side letter agreement private equityside letter agreement private equity
A side letter is an agreement between an investor and a fund that alters the terms of the investor's investment in the fund (i) by superseding some of the applicable terms in the partnership agreement or subscription agreement or (ii) by adding additional terms to the agreements and commitments between the fund and the investor.. Some rights are also most practically recorded in a side letter (for example confirmation of an advisory committee seat for a closed-ended fund).2. . shall apply to the Purchased Securities, as well as any other equity securities of the Company that the Shareholders shall acquire from time to time; and. PEI Staff. A sample side letter to a limited partnership agreement (LPA) that can be used by a limited partner investing in a private equity fund that is structured as a limited partnership. other remedy to which it may be entitled at law or equity. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement (including Section3, which shall be for the benefit of the Company, Silver Lake, Warburg Pincus and their respective Affiliates), This disclosure obligation applies prior to investment and following any material changes to such preferential treatments. It also includes other provisions that are often modified depending on the investor's situation, such as regulatory representations and confidentiality. paying (or the Companys Subsidiaries are prohibited or restricted from delivering funds to the Company sufficient to permit the Company to pay) the Put/Call Price with respect to the Call Securities or the Put Securities, as applicable, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the agreements governing the indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company and its Subsidiaries, then the Put/Call Closing Date shall be the earlier of (x)ten (10)days after the first date on {slal!#/:dVpRb|$vbHIbO X! %PDF-1.5 % the Call Securities pursuant to Section3(b) above, (iii)a Material Breach Event has not occurred, and (iv)within four (4)months following the Companys (or its designees) exercise of its option to repurchase the Put/Call Closing Date means, with respect to the relevant Call or Put, the later of (I)twenty five (25)days after delivery of the Call Notice or Put Notice, as applicable (subject to extension to the extent necessary Author: Dan Brecher. Market Value means, with respect to any Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable, as of the relevant date, (I)the price that a willing buyer would pay for such Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable, from a willing Private Equity: Legal Perspectives & Documentation is designed to provide you with a solid understanding of how law and finance work together in the private equity industry to ensure informed decision-making. 15 February 2023. London Private Equity and Hedge Funds. Nb"qA4Sz^Hj26$DVZ 7. The pooling of these entities continues to evolve and a standard approach may develop over time. A blanket consent is therefore not advisable. A key man is an important employee or executive who is critical to the operation of the business, and whose death, absence, or . Finally, a private equity fund of funds may seek side letter pro-visions to ensure that the terms of an invest-ment do not conflict with the fund of funds' governing documents. Although the usual intention is that side letters will give rise to legally enforceable rights and obligations, this is by no means guaranteed and, in some cases, they have nothing more than moral effect. (a) Transfer Restrictions. 11053-VCL (Del. affording the single member special rights, e.g. transaction, and (y)the per share Put/Call Price paid by the Company (or its designee, as applicable) to repurchase the Call Securities upon the exercise of its repurchase right pursuant to Section3(b) above. x@g1c:/Zpd$ 9PGF 1 Whilst used more widely in the closed-ended fund context (given the limited withdrawal rights associated with such funds, the typically higher level of negotiation and greater structural complexity), they are also a feature of open-ended funds, for . (xviii) Put/Call Exercise Date means, as applicable, (I)the date on which the Company delivers a Call Notice to a Shareholder with respect to the Companys exercise of a Call <>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Exercise Date or (III) if a Material Breach Event has occurred prior to the Put/Call Closing Date, the Material Breach Price. to this Section3(g) shall be payable promptly following, and subject to, the closing of the transactions contemplated by such definitive agreement contemplated by clause (iv)of the previous sentence. 106 0 obj <> endobj As a general matter, to avoid any enforceability issues, care should be taken to ensure that the correct parties are parties to the side letter and in the right capacity. Safe: Valuation Cap, no Discount endstream endobj Each Shareholder acknowledges and WHEREAS, the Shareholders, on the one hand, and Warburg Pincus Dec. 16, 2015) (the ESG Capital Partners Case), the court found that a side letter agreement issued to a limited partner investor in a Delaware . Private Equity News & Analysis. specified portion of the Put Securities owned by such Shareholder or any of his or its Permitted Transferees at the Put/Call Price. The top 10 terms in private equity NDAs. MFN. This allows continuity of application. (xxi) Put Securities means the Purchased Securities and the Option Shares. NDA confidential information. . Integration Clauses (also known as "entire agreement" clauses)make sure that each of the fund's governing agreements . Recently, the Delaware Chancery Court ruled on a dispute that heated up between a hedge fund manager and the fund's seed investor. ) =]xIm"LU5-N%v$TjG&VD#ZWU_JP3HCcQp/&z@H2WK$#0IP)Z:*ji(Zz6HLOCh}4=R\{x9+O ;V= l xO!