to the
public announcement of the signing of the merger agreement, the
closing price for our common stock on The New York Stock
Exchange was $31.23 per share. On
[ ],
2005, the most recent practicable date prior to the printing of
this proxy statement, the closing price of our common stock on
The New York Stock Exchange was
$[ ]
per share.
We have not paid any dividends during the past two years.
53
The market price for our common stock is subject to fluctuation
and stockholders are urged to obtain current market quotations.
We cannot give you any assurances as to the future price of or
market for our common stock.
FUTURE STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS
If the merger is completed, there will be no public stockholders
of StorageTek and no public participation in any future meetings
of our stockholders. However, if the merger is not completed, we
will hold a 2006 annual meeting of stockholders. In that event:
|
|
|
|
|
Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act requires that a
stockholder proposal intended to be included in the proxy
statement for the 2006 annual meeting be received at our
executive offices no later than November 21, 2005. The
proposal may be omitted from the annual meeting proxy statement
if the submitting stockholder does not meet the applicable
requirements under Rule 14a-8; and |
|
|
|
stockholder proposals for new business or suggestions for
nominees to the board of directors submitted outside of
Rule 14a-8 must be delivered to our Secretary at our
principal executive offices no earlier than December 21,
2005 and no later than January 20, 2006. |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Sun and StorageTek file annual, quarterly and special reports,
proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The public
may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the
SECs Public Reference Room at 450 Fifth Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information
on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC
at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC also maintains an Internet site that
contains reports, proxy and information statements and other
information regarding issuers, including Sun and StorageTek,
that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the
SECs Internet site is http://www.sec.gov.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
To vote your shares, please complete, date, sign and return the
enclosed proxy card as soon as possible in the enclosed
postage-prepaid envelope. Please call Georgeson Shareholder
Communications, Inc., at (866) 357-4033, if you have any
questions about this proxy statement or the merger or need
assistance with the voting procedures.
Requests for additional copies of this proxy statement or proxy
cards should be directed to us at the following address:
|
|
|
Storage Technology Corporation |
|
One StorageTek Drive |
|
Louisville, Colorado 80028-4309 |
|
Attention: Secretary |
|
Telephone: (303) 673-5151 |
If you would like to request additional copies from us, please
do so by
[ ],
2005 in order to receive them before the special meeting.
You should rely only on the information contained in this proxy
statement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with
information that is different from what is contained in this
proxy statement. This proxy statement is dated
[ ],
2005. You should not assume that the information contained in
this proxy statement is accurate as of any date other than that
date, and the mailing of the proxy statement to stockholders
shall not create any implication to the contrary.
54
ANNEX A
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
BY AND AMONG
SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
STANFORD ACQUISITION CORPORATION
AND
STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Dated as of June 2, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
|
|
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|
Page | |
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|
|
|
| |
ARTICLE I THE MERGER |
|
|
1 |
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|
|
|
The Merger |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Effective Time; Closing |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Effect of the Merger |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Directors and Officers |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Effect on Capital Stock |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Dissenting Shares |
|
|
3 |
|
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|
|
Surrender of Certificates |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
No Further Ownership Rights in Company Common Stock |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
Further Action |
|
|
5 |
|
ARTICLE II REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
Organization; Standing and Power; Charter Documents; Subsidiaries |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
Capital Structure |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
Authority; No Conflict; Necessary Consents |
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
SEC Filings; Financial Statements; Internal Controls |
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
|
Absence of Certain Changes or Events |
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
Taxes |
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
|
Title to Properties |
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
|
Intellectual Property |
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
|
Restrictions on Business Activities |
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
|
Governmental Authorizations |
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
Litigation |
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
Compliance with Laws |
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
Environmental Matters |
|
|
18 |
|
|
|
|
Brokers and Finders Fees |
|
|
18 |
|
|
|
|
Transactions with Affiliates |
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
Employee Benefit Plans and Compensation |
|
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
Contracts |
|
|
23 |
|
|
|
|
Insurance |
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
Export Control Laws |
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act |
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
Government Contracts |
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
Information Supplied |
|
|
25 |
|
|
|
|
Fairness Opinion |
|
|
25 |
|
|
|
|
Takeover Statutes and Rights Plans |
|
|
25 |
|
ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES OF PARENT AND MERGER SUB |
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
|
Organization |
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
|
Authority; No Conflict; Necessary Consents |
|
|
26 |
|
|
|
|
Capital Resources |
|
|
27 |
|
|
|
|
Information Supplied |
|
|
27 |
|
|
|
|
Operations of Merger Sub |
|
|
27 |
|
ARTICLE IV CONDUCT BY THE COMPANY PRIOR TO
THE EFFECTIVE TIME |
|
|
27 |
|
|
|
|
Conduct of Business by the Company |
|
|
27 |
|
|
|
|
Procedures for Requesting Parent Consent |
|
|
30 |
|
Annex A-i
|
|
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|
Page | |
|
|
|
|
| |
ARTICLE V ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS |
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
|
Proxy Statement |
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
|
Meeting of Company Stockholders; Board Recommendation |
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
|
Acquisition Proposals |
|
|
31 |
|
|
|
|
Confidentiality; Access to Information; No Modification of
Representations, Warranties or Covenants |
|
|
33 |
|
|
|
|
Public Disclosure |
|
|
34 |
|
|
|
|
Regulatory Filings; Reasonable Efforts |
|
|
34 |
|
|
|
|
Notification of Certain Matters |
|
|
36 |
|
|
|
|
Third-Party Consents |
|
|
36 |
|
|
|
|
Equity Awards and Employee Matters |
|
|
37 |
|
|
|
|
Form S-8 |
|
|
38 |
|
|
|
|
Indemnification |
|
|
38 |
|
|
|
|
Section 16 Matters |
|
|
38 |
|
|
|
|
Insurance Approval |
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
|
Immigration-Related Liabilities |
|
|
39 |
|
ARTICLE VI CONDITIONS TO THE MERGER |
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
|
Conditions to the Obligations of Each Party to Effect the Merger |
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
|
Additional Conditions to the Obligations of Parent |
|
|
39 |
|
|
|
|
Additional Conditions to the Obligations of the Company |
|
|
40 |
|
ARTICLE VII TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND
WAIVER |
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
|
Termination |
|
|
40 |
|
|
|
|
Notice of Termination; Effect of Termination |
|
|
42 |
|
|
|
|
Fees and Expenses |
|
|
42 |
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|
|
|
Amendment |
|
|
43 |
|
|
|
|
Extension; Waiver |
|
|
43 |
|
ARTICLE VIII GENERAL PROVISIONS |
|
|
43 |
|
|
|
|
Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties |
|
|
43 |
|
|
|
|
Notices |
|
|
44 |
|
|
|
|
Interpretation; Knowledge |
|
|
44 |
|
|
|
|
Counterparts |
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|
45 |
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|
|
|
Entire Agreement; Third-Party Beneficiaries |
|
|
45 |
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|
|
|
Severability |
|
|
45 |
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|
|
Other Remedies |
|
|
46 |
|
|
|
|
Governing Law |
|
|
46 |
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|
Rules of Construction |
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46 |
|
|
|
|
Assignment |
|
|
46 |
|
|
|
|
Waiver of Jury Trial |
|
|
46 |
|
Exhibit A Voting Agreement
Annex A-ii
INDEX OF DEFINED TERMS
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition Proposal
|
|
|
5.3(f)(i) |
|
Acquisition
|
|
|
7.3(b)(iii) |
|
Action of Divestiture
|
|
|
5.6(e) |
|
Agreement
|
|
|
Preamble |
|
Alternative Transaction Announcement
|
|
|
7.1 |
|
Bid
|
|
|
2.21 |
|
the business of
|
|
|
8.3(a) |
|
Business Day
|
|
|
1.2 |
|
Cancellation Payment
|
|
|
1.6(c) |
|
Certificate of Merger
|
|
|
1.2 |
|
Certificates
|
|
|
1.8(c) |
|
Change of Recommendation Notice
|
|
|
5.3(d)(iii) |
|
Change of Recommendation
|
|
|
5.3(d) |
|
Closing
|
|
|
1.2 |
|
Closing Date
|
|
|
1.2 |
|
COBRA
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
Code
|
|
|
1.8(d) |
|
Company Balance Sheet
|
|
|
2.4(b) |
|
Company Charter Documents
|
|
|
2.1(b) |
|
Company Common Stock
|
|
|
1.6(a) |
|
Company Disclosure Letter
|
|
Article II Preamble |
Company Employee Plan
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
Company Environmental Permits
|
|
|
2.13(c) |
|
Company Financials
|
|
|
2.4(b) |
|
Company Government Contract
|
|
|
2.21 |
|
Company Government Subcontract
|
|
|
2.21 |
|
Company Intellectual Property
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
Company Material Contract
|
|
|
2.17(a) |
|
Company Options
|
|
|
2.2(c) |
|
Company Preferred Stock
|
|
|
2.2(a) |
|
Company Products
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
Company Purchase Plans
|
|
|
1.6(f) |
|
Company Registered Intellectual Property
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
Company Rights Agreement
|
|
|
2.2(a) |
|
Company Rights
|
|
|
2.2(a) |
|
Company SEC Reports
|
|
|
2.4(a) |
|
Company Stock Option Plans
|
|
|
2.2(c) |
|
Company Unvested Common Stock
|
|
|
1.6(b) |
|
Company
|
|
|
Preamble |
|
Confidentiality Agreement
|
|
|
5.4(a) |
|
Contract
|
|
|
2.1(a) |
|
Customer Information
|
|
|
2.8(l) |
|
Delaware Law
|
|
|
Recitals |
|
Dissenting Shares
|
|
|
1.7(a) |
|
DOJ
|
|
|
2.3(c) |
|
DOL
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
Effect
|
|
|
8.3(c) |
|
Effective Time
|
|
|
1.2 |
|
Employee Agreement
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
Employee
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
End Date
|
|
|
7.1(b) |
|
ERISA Affiliate
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
ERISA
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
Exchange Act
|
|
|
2.3(c) |
|
Annex A-iii
|
|
|
|
|
Exchange Agent
|
|
|
1.8(a) |
|
Exchange Fund
|
|
|
1.8(b) |
|
Export Approvals
|
|
|
2.19(a) |
|
FCPA
|
|
|
2.20 |
|
FTC
|
|
|
2.3(c) |
|
GAAP
|
|
|
2.4(b) |
|
Governmental Authorizations
|
|
|
2.10 |
|
Governmental Entity
|
|
|
2.3(c) |
|
Hazardous Material
|
|
|
2.13(a) |
|
Hazardous Materials Activities
|
|
|
2.13(b) |
|
HSR Act
|
|
|
2.3(c) |
|
Include, Includes, Including
|
|
|
8.3(a) |
|
Indemnified Parties
|
|
|
5.11(a) |
|
Intellectual Property Rights
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
Intellectual Property
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
International Employee Plan
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
IRS
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
Knowledge
|
|
|
8.3(b) |
|
Lease Documents
|
|
|
2.7(b) |
|
Leased Real Property
|
|
|
2.7(a) |
|
Legal Requirements
|
|
|
2.2(e) |
|
Liens
|
|
|
2.1(c) |
|
Material Adverse Effect
|
|
|
8.3(c) |
|
Merger Consideration
|
|
|
1.6(a) |
|
Merger Sub Common Stock
|
|
|
1.6(e) |
|
Merger Sub
|
|
|
Preamble |
|
Merger
|
|
|
1.1 |
|
Necessary Consents
|
|
|
2.3(c) |
|
Non-Employee Options
|
|
|
1.6(c) |
|
Open Source
|
|
|
2.8(h) |
|
Option Ratio
|
|
|
5.9(a) |
|
Parent Common Stock
|
|
|
5.1 |
|
Parent
|
|
|
Preamble |
|
Pension Plan
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
Person
|
|
|
8.3(d) |
|
Proxy Statement
|
|
|
2.22 |
|
Registered Intellectual Property
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
Returns
|
|
|
2.6(b)(i) |
|
SEC
|
|
|
2.3(c) |
|
Second Request Responses
|
|
|
5.6(a)2.3(c) |
|
Securities Acts
|
|
|
2.4(a) |
|
Shrink-Wrapped Code
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
Significant Subsidiary
|
|
|
2.1(b) |
|
Source Code
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
Stockholders Meeting
|
|
|
5.2(a) |
|
Subsidiary Charter Documents
|
|
|
2.1(b) |
|
Subsidiary
|
|
|
2.1(a) |
|
Superior Offer
|
|
|
5.3(f)(ii) |
|
Surviving Corporation
|
|
|
1.1 |
|
Tax
|
|
|
2.6(a) |
|
Taxes
|
|
|
2.6(a) |
|
Termination Fee
|
|
|
7.3(b)(i) |
|
Trade Secrets
|
|
|
2.8(a) |
|
Triggering Event
|
|
|
7.1 |
|
Voting Agreements
|
|
|
Recitals |
|
Voting Debt
|
|
|
2.2(d) |
|
WARN
|
|
|
2.16(a) |
|
Annex A-iv
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
This AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (this
Agreement) is made and entered into as of
June 2, 2005, by and among Sun Microsystems, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (Parent), Stanford
Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and direct
wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger
Sub), and Storage Technology Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the Company).
RECITALS
A. The respective Boards of Directors of Parent, Merger Sub
and the Company have deemed it advisable and in the best
interests of their respective corporations and stockholders that
Parent and the Company consummate the business combination and
other transactions provided for herein.
B. The respective Boards of Directors of Merger Sub and the
Company have approved, in accordance with the Delaware General
Corporation Law (Delaware Law), this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including
the Merger.
C. Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, and
as a condition and inducement to Parents willingness to
enter into this Agreement, all members of the Board of Directors
of the Company are entering into a Voting Agreement and
irrevocable proxy in substantially the form attached hereto as
Exhibit A (the Voting Agreements).
D. The Board of Directors of the Company has resolved to
recommend to its stockholders approval and adoption of this
Agreement and approval of the Merger.
E. Parent, as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, has
approved and adopted this Agreement and approved the Merger.
F. Parent, Merger Sub and the Company desire to make
certain representations, warranties and agreements in connection
with the Merger and also to prescribe certain conditions to the
Merger.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants,
promises and representations set forth herein, and for other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
THE MERGER
1.1 The Merger. At
the Effective Time and subject to and upon the terms and
conditions of this Agreement and the applicable provisions of
Delaware Law, Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the
Company (the Merger), the separate corporate
existence of Merger Sub shall cease and the Company shall
continue as the surviving corporation and as a wholly owned
subsidiary of Parent. The surviving corporation after the Merger
is hereinafter sometimes referred to as the Surviving
Corporation.
1.2 Effective Time;
Closing. Subject to the provisions of this Agreement,
the parties hereto shall cause the Merger to be consummated by
filing a Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of
the State of Delaware in accordance with the relevant provisions
of Delaware Law (the Certificate of Merger)
(the time of such filing with the Secretary of State of the
State of Delaware (or such later time as may be agreed in
writing by the Company and Parent and specified in the
Certificate of Merger) being the Effective
Time) as soon as practicable on or after the Closing
Date. The closing of the Merger (the Closing)
shall take place at the offices of Wilson Sonsini
Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, located at
650 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, California, at a time and date to
be specified by the parties, which shall be no later than the
second Business Day after the satisfaction or waiver of the
conditions set forth in Article VI (other than those
that by their terms are to be satisfied or waived at the
Closing), or at such other time, date and location as the
parties hereto agree in writing. The date on which the Closing
occurs is referred to herein as the Closing Date.
Business Day shall mean each day that is not a
Saturday, Sunday or other day on which Parent is closed for
business or banking institutions located in
San Francisco, California or Denver, Colorado, are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
1.3 Effect of the
Merger. At the Effective Time, the effect of the Merger
shall be as provided in this Agreement and the applicable
provisions of Delaware Law. Without limiting the generality of
the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Effective Time all
the property, rights, privileges, powers and franchises of
Company and Merger Sub shall vest in the Surviving Corporation,
and all debts, liabilities and duties of Company and Merger Sub
shall become the debts, liabilities and duties of the Surviving
Corporation.
1.4 Certificate of
Incorporation and Bylaws. Unless otherwise determined by
Parent prior to the Effective Time, at the Effective Time, the
Certificate of Incorporation of the Company shall be amended and
restated in its entirety to be identical to the Certificate of
Incorporation of Merger Sub, as in effect immediately prior to
the Effective Time, until thereafter amended in accordance with
Delaware Law and as provided in such Certificate of
Incorporation; provided, however, that at the Effective Time,
Article I of the Certificate of Incorporation of the
Surviving Corporation shall be amended and restated in its
entirety to read as follows: The name of the corporation
is Storage Technology Corporation and the Certificate of
Incorporation shall be amended so as to comply with
Section 5.11(a). Unless otherwise determined by
Parent prior to the Effective Time, at the Effective Time, the
Bylaws of the Company shall be amended and restated in their
entirety to be identical to the Bylaws of Merger Sub, as in
effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, until thereafter
amended in accordance with Delaware Law and as provided in such
Bylaws; provided, however, that at the Effective Time, the
Bylaws shall be amended so as to comply with
Section 5.11(a).
1.5 Directors and
Officers. Unless otherwise determined by Parent prior to
the Effective Time, the initial directors of the Surviving
Corporation shall be the directors of Merger Sub immediately
prior to the Effective Time, until their respective successors
are duly elected or appointed and qualified. Unless otherwise
determined by Parent prior to the Effective Time, the initial
officers of the Surviving Corporation shall be the officers of
Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time, until their
respective successors are duly appointed. In addition, unless
otherwise determined by Parent prior to the Effective Time,
Parent, the Company and the Surviving Corporation shall cause
the directors and officers of Merger Sub immediately prior to
the Effective Time to be the directors and officers,
respectively of each of the Companys Subsidiaries
immediately after the Effective Time, each to hold office as a
director or officer of each such Subsidiary in accordance with
the provisions of the laws of the respective jurisdiction of
organization and the respective bylaws or equivalent
organizational documents of each such Subsidiary.
1.6 Effect on Capital
Stock. Subject to the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, at the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and
without any action on the part of Parent, Merger Sub, the
Company or the holders of any shares of capital stock of the
Company, the following shall occur:
(a) Company Common Stock. Each share of the
Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, of the Company
(Company Common Stock) issued and outstanding
immediately prior to the Effective Time, other than any shares
of Company Common Stock to be canceled pursuant to
Section 1.6(d), will be canceled and extinguished
and automatically converted (subject to Section 1.7)
into the right to receive an amount of cash equal to $37.00,
without interest (such amount of cash hereinafter referred to as
the Merger Consideration) upon surrender of
the certificate representing such share of Company Common Stock
in the manner provided in Section 1.8 (or in the
case of a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, upon delivery
of an affidavit (and bond, if required) in the manner provided
in Section 1.10).
(b) Repurchase Rights. If any shares of
Company Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the
Effective Time are unvested or are subject to a repurchase
option, risk of forfeiture or other condition under any
applicable restricted stock purchase agreement or other
agreement with the Company (Company Unvested Common
Stock), then, the amounts payable with respect to such
shares of Company Unvested Common Stock pursuant to the
provisions of Section 1.6(a) shall be withheld and
retained by Parent and shall be subject to permanent retention
by Parent (i.e., forfeiture by the former
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holder of such shares of Company Unvested Common Stock) on the
same terms that governed such Company Unvested Common Stock
prior to the Effective Time. Parent shall hold the cash so
withheld until such cash is no longer subject to permanent
retention by Parent, at which time such withheld cash will be
paid to the former holders of the applicable Company Unvested
Common Stock on a monthly basis as reasonably determined by
Parent.
(c) Non-Employee Options. At the Effective
Time, each Company Option held by any person other than an
employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (each such
Company Option, a Non-Employee Option) that
is unexpired, unsettled, unexercised and outstanding immediately
prior to the Effective Time shall, on the terms and subject to
the conditions set forth in this Agreement, terminate in its
entirety at the Effective Time. Non-Employee Options granted
under the Companys Amended and Restated 1995 Equity
Participation Plan shall terminate or be settled, as applicable,
in accordance with their terms, after the notice period required
under such plan, provided such notice period shall expire on the
Effective Time, and shall so terminate regardless of whether
such Non-Employee Options have been either exercised or
unexercised during such notice period (giving effect to any
acceleration of vesting resulting from the Merger or
non-assumption by Parent). Non-Employee Options granted under
the 2004 Long Term Incentive Plan shall terminate or be settled,
as applicable, in accordance with their terms, and the holder of
each such Non-Employee Option shall be entitled to receive
therefor an amount of cash (rounded down to the nearest whole
cent) equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of
Company Common Stock as to which such Company Option was vested
and exercisable immediately prior to the Effective Time (giving
effect to any acceleration of vesting resulting from the Merger
or non-assumption by Parent), and (ii) the excess, if any,
of the per share Merger Consideration over the exercise price,
if any, of such Company Option immediately prior to the
Effective Time (each such payment, a Cancellation
Payment). Non-Employee Options granted under the
Amended and Restated Stock Option Plan for Nonemployee
Directors, shall be terminated after such holder has been
provided notice by the Company of such termination, and has
agreed to such cancellation in exchange for a Cancellation
Payment. Any materials, notifications or consents which are to
be submitted to the holders of Non-Employee Options pursuant to
this Agreement shall be subject to review and approval by Parent.
(d) Cancellation of Treasury and Parent Owned
Stock. Each share of Company Common Stock held by the
Company or Parent or any direct or indirect wholly-owned
Subsidiary of the Company or of Parent immediately prior to the
Effective Time shall be canceled and extinguished without any
conversion thereof.
(e) Capital Stock of Merger Sub. Each share
of common stock, no par value, of Merger Sub (the
Merger Sub Common Stock) issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be
converted into one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable
share of common stock, no par value, of the Surviving
Corporation. Each certificate evidencing ownership of shares of
Merger Sub Common Stock shall evidence ownership of such shares
of capital stock of the Surviving Corporation.
(f) Employee Stock Options; Employee Stock Purchase
Plans. At the Effective Time, all Company Options, other
than Non-Employee Options, outstanding under each Company Stock
Option Plan shall be assumed by Parent in accordance with
Section 5.9. Rights outstanding under the
Companys Employee Stock Purchase Plan and any other
employee stock purchase plan of the Company (collectively, the
Company Purchase Plans) shall be treated as
set forth in Section 5.9(c).
(g) Adjustments to Merger Consideration. The
Merger Consideration shall be adjusted to reflect fully the
appropriate effect of any stock split, reverse stock split,
stock dividend (including any dividend or distribution of
securities convertible into Company Common Stock),
reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification or other like
change with respect to Company Common Stock having a record date
on or after the date hereof and prior to the Effective Time.
