Escrow Agreement, dated as of June 11, 2019, by and among TheStreet, Inc., TheMaven, Inc. and Citibank, N.A

Exhibit 10.1

Execution Version

ESCROW AGREEMENT

ESCROW AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated as of June 11, 2019, by and among TheMaven, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Parent”), TheStreet, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” and, together with the Parent, sometimes referred to individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”), and Citibank, N.A., as escrow agent (the “Escrow Agent”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Parent, TST Acquisition Co., Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), and the Company have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 11, 2019 (as may be amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a Subsidiary of Parent (capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the Merger Agreement); and

WHEREAS, to provide a source of payment of the Aggregate Cash Merger Consideration under the Merger Agreement, the Parties have agreed to place in escrow certain funds, and the Escrow Agent has agreed to hold and distribute such funds in accordance with the terms of this Escrow Agreement;

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1.           Appointment. The Parties hereby appoint the Escrow Agent as their escrow agent for the purposes set forth herein, and the Escrow Agent hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to act as escrow agent in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth herein.

2.            Escrow Funds.

(a)          Simultaneous with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, B Riley FBR, Inc. on behalf of the Parent is depositing with the Escrow Agent $16,500,000 (the “Escrow Deposit”) in immediately available funds. The Escrow Agent hereby acknowledges receipt of the Escrow Deposit, together with all products and proceeds thereof, including all interest, dividends, gains and other income (collectively, the “Escrow Earnings”) earned with respect thereto (collectively, the “Escrow Funds”) in a separate and distinct account (the “Escrow Account”), subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

(b)          For greater certainty, all escrow earnings shall be retained by the Escrow Agent and reinvested in the Escrow Funds and shall become part of the Escrow Funds; and shall be disbursed as part of the Escrow Funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

3.            Investment of Escrow Funds.

(a)          Unless otherwise instructed in writing and executed by an authorized representative set forth in Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2 by both Parties, the Escrow Agent shall hold the Escrow Funds in a “noninterest-bearing deposit account” insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) to the applicable limits. The Escrow Funds shall at all times remain available for distribution in accordance with Section 4 below.

(b)          The Escrow Agent shall send an account statement to each of the Parties on a monthly basis reflecting activity in the Escrow Account for the preceding month.

(c)          The Escrow Agent shall have no responsibility for any investment losses resulting from the investment, reinvestment or liquidation of the escrowed property, as applicable, provided that the Escrow Agent has made such investment, reinvestment or liquidation of the escrowed property in accordance with the terms, and subject to the conditions of this Agreement. The Escrow Agent does not have a duty nor will it undertake any duty to provide investment advice.

4.            Disposition and Termination of the Escrow Funds.

(a)           Escrow Funds. The Parties shall act in accordance with, and the Escrow Agent shall hold and release the Escrow Funds as provided in, this Section 4(a) as follows:

(i)            Immediately after the occurrence of the Effective Time pursuant to the Merger Agreement and upon receipt of a Joint Release Instruction stating the same, the Escrow Agent shall disburse the Escrow Funds to the Paying Agent pursuant to the instructions set forth on Exhibit B; provided, however that if the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with Article VIII of the Merger Agreement and the Effective Time does not occur, then the Escrow Agent shall disburse the Escrow Funds to the Parent following such termination pursuant to a Joint Release Instruction and the instructions set forth on Exhibit C.

(ii)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time, the Parties shall act in accordance with, and the Escrow Agent shall have the right to release the Escrow Funds as follows:

(b)          Certain Definitions.

(i)             “Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which banks are not required or authorized by law to be closed in New York, New York.

(ii)            “Final Determination” means a final non-appealable order of any court of competent jurisdiction which may be issued, together with (A) a certificate executed by an authorized representative of the prevailing Party set forth in Exhibit A-1 or Exhibit A-2 hereto, to the effect that such order is final and non-appealable and from a court of competent jurisdiction having proper authority and (B) the written payment instructions of the prevailing Party, executed by an authorized representative set forth in Exhibit A-1 or Exhibit A-2 hereto, to effectuate such order.

