Amendment to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated March 28, 2023, by and between Berenson Acquisition Corp. I and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
Exhibit 10.1
AMENDMENT TO
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDMENT TO THE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TRUST AGREEMENT (this Amendment) is made effective as of March 28, 2023, by and between Berenson Acquisition Corp. I, a Delaware corporation (the Company), and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York limited purpose trust company (the Trustee), and amends that certain Investment Management Trust Agreement, effective as of September 27, 2021 (the Trust Agreement), by and between the parties hereto. Capitalized terms contained in this Amendment, but not specifically defined in this Amendment, shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Trust Agreement.
WHEREAS, a total of $275,100,000 of the gross proceeds of the Offering and sale of the Private Placement Warrants was placed in the Trust Account;
WHEREAS, Section 1(i) of the Trust Agreement provides that the Trustee is to commence liquidation of the Trust Account and distribute the Property in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company (less taxes payable and up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), only after and promptly after (x) receipt of, and only in accordance with, the terms of a Termination Letter in a form substantially similar to that attached to the Trust Agreement as Exhibit A or Exhibit B, as applicable, or (y) upon the date which is the later of (i) 18 months after the closing of the Offering and (ii) such later date as may be approved by the Companys stockholders in accordance with the Companys amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the Charter) if a Termination Letter has not been received by the Trustee prior to such date, in which case the Trust Account shall be liquidated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Termination Letter attached to the Trust Agreement as Exhibit B and the Property in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of any taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest that may be released to the Company to pay dissolution expenses), shall be distributed to the Public Stockholders of record as of such date;
WHEREAS, Section 6(c) of the Trust Agreement provides that the Trust Agreement may only be changed, amended or modified with the affirmative vote of sixty-five percent (65%) of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock and Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company voting together as a single class; provided that no such amendment will affect any Public Stockholder who has otherwise validly indicated his, her or its election to redeem his, her or its shares of Common Stock in connection with a stockholder vote sought to amend this Agreement (the Consent of the Stockholders);
WHEREAS, at a special meeting of stockholders held on or prior to the date hereof (the Special Meeting), the Company obtained the Consent of the Stockholders to approve this Amendment and has subsequently caused the Certificate to be delivered to the Trustee;
WHEREAS, at the Special Meeting, the stockholders of the Company also voted to approve an amendment to the Charter in accordance with the terms of the Charter (as amended and as may be further amended from time to time, the Amended Charter); and
WHEREAS, each of the Company and Trustee desires to amend the Trust Agreement as provided herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. | Amendments to the Trust Agreement. |
(a) Section 1(i) of the Trust Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:
(i) Commence liquidation of the Trust Account only after and promptly after (x) receipt of, and only in accordance with, the terms of a letter from the Company (Termination Letter) in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as either Exhibit A or Exhibit B, as applicable, signed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary or other authorized officer of the Company (an Authorized Representative), and, in the case of Exhibit A, acknowledged and agreed to by an Authorized Representative, and complete the liquidation of the Trust Account and distribute the Property in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of any taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest that may be released to the Company to pay dissolution expenses), only as directed in the Termination Letter and the other documents referred to therein, or (y) Termination Date (as defined in the Companys amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended) if a Termination Letter has not been received by the Trustee prior to such date, in which case the Trust Account shall be liquidated in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Termination Letter attached as Exhibit B and the Property in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of any taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest that may be released to the Company to pay dissolution expenses), shall be distributed to the Public Stockholders of record as of such date;
(b) Exhibit B of the Trust Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as set forth in Exhibit B to this Amendment.
2. | References. |
(a) All references to the Trust Agreement (including hereof, herein, hereunder, hereby and this Agreement) in the Trust Agreement shall refer to the Trust Agreement as amended by this Amendment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, references to the effective date of the Trust Agreement (as amended hereby) and terms of similar import shall in all instances continue to refer to September 27, 2021.
(b) All references to the amended and restated certificate of incorporation in the Trust Agreement and terms of similar import shall mean the Amended Charter.
3. | Miscellaneous Provisions. |
3.1. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of this Amendment by or for the benefit of the Company or the Trustee shall bind and inure to the benefit of their permitted respective successors and assigns.
3.2. Severability. This Amendment shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of this Amendment or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this Amendment a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and enforceable.
3.3. Applicable Law. This Amendment shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
3.4. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in several original or facsimile counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, and together shall constitute but one instrument.
3.5. Effect of Headings. The section headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Amendment and shall not affect the interpretation thereof.
3.6 Entire Agreement. The Trust Agreement, as modified by this Amendment, constitutes the entire understanding of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings, arrangements, promises and commitments, whether written or oral, express or implied, relating to the subject matter hereof, and all such prior agreements, understandings, arrangements, promises and commitments are hereby canceled and terminated.
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Amendment as of the date first set forth above.
CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, as Trustee | ||
By: | /s/ Francis Wolf | |
Name: | Francis Wolf | |
Title: | Vice President | |
BERENSON ACQUISITION CORP. I, as Company | ||
By: | /s/ Amir Hegazy | |
Name: | Amir Hegazy | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer |
[Signature Page to Trust Amendment]
EXHIBIT B
Berenson Acquisition Corp. I
[INSERT DATE]
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company
One State Street, 30th Floor
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Francis Wolf & Celeste Gonzalez
Re: | Trust Account Termination Letter |
Dear Mr. Wolf and Ms. Gonzalez:
Pursuant to Section 1(i) of the Investment Management Trust Agreement between Berenson Acquisition Corp. I (the Company) and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the Trustee), dated as of September 27, 2021 (the Trust Agreement), this is to advise you that the Company has been unable to effect a business combination with a target business (the Business Combination) within the time frame specified in the Companys amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement.
In accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement, we hereby authorize you to liquidate all of the assets in the Trust Account and to transfer the total proceeds into the trust operating account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. to await distribution to the Public Stockholders. The Company has selected [] as the effective date for the purpose of determining when the Public Stockholders will be entitled to receive their share of the liquidation proceeds. You agree to be the Paying Agent of record and, in your separate capacity as Paying Agent, agree to distribute said funds directly to the Companys Public Stockholders in accordance with the terms of the Trust Agreement and the amended and restated certificate of incorporation of the Company. Upon the distribution of all the funds, your obligations under the Trust Agreement shall be terminated, except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 1(j) of the Trust Agreement.
Very truly yours, | ||
Berenson Acquisition Corp. I | ||
By: | ||
Name: Amir Hegazy | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer |
cc: | BofA Securities, Inc. |
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC