investors. Investors should not rely on the representations, warranties and covenants or any descriptions thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of the parties thereto or any of their respective Subsidiaries or affiliates. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of representations and warranties may change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be reflected in the Company’s public disclosures. The Merger Agreement should not be read alone, but should instead be read in conjunction with the other information regarding the Company, Parent and Merger Sub and the Transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement that will be contained in or attached as an annex to the proxy statement that the Company will file in connection with the Transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Proxy Statement”), as well as in the other filings that the Company will make with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Financing
On February 13, 2026, Parent obtained a debt financing commitment of the Japanese yen equivalent of $5.4 billion from a certain financial institution, which will be used to finance a portion of the consideration due under the Merger Agreement and fees and expenses related to the Transactions, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the related debt commitment letter. The obligations of Parent and Merger Sub to consummate the Merger are not subject to any financing condition.
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Company entered into a Retention Bonus Agreement (each, a “Retention Bonus Agreement” and collectively, the “Retention Bonus Agreements”) with Douglas F. Bauer, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and director, Thomas J. Mitchell, the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Glenn J. Keeler, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer, David C. Lee, the Company’s General Counsel and Secretary, and certain other senior employees of the Company to ensure that the Company is providing adequate incentives to those holding critical management roles necessary to facilitate the successful completion of the Merger. The Retention Bonus Agreements provide for the following lump-sum cash retention bonuses to the named executive officers, in each case to be paid upon, and subject to their continued service to the Company through, the Effective Time: Douglas F. Bauer: $11,500,000, Thomas J. Mitchell: $11,025,000, Glenn J. Keeler: $5,065,982, and David C. Lee: $3,143,010. In addition, the Company has agreed in each Retention Bonus Agreement to reimburse each executive, on a fully grossed-up basis, for any excise taxes that may be imposed on any payments and benefits received by him in connection with, or as a result of, the consummation of the Merger pursuant to the application of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code (if any). Although the Company does not expect any executive to be subject to any such excise taxes, the application of Section 280G of the Code is subject to a number of variables, some of which will not be known until after the Effective Time. Accordingly, the amount, if any, of such reimbursement is unknown at this time. The Company Board has determined that providing such reimbursement protection is in the Company’s best interests to eliminate the potential distraction to the executives and to ensure their ongoing commitments to seeing the Company through the successful completion of the Merger. In consideration for the foregoing benefits, the executives have agreed to waive their respective entitlements to any post-Closing change in control severance benefits pursuant to their existing severance arrangements, in each case subject to, and effective upon, the consummation of the Merger.
Item 5.03. Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Changes in Fiscal Year.
On February 12, 2026, prior to the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Company Board adopted an amendment to the Company’s Bylaws (the “Bylaws Amendment”). The Bylaws Amendment adds a new Article IX, which provides that, unless the Company otherwise consents to an alternative forum in writing, (i) the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is designated as the sole and exclusive forum for certain specified legal actions involving the Company and (ii) the federal district courts of the United States of America, to the fullest extent permitted by law, are designated as the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
The foregoing description of the Bylaws Amendment is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Bylaws Amendment, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 3.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On February 13, 2026, the Company and Parent issued a joint press release announcing that the Company and Parent had entered into the Merger Agreement. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein.
The information provided pursuant to this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1 in Item 9.01, is “furnished” and shall not be deemed to be “filed” with the SEC or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in any such filings.