(iii)          “Joint Release Instruction” means the joint written instruction executed by an authorized representative of each of the Parent and the Company set forth in Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2 hereto, directing the Escrow Agent to disburse all or a portion of the Escrow Funds, as applicable.

(iv)          “Person” means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, a limited liability company, an association, a joint stock company, a trust, a joint venture, an unincorporated organization or a governmental entity or any department, agency or political subdivision thereof.

5.            Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent undertakes to perform only such duties as are expressly set forth herein, which shall be deemed purely ministerial in nature, and no duties, including but not limited to any fiduciary duties, shall be implied. The Escrow Agent shall neither be responsible for, nor chargeable with, knowledge of, nor have any requirements to comply with, the terms and conditions of any other agreement, instrument or document between the Parties, in connection herewith, if any, including without limitation the Merger Agreement, nor shall the Escrow Agent be required to determine if any Person has complied with any such agreements, nor shall any additional obligations of the Escrow Agent be inferred from the terms of such agreements, even though reference thereto may be made in this Agreement. Notwithstanding the terms of any other agreement between the Parties, the terms and conditions of this Agreement will control the actions of Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent may rely upon and shall not be liable for acting or refraining from acting upon any Joint Release Instruction or Final Determination furnished to it hereunder and believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed and presented by an authorized representative of the proper Party or Parties set forth in Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2. Concurrent with the execution of this Agreement, the Parties shall deliver to the Escrow Agent authorized representative’s forms in the form of Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2 attached hereto. The Escrow Agent shall be under no duty to inquire into or investigate the validity, accuracy or content of any such document, notice, instruction or request. The Escrow Agent shall have no duty to solicit any payments which may be due it or the Escrow Funds. In the event that the Escrow Agent shall be uncertain as to its duties or rights hereunder or shall receive instructions, claims or demands from any Party hereto which, in its opinion, conflict with any of the provisions of this Agreement, it shall be entitled to refrain from taking any action and its sole obligation shall be to keep safely all property held in escrow until it shall be directed otherwise in a Joint Release Instruction or Final Determination. The Escrow Agent may interplead all of the assets held hereunder into a court of competent jurisdiction or may seek a declaratory judgment with respect to certain circumstances, and thereafter be fully relieved from any and all liability or obligation with respect to such interpleaded assets or any action or nonaction based on such declaratory judgment. The Escrow Agent may consult with legal counsel of its selection in the event of any dispute or question as to the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof or its duties hereunder. The Escrow Agent will not be liable for any action taken, suffered or omitted to be taken by it in good faith except to the extent that the Escrow Agent’s gross negligence or willful misconduct was the cause of any direct loss to either Party. To the extent practicable, the Parties agree to pursue any redress or recourse in connection with any dispute without making the Escrow Agent a party to the same. Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Escrow Agent be liable for any special, indirect, punitive, incidental or consequential losses or damages of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Escrow Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such losses or damages and regardless of the form of action.

6.            Resignation and Removal of Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent (a) may resign and be discharged from its duties or obligations hereunder by giving thirty (30) calendar days advance notice in writing of such resignation to the Parties specifying a date when such resignation shall take effect or (b) may be removed, with or without cause, by the Parties acting jointly at any time by providing written notice executed by an authorized representative set forth in Exhibits A-1 and A-2 hereto, to the Escrow Agent. Any corporation or association into which the Escrow Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or association to which all or substantially all of the escrow business of the Escrow Agent’s line of business may be transferred, shall be the Escrow Agent under this Agreement without further act. The Escrow Agent’s sole responsibility after such thirty (30) day notice period expires or after receipt of written notice of removal shall be to hold and safeguard the Escrow Funds (without any obligation to reinvest the same) and to deliver the same (i) to a substitute or successor escrow agent pursuant to a joint written designation from the Parties, (ii) as set forth in a Joint Release Instruction or (iii) in accordance with the directions of a Final Determination, and, at the time of such delivery, the Escrow Agent’s obligations hereunder shall cease and terminate. In the event the Escrow Agent resigns, if the Parties have failed to appoint a successor escrow agent prior to the expiration of thirty (30) calendar days following receipt of the notice of resignation, the Escrow Agent may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of such a successor escrow agent or for other appropriate relief, and any such resulting appointment shall be binding upon all of the parties hereto.