1.7 Dissenting Shares.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement
to the contrary, any shares of Company Common Stock held by a
holder who has not effectively withdrawn or lost such
holders
Annex A-3
appraisal rights under Section 262 of Delaware Law
(collectively, the Dissenting Shares), shall
not be converted into or represent a right to receive the
applicable consideration for Company Common Stock set forth in
Section 1.6, but the holder thereof shall only be
entitled to such rights as are provided by Delaware Law.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of
Section 1.7(a), if any holder of Dissenting Shares
shall effectively withdraw or lose (through failure to perfect
or otherwise) such holders appraisal rights under Delaware
Law, then, as of the later of the Effective Time and the
occurrence of such event, such holders shares shall
automatically be converted into and represent only the right to
receive the consideration for Company Common Stock, as
applicable, set forth in Section 1.6, without
interest thereon, upon surrender of the certificate representing
such shares.
(c) The Company shall give Parent (i) prompt notice of
any written demand for appraisal received by the Company
pursuant to the applicable provisions of Delaware Law, and
(ii) the opportunity to participate in any negotiations and
proceedings with respect to such demands. The Company shall not,
except with the prior written consent of Parent, make any
payment with respect to any such demands or offer to settle or
settle any such demands. Any communication to be made by the
Company to any holder of Company Common Stock with respect to
such demands shall be submitted to Parent in advance and shall
not be presented to any holder of Company Common Stock prior to
the Company receiving Parents consent.
1.8 Surrender of
Certificates.
(a) Exchange Agent. Parent shall select an
institution reasonably satisfactory to the Company to act as the
exchange agent (the Exchange Agent) for the
Merger.
(b) Parent to Provide Cash. Promptly
following the Effective Time, Parent shall make available to the
Exchange Agent for exchange in accordance with this
Article I, the Merger Consideration payable pursuant
to Section 1.6(a) in exchange for outstanding shares
of Company Common Stock. Any cash deposited with the Exchange
Agent shall hereinafter be referred to as the Exchange
Fund.
(c) Exchange Procedures. As soon as
reasonably practicable following the Effective Time, Parent
shall cause the Exchange Agent to mail to each holder of record
(as of the Effective Time) of a certificate or certificates (the
Certificates) which immediately prior to the
Effective Time represented outstanding shares of Company Common
Stock whose shares were converted into the right to receive the
Merger Consideration pursuant to Section 1.6(a):
(i) a letter of transmittal (which shall specify that
delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to the
Certificates shall pass, only upon delivery of the Certificates
to the Exchange Agent and shall be in such form and have such
other provisions as Parent may reasonably specify) and
(ii) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the
Certificates in exchange for cash constituting the Merger
Consideration. Upon surrender of Certificates for cancellation
to the Exchange Agent or to such other agent or agents as may be
appointed by Parent, together with such letter of transmittal,
duly completed and validly executed in accordance with the
instructions thereto and such other documents as may reasonably
be required by the Exchange Agent, the holder of record of such
Certificates shall be entitled to receive in exchange therefor
the cash constituting the Merger Consideration, and the
Certificates so surrendered shall forthwith be canceled. Until
so surrendered, outstanding Certificates will be deemed from and
after the Effective Time, for all corporate purposes, to
evidence the ownership of the Merger Consideration into which
such shares of Company Common Stock shall have been so converted.
(d) Required Withholding. Each of the
Exchange Agent and the Surviving Corporation shall be entitled
to deduct and withhold from any consideration payable or
otherwise deliverable pursuant to this Agreement to any holder
or former holder of Company Common Stock or Company Options such
amounts as may be required to be deducted or withheld therefrom
under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the
Code) or under any provision of state, local
or foreign Tax law or under any other applicable Legal
Requirement. To the extent such amounts are so deducted or
withheld, the amount
Annex A-4
of such consideration shall be treated for all purposes under
this Agreement as having been paid to the Person to whom such
consideration would otherwise have been paid.
(e) No Liability. Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary in this Section 1.8, neither the
Exchange Agent, the Surviving Corporation nor any party hereto
shall be liable to a holder of shares of Company Common Stock
for any amount paid to a public official pursuant to any
applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar law.
(f) Investment of Exchange Fund. The Exchange
Agent shall invest the cash included in the Exchange Fund as
directed by Parent on a daily basis; provided that no
such investment or loss thereon shall affect the amounts payable
to Company stockholders pursuant to this Article I.
Any interest and other income resulting from such investment
shall become a part of the Exchange Fund, and any amounts in
excess of the amounts payable to Company stockholders pursuant
to this Article I shall promptly be paid to Parent.
(g) Termination of Exchange Fund. Any portion
of the Exchange Fund which remains undistributed to the holders
of Certificates nine months after the Effective Time shall, at
the request of the Surviving Corporation, be delivered to the
Surviving Corporation or otherwise according to the instruction
of the Surviving Corporation, and any holders of the
Certificates who have not surrendered such Certificates in
compliance with this Section 1.8 shall after such
delivery to the Surviving Corporation, subject to
Section 1.8(e), look only to the Surviving
Corporation solely as general creditors for the cash
constituting the Merger Consideration (which shall not accrue
interest) pursuant to Section 1.6(a) with respect to
the shares of Company Common Stock formerly represented thereby.
1.9 No Further Ownership
Rights in Company Common Stock. All Merger Consideration
paid upon the surrender for exchange of shares of Company Common
Stock in accordance with the terms hereof shall be deemed to
have been paid in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to
such shares of Company Common Stock, and there shall be no
further registration of transfers on the records of the
Surviving Corporation of shares of Company Common Stock which
were outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time. If,
after the Effective Time, Certificates are presented to the
Surviving Corporation for any reason, they shall be canceled and
exchanged as provided in this Article I.
1.10 Lost, Stolen or
Destroyed Certificates. In the event any Certificates
shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, the Exchange Agent
shall issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed
Certificates, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by
the holder thereof, such cash constituting the Merger
Consideration; provided, however, that Parent may, in its
discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof,
require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificates
to deliver a bond in such sum as it may reasonably direct as
indemnity against any claim that may be made against Parent, the
Company or the Exchange Agent with respect to the Certificates
alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.
1.11 Further Action.
At and after the Effective Time, the officers and directors of
Parent and the Surviving Corporation will be authorized to
execute and deliver, in the name and on behalf of the Company
and Merger Sub, any deeds, bills of sale, assignments or
assurances and to take and do, in the name and on behalf of
Company and Merger Sub, any other actions and things to vest,
perfect or confirm of record or otherwise in the Surviving
Corporation any and all right, title and interest in, to and
under any of the rights, properties or assets acquired or to be
acquired by the Surviving Corporation as a result of, or in
connection with, the Merger.
ARTICLE II
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
The Company represents and warrants to Parent and Merger Sub,
subject to the exceptions specifically disclosed in writing in
the disclosure letter (referencing the appropriate section or
subsection; provided, that any information set forth in one
section of the disclosure letter shall be deemed to apply to
Annex A-5
each other section or subsection thereof to which its relevance
is readily apparent on its face) supplied by the Company to
Parent dated as of the date hereof (the Company
Disclosure Letter), as follows:
2.1 Organization; Standing
and Power; Charter Documents; Subsidiaries.
(a) Organization; Standing and Power. The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries is a corporation or other
organization duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation
or organization (except, in the case of good standing, for
entities organized under the laws of any jurisdiction that does
not recognize such concept) and has the requisite power and
authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry
on its business as currently conducted, except where the failure
to be so organized, validly existing and in good standing would
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on
the Company. For purposes of this Agreement,
Subsidiary, when used with respect to any
party, shall mean any corporation, association, business entity,
partnership, limited liability company or other Person of which
such party, either alone or together with one or more
Subsidiaries or by one or more Subsidiaries (i) directly or
indirectly owns or controls securities or other interests
representing more than 50% of the voting power of such Person,
or (ii) is entitled, by Contract or otherwise, to elect,
appoint or designate directors constituting a majority of the
members of such Persons board of directors or other
governing body. For purposes of this Agreement,
Contract shall mean any written, oral or
other agreement, contract, subcontract, settlement agreement,
lease, binding understanding, instrument, note, option,
warranty, purchase order, license, sublicense, insurance policy,
benefit plan or legally binding commitment or undertaking of any
nature, as in effect as of the date hereof or as may hereinafter
be in effect.
(b) Charter Documents. The Company has
delivered to Parent (i) a true and correct copy of the
certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Company, each as
amended to date (collectively, the Company Charter
Documents) and (ii) the certificate of
incorporation and bylaws, or like organizational documents
(collectively, Subsidiary Charter Documents),
of each of its Significant Subsidiaries, and each such
instrument is in full force and effect. The Company is not in
violation of any of the provisions of the Company Charter
Documents and each Significant Subsidiary is not in violation of
its respective Subsidiary Charter Documents. As used herein,
Significant Subsidiary shall mean a
significant Subsidiary of the Company as determined under
Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X of the SEC.
(c) Subsidiaries. Section 2.1(c)
of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth each Subsidiary
of the Company. The Company is the owner of all of the
outstanding shares of capital stock of, or other equity or
voting interests in, each such Subsidiary and all such shares
have been duly authorized, validly issued and are fully paid and
nonassessable, free and clear of all pledges, claims, liens,
charges, encumbrances, options and security interests of any
kind or nature whatsoever (collectively,
Liens), including any restriction on the
right to vote, sell or otherwise dispose of such capital stock
or other ownership interests, except for restrictions imposed by
applicable securities laws. Except as set forth in
Section 2.1(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
other than the Subsidiaries of the Company, neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries owns any capital stock of, or other
equity or voting interests of any nature in, or any interest
convertible, exchangeable or exercisable for, capital stock of,
or other equity or voting interests of any nature in, any other
Person, except for passive investments of less than 1% in the
equity interests of public companies as part of the
Companys cash management program.
2.2 Capital Structure.
(a) Capital Stock. The authorized capital
stock of Company consists of: (i) 300,000,000 shares
of Company Common Stock and (ii) 40,000,000 shares of
undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share
(the Company Preferred Stock). As of
May 31, 2005: (i) 107,568,648 shares of Company
Common Stock were issued and outstanding (excluding shares of
Company Common Stock held by the Company in its treasury) of
which 1,436,642 shares were Company Unvested Common Stock,
(ii) 8,316,216 shares of Company Common Stock were
issued and held by the Company in its treasury and (iii) no
shares of Company Preferred Stock were issued or outstanding. No
shares of Company Common Stock are owned or held by any
Subsidiary of the Company. All outstanding shares of Company
Common Stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable and are not subject to
Annex A-6
preemptive rights created by statute, the Company Charter
Documents, or any agreement to which the Company is a party or
by which it is bound.
(b) Company Unvested Common Stock. There are
no commitments or agreements of any character to which the
Company is bound obligating the Company to waive its right of
repurchase or forfeiture with respect to any Company Unvested
Common Stock as a result of the Merger (whether alone or upon
the occurrence of any additional or subsequent events).
(c) Company Options. As of the close of
business on May 31, 2005: (i) 9,947,621 shares of
Company Common Stock are issuable upon the exercise of
outstanding options to purchase Company Common Stock or upon
settlement of restricted stock units or common stock equivalents
in the form of Company Common Stock under the Companys
1987 Equity Participation Plan, Amended and Restated 1995 Equity
Participation Plan, 2004 Long Term Incentive Plan and Amended
and Restated Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors
(collectively, the Company Stock Option
Plans) (equity or other equity-based awards, whether
payable in cash, shares or otherwise granted under or pursuant
to the Company Stock Option Plans are referred to in this
Agreement as Company Options), the weighted
average exercise price of such Company Options is $24.62 and
4,219,928 such Company Options are vested and exercisable;
(ii) 6,528,501 shares of Company Common Stock are
available for future grant under the Company Stock Option Plans
and (iii) 3,173,195 shares of Company Common Stock are
issuable under the Company Purchase Plans.
Section 2.2(c)(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter
sets forth a list of each outstanding Non-Employee Option:
(a) the particular Company Stock Option Plan (if any)
pursuant to which any such Non-Employee Option was granted
(b) the name of the holder of such Non-Employee Option,
(c) the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to
such Non-Employee Option, (d) the exercise price of such
Non-Employee Option, (e) the date on which such
Non-Employee Option was granted or issued, (f) the
applicable vesting schedule, if any, and the extent to which
such Non-Employee Option is vested and exercisable as of the
date hereof, and (g) the date on which such Non-Employee
Option expires. All shares of Company Common Stock subject to
issuance under the Company Stock Option Plans and the Company
Purchase Plans, upon issuance on the terms and conditions
specified in the instruments pursuant to which they are
issuable, would be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid
and nonassessable. Except as set forth in
Section 2.2(c)(ii) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
there are no commitments or agreements of any character to which
the Company is bound obligating the Company to accelerate the
vesting of any Company Option as a result of the Merger (whether
alone or upon the occurrence of any additional or subsequent
events). There are no outstanding or authorized stock
appreciation, profit participation or other similar rights with
respect to the Company.
(d) Voting Debt. No bonds, debentures, notes
or other indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
(i) having the right to vote on any matters on which
stockholders may vote (or which is convertible into, or
exchangeable for, securities having such right) or (ii) the
value of which is any way based upon or derived from capital or
voting stock of the Company, are issued or outstanding as of the
date hereof (collectively, Voting Debt).
(e) Other Securities. Except as otherwise set
forth in Section 2.2(c) or Section 2.2(e)
of the Company Disclosure Letter, as of the date hereof,
there are no securities, options, warrants, calls, rights,
contracts, commitments, agreements, instruments, arrangements,
understandings, obligations or undertakings of any kind to which
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which
any of them is bound obligating the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to (including on a deferred basis) issue, deliver
or sell, or cause to be issued, delivered or sold, additional
shares of capital stock, Voting Debt or other voting securities
of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or obligating the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries to issue, grant, extend or
enter into any such security, option, warrant, call, right,
commitment, agreement, instrument, arrangement, understanding,
obligation or undertaking. Except for shares of Company Unvested
Common Stock, there are no outstanding Contracts of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries to (i) repurchase, redeem or
otherwise acquire any shares of capital stock of, or other
equity or voting interests in, the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or (ii) dispose of any shares of the capital
stock of, or other equity or voting interests in, any of its
Subsidiaries. The Company is not a party to any voting agreement
with respect to shares of the capital stock of, or other equity
or voting interests in, the
Annex A-7
Company or any of its Subsidiaries and, to the Knowledge of the
Company, other than the Voting Agreements and the irrevocable
proxies granted pursuant to the Voting Agreements, there are no
irrevocable proxies and no voting agreements, voting trusts,
rights plans, anti-takeover plans or registration rights
agreements with respect to any shares of the capital stock of,
or other equity or voting interests in, the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries. For purposes of this Agreement, Legal
Requirements shall mean any federal, state, local,
municipal, foreign or other law, statute, constitution,
principle of common law, resolution, ordinance, code, order,
edict, decree, directive, rule, regulation, ruling or
requirement issued, enacted, adopted, promulgated, implemented
or otherwise put into effect by or under the authority of any
Governmental Entity.
2.3 Authority; No Conflict;
Necessary Consents.
(a) Authority. The Company has all requisite
power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to
consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, subject, in the
case of consummation of the Merger, to obtaining the approval
and adoption of this Agreement and the approval of the Merger by
the Companys stockholders as contemplated in
Section 5.2. The execution and delivery of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
action on the part of the Company and no further action is
required on the part of the Company to authorize the execution
and delivery of this Agreement or to consummate the Merger and
the other transactions contemplated hereby, subject only to the
approval and adoption of this Agreement and the approval of the
Merger by the Companys stockholders and the filing of the
Certificate of Merger pursuant to Delaware Law. The affirmative
vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of
Company Common Stock is the only vote of the holders of any
class or series of Company capital stock necessary to approve or
adopt this Agreement, approve the Merger and consummate the
Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby. The Board
of Directors of the Company has, by resolution adopted by
unanimous vote at a meeting of all Directors duly called and
held and not subsequently rescinded or modified in any way
(except as is permitted pursuant to Section 5.3(d)
hereof) duly (i) determined that the Merger is fair to,
and in the best interest of, the Company and its stockholders
and declared the Merger to be advisable, (ii) approved this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including
the Merger, and (iii) recommended that the stockholders of
the Company approve and adopt this Agreement and approve the
Merger and directed that such matter be submitted to the
Companys stockholders at the Company Stockholders
Meeting. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by
the Company and assuming due authorization, execution and
delivery by Parent and Merger Sub, constitutes the valid and
binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the
Company in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws
relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors
generally and to general principles of equity.
(b) No Conflict. The execution and delivery
by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby, will not (i) conflict
with or violate any provision of the Company Charter Documents
or any Subsidiary Charter Documents of any Subsidiary of the
Company, (ii) subject to obtaining the approval and
adoption of this Agreement and the approval of the Merger by the
Companys stockholders as contemplated in
Section 5.2 and compliance with the requirements set
forth in Section 2.3(c), conflict with or violate in
any material respect any material Legal Requirement applicable
to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective
properties or assets (whether tangible or intangible) is bound
or affected, or (iii) result in any material breach of or
constitute a material default (or an event that with notice or
lapse of time or both would become a material default) under, or
materially impair the Companys rights or alter the rights
or obligations of any third party under, or give to others any
rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation
of, or result in the creation of a Lien on any of the properties
or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to,
any Company Material Contract. Section 2.3(b) of the
Company Disclosure Letter also lists any additional consents,
waivers and approvals under any of the Companys or any of
its Subsidiarys Contracts required to be obtained in
connection with the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby, which, if individually or in the
Annex A-8
aggregate not obtained, would reasonably be expected to result
in a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
(c) Necessary Consents. No consent, waiver,
approval, order or authorization of, or registration,
declaration or filing with any supranational, national, state,
municipal, local or foreign government, any instrumentality,
subdivision, court, administrative agency or commission or other
governmental authority or instrumentality, or any
quasi-governmental or private body exercising any regulatory,
taxing, importing or other governmental or quasi-governmental
authority (a Governmental Entity) or any
other Person is required to be obtained or made by the Company
in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement
or the consummation of the Merger and other transactions
contemplated hereby and thereby, except for (i) the filing
of the Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the
State of Delaware and appropriate documents with the relevant
authorities of other states in which the Company and/or Parent
are qualified to do business, (ii) the filing of the Proxy
Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
SEC) in accordance with the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange
Act), (iii) the filing of the Notification and
Report Forms with the United States Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) and the Antitrust Division of the
United States Department of Justice (DOJ)
required by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements
Act of 1976, as amended (HSR Act)and the
expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under
the HSR Act and such consents, waivers, approvals, orders,
authorizations, registrations, declarations and filings as may
be required under the foreign merger control regulations
identified in Section 2.3(c) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, and (iv) such other consents, waivers,
approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations
and filings which if not obtained or made would not be material
to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or Parent
and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or materially adversely
affect the ability of the parties hereto to consummate the
Merger within the time frame in which the Merger would otherwise
be consummated in the absence of the need for such consent,
waiver, approval, order, authorization, registration,
declaration or filing. The consents, approvals, orders,
authorizations, registrations, declarations and filings set
forth in (i) through (iv) are referred to herein as
the Necessary Consents.
2.4 SEC Filings; Financial
Statements; Internal Controls.
(a) SEC Filings. The Company has filed all
required registration statements, prospectuses, reports,
schedules, forms, statements and other documents (including
exhibits and all other information incorporated by reference)
required to be filed by it with the SEC since January 1,
2002. All such required registration statements, prospectuses,
reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents
(including those that the Company may file subsequent to the
date hereof) are referred to herein as the Company SEC
Reports. As of their respective dates, the Company SEC
Reports (i) were prepared (other than preliminary proxy
materials) in accordance and complied in all material respects
with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the Securities Act), or the Exchange Act, as
the case may be, and the rules and regulations of the SEC
thereunder applicable to such Company SEC Reports and
(ii) did not at the time they were filed (or if amended or
superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement then
on the date of such filing) contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading. None of the Companys Subsidiaries is
required to file any forms, reports or other documents with the
SEC. The Company has made available to Parent true, correct and
complete copies of all correspondence between the SEC, on the
one hand, and the Company and any of its Subsidiaries, on the
other, since January 1, 2002, including all SEC comment
letters and responses to such comment letters by or on behalf of
the Company. To the Companys Knowledge, as of the date
hereof, none of the Company SEC Documents is the subject of
ongoing SEC review or outstanding SEC comment. The Company and,
to the Knowledge of the Company, each of its officers and
directors are in compliance with, and have complied, in each
case in all material respects with (i) the applicable
provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the related
rules and regulations promulgated under or pursuant to such act
and (ii) the applicable listing and corporate governance
rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange.
Annex A-9
(b) Financial Statements. Each of the
consolidated financial statements (including, in each case, any
related notes thereto) contained in the Company SEC Reports (the
Company Financials), including each Company
SEC Report filed after the date hereof until the Closing:
(i) complied as to form in all material respects with the
published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto,
(ii) was prepared in accordance with United States
generally accepted accounting principles
(GAAP) applied on a consistent basis
throughout the periods involved (except as may be indicated in
the notes thereto or, in the case of unaudited interim financial
statements, as may be permitted by the SEC on Form 10-Q,
8-K or any successor form under the Exchange Act), and
(iii) fairly and accurately presented in all material
respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and
its consolidated Subsidiaries as at the respective dates thereof
and the consolidated results of the Companys operations
and cash flows for the periods indicated. As of the date hereof,
the Company does not intend to restate any of the Company
Financials. The balance sheet of the Company contained in the
Company SEC Reports as of April 1, 2005 is hereinafter
referred to as the Company Balance Sheet.
Except as disclosed in the Company Financials, since the date of
the Company Balance Sheet, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries has any liabilities (absolute, accrued, contingent
or otherwise) of a nature required to be disclosed on a
consolidated balance sheet or in the related notes to the
consolidated financial statement prepared in accordance with
GAAP, except for (i) liabilities incurred since the date of
the Company Balance Sheet in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice and (ii) liabilities that are
not reasonably expected to be material to the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole. The Company has not had any
dispute with any of its auditors regarding accounting matters or
policies during any of its past three full years or during the
current fiscal year-to-date which was required to be reported to
the Companys Board of Directors. The books and records of
the Company and each Subsidiary have been, and are being
maintained in all material respects in accordance with
applicable legal and accounting requirements and the Financial
Statements are consistent with such books and records. Except as
set forth in Section 2.4(b) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is a party to, or has any commitment to become a
party to, any joint venture, off-balance sheet partnership or
any similar Contract relating to any transaction or relationship
between or among the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the
one hand, and any unconsolidated affiliate, including any
structured finance, special purpose or limited purpose Person,
on the other hand, or any off-balance sheet
arrangements (as defined in Item 303(a) of
Regulation S-K of the SEC).
