Exhibit 10.28

 

CERTAIN IDENTIFIED INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THE EXHIBIT BECAUSE IT IS BOTH (I) NOT MATERIAL AND (II) THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL. REDACTED INFORMATION HAS BEEN MARKED AS “[REDACTED]”. CERTAIN SCHEDULES OR SIMILAR ATTACHMENTS HAVE BEEN OMITTED FROM THIS EXHIBIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITEM 601(a)(5) OF REGULATION S-K.

 

DATED 11 AUGUST 2026

 

 

 

PROJECT GROUND BIDCO LIMITED

 

AND

 

PROJECT GROUND DE BIDCO GMBH

 

AND

 

ACTEON GROUP OPERATIONS (UK) LIMITED

 

SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

 

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP
70 ST MARY AXE
LONDON EC3A 8BE
UNITED KINGDOM

 

TED DB / 103510-10140

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

Clause Page
    
1.Interpretation 3
2.SALE AND PURCHASE 34
3.CONSIDERATION 35
4.COMPLETION 37
5.COMPLETION ACCOUNTS 42
6.ADJUSTMENT TO CONSIDERATION 45
7.SELLER WARRANTIES 47
8.PURCHASERs' and Seller's WARRANTIES AND UNDERTAKINGS 47
9.LIMITATION OF LIABILITY 50
10.RELEASES 50
11.Conduct of Claims under Clause 10.4 53
12.release of encumbrances 55
13.Release of Guarantees 56
14.W&I INSURANCE 57
15.Wrong Pockets 58
16.TAX COVENANT 59
17.ACCESS TO INFORMATION 59
18.ANNOUNCEMENTS 62
19.CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION 63
20.Several Liability 64
21.ASSIGNMENT 64
22.Set-Off and Withholdings 65
23.COSTS 66
24.EFFECT OF COMPLETION 66
25.FURTHER ASSURANCES 67

 

 

 

 

26.ENTIRE AGREEMENT 67
27.VARIATIONS 67
28.WAIVER 67
29.REMEDIES 68
30.INVALIDITY 68
31.NOTICES 68
32.COUNTERPARTS 70
33.THIRD PARTY RIGHTS 70
34.GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION 70

 

Schedule 1 - COMPLETION SHAREHOLDING SCHEDULE 72
Part 1 - PARTICULARS RELATING TO THE TARGET COMPANIES 72
Part 2 - PARTICULARS RELATING TO THE TARGET SUBSIDIARIES 72
Schedule 2 The Warranties 73
Schedule 3 TAX SCHEDULE 74
Part 1 INTERPRETATION 74
Part 2 Tax Covenant 74
Part 3 TAX WARRANTIES 74
Schedule 4 Limitations on Liability 75
Schedule 5 Completion Accounts 76
Schedule 6 COMPLETION STATEMENT 77
Schedule 7 INTRA-GROUP LOAN AMOUNTS 78
Schedule 8 PROPERTIES 79
Schedule 9 BALANCE SHEET MAPPING SCHEDULE 80
Schedule 10 - Bank GUARANTEES AND SELLER GROUP GUARANTEES 81
Part 1 – Bank Guarantees 81
Part 2 - Seller Group Guarantees 81
Schedule 11 – LTIP PAYMENTS AND RETENTION BONUSES 82
Schedule 12 – Commercial Projects & Proposals 83

 

2 

 

 

THIS AGREEMENT is made on 11 August 2026 (the "Agreement")

 

BETWEEN:

 

(A)ACTEON GROUP OPERATIONS (UK) LIMITED, a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 15426649 and whose registered office is at Kingfisher House, 1 Gilders Way, Norwich, Norfolk, England, NR3 1UB (the "Seller");

 

(B)PROJECT GROUND BIDCO LIMITED, a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 17315285, whose registered address is at Avocet Court 8 Central Avenue, St Andrews Business Park, Norwich NR7 0HR, United Kingdom ("UK Bidco"); and

 

(C)PROJECT GROUND DE BIDCO GMBH, a limited liability company registered in the commercial register at the local court (Amtsgericht) of Hamburg under HRB 199805, whose registered address is at Ballindamm 17, c/o A&O Shearman, 20095 Hamburg ("German Bidco" and together with UK Bidco, the "Purchasers" and each a "Purchaser"),

 

each a "party", and together the "parties".

 

THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS:

 

1.Interpretation

 

1.1In this Agreement the following words, expressions and abbreviations have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires:

 

"2025 Accounts" means:

 

(a)the unaudited financial statements of Menck GmbH, Acteon Singapore Holdings, Acteon Singapore Operations and Menck Pte Ltd comprising:

 

(i)the statement of financial position (or balance sheet) as at 31 December 2025;

 

(ii)the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the financial year ended on 31 December 2025;

 

(iii)the statement of changes in equity for the financial year ended on 31 December 2025 (where applicable); and

 

(iv)the statement of cash flows or the financial year ended on 31 December 2025 (where applicable),

 

as well as any notes, documents and statements to them (copies of which are contained in the Data Room); and

 

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(b)the unaudited financial statements of Menck UK and Menck Australia Pty Ltd comprising:

 

(i)the statement of financial position (or balance sheet) as at 31 December 2025; and

 

(ii)the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the financial year ended on 31 December 2025,

 

as well as any notes, documents and statements to them (copies of which are contained in the Data Room);

 

"A&M Structure Papers" means:

 

(a)the final Project Ground Pre-Transaction Structure Report (Phase 1) prepared by Alvarez & Marsal Tax LLP dated 6 July 2026; and

 

(b)the draft Project Ground Pre-Transaction Structure Report (Phase 2) prepared by Alvarez & Marsal Tax LLP dated 8 July 2026;

 

"Accounting Standards" means generally accepted accounting principles in the relevant jurisdiction as applied by the relevant Target Group Company;

 

"Accounts" means:

 

(a)the audited financial statements of Menck GmbH, Acteon Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd, Acteon Singapore Operations Pte Ltd, and Menck Pte Ltd comprising:

 

(i)the statement of financial position (or balance sheet) as at the Accounts Date;

 

(ii)the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the financial year ended on the Accounts Date;

 

(iii)the statement of changes in equity for the financial year ended on the Accounts Date (where applicable); and

 

(iv)the statement of cash flows or the financial year ended on the Accounts Date (where applicable);

 

as well as any notes, documents and statements to them (copies of which are contained in the Data Room), together the "Audited Accounts"; and

 

(b)the unaudited financial statements of Menck UK Ltd and Menck Australia Pty Ltd comprising:

 

(i)the statement of financial position (or balance sheet) as at the Accounts Date; and

 

(ii)the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the financial year ended on the Accounts Date;

 

as well as any notes, documents and statements to them (copies of which are contained in the Data Room), together the "Unaudited Accounts";

 

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"Accounts Date" means 31 December 2024;

 

"Acteon Singapore Holdings" means Acteon Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd, a private limited company registered in Singapore with registered no. 201330934C, whose registered address is at 107 Tuas South Avenue 8, Acteon Singapore Operations Centre, Singapore 637036;

 

"Acteon Singapore Operations" means Acteon Singapore Operations Pte Ltd, a private limited company registered in Singapore with registered no. 200814307K, whose registered address is at 107 Tuas South Avenue 8, Acteon Singapore Operations Centre, Singapore 637036;

 

"Affiliate" means:

 

(a)in relation to an individual, any person who at any relevant time is connected with that individual in accordance with Clause 1.4;

 

(b)in relation to an undertaking, any group undertaking of that undertaking at any relevant time and any other person that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, Controls, is Controlled by, or is under common Control with, such undertaking;

 

(c)in relation to a Fund or any party that is, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, legally or beneficially held or otherwise Controlled by or for any Fund, any general partner, trustee, nominee, manager (including authorised manager and / or investment manager), management company or adviser of that Fund or its investments, any of that general partner, trustee, nominee, manager (including authorised manager and / or investment manager), management company or adviser's group undertakings, any other Fund whose investments are managed by that general partner, trustee, nominee, manager (including authorised manager and / or investment manager), management company or adviser or any of their respective group undertakings; and

 

(d)in relation to a general partner, trustee, nominee, manager (including authorised manager and / or investment manager), management company or adviser of any Fund or its investments, or any party that is, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, legally or beneficially held or otherwise Controlled by or for any Fund, any of that general partner, trustee, nominee, manager (including authorised manager and / or investment manager), management company or adviser's group undertakings, any Fund whose investments are managed by that general partner, trustee, nominee, manager (including authorised manager and / or investment manager), management company or adviser or any of their respective group undertakings, and any Fund in respect of which that general partner, trustee, nominee, manager (including authorised manager and / or investment manager), management company or adviser or any of their respective group undertakings acts in the capacity of general partner, trustee, nominee, manager (including authorised manager and / or investment manager), management company or adviser;

 

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"Agency Worker" means any individual who is supplied by a third party to work for and under the supervision and direction of any Target Group Company as at the date of this Agreement;

 

"AML Laws" means all Applicable Laws concerning anti-money laundering, financial record keeping or counter-terrorist financing;

 

"Anti-Bribery Laws" means all Applicable Laws relating to anti-bribery or anti-corruption in any jurisdiction (including the UK Bribery Act 2010, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977 and any related guidance from time to time);

 

"Applicable Law" means any:

 

(a)law (including common law, bye-law or other binding law), statute, subordinate legislation, regulation, code, treaty, ordinance, rule, judgment, order, decree, directive, decision or injunction;

 

(b)determination by or requirement or recommendation of any Authority; or

 

(c)interpretation or administration of any of the foregoing by any Authority;

 

"Asset Transfer Agreement" means the asset transfer agreement between Large Diameter Drilling (as seller) and Menck UK (as buyer) dated 1 March 2026, pursuant to which the business and assets of Large Diameter Drilling (including the shares in Menck Australia Pty Ltd) were transferred to Menck UK;

 

"Assurance" means any indemnity, guarantee, security agreement or similar commitment or agreement;

 

"Authority" means any:

 

(a)federal, state, local, municipal, foreign or other government or political subdivision thereof, or any agency or instrumentality of such government or political subdivision;

 

(b)governmental or quasi-governmental entity of any nature (including any governmental agency, branch, department, official, or entity and any court or other tribunal); or

 

(c)body exercising or entitled to exercise any administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory, or taxing authority or power of any nature, including any arbitral tribunal;

 

"Bank Guarantee" means any bank guarantee, performance bank guarantee, demand guarantee, advance payment guarantee, counter-guarantee, standby letter of credit, performance letter of credit, warranty bond, performance bond or similar instrument issued or procured by a bank, financial institution, bonding provider or other issuer in respect of any obligation of any Target Group Company, including each instrument listed in Part 1 of Schedule 10 (Bank Guarantees and Seller Group Guarantees);

 

6 

 

 

"Borrowings" means, in relation to a Target Group Company, all financial indebtedness and amounts in the nature of financial indebtedness, owed by that Target Group Company, including:

 

(a)borrowings from, and debit balances at, banks, other financial institutions or any other entity or person;

 

(b)indebtedness under bonds, notes, debentures, loan stock or any similar instrument;

 

(c)indebtedness under any finance, hire purchase agreement, capital lease or any other line of credit or similar utilised for the direct or indirect purpose of funding any supplier payments or payment obligations;

 

(d)the amount of receivables sold or discounted (otherwise than on a non-recourse basis);

 

(e)the amount of any counter-indemnity obligation in respect of any guarantee, bond, standby or documentary letter of credit or any similar instrument issued by a bank or financial institution;

 

(f)the amount of any unpaid dividends or distributions declared or made in favour of any person other than a Target Group Company;

 

(g)the amount of any deferred or contingent consideration outstanding in relation to the acquisition of any asset or business;

 

(h)any amount raised under any other transaction having the commercial effect of borrowing;

 

(i)the amount of any obligation under any indemnity, guarantee or similar commitment given in respect of any obligation of a person (other than another Target Group Company) in relation to any indebtedness of the kind referred to in this definition;

 

(j)interest (or similar amounts) accrued in respect of the matters referred to in this definition, including any increased amount of interest (or similar) payable by reference to any obligation to deduct or withhold Tax or any other requirement to indemnify a cost or Tax; and

 

(k)any premium, fees, costs and expenses (including prepayment fees, penalties and break costs) paid or payable in connection with the termination, release, discharge or repayment of facilities, borrowings or other indebtedness referred to in this definition;

 

and references in this Agreement to "repayment" of any Borrowings shall mean the taking of any action necessary to eliminate the liability of that Target Group Company for such financial indebtedness or amounts in the nature of financial indebtedness, and any related words or phrases shall be construed accordingly;

 

7 

 

 

"Business Day" means a day (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) on which banks generally are open in London, England and Copenhagen, Denmark for the transaction of normal banking business;

 

"Cash" means, in respect of each Target Company (without double counting) the aggregate amount of:

 

(a)the aggregate amount of all cash sums and Cash Equivalents (whether in transit, held in hand or standing to the credit of any account with a bank), but excluding any restricted cash, cash held as collateral, or cash subject to any restriction on use or withdrawal; and

 

(b)corporate income Tax receivable;

 

of each Relevant Target Group Company as at the Relevant Time, but excluding for all purposes:

 

(c)the Intra-Group Receivables,

 

as calculated in accordance with Clause 5 and on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) and as set out in the Completion Accounts. An illustrative calculation of Cash is set out in the Schedule 9 (Balance Sheet Mapping Schedule), with the items marked as "Cash" representing the relevant components of Cash;

 

"Cash Equivalents" means any assets that are capable of being readily converted into a known amount of cash within a forty-eight (48)-hour period;

 

"Claim" means each of a Fundamental Warranty Claim, a General Warranty Claim, a Tax Warranty Claim, a Tax Covenant Claim, and/or a Contractual Claim;

 

"Commercial Projects & Proposals" means the contracts involving both the Menck Group and the Acteon Group, whereby the parties are committed (or have committed, as between themselves) to joint projects with third parties that are mutually beneficial and profitable to both the Seller Group and the Target Group as listed in Schedule 12 (Commercial Projects & Proposals), in the agreed form;

 

"Completion" means the completion of the sale and purchase of the Shares in accordance with Clause 4;

 

"Completion Accounts" means the accounts prepared in accordance with Clause 5 and on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts);

 

"Completion Date" means the date of this Agreement;

 

"Completion Payment" means, together, Completion Payment - Germany, the Completion Payment - United Kingdom, the Completion Payment - Singapore Holdings and the Completion Payment - Singapore Operations;

 

8 

 

 

"Completion Payment - Germany" means the amount of the Estimated Consideration – Germany;

 

"Completion Payment - Singapore Holdings" means the amount of the Estimated Consideration – Singapore Holdings;

 

"Completion Payment - Singapore Operations" means the amount of the Estimated Consideration – Singapore Operations;

 

"Completion Payment - United Kingdom" means the amount of the Estimated Consideration – United Kingdom;

 

"Completion Shareholding Schedule" means Schedule 1 (Completion Shareholding Schedule), setting out the legal and beneficial ownership of the issued shares in each Target Group Company as at the date of this Agreement;

 

"Completion Statement" means, together, the Completion Statement - Germany, the Completion Statement - United Kingdom, the Completion Statement - Singapore Holdings and the Completion Statement - Singapore Operations;

 

"Completion Statement - Germany" means the completion statement in respect of Menck GmbH agreed or finally determined in accordance with Clause 5, in the form set out in Part 1 of Schedule 6 (Completion Statement);

 

"Completion Statement - Singapore Holdings" means the completion statement in respect of Acteon Singapore Holdings agreed or finally determined in accordance with Clause 5, in the form set out in Part 2 of Schedule 6 (Completion Statement);

 

"Completion Statement - Singapore Operations" means the completion statement in respect of Acteon Singapore Operations agreed or finally determined in accordance with Clause 5, in the form set out in Part 3 of Schedule 6 (Completion Statement);

 

"Completion Statement - United Kingdom" means the completion statement in respect of Menck UK agreed or finally determined in accordance with Clause 5, in the form set out in Part 4 of Schedule 6 (Completion Statement);

 

"Confidential Information" means the Seller's Confidential Information, the Purchasers' Confidential Information and the Deal Confidential Information;

 

"Confidentiality Agreements" means the confidentiality agreement entered into between Acteon Group Operations (UK) Limited and Cadeler A/S on 17 April 2026 and the clean team agreement entered into between Acteon Group Operations (UK) Limited and Cadeler A/S on 26 June 2026;

 

"Confidentiality Termination Agreement" means the deed of termination in respect of the Confidentiality Agreements, in the agreed form;

 

"Consideration" means together, the Consideration - Germany, the Consideration - United Kingdom, the Consideration - Singapore Holdings and the Consideration - Singapore Operations, each as calculated pursuant to Clause 3;

 

9 

 

 

"Consideration - Germany" has the meaning set out in Clause 3.1;

 

"Consideration - Singapore Holdings" has the meaning set out in Clause 3.3;

 

"Consideration - Singapore Operations" has the meaning set out in Clause 3.4;

 

"Consideration - United Kingdom" has the meaning set out in Clause 3.2;

 

"Consultant" means any individual who is not an Agency Worker, Employee or Worker who has undertaken to do or perform personally, or is supplied to do or perform personally, any work or services for any Target Group Company as at the date of this Agreement;

 

"Contractor" means any current or former Consultant, Agency Worker or Worker;

 

"Contractual Claims" means all claims made under or in connection with this Agreement or the Transaction Documents, including any claim for breach of the covenant against Leakage in Clause 3, and any other claim by the Purchaser against the Seller under any matter indemnified under this Agreement or the Transaction Documents, other than General Warranty Claims, Tax Warranty Claims, Tax Covenant Claims and Fundamental Warranty Claims;

 

"Copyrights" means copyrights, design rights and other works of authorship (whether registered or unregistered) (including databases and Software), in any medium of expression, whether or not published and whether or not copyrightable, mask works, database rights, and all applications, registrations, extensions and renewals in connection therewith;

 

"COTSS" means:

 

(a)software from Microsoft, Adobe, Apple and/or Google;

 

(b)software which is available from multiple vendors and which has an upfront purchase price or annual licence fee of less than £100,000, and is provided on supplier standard terms with no modifications; or

 

(c)software which is licensed as part of a hardware purchase (including mobile phone operating systems) for no additional annual fee;

 

"Courseulles Contract" means the agreement entered into between [REDACTED], as contractor and [REDACTED], as sub-contractor, on [REDACTED] (as subsequently amended from time to time);

 

"Courseulles Contract Long Stop Date" means [REDACTED];

 

"Courseulles Services Agreement" means the services agreement entered into between Large Diameter Drilling and Menck UK on 1 March 2026 pursuant to the Asset Transfer Agreement, under which Menck UK provides worker services to Large Diameter Drilling on a cost pass-through basis to enable it to perform the Courseulles Contract, and under which Large Diameter Drilling indemnifies Menck UK against any third-party or worker claims arising from such services, in the agreed form;