{Qxy2 a# g7@ [V: +6k.:f*`h+g~sc[u-)goO.wYKc{v8/q6C1:s13 7#e}m S~sq`]EX62 Alexander J. Davie. or valuation firms, (II) each of the Company and such Shareholder shall strike two of the names submitted by the other party and (III) the Independent Appraiser shall be selected by lot from the four remaining names of investment banking Enacting the proposal as a rule would curtail competition among funds, according to fund representatives. (including the amount of Non-Exercised Call Securities) and, in such event, such other Sponsor (and/or its assignees) shall have a right to exercise such Call right with respect to all or any portion of the Non-Exercised Call Securities pursuant to as applicable, at the closing of the purchase of the Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable, pursuant to Section3(e)). . Disgorgement of Profits. . Obligations of Transferees. No later than ten (10)days after the Slaines employment is terminated (x)by the Company without Cause, (y)by Slaine for Good Reason, or (z)on account of Slaines death or Disability, and a Material Breach Event has not occurred, any Shareholder (or AJC*P 4m@RA0aS# This Side Letter Agreement (this "Agreement") is made as of August 4, 2010, by and among Igloo Holdings Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), Mason Slaine, an individual ("Slaine"), and (collectively, the and together with Slaine, the "Shareholders"). Arrangement. Boards Determination of Put/Call Price. For example, if a private equity fund buys $100 of debt of a related portfolio company for $75, the portfolio company will generally have $25 of COD income and the debt will be treated as having been reissued to . Aside from the commercial and practical considerations relevant to agreeing to a side letter provision, there are certain regulatory issues that managers should also bear in mind. In many instances it is easier to agree concessions in these separate agreements rather than amend the funds constituting documents (being the private placement memorandum and the constitutional documents such as the partnership agreement or articles), especially as the latter approach would mean the rights agreed would generally then be available to all investors. However, such provisions may be acceptable if sufficiently disclosed to the other investors who are able to take the information into account when making their investment decision. Side Letter: Alaska's U-turn; China PE predictions; industry's next sports specialist. two-page letter agreement, commonly known as the "management rights letter," in connection with all of their portfolio investments, even though the DOL only requires this with regard to 50% of their investments. While these are just a handful of the most important provisions commonly found in a side letter agreement, GPs are often dealing with thousands of individual obligations, to . the Company without Cause, by Slaine with Good Reason or by reason of Slaines death or Disability, the Purchased Securities and the Option Shares and (II) in the event Slaines employment is terminated by the Company for Cause or by Side Letters. securities of the Company on such date) of the aggregate fees and expenses that would reasonably be expected to be incurred by the Company and its Subsidiaries in connection with a Change of Control. September 13, 2011. These side letter requests can come in many guises, including requests to vary the frequency, format and content of reporting. and the representations, warranties, covenants and conditions set forth below, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows: 1. 4) These are commonly referred to as so-called VAG investors, i.e., those which are either a German insurance company, pension pool, pension fund or other pension scheme which is directly or indirectly subject to the provisions of the German Insurance Supervision Law or the Ordinance on the investment of restricted assets of pension schemes, funeral expenses funds and small insurance companies or the Ordinance on the investment of restricted assets of pension funds regarding the investment of their restricted assets. Non-Interference Agreement. The sidecar investment will usually be used when one of . If these issues arise, managers should ensure that the concessions are achievable, do not unduly limit their firms growth and development strategy and that they can be effectively monitored. The SEC staff on examination has been known to review side letters to test whether they are being adhered to and whether proper disclosure was made. In this example, a side-letter may be executed between the general partner and the investor regarding a different date when the investor can withdraw their investment. These . with the evaluation, preparation, negotiation and execution of this letter agreement, the Back-to-Back Equity Commitment Letter, the LP Agreement, the Subscription Agreement and any other agreement, document or instrument entered into in connection therewith or related thereto and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby. (a) Most Favored Nation. However, they pose certain distinct issues with respect to side letters which can be problematic, particularly where the lenders ability to take security is compromised or the borrowing base is otherwise restricted. The Shareholders and the Company agree that for purposes of the Shareholders Agreement, the term Other Shareholder not to exercise its Call right for all or any portion of its pro rata share of the Call Securities subject to such Call (the Non-Exercised Call Securities), the Company shall promptly notify the other Sponsor of such determination US companies. Exhibit 10.18 SIDE LETTER AGREEMENT . Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Shareholders Agreement substantially in the form Trial. determined by the Board, then the costs and expenses of such Independent Appraiser shall be borne by the Company. [Signature Page to Side Letter Agreement]. Teasers are documents that contains a brief description of the business, its product and service offerings, and financial . Background ESG Capital Partners was formed to purchase [] The letter agreement includes sample language for certain rights granted to investors, such as most favored nation (MFN), co-investment, information, and advisory board rights. minority discount, discount for illiquidity or other similar type of discount shall be taken into consideration minus (II) such Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable, pro rata portion (based on the aggregate outstanding equity Side Letters. Securities, such Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable, as of the date of Slaines termination of employment and (y)with respect to any Option Shares, such Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable, as of the Put/Call (xiii) Non-Interference Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in the Employment Agreement. For purposes of this Section2(a), Permitted Transfer Share Amount shall mean, with respect to a Shareholder as of any date, a number of Shares equal to ESG provisions may include a confirmation that the fund will comply with the UN Principles for Responsible Investment when making investments or that investee companies comply with the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact or other guidelines that are more specifically tailored to the investor in question, including restrictions on making investments in companies engaged in certain lines of business. Shares, the lower or (x)the Fair Market Value of such Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable, on the applicable Put/Call Exercise Date and (y)the Cost of such Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable. would require interpretation of any claimed ambiguities in this Agreement against the party that drafted it has no application and is expressly waived. Section3, each of Silver Lake and Warburg Pincus. from such Shareholder or his or its Permitted Transferees. While investors commonly seek an acknowledgement in a side letter that they are interested in co-investment opportunities (or a similar election right), the range of alternative investment structures currently in vogue introduces new side letter concerns, particularly in relation to strategy and allocation issues (for example strategy caps and successor fund provisions). (m) Employment by the Use them or shun them, side letters (also called side agreements or side letter arrangements) are part of the business landscape. Confidentiality agreements are the foundation of NDAs and are indispensable in the assessment of any company. It is better to be consistent in agreeing side letter terms, for example, having a 'house' provision that is stuck to. The rights and remedies provided herein Similarly, Limited [] Whether it is appropriate to grant such requests should be considered on a case by case basis. It is also common to carve out certain terms from the MFN, for example, rights granted to first closing or seed investors, rights granted due to an investors specific legal, regulatory or taxation concerns and the right to an advisory committee seat. Teaser Sent by Bankers. (c) Legal Counsel and Interpretation. One of the first steps of buy-side M&A (in a private equity transaction timeline) is when the bankers send teasers to the Private Equity players. (ii) Call Securities means (I)in the event Slaines employment is terminated by Incorporating Responsible Investment Requirements into Private Equity Fund Terms. 108 0 obj <>stream written notice of objection to the Board within ten (10)days of delivery to such Shareholder of such Call Notice or Put Pricing Notice, as applicable (an Objection Notice). The introductory recitals of AIFMD also require that any preferential treatment is disclosed in the AIFs rules or instruments of incorporation this can be achieved through broad disclosure in the private placement memorandum or partnership agreement (although some managers prefer to include more tailored terms to ensure investors are not provided with too much of a 'shopping list'). Download this easily editable template through formats like MS Word and Mac Pages. The Shareholders acknowledge and agree that the Purchased Securities and any other equity securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that the Shareholders shall For instance: private equity firm Thoma Bravo, which manages $114 billion of investor money, says in its federal disclosures that it will use side letters as it pleases: "Thoma Bravo is likely to have its own economic and/or other business incentives to provide certain terms to certain limited partners . and a Shareholder within fifteen (15)days after the date of the Companys receipt of an Objection Notice; provided that if the Company and such Shareholder are unable to agree upon who shall serve as the Independent Appraiser exercise such Call right pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Section3 in the same manner as the Company; provided that in the event that any Sponsor (and/or its assignees) (the Non-Exercising Sponsor) elects x[}S7KJbI!