(c) Internal Controls. The Company and each
of its Significant Subsidiaries has established and maintains,
adheres to and enforces a system of internal controls which are
effective in providing assurance regarding the reliability of
financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements
in accordance with GAAP (including the Company Financials).
Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (including any
Employee thereof) nor, to the Companys Knowledge, the
Companys independent auditors has identified or been made
aware of (i) any material weakness in the system of
internal controls utilized by the Company and its Subsidiaries,
(ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves the
Companys management or other Employees who have a role in
the preparation of financial statements or the internal controls
utilized by the Company and its Subsidiaries or (iii) any
claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing.
2.5 Absence of Certain
Changes or Events. Except as set forth in
Section 2.5 of the Company Disclosure Letter, since
the date of the Company Balance Sheet through the date hereof,
there has not been, accrued or arisen:
(a) any Material Adverse Effect on the Company;
(b) any acquisition by the Company or any Subsidiary of, or
agreement by the Company or any Subsidiary to acquire by merging
or consolidating with, or by purchasing any assets or equity
securities of, or by any other manner, any business or
corporation, partnership, association or other business
organization or division thereof, or other acquisition or
agreement to acquire any assets or any equity securities that
are material, individually or in the aggregate, to the business
of the Company;
Annex A-10
(c) any Contract, agreement in principle, letter of intent,
memorandum of understanding or similar agreement with respect to
any material joint venture, strategic partnership or alliance;
(d) any declaration, setting aside or payment of any
dividend on, or other distribution (whether in cash, stock or
property) in respect of, any of the Companys or any of its
Subsidiaries capital stock, or any purchase, redemption or
other acquisition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of
any of the Companys capital stock or any other securities
of the Company or its Subsidiaries or any options, warrants,
calls or rights to acquire any such shares or other securities
except for repurchases from Employees following their
termination pursuant to the terms of their pre-existing stock
option or purchase agreements;
(e) any split, combination or reclassification of any of
the Companys or any of its Subsidiaries capital
stock;
(f) any granting by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
whether orally or in writing, of any increase in compensation or
fringe benefits (except for normal increases of cash
compensation to current non-officer employees in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice) or any payment
by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any bonus (except
for bonuses made to current non-officer employees in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice) or
any change by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of
severance, termination or bonus policies and practices or any
entry by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries into any
currently effective employment, severance, termination or
indemnification agreement or any agreement the benefits of which
are contingent or the terms of which are materially altered upon
the occurrence of a transaction involving the Company of the
nature contemplated hereby (either alone or upon the occurrence
of additional or subsequent events;
(g) any amendment, termination or consent with respect to
any Company Material Contract, other than in the ordinary course
of business, consistent with past practice;
(h) entry into any material customer Contract that contains
any material non-standard terms, including but not limited to,
non-standard discounts, provisions for unpaid future
deliverables, non-standard service requirements or future
royalty payments other than as is consistent with past practice;
(i) any material change by the Company in its accounting
methods, principles or practices, except as required by
concurrent changes in GAAP;
(j) any debt, capital lease or other debt or equity
financing transaction by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
or entry into any agreement by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries in connection with any such transaction, except for
capital lease and receivables financings entered into in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice which
are not individually or in the aggregate material to the Company
and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(k) any grants of any material refunds, credits, rebates or
other allowances by the Company to any end user, customer,
reseller or distributor, in each case, other than in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;
(l) any material change in the level of product returns or
factors influencing accounts receivable or warranty reserves
experienced by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(m) any material restructuring activities by the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries, including any material reductions in
force, lease terminations, restructuring of contracts or similar
actions;
(n) any sale, lease, license, encumbrance or other
disposition of any properties or assets except the sale, lease,
license or disposition of property or assets which are not
material, individually or in the aggregate, to the business of
the Company or the licenses of current Company Products, in each
case, in the ordinary course of business and in a manner
consistent with past practice;
(o) any loan or extension of credit by the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries to any Person other than in the ordinary
course of business and in a manner consistent with past practice;
Annex A-11
(p) any material purchases of fixed assets, spares or other
long-term assets other than in the ordinary course of business
and in a manner consistent with past practice;
(q) adoption of or change in any material election in
respect of Taxes, adoption or change in any material accounting
method in respect of Taxes, agreement or settlement of any
material claim or assessment in respect of Taxes, or extension
or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any claim or
assessment in respect of material Taxes;
(r) any material revaluation, or any indication that such a
revaluation was merited under GAAP, by the Company of any of its
assets, including, without limitation, writing down the value of
capitalized inventory, spares, long term or short-term
investments, fixed assets, goodwill, intangible assets, deferred
tax assets, or writing off notes or accounts receivable other
than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past
practice; or
(s) any significant deficiency or material weakness
identified in the system of internal controls utilized by the
Company and its Subsidiaries.
2.6 Taxes.
(a) Definition of Taxes. For the purposes of
this Agreement, the term Tax or,
collectively, Taxes shall mean any and all
federal, state, local and foreign taxes, assessments and other
governmental charges, duties, impositions and liabilities
relating to taxes, including taxes based upon or measured by
gross receipts, income, profits, sales, use and occupation, and
value added, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, withholding,
payroll, recapture, employment, excise and property taxes as
well as public imposts, fees and social security charges
(including health, unemployment, workers compensation and
pension insurance), together with all interest, penalties and
additions imposed with respect to such amounts and any
obligations under any agreements or arrangements with any other
person with respect to such amounts and including any liability
for taxes of a predecessor entity.
(b) Tax Returns and Audits.
(i) The Company and each of its Significant Subsidiaries
have (a) timely filed or caused to be filed all federal,
state, local and foreign returns, estimates, information
statements and reports (Returns) relating to
material Taxes required to be filed by the Company or any of its
Significant Subsidiaries, and such Returns are true and correct
and have been completed in accordance with applicable Legal
Requirements in all material respects and (b) timely paid
or withheld (and timely paid over any withheld amounts to the
appropriate Governmental Entity) all material Taxes required to
be paid or withheld whether or not shown as due on any Return,
other than material Taxes for which an adequate reserve has been
accrued or established on the Company Financials.
(ii) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
any material Tax deficiency outstanding, assessed or proposed in
writing against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor has
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries executed any waiver of
any statute of limitations on or extending the period for the
assessment or collection of any Tax.
(iii) No audit or other examination of any Return of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries relating to any material Tax
is presently in progress, nor has the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries been notified in writing of any request for such an
audit or other examination.
(iv) No material adjustment relating to any Return filed by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has been proposed by any
Tax authority to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any
representative thereof that remains unpaid.
(v) Neither the Company nor any of its Significant
Subsidiaries has constituted either a distributing
corporation or a controlled corporation in a
distribution of stock occurring during the last three
(3) years intended to qualify for tax-free treatment under
Section 355 of the Code.
Annex A-12
(vi) None of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has
engaged in a transaction that the Internal Revenue Service has
identified by notice, regulation, or other form of published
guidance as a listed transaction, as set forth in Treasury
Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b)(2).
(vii) The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries are in
compliance in all material respects with all terms and
conditions of any material Tax exemption, Tax holiday or other
Tax reduction agreement or order of a territorial or
non-U.S. government and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not have any
adverse effect on the continued validity and effectiveness of
any such Tax exemption, Tax holiday or other Tax reduction
agreement or order.
(c) Executive Compensation Tax. Except as set
forth in Section 2.6(c) of the Company Disclosure
Letter, there is no contract, agreement, plan or arrangement to
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party,
including the provisions of this Agreement, covering any
Employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which,
individually or collectively, could give rise to the payment of
any amount that would not be deductible pursuant to
Sections 280G, 404 or 162(m) of the Code.
2.7 Title to
Properties.
(a) Properties. Section 2.7(a)(i)
of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of all
real property currently owned by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (the Owned Real Property).
Except for the Owned Real Property currently owned by the
Company or its Subsidiaries, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries has owned any real property during the last five
years. Section 2.7(a)(ii) of the Company Disclosure
Letter sets forth a list of all real property currently leased,
licensed or subleased by the Company or any of its Significant
Subsidiaries and any other material real property currently
leased, licensed or subleased by any of the Companys
Subsidiaries or otherwise used or occupied by the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries (the Leased Real
Property). The Owned Real Property and the Leased Real
Property shall be collectively referred to herein as the
Real Property. All such current leases which
are material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a
whole are in full force and effect, are valid and effective in
accordance with their respective terms, and there is not, under
any of such leases, any existing default or event of default (or
event which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would
constitute a default). Except as set forth in
Section 2.7(a)(iii)of the Company Disclosure Letter,
no parties other than the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
have a right to occupy any material Real Property. Neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries will be required to incur
any material cost or expense for any restoration or surrender
obligations, or any other costs otherwise qualifying as asset
retirement obligations under Financial Accounting Standards
Board Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 143
Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations, upon
the expiration or earlier termination of any leases or other
occupancy agreements for the Real Property.
(b) Documents. The Company has made available
to Parent true, correct and complete copies of all material
leases, lease guaranties, agreements for the leasing, use or
occupancy of, or otherwise granting a right in or relating to
the Real Property, including all amendments, terminations and
modifications thereof (Lease Documents); and
there are no other Lease Documents affecting the Real Property
or to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound,
other than those identified in Section 2.7(b) of the
Company Disclosure Letter.
(c) Owned Real Property. The Company or its
Subsidiaries owns the Owned Real Property free and clear of all
Liens, except for Liens for taxes not yet due or delinquent or
being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings for
which reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP or
for Liens which do not in any material respect detract from the
value or interfere with the present use of the property subject
thereto or affected thereby.
(d) Valid Title. The Company and each of its
Subsidiaries has good and valid title to, or, in the case of
leased properties and assets, valid leasehold interests in, all
of its material tangible properties and assets, real, personal
and mixed, used or held for use in its business, free and clear
of any Liens except (i) as reflected in the Company Balance
Sheet, (ii) Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable, and
(iii) such imperfections of title and encumbrances, if any,
which do not in any material respect detract
Annex A-13
from the value or interfere with the present use of the property
subject thereto or affected thereby. The rights, properties and
assets presently owned, leased or licensed by the Company and
its Subsidiaries include all rights, properties and assets
necessary to permit the Company and its Subsidiaries to conduct
their business in all material respects in the same manner as
their businesses have been conducted prior to the date hereof.
2.8 Intellectual
Property.
(a) Definitions. For all purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
respective meanings:
Company Intellectual Property shall
mean any and all Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property
Rights that are owned by or exclusively licensed to, the Company
or its Subsidiaries.
Company Products shall mean all
products, technologies and services developed (including
products, technologies and services under development), owned,
made, provided, distributed, imported, sold or licensed by or on
behalf of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries.
Company Registered Intellectual
Property shall mean the applications,
registrations and filings for material Intellectual Property
Rights that have been registered, filed, certified or otherwise
perfected or recorded, and that have not been abandoned, with or
by any Governmental Entity by or in the name of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries.
Intellectual Property shall mean any
or all of the following (i) works of authorship including
computer programs, source code, and executable code, whether
embodied in software, firmware or otherwise, architecture,
documentation, designs, files, records, and data,
(ii) inventions (whether or not patentable), discoveries,
improvements, and technology, (iii) proprietary and
confidential information, trade secrets and know how,
(iv) databases, data compilations and collections and
technical data, (v) logos, trade names, trade dress,
trademarks and service marks, (vi) domain names, web
addresses and sites, (vii) tools, methods and processes,
(viii) devices, prototypes, schematics, breadboards,
netlists, maskworks, test methodologies, verilog files,
emulation and simulation reports, test vectors and hardware
development tools, and (ix) any and all instantiations of
the foregoing in any form and embodied in any media.
Intellectual Property Rights shall
mean worldwide common law and statutory rights associated with
(i) patents, patent applications and inventors
certificates, (ii) copyrights, copyright registrations and
copyright applications, moral rights and mask work
rights, (iii) the protection of trade and industrial
secrets and confidential information (Trade
Secrets), (iv) other proprietary rights relating
to intangible intellectual property, (v) trademarks, trade
names and service marks, (vi) divisions, continuations,
renewals, reissuances and extensions of the foregoing (as
applicable) and (vii) analogous rights to those set forth
above, including the right to enforce and recover remedies for
any of the foregoing.
Shrink-Wrapped Code means generally
commercially available software code (other than development
tools and development environments) where available for a cost
of not more than U.S. $10,000 for a perpetual license for a
single user or work station (or $75,000 in the aggregate for all
users and work stations).
Source Code shall mean computer
software and code, in form other than object code form,
including related programmer comments and annotations, help
text, data and data structures, instructions and procedural,
object-oriented and other code, which may be printed out or
displayed in human readable form.
(b) No Default/ No Conflict. All Contracts
relating to either (i) Company Intellectual Property that
is material to the business of the Company as conducted as of or
prior to the Closing Date, or (ii) Intellectual Property or
Intellectual Property Rights of a third Person licensed to the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is material to the
business of the Company as conducted as of or prior to the
Closing Date, are in full force and effect, and enforceable in
accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to
or affecting the
Annex A-14
rights and remedies of creditors generally and to general
principles of equity. The consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement will neither materially violate
nor by their terms result in the material breach, modification,
cancellation, termination, suspension of, or acceleration of any
payments with respect to, such Contracts. Each of the Company
and its Subsidiaries is in material compliance with, and has not
materially breached any term of any such Contracts and, to the
Knowledge of the Company, all other parties to such Contracts
are in compliance with, and have not materially breached any
term of, such Contracts. Following the Closing Date, the
Surviving Corporation will be permitted to exercise all of the
Companys and its Subsidiaries material rights under
such Contracts to the same extent the Company and its
Subsidiaries would have been able to had the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement not occurred and without the
payment of any additional amounts or consideration other than
ongoing fees, royalties or payments which the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries would otherwise be required to pay.
(c) No Infringement. The operation of the
business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as conducted as of
or prior to the Closing Date , including the design,
development, use, import, branding, advertising, promotion,
marketing, manufacture and sale of any Company Product does not
materially infringe or misappropriate any Intellectual Property
Rights of any Person, violate any right to privacy or publicity,
or constitute unfair competition or trade practices under the
laws of any jurisdiction.
(d) Notice. Except as set forth in
Section 2.8(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received in
the last three years written notice (which notice has not been
rescinded) from any Person claiming that any Company Product or
Company Intellectual Property materially infringes or
misappropriates any Intellectual Property Rights of any Person
or constitutes unfair competition or trade practices under the
laws of any jurisdiction (nor does the Company have Knowledge of
any basis therefor).
(e) Transaction. Neither this Agreement nor
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including any
assignment to Parent by operation of law as a result of the
Merger of any contracts or agreements to which the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries is a party, will result in:
(i) Parent, any of its subsidiaries or the Surviving
Corporation granting to any third party any incremental right to
or with respect to any Intellectual Property Rights owned by, or
licensed to, any of them, (ii) Parent, any of its
subsidiaries or the Surviving Corporation, being bound by, or
subject to, any incremental non-compete or other incremental
material restriction on the operation or scope of their
respective businesses, or (iii) Parent, any of its
subsidiaries or the Surviving Corporation being obligated to pay
any incremental royalties or other material amounts, or offer
any incremental discounts, to any third party. As used in this
Section 2.8(e), an incremental right,
non-compete, restriction, royalty or discount refers to a right,
non-compete, restriction, royalty or discount, as applicable, in
excess of the rights, non-competes, restrictions, royalties or
discounts payable that would have been required to be offered or
granted, as applicable, had the parties not entered into this
agreement or consummated the transactions contemplated hereby.
(f) Intellectual Property. Each of the
Company and its Subsidiaries has taken commercially reasonable
steps to obtain, maintain and protect the Company Intellectual
Property. Without limiting the foregoing, each of the Company
and its Subsidiaries has, and enforces, a policy requiring each
current and former employee, consultant and contractor to
execute sufficient proprietary information and confidentiality
agreements and there has been no material deviation from the
policy described in the previous sentence in the past five years
with respect to any current or former employees, consultants and
contractors of the Company or any Subsidiary that have created
any material Company Intellectual Property.
Section 2.8(f) of the Company Disclosure Letter
lists all Company Registered Intellectual Property.
(g) No Order. No Company Intellectual
Property or Company Product is subject to any proceeding or
outstanding decree, order, judgment, settlement agreement,
forbearance to sue, consent, stipulation or similar obligation
that restricts in any manner the use, transfer or licensing
thereof by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or may affect
the validity, use or enforceability of such Company Intellectual
Property or Company Product.
(h) Open Source. Each of the Company and its
Subsidiaries has established a commercially reasonable policy
that is designed: (i) to identify software obtained by
Company under open source, public
Annex A-15
source, or freeware software licenses, including any version of
any software licensed pursuant to any GNU general public license
or limited general public license or other software that is
licensed pursuant to a license that purports to require the
distribution of or access to Source Code or purports to restrict
ones ability to charge for distribution of or to use
software for commercial purposes (collectively Open
Source), used in, incorporated into, integrated or
bundled with, or used in the development or compilation of, any
current Company Products, and (ii) to avoid the unintended
release of the source code of the Companys Intellectual
Property. Section 2.8(h) of the Company Disclosure
Letter sets forth a list of all material Open Source that is
included in, or provided or distributed with any current Company
Product. There has been no material deviation from or violation
of the Companys policies with respect to Open Source.
(i) Source Code. Except for Contracts entered
into in the ordinary course of business, Section 2.8(i)
of the Company Disclosure Letter identifies each Contract
pursuant to which the Company has deposited, or is or may be
required to deposit, with an escrow agent or any other Person,
any Source Code that is Company Intellectual Property, and
describes whether the execution of this Agreement or any of the
other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, could
reasonably result in a release from escrow of any Source Code
that is Company Intellectual Property and the grant of
incremental rights to a Person with regard to such Source Code.
No event has occurred, and no circumstance or condition exists,
that (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) will, or
would reasonably be expected to, result in the disclosure or
delivery by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any Person
acting on their behalf to any Person of any Source Code that is
Company Intellectual Property under any Contract listed in
Section 2.8(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter.
(j) Licenses-In. Other than (i) licenses
to Shrink-Wrapped Code, (ii) licenses to Open Source as set
forth in Section 2.8(h) of the Company Disclosure
Letter and (iii) non-disclosure agreements entered into in
the ordinary course of business, Section 2.8(j) of
the Company Disclosure Letter lists all Contracts that are
material to the business of the Company to which the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries is a party and under which the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries has been granted or provided any
material rights to Intellectual Property or Intellectual
Property Rights by a third party.
(k) Licenses-Out. Other than (i) written
non-disclosure agreements and (ii) non-exclusive licenses
and related agreements with respect thereto (including software
and maintenance and support agreements) of current Company
Products to end-users (in each case, pursuant to written
agreements that have been entered into in the ordinary course of
business that do not materially differ in substance from the
Companys standard form(s) (as such form(s) existed at the
time of such licenses or agreements), Section 2.8(k)
of the Company Disclosure Letter lists all contracts,
licenses and agreements related to Company Intellectual Property
or Company Products to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party and under which the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries has generated more than $5,000,000 in revenue
in a fiscal quarter in any of the last three fiscal years.
(l) Customer Information. The Company and
each of its Subsidiaries has ownership, free and clear of any
Liens or the right to use, of all customer lists, customer
contact information, customer correspondence and customer
licensing and purchasing histories relating to its current and
former customers (the Customer Information).
No person other than the Company, its wholly owned Subsidiaries,
or Persons distributing Company Products through channels
(whether by way of sales, licensing, leasing or otherwise)
possess any claims or rights with respect to use of the Customer
Information.
2.9 Restrictions on Business
Activities. Except as set forth in
Section 2.9 of the Company Disclosure Letter,
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is party to or
bound by any Contract containing any covenant (a) limiting
in any material respect the right of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to engage in any line of business, to make use of
any material Company Intellectual Property or compete with any
Person in any material line of business, (b) granting any
exclusive distribution rights, or (c) otherwise material
and adverse to the right of the Company and its Subsidiaries to
sell, distribute or manufacture any Company Products or material
Company Intellectual Property or to purchase or
Annex A-16
otherwise obtain any material software, components, parts or
subassemblies. Section 2.9 of the Company Disclosure
Letter lists any Contract between the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries with one of the Companys top
25 customers by revenue for the last fiscal year that
provides most favored nation or other preferential
pricing terms for current Company Products. Except as set forth
on Section 2.9 of the Company Disclosure Letter,
neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is
party to or bound by any Contract with one of the Companys
top 25 customers by revenue for the last fiscal year containing
any covenant providing any third party preferential pricing
terms for current Company Products and granting such third party
any of the following rights: (i) the right to audit Company
records and contracts for the purpose of invoking a preferential
pricing or most favored nation clause; (ii) the
right to receive preferential pricing despite purchasing lower
volumes of Company Product or purchasing Company Products
pursuant to contractual terms that are dissimilar to those of
other Company customers; or (iii) the right to receive
retroactive credits or other liquidated damages in the event
Company breaches such preferential pricing terms.
2.10 Governmental
Authorizations. Each material consent, license, permit,
grant or other authorization (i) pursuant to which the
Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries currently
operates or holds any material interest in any of their
respective material properties, or (ii) which is required
for the operation of the Companys or any of its
Significant Subsidiaries business as currently conducted
or the holding of any such interest (collectively,
Governmental Authorizations) has been issued
or granted to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as the
case may be. The Governmental Authorizations are in full force
and effect. As of the date hereof, no suspension or cancellation
of any of the Governmental Authorizations is pending or, to the
Knowledge of the Company, threatened. The Company and its
Significant Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material
respects with the terms of the Governmental Authorizations. The
Subsidiaries of the Company that are not Significant
Subsidiaries hold and are in compliance with all consents,
licenses, permits, grants or other authorizations necessary for
the conduct of their business except as would not reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
2.11 Litigation.
Except as set forth in Section 2.11 of the Company
Disclosure Letter, there is no material action, suit, claim or
proceeding pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company,
threatened against the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any
of their respective properties (tangible or intangible). Except
as set forth in Section 2.11 of the Company
Disclosure Letter, there is no material investigation or other
proceeding pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company,
threatened against the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any
of their respective properties (tangible or intangible) by or
before any Governmental Entity. Except as set forth in
Section 2.11 of the Company Disclosure Letter, there
has not been since January 1, 2003, nor are there
currently, any internal investigations or inquiries being
conducted by the Company, the Companys Board of Directors
(or any committee thereof) or any third party at the request of
any of the foregoing concerning any financial, accounting, tax,
conflict of interest, illegal activity, fraudulent or deceptive
conduct or other misfeasance or malfeasance issues.