 

10 

 

 

"Creation" or "Created" means created, developed, invented, discovered, derived, programmed or designed;

 

"CTA 2009" means the Corporation Tax Act 2009;

 

"CTA 2010" means the Corporation Tax Act 2010;

 

"Current Use" means the identified use for each Leasehold Property as Disclosed;

 

"Dangerous Substance" means any natural or artificial substance or thing (whether in a solid, liquid, gas, vapour or other form) that is: (a) capable (alone or in combination) of causing harm to humans or any other living organism or of damaging the Environment or public health or welfare; and/or (b) toxic, radioactive, flammable, corrosive, polluting, explosive or otherwise hazardous in nature (including any waste);

 

"Data Room" means the electronic data room containing documents relating to the Target Group Companies maintained on behalf of the Seller by Sterling Data Rooms at [REDACTED] and made available to the Purchasers and their advisers;

 

"Data Room Documents" means the documents and other information contained in the Data Room as at 17.20 hrs GMT on August 6, 2026 and included in the index which is annexed to the Disclosure Letter, copies of which are stored on the USB delivered to the Purchasers' Solicitors at Completion for the purposes of identification;

 

"Deal Confidential Information" means the existence, terms and contents of the Transaction Documents;

 

"Debt" means, in respect of each Target Company, (without double counting), the aggregate amount of the following liabilities:

 

(a)all interest and non-interest-bearing borrowings, overdrafts and any other liabilities in the nature of borrowed money (whether secured or unsecured) from any bank or financial institution;

 

(b)any reimbursement and payment obligations with respect to letters of credit, bills, bonds, notes, debentures or loan stock and other similar instruments;

 

(c)all net cash payment obligations under swaps, options, derivatives and other hedging agreements or arrangements;

 

(d)any obligations in respect of dividends declared or other distributions payable to the extent not receivable by the Purchasers;

 

(e)all recourse and non-recourse liabilities and other liabilities (whether conditional or unconditional, present or future) arising from any transactions related to the assignment or securitisation of receivables for financing purposes to any third party, including all factoring agreements and similar agreements executed for the purpose of obtaining financing;

 

(f)the amount of any deferred or contingent consideration outstanding in relation to the acquisition of any asset or business;

 

11 

 

 

(g)any unfunded or underfunded obligations for deferred compensation for any officer, director, or employee under the Menck GmbH defined benefit pension schemes, as determined in accordance with IFRS, in each case calculated on a gross basis without any deduction or adjustment for Tax or Relief of any kind;

 

(h)an amount payable in respect of any retention bonus scheme, long-term incentive plan or other incentive scheme payable in connection with the Transaction, but excluding the LTIP Payments and the Retention Bonuses (and any Tax payable in connection with the LTIP Payments and/or the Retention Bonuses); plus any employer national insurance contributions or similar social security contributions payable by a Target Group Company in respect of amounts covered by this paragraph (h) in connection with the Transaction and net of any Tax reasonably expected to be saved by a Target Group Company as a result of the utilisation of any Relief arising from such amounts; and

 

(i)any collateral postings, reimbursement obligations or cash funding requirements associated with any Relevant Guarantee, letter of credit or similar instrument, but only to the extent that such obligation has crystallised and gives rise to an actual liability of a Target Group Company as at the Relevant Time,

 

in each case, in relation to the Relevant Target Group Company as at the Relevant Time, together with any interest accrued and any prepayment, premiums or other penalties, fees, expenses or breakage costs arising in connection with the repayment of such indebtedness, to the extent unpaid, but excluding for all purposes:

 

(j)the Intra-Group Payables; and

 

(k)any deferred Tax liabilities,

 

as calculated in accordance with Clause 5 and on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts). An illustrative calculation of Debt is set out in the Schedule 9 (Balance Sheet Mapping Schedule), with the items marked as “Debt” representing the relevant components of Debt;

 

"Default Rate" means the rate of four (4) per cent. per annum above the base rate of the Bank of England from time to time, compounded daily;

 

"Defaulting Party" has the meaning given in Clause 4.11;

 

"Disclosed" means fairly disclosed in sufficient detail to enable the Purchasers to identify and assess the nature and scope of the matter disclosed;

 

"Disclosure Letter" means the letter delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement by the Seller to the Purchasers in relation to the Warranties, the receipt of which has been acknowledged by the Purchasers;

 

"Disputes" has the meaning given in Clause 34.2;

 

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"DP Laws" means all Applicable Law relating to data protection and privacy that is or has been from time to time applicable to any Target Group Company in any jurisdiction, including:

 

(a)the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Data Protection Act 2018;

 

(b)the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025;

 

(c)the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive 2002/58/EC as implemented in the European Economic Area ("EEA") and as it forms part of Applicable Law, including the UK's Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003;

 

(d)the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as it has effect in the EU;

 

(e)the UK GDPR; and

 

(f)any legislation which supplements, amends, or replaces any of the foregoing;

 

"Draft Completion Accounts" has the meaning given in Clause 5.2;

 

"Draft Completion Statement" has the meaning given in Clause 5.2;

 

"EEA" has the meaning given in paragraph (c) of the definition of DP Laws;

 

"Employee" means any individual employed by any Target Group Company under a contract of employment as at the date of this Agreement;

 

"Employee and/or Contractor Generated IPRs" has the meaning given in paragraph 20.3 of Schedule 2 (The Warranties);

 

"Employee Benefit Scheme" means any agreement, commitment, arrangement, scheme, custom or practice, in each case whether or not:

 

(a)enforceable;

 

(b)a registered pension scheme under the Finance Act 2004; and/or

 

(c)funded for in advance,

 

for the payment of any pension, allowance, lump sum or other retirement or death benefit on or after death, accident, retirement or termination of employment (whether voluntary or not) or during any period of sickness or disablement;

 

"Encumbrance" means any security interest (including any mortgage, charge, pledge, lien or assignment), any right to acquire (including any option or right of pre-emption) or any right to restrict dealings (including any trust or reservation of title) or any other arrangement having analogous or similar effect;

 

"Enterprise Value – Germany" means £[REDACTED];

 

"Enterprise Value – Singapore Holdings" means £[REDACTED];

 

"Enterprise Value – Singapore Operations" means £[REDACTED];

 

13 

 

 

"Enterprise Value – United Kingdom" means £[REDACTED];

 

"Environment" means any and all organisms (including man), ecosystems, property and the following media:

 

(a)air (including the air within buildings and the air within other natural or man-made structures, whether above or below ground);

 

(b)water (including surface waters, water under or within land or in drains or sewers, the seas and oceans, coastal and inland waters, and any water within any natural or man-made structure); and

 

(c)land (including land under water);

 

"Environmental Health Law" means all international, European Union, national, federal, state or local laws (including common and statute law and civil and criminal law), subordinate legislation and mandatory regulatory codes of practice (including statutory instruments, permits, circulars, directives, decisions, regulations, treaties and conventions), and all other Applicable Laws concerning or relating to:

 

(a)the pollution or protection of the Environment;

 

(b)the handling, use, management, or disposal of waste;

 

(c)human health, safety, security or welfare;

 

(d)labour and working rights and conditions (including modern slavery); and/or

 

(e)the release, emission, leakage, spillage, management, or handling of any Dangerous Substance,

 

which are binding on the Seller or any Target Group Company in the relevant jurisdiction in which the Seller or any Target Group Company is operating;

 

"Estimated Cash" means, in respect of each Target Company, the estimate of the aggregate amount of Cash in the Relevant Target Group Companies as at the Relevant Time on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) as specified in the Estimated Completion Statement;

 

"Estimated Completion Statement" means, for each of the Target Companies, the estimated completion statement set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) which has been prepared by the Seller and the Purchasers in accordance with Clause 5 and on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts);

 

"Estimated Consideration – Germany" means an amount equal to the sum of the Enterprise Value – Germany, plus the Estimated Cash of Menck GmbH, plus the Estimated Intra-Group Receivables of Menck GmbH, plus the Estimated Working Capital Adjustment Amount of Menck GmbH, less the Estimated Debt of Menck GmbH and less the Estimated Intra-Group Payables of Menck GmbH;

 

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"Estimated Consideration – Singapore Holdings" means an amount equal to the sum of the Enterprise Value – Singapore Holdings, plus the Estimated Cash of Acteon Singapore Holdings, plus the Estimated Intra-Group Receivables of Acteon Singapore Holdings, plus the Estimated Working Capital Adjustment Amount of Acteon Singapore Holdings, less the Estimated Debt of Acteon Singapore Holdings and less the Estimated Intra-Group Payables of Acteon Singapore Holdings;

 

"Estimated Consideration – Singapore Operations" means an amount equal to the sum of the Enterprise Value – Singapore Operations, plus the Estimated Cash of Acteon Singapore Operations, plus the Estimated Intra-Group Receivables of Acteon Singapore Operations, plus the Estimated Working Capital Adjustment Amount of Acteon Singapore Operations, less the Estimated Debt of Acteon Singapore Operations and less the Estimated Intra-Group Payables of Acteon Singapore Operations;

 

"Estimated Consideration – United Kingdom" means an amount equal to the sum of the Enterprise Value – United Kingdom, plus the Estimated Cash of Menck UK, plus the Estimated Intra-Group Receivables of Menck UK, plus the Estimated Working Capital Adjustment Amount of Menck UK, less the Estimated Debt of Menck UK and less the Estimated Intra-Group Payables of Menck UK;

 

"Estimated Debt" means, in respect of each Target Company, the estimated aggregate amount of Debt of the Relevant Target Group Companies as at the Relevant Time on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) as specified in the Estimated Completion Statement;

 

"Estimated Intra-Group Loan Amounts" means the Estimated Intra-Group Payables and the Estimated Intra-Group Receivables;

 

"Estimated Intra-Group Payables" means, in respect of each Target Company, the estimated aggregate amount of Intra-Group Payables held by the Relevant Target Group Companies as at the Relevant Time on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) as specified in the Estimated Completion Statement;

 

"Estimated Intra-Group Receivables" means, in respect of each Target Company, the estimated aggregate amount of Intra-Group Receivables held by the Relevant Target Group Companies as at the Relevant Time on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) as specified in the Estimated Completion Statement;

 

"Estimated Working Capital Adjustment Amount" means, in respect of each Target Company, the estimated aggregate amount of the Working Capital Adjustment Amount of the Relevant Target Group Companies as at the Relevant Time on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) as specified in the Estimated Completion Statement;

 

`"EV-to-Equity Bridge" means the document setting out the calculation and mechanics for deriving the Consideration for each Target Company from the relevant Enterprise Value, by reference to the relevant Cash, Intra-Group Receivables, Working Capital Adjustment Amount, Debt and Intra-Group Payables, in each case consistent with the calculation of the Consideration set out in Clause 3, in the agreed form;

 

15 

 

 

"Financial Statements" means the financial statements for the financial year which ended on the Accounts Date in respect of each Target Group Company;

 

"Fraud" means fraud or fraudulent activity of any kind, including: (a) any dishonest act or omission committed in order to gain an advantage, or to disadvantage another; (b) being a knowing participant to the carrying on of an activity with an intent to defraud creditors; (c) cheating the public revenue; (d) false accounting; (e) false statements by company directors; (f) fraudulent trading; (g) participating in a fraudulent business; (h) obtaining services dishonestly; (i) fraud by false representation, by failing to disclose information, or by abuse of position; or (j) any aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of any fraudulent act or omission;

 

"Fraud Laws" means all Applicable Laws concerning Fraud or fraudulent activity of any kind, including the UK Fraud Act 2006 and the UK Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023;

 

"Fund" means any fund, trust, company, partnership, limited partnership, investment scheme, pension fund, insurance company, body corporate or other entity, arrangement or co-investment vehicle, in each case, the assets of which are managed for investment purposes;

 

"Fundamental Warranties" means the Warranties set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2 (The Warranties);

 

"Fundamental Warranty Claim" means a claim by the Purchasers against the Seller for a breach of any of the Fundamental Warranties;

 

"General Warranty Claim" means a claim by the Purchasers against the Seller for a breach of any of the Warranties (except for the Fundamental Warranties);

 

"German Bidco" as the meaning given in the preamble;

 

"German Share" means the shares representing the entire issued share capital of Menck GmbH, as set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 (Completion Shareholding Schedule);

 

"German Share Transfer Deed" means the notarial share transfer agreement (Anteilsübertragungsvertrag) governed by German law to be executed before a German notary public between the Seller and German Bidco in respect of the transfer of the German Share in the agreed form;

 

"GST Group" means a GST Group, within the meaning of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (Cth);

 

"Hardware" means all computer hardware, equipment, electronics, platforms, servers, workstations, routers, hubs, switches, interfaces, data communication lines, networks and telecommunications equipment websites and Internet-related information technology infrastructure, wide area network and other data communications or information technology equipment or networks (in each case) used by a Target Group Company;

 

16 

 

 

"Health & Safety Laws" means all Applicable Law relating to health, safety and welfare matters (including building safety and fire safety matters);

 

"HMRC" means His Majesty's Revenue and Customs;

 

"ICAEW" means the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales;

 

"IFRS" means International Financial Reporting Standards, International Accounting Standards and interpretations of those standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee and their predecessor bodies as adopted by the United Kingdom;

 

"Independent Expert" has the meaning given in Clause 5.8;

 

"Initial Review Period" has the meaning given in Clause 5.5;

 

"Intellectual Property Rights" or "IPRs" means all rights in or in relation to any and all Patents, utility models, Trademarks, service marks, rights in designs, moral rights, get-up, trade, business or domain names, Copyrights, topography rights, rights in inventions, logos, Know-How, trade secrets and other confidential information, rights in databases and all other intellectual property rights of a similar or corresponding character in each case in any part of the world and whether registered or not and including any applications to register or rights to apply for registration of any of the foregoing;

 

"Intra-Group Agreements" has the meaning given in paragraph (a) of Clause 10.3;

 

"Intra-Group Loan Amounts" means the Intra-Group Payables and the Intra-Group Receivables;

 

"Intra-Group Payables" means, in respect of each Target Company, the aggregate of the amounts owing from each Relevant Target Group Company to any member of the Seller Group, including all principal debt, accrued interest, fees, costs, penalties and any early redemption fees as at Completion, calculated in accordance with Clause 5 and on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) but excluding any amount owing or payable under the Courseulles Services Agreement. An illustrative calculation showing the relevant balance sheet line items to be taken into account for these purposes is set out in Schedule 9 (Balance Sheet Mapping Schedule);

 

"Intra-Group Receivables" means, in respect of each Target Company, the aggregate of the amounts owing by any member of the Seller Group to each Relevant Target Group Company, including all principal debt, accrued interest, fees, costs, penalties and any early redemption fees as at Completion, calculated in accordance with Clause 5 and on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) but excluding any amount owing or payable under the Courseulles Services Agreement. An illustrative calculation showing the relevant balance sheet line items to be taken into account for these purposes is set out in Schedule 9 (Balance Sheet Mapping Schedule);

 

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"Investigation" means any action, suit, warning letter, notice of violation, penalty, judgment, decision, consent order, voluntary self-disclosure, investigation, inquiry or enforcement proceedings or other process (whether criminal or otherwise) by any Authority in any jurisdiction;

 

"IPR Licence In" means an express licence to use an IPR granted to a Target Group Company, but excluding:

 

(a)licences to use COTSS;

 

(b)licences to use Low Value Software;

 

(c)licences to use Open Source Software; and

 

(d)any licence granted to a Target Group Company in the ordinary course of business under any customer, supply or project agreement which is not material to the business carried on by that Target Group Company on the Completion Date.

 

"IPR Licence Out" has the meaning given in paragraph 20.14 of Schedule 2 (The Warranties);

 

"Know-How" means confidential or proprietary industrial, technical or commercial information and techniques in any form (including paper, electronically stored data, magnetic media, files and microfilm) including, without limitation, drawings, data relating to inventions, formulae, test results, reports, research reports, project reports and testing procedures, shop practices, instruction and training manuals, market forecasts, specifications, quotations, lists and particulars of customers and suppliers, marketing methods and procedures, show-how and advertising copy;

 

"Large Diameter Drilling" means Large Diameter Drilling Limited, a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales with registered no. 06320039, whose registered address is at Kingfisher House, 1 Gilders Way, Norwich, Norfolk, England, NR3 1UB;

 

"Leakage" means:

 

(a)any dividend, bonus, retention payment or other distribution of capital or income declared, paid or made (whether in cash or in specie) or any purchase, repurchase, redemption, repayment or return of share or loan capital (or any other relevant securities) by or on behalf of any Target Group Company to or for the benefit of the Seller Group (directly or indirectly);

 

(b)any payments made, by any Target Group Company to (or assets transferred to or liabilities assumed, indemnified, or incurred by or on behalf of any Target Group Company for the benefit of) any member of the Seller Group (directly or indirectly);

 

18 

 

 

(c)the forgiving, waiver, deferral, discount or release by any Target Group Company of any economic benefit, amount, liability or obligation, or any claim in respect thereof owed to that Target Group Company by or on behalf of any member of the Seller Group (directly or indirectly);

 

(d)the creation, granting or provision by any Target Group Company of any guarantee, indemnity, surety, security interest, Encumbrance or other assurance against financial loss for the benefit of (directly or indirectly) any member of the Seller Group;

 

(e)the transfer, surrender, assignment or licensing of any asset, right, benefit or other interest by any Target Group Company to or for the benefit of (directly or indirectly) any member of the Seller Group;

 

(f)the purchase or acquisition by any Target Group Company of any asset, right, benefit or other interest from any member of the Seller Group (directly or indirectly);

 

(g)any fees, costs or expenses assumed, incurred or paid by any Target Group Company, any Seller or any member of the Seller Group in connection with the preparation for, negotiation or consummation of the Transaction, including all transaction-related costs, retention bonuses, completion bonuses, success fees, advisory fees and similar transaction expenses, but excluding the LTIP Payments and the Retention Bonuses (and any Tax payable in connection with the LTIP Payments and/or the Retention Bonuses);

 

(h)the agreement, arrangement or commitment (whether conditional or not) by or on behalf of any Target Group Company to do or procure the doing of any of the things set out in paragraphs (a) to (g) above; and

 

(i)any Tax being paid, incurred or otherwise suffered by any Target Group Company in respect of the matters referred to in paragraphs (a) to (h),

 

but (i) excluding: (A) any amount which is advanced as an Intra-Group Receivable or an Intra-Group Payable, or the repayment of any amount of any Intra-Group Receivable or Intra-Group Payable; (B) any amount of Permitted Leakage, and (C) any VAT recoverable by repayment or credit by a Target Group Company in respect of any supply for which such Leakage is the consideration, or otherwise in connection with such Leakage; and (ii) net of any Relief to the extent such Relief is reasonably expected to give rise to an actual cash Tax benefit or saving for any Target Group Company in respect of any accounting period commencing prior to Completion, the current accounting period or the subsequent accounting period;