7.            Fees and Expenses. All fees and expenses of the Escrow Agent are described in Schedule 1 attached hereto and shall be paid by equally by the Parties. The fees agreed upon for the services to be rendered hereunder are intended as full compensation for the Escrow Agent services as contemplated by this Agreement.

8.            Indemnity. Each of the Parties shall jointly and severally indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Escrow Agent and its affiliates and their respective successors, assigns, directors, officers, agents and employees (the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all losses, damages, claims, liabilities, penalties, judgments, settlements, actions, suits, proceedings, litigation, investigations, costs or expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of one outside counsel and experts and their staffs and all expense of document location, duplication and shipment) (collectively “Escrow Agent Losses”) arising out of or in connection with (a) the Escrow Agent’s execution and performance of this Agreement, tax reporting or withholding, the enforcement of any rights or remedies under or in connection with this Agreement, or as may arise by reason of any act, omission or error of the Indemnitee, except to the extent that such Escrow Agent Losses, as adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction, have been caused by the fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee, or (b) its following any instructions or other directions from the Parent or the Company. The Parties hereby grant the Escrow Agent a lien on, right of set-off against and security interest in, the Escrow Funds for the payment of any reasonable claim for indemnification, expenses and amounts due hereunder. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Escrow Agent is expressly authorized and directed, but shall not be obligated, upon prior written notice to the Parties, to charge against and withdraw from the Escrow Funds for its own account or for the account of an indemnitee any amounts due to the Escrow Agent or to an indemnitee under this Section 8. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Parent and the Company agree, solely as between themselves, that any obligation for indemnification under this Section 8 (or for reasonable fees and expenses of the Escrow Agent described in Section 7) shall be borne by the Party or Parties determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be responsible for causing the loss, damage, liability, cost or expense against which the Escrow Agent is entitled to indemnification or, if no such determination is made, then one-half by the Parent and one-half by the Company. The Parties acknowledge that the foregoing indemnities shall survive the resignation or removal of the Escrow Agent or the termination of this Agreement.

9.            Tax Matters.

(a)          Parent shall be responsible for and the taxpayer on all taxes due on the interest or income earned, if any, on the Escrow Funds for the calendar year in which such interest or income is earned. The Escrow Agent shall report any interest or income earned on the Escrow Funds to the IRS or other taxing authority on IRS Form 1099. Prior to the date hereof, the Parties shall provide the Escrow Agent with certified tax identification numbers by furnishing appropriate forms W-9 or W-8 as applicable and such other forms and documents that the Escrow Agent may request.

(b)          The Escrow Agent shall be responsible only for income reporting to the Internal Revenue Service with respect to income earned on the Escrow Funds. The Parties hereby represent to the Escrow Agent that no other tax reporting of any kind is required given the underlying transaction giving rise to this Agreement. The Escrow Agent shall withhold any taxes required to be withheld by applicable law, including but not limited to required withholding in the absence of proper tax documentation, and shall remit such taxes to the appropriate authorities. 

(c)          The Escrow Agent, its affiliates, and its employees are not in the business of providing tax or legal advice to any taxpayer outside of Citigroup, Inc. and its affiliates. This Agreement and any amendments or attachments hereto are not intended or written to be used, and may not be used or relied upon, by any such taxpayer or for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties. Any such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer's particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

10.          Covenant of Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent hereby agrees and covenants with the Parent and the Company that it shall perform all of its obligations under this Agreement and shall not deliver custody or possession of any of the Escrow Funds to anyone except pursuant to the express terms of this Agreement or as otherwise required by law.