2.12 Compliance with
Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its Significant
Subsidiaries is in violation or default in any material respect
of any Legal Requirements applicable in any material respect to
the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or by which
the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any of
their respective properties is bound or affected. None of the
Companys Subsidiaries that are not Significant
Subsidiaries is in violation or default of any Legal
Requirements applicable to such Subsidiary or by which it or its
properties is bound or affected, except as would not reasonably
be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
There is no agreement, judgment, injunction, order or decree
binding upon the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries
which has or would reasonably be expected to have the effect of
prohibiting or impairing any business practice of the Company or
any of its Significant Subsidiaries in such a way as to be
material and adverse to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken
as a whole. There is no agreement, judgment, injunction, order
or decree binding upon any Subsidiary of the Company that is not
a Significant Subsidiary which would reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company.
Annex A-17
2.13 Environmental
Matters.
(a) Hazardous Material. Except as would not
be reasonably likely to result in a material liability to the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, neither the Company nor any
of its Subsidiaries has: (i) operated any underground
storage tanks at any property that the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries has at any time owned, operated, occupied or
leased, or (ii) released any amount of any substance that
has been designated by any Governmental Entity or by applicable
foreign, federal, state or local law to be radioactive, toxic,
hazardous or otherwise a danger to health or the environment,
including, without limitation, PCBs, asbestos, petroleum, toxic
mold, urea-formaldehyde and all substances listed as hazardous
substances pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, or defined
as a hazardous waste pursuant to the United States Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended, and the
regulations promulgated pursuant to said laws, but excluding
office and janitorial supplies properly and safely maintained,
(a Hazardous Material). Except as would not
be reasonably likely to result in a material liability to the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, no Hazardous Materials are
present, as a result of the actions of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, or, to the Companys Knowledge, as a result
of any actions of any affiliate of the Company or any third
party or otherwise, in, on or under any property, including the
land and the improvements, ground water and surface water
thereof, that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has at any
time owned, operated, occupied or leased. Neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries currently sells any material
products for which it is required to pay a waste fee under
California law. To the Knowledge of the Company, there are no
facts or circumstances likely to prevent or delay the ability of
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to comply in all material
respects, when required, with the Restrictions on the Use of
Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (2002/95/ EC) Directive and the Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment Directive (2002/96/ EC).
(b) Hazardous Materials Activities. Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has transported, stored,
used, recycled, manufactured, disposed of, released, removed or
exposed its Employees or others to Hazardous Materials or
manufactured or distributed for sale any product containing a
Hazardous Material (collectively Hazardous Materials
Activities) in violation in any material respect of
any Legal Requirement or in a manner which has caused or could
reasonably be expected to cause a material adverse health effect
to any such person.
(c) Permits. The Company and its Subsidiaries
currently hold all Permits necessary for the conduct of their
Hazardous Material Activities as such activities and businesses
are currently being conducted (the Company
Environmental Permits), except for Permits, the
absence of which could not reasonably be expected to result in a
material liability for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(d) Environmental Liabilities. No legal
action, governmental proceeding, permit revocation proceeding,
permit amendment procedure, writ, injunction or claim is
pending, or to the Companys Knowledge threatened against
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries concerning any Company
Environmental Permit, Hazardous Material or any Hazardous
Materials Activity of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
The Company is not aware of any fact or circumstance, which
could result in any environmental liability which could
reasonably be expected to be material to the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole. Except as would not be reasonably
likely to result in a material liability to the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries, neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries have entered into any agreement that may require it
to guarantee, reimburse, pledge, defend, hold harmless or
indemnify any other Person with respect to liabilities arising
out of the Hazardous Materials Activities or environmental
liabilities of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or of any
other Person.
2.14 Brokers and
Finders Fees. Except for fees payable to Evercore
Financial Advisors LLC pursuant to an engagement letter dated
May 16, 2005, a copy of which has been provided to Parent,
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred,
nor will it incur, directly or indirectly, any liability for
brokerage or finders fees or agents commissions,
fees related to investment banking or similar advisory services
or any similar charges in connection with this Agreement or any
transaction contemplated
Annex A-18
hereby, nor has the Company or any of its Subsidiaries entered
into any indemnification agreement or arrangement with any
Person in connection with this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby.
2.15 Transactions with
Affiliates. Except as set forth in the Company SEC
Reports, since the date of the Companys last proxy
statement filed with the SEC, no event has occurred as of the
date hereof that would be required to be reported by the Company
pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by
the SEC.
2.16 Employee Benefit Plans
and Compensation.
(a) Definitions. For all purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
respective meanings:
Company Employee Plan shall mean any
material plan, program, policy, practice, contract, agreement or
other arrangement providing for compensation, severance,
termination pay, deferred compensation, performance awards,
stock or stock-related awards, welfare benefits, retirement
benefits, fringe benefits or other employee benefits or
remuneration of any kind, whether written, unwritten or
otherwise, funded or unfunded, including each employee
benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of
ERISA which is or has been maintained, contributed to, or
required to be contributed to, by the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate for the benefit of any
Employee, or with respect to which the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate has or may have any
liability or obligation and any International Employee Plan.
COBRA shall mean the Consolidated
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended.
DOL shall mean the United States
Department of Labor.
Employee shall mean any current or
former employee, consultant, independent contractor or director
of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate.
Employee Agreement shall mean each
management, employment, severance, separation, settlement,
consulting, contractor, relocation, repatriation, expatriation,
loan, visa, work permit or other agreement, or contract
(including, any offer letter which provides for any term of
employment other than employment at will or any agreement
providing for acceleration of Company Options or Company
Unvested Common Stock, or any other agreement providing for
compensation or benefits) between the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate and any director or any
Employee pursuant to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries has or may have any current or future liabilities
or obligations in an amount that exceeds $150,000.
ERISA shall mean the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
ERISA Affiliate shall mean any other
Person under common control with the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c),
(m) or (o) of the Code, and the regulations issued
thereunder.
HIPAA shall mean the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended.
International Employee Plan shall mean
each Company Employee Plan or Employee Agreement that has been
adopted or maintained by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or
any ERISA Affiliate, whether formally or informally, or with
respect to which the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any
ERISA Affiliate will or may have any liability, for the benefit
of Employees who perform services outside the United States.
IRS shall mean the United States
Internal Revenue Service.
Pension Plan shall mean each Company
Employee Plan that is an employee pension benefit
plan, within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA.
Annex A-19
WARN shall mean the Worker Adjustment
and Retraining Notification Act.
(b) Schedule. Section 2.16(b)(i) of the
Company Disclosure Letter contains an accurate and complete list
of each Company Employee Plan and each Employee Agreement.
(c) Documents. The Company and each of its
Subsidiaries has made available to Parent (i) correct and
complete copies of all documents embodying each Company Employee
Plan and each Employee Agreement including all amendments
thereto and all related trust documents, (ii) the three
most recent annual reports (Form Series 5500 and all
schedules and financial statements attached thereto), if any,
required under ERISA or the Code in connection with each Company
Employee Plan, (iii) if the Company Employee Plan is
funded, the most recent annual and periodic accounting of
Company Employee Plan assets, (iv) the most recent summary
plan description together with the summary(ies) of material
modifications thereto, if any, required under ERISA with respect
to each Company Employee Plan, (v) all material written
agreements and contracts relating to each Company Employee Plan,
including administrative service agreements and group insurance
contracts, (vi) all communications material to any Employee
or Employees relating to any Company Employee Plan and any
proposed Company Employee Plan, in each case, relating to any
amendments, terminations, establishments, increases or decreases
in benefits, acceleration of payments or vesting schedules or
other events which would result in any liability to the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, (vii) all material
correspondence to or from any governmental agency relating to
any Company Employee Plan, (viii) forms of COBRA notices
and related outsourcing contracts, (ix) all policies
pertaining to fiduciary liability insurance covering the
fiduciaries for each Company Employee Plan, (x) all
discrimination tests for each Company Employee Plan for the
three most recent plan years, (xi) all registration
statements, annual reports (Form 11-K and all attachments
thereto) and prospectuses prepared in connection with each
Company Employee Plan, (xii) forms of HIPAA Privacy Notices
and forms of Business Associate Agreements to the extent
required under HIPAA and (xiii) the most recent IRS
determination or opinion letter issued with respect to each
Company Employee Plan.
(d) Employee Plan Compliance.
(i) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has performed
all material obligations required to be performed by them under,
is not in default or violation in any material respect of, and
the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has no Knowledge of any
material default or violation by any other party to, any Company
Employee Plan, and each Company Employee Plan has been
established and maintained in all material respects in
accordance with its terms and in material compliance with all
applicable laws, statutes, orders, rules and regulations,
including ERISA or the Code. Any Company Employee Plan intended
to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has
obtained a favorable determination letter (or opinion letter, if
applicable) as to its qualified status under the Code. Except as
set forth in Section 2.16(d)(i) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, to the Knowledge of the Company, no
prohibited transaction, within the meaning of
Section 4975 of the Code or Sections 406 and 407 of
ERISA, and not otherwise exempt under Section 408 of ERISA,
has occurred with respect to any Company Employee Plan.
(ii) Except as set forth in Section 2.16(d)(ii)
of the Company Disclosure Letter, there are no actions,
suits or claims pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company,
threatened or reasonably anticipated (other than routine claims
for benefits) against any Company Employee Plan or against the
assets of any Company Employee Plan. Each Company Employee Plan
can be amended, terminated or otherwise discontinued after the
Effective Time in accordance with its terms, without liability
to Parent, the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA
Affiliate (other than ordinary administration expenses or with
respect to benefits previously earned, vested or accrued
thereunder).
(iii) There are no audits, inquiries or proceedings pending
or to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened by the IRS, DOL,
or any other Governmental Entity with respect to any Company
Employee Plan. Neither the Company, any of its Subsidiaries nor
any ERISA Affiliate is subject to any penalty or Tax with
respect to any Company Employee Plan under Section 502(i)
of ERISA or Sections 4975 through 4980 of the Code.
Annex A-20
(iv) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have timely
made all contributions and other payments required by and due
under the terms of each Company Employee Plan.
(e) No Pension Plan. Neither the Company, any
of its Subsidiaries nor any current or former ERISA Affiliate
has ever maintained, established, sponsored, participated in, or
contributed to, any Pension Plan subject to Part 3 of
Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA, Title IV of ERISA
or Section 412 of the Code.
(f) Self-Funded Welfare Plan. Except as set
forth in Section 2.16(f) of the Company Disclosure
Letter, the latest financial or actuarial valuation of the
Companys self-funded medical and dental plans discloses
that, as of the effective date of the valuation, the aggregate
value of the premiums charged or accrued for such medical and
dental plans is equal to or greater than the aggregate value of
its liabilities assessed on an ongoing basis and calculated in
accordance with the actuarial methods and assumptions used in
such valuation pursuant to applicable Legal Requirements and
GAAP.
(g) Collectively Bargained, Multiemployer and
Multiple-Employer Plan. At no time has the Company, any
of its Subsidiaries or any ERISA Affiliate contributed to or
been obligated to contribute to any multiemployer plan (as
defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA). Neither the Company,
any of its Subsidiaries nor any ERISA Affiliate has at any time
ever maintained, established, sponsored, participated in or
contributed to any multiple employer plan or any plan described
in Section 413 of the Code.
(h) No Post-Employment Obligations. Except as
set forth in Section 2.16(h) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, no Company Employee Plan or Employee
Agreement provides, or reflects or represents any liability to
provide, post-termination or retiree life insurance, health or
other employee welfare benefits to any person for any reason,
except as may be required by COBRA or other applicable statute,
and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has ever
represented, promised or contracted (whether in oral or written
form) to any Employee (either individually or to Employees as a
group) or any other person that such Employee(s) or other person
would be provided with post-termination or retiree life
insurance, health or other employee welfare benefits, except to
the extent required by statute.
(i) Effect of Transaction. Except as set
forth in Section 2.16(i) of the Company Disclosure
Letter, neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or any
termination of employment or service in connection therewith
will (i) result in any payment (including severance, golden
parachute, bonus or otherwise), becoming due to any Employee,
(ii) result in any forgiveness of indebtedness,
(iii) materially increase any benefits otherwise payable by
the Company or any Subsidiary or (iv) result in the
acceleration of the time of payment or vesting of any such
benefits (including with regard to Company Options) except as
required under Section 411(d)(3) of the Code.
(j) Parachute Payments; 409A. Except as set
forth in Section 2.16(j)(i) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, there is no agreement, plan, arrangement or
other contract covering any Employee that, considered
individually or considered collectively with any other such
agreements, plans, arrangements or other contracts, will, or
could reasonably be expected to, give rise directly or
indirectly to the payment of any amount that would be
characterized as an excess parachute payment within
the meaning of Section (b)(2) of the Code. Except as set
forth in Section 2.16(j)(ii) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, there is no agreement, plan, arrangement or
other contract by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is bound to compensate any Employee for excise taxes paid
pursuant to Section 4999 of the Code.
Section 2.16(j)(iii) of the Company Disclosure
Letter lists all persons who the Company reasonably believes are
disqualified individuals (within the meaning of
Section of the Code and the regulations promulgated
thereunder) as determined as of the date hereof. Except as set
forth in Section 2.16(j)(iv) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, the Company is not party to any contract,
agreement or arrangement that is a nonqualified deferred
compensation plan subject to Section of the Code.
Prior to the date of this Agreement, the Company has not
undergone a change in ownership or effective control as defined
in Section of the Code and the regulations promulgated
thereunder.
Annex A-21
(k) Employment Matters. Except as is not
reasonably likely to result in a material liability to the
Company, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries is in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable Legal
Requirements respecting employment, employment practices, terms,
conditions and classifications of employment, employee safety
and health and wages and hours, and in each case, with respect
to Employees (i) is not liable for any arrears of wages,
severance pay or any Taxes or any penalty for failure to comply
with any of the foregoing, and (ii) is not liable for any
payment to any trust or other fund governed by or maintained by
or on behalf of any governmental authority, with respect to
unemployment compensation benefits, social security or other
benefits or obligations for Employees (other than routine
payments to be made in the normal course of business and
consistent with past practice). Except as set forth in
Section 2.16(k) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
there are no actions, suits, claims or administrative matters
pending, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened or
reasonably anticipated against the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries, or any of their Employees relating to any
Employee, Employee Agreement or Company Employee Plan. Except as
is not reasonably likely to result in a material liability to
the Company, there are no pending or, to the Knowledge of the
Company, threatened or reasonably anticipated claims or actions
against the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, any Company
trustee or any trustee of any Subsidiary under any workers
compensation policy or long-term disability policy. Except as
set forth in Section 2.16(k) of the Company
Disclosure Letter, the services provided by each of the
Companys, each Subsidiarys and their ERISA
Affiliates Employees are terminable at the will of the
Company and its ERISA Affiliates.
(l) Labor. No work stoppage or labor strike
against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is pending, or to
the Knowledge of the Company threatened. The Company has no
Knowledge of any activities or proceedings of any labor union to
organize any Employees. Except as set forth in
Section 2.16(l) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
there are no actions, suits, claims, labor disputes or
grievances pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company,
threatened or reasonably anticipated relating to any labor
matters involving any Employee, including charges of unfair
labor practices. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
has engaged in any unfair labor practices within the meaning of
the National Labor Relations Act. Neither the Company nor any of
its Subsidiaries is presently, nor has it been in the past, a
party to, or bound by, any collective bargaining agreement or
union contract with respect to Employees and no collective
bargaining agreement is being negotiated by the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries. Within the past year, neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any liability or
obligation under WARN or any similar state or local law that
remains unsatisfied, and no terminations prior to the Closing
Date shall result in unsatisfied liability or obligation under
WARN or any similar state or local law.
(m) International Employee Plan. Except as
(i) is not reasonably likely to result in a material
liability to the Company; (ii) is required under any Legal
Requirements; or (iii) otherwise set forth in
Section 2.16(m)(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
the foregoing representations contained in
Sections 2.16(d) through 2.16(l) are accurate
with respect to Employees located outside the United States and
International Employee Plans. Except as is not reasonably likely
to result in a material liability to the Company, each
International Employee Plan has been established, maintained and
administered in material compliance with its terms and
conditions and with the requirements prescribed by any and all
statutory or regulatory laws that are applicable to such
International Employee Plan. Except as set forth in
Section 2.16(m)(ii) of the Company Disclosure
Letter, no International Employee Plan has unfunded liabilities,
that as of the Effective Time, will not be offset by insurance
or fully accrued. Except as is (i) not reasonably likely to
result in a material liability to the Company or
(ii) required by law, no condition exists that would
prevent the Company or Parent from terminating or amending any
International Employee Plan at any time for any reason.
Annex A-22
2.17 Contracts.
(a) Material Contracts. For purposes of this
Agreement, Company Material Contract shall
mean any of the following to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or its assets are bound:
(i) any material contract (as such term is
defined in Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K of the
SEC) with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries;
(ii) any employment, contractor or consulting Contract with
any executive officer or other employee of the Company earning
an annual salary in excess of $150,000 or member of the
Companys Board of Directors, other than those that are
terminable by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries on no more
than 30 days notice without liability or financial
obligation to the Company;
(iii) any Contract or plan, including, without limitation,
any stock option plan, stock appreciation rights plan or stock
purchase plan, any of the benefits of which will be increased,
or the vesting of benefits of which will be accelerated, by the
occurrence of any of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement (either alone or upon the occurrence of additional or
subsequent events) or the value of any of the benefits of which
will be calculated on the basis of any of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement (either alone or upon the
occurrence of additional or subsequent events);
(iv) any agreement of indemnification or any guaranty
(other than any agreement of indemnification or guaranty entered
into (i) by the Company guaranteeing obligations of its
wholly-owned Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business or
(ii) in connection with the sale or license of Company
Products in the ordinary course of business);
(v) any Contract relating to the disposition or acquisition
by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of a material amount
of assets or any interest in any other Person or business
enterprise other than the Companys Subsidiaries not in the
ordinary course of business;
(vi) any mortgages, indentures, guarantees, loans or credit
agreements, security agreements or other Contracts relating to
the borrowing of money or extension of credit, other than
accounts receivables and payables in the ordinary course of
business;
(vii) any material Lease Document;
(viii) any material settlement agreement entered into
within two years prior to the date of this Agreement or which
otherwise contains continuing material obligations of the
Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries;
(ix) any Contract, or group of Contracts with a Person (or
group of affiliated Persons), the termination or breach of which
could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect
on the Company; or
(x) any other Contract with any obligations to make
payments or entitlement to receive payments on behalf of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries of $20 million or more.
(b) Schedule. Section 2.17(b) of
the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of all Company
Material Contracts to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or is bound by as of the date hereof
which are described in Sections 2.17(a)(i) through
2.17(a)(x) hereof, setting forth for each such Company
Material Contract, the subsections of
Section 2.17(a) applicable to such Company Material
Contract.
(c) No Breach. All Company Material Contracts
are valid and in full force and effect except to the extent they
have previously expired in accordance with their terms or if the
failure to be in full force and effect, individually or in the
aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to be material to
the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole. Neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has violated any provision
of, or committed or failed to perform any act which, with or
without notice, lapse of time or both would constitute a default
under the provisions of, any Company Material Contract, except in
Annex A-23
each case for those violations and defaults which, individually
or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to be
material to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
2.18 Insurance.
Company has delivered to Parent true, correct and accurate
summaries of all insurance policies and fidelity bonds material
to the business of the Company. Except as set forth on
Section 2.18 of the Company Disclosure Letter, there
is no material claim by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
pending under any of the insurance policies and fidelity bonds
covering the assets, business, equipment, properties,
operations, employees, officers and directors of the Company and
its Subsidiaries as to which coverage has been questioned,
denied or disputed by the underwriters of such policies or bonds.
2.19 Export Control
Laws. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has at
all times as to which the applicable statute of limitations has
not yet expired, conducted its export transactions materially in
accordance with (i) all applicable U.S. export and
reexport controls, including the United States Export
Administration Act and Regulations and Foreign Assets Control
Regulations and (ii) all other applicable import/export
controls in other countries in which the Company conducts
material business. Without limiting the foregoing:
(a) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has obtained,
and is in material compliance with, all material export
licenses, license exceptions and other consents, notices,
waivers, approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations,
declarations, classifications and filings with any Governmental
Entity required for (i) the export and reexport of
products, services, software and technologies and
(ii) releases of technologies and software to foreign
nationals located in the United States and abroad
(Export Approvals);
(b) There are no pending or, to the Companys
Knowledge, threatened claims against the Company or any
Subsidiary with respect to such Export Approvals;
(c) To the Companys Knowledge, there are no actions,
conditions or circumstances pertaining to the Companys or
any Subsidiarys export transactions that may give rise to
any future claims; and
(d) No Export Approvals for the transfer of export licenses
to Parent or the Surviving Corporation are required, or such
Export Approvals can be obtained expeditiously without material
cost.
2.20 Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries (including any of their officers, directors,
agents, distributors, employees or other Person associated with
or acting on their behalf) has, directly or indirectly, taken
any action which would cause it to be in material violation of
the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any
rules or regulations thereunder or any similar anti-corruption
or anti-bribery Legal Requirements applicable to the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries in any jurisdiction other than the
United Sates (collectively, the FCPA), or, to
the Companys Knowledge, used any corporate funds for
unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful
expenses relating to political activity, made, offered or
authorized any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic
government officials or employees, whether directly or
indirectly, or made, offered or authorized any bribe, rebate,
payoff, influence payment, kickback or other similar unlawful
payment, whether directly or indirectly, except for any of the
foregoing which is no longer subject to potential claims of
violation as a result of the expiration of the applicable
statute of limitations. The Company has established reasonable
internal controls and procedures intended to ensure compliance
with the FCPA.
2.21 Government
Contracts. With respect to each Contract between the
Company or any Significant Subsidiary of the Company, on the one
hand, and any U.S. federal or Chinese governmental entity,
on the other hand, and each outstanding bid, quotation or
proposal by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary of the
Company (each, a Bid) that if accepted or
awarded could lead to a Contract between the Company or any
Significant Subsidiary of the Company, on the one hand, and any
U.S. federal or Chinese governmental entity, on the other
hand, (each such Contract or Bid, a Company Government
Contract) and each Contract between the Company or any
Significant Subsidiary of the Company, on the one hand, and any
prime contractor or upper-tier subcontractor, on the other hand,
relating to a Contract between such person and any U.S. federal
or Chinese governmental entity, and each outstanding Bid that if
accepted or awarded could lead to a Contract between the Company
or a
Annex A-24
Significant Subsidiary of the Company, on the one hand, and a
prime contractor or upper-tier subcontractor, on the other hand,
relating to a Contract between such person and any
U.S. federal or Chinese governmental entity (each such
Contract or Bid, a Company Government
Subcontract):
(a) Each such Company Government Contract or Company
Government Subcontract (other than Bids) was, to the Knowledge
of the Company, legally awarded, is binding on the parties
thereto, and is in full force and effect, except any failure to
be legally awarded or in full force and effect that,
individually or in the aggregate, is not reasonably likely to
result in a material liability to the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
(b) There is no material action, suit, claim or proceeding
pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened, in
connection with any Company Government Contract or Company
Government Subcontract, against the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries alleging fraud or under the United States False
Claims Act, the United States Procurement Integrity Act or the
United States Truth in Negotiations Act. Neither the Company,
any Company Subsidiary or any cost incurred by the Company or
any Company Subsidiary pertaining to a Company Government
Contract or Company Government Subcontract is the subject of any
audit or, to the Knowledge of the Company, investigation or has
been disallowed by any Governmental Entity, except any
investigation, audit or disallowance (i) that, individually
or in the aggregate, is not reasonably likely to result in a
material liability to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as
a whole or (ii) which commenced prior to the three year
period prior to the date hereof and is closed and no longer
pending.