 

"Lease" means the lease under which a Leasehold Property is held;

 

"Lease Sums" has the meaning given in paragraph 14.12 of Schedule 2 (The Warranties);

 

"Leasehold Property" means the leasehold properties set out in Schedule 8 (Properties);

 

19 

 

 

"Liability Proportion" means the amount expressed as a percentage equal to: (a) the amount of Consideration the relevant Purchaser has paid; divided by (b) the total Consideration paid by the Purchasers (in each case, as adjusted in accordance with Clauses 5 and 6);

 

"Logo Copyrights" means copyrights protecting any logo (or similar) used by a Target Group Company in the six (6)-year period ending on Completion;

 

"Low Value Software" means any Software used by a Target Group Company, in respect of which the maximum cumulative spend by the Target Group Companies on that Software and related support in any twelve (12) month period has never exceeded £100,000, provided such Software is provided to the Target Group Company on a non-exclusive basis;

 

"LTIP Payments" means the payments described in Schedule 11 (LTIP Payments and Retention Bonuses), payable to the individuals and in the amounts specified in Schedule 11 (LTIP Payments and Retention Bonuses) on or before the due date for payment specified therein;

 

"Malicious Code" has the meaning given in paragraph 22.1(b) of Schedule 2 (The Warranties);

 

"Management Accounts" means the management accounts of Menck GmbH, Acteon Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd, Acteon Singapore Operations Pte Ltd, Menck Pte Ltd, Menck UK Ltd and Menck Australia Pty Ltd comprising:

 

(a)the statement of financial position (or balance sheet) as at 31 May 2026;

 

(b)the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the six (6) month period ended on the 31 May 2026;

 

(c)the statement of changes in equity for the six (6) month period ended on 31 May 2026 (where applicable); and

 

(d)the statement of cash flows for the six (6) month period ended on 31 May 2026 (where applicable),

 

as well as any notes, documents and statements to them (copies of which are contained in the Data Room);

 

"Marine Cargo Insurance Claim" means the insurance claim in respect of damaged equipment on [REDACTED] with an expected payout of £[REDACTED];

 

"Marine Foundations Accounts" means the unaudited combined balance sheet of the Target Group as at the Marine Foundations Accounts Date;

 

"Marine Foundations Accounts Date" means 31 May 2026;

 

"Material Agreement" means each of the customer, supplier and intercompany contracts that have been confirmed by the Seller Group as material from a systemic risk or operational perspective, in the context of the revenue and expenditures of the Target Group, including each of the contracts contained in Folders 3.1.5 and 3.2.5 of the Data Room;

 

20 

 

 

"Menck GmbH" means a private limited company registered in Germany with registered no. HRB 3894 NO at the district court Kiel, whose registered address is at Am Springmoor 5 a, 24568 Kaltenkirchen;

 

"Menck UK" means Menck UK Ltd, a private limited company registered in England and Wales with registered no. 15888223, whose registered address is at Kingfisher House, 1 Gilders Way, Norwich, Norfolk, England, NR3 1UB (which operates an Irish branch registered under the business name "Menck Grouting Services" at The Rubicon Centre, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland, T12 Y275);

 

"Non-Defaulting Party" has the meaning given in Clause 4.11;

 

"Non-German Shares" means the shares representing the entire issued share capital of the Non-German Target Companies, as set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 (Completion Shareholding Schedule);

 

"Non-German Target Companies" means the Singapore Target Companies and Menck UK;

 

"Open Source Materials" means all software or other material that is distributed as copyleft, community source code, "free software" (as defined by the Free Software Foundation), "open source software" (as defined by the Open Source Initiative) (including but not limited to the GNU General Public License (GPL), GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), Mozilla Public License (MPL), BSD licenses, the Artistic License, the Netscape Public License, the Sun Community Source License (SCSL), the Sun Industry Standards License (SISL) and the Apache License) or under similar licensing or distribution terms;

 

"Parent Company Guarantee" means any parent company guarantee, letter of comfort, indemnity, Assurance or other credit support issued or provided by any Seller Group Company in respect of any obligation of any Target Group Company, including each such instrument listed or described in Part 2 of Schedule 10 (Bank Guarantees and Seller Group Guarantees);

 

"Patents" means patents and rights to inventions (whether or not patentable or reduced to practice), all improvements thereto and all industrial designs (including utility model rights, design rights and industrial property rights), patent and industrial design applications and registrations, and rights in patent disclosures, together with all reissues, continuations, continuations-in-part, revisions, divisionals, extensions and re-examinations in connection therewith;

 

"Permit" means a permit, licence, consent, approval, certificate, qualification, specification, registration or other authorisation and/or a filing of a notification report or assessment necessary in any jurisdiction for the proper and efficient operation of each Target Group Company's business and/or its ownership, possession, occupation or use of an asset in accordance with Applicable Law;

 

21 

 

 

"Permitted Leakage" means any of the following;

 

(a)any payment or other transaction undertaken by or on behalf of any Target Group Company in accordance with the Courseulles Services Agreement;

 

(b)anything done by or on behalf of any Target Group Company in accordance with the Asset Transfer Agreement;

 

(c)anything done by or on behalf of any Target Group Company pursuant to any contract or arrangement relating to the Properties which has been Disclosed to the Purchasers;

 

(d)anything done by or on behalf of any Target Group Company in accordance with any Transaction Document;

 

(e)anything done by or on behalf of any Target Group Company with the prior written consent of the Purchasers;

 

(f)any payment or other transaction provided for or otherwise taken into account in the Completion Accounts and/or the EV-to-Equity Bridge;

 

(g)any payment or other transaction made by or on behalf of any Target Group Company pursuant to a Commercial Project & Proposal; and

 

(h)any Tax which becomes payable, is incurred or is otherwise suffered by any Target Group Company in relation to, as a result of or in connection with any of the matters referred to in paragraphs (a) to (g) above (save that any Tax payable, incurred or suffered by any Target Group Company in relation to, as a result of or in connection with any matter referred to in paragraph (e) above shall only be Permitted Leakage to the extent the Purchasers were provided with a reasonable estimate of the amount of such Tax or details of the nature of the underlying Tax in question at the time they gave their prior written consent to that matter);

 

"Planning Acts" means the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990, the Planning (Consequential Provisions) Act 1990, the Planning and Compensation Act 1991, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Planning Act 2008, the Localism Act 2011, the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013, the Housing and Planning Act 2016, the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 and any other legislation from time to time regulating the use or development of land;

 

"Previously Owned Land & Buildings" means any land and buildings that have, at any time before the date of this Agreement, been owned (under whatever tenure), controlled, leased, occupied or used by the Target Group Companies, but which are either:

 

(a)no longer owned, occupied or used by the Target Group Companies; or

 

(b)are owned, occupied or used by the Target Group Companies but pursuant to a different lease, licence, transfer or conveyance;

 

22 

 

 

"Privacy Policy" means any:

 

(a)external or internal past or present data protection, data usage, privacy and security policies of the Target Group Companies;

 

(b)public statements or commitments by or on behalf of the Target Group Companies; and

 

(c)policies and obligations applicable to the Target Group Companies as a result of any certification, in each case relating to:

 

(i)the privacy of individuals in connection with any website or any product or services of the Target Group Companies;

 

(ii)the collection, storage, disclosure, security, processing and transfer of any personal data; and

 

(iii)personal data of any employees of the business;

 

"Proceedings" has the meaning given in Clause 34.2;

 

"Prohibited Payment" means any:

 

(a)bribe, grease payment, influence payment, facilitation payment, kickback or other similarly corrupt payment;

 

(b)gift of money or anything of value prohibited under any Anti-Bribery Laws; or

 

(c)gift of money or anything of value to a Public Official, or a person connected to a Public Official, with the intention that such Public Official is:

 

(i)influenced to make any act or omission in the course of their duties as a Public Official; and

 

(ii)neither permitted nor required by the written laws applicable to them to be influenced in such a way;

 

"Properties" means the Leasehold Properties set out in Schedule 8 (Properties);

 

"Proprietary Know-How" means any Know-How, information or knowledge (in each case howsoever stored) that was Created by or for (in each case) a Target Group Company and that:

 

(a)is not generally known to competitors of a Target Group Company; and

 

(b)is in the nature of a trade secret, including Know-How and data about techniques, processes or methods (or, in each case, anything similar);

 

23 

 

 

"Public Official" means an individual who:

 

(a)holds a legislative, administrative, or judicial position of any kind;

 

(b)exercises a public function for or on behalf of any country or territory or any public agency or enterprise; or

 

(c)is an official or agent of a public international organisation.

 

"Purchaser Default" has the meaning given in paragraph (c) of Clause 4.11;

 

"Purchaser Records" has the meaning given in Clause 17.1;

 

"Purchaser Relevant Person" has the meaning given in Clause 10.2;

 

"Purchaser Wrong Pocket Transferee" means such member of the Purchasers’ Group as is nominated by the Purchasers as the transferee of a Target Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) for the purposes of Clause 15.1;

 

"Purchasers" has the meaning given in the preamble;

 

"Purchaser's Account" means the account of each Purchaser as notified by each Purchaser to the Seller in writing (provided that any such notification shall be required to be delivered to the Seller no later than five (5) Business Days prior to any payment to be made by the Seller to each Purchaser in accordance with the terms of this Agreement);

 

"Purchaser's Confidential Information" means: (a) all information relating to the business, financial or other affairs of any member of the Purchasers’ Group disclosed to the Seller in the context of discussions relating to the Transaction (including the identity of each Purchaser or the Purchasers' Group, future plans and targets of any member of the Purchasers' Group); and (b) all information relating to the business, financial or other affairs of any Target Group Company;

 

"Purchasers' Group" means each Purchaser and its Affiliates, from time to time and all of them and each of them as the context admits (including, following Completion, the Target Group Companies);

 

"Purchasers' Solicitors" means Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP;

 

"Registered IPR" means: (a) Patents; (b) registered Trademarks; (c) registered designs; (d) all other registered IPRs or registered industrial property rights (in each case) in any part of the world; (e) any applications for any of the foregoing; and (f) any reissues, continuations, continuations-in-part, revisions, divisionals, extensions, and re-examinations of any of the foregoing;

 

"Related Person(s)" means, in relation to any party, its group undertakings from time to time and all of them and each of them as the context admits;

 

"Release Documents" means the deed of release, the resignation letter to the intercreditor agreement originally dated 18 January 2024 and the resignation letter to the facilities agreement originally dated 18 January 2024, executed on or around the date of this Agreement.

 

"Relevant Employee" means any employee or director, or any former employee or director, of any Target Group Company or any other individual who at any time has undertaken to do or perform personally, or has been supplied to do or perform personally, any work or services for any Target Group Company;

 

24 

 

 

"Relevant Guarantee" means any Bank Guarantee or Parent Company Guarantee, and "Relevant Guarantees" shall be construed accordingly;

 

"Relevant Target Group Company" means, in respect of (a) Acteon Singapore Holdings, Acteon Singapore Holdings and its Target Subsidiary; (b) Acteon Singapore Operations, Acteon Singapore Operations; (c) Menck GmbH, Menck GmbH and (d) Menck UK, Menck UK and its Target Subsidiary;

 

"Relevant Time" means 11:59 p.m. UK time on 31 July 2026;

 

"Relevant Transfer" has the meaning given to such term in the TUPE Regulations;

 

"Relief" means:

 

(a)any loss, relief, allowance, credit, deduction, exemption or set-off in respect of Tax or relevant to the computation of any income, profits or gains (for the avoidance of doubt, not including any tax basis) for the purposes of any Tax; or

 

(b)a right to repayment of or saving of Tax (including any repayment supplement, fee or interest in respect of Tax),

 

and a reference to the utilisation or set-off of a Relief shall be construed accordingly;

 

"Remedial Action" means: (a) any works or action limiting, mitigating, remediating, preventing, removing, ameliorating or containing the presence or effect of any Dangerous Substance in or on the Environment; or (b) any investigation, sampling or monitoring in connection with any such works or action;

 

"Remedy Period" has the meaning given in Clause 5.3;

 

"Reorganisation" means any pre-Completion transaction or series of transactions undertaken by the Seller Group, on or after 22 March 2024, involving the share capital or loan capital of any member of the Target Group, including as described in the A&M Structure Papers;

 

"Retention Bonuses" means the payments described in Schedule 11 (LTIP Payments and Retention Bonuses), payable to the individuals and in the amounts specified in Schedule 11 (LTIP Payments and Retention Bonuses) on or before the due date for payment specified therein;

 

"Reverse Transitional Services Agreement" means the reverse transitional services agreement in the agreed form entered into between the Purchasers and the Seller on Completion, pursuant to which certain Target Group Companies will provide services to members of the Seller Group following Completion;

 

"Sanctioned Country" means, from time to time, a country or territory which is the target of any comprehensive or country- or territory-wide Sanctions (being at the time of this Agreement: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea region of Ukraine, the so-called Luhansk People's Republic of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People's Republic of Ukraine, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine);

 

25 

 

 

"Sanctioned Person" means at any time:

 

(a)any person listed in any list of persons targeted by Sanctions, including those maintained by the United States (including the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of State), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and its Member States, the United Kingdom, or any other jurisdictions applicable to the Target Group Companies;

 

(b)the government, including any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, of any Sanctioned Country or of Venezuela;

 

(c)an ordinary resident of, or entity registered in or incorporated, domiciled or established under the jurisdiction of, a Sanctioned Country; or

 

(d)a person acting or purporting to act, directly or indirectly, on behalf or at the direction of, or a party owned or controlled by, any of the persons listed in paragraphs (a) to (c) above (as the terms “owned”, “controlled” and “acting on behalf or at the direction of” are defined in the relevant Sanctions and/or any associated guidance on the same produced by any relevant sanctions authority from time to time);

 

"Sanctions" means economic, financial or trade sanctions or embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by the U.S. government (including those administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, any Member State of the European Union or the United Kingdom (including those administered through His Majesty's Treasury) or other applicable sanctions authority or jurisdiction;

 

"Second Review Period" has the meaning given in Clause 5.6;

 

"Section 792 Election" means a joint election under section 792 CTA 2009 to be submitted to HMRC to re-allocate any chargeable realisation gain which may arise under section 780 CTA 2009 to a member of the Seller Group;

 

"Seller" has the meaning given in the preamble;

 

"Seller’s Confidential Information" means all information relating to the Seller's business, financial or other affairs disclosed to the Purchasers in the context of discussions relating to the Transaction Documents (which shall include the Target Group Companies up to Completion);

 

"Seller Default" has the meaning given in paragraph (b) of Clause 4.11;

 

"Seller Group" means the Seller and its group undertakings (excluding the Target Group Companies) from time to time;

 

"Seller Group Company" means any member of the Seller Group;

 

26 

 

 

"Seller Group Guarantee" means any Parent Company Guarantee, and "Seller Group Guarantees" shall be construed accordingly.

 

"Seller Records" has the meaning given in Clause 17.2;

 

"Seller Relevant Person" has the meaning given in Clause 10.1;

 

"Seller Wrong Pocket Transferee" means such member of the Seller Group as is nominated by the Seller as the transferee of a Seller Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) for the purposes of Clause 15.2;

 

"Seller Wrong Pocket Asset" means any right, title or interest in any asset which relates exclusively or predominantly to the business carried on by any Seller Group Company on the Completion Date and which is, following Completion, held by any Target Group Company, provided that any Intellectual Property Right which is, following Completion, held by any Target Group Company shall only be a Seller Wrong Pockets Asset if it relates exclusively to the business carried on by any Seller Group Company on the Completion Date;

 

"Seller's Solicitors" means Sidley Austin LLP of 70 St Mary Axe, London, EC3A 8BE;

 

"Seller's Solicitors' Account" means the client account of the Seller's Solicitors as notified by the Seller to the Purchasers in writing (provided that any such notification shall be required to be delivered to the Purchasers no later than five (5) Business Days prior to any payment to be made by the Purchasers to the Seller in accordance with the terms of this Agreement);

 

"Shares" means the shares representing the entire issued share capital of the Target Companies to be sold, directly or indirectly, to the relevant Purchaser at Completion, as set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 (Completion Shareholding Schedule);

 

"Singapore Target Companies" mean Acteon Singapore Operations and Acteon Singapore Holdings;

 

"Social Media" means any websites, software applications, services and databases that use the internet to enable users to create, share or exchange content or information, to participate in social or business networking or to store customer contact information or data (including LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook);

 

"Social Media Accounts" means any accounts, pages, handles, feeds and tags in relation to Social Media that have been or are created, used or registered by or on behalf of or in relation to a Target Group Company;

 

"Software" means all computer software programs and software systems, in both source code and object code format, firmware, middleware, interfaces, data, databases, algorithms, compilers, compilations, higher-level "proprietary languages", application programming interfaces (APIs) and other access solutions, development and design tools and related components, tool sets, user interfaces, manuals and other specifications and documentation;

 

27 

 

 

"Stamp Duty Documents" means a working sheet, or such other document(s) as may be prescribed by the Stamp Duty Branch of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, which compute the net asset value per Share in each Singapore Target Company held by the Seller and generally for the assessment of the stamp duty payable on the transfer of Shares in each Singapore Target Company and which is signed by a director of the relevant Singapore Target Company1;

 

"Subrogation Provisions" has the meaning given in Clause 14.1;

 

"Supplier" means a person who supplies or has supplied goods to, or performs, or who has performed services for or on behalf of, any Target Group Company;

 

"Systems" means the Hardware and the Software and, in each case, associated manuals, specifications and documentation;

 

"Target Companies" means:

 

(a)Menck GmbH;

 

(b)Menck UK;

 

(c)Acteon Singapore Holdings; and

 

(d)Acteon Singapore Operations;

 

(and "Target Company" means any one of them);

 

"Target Company Guarantee" means any guarantee, letter of comfort, indemnity, Assurance or other credit support issued or provided by any Target Group Company in respect of any obligation of any Seller Group Company;

 

"Target Group" means the Target Companies and the Target Subsidiaries (and "Target Group Company" means any one of them);

 

"Target Group Company Created Software" means any Software that was written by or for a Target Group Company;

 

"Target Group Company Data" means all data, information and data compilations contained in the Systems or any databases of the Target Group Companies, including personal data, that are used by, or necessary to the business of any Target Group Company;

 

"Target Group Company Hardware" has the meaning given in paragraph 21.1 of Schedule 2 (The Warranties);

 

"Target Group Company IPR Agents" has the meaning given in paragraph 20.8 of Schedule 2 (The Warranties);

 

 

1 Duplicated in 4.2(k).

 

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"Target Group Company Owned IPR" means an IPR that is owned, or purported to be owned, by a Target Group Company, including, without limitation, IPRs currently under development by or for a Target Group Company;

 

"Target Group Company Products" means any products or equipment leased, sold or hired by the Target Group Companies;

 