11.          Notices. Except as otherwise expressly required in Section 4(a)(iv), all communications required under this Agreement shall be in writing, in English, and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered (i) personally, (ii) by facsimile transmission with written confirmation of receipt, (iii) on the day of transmission if sent by electronic mail (“e-mail”) with a PDF attachment executed by an authorized signer of the Party/ Parties to the e-mail address given below, and written confirmation of receipt is obtained promptly after completion of the transmission, (iv) by overnight delivery with a reputable national overnight delivery service, or (v) by mail or by certified mail, return receipt requested, and postage prepaid. If any notice is mailed, it shall be deemed given five Business Days after the date such notice is deposited with the United States Postal Service. If notice is given to a Party, it shall be given at the address for such Party set forth below. It shall be the responsibility of the Parties to notify the Escrow Agent and the other Party in writing of any name or address changes.

if to the Parent, then to:

TheMaven, Inc.

1500 Fourth Avenue

Suite 200

Seattle, WA 98101

Attn: Legal Department

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

Golenbock Eiseman Assor Bell & Peskoe LLP

711 Third Avenue, 17th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Attn: Andrew D. Hudders, Esq.

or, if to the Company, then to:

TheStreet, Inc.

14 Wall Street, 15th Floor

New York, New York 10005

Attention: Eric Lundberg

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

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

The Orrick Building
405 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Attention: Karen Dempsey; Richard Vernon Smith

or, if to the Escrow Agent, then to:

Citibank, N.A.

Citi Private Bank

388 Greenwich Street, 29^th Floor

New York, NY 10013

Attn: John P. Howard

Notwithstanding the above, in the case of communications delivered to the Escrow Agent pursuant to the foregoing clause (i) through (iv) of this Section 11, such communications shall be deemed to have been given on the date received by the Escrow Agent. In the event that the Escrow Agent, in its sole discretion, shall determine that an emergency exists, the Escrow Agent may use such other means of communication as the Escrow Agent deems appropriate.

12.          Termination. This Agreement shall terminate on the first to occur of (a) the distribution of all of the amounts in the Escrow Funds in accordance with this Agreement or (b) delivery to the Escrow Agent of a written notice of termination executed jointly by the authorized representatives set forth in Exhibits A-1 and A-2 of Parent and the Company, after which this Agreement shall be of no further force and effect except that the provisions of Section 8 hereof shall survive termination.

13.          Miscellaneous. The provisions of this Agreement may be waived, altered, amended or supplemented, in whole or in part, only by a writing signed by all of the parties hereto. Neither this Agreement nor any right or interest hereunder may be assigned in whole or in part by any party without the prior consent of the other parties. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Delaware. Each party irrevocably waives any objection on the grounds of venue, forum non-conveniens or any similar grounds and irrevocably consents to service of process by mail or in any other manner permitted by applicable law and consents to the jurisdiction of the courts located in the State of Delaware. The parties hereby waive any right to a trial by jury with respect to any lawsuit or judicial proceeding arising from or relating to this Agreement. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. All signatures of the parties to this Agreement may be transmitted by facsimile or electronic transmission in portable document format (.pdf), and such facsimile or .pdf will, for all purposes, be deemed to be the original signature of such party whose signature it reproduces, and will be binding upon such party. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be prohibited or unenforceable by reason of any applicable law of a jurisdiction, then such provision shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions thereof, and any such prohibition or unenforceability in such jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provisions in any other jurisdiction. The Parties represent, warrant and covenant that each document, notice, instruction or request provided by such Party to the Escrow Agent shall comply with applicable laws and regulations. Where, however, the conflicting provisions of any such applicable law may be waived, they are hereby irrevocably waived by the parties hereto to the fullest extent permitted by law, to the end that this Agreement shall be enforced as written. Except as expressly provided in Sections 7 and 8, nothing in this Agreement, whether express or implied, shall be construed to give to any person or entity other than the Escrow Agent and the Parties any legal or equitable right, remedy, interest or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any funds escrowed hereunder.