(c) The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries have
complied in all material respects with all requirements of the
Company Government Contracts or Company Government Subcontracts
and any material Legal Requirement relating to the safeguarding
of, and access to, classified information. The Company is not
aware of any facts that are reasonably likely to give rise to
the revocation of any security clearance of the Company, any
Company Subsidiary or any Employee of the Company or any Company
Subsidiary, except any revocation that, individually or in the
aggregate, is not reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse
Effect on the Company
2.22 Information
Supplied. None of the information supplied or to be
supplied by or on behalf of the Company for inclusion or
incorporation by reference in the preliminary and definitive
proxy statements to be filed by the Company with the SEC in
connection with the Merger (collectively, the Proxy
Statement) will, on each relevant filing date, on the
date of mailing to the Companys stockholders and at the
time of the Stockholders Meeting, contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they are made, not misleading. The Proxy Statement will
comply as to form in all material respects with the provisions
of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by
the SEC thereunder. If at any time prior to the Effective Time
any event relating to the Company or any of its Affiliates,
officers or directors should be discovered by the Company which
is required to be set forth in a supplement to the Proxy
Statement, the Company shall promptly inform Parent.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company makes no
representation or warranty with respect to any information
supplied by Parent or Merger Sub for inclusion or incorporation
by reference in the Proxy Statement.
2.23 Fairness
Opinion. The Companys Board of Directors has
received an opinion from Evercore Group Inc., dated as of
June 2, 2005, a copy of which will promptly be delivered to
Parent, to the effect that, as of such date, the Merger
Consideration to be received by the holders of the Company
Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement is fair from a financial
point of view to the holders of Company Common Stock.
2.24 Takeover Statutes and
Rights Plans. The Board of Directors of the Company has
taken all actions so that the restrictions contained in
Section 203 of Delaware Law applicable to a business
combination (as defined in such Section 203), and any
other similar Legal Requirement, will not apply to Parent during
the pendency of this Agreement, including the execution,
delivery or performance of this Agreement and the consummation
of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby. The
Annex A-25
Company does not have in effect any poison pill or
similar plan or agreement which could have a dilutive or
otherwise adverse effect on Parent as a result of consummation
of the transactions contemplated hereby.
ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PARENT
AND MERGER SUB
Parent and Merger Sub represent and warrant to the Company as
follows:
3.1 Organization.
Parent is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. Merger
Sub is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of Delaware.
3.2 Authority; No Conflict;
Necessary Consents.
(a) Authority. Each of Parent and Merger Sub
has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into
this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby. The execution and delivery by each of Parent and Merger
Sub of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action on the part of Parent and Merger Sub and no
other action is required on the part of Parent and Merger Sub to
authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement or to
consummate the Merger and the other transactions contemplated
hereby, subject only to the filing of the Certificate of Merger
pursuant to Delaware Law. This Agreement has been duly executed
and delivered by Parent and Merger Sub and, assuming due
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company,
constitutes the valid and binding obligations of Parent,
enforceable against each of Parent and Merger Sub in accordance
with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or
affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and to
general principles of equity.
(b) No Conflict. The execution and delivery
by Parent and Merger Sub of this Agreement and the consummation
of the transactions contemplated hereby, will not
(i) conflict with or violate any provision of their
respective certificates of incorporation or bylaws,
(ii) subject to compliance with the requirements set forth
in Section 3.2(c), conflict with or violate any
material Legal Requirement applicable to Parent or Merger Sub or
by which Parent or Merger Sub or any of their respective
properties or assets (whether tangible or intangible) is bound
or affected, or (iii) result in any breach of or constitute
a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both
would become a default) under, or materially impair
Parents or Merger Subs rights or alter the rights or
obligations of any third party under, or give to others any
rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation
of, or result in the creation of a Lien on any of the properties
or assets of Parent or Merger Sub pursuant to, any contract
filed with the SEC by Parent pursuant to Item 601(b)(10) of
Regulation S-K of the SEC; except, in the case of each of
the preceding clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) for any
conflict, violation, beach, default, impairment, alteration,
giving of rights or Lien which would not materially adversely
affect the ability of the parties hereto to consummate the
Merger within the time frame in which the Merger would otherwise
be consummated in the absence of such conflict, violation,
beach, default, impairment, alteration, giving of rights or Lien.
(c) Necessary Consents. No consent, approval,
order, authorization, registration, declaration or filing with
any Governmental Entity, or any third party, is required to be
made or obtained by Parent or Merger Sub in connection with the
execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of
the transactions contemplated hereby, except for (i) the
Necessary Consents; and (ii) such consents, waivers,
approvals, orders, authorizations, registrations, declarations
and filings which, if not obtained or made, would not materially
adversely affect the ability of the parties hereto to consummate
the Merger within the time frame in which the Merger would
otherwise be consummated in the absence of the need for such
consent, approval, order, authorization, registration,
declaration or filing.
Annex A-26
3.3 Capital
Resources. Parent has, and will have available to it
upon the consummation of the Merger, sufficient capital
resources to pay the Merger Consideration and to consummate all
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
3.4 Information
Supplied. The information supplied or to be supplied by
or on behalf of Parent and Merger Sub for inclusion or
incorporation by reference in the Proxy Statement, will not
contain, on the date of the mailing to the Companys
stockholders and at the time of the Stockholders Meeting,
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. If at
any time prior to the Effective Time, any event relating to
Parent or any of its Affiliates, officers or directors should be
discovered by Parent which is required to be set forth in a
supplement to the Proxy Statement, Parent shall promptly inform
the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent makes no
representation or warranty with respect to any information
supplied by the Company which is contained in the Proxy
Statement.
3.5 Operations of Merger
Sub. Merger Sub was formed solely for the purpose of
engaging in the transactions contemplated hereby, has engaged in
no other business activities and has conducted and will conduct
its operations prior to the Effective Time only as contemplated
hereby.
ARTICLE IV
CONDUCT BY THE COMPANY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE TIME
4.1 Conduct of Business by
the Company.
(a) Ordinary Course. During the period from
the date hereof and continuing until the earlier of the
termination of this Agreement pursuant to its terms or the
Effective Time, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries shall,
except as otherwise expressly contemplated by this Agreement or
to the extent that Parent shall otherwise consent in writing,
(i) carry on its business in the usual, regular and
ordinary course, in substantially the same manner as heretofore
conducted and in compliance with all applicable laws and
regulations, (ii) pay its debts and taxes when due, pay or
perform other material obligations when due, and
(iii) adopt and implement a communications plan in
consultation with Parent intended to (x) preserve intact
its present business organization, (y) keep available the
services of its present executive officers and Employees, and
(z) preserve its relationships with customers, suppliers,
licensors, licensees, and others with which it has business
dealings. In addition, the Company shall promptly notify in
writing Parent of any material adverse event involving its
business or operations.
(b) Required Consent. Without limiting the
generality of Section 4.1(a), except as permitted by
the terms of this Agreement, and except as provided in
Section 4.1(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter,
without the prior written consent of Parent, during the period
from the date hereof and continuing until the earlier of the
termination of this Agreement pursuant to its terms or the
Effective Time, the Company shall not do any of the following,
and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to do any of the
following:
(i) Enter into any new line of business material to it and
its Subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(ii) Declare, set aside or pay any dividends on or make any
other distributions (whether in cash, stock, equity securities
or property) in respect of any capital stock or split, combine
or reclassify any capital stock or issue or authorize the
issuance of any other securities in respect of, in lieu of or in
substitution for any capital stock, other than any such
transaction by a wholly-owned Subsidiary of it that remains a
wholly-owned Subsidiary of it after consummation of such
transaction, in the ordinary course of business consistent with
past practice;
(iii) Purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, directly or
indirectly, any shares of its capital stock or the capital stock
of its Subsidiaries, except repurchases of Company Unvested
Common Stock at cost in connection with the termination of the
employment relationship with any employee pursuant to stock
option or purchase agreements in effect on the date hereof;
Annex A-27
(iv) Issue, deliver, sell, authorize, pledge or otherwise
encumber any shares of capital stock, Voting Debt or any
securities convertible into shares of capital stock or Voting
Debt, or subscriptions, rights (including stock appreciation
rights whether settled in cash or shares of Company Common
Stock), warrants or options to acquire any shares of capital
stock or Voting Debt or any securities convertible into shares
of capital stock or Voting Debt, or enter into other agreements
or commitments of any character obligating it to issue any such
securities or rights, other than: (A) issuances of Company
Common Stock upon the exercise of Company Options existing on
the date hereof or granted pursuant to
clause (C) hereof in accordance with their present
terms (or terms at the time of grant in the case of grants made
pursuant to clause (C) hereof); (B) issuance of
shares of Company Common Stock to participants in the Company
Purchase Plan pursuant to the terms thereof; and (C) grants
of stock options or other stock based awards to employees of the
Company or its Subsidiaries (other than executive officers and
members of senior management) to acquire, individually, up to
10,000 shares (as adjusted for stock splits and the like)
of Company Common Stock and, in the aggregate, up to
200,000 shares (as adjusted for stock splits and the like)
of Company Common Stock in any 30-day period, granted under the
Company Stock Option Plans, in each case in the ordinary course
of business consistent with past practices in connection with
ordinary course promotions or to new hires and which options or
stock based awards have a vesting schedule no more favorable
than ratable monthly installments that vest over not less than
four years and do not accelerate, or become subject to
acceleration, directly or indirectly, as a result of this
Agreement, the approval or consummation of the Merger and/or
termination of employment following or in connection with the
Merger;
(v) Cause, permit or propose any amendments to the Company
Charter Documents or any of the Subsidiary Charter Documents of
the Companys Subsidiaries;
(vi) Acquire or agree to acquire by merging or
consolidating with, or by purchasing any equity or voting
interest in or a portion of the assets of, or by any other
manner, any business or any Person or division thereof, or
otherwise acquire or agree to acquire any assets which are
material, individually or in the aggregate, to the business of
the Company;
(vii) Enter into any binding agreement, agreement in
principle, letter of intent, memorandum of understanding or
similar agreement with respect to any material joint venture,
strategic partnership or alliance;
(viii) Sell, lease, license, encumber or otherwise dispose
of any properties or assets except the sale, lease, license,
encumbrance or disposition of property or assets which are not
material, individually or in the aggregate, to the business of
Company or the licenses of current Company Products, in each
case, in the ordinary course of business and in a manner
consistent with past practice;
(ix) Effect any material restructuring activities by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including any material
reductions in force, lease terminations, restructuring of
contracts or similar actions;
(x) Make any loans, advances or capital contributions to,
or investments in, any other Person, other than: (a) loans
or investments by the Company or a wholly-owned Subsidiary of
the Company to or in the Company or any wholly-owned Subsidiary
of the Company, or (b) employee loans or advances for
travel and entertainment expenses made in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practices;
(xi) Except as required by concurrent changes in GAAP or
the SEC as concurred in by its independent auditors, make any
change in its methods or principles of accounting or revalue any
of its assets;
(xii) Make or change any material election in respect of
Taxes, adopt or change any accounting method in respect of
Taxes, enter into any agreement or settle any material claim or
assessment in respect of Taxes or consent to any extension or
waiver of the limitation period applicable to any claim or
assessment in respect of Taxes, in each case that would
adversely affect the Company or its Subsidiaries, or Parent or
its Subsidiaries after the Closing;
Annex A-28
(xiii) Except in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practice, enter into any licensing, distribution,
supply, procurement, manufacturing, marketing, OEM, VAR, system
integrator, system outsourcer or other similar contracts,
agreements, or obligations which either (a) may not be
canceled without penalty by the Company or its Subsidiaries upon
notice of 30 days or less and which provide for express
payments by or to the Company or its Subsidiaries in an amount
in excess of $20 million in any one year or (b) which
involve any exclusive terms of any kind which are binding on the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(xiv) Cancel or terminate without reasonable substitute
policy therefor, or amend in any material respect or enter into,
any material insurance policy, other than the renewal of
existing insurance policies on substantially the same terms as
in effect on the date hereof;
(xv) Commence or settle any lawsuit, threat of any lawsuit
or proceeding or other investigation by or against the Company
or any Subsidiary or relating to any of their businesses,
properties or assets, other than settlements with prejudice
entered into in the ordinary course of business and requiring of
the Company and its Subsidiaries only the payment of monetary
damages not exceeding $250,000, net of any insurance payments
received by the Company;
(xvi) Except as required by Legal Requirements or Contracts
currently binding on the Company or its Subsidiaries,
(1) increase in any manner the amount of compensation or
fringe benefits of, pay or grant any bonus, change of control,
severance or termination pay to any Employee or director of the
Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (2) adopt or
amend any Company Employee Plan or make any contribution, other
than regularly scheduled contributions, to any Company Employee
Plan, (3) waive any stock repurchase rights, accelerate,
amend or change the period of exercisability of Company Options
or Company Unvested Common Stock, or reprice any Company Options
or authorize cash payments in exchange for any Company Options,
or (4) enter into any Employee Agreement or indemnification
agreement with any Employee (other than offer letters and letter
agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business
consistent with past practice with employees who are terminable
at will) or enter into any collectively bargained
agreement;
(xvii) Enter into any Contracts containing, or otherwise
subject the Surviving Corporation or Parent to, any
non-competition, exclusivity, most favored nations
or other preferential pricing or other material restrictions on
the Company or the Surviving Corporation or Parent, or any of
their respective businesses, following the Closing, except for
exclusivity or preferential pricing provisions which would not
restrict the business or assets of Parent or its Subsidiaries
(other than the Surviving Corporation) in any way and that are
entered into in the ordinary course of business consistent with
past practice;
(xviii) Provide any material refund, credit, rebate or
other allowance to any end user, customer, reseller or
distributor, in each case, other than in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice;
(xix) Hire any non-officer employees other than in the
ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or
hire, elect or appoint any officers or directors;
(xx) Incur any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantee
any such indebtedness of another Person, issue or sell any debt
securities or options, warrants, calls or other rights to
acquire any debt securities of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, guarantee any debt securities of another Person,
enter into any keep well or other agreement to
maintain any financial statement condition of any other Person
(other than any wholly-owned Subsidiary of it) or enter into any
arrangement having the economic effect of any of the foregoing,
other than (i) any guarantee by the Company of obligations
of its wholly-owned Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of
business or (ii) in connection with the financing of
ordinary course trade payables consistent with past practice;
(xxi) Enter into, modify or amend in a manner adverse in
any material respect to the Company, or terminate any Company
Material Contract, or waive, release or assign any material
rights or claims thereunder, in each case, in a manner adverse
in any material respect to the Company and its
Annex A-29
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, other than any entry into,
modification, amendment or termination of any such Company
Material Contract in the ordinary course of business, consistent
with past practice; or
(xxii) Take, commit, or agree in writing or otherwise to
take, any of the actions described in Sections 4.1(b)(i)
through 4.1(b)(xxi) hereof, or any other action that
would prevent the Company from performing, or cause the Company
not to perform, their respective covenants or agreements
hereunder.
4.2 Procedures for Requesting
Parent Consent. Notwithstanding Section 8.2,
if the Company desires to take any action which would be
prohibited pursuant to Section 4.1(b) hereof without
the written consent of Parent, prior to taking such action the
Company may request such written consent by sending an e-mail or
facsimile to the individuals identified on Schedule 4.2
hereof, and may not take such action until such consent in
writing has been received from one of such individuals.
ARTICLE V
ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS
5.1 Proxy Statement.
As promptly as reasonably practicable after the execution of
this Agreement, the Company, in consultation with Parent, will
prepare and file with the SEC preliminary proxy materials that
will constitute the Proxy Statement. The Proxy Statement shall
include the notice to stockholders required by
Section 262(d)(1) of Delaware Law that appraisal rights
will be available. As promptly as reasonably practicable after
any comments are received from the SEC thereon (or upon notice
from the SEC that no such comments will be made), the Company
shall, in consultation with Parent, prepare and file any
required amendments to, and the definitive, Proxy Statement with
the SEC. The Company will notify Parent promptly upon the
receipt of any comments from the SEC or its staff in connection
with the filing of, or amendments or supplements to, the Proxy
Statement. Whenever any event occurs which is required to be set
forth in an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement, the
Company will promptly inform Parent of such occurrence and will,
in consultation with Parent, file with the SEC or its staff,
and/or mail to stockholders of the Company, such amendment or
supplement. The Company shall provide Parent (and its counsel)
with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on the
preliminary Proxy Statement and any amendment or supplement
thereto prior to filing such with the SEC, and will provide
Parent with a copy of all such filings made with the SEC. The
Company will cause the Proxy Statement to be mailed to its
stockholders at the earliest practicable time after the
definitive Proxy Statement is filed with the SEC. Parent shall
also use all reasonable efforts to take any action required to
be taken by it under any applicable securities laws in
connection with the conversion of Company Options (other than
Non-Employee Options) into options to acquire shares of common
stock, par value $0.00067 per share, of Parent
(Parent Common Stock), and the Company shall
furnish any information concerning the Company and the holders
of Company Common Stock and Company Options as may be reasonably
requested in connection with any such action.
5.2 Meeting of Company
Stockholders; Board Recommendation.
(a) Meeting of Company Stockholders. The
Company will take all action necessary in accordance with
Delaware Law and its certificate of incorporation and bylaws to
call, hold and convene a meeting of its stockholders, promptly
following the mailing of the Proxy Statement to such
stockholders, to consider adoption and approval of this
Agreement and approval of the Merger (the
Stockholders Meeting) to be held as
promptly as reasonably practicable, and in any event (to the
extent permissible under applicable law) within 45 days
after the mailing of the Proxy Statement to the Companys
stockholders. Subject to Section 5.3(d), the Company
will use its commercially reasonable efforts to solicit from its
stockholders proxies in favor of the adoption and approval of
this Agreement and the approval of the Merger and will take all
other action necessary or advisable to secure the vote or
consent of its stockholders required by the rules of The New
York Stock Exchange or Delaware Law or any other applicable
Legal Requirements to obtain such approvals. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the
Company may adjourn or postpone the Stockholders Meeting
to the extent necessary to ensure that any necessary supplement
or amendment to the Proxy Statement is
Annex A-30
provided to its stockholders in advance of a vote on the Merger
and this Agreement or, if as of the time for which the
Stockholders Meeting is originally scheduled (as set forth
in the Proxy Statement) there are insufficient shares of Company
Common Stock represented (either in person or by proxy) to
constitute a quorum necessary to conduct the business of such
Stockholders Meeting. The Company shall ensure that the
Stockholders Meeting is called, noticed, convened, held
and conducted, and that all proxies solicited by it in
connection with the Stockholders Meeting are solicited in
compliance with Delaware Law, its certificate of incorporation
and bylaws, the rules of The New York Stock Exchange and all
other applicable Legal Requirements.
(b) Board Recommendation. Except to the
extent expressly permitted by Section 5.3(d):
(i) the Board of Directors of the Company shall recommend
that its stockholders vote in favor of adoption and approval of
this Agreement and approval of the Merger at the
Stockholders Meeting, (ii) the Proxy Statement shall
include a statement to the effect that the Board of Directors of
the Company has recommended that the Companys stockholders
vote in favor of adoption and approval of this Agreement and
approval of the Merger at the Stockholders Meeting, and
(iii) neither the Board of Directors of the Company nor any
committee thereof shall withdraw, amend or modify, or propose or
resolve to withdraw, amend or modify in a manner adverse to
Parent, the recommendation of its Board of Directors that the
Companys stockholders vote in favor of adoption and
approval of this Agreement and approval of the Merger.
5.3 Acquisition
Proposals.
(a) No Solicitation. The Company agrees that
neither it nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of the officers
and directors of it or its Subsidiaries shall, and that it shall
use all reasonable efforts to cause its and its
Subsidiaries Employees, agents and representatives
(including any investment banker, attorney or accountant
retained by it or any of its Subsidiaries) not to (and shall not
authorize any of them to) directly or indirectly:
(i) solicit, initiate, encourage, knowingly facilitate or
induce any inquiry with respect to, or the making, submission or
announcement of, any Acquisition Proposal, (ii) participate
in any discussions or negotiations regarding, or furnish to any
Person any nonpublic information with respect to, or take any
other action that is intended to facilitate any inquiries or the
making of any proposal that constitutes or could reasonably be
expected to lead to, any Acquisition Proposal, (iii) engage
in discussions with any Person with respect to any Acquisition
Proposal, except to notify such Person as to the existence of
these provisions, (iv) approve, endorse or recommend any
Acquisition Proposal (except to the extent specifically
permitted pursuant to Section 5.3(d)), or
(v) enter into any letter of intent or similar document or
any contract, agreement or commitment contemplating or otherwise
relating to any Acquisition Proposal or transaction contemplated
thereby. The Company and its Subsidiaries will immediately cease
and cause to be terminated any and all existing activities,
discussions or negotiations with any third parties conducted
heretofore with respect to any Acquisition Proposal.
(b) Notification of Unsolicited Acquisition
Proposals.
(i) As promptly as practicable after receipt of any
Acquisition Proposal or any request for nonpublic information or
inquiry that could reasonably be expected to lead to an
Acquisition Proposal, the Company shall provide Parent with
notice of the material terms and conditions of such Acquisition
Proposal, request or inquiry; the identity of the Person or
group making any such Acquisition Proposal, request or inquiry
and a copy of all written materials provided by or on behalf of
such Person or group in connection with such Acquisition
Proposal, request or inquiry. Upon receipt of an Acquisition
Proposal, request or inquiry, the Company shall promptly provide
Parent with notification setting forth all such information as
is reasonably necessary to keep Parent currently informed in all
material respects of the status and details (including material
amendments or proposed material amendments) of any such
Acquisition Proposal, request or inquiry (including any
negotiations contemplated by Section 5.3(c)(ii)) and
shall promptly provide Parent a copy of all written materials
subsequently provided to, by or on behalf of such Person or
group in connection with such Acquisition Proposal, request or
inquiry.
Annex A-31
(ii) The Company shall provide Parent with 48 hours
prior notice (or such lesser prior notice as is provided to the
members of its Board of Directors) of any meeting of its Board
of Directors at which its Board of Directors could reasonably be
expected to consider any Acquisition Proposal.
(c) Superior Offers. Notwithstanding anything
to the contrary contained in Section 5.3(a), in the
event that the Company receives an unsolicited, bona fide
written Acquisition Proposal from a third party that the
Companys Board of Directors has in good faith concluded
(following consultation with its outside legal counsel and its
financial advisor), is, or is reasonably likely to result in, a
Superior Offer, the Company may then take the following actions:
(i) Furnish nonpublic information to the third party making
such Acquisition Proposal, provided that (a) the
Company receives from the third party an executed
confidentiality agreement containing customary limitations on
the use and disclosure of all nonpublic written and oral
information furnished to such third party on the Companys
behalf in substantially the form of the Confidentiality
Agreement and (b) contemporaneously with furnishing any
such nonpublic information to such third party, the Company
furnishes such nonpublic information to Parent (to the extent
such nonpublic information has not been previously so
furnished); and
(ii) Engage in negotiations with the third party with
respect to the Acquisition Proposal, provided that
concurrently with entering into negotiations with such third
party, the Company gives Parent written notice of the
Companys intention to enter into negotiations with such
third party.
(d) Change of Recommendation. In response to
the receipt of a Superior Offer, the Board of Directors of the
Company may withhold, withdraw, amend or modify its
recommendation in favor of the Merger, and, in the case of a
Superior Offer that is a tender or exchange offer made directly
to the stockholders of the Company, may recommend that the
stockholders of the Company accept the tender or exchange offer
(any of the foregoing actions, whether by the Board of Directors
of the Company or a committee thereof, a Change of
Recommendation), if all of the following conditions in
clauses (i) through (v) are met:
(i) A Superior Offer with respect to the Company has been
made and has not been withdrawn;
(ii) The Stockholders Meeting has not occurred;
(iii) The Company shall have delivered to Parent written
notice (a Change of Recommendation Notice) at
least five days prior to publicly effecting such Change of
Recommendation which shall state expressly (A) that the
Company has received a Superior Offer, (B) the material
terms and conditions of the Superior Offer and the identity of
the Person or group making the Superior Offer, and (B) that
the Company intends to effect a Change of Recommendation;
(iv) After delivering the Change of Recommendation Notice,
the Company shall provide Parent with a reasonable opportunity
to make such adjustments in the terms and conditions of this
Agreement during such five-day period, and negotiate in good
faith with respect thereto during such five-day period, as would
enable the Company to proceed with its recommendation to
stockholders in favor of approval and adoption of this Agreement
and approval of the Merger without making a Change of
Recommendation; and
(v) The Company shall not have breached any of the
provisions set forth in Section 5.2 or this
Section 5.3.
(e) Compliance with Tender Offer Rules.
Nothing contained in this Agreement shall prohibit the Company
or its Board of Directors from taking and disclosing to the
stockholders of the Company a position contemplated by
Rules 14d-9 and 14e-2(a) promulgated under the Exchange
Act; provided that the content of any such disclosure
thereunder shall be governed by the terms of this Agreement.
Without limiting the foregoing proviso, the Company shall not
effect a Change of Recommendation unless specifically permitted
pursuant to the terms of Section 5.3(d).
Annex A-32
(f) Certain Definitions. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(i) Acquisition Proposal, with respect
to the Company, shall mean any offer or proposal, relating to
any transaction or series of related transactions involving:
(a) any purchase from such party or acquisition by any
Person or group (as defined under Section 13(d)
of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder) of
more than a 10% interest in the total outstanding voting
securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any
tender offer or exchange offer that if consummated would result
in any Person or group beneficially owning 10% or more of the
total outstanding voting securities of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, (b) any merger, consolidation, business
combination or similar transaction involving the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries, (c) any sale, lease (other than in the
ordinary course of business), exchange, transfer, license (other
than in the ordinary course of business), acquisition or
disposition of more than 10% of the assets of the Company
(including its Subsidiaries taken as a whole), or (d) any
liquidation or dissolution of the Company (provided,
however, the transactions between Parent and the Company
contemplated by this Agreement shall not be deemed an
Acquisition Proposal); and
(ii) Superior Offer, with respect to the
Company, shall mean an unsolicited, bona fide written offer made
by a third party to acquire, directly or indirectly, pursuant to
a tender offer, exchange offer, merger, consolidation or other
business combination, all or substantially all of the assets of
the Company or all of the outstanding voting securities of the
Company as a result of which the stockholders of the Company
immediately preceding such transaction would hold less than 50%
of the equity interests in the surviving or resulting entity of
such transaction and any direct or indirect parent or subsidiary
thereof, on terms that the Board of Directors of the Company has
in good faith concluded (following consultation with its outside
legal counsel and its financial adviser), taking into account,
among other things, all legal, financial, regulatory and other
aspects of the offer and the Person making the offer, to be more
favorable, from a financial point of view, to the Companys
stockholders (in their capacities as stockholders) than the
terms of the Merger and is reasonably capable of being
consummated.
(g) Specific Performance. The parties hereto
agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that the
provisions of this Section 5.3 were not performed in
accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached.
It is accordingly agreed by the parties hereto that Parent shall
be entitled to an immediate injunction or injunctions, without
the necessity of proving the inadequacy of money damages as a
remedy and without the necessity of posting any bond or other
security, to prevent breaches of the provisions of this
Section 5.3 and to enforce specifically the terms
and provisions hereof in any court of the United States or any
state having jurisdiction, this being in addition to any other
remedy to which Parent may be entitled at law or in equity.
5.4 Confidentiality; Access
to Information; No Modification of Representations, Warranties
or Covenants.
(a) Confidentiality. The parties acknowledge
that the Company and Parent have previously executed a
Confidentiality Agreement dated March 18, 2005 (the
Confidentiality Agreement), which
Confidentiality Agreement will continue in full force and effect
in accordance with its terms and each of Parent and the Company
will hold, and will cause its respective directors, officers,
Employees, agents and advisors (including attorneys,
accountants, consultants, bankers and financial advisors) to
hold, any Evaluation Information (as defined in the
Confidentiality Agreement) confidential in accordance with the
terms of the Confidentiality Agreement.
(b) Access to Information. The Company shall
afford Parent and its accountants, counsel and other
representatives, reasonable access (during regular business
hours upon reasonable notice) during the period from the date
hereof and prior to the Effective Time to (i) all of the
properties, books, contracts, commitments and records of the
Company and its Subsidiaries, including all Company Intellectual
Property (including access to design processes and
methodologies) and all capitalization and equity compensation
information that is necessary for Parent to promptly comply with
the requirements of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
123 (revised 2004) Share-Based Payments promulgated
Annex A-33
by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, (ii) all other
information concerning the business, properties and personnel
(subject to restrictions imposed by applicable law) of the
Company and its Subsidiaries as Parent may reasonably request,
and (iii) all Employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries
as reasonably requested by Parent. The Company agrees to
promptly provide to Parent and its accountants, counsel and
other representatives copies of such internal financial
statements (including Tax Returns and supporting documentation)
as may be reasonably requested. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the Company may restrict the foregoing access to the extent that
(A) in the reasonable judgment of the Company, any law,
treaty, rule or regulation of any Governmental Entity applicable
to the Company requires the Company or its Subsidiaries to
restrict or prohibit access to any such properties or
information, (B) in the reasonable judgment of the Company,
the information is subject to confidentiality obligations to a
third party, (C) in the reasonable judgment of the Company,
such disclosure would result in disclosure of any trade secrets
of third parties, or (D) in the reasonable judgment of the
Company, disclosure of any such information or document would
result in the loss of the Companys attorney-client
privilege; provided, however, that in the case of each of
(A), (B), (C) or (D), Parent and the Company each agree to
use commercially reasonable efforts to establish a process that,
through use of steps such as targeted redactions, provision of
information to counsel to review and summarize for Parent or use
of a clean room environment for analysis and review
of information by joint integration teams in coordination with
counsel and the Company, will provide Parent with timely access
to the fullest extent possible to the substance of the
information described in this Section 5.4(b) in a
manner that allows the Company to comply with applicable law and
its confidentiality obligations to third parties or preserve the
Companys attorney-client privilege, as the case may be. In
addition, the Company will, in consultation with Parent, prepare
and implement a plan designed to ensure timely compliance by the
Company and its Subsidiaries with the requirements of the
Restrictions on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (2002/95/ EC) Directive.
(c) No Modification of Representations and Warranties
or Covenants. No information or knowledge obtained in
any investigation or notification pursuant to this
Section 5.4, Section 5.6 or
Section 5.7 or otherwise shall affect or be deemed
to modify any representation or warranty contained herein, the
covenants or agreements of the parties hereto or the conditions
to the obligations of the parties hereto under this Agreement.
5.5 Public
Disclosure. Without limiting any other provision of this
Agreement, Parent and the Company will consult with each other
before issuing, and provide each other the opportunity to
review, comment upon and concur with, and use all reasonable
efforts to agree on any press release or public statement with
respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
hereby, including the Merger, and any Acquisition Proposal and
will not issue any such press release or make any such public
statement prior to such consultation and (to the extent
practicable) agreement, except as may be required by law or any
listing agreement with, in the case of Parent, Nasdaq, and in
the case of the Company, The New York Stock Exchange, or any
other applicable national or regional securities exchange or
market. The parties have agreed to the text of the joint press
release announcing the signing of this Agreement.
5.6 Regulatory Filings;
Reasonable Efforts.
(a) Regulatory Filings. Each of Parent,
Merger Sub and the Company shall coordinate and cooperate with
one another and shall each use all reasonable efforts to comply
with, and shall each refrain from taking any action that would
impede compliance with, all Legal Requirements, and as promptly
as practicable after the date hereof, each of Parent, Merger Sub
and the Company shall make all filings, notices, petitions,
statements, registrations, submissions of information,
application or submission of other documents required by any
Governmental Entity in connection with the Merger and the
transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation:
(i) Notification and Report Forms with the FTC and the DOJ
and responses to requests for additional information and
documentary material from the FTC and the DOJ (Second
Request Responses) as required by the HSR Act,
(ii) filings under any other comparable pre-merger
notification forms reasonably determined by Parent and the
Company to be required by the merger notification or control
laws of any applicable jurisdiction, as agreed by the parties
hereto, and (iii) any filings required under the Securities
Act, the Exchange Act, any applicable state or
Annex A-34
securities or blue sky laws and the securities laws
of any foreign country, or any other Legal Requirement relating
to the Merger. Each of Parent and the Company will cause all
documents that it is responsible for filing with any
Governmental Entity under this Section 5.6(a) to
comply in all material respects with all applicable Legal
Requirements.
(b) Exchange of Information. Parent, Merger
Sub and the Company each shall promptly supply the other with
any information that may be required in order to effectuate any
filings or application pursuant to Section 5.6(a).
Except where prohibited by applicable Legal Requirements, and
subject to the Confidentiality Agreement, each of the Company,
Merger Sub and Parent shall consult with the other prior to
taking a position with respect to any such filing, shall permit
the other to review and discuss in advance, and consider in good
faith the views of the other in connection with any analyses,
appearances, presentations, filings, submissions, memoranda,
briefs, white papers, arguments, opinions and proposals before
making or submitting any of the foregoing to any Governmental
Entity by or on behalf of any party hereto in connection with
any investigations or proceedings in connection with this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (including
under any antitrust or fair trade Legal Requirement), coordinate
with the other in preparing and exchanging such information and
promptly provide the other and/or its counsel with copies of all
filings, presentations or submissions (and a summary of any oral
presentations) made by such party with any Governmental Entity
in connection with this Agreement or the transactions
contemplated hereby, provided that with respect to any
such filing, presentation or submission, each of Parent, Merger
Sub and the Company need not supply the other (or its counsel)
with copies (or in the case of oral presentations, a summary) to
the extent that any law, treaty, rule or regulation of any
Governmental Entity applicable to such party requires such party
or its Subsidiaries to restrict or prohibit access to any such
properties or information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except
as may be agreed in connection with any joint defense agreement
executed between counsel for Parent and counsel for the Company,
Parent, Merger Sub and the Company will not be required to share
with each other any documents covered by Item 4(c) of
filings prepared in connection with the HSR Act or Second
Request Responses.
(c) Notification. Each of Parent, Merger Sub
and the Company will notify the other promptly upon the receipt
of: (i) any comments from any officials of any Governmental
Entity in connection with any filings made pursuant hereto and
(ii) any request by any officials of any Governmental
Entity for amendments or supplements to any filings made
pursuant to, or information provided to comply in all material
respects with, any Legal Requirements. Whenever any event occurs
that is required to be set forth in an amendment or supplement
to any filing made pursuant to Section 5.6(a),
Parent, Merger Sub or the Company, as the case may be, will
promptly inform the other of such occurrence and cooperate in
filing with the applicable Governmental Entity such amendment or
supplement.
(d) Reasonable Efforts. Subject to the
express provisions of Section 5.2 and
Section 5.3 hereof and upon the terms and subject to
the conditions set forth herein, each of the parties agrees to
use commercially reasonable efforts to take, or cause to be
taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, and to
assist and cooperate with the other parties in doing, all things
necessary, proper or advisable to consummate and make effective,
in the most expeditious manner practicable, the Merger and the
other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including
using all reasonable efforts to accomplish the following:
(i) the taking of all reasonable acts necessary to cause
the conditions precedent set forth in Article VI to
be satisfied, (ii) the obtaining of all necessary actions
or nonactions, waivers, consents, approvals, orders and
authorizations from Governmental Entities and the making of all
necessary registrations, declarations, submissions and filings
(including registrations, declarations, filings and submissions
of Second Request Responses with Governmental Entities, if any)
and the taking of all reasonable steps as may be necessary to
avoid any suit, claim, action, investigation or proceeding by
any Governmental Entity, (iii) the obtaining of all
necessary consents, approvals or waivers from third parties,
(iv) the defending of any suits, claims, actions,
investigations or proceedings, whether judicial or
administrative, challenging this Agreement or the consummation
of the transactions contemplated hereby and (v) the
execution or delivery of any additional instruments necessary to
consummate the transactions contemplated by, and to fully carry
out the purposes of, this Agreement. In connection with and
without
Annex A-35
limiting the foregoing, the Company and its Board of Directors
shall, if any takeover statute or similar Legal Requirement is
or becomes applicable to the Merger, this Agreement or any of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, use all
reasonable efforts to ensure that the Merger and the other
transactions contemplated by this Agreement may be consummated
as promptly as practicable on the terms contemplated by this
Agreement and otherwise to minimize the effect of such Legal
Requirement on the Merger, this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated hereby.
(e) Limitation on Divestiture.
Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to require
Parent or any Subsidiary or affiliate thereof to agree to any
Action of Divestiture that would be reasonably likely to
materially impact Parent and its subsidiaries taken as a whole
or the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole. The
Company shall not, without the prior written consent of Parent,
take or agree to take any Action of Divestiture that would be
reasonably likely to materially impact Parent and its
subsidiaries taken as a whole or the Company and its
Subsidiaries taken as a whole. For purposes of this Agreement,
an Action of Divestiture shall mean
(i) any license, sale or other disposition or holding
separate (through establishment of a trust or otherwise) of any
shares of capital stock or of any business, assets or properties
of Parent, its subsidiaries or affiliates, or of the Company or
its Subsidiaries, (ii) the imposition of any limitation on
the ability of Parent, its subsidiaries or affiliates, or the
Company or its Subsidiaries to conduct their respective
businesses or own any capital stock or assets or to acquire,
hold or exercise full rights of ownership of their respective
businesses and, in the case of Parent, the businesses of the
Company and its Subsidiaries, or (iii) the imposition of
any impediment on Parent, its subsidiaries or affiliates, or the
Company or its Subsidiaries under any statute, rule, regulation,
executive order, decree, order or other legal restraint
governing competition, monopolies or restrictive trade practices.
5.7 Notification of Certain
Matters.
(a) By the Company. The Company shall give
prompt notice to Parent and Merger Sub of any representation or
warranty made by it contained in this Agreement becoming untrue
or inaccurate, or any failure of the Company to comply with or
satisfy in any material respect any covenant, condition or
agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it under this
Agreement, in each case, such that the conditions set forth in
Section 6.2(a) or 6.2(b) would not be
satisfied.
(b) By Parent. Parent and Merger Sub shall
give prompt notice to the Company of any representation or
warranty made by it contained in this Agreement becoming untrue
or inaccurate, or any failure of Parent to comply with or
satisfy in any material respect any covenant, condition or
agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it under this
Agreement, in each case, such that the conditions set forth in
Section 6.3(a) or 6.3(b) would not be
satisfied.
5.8 Third-Party
Consents. As soon as practicable following the date
hereof, the Company will use all reasonable efforts to seek such
material consents, waivers and approvals under any of its or its
Subsidiaries respective Contracts required to be obtained
in connection with the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby as may be reasonably requested by Parent
after consultation with the Company, including all consents,
waivers and approvals set forth in Section 2.3(b) of
the Company Disclosure Letter. In connection with seeking such
consents, waivers and approvals, the Company shall keep Parent
informed of all material developments and, shall at
Parents request, include Parent in any discussions or
communications with any parties whose consent, waiver or
approval is sought hereunder. Such consents, waivers and
approvals shall be in a form acceptable to Parent. In the event
the Merger does not close for any reason, Parent shall not have
any liability to the Company, its stockholders or any other
Person for any costs, claims, liabilities or damages resulting
from the Company seeking to obtain such consents, waivers and
approvals. For the avoidance of doubt, the Companys
failure to obtain any consent set forth in
Section 2.3(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter or
which is otherwise reasonably requested to be obtained by Parent
pursuant to this Section 5.8, in each case, provided
that the Company has used all reasonable efforts to seek such
consent, shall not give rise to a failure to satisfy the
condition to closing set forth in Section 6.2(b).
Annex A-36
5.9 Equity Awards and
Employee Matters.
(a) Assumption of Employee Stock Options. At
the Effective Time, each then outstanding Company Option other
than Non-Employee Options, whether or not exercisable at the
Effective Time and regardless of the respective exercise prices
thereof, will be assumed by Parent. Each Company Option other
than Non-Employee Options so assumed by Parent under this
Agreement will continue to have, and be subject to, the same
terms and conditions set forth in the applicable Company Option
(including any applicable stock option agreement or other
document evidencing such Company Option) immediately prior to
the Effective Time (including any repurchase rights or vesting
provisions), except that (i) each such Company Option will
be exercisable (or will become exercisable in accordance with
its terms) for that number of whole shares of Parent Common
Stock equal to the product of the number of shares of Company
Common Stock that were issuable upon exercise of such Company
Option immediately prior to the Effective Time multiplied by the
ratio of the value of the per share Merger Consideration to the
average of the closing prices for a share of Parent Common Stock
on the ten trading days ended one trading day prior to the
Closing Date (such ratio, the Option Ratio),
rounded down to the nearest whole number of shares of Parent
Common Stock and (ii) the per share exercise price for the
shares of Parent Common Stock issuable upon exercise of such
assumed Company Option will be equal to the quotient determined
by dividing the exercise price per share of Company Common Stock
at which such Company Option was exercisable immediately prior
to the Effective Time by the Option Ratio, rounded up to the
nearest whole cent. Each assumed Company Option shall be vested
immediately following the Effective Time as to the same
percentage of the total number of shares subject thereto as it
was vested as to immediately prior to the Effective Time, except
to the extent such Company Option by its terms as of the
Effective Time provides for acceleration of vesting upon the
Effective Time. As soon as reasonably practicable, Parent will
use all reasonable efforts to issue to each Person who holds an
assumed Company Option a document evidencing the foregoing
assumption of such Company Option by Parent and, as a condition
to such assumption, each former holder of a Company Option so
assumed by Parent shall acknowledge the receipt of the same in
exchange for such holders Company Option.
(b) Incentive Stock Options. The conversion
of Company Options provided for in Section 5.9(a),
with respect to any options which are intended to be
incentive stock options (as defined in
Section 422 of the Code) shall be effected in a manner
consistent with Section 424(a) of the Code.
(c) Termination of Company Employee Stock Purchase
Plans. Prior to the Effective Time, each of the Company
Purchase Plans shall be terminated. The rights of participants
in each Company Purchase Plan with respect to any offering
period then underway under such Company Purchase Plan shall be
determined by treating the last Business Day prior to, or if
more administratively advisable, the last payroll date of the
Company immediately prior to, the Effective Time, as the last
day of such offering period and by making such other pro-rata
adjustments as may be necessary to reflect the shortened
offering period but otherwise treating such shortened offering
period as a fully effective and completed offering period for
all purposes under such Company Purchase Plan. Prior to the
Effective Time, the Company shall take all actions (including,
if appropriate, amending the terms of such the Company Purchase
Plan) that are necessary to give effect to the transactions
contemplated by this Section 5.9(c).
(d) Termination of 401(k) Plans. Effective as
of no later than the day immediately preceding the Closing Date,
each of the Company, its Subsidiaries and any ERISA Affiliate
shall terminate any and all Company Employee Plans intended to
include a Code Section 401(k) arrangement, including
specifically the Company Subsidiary 401(k) plan for its
employees in Puerto Rico (unless Parent provides written notice
to the Company that any such 401(k) plan shall not be
terminated). Unless Parent provides such written notice to the
Company, no later than five Business Days prior to the Closing
Date, the Company shall provide Parent with evidence that such
Company Employee Plan(s) have been terminated (effective as of
no later than the day immediately preceding the Closing Date)
pursuant to resolutions of the Board of Directors of the
Company, its Subsidiaries or such ERISA Affiliate, as the case
may be. The form and substance of such resolutions shall be
provided by Parent. The Company also shall take such other
actions in furtherance of terminating such Company Employee
Plan(s) as Parent may reasonably require.
Annex A-37
5.10 Form S-8.
Parent agrees to file a registration statement on Form S-8
for the shares of Parent Common Stock issuable with respect to
assumed Company Options to the extent Form S-8 is available
within 60 days after the Effective Time.
5.11 Indemnification.
(a) Indemnity. From and after the Effective Time, Parent
will, and will cause the Surviving Corporation to, fulfill and
honor in all respects the obligations of the Company pursuant to
the indemnification provisions of the Surviving
Corporations Bylaws as in effect as of the date hereof and
any indemnification agreements between the Company and its
directors and officers in effect as of the date hereof
(including, to the extent indemnifiable thereunder, for acts or
omissions occurring in connection with the approval of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby) (the Indemnified Parties). The
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving
Corporation (or any successor to the Surviving Corporation) will
contain provisions with respect to exculpation, indemnification
and the advancement of expenses that are at least as favorable
to the Indemnified Parties as those contained in the Certificate
of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company as in effect on the
date hereof, which provisions will not, except as required by
law, be amended, repealed or otherwise modified in any manner
that would adversely affect the rights thereunder of Indemnified
Parties unless the Surviving Corporation (or any successor to
the Surviving Corporation) provides other assurance sufficient
to ensure the continued exculpation, indemnification and
advancement of expenses of the Indemnified Parties as provided
in such Bylaws prior to any such amendment, repeal or
modification.