"Target Group Company Registered IPRs" means any Registered IPR that is owned (or purported to be owned) by or exclusively licensed to a Target Group Company;

 

"Target Group Loans" means:

 

(a)the loan receivable owed by Acteon Group Limited to Menck GmbH;

 

(b)the loan receivable owed by Acteon Group Limited to Menck UK; and

 

(c)the loan receivable owed by Acteon Group Limited to Menck Pte Ltd;

 

"Target Subsidiaries" means the subsidiaries of the Target Companies from time to time, being as at the date of this Agreement:

 

(a)Menck Australia Pty Ltd, a private limited company registered in Australia with registered no. 158 985 463, whose registered address is at Level 8, 1008 Hay Street, Perth, WA, 6000; and

 

(b)Menck Pte Ltd, a private limited company registered in Singapore with registered no. 201331262M, whose registered address is at 107 Tuas South Avenue 8, Acteon Singapore Operations Centre, Singapore 637036,

 

(and "Target Subsidiary" means any one of them);

 

"Target Working Capital Amount" means in respect of: (a) Menck GmbH, the Target Working Capital Amount - Germany; (b) Menck UK, the Target Working Capital Amount - United Kingdom; (c) Acteon Singapore Holdings, the Target Working Capital Amount - Singapore Holdings; and (d) Acteon Singapore Operations, the Target Working Capital Amount - Singapore Operations;

 

"Target Working Capital Amount – Germany" means an amount equal to £[REDACTED];

 

"Target Working Capital Amount – Singapore Holdings" means an amount equal to £[REDACTED];

 

"Target Working Capital Amount – Singapore Operations" means an amount equal to £[REDACTED];

 

"Target Working Capital Amount – United Kingdom" means an amount equal to £[REDACTED];

 

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"Target Wrong Pocket Asset" means any right, title or interest in any asset which relates exclusively or predominantly to the business carried on by any Target Group Company on the Completion Date and which is, following Completion, held by any Seller Group Company, provided that any Intellectual Property Right which is, following Completion, held by any Seller Group Company shall only be a Target Wrong Pocket Asset if it relates exclusively to the business carried on by any Target Group Company on the Completion Date;

 

"Tax" means any form of tax, levy, duty, contribution, withholding, deduction, and whether direct or indirect and whether levied by reference to actual, deemed, gross or net income, profits, escheat, gains, net wealth, asset values, stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax, stamp duty land tax, withholdings, employment, VAT, sales, receipt, payment, occupation, franchise or values or other reference and statutory, governmental, state, provincial, local governmental or municipal impositions, duties, contributions, rates and levies (including without limitation social security or national insurance contributions (both employee and employer), apprenticeship levy or otherwise and any other payroll taxes or levies) of whatever nature, whenever and wherever imposed, which is collected or assessed by, or payable to, a Tax Authority or any other person as a result of any enactment relating to tax, or any amount paid in respect of, or on account of, any of the foregoing (including under any group tax payment arrangements), together with all related fines, surcharges, penalties and interest or other similar fees and additions to tax, and in each case, whether payable directly or imposed by way of a withholding or deduction and in respect of any person whether their liability for the same is a primary or secondary liability;

 

"Tax Assessment" means:

 

(a)any claim, notice, demand, assessment, letter, determination or other document issued or action taken by or on behalf of a Tax Authority, or any other person whereby it appears to a Purchaser (acting reasonably) that a Target Group Company is, or may become, subject to a Tax liability arising from, in respect of or in connection with any of the matters under Clause 10.4(a) to (i) of this Agreement; and

 

(b)any self-assessment made or the preparation thereof or any submission or amendment of any notice, return, computation or assessment by or on behalf of a Target Group Company in respect of any Tax liability arising from, in respect of or in connection with any of the matters under Clause 10.4(a) to (i) of this Agreement which such Target Group Company and/or a Purchaser considers that it is, or may become, liable to pay;

 

"Tax Authority" means HMRC and any other taxing authority or body in any jurisdiction competent to impose, assess, demand, collect, enforce or administer any Tax;

 

"Tax Claim" means a Tax Covenant Claim or a Tax Warranty Claim;

 

"Tax Covenant" means the tax covenant set out in Part 2 (Tax Covenant) of Schedule 3 (Tax Schedule);

 

"Tax Covenant Claim" means a claim under the Tax Covenant;

 

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"Tax Evasion Laws" means Applicable Law relating to tax evasion (including the Criminal Finances Act 2017);

 

"Tax Warranties" means the warranties set out in Part 3 (Tax Warranties) of Schedule 3 (Tax Schedule);

 

"Tax Warranty Claim" means a claim by the Purchasers against the Seller for breach of any of the Tax Warranties;

 

"Third Party" has the meaning given in Clause 33.1;

 

"Third Party Rights" means any interest or equity of any person other than the parties, the Purchasers' Group and/or the Seller Group (including any right to acquire, option or right of pre-emption or conversion) or any mortgage, charge, pledge, lien, assignment, hypothecation, security interest, title retention or any other security agreement or arrangement, or any agreement to create any of the above;

 

"Trademarks" means trademarks, service marks, trade names, trade dress, internet domain names, Social Media identifiers and accounts, and all other indicia of origin (whether registered or unregistered), and all applications and registrations in connection therewith and renewals and extensions thereof, and all goodwill associated with any of the foregoing;

 

"Transaction" means the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents;

 

"Transaction Documents" means this Agreement, the Disclosure Letters, the Transitional Services Agreement, the Reverse Transitional Services Agreement, the German Share Transfer Deed, the W&I Insurance Policy and each document referred to in this Agreement;

 

"Transitional Services Agreement" means the transitional services agreement in the agreed form entered into between the Seller and the Purchasers on Completion;

 

"TUPE Regulations" means the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 as amended from time to time and any other similar automatic transfer of employment legislation in any jurisdiction;

 

"UK Bidco" as the meaning given in the preamble;

 

"UK GDPR" means the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as it forms part of the law of the United Kingdom pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018;

 

"W&I Insurance Policy" means the warranty and indemnity insurance policy in respect of the Warranties and the Tax Covenant as issued to the Purchasers on the date of this Agreement by the W&I Insurers at the sole cost of the Purchasers;

 

"W&I Insurers" means the underwriters for the W&I Insurance Policy;

 

"Warranties" means the warranties set out in Schedule 2 (The Warranties);

 

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"Worker" means any director, officer or worker engaged by any Target Group Company as at the date of this Agreement;

 

"Working Capital Adjustment Amount" means, in respect of each Target Company, the amount equal to the difference between the Working Capital Amount of the Relevant Target Group Companies and the respective Target Working Capital Amount of the relevant Target Company, provided that:

 

(a)if the Working Capital Amount is greater (i.e. a greater positive amount or less negative amount) than the Target Working Capital Amount, the Working Capital Adjustment Amount shall be expressed as a positive number; and

 

(b)if the Working Capital Amount is less (i.e. a greater negative amount or less positive amount) than the Target Working Capital Amount, the Working Capital Adjustment Amount shall be expressed as a negative number; and

 

"Working Capital Amount" means, in respect of each Target Company, the aggregate amount (without double counting) of the following current assets (or such other assets as expressly stated below) of the Relevant Target Group Companies:

 

(a)inventory;

 

(b)trade receivables;

 

(c)equipment sales-related balances (for example, work in progress, trade receivables, contract assets and customer advances);

 

(d)the holdback amount in relation to hammer sales (whether current or non-current);

 

(e)the receivables in respect of the Marine Cargo Insurance Claim (whether current or non-current); and

 

(f)other current assets, including (but not limited to) other debtors, prepayments and accrued income, VAT, and other indirect Tax receivables,

 

less the aggregate amount of the following combined current liabilities of the Relevant Target Group Companies;

 

(g)trade payables; and

 

(h)other current liabilities, including (but not limited to) other creditors, VAT, and other indirect Tax payables,

 

in each case, in relation to the Relevant Target Group Company as at the Relevant Time, but excluding for all purposes:

 

(i)the Intra-Group Payables;

 

(j)the Intra-Group Receivables;

 

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(k)the Debt; and

 

(l)the Cash,

 

as calculated in accordance with Clause 5 and on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts). An illustrative calculation of the Working Capital Amount is set out in Schedule 9 (Balance Sheet Mapping Schedule), with the items marked as "Working Capital Amount" representing the relevant components of the Working Capital Amount.

 

1.2In this Agreement unless otherwise specified, reference to:

 

(a)a "group undertaking" or an "undertaking" is to be construed in accordance with section 1161 of the Companies Act 2006, a "subsidiary undertaking" is to be construed in accordance with section 1162 of the Companies Act 2006 and a "subsidiary" or "holding company" is to be construed in accordance with section 1159 of that act;

 

(b)a document in the "agreed terms" or the "agreed form" is a reference to that document in the form approved and for the purposes of identification initialled by or on behalf of each party or acknowledged to be in the "agreed terms" or "agreed form" in written correspondence (including for this purpose emails) between the Seller's Solicitors and the Purchasers' Solicitors;

 

(c)"includes" and "including" shall mean including without limitation;

 

(d)a "person" includes any person, individual, company, firm, corporation, government, state or agency of a state or any undertaking (whether or not having separate legal personality and irrespective of the jurisdiction in or under the law of which it was incorporated or exists);

 

(e)"Clauses", "paragraphs" or "Schedules" are to clauses and paragraphs of and schedules to this Agreement;

 

(f)"costs", "expenses" and "fees" shall, where such costs, expenses and/or fees are to be reimbursed or otherwise compensated by a party under this Agreement and unless otherwise expressly provided, include any part thereof that comprises VAT, excluding however any such VAT which a person (or a member of that person's group for VAT purposes) is entitled to recover (whether by credit, repayment or otherwise);

 

(g)"writing" means typed text or legible manuscript text;

 

(h)words denoting the singular shall include the plural and vice versa and words denoting any gender shall include both genders;

 

(i)a legal or regulatory provision or standard is to be construed as a reference to that legal or regulatory provision or standard as the same may have been amended or re-enacted before the date of this Agreement;

 

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(j)any statute, statutory instrument, regulation, by-law or other requirement of English law and to any English legal term for any action, remedy, method of judicial proceeding, legal document, legal status, procedure, court, official or any legal concept or doctrine or other expression shall in respect of any jurisdiction other than England be deemed to include that which most nearly approximates in that jurisdiction to the English term;

 

(k)the time of day is a reference to the time in London, England; and

 

(l)any reference to a Target Company or a Target Group Company shall, unless the context otherwise requires, include any branch, division or establishment of that entity (whether or not separately registered in any jurisdiction).

 

1.3The Schedules form part of the operative provisions of this Agreement and references to this Agreement shall, unless the context otherwise requires, include references to the Schedules.

 

1.4Any question of whether a person is connected with another shall be determined in accordance with sections 1122 and 1123 of the CTA 2010 (except that in construing sections 1122 and 1123, "control" has the meaning given by section 1124 or section 450 of the CTA 2010 so that there is control whenever section 1124 or 450 requires), which shall apply in relation to this Agreement as it applies in relation to the CTA 2010.

 

2.SALE AND PURCHASE

 

2.1Upon the terms of this Agreement, the Seller shall:

 

(a)sell, or shall procure the sale of, and German Bidco shall purchase, the full legal and beneficial interest in the German Share free from all Encumbrances and with full title guarantee; and

 

(b)sell, or shall procure the sale of, and the UK Bidco shall purchase, the full legal and beneficial interest in the Non-German Shares free from all Encumbrances and with full title guarantee.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, in respect of Menck GmbH the obligations in this Clause 2.1 constitute the contractual basis (Verpflichtungsgeschäft) for the transfer of the Shares only; the parties acknowledge that under German law legal title to the share in Menck GmbH shall pass exclusively pursuant to, and upon execution of, the German Share Transfer Deed.

 

2.2The Shares shall be sold to the Purchasers with all accrued rights, including all rights to receive all dividends and distributions (whether of income or capital) declared, paid or made by the relevant Target Companies on or after the Completion Date.

 

2.3The Seller acknowledges and confirms that the sale of the Shares under the terms of this Agreement comply with, or otherwise waives or agrees to procure the waiver of, any rights or restrictions conferred upon it or any other person which may exist in relation to the Shares held by the Seller under the articles of association, constitutional documents or equivalent governing documents of any Target Company or otherwise, including any rights of pre-emption and any rights to receive consideration on a sale or transfer of such shares.

 

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2.4Each Purchaser shall not be obliged to complete the purchase of any of the Shares unless the Seller completes, or procures the completion of, the sale of all of the Shares simultaneously.

 

2.5The parties acknowledge that the transfer of the share in Menck GmbH (a German private limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung)) requires notarial form under German law (section 15(3) of the German Limited Liability Companies Act – GmbHG). As between the parties, risk and benefit in respect of the German Share shall pass at Completion in accordance with this Agreement, while legal title to the German Share shall pass upon execution of the German Share Transfer Deed. The parties shall not assert any argument that the requirements of German law as to form and conveyance derogate from their contractual obligations under this Agreement.

 

3.CONSIDERATION

 

3.1The consideration payable by German Bidco for the German Share shall be an amount equal to the sum of:

 

(a)the Enterprise Value – Germany;

 

(b)plus the Cash of Menck GmbH;

 

(c)plus the Intra-Group Receivables of Menck GmbH;

 

(d)plus the Working Capital Adjustment Amount of Menck GmbH;

 

(e)less the Debt of Menck GmbH; and

 

(f)less the Intra-Group Payables of Menck GmbH (the "Consideration – Germany").

 

3.2The consideration payable by UK Bidco for the Shares of Menck UK shall be an amount equal to the sum of:

 

(a)the Enterprise Value – United Kingdom;

 

(b)plus the Cash of Menck UK;

 

(c)plus the Intra-Group Receivables of Menck UK;

 

(d)plus the Working Capital Adjustment Amount of Menck UK;

 

(e)less the Debt of Menck UK; and

 

(f)less the Intra-Group Payables of Menck UK (the "Consideration – United Kingdom").

 

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3.3The consideration payable by UK Bidco for the Shares of Acteon Singapore Holdings shall be an amount equal to the sum of:

 

(a)the Enterprise Value – Singapore Holdings;

 

(b)plus the Cash of Acteon Singapore Holdings;

 

(c)plus the Intra-Group Receivables of Acteon Singapore Holdings;

 

(d)plus the Working Capital Adjustment Amount of Acteon Singapore Holdings;

 

(e)less the Debt of Acteon Singapore Holdings; and

 

(f)less the Intra-Group Payables of Acteon Singapore Holdings (the "Consideration – Singapore Holdings").

 

3.4The consideration payable by UK Bidco for the Shares of Acteon Singapore Operations shall be an amount equal to the sum of:

 

(a)the Enterprise Value – Singapore Operations;

 

(b)plus the Cash of Acteon Singapore Operations;

 

(c)plus the Intra-Group Receivables of Acteon Singapore Operations;

 

(d)plus the Working Capital Adjustment Amount of Acteon Singapore Operations;

 

(e)less the Debt of Acteon Singapore Operations; and

 

(f)less the Intra-Group Payables of Acteon Singapore Operations (the "Consideration – Singapore Operations").

 

3.5The Consideration shall be satisfied by the Purchasers in cash by payment to the Seller on Completion of such amounts set out in Clauses 4.5(a) and 4.6(a) and, if applicable, Clauses 4.7 and following Completion, Clause 6.

 

3.6If any payment is made by the Seller or a Purchaser in respect of any adjustment or claim under any Transaction Document, the adjustment and/or payment shall, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, be treated for Tax purposes as an adjustment to the Consideration paid by the relevant Purchaser to the Seller under this Agreement for the Shares in the relevant Target Company to which the relevant adjustment or claim relates and, in such circumstances, such Consideration shall be deemed to have been reduced or increased by the amount of such adjustment or payment.

 

3.7Any payment due from the Seller to the Purchasers under this Agreement shall be paid to the Purchasers' Account and receipt of such sum to the Purchasers' Account shall constitute good discharge of the payment obligations of the Seller.

 

3.8Any payment due from the Purchasers to the Seller under this Agreement shall be paid to the Seller's Solicitors’ Account and receipt of such sum to the Seller's Solicitors Account shall constitute good discharge of the payment obligations of the relevant Purchaser.

 

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3.9The Seller warrants, covenants and undertakes to the Purchasers that from (and excluding) the Relevant Time until (and including) Completion, there shall be no Leakage undertaken by any Target Group Company. The Seller further undertakes to each Purchaser that, in the event of any Leakage (other than Permitted Leakage) from (and excluding) the Relevant Time until (and including) the Completion, the Seller shall, within ten (10) Business Days of first written demand by the relevant Purchaser, pay to that Purchaser (as directed by the Purchasers) an amount in cash equal to such Leakage received by or waived or incurred for the benefit of, the Seller or any member of the Seller Group, provided that any Leakage comprising Leakage within limb (i) of the Leakage definition shall be deemed for the purposes of this Clause 3.9 to have been received by the Seller where it or its Affiliates received or benefitted from the Leakage that gave rise to the relevant Tax, and any such payment shall be treated as a reduction in the Consideration in accordance with Clause 3.6. The Seller shall not be liable under this Clause 3.9 unless the relevant Purchaser submits a written demand to the Seller within eighteen (18) months after Completion.

 

4.COMPLETION

 

4.1Completion shall take place electronically and simultaneously with the execution of this Agreement, provided that the Seller and the Purchasers have each complied with their respective obligations under Clauses 4.2 to 4.7 (as applicable).

 

4.2On Completion the Seller shall deliver (or make available) to the Purchasers:

 

(a)a duly executed counterpart of the Disclosure Letter;

 

(b)a duly executed counterpart of the Transitional Services Agreement;

 

(c)a duly executed counterpart of the Reverse Transitional Services Agreement;

 

(d)a duly executed counterpart of the Confidentiality Termination Agreement;

 

(e)transfers in the name of UK Bidco in respect of the applicable Shares (other than the shares in Menck GmbH) in the agreed form with the consideration attributable to the Non-German Shares inserted and duly executed by the Seller immediately prior to Completion;

 

(f)the Stamp Duty Documents;

 

(g)share certificates relating to all the Shares in respect of which certificates were issued or required by Applicable Law to be issued or indemnities in the agreed form for any lost share certificates issued;

 

(h)in respect of Menck GmbH, a scan copy of the duly executed German Share Transfer Deed signed by the Seller (and any other current holder of legal title, if different) and German Bidco before a German notary public, transferring to German Bidco the entire issued share capital of Menck GmbH as set out in Schedule 1 (Completion Shareholding Schedule);

 

(i)a copy of the minutes or written resolutions of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Seller approving: (i) the Transaction; (ii) the execution by or on behalf of the Seller of each Transaction Document to which it is a party; (iii) the sale of its Shares in the Target Companies; and (iv) paragraphs (a) to (j) (inclusive) above;

 

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(j)copies of the original electronic share registers and statutory registers of each Target Company evidencing the Seller’s ownership of the Shares as set out in Schedule 1 (Completion Shareholding Schedule); in the case of Menck GmbH: a written confirmation from the German notary public executing the German Share Transfer Deed that he has filed an updated shareholder list reflecting German Bidco as holder of the German Share with the commercial register;

 

(k)copies of the letters of resignation in the agreed form duly executed by the directors of each Target Company and their subsidiaries (excluding such persons as specified by the Purchasers), such resignations to take effect on Completion;

 

(l)a copy of the share transfer forms in respect of the Shares in each Singapore Target Company and the stock transfer form in respect of the Shares in Menck UK, in each case, duly executed by the Seller in favour of UK Bidco; and

 

(m)a Section 792 Election executed by Large Diameter Drilling and Menck UK in respect of the Asset Transfer Agreement.