14.          Compliance with Court Orders. In the event that any escrow property shall be attached, garnished or levied upon by any court order, or the delivery thereof shall be stayed or enjoined by an order of a court, or any order, judgment or decree shall be made or entered by any court order affecting the property deposited under this Agreement, the Escrow Agent is hereby expressly authorized, in its sole discretion, to obey and comply with all writs, orders or decrees so entered or issued, which it is advised by legal counsel of its own choosing is binding upon it, whether with or without jurisdiction, and in the event that the Escrow Agent obeys or complies with any such writ, order or decree it shall not be liable to any of the Parties or to any other Person, by reason of such compliance notwithstanding such writ, order or decree be subsequently reversed, modified, annulled, set aside or vacated.

15.          Further Assurances. Following the date hereof, each party shall deliver to the other parties such further information and documents and shall execute and deliver to the other parties such further instruments and agreements as any other party shall reasonably request to consummate or confirm the transactions provided for herein, to accomplish the purpose hereof or to assure to any other party the benefits hereof.

16.          Assignment. No assignment of the interest of any of the Parties shall be binding upon the Escrow Agent unless and until written notice of such assignment shall be filed with and consented to by the Escrow Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld). Any transfer or assignment of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder in violation of the terms hereof shall be void and of no force or effect.

17.          Force Majeure. The Escrow Agent shall not incur any liability for not performing any act or fulfilling any obligation hereunder by reason of any occurrence beyond its control (including, but not limited to, any provision of any present or future law or regulation or any act of any governmental authority, any act of God or war or terrorism, or the unavailability of the Federal Reserve Bank wire services or any electronic communication facility), it being understood that the Escrow Agent shall use commercially reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

18.          Compliance with Federal Law. To help the U.S. Government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities and to comply with Federal law requiring financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information on the source of funds deposited to an account, the Parties agree to provide the Escrow Agent with the name, address, taxpayer identification number, and remitting bank for all Parties depositing funds at Citibank pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. For a non-individual person such as a business entity, a charity, a trust or other legal entity, the Escrow Agent will ask for documentation to verify its formation and existence as a legal entity. The Escrow Agent may also ask to see financial statements, licenses, an identification and authorization documents from individuals claiming authority to represent the entity or other relevant documentation.

19.          Use of Citibank Name. No publicly distributed printed or other material in any language, including prospectuses, notices, reports, and promotional material which mentions “Citibank” by name or the rights, powers, or duties of the Escrow Agent under this Agreement shall be issued by any other parties hereto, or on such party’s behalf, without the prior written consent of the Escrow Agent.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date set forth above.

Signature Page to Escrow Agreement

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date set forth above.

Signature Page to Escrow Agreement

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date set forth above.

Signature Page to Escrow Agreement

EXHIBIT A-1

Certificate as to Parent Authorized Signatures

The specimen signatures shown below are the specimen signatures of the individuals who have been designated as authorized representatives of the Parent and are authorized to initiate and approve transactions of all types for the escrow account or accounts established under this Agreement, on behalf of the Parent. The below listed persons (must list at least two individuals, if applicable) have also been designated Call Back Authorized Individuals and will be notified by Citibank N.A. upon the release of Escrow Funds from the escrow account(s).

NOTE: Actual signatures are required above. Electronic signatures, “Docusigned” signatures and/or signature fonts are not acceptable.

Exhibit to Escrow Agreement

EXHIBIT A-2

Certificate as to the Company Authorized Signatures

The specimen signatures shown below are the specimen signatures of the individuals who have been designated as authorized representatives of the Company and are authorized to initiate and approve transactions of all types for the escrow account or accounts established under this Agreement, on behalf of the Company. The below listed persons (must list at least two individuals, if applicable) have also been designated Call Back Authorized Individuals and will be notified by Citibank N.A. upon the release of Escrow Funds from the escrow account(s).

NOTE: Actual signatures are required above. Electronic signatures, “Docusigned” signatures and/or signature fonts are not acceptable.

Exhibit to Escrow Agreement