5.4 No Solicitation. <omitted> (b) Except as expressly permitted pursuant to this Section 5.4 or Section 6.1, during the Pre-Closing Period, the Company shall not (and shall cause the other Acquired Corporations not to) and shall use reasonable best efforts to cause the Representatives of the Acquired Corporations not to (and not to resolve or publicly propose to), directly or indirectly, (i) continue any solicitation, knowing encouragement, discussions, activities or negotiations with any   48


Persons that may be ongoing with respect to an Acquisition Proposal or any inquiries, proposals, offers or requests with respect to or that could reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal, and (ii) (A) solicit, initiate or knowingly facilitate or knowingly encourage (including by way of furnishing non-public information) any inquiries regarding, or the making of any proposal or offer that constitutes, or could reasonably be expected to lead to, an Acquisition Proposal, (B) engage in, continue or otherwise participate in any discussions or negotiations regarding, or furnish to any other Person any non-public information in connection with or for the purpose of soliciting, knowingly encouraging or facilitating, an Acquisition Proposal or any proposal or offer that could reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal, (C) adopt, approve, recommend, submit to stockholders or declare advisable any Acquisition Proposal, (D) enter into any letter of intent, acquisition agreement, agreement in principle or similar agreement with respect to or that could reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal or any proposal or offer that could reasonably be expected to lead to an Acquisition Proposal (other than an Acceptable Confidentiality Agreement entered into in compliance with this Section 5.4), (E) release or permit the release of any Person from, or waive or permit the waiver of any provision of, or fail to enforce or cause to be enforced, any standstill or similar agreement to which the Company is a party, unless the Company Board determines in good faith, after consultation with independent financial advisors and outside legal counsel, that the failure to do so is inconsistent with the fiduciary duties of the Company Board to the Company Stockholders under applicable Law, (F) take any action or exempt any Person (other than Parent and its Subsidiaries) from the restriction on “business combinations” or any similar provision contained in applicable Takeover Laws or the Company’s organizational or other governing documents or grant a waiver under Section 203 of the DGCL, or (G) resolve, publicly propose or agree to do any of the foregoing. The Company shall, and shall cause its Representatives to (i) following the Agreement Date promptly (and in all events within three (3) Business Days), request the return from, or destruction by, all third parties of all non-public information previously furnished or made available to such parties by or on behalf of the Company relating to any possible Acquisition Proposal within the six (6) month period preceding the Agreement Date (and the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have such information returned or destroyed) and immediately terminate all physical and electronic data room access previously granted to any such party or its Representatives and (ii) commencing on the Agreement Date prohibit any third party (other than Parent, Purchaser and their respective Representatives) from having access to any physical or electronic data room relating to any possible Acquisition Proposal. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to enforce the terms of each confidentiality agreement with any such Person. <omitted>

(f) The Company agrees that in the event that the Company or any Representative of the Company takes any action which, if taken by the Company, would constitute a breach of this Section 5.4, the Company shall be deemed to be in breach of this Section 5.4. <omitted>

 “Representatives” shall mean officers, directors, employees, attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, consultants, agents, financial advisors, other advisors and other representatives. (Pages 53-54)

Question: No-Shop
Category: Deal Protection and Related Provisions
Answer: Strict liability