 

4.3At or prior to Completion, and prior to the taking effect of the resignations of the directors referred to in Clause 4.2(k), the Seller shall procure that the directors and/or shareholders of each Target Company (as applicable under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation) shall pass the following board or shareholder resolutions (as applicable):

 

(a)approving and acknowledging the resignations referred to in Clause 4.2(k); provided that, in respect of any Target Company where, under Applicable Law, the removal of directors is effected by shareholder resolution, it shall be sufficient for the Seller to deliver, in lieu of a board resolution, a duly passed shareholder resolution resolving upon such removal and, where applicable, appointing replacement directors; and

 

(b)appointing such persons as specified by Purchasers as directors of each Target Company (to take effect from immediately following Completion).

 

4.4At or prior to Completion, the Seller shall use reasonable endeavours to procure that the directors of the Target Companies shall, subject to stamping, pass a board resolution in the agreed form approving (i) the registration of the transfers in respect of the Shares in the Target Company's share register and (ii) the lodgement by the secretary of the Target Companies of all necessary forms or other documentation on behalf of the Target Companies which may be necessary or desirable to give full and valid effect to the sale and purchase of the Shares and each other transaction contemplated by the Transaction Documents to which each of the Target Company is a party to.

 

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4.5On Completion UK Bidco shall:

 

(a)pay an amount equal to the Completion Payment – United Kingdom to the Seller for the Shares of Menck UK by electronic transfer of immediately available funds of same day value to the Seller's Solicitors' Account;

 

(b)pay an amount equal to the Completion Payment – Singapore Holdings to the Seller for the Shares of Acteon Singapore Holdings by electronic transfer of immediately available funds of same day value to the Seller’s Solicitors’ Account;

 

(c)pay an amount equal to the Completion Payment – Singapore Operations to the Seller for the Shares of Acteon Singapore Operations by electronic transfer of immediately available funds of same day value to the Seller’s Solicitors’ Account;

 

(d)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a duly executed acknowledgement of the Disclosure Letter;

 

(e)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a duly executed counterpart of the Confidentiality Termination Agreement executed by Cadeler A/S;

 

(f)deliver to the Seller an extract copy of the W&I Insurance Policy, evidencing the waiver of subrogation rights against the Seller and the advisors of the Seller by the W&I Insurer (other than in the case of fraud);

 

(g)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a duly executed counterpart of the Transitional Services Agreement;

 

(h)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a duly executed counterpart of the Reverse Transitional Services Agreement

 

(i)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a copy of the resolution of the board of directors of UK Bidco approving the execution by or on behalf of UK Bidco of the Transaction Documents to which UK Bidco is a party and authorising UK Bidco's execution of, and performance of its obligations under, each of the Transaction Documents;

 

(j)duly execute, as transferee, the share transfer forms in respect of the Shares in each Singapore Target Company in favour of UK Bidco; and

 

(k)deliver to the Seller the duly executed consents to act and other appointment documents in respect of each person nominated by UK Bidco to be appointed as a director, company secretary or other officer of each Singapore Target Company and of Menck UK and each of their respective subsidiaries with effect from Completion.

 

4.6On Completion German Bidco shall:

 

(a)pay an amount equal to the Completion Payment – Germany to the Seller for the German Share by electronic transfer of immediately available funds of same day value to the Seller's Solicitors' Account;

 

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(b)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a duly executed acknowledgement of the Disclosure Letter;

 

(c)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a duly executed counterpart of the Confidentiality Termination Agreement executed by Cadeler A/S;

 

(d)deliver to the Seller an extract copy of the W&I Insurance Policy, evidencing the waiver of subrogation rights against the Seller and the advisors of the Seller by the W&I Insurer (other than in the case of fraud);

 

(e)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a duly executed counterpart of the Transitional Services Agreement;

 

(f)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a duly executed counterpart of the Reverse Transitional Services Agreement; and

 

(g)deliver or cause to be delivered to the Seller a copy of the resolution of the shareholder of German Bidco authorising the management of German Bidco to undertake all actions that are required for performance of its obligations under each of the Transaction Documents.

 

4.7On and from Completion, the Seller and the Purchasers shall carry out their respective obligations set out in Schedule 7 (Intra-Group Loan Amounts) in relation to the Intra-Group Loan Amounts.

 

4.8At or prior to Completion, the Seller and German Bidco shall execute or procure the execution of, the German Share Transfer Deed in the agreed form in front of a German notary public and shall instruct the notary public to file an updated list of shareholders (Gesellschafterliste) of Menck GmbH with the commercial register (Handelsregister) of the competent court. The parties acknowledge and agree that the transfer of the German Share under the German Share Transfer Deed shall be subject to a condition precedent that the portion of the Completion Payment – Germany has been received in full by the Seller. Immediately following receipt of the Completion Payment – Germany, the Seller shall notify the acting notary that the assignment of the German Share has occurred and instruct them to file the updated shareholder list (Gesellschafterliste) reflecting German Bidco as holder of the German Share with the commercial register.

 

4.9German Bidco shall be entitled to select, instruct and coordinate the German notary public for the purposes of the German Share Transfer Deed, and German Bidco shall cooperate with the Seller and such notary public to facilitate the timely execution of the German Share Transfer Deed.

 

4.10All documents and items to be delivered at Completion pursuant to this Agreement shall be held by the recipient to the order of the person delivering the same until such time as Completion shall be deemed to have taken place. Simultaneously with:

 

(a)the delivery of all documents, items and actions required to be delivered or performed by the Seller at Completion under Clauses 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.7 and 4.8 (or waiver of its or their delivery by the Purchasers); and

 

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(b)payment in immediately available funds by or on behalf of the Purchasers of the amounts set out in Clauses 4.5 and 4.7 and delivery by the Purchasers of all documents, items and actions required to be delivered or performed by the Purchasers at Completion under Clauses 4.5, 4.7 and 4.8 (or waiver of its or their delivery by the Seller),

 

all documents and items delivered in accordance with this Agreement shall cease to be held to the order of the person delivering them and Completion shall be deemed to have taken place.

 

4.11If, on Completion:

 

(a)the obligations of the Seller under Clause 4.2 and 4.8 are not complied with in all respects; or

 

(b)the Seller is not able to comply with its obligations under Clauses 4.3(b), 4.4, 4.7, or 4.8 for any reason other than due to the fault, act or omission of the Purchasers (together with paragraph (a), a "Seller Default"); or

 

(c)the obligations of the Purchasers under Clauses 4.5, 4.7, and 4.8 are not complied with in all respects (a "Purchaser Default"),

 

then:

 

(d)the Seller may, in the case of a Purchaser Default, by notice in writing to the Purchasers require the Purchasers to cure the default within ten (10) Business Days of the date of the notice; or

 

(e)the Purchasers may, in the case of a Seller Default, by notice in writing to the Seller require the Seller to cure the default within ten (10) Business Days of the date of the notice,

 

and, in each case, Completion shall be deferred to the date ten (10) Business Days after the date of the notice, and so that the provisions of this Clause 4, apart from this Clause 4.11, shall apply to Completion as so deferred. Given that Completion is expected to take place simultaneously with the execution of this Agreement in accordance with Clause 4.1, any deferral of Completion under this Clause 4.11 shall not, of itself, require any revision to the Estimated Completion Statement or the Completion Payment as agreed on the date of this Agreement, unless the Seller and the Purchasers otherwise agree in writing. For the purposes of the remainder of this Clause 4, the party in default shall be referred to as the "Defaulting Party" and the party not in default shall be referred to as the "Non-Defaulting Party".

 

4.12If following service of a notice under Clause 4.11 the Defaulting Party fails to cure its default in accordance with Clause 4.11, the Non-Defaulting Party may:

 

(a)elect (in writing) to proceed to Completion as far as practicable having regard to the defaults which have occurred (without limiting its rights under this Agreement); or

 

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(b)terminate this Agreement in writing prior to the curing by the Defaulting Party of its default with immediate effect without prejudice to the rights and liabilities which accrued prior to termination which shall continue to subsist and those rights set out in this Clause 4.12 and Clauses 18 to 22 and 26 to 34 (inclusive).

 

4.13If following service of a notice under Clause 4.11 both parties continue to be in default, either party may:

 

(a)elect (in writing) to proceed to Completion as far as practicable having regard to the defaults which have occurred (without limiting its rights under this Agreement); or

 

(b)terminate this Agreement in writing prior to the other party curing its default with immediate effect and without prejudice to the rights and liabilities which accrued prior to termination which shall continue to subsist and those rights set out in this Clause 4.13 and Clauses 18 to 22 and 26 to 34 (inclusive).

 

4.14On or prior to the Completion Date, the Seller shall deliver (or cause to be delivered) to the Purchasers evidence satisfactory to the Purchasers (acting reasonably) that all Encumbrances over the Shares have been (or will upon Completion be) unconditionally and irrevocably released and discharged, including all documents and evidence required to be delivered pursuant to Clause 12.1.

 

5.COMPLETION ACCOUNTS

 

5.1The parties acknowledge and agree that the Estimated Completion Statement has been agreed on the date of this Agreement and shall determine the amount of the Completion Payment due from the Purchasers to the Seller.

 

5.2Not later than ninety (90) days following Completion, the Purchasers shall prepare and deliver to the Seller a copy of the draft Completion Accounts and the draft Completion Statement in accordance with the provisions of this Clause 5 and on the basis of the accounting policies and procedures set out in Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts), such documents being the "Draft Completion Accounts" and the "Draft Completion Statement" until agreed or determined (or deemed agreed or determined) in accordance with this Clause 5.

 

5.3If the Purchasers fail to prepare and deliver the Draft Completion Accounts to the Seller on or prior to the date specified in Clause 5.2, the Seller shall be entitled to serve a notice on the Purchasers requiring the Purchasers to remedy the default within fifteen (15) Business Days (the "Remedy Period"). If the Purchasers fail to prepare and deliver the updated Draft Completion Accounts to the Seller before the end of the Remedy Period, the Estimated Completion Statement shall automatically be deemed to comprise the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement without any further action being required by the Purchasers or the Seller.

 

5.4The Seller shall, as soon as is reasonably practicable, provide the Purchasers (and their agents or advisers) with assistance and access to such of its information, books and records as the Purchasers (or their agents or advisers) may reasonably require in connection with the preparation of the Draft Completion Accounts and Draft Completion Statement.

 

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5.5The Seller shall notify the Purchasers in writing within thirty (30) days of receipt of the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement (the "Initial Review Period") whether or not the Seller accepts the Draft Completion Accounts and Draft Completion Statement.

 

5.6If the Seller notifies the Purchasers that it does not accept the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement in the Initial Review Period:

 

(a)the Seller shall, at the same time as it notifies the Purchasers in accordance with Clause 5.5 that it does not accept the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement, set out in such notice the reasons in reasonable detail for such non-acceptance and specify the adjustments which, in the Seller's opinion, should be made to the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement in order to comply with the terms of this Agreement; and

 

(b)the Seller and the Purchasers shall use all reasonable endeavours to:

 

(i)meet and discuss the objections of the Seller; and

 

(ii)try to reach agreement upon the adjustments (if any) required to be made to the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement,

 

in each case, within twenty (20) Business Days of the date of the Seller's notice of non-acceptance pursuant to Clause 5.5 (or such other time as the Seller and the Purchasers may agree in writing) (the "Second Review Period").

 

5.7If the Seller is satisfied with the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement (either as originally submitted by the Purchasers pursuant to Clause 5.2 or after adjustments agreed between the Seller and the Purchasers pursuant to Clause 5.6) or if the Seller fails to notify the Purchasers of the Seller's non-acceptance of the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement within the Initial Review Period, the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement (incorporating any agreed adjustments) shall constitute the agreed form Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement for the purposes of this Agreement.

 

5.8If the Seller and the Purchasers do not reach agreement on the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement within the Second Review Period the matters in dispute at the end of the Second Review Period (and only those matters) shall be referred, on the application of the Seller or the Purchasers, for determination by an independent firm of internationally recognised chartered accountants (other than any firm who has acted on behalf of the Seller or the Purchasers in connection with the Transaction) to be agreed upon by the Seller and the Purchasers or, failing agreement within ten (10) days after any the date of any such application, to be selected, on the joint application of the Seller and the Purchasers, by the President for the time being of the ICAEW or his duly appointed deputy (the "Independent Expert"). The Seller and the Purchasers shall submit a joint application and each pay one half of the fee payable to the ICAEW in respect of such application. If either the Seller or the Purchasers fails to undertake such joint application, the other party shall be entitled to obtain a grant of a court order for such nomination to be made by the ICAEW. The following provisions shall apply to such determination by any Independent Expert:

 

(a)the Seller and/or the Seller's accountants and the Purchasers and/or the Purchasers' accountants shall each promptly (and in any event within twenty (20) Business Days after the Independent Expert's appointment on the matters remaining in dispute) prepare and deliver to the Independent Expert a written statement on the matters in dispute (together with the relevant supporting documents and explanations);

 

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(b)the Independent Expert shall be requested to give its decision within thirty (30) Business Days (or such later date as the Seller, the Purchasers and the Independent Expert shall agree in writing) of confirmation and acknowledgement by the Independent Expert of its appointment hereunder;

 

(c)to enable the Independent Expert to meet its obligations under this Agreement the Purchasers shall provide to the Independent Expert reasonable access to the working papers relating to the preparation of the Draft Completion Accounts and to the relevant employees and the books and records of the Target Group Companies;

 

(d)in giving such determination, the Independent Expert shall state what adjustments (if any) are necessary to the Draft Completion Accounts and the Draft Completion Statement in respect of the matters remaining in dispute in order to comply with the requirements of this Agreement and shall give its reasons therefor. The Independent Expert’s review and determination shall be limited solely to the matters remaining in dispute referred to it pursuant to this Clause 5.8, and the Independent Expert shall have no power to consider any other matter. In making its determination, the Independent Expert shall apply and act in accordance with Schedule 5 (Completion Accounts) and the definitions of Cash, Debt, Working Capital Amount, Working Capital Adjustment Amount, Intra-Group Payables and Intra-Group Receivables set out in this Agreement. The Independent Expert shall give its decision only on those matters in dispute set out in the written statements as required in Clause 5.8(a) and shall return a decision on the required adjustment which is limited to the range of values proposed by the Seller on the one hand and by the Purchasers on the other hand;

 

(e)the Independent Expert shall act as an expert (and not as an arbitrator) in making any such determination which shall be final and binding on the parties (in the absence of fraud or manifest error); and

 

(f)the Seller and the Purchasers shall bear their own respective costs and expenses of all advisers, witnesses and employees retained by it (or on its behalf) and the costs and the expenses of the Independent Expert shall be borne between the Seller and the Purchasers in such proportions as the Independent Expert shall in its discretion determine or, in the absence of any such determination, as to fifty percent (50%) by the Seller and as to fifty percent (50%) by the Purchasers.

 

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5.9When the Seller and the Purchasers reach (or pursuant to Clause 5.3 or Clause 5.7 are deemed to reach) agreement on the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement or when the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement are finally determined at any stage in accordance with the procedures set out in this Clause 5:

 

(a)the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement as so agreed or determined shall be the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement for the purposes of this Agreement and shall be final and binding on the Seller and the Purchasers; and

 

(b)the Cash, the Debt, the Intra-Group Payables, the Intra-Group Receivables, the Working Capital Adjustment Amount and the adjustments required pursuant to Clause 3 shall be as set out in the Completion Statement.

 

5.10Subject to any Applicable Law, the Purchasers shall procure that each Target Group Company shall promptly provide to the Seller, the Seller's accountants, the Purchasers' accountants and the Independent Expert all information (in their respective possession or control) relating to the operations of the Target Group Companies, including reasonable access at all reasonable times with a view to minimising any disruption to the business of the Target Group Companies to and the right to take copies of all relevant Target Group Company's books, records and other relevant information, as may in any such case be reasonably required to enable the production and review of the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement.

 

5.11Subject to Clause 5.8(f), the Seller and the Purchasers shall bear their own respective costs and expenses arising out of the preparation and review of the Completion Accounts and Completion Statement and compliance with the provisions of this Clause 5.

 

6.ADJUSTMENT TO CONSIDERATION

 

6.1Within five (5) Business Days of agreement or determination of the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement in accordance with the provisions of Clause 5:

 

(a)if the aggregate amount of the Completion Payment – Germany is less than the Consideration – Germany, German Bidco shall pay to the Seller an amount equal to the difference between such amounts by electronic transfer in immediately available funds of same day value to the Seller's Solicitors Account; or

 

(b)if the aggregate amount of the Completion Payment – Germany is greater than the Consideration – Germany, the Seller shall pay to German Bidco an amount equal to the difference between such amounts by electronic transfer in immediately available funds of same day value to the Purchaser's Account;

 

and:

 

(c)if the aggregate amount of the Completion Payment – United Kingdom is less than the Consideration – United Kingdom, UK Bidco shall pay to the Seller an amount equal to the difference between such amounts by electronic transfer in immediately available funds of same day value to the Seller’s Solicitors Account; or

 

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(d)if the aggregate amount of the Completion Payment – United Kingdom is greater than the Consideration – United Kingdom, the Seller shall pay to UK Bidco an amount equal to the difference between such amounts by electronic transfer in immediately available funds of same day value to the Purchaser’s Account;

 

and:

 

(e)if the aggregate amount of the Completion Payment – Singapore Holdings is less than the Consideration – Singapore Holdings, UK Bidco shall pay to the Seller an amount equal to the difference between such amounts by electronic transfer in immediately available funds of same day value to the Seller’s Solicitors Account; or

 

(f)if the aggregate amount of the Completion Payment – Singapore Holdings is greater than the Consideration – Singapore Holdings, the Seller shall pay to UK Bidco an amount equal to the difference between such amounts by electronic transfer in immediately available funds of same day value to the Purchaser’s Account;

 

and:

 

(g)if the aggregate amount of the Completion Payment – Singapore Operations is less than the Consideration – Singapore Operations, UK Bidco shall pay to the Seller an amount equal to the difference between such amounts by electronic transfer in immediately available funds of same day value to the Seller’s Solicitors Account; or

 

(h)if the aggregate amount of the Completion Payment – Singapore Operations is greater than the Consideration – Singapore Operations, the Seller shall pay to UK Bidco an amount equal to the difference between such amounts by electronic transfer in immediately available funds of same day value to the Purchaser’s Account.