(b) Insurance. For a period of six years
after the Effective Time, Parent will cause the Surviving
Corporation to maintain directors and officers
liability insurance with one or more reputable unaffiliated
third-party insurers maintained by the Company covering those
persons who are covered by the Companys directors
and officers liability insurance policy as of the date
hereof for events occurring prior to the Effective Time on terms
and conditions that are, in the aggregate, no less favorable to
the insured than those applicable to the current directors and
officers of the Company; provided, however, that
in no event will the Surviving Corporation be required to expend
in any one year in excess of 250% of the annual premium
currently paid by the Company for such coverage (and to the
extent annual premium would exceed 250% of the annual premium
currently paid by the Company for such coverage, the Surviving
Corporation shall use all reasonable efforts to cause to be
maintained the maximum amount of coverage as is available for
such 250% of such annual premium) and provided further,
however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, Parent may
satisfy its obligations under this Section 5.11(b)
by purchasing a tail policy under the
Companys existing directors and officers
insurance policy which (i) has an effective term of six
years from the Effective Time, (ii) covers those persons
who are currently covered by the Companys directors
and officers insurance policy in effect as of the date
hereof for actions and omissions occurring on or prior to the
Effective Time, and (iii) contains terms and conditions
that are, in the aggregate, no less favorable to the insured
than those of the Companys directors and
officers insurance policy in effect as of the date hereof.
(c) Third- Party Beneficiaries. This
Section 5.11 is intended to be for the benefit of,
and shall be enforceable by the Indemnified Parties and their
heirs and personal representatives and shall be binding on
Parent and the Surviving Corporation and their respective
successors and assigns. In the event Parent or the Surviving
Corporation or its successor or assign (i) consolidates
with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the
continuing or surviving corporation or entity in such
consolidation or merger or (ii) transfers all or
substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person,
then, and in each case, proper provision shall be made so that
the successor and assign of Parent or the Surviving Corporation,
as the case may be, honor the obligations set forth with respect
to Parent or the Surviving Corporation, as the case may be, in
this Section 5.11.
5.12 Section 16
Matters. Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall
take all such steps as may be required (to the extent permitted
under applicable law) to cause any dispositions of Company
Common Stock (including derivative securities with respect to
Company Common Stock) resulting from the transactions
contemplated by Article I of this Agreement by each
individual who is subject to the
Annex A-38
reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act
with respect to the Company to be exempt under Rule 16b-3
promulgated under the Exchange Act.
5.13 Insurance
Approval. The Company shall deliver to Parent at least
15 days prior to the Closing a letter in a form acceptable
to Parent validly executed by an officer of the Company, which
authorizes Parents insurance broker, effective as of the
Closing Date, to act as the Companys insurance broker of
record with respect to all insurance policies held by the
Company.
5.14 Immigration-Related
Liabilities. Following the Effective Time, Parent shall
assume all immigration-related liabilities of the Company with
respect to persons who are employees of the Company as of the
Effective Time.
ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS TO THE MERGER
6.1 Conditions to the
Obligations of Each Party to Effect the Merger. The
respective obligations of each party to this Agreement to effect
the Merger shall be subject to the satisfaction at or prior to
the Closing Date of the following conditions:
(a) Company Stockholder Approval. This
Agreement shall have been approved and adopted, and the Merger
shall have been duly approved, by the requisite vote under
applicable law, by the stockholders of the Company.
(b) No Order. No Governmental Entity of
competent jurisdiction shall have enacted, issued, promulgated,
enforced or entered any statute, rule, regulation, executive
order, decree, injunction or other order (whether temporary,
preliminary or permanent) which (i) is in effect and
(ii) has the effect of making the Merger illegal or
otherwise prohibiting or preventing consummation of the Merger.
(c) HSR Act. All waiting periods (and any
extension thereof) under the HSR Act relating to the
transactions contemplated hereby will have expired or terminated
early. All other material foreign antitrust approvals reasonably
determined by Parent and the Company to be required to be
obtained prior to the Merger in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby shall have been obtained.
6.2 Additional Conditions to
the Obligations of Parent. The obligations of Parent and
Merger Sub to consummate and effect the Merger shall be subject
to the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing Date of each of
the following conditions, any of which may be waived, in
writing, exclusively by Parent and Merger Sub:
(a) Representations and Warranties. The
representations and warranties of the Company contained in this
Agreement shall have been true and correct as of the date hereof
and shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date with the
same force and effect as if made on the Closing Date (except
that those representations and warranties which address matters
only as of a particular date shall have been true and correct
only on such date), except, in each case or in the aggregate
(other than the representations and warranties of the Company
contained in Section 2.2,
Section 2.3(a), and Section 2.24 which
shall be true and correct in all material respects), as does not
constitute a Material Adverse Effect on the Company at the
Closing Date (it being understood that, for purposes of
determining the accuracy of such representations and warranties,
any update of or modification to the Company Disclosure Letter
made or purported to have been made after the execution of this
Agreement shall be disregarded). Parent and Merger Sub shall
have received a certificate with respect to the foregoing signed
on behalf of the Company by an authorized executive officer of
the Company.
(b) Agreements and Covenants. The Company
shall have performed or complied in all material respects with
all agreements and covenants required by this Agreement to be
performed or complied with by it at or prior to the Closing
Date, and Parent and Merger Sub shall have received a
certificate to such effect signed on behalf of the Company by an
authorized executive officer of the Company.
Annex A-39
(c) Material Adverse Effect. No Material
Adverse Effect on the Company shall have occurred since the date
hereof and be continuing.
(d) No Governmental Restriction. There shall
not be any pending or threatened suit, action or proceeding
asserted by any Governmental Authority (i) challenging or
seeking to restrain or prohibit the consummation of the Merger
or any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
the effect of which restraint or prohibition if obtained would
cause the condition set forth in Section 6.1(b) to
not be satisfied or (ii) seeking to require Parent or the
Company or any Subsidiary or affiliate to effect an Action of
Divestiture.
6.3 Additional Conditions to
the Obligations of the Company. The obligation of the
Company to consummate and effect the Merger shall be subject to
the satisfaction at or prior to the Closing Date of each of the
following conditions, any of which may be waived, in writing,
exclusively by the Company:
(a) Representations and Warranties. The
representations and warranties of Parent and Merger Sub
contained in this Agreement shall have been true and correct as
of the date hereof and shall be true and correct as of the
Closing Date with the same force and effect as if made on the
Closing Date (except that those representations and warranties
which address matters only as of a particular date shall have
been true and correct only on such date), except, in each case,
or in the aggregate, as does not materially impede the authority
of Parent or Merger Sub to consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement in accordance with the terms
hereof and applicable Legal Requirements. The Company shall have
received a certificate with respect to the foregoing signed on
behalf of Parent, with respect to the representations and
warranties of Parent, by an authorized executive officer of
Parent and a certificate with respect to the foregoing signed on
behalf of Merger Sub, with respect to the representations and
warranties of Merger Sub, by an authorized executive officer of
Merger Sub.
(b) Agreements and Covenants. Parent and
Merger Sub shall have performed or complied in all material
respects with all agreements and covenants required by this
Agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to
the Closing Date, and the Company shall have received a
certificate with respect to the foregoing signed on behalf of
Parent, with respect to the covenants of Parent, by an
authorized executive officer of Parent and a certificate with
respect to the foregoing signed on behalf of Merger Sub, with
respect to the covenants of Merger Sub, by an authorized
executive officer of Merger Sub.
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND WAIVER
7.1 Termination. This
Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Effective
Time, by action taken by the terminating party or parties, and
except as provided below, whether before or after the requisite
approvals of the stockholders of the Company:
(a) by mutual written consent duly authorized by the Boards
of Directors of each of Parent and the Company;
(b) by either the Company or Parent if the Merger shall not
have been consummated by December 2, 2005 which date shall
be extended to March 2, 2006 if the Merger shall not have
been consummated as a result of a failure to satisfy the
conditions set forth in Section 6.1(c) (the
End Date); provided, however,
that the right to terminate this Agreement under this
Section 7.1(b) shall not be available to any party
whose action or failure to act has been a principal cause of or
resulted in the failure of the Merger to occur on or before such
date and such action or failure to act constitutes a breach of
this Agreement;
(c) by either the Company or Parent if a Governmental
Entity shall have issued an order, decree or ruling or taken any
other action (including the failure to have taken an action), in
any case having the effect of permanently restraining, enjoining
or otherwise prohibiting the Merger, which order, decree, ruling
or other action is final and nonappealable;
Annex A-40
(d) by either the Company or Parent if the required
approval of the stockholders of the Company contemplated by this
Agreement shall not have been obtained by reason of the failure
to obtain the required vote at a meeting of the Company
stockholders duly convened therefore or at any adjournment
thereof; provided, however, that the right to
terminate this Agreement under this Section 7.1(d)
shall not be available to the Company where the failure to
obtain such stockholder approval shall have been caused by the
action or failure to act of Company and such action or failure
to act constitutes a breach by the Company of this Agreement;
(e) by Parent (at any time prior to the adoption and
approval of this Agreement and the Merger by the required vote
of the stockholders of the Company) if (i) a Triggering
Event with respect to the Company shall have occurred, or
(ii) a material breach of Section 5.3 of this
Agreement shall have occurred;
(f) by the Company, upon a breach of any representation,
warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of Parent set forth
in this Agreement, or if any representation or warranty of
Parent shall have become untrue, in either case such that the
conditions set forth in Section 6.3(a) or
Section 6.3(b)would not be satisfied as of the time
of such breach or as of the time such representation or warranty
shall have become untrue, provided that if such
inaccuracy in Parents representations and warranties or
breach by Parent is curable by Parent prior to the End Date
through the exercise of reasonable efforts, then the Company may
not terminate this Agreement under this Section 7.1(f)
prior to 20 days following the receipt of written
notice from the Company to Parent of such breach,
provided that Parent continues to exercise all reasonable
efforts to cure such breach through such 20 day period (it
being understood that the Company may not terminate this
Agreement pursuant to this paragraph (f) if it shall
have materially breached this Agreement or if such breach by
Parent is cured within such 20 day period);
(g) by Parent, upon a breach of any representation,
warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of the Company set
forth in this Agreement, or if any representation or warranty of
the Company shall have become untrue, in either case such that
the conditions set forth in Section 6.2(a) or
Section 6.2(b)would not be satisfied as of the time
of such breach or as of the time such representation or warranty
shall have become untrue, provided, that if such
inaccuracy in the Companys representations and warranties
or breach by the Company is curable by the Company prior to the
End Date through the exercise of reasonable efforts, then Parent
may not terminate this Agreement under this
Section 7.1(g) prior to 20 days following the
receipt of written notice from Parent to the Company of such
breach, provided that the Company continues to exercise
all reasonable efforts to cure such breach through such
20 day period (it being understood that Parent may not
terminate this Agreement pursuant to this
paragraph (g) if it shall have materially breached
this Agreement or if such breach by the Company is cured within
such 20 day period); and
(h) by the Company, if, the Board of Directors of the
Company shall have effected a Change of Recommendation pursuant
to and in compliance with Section 5.3(d), the
Company shall have paid Parent the Termination Fee described in
Section 7.3(b) and the Company shall have publicly
announced its intention to accept or enter into the Superior
Offer which was the subject of such Change of Recommendation.
For the purposes of this Agreement, a Triggering
Event, with respect to the Company, shall be deemed to
have occurred if: (i) its Board of Directors or any
committee thereof shall for any reason have withdrawn or shall
have amended or modified in a manner adverse to Parent its
recommendation in favor of, the adoption and approval of the
Agreement or the approval of the Merger, (ii) it shall have
failed to include in the Proxy Statement the recommendation of
its Board of Directors in favor of the adoption and approval of
the Agreement and the approval of the Merger, (iii) its
Board of Directors fails to reaffirm (publicly, if so requested)
its recommendation in favor of the adoption and approval of the
Agreement and the approval of the Merger within five calendar
days after Parent requests in writing that such recommendation
be reaffirmed following the occurrence of an Alternative
Transaction Announcement or if in Parents reasonable
judgment there are circumstances that create uncertainty in the
public markets regarding the position of the Companys
Board of Directors concerning the Merger (provided that such
Annex A-41
reaffirmation need not be given prior to ten business days after
the occurrence of an Alternative Transaction Announcement,
except that in any event such reaffirmation must be given no
later than 24 hours prior to the Stockholders
Meeting), (iv) its Board of Directors or any committee
thereof shall have approved or recommended any Acquisition
Proposal, (v) the Company shall have entered into any
letter of intent or similar document or any agreement, contract
or commitment accepting any Acquisition Proposal; or (vi) a
tender or exchange offer relating to its securities shall have
been commenced by a Person unaffiliated with Parent, and the
Company shall not have sent to its security holders pursuant to
Rule 14e-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act, within ten
business days after such tender or exchange offer is first
published, sent or given, a statement disclosing that the Board
of Directors of the Company recommends rejection of such tender
or exchange offer.
For the purposes of this Agreement, an Alternative
Transaction Announcement means such time as a tender
or exchange offer is first published, sent or given that
requires the Company to adopt a position contemplated by
Rules 14d-9 and 14e-2(a) promulgated under the Exchange Act
or such time as a third party publicly announces a proposal to
effect an Acquisition of the Company.
7.2 Notice of Termination;
Effect of Termination. Any termination of this Agreement
under Section 7.1 above will be effective
immediately upon the delivery of a valid written notice of the
terminating party to the other party hereto. In the event of the
termination of this Agreement as provided in
Section 7.1, this Agreement shall be of no further
force or effect, except (i) as set forth in
Section 5.4(a), this Section 7.2,
Section 7.3 and Article VIII, each of which
shall survive the termination of this Agreement and
(ii) nothing herein shall relieve any party from liability
for any fraud or willful breach of this Agreement. No
termination of this Agreement shall affect the obligations of
the parties contained in the Confidentiality Agreement, all of
which obligations shall survive termination of this Agreement in
accordance with their terms.
7.3 Fees and Expenses.
(a) General. Except as set forth in this
Section 7.3, all fees and expenses incurred in
connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
hereby shall be paid by the party incurring such expenses
whether or not the Merger is consummated.
(b) Company Payment.
(i) Payment. In the event that this Agreement
is terminated by Parent or the Company, as applicable, pursuant
to Section 7.1(d), clause (i) of
Section 7.1(e) or Section 7.1(h), the
Company shall promptly, but in no event later than two Business
Days after the date of such termination, pay Parent a fee equal
to $133 million in immediately available funds (the
Termination Fee); provided, that
(i) in the case of termination under
Section 7.1(h), such payment shall be made prior to
such termination and (ii) in the case of termination under
Section 7.1(d), (a) such payment shall be made
only if following the date hereof and prior to the termination
of this Agreement, there has been disclosure publicly or to any
member of the Board of Directors or any officer of the Company
of an Acquisition Proposal with respect to the Company and
within 12 months following the termination of this
Agreement an Acquisition of the Company is consummated or the
Company enters into a definitive agreement with respect to an
Acquisition of the Company and (b) such payment shall be
made promptly, but in no event later than two Business Days
after the consummation of such Acquisition of the Company or the
entry into such definitive agreement by the Company.
(ii) Interest and Costs; Other Remedies. The
Company acknowledges that the agreements contained in this
Section 7.3(b) are an integral part of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and that, without
these agreements, Parent would not enter into this Agreement;
accordingly, if the Company fails to pay in a timely manner the
amounts due pursuant to this Section 7.3(b), and, in
order to obtain such payment, Parent makes a claim that results
in a judgment against the Company for the amounts set forth in
this Section 7.3(b), the Company shall pay to Parent
the reasonable costs and expenses of Parent (including
reasonable attorneys fees and expenses) in connection with
such suit, together with interest on the amounts set forth in
this Section 7.3(b) at the prime rate of Citibank,
N.A.
Annex A-42
in effect on the date such payment was required to be made.
Payment of the fees described in this Section 7.3(b)
shall not be in lieu of damages incurred in the event of
breach of this Agreement.
(iii) Certain Definitions. For the purposes
of this Section 7.3(b) only,
Acquisition, with respect to a party hereto,
shall mean any of the following transactions (other than the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement): (i) a merger,
consolidation, business combination, recapitalization,
liquidation, dissolution or similar transaction involving the
party pursuant to which the equity interests held in such party
and retained following such transaction or issued to or
otherwise received in such transaction by the stockholders of
the party immediately preceding such transaction constitute less
than 50% of the aggregate equity interests in the surviving or
resulting entity of such transaction or any direct or indirect
parent thereof, (ii) a sale or other disposition by the
party of assets representing in excess of 50% of the aggregate
fair market value of the partys business immediately prior
to such sale, or (iii) the acquisition by any Person or
group (including by way of a tender offer or an exchange offer
or issuance by the party or such Person or group), directly or
indirectly, of beneficial ownership or a right to acquire
beneficial ownership of shares representing in excess of 50% of
the voting power of the then outstanding shares of capital stock
of the party.
7.4 Amendment.
Subject to applicable law, this Agreement may be amended by the
parties hereto, by action taken or authorized by their
respective Boards of Directors, at any time before or after
approval of the Merger by the stockholders of the Company,
provided, after approval of the Merger by the
stockholders of the Company, no amendment shall be made which by
law or in accordance with the rules of any relevant stock
exchange including The New York Stock Exchange requires further
approval by the stockholders of the Company without such further
stockholder approval. This Agreement may not be amended except
by execution of an instrument in writing signed on behalf of
each of Parent, Merger Sub and the Company.
7.5 Extension;
Waiver. At any time prior to the Effective Time either
party hereto, by action taken or authorized by their respective
Board of Directors, may, to the extent legally allowed:
(i) extend the time for the performance of any of the
obligations or other acts of the other parties hereto,
(ii) waive any inaccuracies in the representations and
warranties made to such party contained herein or in any
document delivered pursuant hereto, and (iii) waive
compliance with any of the agreements or conditions for the
benefit of such party contained herein. Any agreement on the
part of a party hereto to any such extension or waiver shall be
valid only if set forth in an instrument in writing signed on
behalf of such party. Delay in exercising any right under this
Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of such right.
ARTICLE VIII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
8.1 Non-Survival of
Representations and Warranties. The representations and
warranties of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub contained in
this Agreement, or any instrument delivered pursuant to this
Agreement, shall terminate at the Effective Time, and only the
covenants that by their terms survive the Effective Time and
this Article VIII shall survive the Effective Time.
Annex A-43
8.2 Notices. All
notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing
and shall be deemed duly given (i) on the date of delivery
if delivered personally and/or by messenger service,
(ii) on the date of confirmation of receipt (or, the first
Business Day following such receipt if the date is not a
Business Day) of transmission by facsimile, or (iii) on the
date of confirmation of receipt (or, the first Business Day
following such receipt if the date is not a Business Day) if
delivered by a nationally recognized courier service. All
notices hereunder shall be delivered as set forth below, or
pursuant to such other instructions as may be designated in
writing by the party to receive such notice:
(a) if to Parent or Merger Sub, to:
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Sun Microsystems, Inc. |
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4120 Network Circle |
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Santa Clara, CA 95054 |
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Attention: Brian Sutphin |
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Telephone No.: 1-800-555-9786 |
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Telecopy No.: 1-408-276-4601 |
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with copies to: |
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Sun Microsystems, Inc. |
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4120 Network Circle |
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Santa Clara, CA 95054 |
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Attention: Brian Martin |
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Telephone No.: 1-800-555-9786 |
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Telecopy No.: 1-408-276-4601 |
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and |
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Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati |
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Professional Corporation |
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650 Page Mill Road |
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Palo Alto, California 94304-1050 |
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Attention: Martin W. Korman |
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Telephone No.: (650) 493-9300 |
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Telecopy No.: (650) 493-6811 |
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if to the Company, to: |
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Storage Technology Corporation |
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One StorageTek Drive |
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Louisville, Colorado 80028 |
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Attention: Patrick J. Martin |
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Telephone No.: (303) 673-5151 |
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Telecopy No.: (303) 673-4150 |
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with copies to: |
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Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP |
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One World Financial Center |
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New York, NY 10281 |
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Attention: Dennis J. Block |
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Telephone No.: (212) 504-5555 |
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Telecopy No.: (212) 504-6666 |
8.3 Interpretation;
Knowledge.
(a) When a reference is made in this Agreement to Exhibits,
such reference shall be to an Exhibit to this Agreement unless
otherwise indicated. When a reference is made in this Agreement
to Sections, such reference shall be to a section of this
Agreement unless otherwise indicated. For purposes of
Annex A-44
this Agreement, the words include,
includes and including, when
used herein, shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the
words without limitation. The table of contents and
headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes
only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or
interpretation of this Agreement. When reference is made herein
to the business of an entity, such reference
shall be deemed to include the business of such entity and its
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Knowledge means, with respect to the Company,
with respect to any matter in question, that any of the
individuals on Schedule 8.3(b), has actual knowledge
of such matter.
(c) For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Material Adverse Effect, when used in
connection with an entity, means any change, event, violation,
inaccuracy, circumstance or effect (any such item, an
Effect), individually or when taken together
with all other Effects that have occurred prior to the date of
determination of the occurrence of the Material Adverse Effect,
that is or is reasonably likely to (i) be materially
adverse to the business, assets (including intangible assets),
liabilities, capitalization, financial condition or results of
operations of such entity taken as a whole with its
Subsidiaries, other than any Effect (A) primarily resulting
from changes affecting the United States or world economy
generally which changes do not disproportionately affect such
entity taken as a whole with its Subsidiaries,
(B) primarily resulting from changes affecting the industry
in which such entity and its Subsidiaries operate generally
which changes do not disproportionately affect such entity taken
as a whole with its Subsidiaries, (C) primarily resulting
from a change in such entitys stock price or the trading
volume in such stock; provided that this
clause (C) shall not exclude any underlying Effect
which may have caused such change in stock price or trading
volume, (D) primarily resulting from acts of terrorism or
war which changes do not disproportionately affect such entity
taken as a whole with its Subsidiaries, (E) primarily
resulting from the announcement of this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated hereby or (F) primarily resulting
from a failure to meet securities analysts published
revenue or earnings predictions for the Company for any period
ending (or for which revenues or earnings are released) on or
after the date of this Agreement; provided that this
clause (F) shall not exclude the revenues or earnings
of the Company themselves or any Effect which may have affected
the Companys revenues or earnings; or (ii) materially
impede the authority of such entity, or, in any case, Parent, to
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in
accordance with the terms hereof and applicable Legal
Requirements.
