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Exhibit 10.1

 

DEBT CONVERSION AGREEMENT

 

This DEBT CONVERSION AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”) is dated as of October 16, 2009, and is among VITESSE SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) and the holders of the Company’s Notes (as defined below) signatory hereto (each, a “ Noteholder ” and collectively, the “ Noteholders ”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, the Noteholders are the beneficial owners of 1.50% Convertible Subordinated Debentures due 2024 of the Company (the “ Notes ”), in the original principal amount set forth opposite such Noteholders’ names in Exhibit A , which in the aggregate total $93,547,000 in original principal amount (such Noteholders’ Notes, the “ Exchanged Notes ”).

 

WHEREAS, the Noteholders have exercised their rights to require the Company to repurchase the Exchanged Notes on October 1, 2009 pursuant to Section 11.1 of the indenture governing the Notes, dated as of September 22, 2004, between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association (as amended and supplemented, or otherwise modified,  the “ Indenture ”).

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Indenture, the Company was required to pay on October 1, 2009 to each of the Noteholders, in exchange for the Exchanged Notes, a repurchase price (consisting of the original principal amount of the Exchanged Notes, the put premium on such amount and accrued and unpaid interest as of October 1, 2009), and, as of the date hereof, the Company has not made such payments to the Noteholders.

 

WHEREAS, certain of the Noteholders and the Company have entered on October 1, 2009, and subsequently, on October 9, 2009 into forbearance agreements (the “ Initial Forbearance Agreements ”), with respect to certain Specified Defaults (as defined in the Initial Forbearance Agreements) of the Company, pursuant to which, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to forbear, and the Noteholders have agreed to forbear, from exercising their rights and remedies with respect to the Specified Defaults until October 16, 2009, under the terms and conditions set forth in the Forbearance Agreements.

 

WHEREAS, the Noteholders and the Company have entered into a Forbearance Agreement, dated as of October 16, 2009 (the “ Exchange Forbearance Agreement ”), in respect of the Specified Defaults (as defined in the Exchange Forbearance Agreement), and pursuant to which, the Company has requested that the Noteholders agree to forbear, and the Noteholders have agreed to forbear, from exercising their rights and remedies with respect to the Specified Defaults, under the terms and conditions set forth therein, during the period set forth therein.

 

WHEREAS, the Company and the Noteholders have agreed to exchange the Exchanged Notes with New Securities and Cash Consideration, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

WHEREAS, prior to and/or simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company has executed and/or is executing and delivering to the Noteholders

 



 

certain agreements including the Restructuring Agreements.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and covenants set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties agree as follows:

 

Article I.
DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01          Definitions.   The following terms, as used herein, have the following meanings:“ Applicable Law ” means, with respect to any Person, any federal, state or local law (statutory, common or otherwise), constitution, treaty, convention, ordinance, code, rule, regulation, order, injunction, judgment, decree, ruling or other similar requirement enacted, adopted, promulgated or applied by a Governmental Authority that is binding upon or applicable to such Person, as amended unless expressly specified otherwise.

 

Cash Consideration ” means an amount equal to $6,413,147.21

 

Cash Consideration Portion ” means, with respect to each Noteholder, the amount of cash payable to such Noteholder as set forth opposite such Noteholder’s name in Exhibit A .

 

Code ” shall have the same meaning as set forth in the Whitebox Loan Agreement.

 

Common Stock ” means the Company’s Common Stock as defined in the Certificate of Incorporation, in effect as of the date hereof.

 

Contract ” means any contract, agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether written or oral and whether express or implied.

 

Daily Regular Interest Amount ” means, with respect to each Noteholder, the amount set forth opposite such Noteholder’s name in Exhibit A .

 

Denomination Cash Amount ” means, with respect to each Noteholder, the cash amount payable to such Noteholder at the Closing as set forth opposite such Noteholder’s name on Exhibit A under the title “Denomination Cash Amount” .

 

ERISA ” shall have the same meaning as set forth in the Whitebox Loan Agreement.

 

GAAP ” means United States generally accepted accounting principles and practices as in effect on the date hereof.

 

Global Security ” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the New Indenture.

 

Governmental Authority ” means any transnational, domestic or foreign federal, state or local, governmental authority, department, court, agency or official, including any political subdivision thereof.

 

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Guarantor ” shall have the meaning set forth in the New Indenture.

 

Law ” means any statute, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, code, executive order, injunction, judgment, decree or order of any Governmental Authority.

 

Lien ” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the New Indenture.

 

Losses ” means any losses, damages, liabilities, claims, interest, awards, judgments, penalties, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred in investigating, preparing or defending the foregoing).

 

Majority Note holders ” means Noteholders holding, in the aggregate, at least $87,800,000 of the principal amount of the Exchanged Notes.