 

6.2Within five (5) Business Days of agreement or determination of the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement in accordance with the provisions of Clause 5, the Seller and the Purchasers shall carry out their respective obligations set out in paragraph 2 of Schedule 7 (Intra-Group Loan Amounts) in relation to the Intra-Group Loan Amounts.

 

6.3If any sum due for payment under or in accordance with this Clause 6 is not paid within five (5) Business Days of the agreement or determination of the Completion Accounts and the Completion Statement in accordance with Clause 5, the party in default will pay interest thereon (at the same time any payment is made) at the Default Rate for the period from the due date of payment to the date of actual payment (both dates inclusive).

 

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7.SELLER WARRANTIES

 

7.1The Seller warrants to each Purchaser as at the date of this Agreement that each of the Warranties and the Tax Warranties are true, accurate and not misleading, subject to the matters Disclosed in the Disclosure Letter and in all respects to the limitations contained in Schedule 4 (Limitations on Liability).

 

7.2Each of the Warranties and the Tax Warranties shall be construed as a separate warranty and, unless expressly provided to the contrary, shall not be limited by the terms of any of the other Warranties or the Tax Warranties or by any other term of this Agreement, nor shall any of the Warranties or the Tax Warranties be extinguished or affected by Completion.

 

8.PURCHASERs' and Seller's WARRANTIES AND UNDERTAKINGS

 

8.1Each Purchaser warrants to the Seller as at the date of this Agreement that:

 

(a)it has full power to enter into and perform and has obtained all corporate authorisations and all other applicable governmental, statutory, regulatory or other consents, approvals, licences, waivers or exemptions required to empower it to enter into and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and each document to be executed by it at or before Completion;

 

(b)the execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and of each of the other Transaction Documents to which it is or will be a party and the performance of the obligations of it under it and each of them do not and will not conflict with or constitute a default under any provision of:

 

(i)any agreement or instrument to which it is a party; or

 

(ii)any law, lien, lease, order, judgment, award, injunction, decree, ordinance or regulation or any other restriction of any kind or character by which it or any Target Group Company is bound;

 

(c)it has been duly incorporated and properly formed and is in good standing in the jurisdiction in which it has been incorporated;

 

(d)it is not for the purposes of section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986 deemed to be unable to pay its debts (on the basis that the words "proved to the satisfaction of the court" are deemed to be omitted from sections 123(1)(e) and 123(2) of that act), or, in the case the Purchasers is incorporated or established outside the United Kingdom, any analogous provision under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or establishment;

 

(e)no order has been served on it and no resolution has been passed for the winding up or dissolution of it; it is not in administration and no steps have been taken to place it into administration (including the filing of any notice of intention to appoint an administrator over it);

 

(f)it is not subject to a company voluntary arrangement and no such arrangement has been proposed nor is it subject to a scheme of arrangement and no such scheme has been proposed;

 

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(g)no receiver (whether statutory or contractual) has been appointed to it or any of its assets;

 

(h)it is not in administrative receivership and has not suspended payments on any of its debts, nor entered into any compromises with any or all of its creditors;

 

(i)its obligations in this Agreement and the Transaction Documents and the completion of the Transaction are enforceable on it in accordance with its terms; and

 

(j)its obligations under this Agreement are not subject to any conditions regarding its or any other person's ability to obtain financing for the consummation of the Transaction, subject only to the release of all Encumbrances over the relevant Shares in accordance with Clause 12.

 

8.2The Seller warrants to each Purchaser as at the date of this Agreement that:

 

(a)it has full power to enter into and perform and has obtained all corporate authorisations and all other applicable governmental, statutory, regulatory or other consents, approvals, licences, waivers or exemptions required to empower it to enter into and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and each document to be executed by it at or before Completion;

 

(b)the execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and of each of the other Transaction Documents to which it is or will be a party and the performance of the obligations of it under it and each of them do not and will not conflict with or constitute a default under any provision of:

 

(i)any agreement or instrument to which it is a party;

 

(ii)the constitutional documents of it or any Target Group Company; or

 

(iii)any law, lien, lease, order, judgment, award, injunction, decree, ordinance or regulation or any other restriction of any kind or character by which it or any Target Group Company is bound;

 

(c)it has been duly incorporated and properly formed and is in good standing in the jurisdiction in which it has been incorporated;

 

(d)it is not for the purposes of section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986 deemed to be unable to pay its debts (on the basis that the words "proved to the satisfaction of the court" are deemed to be omitted from sections 123(1)(e) and 123(2) of that act);

 

(e)no order has been served on it and no resolution has been passed for the winding up or dissolution of it; it is not in administration and no steps have been taken to place it into administration (including the filing of any notice of intention to appoint an administrator over it);

 

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(f)it is not subject to a company voluntary arrangement and no such arrangement has been proposed nor is it subject to a scheme of arrangement and no such scheme has been proposed;

 

(g)no receiver (whether statutory or contractual) has been appointed to it or any of its assets;

 

(h)it is not in administrative receivership and has not suspended payments on any of its debts, nor entered into any compromises with any or all of its creditors;

 

(i)its obligations in this Agreement and the Transaction Documents and the completion of the Transaction are enforceable on it in accordance with its terms;

 

(j)its obligations under this Agreement are not subject to any conditions regarding its or any other person's ability to obtain financing for the consummation of the Transaction; and

 

(k)no person is entitled to any brokerage, finder’s, financial adviser or other similar fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except to the extent that such fees or commissions are payable by the Seller.

 

8.3Each Purchaser undertakes to the Seller that:

 

(a)subject to Clause 8.4, it will procure that it shall not cause or permit Menck UK to terminate the Courseulles Services Agreement for any reason other than for non-payment of amounts due thereunder which have not been remedied within thirty (30) days of notice of default; and

 

(b)it will procure that, on and from the date which falls six (6) months after the Completion Date, no member of the Target Group Companies shall use or continue to use any corporate, trade or domain name or email address used by any member of the Seller Group prior to Completion in connection with the business of the Seller Group, or any other name intended or likely to be confused with any such corporate, trade or domain name or email address.

 

8.4On the Courseulles Contract Long Stop Date, the Seller and the Purchasers shall procure that the Courseulles Services Agreement is terminated and Clause 10.3(b) shall apply mutatis mutandis to such termination, provided that if any facts or circumstances may arise in relation to the performance of the Courseulles Contract or the operations of Large Diameter Drilling which may necessitate an extension to the Courseulles Contract Long Stop Date, the Seller may notify the Purchasers of such facts or circumstances and the Seller and the Purchaser shall negotiate in good faith to seek to agree an extension of the Courseulles Contract Long Stop Date.

 

8.5The Seller agrees and acknowledges that all liabilities, claims, costs, losses or obligations arising out of or in connection with the Courseulles Contract (other than the obligations of Menck UK under the Courseulles Services Agreement) shall remain solely with the Seller Group, and the Seller shall indemnify on demand and hold harmless each Purchaser and each member of the Purchasers’ Group from any such liabilities, claims, costs, losses or obligations.

 

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8.6The Seller undertakes to each Purchaser (for itself and as trustee for each Target Group Company) that it will procure that, on and from the date which falls six (6) months after the Completion Date, no member of the Seller Group shall use or continue to use any corporate, trade or domain name or email address used by any Target Group Company prior to Completion in connection with the business of the Target Group Companies, or any other name intended or likely to be confused with any such corporate, trade or domain name or email address.

 

8.7Each Purchaser undertakes to the Seller (for itself and as trustee for each member of the Seller Group) that it will procure that, as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within three (3) months after the Completion Date, the corporate name of each Target Group Company whose corporate name includes the name "Acteon" is changed to a name which does not include the name "Acteon", and that each Target Group Company ceases to use the name "Acteon" (or any name intended or likely to be confused with it) in its branding.

 

8.8The Seller irrevocably and unconditionally undertakes to each Purchaser to pay, or to procure the payment of, the LTIP Payments and the Retention Bonuses to the individuals, and in the amounts, specified in Schedule 11 (LTIP Payments and Retention Bonuses) on or before the due date for payment specified therein, in such manner as the Purchasers may reasonably direct in writing (including by way of direct payment by the Seller of such amounts to the specified individuals, or by way of the Seller funding any member of the Purchasers’ Group to enable such member of the Purchasers’ Group to make such payments to the specified individuals). The Seller further irrevocably and unconditionally undertakes to each Purchaser to pay to the Purchasers an amount equal to any Tax which is levied on, or otherwise payable by, any member of the Purchasers’ Group in connection with the payment of the LTIP Payments and/or the Retention Bonuses (net of any Relief to the extent such Relief is reasonably expected to give rise to an actual cash Tax benefit or saving for any Target Group Company in respect of an accounting period commencing prior to Completion, the current accounting period or the subsequent accounting period).

 

9.LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

9.1Subject to Clause 9.2, the liability of the Seller shall be limited by the provisions set out in Schedule 4 (Limitations on Liability).

 

9.2Nothing in this Agreement shall operate to exclude or limit any liability of the Seller, or any remedy available to the Purchasers, in relation to any Claim that arises as a result of fraud on the part of the Seller.

 

10.RELEASES

 

10.1Each Purchaser hereby warrants and undertakes to the Seller for itself and as agent and trustee for each employee, director, agent, officer of, or advisor to, any member of the Seller Group (each a "Seller Relevant Person") that, other than with respect to the terms of any Transaction Document and/or claims for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation by the Seller or the Seller Relevant Person, on and from Completion that Purchaser does not have any right against (and irrevocably and unconditionally waives any right it may have against) and will not make a claim against (and irrevocably and unconditionally waives any claim it may have against), the Seller or any Seller Relevant Person, in each case, in relation to the sale of the relevant Shares by the Seller to such Purchaser.

 

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10.2The Seller hereby warrants and undertakes to each Purchaser for itself and as agent and trustee for each employee, director, agent, officer of, or advisor to, any member of the Purchasers' Group (each a "Purchaser Relevant Person") that, other than with respect to the terms of any Transaction Document and/or claims for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation by the Purchasers or the Purchaser Relevant Person, on and from Completion the Seller does not have any right against (and irrevocably and unconditionally waives any right it may have against) and will not make a claim against (and irrevocably and unconditionally waives any claim it may have against), the Purchasers or any Purchaser Relevant Person, in each case, in relation to the sale of the Shares by the Seller to the Purchasers.

 

10.3The Seller undertakes to each Purchaser (for itself and as agent and trustee for each Target Group Company) that, other than with respect to the Asset Transfer Agreement, the Commercial Projects & Proposals, the continuing arrangements in relation to the Properties set out in Schedule 8 (Properties), and the agreements and obligations (and related amounts owed in respect of such agreements and obligations) set out in Clause 4.7, Clause 8.3 (which relates to the Courseulles Services Agreement) and Schedule 7 (Intra-Group Loan Amounts):

 

(a)on or prior to Completion, it shall procure that any contract, arrangement or understanding between any member of the Seller Group and any Target Group Company, other than (i) the Asset Transfer Agreement, (ii) the continuing arrangements in relation to the Properties set out in Schedule 8 (Properties), (iii) the Transitional Services Agreement, and (iv) the Courseulles Services Agreement, (the "Intra-Group Agreements"), is terminated with effect from Completion without any liability on the part of any Target Group Company;

 

(b)on Completion, the Seller irrevocably and unconditionally waives and releases, and shall procure that each other member of the Seller Group waives and releases, any and all rights, claims and demands which it or any member of the Seller Group has or may have against any Target Group Company (or any of their respective directors, officers or employees), including with respect to any Intra-Group Agreements, other than: (i) any rights or claims under the Transaction Documents; and (ii) any amounts to be settled pursuant to Clause 4.7, Clause 6 and Schedule 7 (Intra-Group Loan Amounts); and

 

(c)on and from Completion, no interest, fees or other amounts shall accrue or become payable on or in respect of any Intra-Group Agreement (including with respect to the arrangements governing the Intra-Group Payables and the Intra-Group Receivables).

 

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10.4Subject to Clauses 10.5 to 10.9 and the limitations provided in Schedule 4 (Limitations on Liability) (other than paragraphs 1.1 and 13 of Schedule 4 (Limitations on Liability)), the Seller hereby unconditionally and irrevocably indemnifies and undertakes and covenants to keep indemnified on demand, each Purchaser and each member of the Purchasers’ Group from and against any liabilities, claims, costs, losses or obligations (however arising) which they (or any of them) suffer or incur at any time arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of:

 

(a)[REDACTED];

 

(b)[REDACTED];

 

(c)[REDACTED];

 

(d)[REDACTED];

 

(e)[REDACTED];

 

(f)[REDACTED];

 

(g)[REDACTED];

 

(h)[REDACTED]; or

 

(i)[REDACTED].

 

10.5The Seller shall not be liable for or in respect of any claim under Clause 10.4, to the extent that such liability arises or is increased as a consequence of any failure by the Purchasers, any member of the Purchasers’ Group or any Target Group Company to comply with any of their respective obligations under this Agreement.

 

10.6The Seller shall not be liable for or in respect of any claim under Clauses 10.4 (e) or (f) to the extent that such liability arises or is increased as a consequence of the Purchaser, any member of the Purchasers’ Group or any Target Group Company making a voluntary disclosure after Completion to any Tax Authority in respect of any period falling on or prior to Completion, or otherwise amending any Tax Return made on or prior to Completion in respect of any period falling on or prior to Completion, unless (a) the relevant Purchaser, member of the Purchasers' Group or Target Group Company (as applicable) has been advised by independent and appropriately qualified tax advisers that such voluntary disclosure or amendment is required by Applicable Law or otherwise advisable having regard to the applicable penalty regime, and the relevant Purchaser has notified the Seller of such advice within 15 Business Days, or (b) such voluntary disclosure or amendment is made with the prior written consent of the Seller (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

 

10.7Where the relevant Purchaser has provided notification to the Seller pursuant to Clause 10.6 above, the following provisions shall apply:

 

(a)the Seller may, by notice in writing to the relevant Purchaser given within 15 Business Days of receipt of such notification, elect to refer the question of whether the relevant voluntary disclosure or amendment is required by Applicable Law or otherwise advisable having regard to the applicable penalty regime to an independent tax expert for determination in accordance with this Clause 10.7;

 

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(b)if the Seller gives notice under Clause 10.7(a), the Seller and the relevant Purchaser shall use reasonable endeavours to agree to the appointment of a single firm of independent, appropriately qualified tax advisers (the "Joint Tax Adviser") within 15 Business Days of the relevant Purchaser's receipt of such notice from the Seller. Failing agreement within that period, either party may request nomination by the President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of a Joint Tax Adviser;

 

(c)the Joint Tax Adviser shall be jointly instructed (at the cost of the Seller) to opine in writing, within 30 Business Days of appointment, on: (i) whether the relevant voluntary disclosure or amendment is required by Applicable Law or otherwise advisable having regard to the applicable penalty regime; and (ii) if so, the recommended form, scope and timing of such voluntary disclosure or amendment. The Seller and the relevant Purchaser shall provide all reasonable cooperation and access to information as the Joint Tax Adviser may reasonably request; and

 

(d)if the Joint Tax Adviser determines that the relevant voluntary disclosure or amendment is not required by Applicable Law and is not otherwise advisable having regard to the applicable penalty regime, the Seller shall have no liability under Clause 10.4(e) or 10.4(f) (as applicable) to the extent that such liability arises or is increased as a consequence of such voluntary disclosure or amendment being made.

 

10.8For the avoidance of doubt, subject to the provisions of Clause 11, nothing in Clause 10.7 shall prevent the relevant Purchaser, member of the Purchasers' Group or Target Group Company (as applicable) from making a voluntary disclosure or amendment at any time if it considers it necessary or advisable to do so.

 

10.9Any claim under Clause 10.4 shall be subject to the conduct provisions contained in Clause 11.

 

11.Conduct of Claims under Clause 10.4

 

11.1If a Purchaser or Target Group Company receives or becomes aware of any Tax Assessment which may result in the Seller becoming liable for any claim under Clause 10.4 of this Agreement, the Purchaser shall, or shall procure that the Target Group Company shall, as soon as reasonably practicable (and in any event within 15 Business Days):

 

(a)notify the Seller in writing of the Tax Assessment (a “Notice of Tax Claim”); and

 

(b)include in the Notice of Tax Claim:

 

(i)reasonable details of the Tax Assessment and a copy thereof;

 

(ii)the due date for any payment to a Tax Authority (if applicable);

 

(iii)the time limits for any appeal or required response to a Tax Authority; and

 

(iv)a reasonable estimate of the amount of any claim under Clause 10.4 in relation to that Tax Assessment (if reasonably possible).

 

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11.2If the Seller receives any Tax Assessment constituting a Tax Assessment under limb (a) of the Tax Assessment definition for any reason, it shall notify the relevant Purchaser in writing of the Tax Assessment as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any event within 15 Business Days of receiving such Tax Assessment, and the Purchaser shall be deemed to have given the Seller notice of such Tax Assessment on the date of receipt of such notification. For the purposes of this Clause 11.2 only, the reference to "a Purchaser" in limb (a) of the Tax Assessment definition shall be construed as a reference to "the Seller".

 

11.3At any time after the giving of the Notice of Tax Claim (or after receiving a Tax Assessment under Clause 11.2), the Seller shall, on giving notice to the relevant Purchaser, be entitled to require that the Purchaser take (or procure that the relevant Target Group Company shall take) and the Purchaser shall take (or procure that the relevant Target Group Company takes) such reasonable action as the Seller may reasonably and promptly request in writing in relation to the conduct of any dispute, compromise, defence or appeal of the Tax Assessment and any incidental negotiations relating thereto, subject to the Seller having indemnified the Purchaser and the relevant Target Group Company to the Purchaser's reasonable satisfaction against all charges, costs and expenses, including any additional liability to Tax, which the Purchaser or a Target Group Company may incur in resisting the Tax Assessment and in complying with its obligations under this Clause 11.3.