(d) For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Person shall mean any individual, corporation
(including any non-profit corporation), general partnership,
limited partnership, limited liability partnership, joint
venture, estate, trust, company (including any limited liability
company or joint stock company), firm or other enterprise,
association, organization, entity or Governmental Entity.
8.4 Counterparts.
This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all
of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and
shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been
signed by each of the parties and delivered to the other party,
it being understood that all parties need not sign the same
counterpart.
8.5 Entire Agreement;
Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the
documents and instruments and other agreements among the parties
hereto as contemplated by or referred to herein, including the
Company Disclosure Letter and the Voting Agreements and other
Exhibits hereto (i) constitute the entire agreement among
the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and
supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written
and oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter
hereof, it being understood that the Confidentiality Agreement
shall continue in full force and effect until the Closing and
shall survive any termination of this Agreement and
(ii) are not intended to confer upon any other Person any
rights or remedies hereunder, except as specifically provided,
following the Effective Time, in Section 5.11.
8.6 Severability. In
the event that any provision of this Agreement or the
application thereof, becomes or is declared by a court of
competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the
remainder of this Agreement will continue in full force and
effect and the application of such provision to other Persons or
circumstances will be interpreted so as reasonably to effect the
intent of the parties
Annex A-45
hereto. The parties further agree to replace such void or
unenforceable provision of this Agreement with a valid and
enforceable provision that will achieve, to the greatest extent
possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such void
or unenforceable provision.
8.7 Other Remedies.
Except as otherwise provided herein, any and all remedies herein
expressly conferred upon a party will be deemed cumulative with
and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by
law or equity upon such party, and the exercise by a party of
any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other
remedy. The parties hereto agree that irreparable damage would
occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement
were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or
were otherwise breached.
8.8 Governing Law.
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of Delaware, regardless of the laws
that might otherwise govern under applicable principles of
conflicts of law thereof. Each of the parties hereto irrevocably
consents to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the Delaware
Court of Chancery and any state appellate court therefrom within
the State of Delaware (or, if the Delaware Court of Chancery
declines to accept jurisdiction over a particular matter, any
state or federal court within the State of Delaware) in
connection with any matter based upon or arising out of this
Agreement or the matters contemplated herein, agrees that
process may be served upon them in any manner authorized by the
laws of the State of Delaware for such persons and waives and
covenants not to assert or plead any objection which they might
otherwise have to such jurisdiction, venue and such process.
8.9 Rules of
Construction. The parties hereto agree that they have
been represented by counsel during the negotiation and execution
of this Agreement and, therefore, waive the application of any
law, regulation, holding or rule of construction providing that
ambiguities in an agreement or other document will be construed
against the party drafting such agreement or document.
8.10 Assignment. No
party may assign either this Agreement or any of its rights,
interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written
approval of the other parties, except that Parent may assign its
rights and delegate its obligations hereunder to its affiliates
as long as Parent remains ultimately liable for all of
Parents obligations hereunder. Any purported assignment in
violation of this Section 8.10 shall be void.
Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement shall be
binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties
hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
8.11 Waiver of Jury
Trial. EACH OF PARENT, MERGER SUB AND THE COMPANY HEREBY
IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION,
PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR
OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE
ACTIONS OF PARENT, MERGER SUB OR THE COMPANY IN THE NEGOTIATION,
ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE AND ENFORCEMENT HEREOF.
* * **
Annex A-46
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized respective
officers as of the date first written above.
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Mark Canepa |
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Executive Vice President, |
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Network Storage Group |
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STANFORD ACQUISITION CORPORATION |
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Brian Martin |
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President |
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STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION |
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By: |
/s/ Patrick J. Martin |
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Patrick J. Martin |
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Chairman of the Board, President and |
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Chief Executive Officer |
****AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER****
Annex A-47
Annex B
[Evercore Group Inc. Logo]
June 2, 2005
Board of Directors
Storage Technology Corporation
One StorageTek Drive
Louisville, CO 80028-4315
Members of the Board of Directors:
We understand that Storage Technology Corporation
(StorageTek or the Company), Sun
Microsystems, Inc. (Sun Microsystems) and Stanford
Acquisition Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun
Microsystems (Merger Sub) propose to enter into an
Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of June 2, 2005 (the
Merger Agreement), in which the Merger Sub will be
merged with and into the Company (the Merger) and
each outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.10 per
share, of the Company (the Company Common Stock)
will be converted into the right to receive $37.00 per
share in cash (the Merger Consideration). As a
result of the Merger, StorageTek will become a wholly owned
subsidiary of Sun Microsystems. The terms and conditions of the
Merger are more fully set forth in the Merger Agreement.
You have asked us whether, in our opinion, the Merger
Consideration to be received by the holders of the Company
Common Stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement is fair, from a
financial point of view as of the date hereof, to the holders of
the Company Common Stock.
In connection with rendering our opinion, we have, among other
things:
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(i) |
analyzed certain publicly available business and financial
statements, including publicly available financial projections,
and other information relating to StorageTek; |
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(ii) |
analyzed certain internal financial statements and other
financial and operating data concerning StorageTek prepared by
and furnished to us by the management of StorageTek; |
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(iii) |
analyzed certain financial projections concerning StorageTek
prepared by and furnished to us by the management of StorageTek; |
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(iv) |
discussed the past and current operations and financial
condition and the prospects of StorageTek with the management of
StorageTek; |
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(v) |
reviewed the reported prices and trading activity of the Common
Stock of StorageTek; |
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(vi) |
compared the financial performance of StorageTek and the prices
and trading activity of the Common Stock of StorageTek with that
of certain publicly-traded companies and their securities that
we deemed relevant; |
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(vii) |
reviewed the financial terms, to the extent publicly available,
of certain business combinations and other transactions that we
deemed relevant; |
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(viii) |
analyzed the effects of StorageTeks current cash position
on various valuation metrics and implied offer premiums; |
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(ix) |
compared previous management plans to the actual results
ultimately achieved by StorageTek; |
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participated in discussions and negotiations among
representatives of StorageTek, Sun Microsystems, and their
advisers; |
Annex B-1
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(xi) |
reviewed certain information concerning combination cost savings
and related expenses required to achieve the cost savings
(Synergies) expected to result from the Merger that
was prepared by and furnished to us by the management of
StorageTek; |
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(xii) |
reviewed the Merger Agreement; and |
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(xiii) |
performed such other analyses and examinations and considered
such other factors as we have in our sole judgment deemed
appropriate. |
For purposes of our analysis and opinion, we have not assumed
any responsibility for independently verifying the accuracy and
completeness of the financial and other information reviewed by
us for purposes of this opinion. With respect to the financial
projections of StorageTek and the underlying analysis concerning
the potential Synergies which were furnished to us, we have
assumed, with your consent, that such financial projections and
estimates of Synergies have been reasonably prepared by
StorageTek, on bases reflecting the best currently available
estimates and good faith judgments of the future competitive,
operating and regulatory environments and related future
financial performance of StorageTek. We have not made nor
assumed any responsibility for making any independent valuation
or appraisal of the assets or liabilities of StorageTek, nor
have we been furnished with any such appraisals. In addition, we
have assumed, with your consent, that the Merger will be
consummated in accordance with the terms set forth in the Merger
Agreement with no material waiver, delay or amendment of any
material term condition or agreement therein.
Our opinion is necessarily based on economic, market and other
conditions as in effect on, and the information and the Merger
Agreement and related exhibits and schedules thereto made
available to us as of, the date hereof. It should be understood
that subsequent developments may affect this opinion and that we
do not have any obligation to update, revise, or reaffirm this
opinion. Our opinion does not constitute a recommendation to any
StorageTek shareholder as to how such holder should respond to
the Merger. In connection with the Merger, we have not been
authorized by the Board of Directors to solicit, nor have we
solicited, third party indications of interest for the
acquisition of all or any part of the Company. Additionally, we
have not been asked to pass upon, and express no opinion with
respect to, any matter other than the fairness from a financial
point of view of the Merger Consideration to be received by the
holders of the Company Common Stock pursuant to the Merger. We
are not legal, regulatory, accounting or tax experts and have
assumed the accuracy and completeness of assessments by the
Companys advisors with respect to such issues. Our opinion
does not address the relative merits of the Merger as compared
to other business strategies that might be available to the
Company nor does it address the underlying business decision of
the Company to proceed with the Merger.
We have acted as sole financial advisor to the Board of
Directors of StorageTek in connection with the Merger and will
receive fees for our services, the principal portion of which is
contingent upon the consummation of the Merger. We also will
receive a fee for rendering this opinion. In the past, Evercore
Group Inc. and its affiliates have provided financial advisory
services to StorageTek and have received fees for the rendering
of these services. The Company has agreed to reimburse our
expenses and to indemnify us against certain liabilities arising
out of our engagement.
It is understood that this letter is for the information and
benefit of the Board of Directors of StorageTek in connection
with its consideration of the Merger and may not be quoted or
referred to or relied upon or used for any other purpose without
our prior written consent, provided that we hereby consent to
the inclusion of the text of this opinion in its entirety and to
a reference to or description of this opinion in any document
delivered to the shareholders of StorageTek in connection with
the Merger. This opinion is not intended to confer any rights or
remedies upon any employee or creditor of StorageTek.
Annex B-2
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that
the Merger Consideration to be received by the holders of the
Company Common Stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement is fair,
from a financial point of view as of the date hereof, to the
holders of the Company Common Stock.
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Very truly yours, |
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EVERCORE GROUP INC. |
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By: |
/s/ Timothy G. LaLonde |
Annex B-3
Annex C
Delaware General Corporation Law
Section 262. Appraisal rights.
(a) Any stockholder of a corporation of this State who
holds shares of stock on the date of the making of a demand
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section with
respect to such shares, who continuously holds such shares
through the effective date of the merger or consolidation, who
has otherwise complied with subsection (d) of this
section and who has neither voted in favor of the merger or
consolidation nor consented thereto in writing pursuant to
§228 of this title shall be entitled to an appraisal by the
Court of Chancery of the fair value of the stockholders
shares of stock under the circumstances described in subsections
(b) and (c) of this section. As used in this section,
the word stockholder means a holder of record of
stock in a stock corporation and also a member of record of a
nonstock corporation; the words stock and
share mean and include what is ordinarily meant by
those words and also membership or membership interest of a
member of a nonstock corporation; and the words depository
receipt mean a receipt or other instrument issued by a
depository representing an interest in one or more shares, or
fractions thereof, solely of stock of a corporation, which stock
is deposited with the depository.
(b) Appraisal rights shall be available for the shares of
any class or series of stock of a constituent corporation in a
merger or consolidation to be effected pursuant to
§ 251 (other than a merger effected pursuant to
§ 251(g) of this title), § 252,
§ 254, § 257, § 258,
§ 263 or § 264 of this title:
(1) Provided, however, that no appraisal rights under this
section shall be available for the shares of any class or series
of stock, which stock, or depository receipts in respect
thereof, at the record date fixed to determine the stockholders
entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the meeting of
stockholders to act upon the agreement of merger or
consolidation, were either (i) listed on a national
securities exchange or designated as a national market system
security on an interdealer quotation system by the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or (ii) held of
record by more than 2,000 holders; and further provided that no
appraisal rights shall be available for any shares of stock of
the constituent corporation surviving a merger if the merger did
not require for its approval the vote of the stockholders of the
surviving corporation as provided in subsection (f) of
§ 251 of this title.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this
subsection, appraisal rights under this section shall be
available for the shares of any class or series of stock of a
constituent corporation if the holders thereof are required by
the terms of an agreement of merger or consolidation pursuant to
§§ 251, 252, 254, 257, 258, 263 and 264 of this
title to accept for such stock anything except:
a. Shares of stock of the corporation surviving or
resulting from such merger or consolidation, or depository
receipts in respect thereof;
b. Shares of stock of any other corporation, or depository
receipts in respect thereof, which shares of stock (or
depository receipts in respect thereof) or depository receipts
at the effective date of the merger or consolidation will be
either listed on a national securities exchange or designated as
a national market system security on an interdealer quotation
system by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
or held of record by more than 2,000 holders;
c. Cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional
depository receipts described in the foregoing subparagraphs a.
and b. of this paragraph; or
d. Any combination of the shares of stock, depository
receipts and cash in lieu of fractional shares or fractional
depository receipts described in the foregoing subparagraphs a.,
b. and c. of this paragraph.
(3) In the event all of the stock of a subsidiary Delaware
corporation party to a merger effected under § 253 of
this title is not owned by the parent corporation immediately
prior to the merger, appraisal rights shall be available for the
shares of the subsidiary Delaware corporation.
Annex C-1
(c) Any corporation may provide in its certificate of
incorporation that appraisal rights under this section shall be
available for the shares of any class or series of its stock as
a result of an amendment to its certificate of incorporation,
any merger or consolidation in which the corporation is a
constituent corporation or the sale of all or substantially all
of the assets of the corporation. If the certificate of
incorporation contains such a provision, the procedures of this
section, including those set forth in subsections (d) and
(e) of this section, shall apply as nearly as is
practicable.
(d) Appraisal rights shall be perfected as follows:
(1) If a proposed merger or consolidation for which
appraisal rights are provided under this section is to be
submitted for approval at a meeting of stockholders, the
corporation, not less than 20 days prior to the meeting,
shall notify each of its stockholders who was such on the record
date for such meeting with respect to shares for which appraisal
rights are available pursuant to subsection (b) or
(c) hereof that appraisal rights are available for any or
all of the shares of the constituent corporations, and shall
include in such notice a copy of this section. Each stockholder
electing to demand the appraisal of such stockholders
shares shall deliver to the corporation, before the taking of
the vote on the merger or consolidation, a written demand for
appraisal of such stockholders shares. Such demand will be
sufficient if it reasonably informs the corporation of the
identity of the stockholder and that the stockholder intends
thereby to demand the appraisal of such stockholders
shares. A proxy or vote against the merger or consolidation
shall not constitute such a demand. A stockholder electing to
take such action must do so by a separate written demand as
herein provided. Within 10 days after the effective date of
such merger or consolidation, the surviving or resulting
corporation shall notify each stockholder of each constituent
corporation who has complied with this subsection and has not
voted in favor of or consented to the merger or consolidation of
the date that the merger or consolidation has become
effective; or
(2) If the merger or consolidation was approved pursuant to
§ 228 or § 253 of this title, then, either a
constituent corporation before the effective date of the merger
or consolidation, or the surviving or resulting corporation
within ten days thereafter, shall notify each of the holders of
any class or series of stock of such constituent corporation who
are entitled to appraisal rights of the approval of the merger
or consolidation and that appraisal rights are available for any
or all shares of such class or series of stock of such
constituent corporation, and shall include in such notice a copy
of this section. Such notice may, and, if given on or after the
effective date of the merger or consolidation, shall, also
notify such stockholders of the effective date of the merger or
consolidation. Any stockholder entitled to appraisal rights may,
within 20 days after the date of mailing of such notice,
demand in writing from the surviving or resulting corporation
the appraisal of such holders shares. Such demand will be
sufficient if it reasonably informs the corporation of the
identity of the stockholder and that the stockholder intends
thereby to demand the appraisal of such holders shares. If
such notice did not notify stockholders of the effective date of
the merger or consolidation, either (i) each such
constituent corporation shall send a second notice before the
effective date of the merger or consolidation notifying each of
the holders of any class or series of stock of such constituent
corporation that are entitled to appraisal rights of the
effective date of the merger or consolidation or (ii) the
surviving or resulting corporation shall send such a second
notice to all such holders on or within 10 days after such
effective date; provided, however, that if such second notice is
sent more than 20 days following the sending of the first
notice, such second notice need only be sent to each stockholder
who is entitled to appraisal rights and who has demanded
appraisal of such holders shares in accordance with this
subsection. An affidavit of the secretary or assistant secretary
or of the transfer agent of the corporation that is required to
give either notice that such notice has been given shall, in the
absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated
therein. For purposes of determining the stockholders entitled
to receive either notice, each constituent corporation may fix,
in advance, a record date that shall be not more than
10 days prior to the date the notice is given, provided,
that if the notice is given on or after the effective date of
the merger or consolidation, the record date shall be such
effective date. If no record date is fixed and the notice is
given prior to the effective date, the record date shall be the
close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the
notice is given.
(e) Within 120 days after the effective date of the
merger or consolidation, the surviving or resulting corporation
or any stockholder who has complied with subsections
(a) and (d) hereof and who is
Annex C-2
otherwise entitled to appraisal rights, may file a petition in
the Court of Chancery demanding a determination of the value of
the stock of all such stockholders. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, at any time within 60 days after the effective
date of the merger or consolidation, any stockholder shall have
the right to withdraw such stockholders demand for
appraisal and to accept the terms offered upon the merger or
consolidation. Within 120 days after the effective date of
the merger or consolidation, any stockholder who has complied
with the requirements of subsections (a) and
(d) hereof, upon written request, shall be entitled to
receive from the corporation surviving the merger or resulting
from the consolidation a statement setting forth the aggregate
number of shares not voted in favor of the merger or
consolidation and with respect to which demands for appraisal
have been received and the aggregate number of holders of such
shares. Such written statement shall be mailed to the
stockholder within 10 days after such stockholders
written request for such a statement is received by the
surviving or resulting corporation or within 10 days after
expiration of the period for delivery of demands for appraisal
under subsection (d) hereof, whichever is later.
(f) Upon the filing of any such petition by a stockholder,
service of a copy thereof shall be made upon the surviving or
resulting corporation, which shall within 20 days after
such service file in the office of the Register in Chancery in
which the petition was filed a duly verified list containing the
names and addresses of all stockholders who have demanded
payment for their shares and with whom agreements as to the
value of their shares have not been reached by the surviving or
resulting corporation. If the petition shall be filed by the
surviving or resulting corporation, the petition shall be
accompanied by such a duly verified list. The Register in
Chancery, if so ordered by the Court, shall give notice of the
time and place fixed for the hearing of such petition by
registered or certified mail to the surviving or resulting
corporation and to the stockholders shown on the list at the
addresses therein stated. Such notice shall also be given by 1
or more publications at least 1 week before the day of the
hearing, in a newspaper of general circulation published in the
City of Wilmington, Delaware or such publication as the Court
deems advisable. The forms of the notices by mail and by
publication shall be approved by the Court, and the costs
thereof shall be borne by the surviving or resulting corporation.
(g) At the hearing on such petition, the Court shall
determine the stockholders who have complied with this section
and who have become entitled to appraisal rights. The Court may
require the stockholders who have demanded an appraisal for
their shares and who hold stock represented by certificates to
submit their certificates of stock to the Register in Chancery
for notation thereon of the pendency of the appraisal
proceedings; and if any stockholder fails to comply with such
direction, the Court may dismiss the proceedings as to such
stockholder.
(h) After determining the stockholders entitled to an
appraisal, the Court shall appraise the shares, determining
their fair value exclusive of any element of value arising from
the accomplishment or expectation of the merger or
consolidation, together with a fair rate of interest, if any, to
be paid upon the amount determined to be the fair value. In
determining such fair value, the Court shall take into account
all relevant factors. In determining the fair rate of interest,
the Court may consider all relevant factors, including the rate
of interest which the surviving or resulting corporation would
have had to pay to borrow money during the pendency of the
proceeding. Upon application by the surviving or resulting
corporation or by any stockholder entitled to participate in the
appraisal proceeding, the Court may, in its discretion, permit
discovery or other pretrial proceedings and may proceed to trial
upon the appraisal prior to the final determination of the
stockholder entitled to an appraisal. Any stockholder whose name
appears on the list filed by the surviving or resulting
corporation pursuant to subsection (f) of this section
and who has submitted such stockholders certificates of
stock to the Register in Chancery, if such is required, may
participate fully in all proceedings until it is finally
determined that such stockholder is not entitled to appraisal
rights under this section.
(i) The Court shall direct the payment of the fair value of
the shares, together with interest, if any, by the surviving or
resulting corporation to the stockholders entitled thereto.
Interest may be simple or compound, as the Court may direct.
Payment shall be so made to each such stockholder, in the case
of holders of uncertificated stock forthwith, and the case of
holders of shares represented by certificates upon the surrender
to the corporation of the certificates representing such stock.
The Courts decree may be
Annex C-3
enforced as other decrees in the Court of Chancery may be
enforced, whether such surviving or resulting corporation be a
corporation of this State or of any state.
(j) The costs of the proceeding may be determined by the
Court and taxed upon the parties as the Court deems equitable in
the circumstances. Upon application of a stockholder, the Court
may order all or a portion of the expenses incurred by any
stockholder in connection with the appraisal proceeding,
including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys fees
and the fees and expenses of experts, to be charged pro rata
against the value of all the shares entitled to an appraisal.
(k) From and after the effective date of the merger or
consolidation, no stockholder who has demanded appraisal rights
as provided in subsection (d) of this section shall be
entitled to vote such stock for any purpose or to receive
payment of dividends or other distributions on the stock (except
dividends or other distributions payable to stockholders of
record at a date which is prior to the effective date of the
merger or consolidation); provided, however, that if no petition
for an appraisal shall be filed within the time provided in
subsection (e) of this section, or if such stockholder
shall deliver to the surviving or resulting corporation a
written withdrawal of such stockholders demand for an
appraisal and an acceptance of the merger or consolidation,
either within 60 days after the effective date of the
merger or consolidation as provided in
subsection (e) of this section or thereafter with the
written approval of the corporation, then the right of such
stockholder to an appraisal shall cease. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, no appraisal proceeding in the Court of Chancery
shall be dismissed as to any stockholder without the approval of
the Court, and such approval may be conditioned upon such terms
as the Court deems just.
(l) The shares of the surviving or resulting corporation to
which the shares of such objecting stockholders would have been
converted had they assented to the merger or consolidation shall
have the status of authorized and unissued shares of the
surviving or resulting corporation.
Annex C-4
Please date, sign and mail your proxy card
back as soon as possible.
STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Special Meetings of Stockholders
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2005
Please detach and mail envelope provided.
x Please
mark your votes as in this example.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF STORAGE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
RECOMMENDS
THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE FOLLOWING PROPOSAL:
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To approve the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
June 2, 2005, among Storage Technology Corporation, Sun
Microsystems, Inc. and Merger Sub, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Sun Microsystems, Inc., pursuant to which, upon the merger
becoming effective, each share of common stock, par value
$0.10 per share, of Storage Technology Corporation will be
converted into the right to receive $37 in cash, without
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Mark box at right if an address change or comment has been made.
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THIS PROXY, WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED
OR IF NO CONTRARY DIRECTION IS INDICATED WILL BE VOTED AS
MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDS ON THESE AND ANY OTHER MATTERS THAT MAY
PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENT(S) OR
POSTPONEMENT(S) THEREOF.
Please sign, date and return this proxy card using the enclosed
envelope:
Note: Please sign name(s) exactly as appearing hereon. When
signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other
fiduciary, please give your full title as such. Joint owners
should each sign personally.