 

Material Adverse Effect ” means a material adverse effect upon any of the conditions (financial or otherwise), business, assets or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole or the ability of the Company to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, that Material Adverse Effect shall exclude any effect resulting or arising from (a) any change in any Applicable Law, (b) any change in economic conditions, (c) any change that is generally applicable to the industries in which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries operates, (d) any national or international political event or occurrence, including acts of war or terrorism, (e) the announcement of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, provided that, with respect to clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d), the impact of such effect is not disproportionately adverse to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

 

New Common Stock ” means the shares of Common Stock to be issued to Noteholders under the terms hereunder.

 

New Common Stock Amount ” means 174,493,231shares of New Common Stock.

 

New Common Stock Consideration ” means, with respect to each Noteholder, the amount of New Common Stock to be issued to such Noteholder as specified opposite such Noteholder’s name in Exhibit C-1 .

 

New Convertible Notes ” means the 8% Convertible Second Lien Debentures due 2014, issued by the Company pursuant to the New Indenture.

 

New Convertible Notes Consideration ” means, with respect to each Noteholder, the principal amount of New Convertible Notes to be issued to such Noteholder as specified opposite such Noteholder’s name on Exhibit C-2 .

 

New Indenture ” means the Indenture governing the New Convertible Notes.

 

Non-Participating Notes Amount ” means $3,586,852.80

 

New Securities ” means the New Common Stock, New Convertible Notes and the Preferred Stock.

 

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Other Transactions ” means the transactions specifically described in the Restructuring Agreements, other than those contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Person ” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, trust or other entity or organization, including a Governmental Authority.

 

Plan ” shall have the same meaning as set forth in the Whitebox Loan Agreement.

 

Preferred Stock ” means the Series B Participating Non-Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the Certificate of Designations attached hereto as Exhibit B .

 

Preferred Stock Consideration ” means, with respect to each Noteholder listed on Exhibit C-3 , the amount of shares of Preferred Stock set forth opposite such Noteholder’s name in Exhibit C-3 .

 

Real Estate Lease ” means leases, including ground leases and space leases, pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries leases or subleases any real property.

 

Regular Interest Payment ” means, with respect to each Noteholder, an amount equal to the product of (i) such Noteholder’s Daily Regular Interest Amount times the number of days from October 16, 2009 (inclusive) through the date hereof (inclusive).

 

Reportable Event ” shall have the same meaning as set forth in the Whitebox Loan Agreement.

 

Restructuring Agreements ” means the New Indenture, the Second Lien Security Documents (as defined in the New Indenture), and the Intercreditor Agreement (as defined in the New Indenture).

 

Rights Agreement ” means the Rights Agreement between the Company and EquiServe Trust Company, N.A., as Rights Agent, dated as of March 3, 2003 as amended, supplemented or restated thereafter).

 

Second Lien Security Documents ” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the Indenture.

 

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any similar federal statute, and the rules and regulations thereunder as the same shall be in effect at the time.

 

Senior Lender ” shall mean the Agent and the lenders under the Whitebox Loan Agreement.

 

Senior Lender Paydown Amount ” shall mean an amount equal $5,000,050.00, which amount includes the prepayment fee associated with a $5,000,000 paydown under the amounts due under the Whitebox Loan Agreement.

 

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person controlled by such

 

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first Person, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries.

 

Whitebox Loan Agreement ” means that certain Loan Agreement dated as of August 23, 2007 by and among Whitebox VSC, Ltd, a limited partnership organized under the law of the British Virgin Islands, as agent thereunder (the “ Agent ”), the Company and certain lenders signatory thereto from time to time.

 

Total Cash Consideration ” means, with respect to each Noteholder, such Noteholder’s

 

(i)                                      Cash Consideration Portion;
 
(ii)                                   Regular Interest Payment; and
 
(iii)                                Denomination Cash Amount.
 

Transfer Agent ” means Computershare Investor Services.

 

Trustee ” shall have the meanings assigned to it in the Indenture and the New Indenture.

 

Each of the following terms is defined in the Section set forth opposite such term:

 

Term

 

Section

 

 

 

Agreement

 

Preamble

Balance Sheet

 

4.23

Board

 

5.03(f)

Bylaws

 

4.06

Certificate of Incorporation

 

4.06

Company

 

Preamble

Core Representation

 

7.04(a)

Closing

 

2.02

Closing Date

 

2.02

Disclosure Schedule

 

Article IV

DTC

 

2.03

Exchange

 

2.01(b)

Exchange Act

 

4.05(a)

Exchanged Notes

 

Recitals

Forbearance Agreement

 

Recitals

Indenture

 

Recitals

Initial Forbearance Agreement

 

Recitals

Intellectual Property

 

4.16

Litigation

 

4.07

Material Agreements

 

4.14

New Indenture

 

1.01

Notes

 

Recitals

Noteholder(s)

 