 

11.4Whether or not the Seller has given notice that it wishes to exercise its rights under Clause 11.3:

 

(a)the Seller (or its advisers) shall be provided reasonably promptly with such information and assistance (including reasonable assistance from employees of the relevant Purchaser or any Target Group Company) and reasonable access to such documents and records of, or relating to, the relevant Target Group Company, as the Seller (or its advisers) may reasonably require in connection with the Tax Assessment which is the subject of the Notice of Tax Claim, so far as the relevant Purchaser is reasonably able to provide such information, assistance and access;

 

(b)the relevant Purchaser shall give the Seller drafts of all material communications it intends to make to the relevant Tax Authority or other person in relation to the Tax Assessment as soon as reasonably practicable before the communication is made, and shall not unreasonably refuse any reasonable comments that the Seller shall make before making the communication (provided such comments are made within a reasonable time), and shall as soon as reasonably practicable produce and provide the Seller with copies of all written communications with the relevant Tax Authority and notes of telephone attendance and meetings with the relevant Tax Authority, relating to the Tax Assessment; and

 

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(c)the relevant Purchaser shall procure that the relevant Target Group Company shall not admit liability in respect of, settle or otherwise compromise any Tax Assessment without the prior written consent of the Seller (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) provided that the Seller has indemnified the relevant Purchaser and the relevant Target Group Company to the relevant Purchaser's reasonable satisfaction against any loss, damages, charges, costs, expenses and liabilities (including any additional liability to Tax) incurred as a result of complying with its obligations under this Clause 11.4(c), including, for the avoidance of doubt, any costs associated with avoiding, disputing, resisting, appealing or contesting such Tax Assessment.

 

11.5The Purchasers shall not be obliged to take or procure the taking of any action requested by the Seller under Clause 11.3 if:

 

(a)the relevant Purchaser does not receive written instructions from the Seller in accordance with Clause 11.3 within fifteen Business Days of the receipt of the Notice of Tax Claim by the Seller or, in any case where a time limit for the taking of any action, including responding to the Tax Authority or making an appeal against or contesting any Tax Assessment, applies, any shorter period required in order to comply with the time limit specified in the Tax Assessment and included in the Notice of Tax Claim; or

 

(b)if the action requested by the Seller under Clause 11.3 involves an appeal against a decision of the First-tier Tribunal or higher tribunal or court, unless the Seller has obtained (at the Seller's expense) the opinion of tax counsel of at least ten years' standing who is acceptable to the relevant Purchaser (acting reasonably) that the appeal has a reasonable prospect of success; or

 

(c)complying with any instruction, combination of instructions or request would involve sending, transmitting, issuing or submitting any written correspondence or entering into any other communication relating to the Tax Assessment which, in the relevant Purchaser's reasonable opinion, is not true and accurate; or

 

(d)in the relevant Purchaser’s reasonable opinion, the action is likely to have a material adverse effect on the future liability of the Purchasers' Group or the relevant Target Group Company to Tax or be materially prejudicial to its business.

 

11.6The Purchasers shall not, for the avoidance of doubt, be bound by the provisions of this Clause 11 as a condition precedent of bringing any claim against the Seller under Clause 10.4, and any failure by a Purchaser to give the relevant Notice of Tax Claim in accordance with Clause 11.1 shall not in any way prejudice the ability of that Purchaser to bring any such claim.

 

11.7Nothing in this Clause 11 shall require a Purchaser to, or procure that any Target Group Company shall do anything which conflicts with the W&I Insurance Policy.

 

12.release of encumbrances

 

12.1The Seller shall procure that, on or prior to Completion, any and all Encumbrances over or affecting the Shares (or any of them) are unconditionally and irrevocably released and discharged, and shall deliver (or cause to be delivered) to the Purchasers:

 

(a)to the extent that any Target Group Company is a guarantor, borrower or other obligor under any financing arrangements of the Seller Group, a duly executed resignation letter or equivalent instrument addressed to the relevant agent or creditor representative, requesting the release of such Target Group Company from its obligations under such financing arrangements;

 

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(b)an executed release or discharge (in a form satisfactory to the Purchasers, acting reasonably) from the relevant security agent, creditor representative or other secured party, confirming the unconditional release of all Encumbrances over the Shares, together with evidence that such release has been duly authorised under the terms of the relevant financing arrangements and any related intercreditor arrangements;

 

(c)evidence that each relevant Target Group Company has been released from all obligations, guarantees and security interests arising under or in connection with any financing arrangements of the Seller Group; and

 

(d)such evidence of de-registration, filing or release in any relevant jurisdiction as the Purchasers may reasonably require to evidence that all Encumbrances over the Shares have been fully and unconditionally released and discharged.

 

12.2In furtherance of its obligations under Clause 12.1, the Seller has provided to the Purchaser the Release Documents and the Seller shall, following Completion, provide such further assistance as may be reasonably required by the Purchasers (or its lenders) to complete the perfection of the release of any Encumbrance over the Shares, including executing and delivering any further documents, filings and registrations as may be necessary to evidence or give effect to such release in any relevant jurisdiction.

 

13.Release of Guarantees

 

13.1The Seller shall co-operate with the Purchasers to allow the Purchasers or a member of the Purchasers' Group to replace each Relevant Guarantee with effect from Completion, and the Purchasers shall use all reasonable endeavours to procure the replacement, release, return, cancellation or termination in full of each Relevant Guarantee with effect from Completion by procuring the issue of a replacement guarantee or otherwise putting in place arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the beneficiary of the Relevant Guarantee. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, examples of all reasonable endeavours required of the Purchasers in respect of any Relevant Guarantee that is a Bank Guarantee include (without limitation)

 

(a)offering to provide cash-backing of such Bank Guarantee, by Cadeler A/S cash collateralising directly with [REDACTED] and/or [REDACTED] (as applicable);

 

(b)offering to procure the provision of bank-to-bank counter-indemnities; and

 

(c)using all reasonable endeavours to implement the actions referred to in this Clause 13.1 as soon as reasonably practicable following Completion and, in any event, seeking to do so within thirty (30) days following Completion.

 

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13.2If any Relevant Guarantee remains in place following Completion, the Purchasers shall continue to use all reasonable endeavours, as soon as reasonably practicable, to procure the release of the Seller and each relevant Seller Group Company from that Relevant Guarantee. Pending such release, the Purchasers shall indemnify and hold harmless the Seller and each relevant Seller Group Company against any demand, claim or payment made by or against the relevant Seller Group Company under or in respect of that Relevant Guarantee.

 

13.3The Purchasers shall co-operate with the Seller to allow the Seller or a member of the Seller Group to replace any Target Company Guarantee with effect from Completion, and the Seller shall use all reasonable endeavours to procure the replacement, release, return, cancellation or termination in full of each Target Company Guarantee with effect from Completion by procuring the issue of a replacement guarantee or otherwise putting in place arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the beneficiary of the Target Company Guarantee.

 

13.4If any Target Company Guarantee remains in place following Completion, the Seller shall continue to use all reasonable endeavours, as soon as reasonably practicable, to procure the release of each relevant Target Group Company from that Target Company Guarantee. Pending such release, the Seller shall indemnify and hold harmless the Purchasers and each relevant Target Group Company against any demand, claim or payment made by or against the relevant Target Group Company under or in respect of that Target Company Guarantee.

 

14.W&I INSURANCE

 

14.1The Purchasers shall ensure that, save in the event of fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, the W&I Insurance Policy includes an express and irrevocable waiver of any rights of subrogation and any right having a substantially similar effect which the insurers under the W&I Insurance Policy may otherwise have against the Seller, the Seller Group and/or the Seller's Solicitors and the other advisors of the Seller (the "Subrogation Provisions").

 

14.2Following Completion, the Purchasers shall not agree to terminate, vary or amend the Subrogation Provisions without the prior written consent of the Seller.

 

14.3Subject to Clause 14.4, each Purchaser undertakes to the Seller that the Purchasers shall not cause or permit Menck UK to bring a claim against Large Diameter Drilling under the Asset Transfer Agreement in respect of any facts, circumstances, matters or losses, unless and until the Purchaser has first used all reasonable efforts to recover any loss or damage suffered by any member of the Purchasers’ Group in respect of such facts, circumstances, matters or losses from the W&I Insurer under and in accordance with the W&I Insurance Policy. The Purchasers further acknowledge and agree that to the extent that the Purchasers have recovered any loss or damage in respect of any facts, circumstances, matters or losses from the W&I Insurer under and in accordance with the W&I Insurance Policy, the Purchasers and Menck UK shall be precluded from recovering any amount of loss or damage in respect of such facts, circumstances, matters or losses from Large Diameter Drilling under the Asset Transfer Agreement (and each Purchaser undertakes to the Seller to waive all rights, and to procure that Menck UK shall waive all such rights, under the Asset Transfer Agreement to give effect to the foregoing).

 

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14.4The provisions of Clause 14.3 shall not apply: (a) with respect to a claim under Clause 10 (Wrong Pockets) of the Asset Transfer Agreement; and (b) if there is no reasonable prospect of making a successful claim under the W&I Insurance Policy.

 

14.5The Seller irrevocably and unconditionally waives and releases, and shall procure that each other member of the Seller Group waives and releases, any and all rights, claims and demands which it or any member of the Seller Group has or may have against any Target Group Company with respect to Clause 7.19 of the Asset Transfer Agreement.

 

15.Wrong Pockets

 

15.1If and to the extent that, within eighteen (18) months after Completion, the Seller or either Purchaser discovers that there are then existing any Target Wrong Pocket Assets, the discovering party shall promptly give notice to the other party(ies) setting out details of the Target Wrong Pocket Assets and the Purchasers and the Seller shall:

 

(a)procure that the relevant Seller Group Company shall execute all such agreements or documents as may be necessary for the purpose of transferring the relevant right, title or interest in each and every Target Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) to the relevant Purchaser Wrong Pocket Transferee; and

 

(b)use reasonable endeavours to do all such further acts or things as may be necessary validly to effect the transfer and vest the relevant interest in the Target Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) in the relevant Purchaser Wrong Pocket Transferee,

 

provided that if any third party consent or approval is required for the transfer of a Target Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) to be effective or lawful then:

 

(i)the Seller and the Purchaser shall each use reasonable endeavours to obtain that consent or approval as soon as reasonably practicable; and

 

(ii)pending such consent or approval being given, the Seller shall procure that the relevant Seller Group Company holds its right, title and interest in and to the Relevant Target Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof), and any monies, goods or other benefits arising after Completion by virtue of it, on trust for the relevant Purchaser Wrong Pocket Transferee and shall procure that the relevant Seller Group Company shall allow the relevant Purchaser Wrong Pocket Transferee to have full enjoyment and use of that Target Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) and to receive such monies, goods or other benefits.

 

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15.2If and to the extent that, within eighteen (18) months after Completion, the Seller or either Purchaser discover that there are then existing any Seller Wrong Pocket Assets, the discovering party shall promptly give notice to the other party setting out details of the Seller Wrong Pocket Assets and the Seller and the Purchaser shall:

 

(a)procure that the relevant Target Group Company shall execute all such agreements or documents as may be necessary for the purpose of transferring the relevant right, title or interest in each and every Seller Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) to the relevant Seller Wrong Pocket Transferee; and

 

(b)use reasonable endeavours to do all such further acts or things as may be necessary validly to effect the transfer and vest the relevant interest in the Seller Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) in the relevant Seller Wrong Pocket Transferee,

 

provided that if any third party consent or approval is required for the transfer of a Seller Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) to be effective or lawful then:

 

(i)the Seller and the Purchaser shall each use reasonable endeavours to obtain that consent or approval as soon as reasonably practicable; and

 

(ii)pending such consent or approval being given, the Purchaser shall procure that the relevant Target Group Company holds its right, title and interest in and to the relevant Seller Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof), and any monies, goods or other benefits arising after Completion by virtue of it, on trust for the relevant Seller Wrong Pocket Transferee and shall procure that the relevant Target Group Company shall allow the relevant Seller Wrong Pocket Transferee to have full enjoyment and use of that Seller Wrong Pocket Asset (or part thereof) and to receive such monies, goods or other benefits.

 

15.3If, within eighteen (18) months after Completion, the Seller or either Purchaser discover that there is then existing any asset which is being used or is relied upon to a material extent by both, on the one hand, a Seller Group Company and, on the other hand, a Target Group Company, the Seller and the Purchaser shall discuss in good faith whether arrangements can be made to ensure that such use or reliance can continue on arm’s length terms or whether such asset can reasonably be separated without material cost or disruption and divided between the Seller and the Purchaser.

 

16.TAX COVENANT

 

16.1The provisions of Part 2 of Schedule 3 (Tax Schedule) shall apply on and from Completion.

 

17.ACCESS TO INFORMATION

 

17.1For a period of two (2) years (or, in respect of Tax, legal or regulatory, seven (7) years) following Completion, each Purchaser shall, and shall procure that the relevant Target Group Company shall, upon reasonable request, allow the Seller or any member of the Seller Group reasonable access (including the right to take copies at its expense) to the books and records of each Target Group Company held by it after Completion ("Purchaser Records") which are reasonably required by such person for the purposes of complying with Applicable Law or regulation in connection with its legal or regulatory obligations, its accounting obligations or Tax affairs (including such information as is reasonably required by the Seller in order to negotiate, refute, settle, compromise or otherwise deal with any claim, investigation or enquiry by a Tax Authority regarding the Seller or any member of the Seller Group relating to income, profits or gains earned, accrued or received (or treated for Tax purposes as earned, accrued or received) or any event occurring (or treated for Tax purposes as occurring) on or before Completion).

 

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17.2For a period of two (2) years (or, in respect of Tax, legal or regulatory, seven (7) years) following Completion, the Seller shall, and the Seller shall procure that the relevant member of the Seller Group shall, upon reasonable request, allow the Purchasers or such other member of the Purchasers' Group reasonable access (including the right to take copies at its expense) to the books and records of each member of the Seller Group to the extent that they relate to any member of the Seller Group or to any Target Group Company ("Seller Records") which are reasonably required by such person for the purposes of complying with Applicable Law or regulation in connection with its legal or regulatory obligations, its accounting obligations or Tax affairs (including such information as is reasonably required by the Purchasers or such other member of the Purchasers' Group in order to negotiate, refute, settle, compromise or otherwise deal with any claim, investigation or enquiry by a Tax Authority regarding the Purchasers or any other member of the Purchasers' Group relating to income, profits or gains earned, accrued or received (or treated for Tax purposes as earned, accrued or received) or any event occurring (or treated for Tax purposes as occurring) on, before or after Completion).

 

17.3If and to the extent any circumstance arises in which:

 

(a)the Target Group may have a claim under any policy of insurance of the Seller Group in relation to any matter arising prior to Completion; or

 

(b)the Seller Group may have a claim under any policy of insurance of the Seller Group in relation to any matter arising prior to Completion that involves, in whole or in part, the Target Group,

 

(in each case, a "Pre-Completion Insurance Claim") then the Seller and the Purchasers shall procure that:

 

(c)the Seller Group and the Target Group shall reasonably cooperate with each other in relation to the Pre-Completion Insurance Claim, and shall exchange all such information as may be necessary to support the Pre-Completion Insurance Claim;

 

(d)any proceeds received in respect of the Pre-Completion Insurance Claim (net of any Taxes paid, incurred or otherwise suffered by the Seller Group or the Target Group on receipt of such proceeds (as applicable)) shall be apportioned to or paid to the member of the Seller Group or the Target Group which suffered the loss which was to be compensated in respect of the Pre-Completion Insurance Claim (and such net proceeds may be apportioned in whole or in any other proportion as between multiple members of the Seller Group and the Target Group based on appropriate apportionment of the loss between such members of the Seller Group and the Target Group); and

 

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(e)the burden of any deductible applicable to the Pre-Completion Insurance Claim shall apply to the member of the Seller Group or the Target Group who is to be apportioned or paid the proceeds received in respect of the Pre-Completion Insurance Claim (or applied pro rata if there are multiple recipients of the proceeds received in respect of the Pre-Completion Insurance Claim), and to the extent that an amount reflecting the deductible has been borne or paid by any other member of the Seller Group or the Target Group the member (or members) of the Seller Group or the Target Group to whom the burden of the deductible is applied pursuant to this clause shall reimburse such other member of the Seller Group or the Target Group.

 

17.4For two (2) years (or, in respect of Tax, seven (7) years) following Completion:

 

(a)the Purchasers shall procure that no member of the Purchasers' Group shall dispose of, or destroy any of the Purchaser Records reasonably necessary for the preparation of any Tax Return or regulatory filing by the Seller (or any relevant member of the Seller Group) without first giving the Seller at least two (2) months' notice of its intention to do so and giving the Seller a reasonable opportunity to remove and retain any of them (at the Seller's expense); and

 

(b)the Seller shall procure that no member of the Seller Group shall dispose of or destroy any of the Seller Records reasonably necessary for the preparation of any Tax Return or regulatory filing by the Purchasers (or any member of the Purchasers' Group) without first giving the Purchasers at least two (2) months' notice of its intention to do so and giving the Purchasers a reasonable opportunity to remove and retain any of such records (at the Purchasers' expense).

 

17.5The Seller shall use reasonable commercial endeavours to: (a) obtain and maintain an extension of coverage of the Target Group under the existing insurance policies of the Seller Group (the “Existing Insurance Policies”) for a period of thirty (30) days following Completion; and (b) at the written request of the Purchasers, such request to be delivered to the Seller no later than seven (7) days prior to the expiration of the initial period specified in Clause 17.5(a) to obtain and maintain such extended coverage of the Target Group under the Existing Insurance Policies for an additional period of fifteen (15) days after the expiration of the initial period specified in Clause 17.5(a), subject in each and every case to:

 

(a)such extension of the coverage of the Existing Insurance Policies of the Seller Group to the Target Group for such post-Completion period being available from the existing insurers of the Seller Group, without the Seller Group having to accept any additional obligation other than payment of an additional premium in respect of the Existing Insurance Policies ; and

 

(b)the Purchasers promptly reimbursing, and indemnifying and holding harmless, the Seller and each member of the Seller Group for any and all additional premiums which may be payable by the Seller or any member of the Seller Group in respect of such extension of coverage, and any other costs and expenses which may be reasonably incurred by the Seller or any member of the Seller Group in securing such extension of coverage,

 

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and provided that should any such period of extension of coverage under the Existing Insurance Policies be afforded to the Target Group, the Purchasers shall indemnify and hold harmless, and keep indemnified, the Seller and each member of the Seller Group for:

 

(c)any and all increases in the premium(s) paid by the Seller or any member of the Seller Group under the Existing Insurance Policies (as the same may be renewed from time to time) which are directly attributable to: (i) the extension of coverage of the Existing Insurance Policies of the Seller Group to the Target Group for any period following Completion; (ii) any claim for loss, notification of any potential claim or other notice served under any applicable insurance policy held by the Seller Group made by any member of the Target Group against the Existing Insurance Policies in respect of the period of the extension of coverage of the Existing Insurance Policies to the Target Group for any period following Completion; or (iii) any other action or omission of the Target Group taken or omitted to be taken in relation to the extension of coverage under the Existing Insurance Policies afforded to the Target Group in accordance with this clause; and

 

(d)any loss which may be suffered by the Seller or any member of the Seller Group as a result of any payment of loss to the Target Group under the Existing Insurance Policies in respect of the post-Completion extension period which results in any shortfall in the amount of loss or compensation which the Seller or any member of the Seller Group may be entitled to under such Existing Insurance Policies, including (without limitation) any loss arising as a result of the application of any limitation of liability, deductible or other withholding or restriction on payment of loss applicable under the Existing Insurance Policies.

