Article IX General Provisions

Sections


ARTICLE IX
GENERAL PROVISIONS

        9.1    Survival of Representations, Warranties and Covenants.     The representations, warranties and covenants of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub contained in this Agreement will terminate

A-69

at the Effective Time, except that any covenants that by their terms survive the Effective Time will survive the Effective Time in accordance with their respective terms.


        9.2
    Notices.     All notices and other communications hereunder must be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly delivered and received hereunder (i) four Business Days after being sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid; (ii) one Business Day after being sent for next Business Day delivery, fees prepaid, via a reputable nationwide overnight courier service; or (iii) immediately upon delivery by hand, by fax (with a written or electronic confirmation of delivery), in each case to the intended recipient as set forth below:

            (a)   if to Parent or Merger Sub to:

        Microsoft Corporation
        One Microsoft Way
        Redmond, Washington 98052-6399
        Attn:    Amy Hood
                   Bradford L. Smith
                   Keith Dolliver
        Fax:    (425) 706-7329

        with a copy (which will not constitute notice) to:

        Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
        425 Lexington Avenue
        New York, NY 10017
        Attn:    Alan M. Klein
                   Anthony F. Vernace
        Fax:    (212) 455-2000

            (b)   if to the Company (prior to the Effective Time) to:

        LinkedIn Corporation
        2029 Stierlin Court
        Mountain View, CA 94043
        Attn:    General Counsel
        Fax:    (650) 810-2897

        with a copy (which will not constitute notice) to:

        Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
        Professional Corporation
        650 Page Mill Road
        Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050
        Attn:    Martin W. Korman
                   Bradley L. Finkelstein
                   Douglas K. Schnell
        Fax:    (650) 493-6811

        Any notice received at the addressee's location on any Business Day after 5:00 p.m., addressee's local time, or on any day that is not a Business Day will be deemed to have been received at 9:00 a.m., addressee's local time, on the next Business Day. From time to time, any Party may provide notice to the other Parties of a change in its address or fax number through a notice given in accordance with this Section 9.2, except that notice of any change to the address or any of the other details specified in or pursuant to this Section 9.2 will not be deemed to have been received until, and will be deemed to have been received upon, the later of the date (A) specified in

A-70

such notice; or (B) that is five Business Days after such notice would otherwise be deemed to have been received pursuant to this Section 9.2.


        9.3
    Assignment.     No Party may assign either this Agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the other Parties. Subject to the preceding sentence, this Agreement will be binding upon and will inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. No assignment by any Party will relieve such Party of any of its obligations hereunder.


        9.4
    Confidentiality.     Parent, Merger Sub and the Company hereby acknowledge that Parent and the Company have previously executed a Confidentiality Letter Agreement, dated April 11, 2016 (the "Confidentiality Agreement"), that will continue in full force and effect in accordance with its terms. Each of Parent, Merger Sub, the Company and their respective Representatives will hold and treat all documents and information concerning the other Parties furnished or made available to them or their respective Representatives in connection with the Merger in accordance with the Confidentiality Agreement.


        9.5
    Entire Agreement.     This Agreement and the documents and instruments and other agreements among the Parties as contemplated by or referred to herein, including the Confidentiality Agreement and the Company Disclosure Letter, constitute the entire agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Confidentiality Agreement will (a) not be superseded; (b) survive any termination of this Agreement; and (c) continue in full force and effect until the earlier to occur of the Effective Time and the date on which the Confidentiality Agreement expires in accordance with its terms or is validly terminated by the parties thereto.


        9.6
    Third Party Beneficiaries.     Except as set forth in Section 6.8 and this Section 9.6, the Parties agree that their respective representations, warranties and covenants set forth in this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the other Parties in accordance with and subject to the terms of this Agreement. This Agreement is not intended to, and will not, confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies hereunder, except (a) as set forth in or contemplated by Section 6.8; (b) from and after the Effective Time, the rights of the holders of shares of Company Capital Stock, Company Options and Company Stock-Based Awards to receive the Merger Consideration set forth in Article II.


        9.7
    Severability.     In the event that any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof, becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement will continue in full force and effect and the application of such provision to other Persons or circumstances will be interpreted so as reasonably to effect the intent of the Parties. The Parties further agree to replace such void or unenforceable provision of this Agreement with a valid and enforceable provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, the economic, business and other purposes of such void or unenforceable provision.


        9.8
    Remedies.     

            (a)    Remedies Cumulative.    Except as otherwise provided herein, any and all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a Party will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby or by law or equity upon such Party, and the exercise by a Party of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy.

            (b)    Specific Performance.    

                (i)  The Parties agree that irreparable damage for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy would occur in the event that the Parties do

A-71

      not perform the provisions of this Agreement (including any Party failing to take such actions as are required of it hereunder in order to consummate this Agreement) in accordance with its specified terms or otherwise breach such provisions. The Parties acknowledge and agree that (A) they will be entitled, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity, to an injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief to prevent breaches (or threatened breaches) of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof; and (B) the right of specific enforcement is an integral part of the Merger and without that right, neither the Company nor Parent would have entered into this Agreement.

                (ii)  The Parties agree not to raise any objections to (A) the granting of an injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief to prevent or restrain breaches or threatened breaches of this Agreement by the Company, on the one hand, or Parent and Merger Sub, on the other hand; and (B) the specific performance of the terms and provisions of this Agreement to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of, or to enforce compliance with, the covenants, obligations and agreements of the Company, Parent and Merger Sub pursuant to this Agreement. Any Party seeking an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement will not be required to provide any bond or other security in connection with such injunction or enforcement, and each Party irrevocably waives any right that it may have to require the obtaining, furnishing or posting of any such bond or other security.


        9.9
    Governing Law.     This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Delaware.


        9.10
    Consent to Jurisdiction.     Each of the Parties (a) irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process (whether inside or outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Chosen Courts) in any Legal Proceeding relating to the Merger, for and on behalf of itself or any of its properties or assets, in accordance with Section 9.2 or in such other manner as may be permitted by applicable Law, but nothing in this Section 9.10 will affect the right of any Party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by applicable Law; (b) irrevocably and unconditionally consents and submits itself and its properties and assets in any Legal Proceeding to the exclusive general jurisdiction of the Chosen Courts in the event that any dispute or controversy arises out of this Agreement or the Merger; (c) agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such personal jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from any Chosen Court; (d) agrees that any Legal Proceeding arising in connection with this Agreement or the Merger will be brought, tried and determined only in the Chosen Courts; (e) waives any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the venue of any such Legal Proceeding in the Chosen Courts or that such Legal Proceeding was brought in an inconvenient court and agrees not to plead or claim the same; and (f) agrees that it will not bring any Legal Proceeding relating to this Agreement or the Merger in any court other than the Chosen Courts. Each of Parent, Merger Sub and the Company agrees that a final judgment in any Legal Proceeding in the Chosen Courts will be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by applicable Law.


        9.11
    WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.     EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY THAT MAY ARISE PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND THEREFORE EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT THAT SUCH PARTY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE MERGER. EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT (a) NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER

A-72

PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER; (b) IT UNDERSTANDS AND HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS WAIVER; (c) IT MAKES THIS WAIVER VOLUNTARILY; AND (d) IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 9.11.


        9.12
    Counterparts.     This Agreement and any amendments hereto may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which will be considered one and the same agreement and will become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by each of the Parties and delivered to the other Parties, it being understood that all Parties need not sign the same counterpart. Any such counterpart, to the extent delivered by fax or .pdf, .tif, .gif, .jpg or similar attachment to electronic mail (any such delivery, an "Electronic Delivery"), will be treated in all manner and respects as an original executed counterpart and will be considered to have the same binding legal effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person. No Party may raise the use of an Electronic Delivery to deliver a signature, or the fact that any signature or agreement or instrument was transmitted or communicated through the use of an Electronic Delivery, as a defense to the formation of a contract, and each Party forever waives any such defense, except to the extent such defense relates to lack of authenticity.


        9.13
    No Limitation.     It is the intention of the Parties that, to the extent possible, unless provisions are mutually exclusive and effect cannot be given to both or all such provisions, the representations, warranties, covenants and closing conditions in this Agreement will be construed to be cumulative and that each representation, warranty, covenant and closing condition in this Agreement will be given full, separate and independent effect and nothing set forth in any provision herein will (except to the extent expressly stated) in any way be deemed to limit the scope, applicability or effect of any other provision hereof.

[Signature page follows.]

A-73

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered by their respective duly authorized officers as of the date first written above.

    MICROSOFT CORPORATION

 

 

By:

 

/s/ SATYA NADELLA
        Name:   Satya Nadella
        Title:   Chief Executive Officer

 

 

LIBERTY MERGER SUB INC.

 

 

By:

 

/s/ KEITH R. DOLLIVER
        Name:   Keith R. Dolliver
        Title:   President

 

 

LINKEDIN CORPORATION

 

 

By:

 

/s/ MICHAEL J. CALLAHAN
        Name:   Michael J. Callahan
        Title:   Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger]

A-74

EXHIBIT A

SEVENTH AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
LINKEDIN CORPORATION

ARTICLE I

        The name of the Corporation is LinkedIn Corporation.


ARTICLE II

        The registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19808 and the name of its registered agent at that address is Corporation Service Company.


ARTICLE III

        The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL or any successor statute.


ARTICLE IV

        The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 100 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common Stock").

Join the free newsletter

A free weekly email on breaking into banking and building your career in finance. Read by 30,000+ people.