Preamble

Noteholder Indemnified Party

 

7.04(b)

 

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Original Repurchase Price

 

Recitals

SEC

 

Article IV

SEC Reports

 

Article IV

Trust Indenture Act

 

4.05(f)

Underlying Shares

 

6.04

 

Section 1.02          Other Definitional and Interpretative Provisions .  The words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of like import used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement.  The captions herein are included for convenience of reference only and shall be ignored in the construction or interpretation hereof.  References to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules are to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules of this Agreement unless otherwise specified.  All Exhibits and Schedules annexed hereto or referred to herein are hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Agreement as if set forth in full herein.  Any capitalized terms used in any Exhibit or Schedule but not otherwise defined therein, shall have the meaning as defined in this Agreement.  Any singular term in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the plural, and any plural term the singular.  Whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation,” whether or not they are in fact followed by those words or words of like import.  “Writing,” “written” and comparable terms refer to printing, typing and other means of reproducing words (including electronic media) in a visible form.  References to any agreement or contract are to that agreement or contract as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; provided that with respect to any agreement or contract listed on any schedules hereto, all such amendments, modifications or supplements must also be listed in the appropriate schedule.  References to any Person include the successors and permitted assigns of that Person.  References from or through any date mean, unless otherwise specified, from and including or through and including, respectively.  References to “law,” “laws” or to a particular statute or law shall be deemed also to include any and all Applicable Law.

 

Article II.
EXCHANGE

 

Section 2.01                             Exchange.

 

(a)           Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, and in express reliance upon such terms and conditions and the representations, warranties and covenants of this Agreement, at the closing (the “ Closing ”) of the Exchange, each Noteholder shall be deemed to have exchanged the Exchanged Notes and the Company shall issue the New Securities and pay the Cash Consideration to the Noteholders (the “ Exchange ”) as follows:

 

(iv)          to each Noteholder, its New Common Stock Consideration;
 
(v)                                  to each Noteholder, its New Convertible Notes Consideration;
 
(vi)                               to each Noteholder listed on Exhibit C-3 , its Preferred Stock Consideration; and
 
(vii)                            to each Noteholder, its Total Cash Consideration. .

 

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(b)           The failure of any Person to perform the actions contemplated by this Agreement (including the failure to deliver any New Securities to the Noteholders in accordance with the terms hereof) shall not impair the rights and obligations of any party under this Agreement, and notwithstanding any such failure, except as specifically set forth in this Agreement, the parties shall endeavor in good faith to consummate the Exchange upon terms as close as practicable to those set forth herein.

 

Section 2.02          Closing .  The Exchange shall take place at a closing (the “ Closing ”), and the Restructuring Agreements shall be released from escrow, to be held at the offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, 200 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10166, at 10:00 a.m., on the first Business Day following the satisfaction or, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, waiver of all conditions to the obligations of the parties set forth in Article V (other than such conditions as may, by their terms, only be satisfied at the Closing or on the Closing Date), or at such other place or at such other time or on such other date as the Company and the Noteholders mutually may agree in writing.  The day on which the Closing takes place is referred to as the “ Closing Date.

 

Section 2.03          Delivery of the New Convertible Notes .  On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee a signed Global Security, and the Company and the Noteholders shall deliver to the Trustee a written notice in the form attached hereto as Exhibit G instructing the Trustee to execute the New Indenture and to take such action as may be required to distribute the New Convertible Notes through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”) as set forth in Section 2.01 hereof.

 

Section 2.04          Delivery of the New Common Stock .  At the Closing, the Company shall deliver to each of the Noteholders evidence from the DTC that the New Common Stock Consideration to which such Noteholder is entitled in accordance with Section 2.01 has been transferred from the Company’s respective accounts at DTC to the accounts of such Noteholder or its DTC participant in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

Section 2.05          Delivery of the Preferred Stock .  At the Closing, the Company shall deliver to all Noteholders entitled to receive Preferred Stock Consideration, certificates evidencing the amount of shares of Preferred Stock to which such Noteholders are entitled.

 

Article III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE
NOTEHOLDER

 

Each Noteholder, separately solely as to itself, and not jointly and severally, represents and warrants to the Company as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, that:

 

Section 3.01          Existence .  The Noteholder is duly organized and validly existing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization.

 

Section 3.02          Authorization .  The execution, delivery and performance by the Noteholder of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby are within the Noteholder’s powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Noteholder.  This Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Noteholder.

 

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Section 3.03          Governmental Authorization .  The execution, delivery and performance by the Noteholder of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Governmental Authority, by the Noteholder.

 

Section 3.04          Noncontravention .  The execution, delivery and performance by the Noteholder of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not (i) violate the organizational documents of the Noteholder or any Applicable Law binding upon the Noteholder, or (ii) require any consent or other action by any Person under, constitute a default under, or give rise to any right of ter


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