 

17.6To the extent the Seller receives any amount under any Existing Insurance Policy in respect of a loss suffered by a Target Group Company, it will promptly pay such amount (net of any Taxes paid, incurred or otherwise suffered by the Seller or any member of the Seller Group on receipt of such proceeds) to such Purchaser or Target Group Company that the Purchasers may direct in writing.

 

17.7The Seller shall notify the Purchasers within one (1) Business Day of: (a) the cancellation or material reduction in cover of any Existing Insurance Policy; or (b) the rejection by any insurer of an extension of an Existing Insurance Policy.

 

18.ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

18.1The Seller and the Purchasers shall agree a form of announcement in writing relating to the Transaction to be made on or following the date of this Agreement.

 

18.2Subject to Clause 18.1, no party shall make or issue any announcement or circular in connection with the existence or the subject matter of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, or cause any such announcement to be made or issued, without the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) of:

 

(a)in the case of an announcement by the Seller, the Purchasers; and

 

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(b)in the case of an announcement by the Purchasers, the Seller.

 

19.CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

 

19.1The Seller shall not, and the Seller shall procure that no other member of the Seller Group or any director, officer or employee of the Seller Group shall, use or disclose to any person the Purchaser's Confidential Information or Deal Confidential Information.

 

19.2The Purchasers shall not, and shall procure that no other member of the Purchasers' Group or any director, officer or employee of the Purchasers' Group shall, use or disclose to any person the Seller's Confidential Information or Deal Confidential Information.

 

19.3Notwithstanding Clauses 19.1 and 19.2, any party may disclose Confidential Information, if and to the extent:

 

(a)such disclosure is made to or at the written request or with the written request of the Seller (in the case of the Seller's Confidential Information) or the Purchasers (in the case of the Purchaser's Confidential Information);

 

(b)required by law, regulation, a court of competent jurisdiction or the rules or regulations of any recognised stock exchange or listing authority which the shares of any member of the Seller Group or any member of the Purchasers' Group are listed or traded and disclosure then shall only be made by that party:

 

(i)after it has taken all such steps as may be reasonable in the circumstances to agree to the contents of such announcement with the other party before making such announcement and provided that any such announcement shall be made only after notice to the other party (to the extent permissible under the relevant rule or regulation); and

 

(ii)to the person or persons and in the manner required by law or the rules or standards of any recognised stock exchange on which the shares of any member of the Seller Group or any member of the Purchasers' Group are listed or traded or such other regulatory body or as otherwise agreed between the parties;

 

(c)it is reasonably necessary to obtain any relevant Tax clearances or required by any Tax Authority or it is disclosed on a confidential basis to a Tax Authority in the course of a party dealing with its or its Affiliates' Tax affairs;

 

(d)required to obtain third party consent to the Transaction;

 

(e)the non-disclosing party has given prior written consent to the disclosure of the relevant Confidential Information;

 

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(f)required by any debt funders or prospective debt funders, insurers or prospective insurers, investors or prospective investors, any hedging counterparties, any arrangers of financing (or their respective Affiliates), any facility or security agent, security trustee, or person fulfilling a similar or related role, and prospective purchasers of the shares in the capital of any Target Group Company (where, in the case of prospective investors and prospective purchasers, such persons have entered into non-disclosure agreements with the Purchasers or the relevant member of the Target Group Companies on terms materially similar to those contained in the Confidentiality Agreements) which shall be entitled to disclose information to their own directors, officers, creditor representatives and professional advisers provided such disclosure is made on a strictly confidential basis;

 

(g)in the case of the Seller, to any person advised or managed by a member of the Seller Group or their respective professional advisers, provided that such persons shall be under an obligation to keep the information confidential;

 

(h)required by professional advisers for the purpose of advising the Seller or the Purchasers (as the case may be); and

 

(i)information which is in the public domain other than by the Seller's or the Purchasers' breach of Clauses 19.1 or 19.2, respectively.

 

19.4The restrictions contained in this Clause 19 shall apply without limit of time and whether or not this Agreement is terminated.

 

20.Several Liability

 

The liability of the Purchasers in respect of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents shall be several (and not joint or joint and several) in the relevant Purchaser’s Liability Proportion.

 

21.ASSIGNMENT

 

21.1No party may assign, hold on trust, transfer, charge or otherwise deal with all or any part of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Seller (in respect of the Purchasers) and the Purchasers (in respect of the Seller), provided that:

 

(a)this Agreement and the benefits arising under it may be assigned in whole or in part by the Seller to any member of the Seller Group (provided that if such assignee ceases to be a member of the Seller Group, this Agreement and the benefits arising under it shall automatically transfer back to the Seller immediately prior to such cessation);

 

(b)this Agreement and the benefits arising under it may be assigned in whole or in part by the Purchasers to any member of the Purchasers' Group to whom the Purchasers transfer any of the Shares (provided that if such assignee ceases to be a member of the Purchasers' Group, this Agreement and the benefits arising under it shall automatically transfer back to the Purchasers immediately prior to such cessation); and

 

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(c)the Purchasers may assign by way of security and/or charge all or any of their rights under this Agreement for the benefit of:

 

(i)any financial institution or other person lending money or making other credit facility or any other type of financing available to the Purchasers or any member of the Target Group Companies or any member of the Purchasers’ Group (including the holders of any debt securities);

 

(ii)any counterparty to a derivative transaction entered into by a Purchaser, a Target Group Company or any member of the Purchasers’ Group; and

 

(iii)any facility or security agent, security trustee, arranger of finance, receiver or person fulfilling a similar or related role,

 

and any such beneficiary of security may assign all or any of those rights for the purpose of enforcing such security assignment or charge.

 

21.2Within five (5) Business Days after any assignment in accordance with Clause 21.1, the Seller or the Purchasers (as the case may be) shall give written notice of the assignment to the Purchasers (if the assignment is made by the Seller) or the Seller (if the assignment is made by the Purchaser(s)), such notice to contain full details of the assignment.

 

21.3If any party assigns, transfers or creates any trust in respect of the benefit or burden of any provision of this Agreement, the relevant assignee or transferee shall not be entitled to receive under this Agreement any greater amount than that to which the assignor would have been entitled and neither the Purchasers nor the Seller (as applicable) shall be under any greater obligation or liability than if such assignment had never occurred.

 

22.Set-Off and Withholdings

 

22.1No Party will be entitled to assert any credit, set-off or counterclaim against any other Party in order to justify withholding payment of any amount owed in connection with this Agreement in whole or in part.

 

22.2Any amount payable by any Party to another Party shall be made in full and free from any deduction or withholding whatsoever, except as required by Applicable Law.

 

22.3If any party is required by law to make a deduction or withholding in respect of any sum payable to another party for the breach of this Agreement, pursuant to an indemnity under this Agreement or in respect of a Tax Covenant Claim, the payor shall, at the same time as the sum which is the subject of the deduction or withholding is payable, make a payment to the recipient of such additional amount as shall be required to ensure that the net amount received by the recipient will equal the full amount which would have been received by it had no such deduction or withholding been required to be made.

 

22.4If any sum payable by a Party for breach of this Agreement, pursuant to an indemnity under this Agreement or in respect of a Tax Covenant Claim is subject to Tax in the hands of the recipient (or would be but for the use of a Relief), the paying Party shall pay such additional amount as will ensure that the recipient receives and retains a net amount equal to the amount it would have received had the sum not been subject to Tax (or would not have been so subject to Tax but for the availability of the Relief).

 

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22.5The Seller declares to the Purchasers that, as at the date of this agreement, the Non-German Shares in Menck UK are membership interests but are not “indirect Australian real property interests” for the purposes of section 855-25 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth) ("ITAA").

 

22.6UK Bidco acknowledges and agrees that:

 

(a)the declaration provided by the Seller in Clause 22.5 represents a declaration for the purposes of section 14-210(3) of Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Cth) ("TAA") given by the Seller to the Purchasers;

 

(b)UK Bidco does not know that declaration to be false or have any grounds to reasonably expect the declaration to be false; and

 

(c)UK Bidco will not:

 

(i)withhold any amount in accordance with Subdivision 14-D of Schedule 1 of the TAA from any payments made to the Seller; or

 

(ii)pay an amount in accordance with Subdivision 14-D of Schedule 1 of the TAA to the Australian Commissioner of Taxation in connection with Consideration payable under this Agreement.

 

23.COSTS

 

23.1Unless expressly otherwise provided in this Agreement each of the parties shall bear its own legal, accountancy and other costs, charges and expenses connected with the sale and purchase of the Shares.

 

23.2All stamp, transfer, registration and other similar Taxes and registration, notarial or other similar fees ("Stamp Taxes") payable in connection with the sale, purchase or transfer of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be borne by the Purchasers. The Purchasers shall be responsible for arranging the payment of any such Stamp Taxes, including filing any return in respect of such Stamp Taxes or fulfilling any other administrative or reporting obligation in connection with such Stamp Taxes. The Purchasers shall also bear, and shall procure payment of, all notarial fees, costs and expenses payable in connection with the execution of the German Share Transfer Deed and any related German notarial filings and registrations. The Purchasers shall indemnify the Seller and any member of the Seller Group against any losses suffered as a result of the Purchasers failing to comply with its obligations under this Clause 23.2.

 

24.EFFECT OF COMPLETION

 

24.1The terms of this Agreement (insofar as not performed at Completion and subject as specifically otherwise provided in this Agreement) shall continue in force after and notwithstanding Completion.

 

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24.2The remedies of the Purchasers in respect of any breach of any of the Warranties shall continue to subsist notwithstanding Completion.

 

25.FURTHER ASSURANCES

 

On request by any party, each party shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, insofar as it is reasonably able, do or procure the doing of all such acts and execute or procure the execution of all such documents (in a form reasonably satisfactory to the requesting party) as the requesting party may reasonably consider necessary or appropriate to carry this Agreement into effect and to give the requesting party the full benefit of it.

 

26.ENTIRE AGREEMENT

 

Each party on behalf of itself and as agent for each of its Related Persons acknowledges and agrees with the other party (each such party acting on behalf of itself and (where applicable) as agent for each of its Related Persons) that:

 

(a)the Transaction Documents constitute the entire and only agreement between the parties and their respective Related Persons relating to the subject matter of the Transaction Documents; and

 

(b)neither it nor any of its Related Persons has been induced to enter into any Transaction Document in reliance upon, nor has any party been given, any warranty, representation, statement, assurance, covenant, agreement, undertaking, indemnity or commitment of any nature whatsoever other than as are expressly set out in the Transaction Documents and, to the extent that any of them has been, it (acting on behalf of itself and as agent on behalf of each of its Related Persons) unconditionally and irrevocably waives any claims, rights or remedies which any of them might otherwise have had in relation thereto; provided that the provisions of this Clause 26 shall not exclude any liability which any of the parties or, where appropriate, their Related Persons would otherwise have to any other party or, where appropriate, to any other party's Related Persons or any right which any of them may have in respect of any statements made fraudulently by any of them prior to the execution of this Agreement or any rights which any of them may have in respect of fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation by any of them.

 

27.VARIATIONS

 

This Agreement may be varied only by a document signed by, or for and on behalf of, the Seller and the Purchasers.

 

28.WAIVER

 

28.1A waiver of any term, provision or condition of, or consent granted under, this Agreement shall be effective only if given in writing and signed by the waiving or consenting party and then only in the instance and for the purpose for which it is given.

 

28.2No failure or delay on the part of any party in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right, power or privilege preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.

 

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28.3No breach of any provision of this Agreement shall be waived or discharged except with the express written consent of the Seller and the Purchasers.

 

28.4The rights and remedies herein provided are cumulative with and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.

 

29.REMEDIES

 

No party shall be entitled to rescind or terminate this Agreement in any circumstance whatsoever (whether before or after Completion).

 

30.INVALIDITY

 

If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under the law of any jurisdiction:

 

(a)the validity, legality and enforceability under the law of that jurisdiction of any other provision; and

 

(b)the validity, legality and enforceability under the law of any other jurisdiction of that or any other provision,

 

shall not be affected or impaired in any way.

 

31.NOTICES

 

31.1Any notice, demand or other communication given or made under or in connection with the matters contemplated by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or by courier or sent by email:

 

(a)in the case of the Seller:

 

Address:Kingfisher House
1 Gilders Way
Norwich, Norfolk
NR1 1SW

 

Email:[REDACTED]

 

Attention:Diana Whitney

 

with copies to:

 

Address:Buckthorn Partners LLP
Princes House
38 Jermyn St
St. James's, London
SW1Y 6DN

 

Email:[REDACTED]

 

Attention:Joe Connolly

 

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Address:Sidley Austin LLP
70 St Mary Axe
London
EC3A 8BE

 

Email:[REDACTED]

 

Attention:Tony Downes

 

(b)in the case of the Purchasers:

 

Address:Cadeler A/S

Kalvebod Brygge 43

DK-1560 Copenhagen

Denmark

 

Email:[REDACTED]

 

Attention:Alexander Simmonds

 

with a copy to:

 

Address:Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP

One Bishops Square

London

E1 6AD

 

Email:[REDACTED]

 

Attention:Paul Dunbar and Dan Graham

 

and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made as follows:

 

(c)if delivered by hand or by courier, upon delivery at the address of the relevant party; and

 

(d)if sent by email, at the time of sending, provided that receipt shall not occur if the sender receives an automated message that the email has not been delivered to the recipient,

 

provided that if, in accordance with the above provisions, any such notice, demand or other communication would otherwise be deemed to be given or made after 5.00 p.m. on a Business Day, such notice, demand or other communication shall be deemed to be given or made at 9.00 a.m. on the next Business Day.

 

31.2Where any notice or other communication is delivered or sent by more than one method in accordance with this Clause 31, the date of receipt shall be the earliest to occur in respect of any such method as set out in Clause 31.1.

 

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31.3A party may notify the other party to this Agreement of a change to its name, relevant addressee, address or email address for the purposes of Clause 31.1, provided that such notification shall only be effective on:

 

(a)the date specified in the notification as the date on which the change is to take place; or

 

(b)if no date is specified or the date specified is less than five (5) Business Days after the date on which notice is given, the date falling five (5) Business Days after notice of any such change has been given.

 

32.COUNTERPARTS

 

32.1This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts which together shall constitute one agreement. Any party may enter into this Agreement by executing a counterpart and this Agreement shall not take effect until it has been executed by all parties.

 

32.2Delivery of an executed signature page of a counterpart in Adobe™ Portable Document Format (PDF) sent by email shall take effect as delivery of an executed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

33.THIRD PARTY RIGHTS

 

33.1Any person (other than the parties to this Agreement) who is given any rights or benefits under Clauses 10 and 26 (a "Third Party") shall be entitled to enforce those rights or benefits against the parties in accordance with the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

 

33.2Save as provided in Clause 33.1, the operation of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 is hereby excluded.

 

33.3The parties may amend, vary or terminate this Agreement in such a way as may affect any rights or benefits of any Third Party which are directly enforceable against the parties under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 without the consent of such Third Party.

 

33.4Any Third Party entitled pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any rights or benefits conferred on it by this Agreement may not veto any amendment, variation or termination of this Agreement which is proposed by the parties and which may affect the rights or benefits of the Third Party.

 

34.GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

 

34.1This Agreement, and any dispute, controversy, proceedings or claim of whatever nature arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement or its formation (including any non-contractual disputes or claims), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.

 

34.2Each party to this Agreement irrevocably agrees that the courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide any suit, action or proceedings, and/or to settle any disputes, which may arise out of or in any way relate to this Agreement or its formation (respectively, "Proceedings" and "Disputes") and, for these purposes, each party irrevocably submits to the jurisdiction of the courts of England.

 

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34.3German Bidco agrees that the process by which any Proceedings are begun in England in relation to any matter arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or any Transaction Document may be served on it by being delivered to UK Bidco at its registered office address from time to time, and service on such agent in accordance with this Clause 34.3 will be deemed to be effective service on German Bidco. UK Bidco (being a company incorporated in England and Wales) accepts such appointment and may act as German Bidco’s process agent at its registered office address. If UK Bidco at any time ceases for any reason to act as such agent, German Bidco shall promptly appoint another person in England to accept service of process on its behalf and shall notify the Seller of the name and address of such person; failing such appointment within fourteen (14) days, the Seller shall be entitled to appoint such a person by notice to German Bidco.

 

34.4Each party irrevocably waives any objection which it might at any time have to the courts of England being nominated as the forum to hear and decide any Proceedings and to settle any Disputes and agrees not to claim that the courts of England are not a convenient or appropriate forum for any such Proceedings or Disputes and further irrevocably agrees that a judgment in any Proceedings or Disputes brought in any court referred to in this Clause 34 shall be conclusive and binding upon the parties and may be enforced in the courts of any other jurisdiction.

 

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Schedule 1 - COMPLETION SHAREHOLDING SCHEDULE

 

[REDACTED]

 

72 

 

 

Schedule 2
The Warranties

 

[REDACTED]

 

73 

 

 

Schedule 3
TAX SCHEDULE

 

[REDACTED]

 

74 

 

 

Schedule 4
Limitations on Liability

 

[REDACTED]

 

75 

 

 

Schedule 5
Completion Accounts

 

[REDACTED]

 

76 

 

 

Schedule 6
COMPLETION STATEMENT

 

[REDACTED]

 

77 

 

 

Schedule 7
INTRA-GROUP LOAN AMOUNTS

 

[REDACTED]

 

78 

 

 

Schedule 8
PROPERTIES

 

[REDACTED]

 

79 

 

 

Schedule 9
BALANCE SHEET MAPPING SCHEDULE

 

[REDACTED]

 

80 

 

 

Schedule 10 - Bank GUARANTEES AND SELLER GROUP GUARANTEES

 

[REDACTED]

 

81 

 

 

Schedule 11 – LTIP PAYMENTS AND RETENTION BONUSES

 

[REDACTED]

 

82 

 

 

Schedule 12 – Commercial Projects & Proposals

 

[REDACTED]

 

[Signature pages follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the date first written above.

 

SIGNED for and on behalf of

 

PROJECT GROUND BIDCO LIMITED

 

By:/s/ Mikkel Gleerup  
    
Name:Mikkel Gleerup  
    
Title:Director  

 

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SIGNED for and on behalf of

 

PROJECT GROUND DE BIDCO GMBH

 

By:/s/ Mikkel Gleerup  
    
Name:Mikkel Gleerup  
    
Title:Director  

 

[Signature Pages to Project Ground SPA]

 

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SIGNED for and on behalf of

 

ACTEON GROUP OPERATIONS (UK) LIMITED

 

By:/s/ Brice Bouffard  
    
Name:Brice Bouffard  
    
Title:Director  

 

[Signature Pages to Project Ground SPA]

 

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