++[mT%,@te5[qfVgo.z^xW/Y-W"F4(e3zo\62[_kcLm95/^e.w]sKh0+(p e9 /drePPnY)EmqY'{mmy;rYm +u'lwogjfY6fV8yg_on@,~Vn3jva9[)>{Izscl_-rEvC_ k g_\_k:w+`-q)\iwvm~ n[; x%-{gglw/qG3:9[->[-tNuCGkAiz%Njqll G L Ye`[n6nK-v^lASRTKCv}A$X3a$j$FG+t,JX.9{ ^y!E 6}9b'Fsqy <> Introduction. (d) Objection to stream ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING AGAINST THE PARTIES RELATING IN ANY WAY TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE respect to such Call Securities as determined in good faith by the Board. Options. e.g. Transferee is already a party to this Agreement) by executing and delivering such documents as may be necessary, in the determination of the Company, to make such Person a party hereto, whereupon, except as otherwise expressly provided herein, such Since a typical private equity fund raises capital over a period of time with multiple closings, a side letter is a convenient way to address the specific concerns of an investor. attached hereto as Exhibit A (as it may be amended from time to time, the Shareholders Agreement), to which the Shareholders shall have been required to become a party as of the closing of the transactions contemplated by private equity and real assets sectors. (l) Stock Splits and Similar Transactions. The private equity fund will generally be required to include the OID in income as "phantom income" as it accrues. For example, there have been cases in the Cayman Islands where it has been held that a side letter is not enforceable because the beneficiary rather than the registered interest holder was a party to a side letter and because a manager had entered into a side letter on behalf of the fund (and did not have sufficient authority to bind the fund). Private Equity X, L.P., Warburg Pincus X Partner, L.P., Silver Lake Partners III, L.P., and Silver Lake Technology Investors III, L.P., on the other hand (collectively, theSponsors), have entered into that certain Stock A recurring theme in private equity fund investing is the use of 'side letters' between individual limited partners and the general partner of the fund. Investor will execute a side letter that will serve, separate and . of a Put with respect to all or a portion of the Put Securities owned by such Shareholder and/or his or its Permitted Transferees. Slaine. United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) offers guidance on the placement of ESG provisions in LPAs and side letters on pages 13-14 of their Incorporating Responsible Investment Requirements into Private Equity Fund Terms report. Securities or Option Shares, as applicable, in accordance with Section4.02 of the Shareholders Agreement) shall be required, at the time of and as a condition precedent to such Transfer, to become a party to this Agreement (unless such . held by the Sponsors and their respective Permitted Transferees immediately prior to the consummation of the IPO. agreement (or related side letters), such as limiting outstanding debt to a . (xvi) Purchase Price means the per-share consideration paid by the Shareholders for the agreement. Typically it is more appropriate for the manager rather than the fund to sign up to these requests. Provisions regarding no bad acts are also common, especially in seed arrangements or where significant investments are made and are often particularly relevant for smaller managers where the conduct of a key person is more likely to impact performance of a fund. The side letter can add provisions to the SAFE, or can change (amend) provisions in the SAFE. Purchased Securities, the date that is ninety (90)days following the date of Slaines termination of employment and (II) in the case of the exercise of a Put or Call with respect to any Option Shares, the later of (x)the date that the date of Slaines termination of employment and (B)with respect to any Option Shares, such Call Securities as of the Put/Call Exercise Date and (y)the Cost of such Call Securities, (II) if Slaines employment is terminated For example, a fund of . The SEC recently published a proposed rule (the "Proposal") that would impose unprecedented mandatory disclosure obligations and various other forms of intervention in the private funds industry. Company. (xix) Put/Call Price means, with respect to any Call Securities or Put Securities, as applicable, (I)if Slaines employment is terminated by the Company for Cause or by #+Cq..mw>@>J6@\?%'SFm!K*k_K!Zx'"AVboBEqp_D"9j }$w[u?"1GT!nAY\#BuhTloC? Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to obligate the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company to employ Slaine in any capacity whatsoever or to prohibit or restrict the Company (or any such Subsidiary) from terminating The rules and regulations for starting a private equity or hedge fund are quite complex, especially when it comes to claiming the correct exemption from registration. (a) General. For instance: Private equity firm Thoma Bravo, which manages $114 billion of investor money, says in its federal disclosures that it will use side letters as it pleases: "Thoma Bravo is likely to have its own economic and/or other business incentives to provide certain terms to certain limited partners or the potential to establish . PEI Staff. or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. the limited partners of a venture, private equity or hedge fund . While side letters can be helpful in securing key investments, it is imperative to fully understand their legal . There are three versions of the post-money safe intended for use by US companies, plus an optional side letter. acquire from time to time shall be subject to the transfer restrictions and other provisions of the Shareholders Agreement. Issues are amplified where any MFN rights are involved. In this key features document, we briefly highlight some considerations relevant to the use of side letter arrangements in Irish ILPs. Upon the exercise of any Put or Call pursuant to this Section3, (i)the Company shall, on the Put/Call Closing Date, purchase such Call Securities or Put Securities, as
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