EX-10.17 4 a2041590zex-10_17.txt EXHIBIT 10.17 Exhibit 10.17 AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO THE INVESTORS' AGREEMENT This Amendment No. 1, dated as of May 14, 2000, effective as of January 21, 1998 (this "Amendment No. 1"), to the Investors' Agreement, dated as of January 21, 1998, amended and restated as of March 29, 1999 (the "Investors' Agreement"), among (i) Fisher Scientific International, Inc. (the "Company"), (ii) Thomas H. Lee Equity Fund III, L.P. ("THL"), certain individuals associated with THL listed on Schedule I attached hereto, THL-CCI Limited Partnership ("THL- CCI"), THL Foreign Fund III, L.P. and THL FSI Equity Investors, L.P. ("THL/FSI" and collectively with THL, the individuals listed on Schedule I, THL-CCI, and THL Foreign Fund III, L.P., the "THL Entities"), (iii) DLJ Merchant Banking Partners II, L.P. ("DLJMB"), DLJ Offshore Partners II, C.V., DLJ Diversified Partners, L.P., DLJMB Funding II, Inc., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners II - A, L.P., DLJ Diversified Partners - A, L.P., DLJ Millennium Partners, L.P., DLJ Millennium Partners - A, L.P., UK Investment Plan 1997 Partners, DLJ EAB Partners, L.P., DLJ ESC II, L.P., and DLJ First ESC, L.P. (collectively the "DLJ Entities"), (iv) Chase Equity Associates, L.P. ("Chase Equity"), (v) Merrill Lynch KECALP L.P. 1997, KECALP INC., and ML IBK Positions, Inc., (collectively, the "Merrill Lynch Entities" and, together with each other entity listed in clauses (iii) and (iv), the "Institutional Shareholders" and, collectively with (ii), the "Equity Investors") and (vi) certain other Persons listed on the signature pages hereof (including the trust pursuant to the Trust Agreement, dated of even date herewith, between the Company and Mellon Bank, N.A., as trustee (the "Rabbi Trust")) (the "Management Shareholders" and individually, along with the THL Entities, DLJ Entities, Chase Equity, and Merrill Lynch Entities, each a "Shareholder"). W I T N E S S E T H : WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire to amend the Investors' Agreement to clarify the parties' intention with respect to certain management rights of the THL Entities; WHEREAS, the parties had intended at the time of the execution of the Investors' Agreement that THL/FSI would be entitled to nominate one of the four directors to the Board that THL is entitled to nominate pursuant to Section 2.1 of the Investors' Agreement; WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 7.4(a) of the Investors' Agreement, the Board of Directors and the holders of at least 50% of the shares of Common Stock held by the parties to the Investors' Agreement at the time of this Amendment No. 1 are required to approve this Amendment No. 1; and WHEREAS, terms used herein but not otherwise defined herein shall have the respective meanings given such terms in the Investors' Agreement; NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and agreements herein contained and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, it is agreed by and between the parties hereto as follows: 1. The first sentence of Section 2.1 of the Investors' Agreement shall be replaced in its entirety with the follow sentence: The Board shall consist of at least nine, but no more than ten, members (two of which shall be individuals which are not "Affiliates" or "Associates" (as those terms are used within the meaning Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act) of any Shareholder or its Affiliates), of whom three shall be nominated by THL, one shall be nominated by THL/FSI, one shall be nominated by DLJMB, one shall be Paul M. Montrone and one shall be Paul M. Meister. This Amendment No. 1 may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment No. 1 to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written. FISHER SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL INC. By: /s/ Todd M. DuChene ------------------------------------------ Name: Todd M. DuChene Title: Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary THL Equity Shareholders: THOMAS H. LEE EQUITY FUND III, L.P. By: THL Equity Advisors III Limited Partnership, as General Partner By: THL Equity Trust III, as General Partner By: /s/ Wendy L. Masler ------------------------------------------ Name: Wendy L. Masler Title: THOMAS H. LEE FOREIGN FUND III, L.P. By: THL Equity Advisors III Limited Partnership, as General Partner By: THL Equity Trust III, as General Partner By: /s/ Wendy L. Masler ------------------------------------------ Name: Wendy L. Masler Title: THL FSI EQUITY INVESTORS, L.P. By: THL Equity Advisors III Limited Partnership, as General Partner By: THL Equity Trust III, as General Partner By: /s/ Wendy L. Masler ------------------------------------------ Name: Wendy L. Masler Title: THL-CCI LIMITED PARTNERSHIP By: THL Investment Management Corp., as General Partner By: /s/ Wendy L. Masler ------------------------------------------ Name: Wendy L. Masler Title: Management Shareholders: By: /s/ Paul M. Montrone ----------------------- Name: Paul M. Montrone By: /s/ Paul M. Meister ----------------------- Name: Paul M. Meister By: /s/ Todd M. DuChene ----------------------- Name: Todd M. DuChene DLJ Entities' Shareholders: DLJ MERCHANT BANKING PARTNERS II, L.P. By: DLJ Merchant Banking II, Inc., as managing general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ MERCHANT BANKING PARTNERS II-A, L.P. By: DLJ Merchant Banking II, Inc., as managing general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ OFFSHORE PARTNERS II, C.V. By: DLJ Merchant Banking II, Inc., as advisory general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ DIVERSIFIED PARTNERS, L.P. By: DLJ Diversified Partners, Inc., as managing general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ DIVERSIFIED PARTNERS - A, L.P. By: DLJ Diversified Partners, Inc., as managing general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ MILLENNIUM PARTNERS, L.P. By: DLJ Merchant Banking II, Inc., as managing general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ MILLENNIUM PARTNERS - A, L.P. By: DLJ Merchant Banking II, Inc., as managing general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJMB FUNDING II, INC. By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: UK INVESTMENT PLAN 1997 PARTNERS By: Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Inc., as general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ EAB PARTNERS, L.P. By: DLJ LBO Plans Management Corporation, as managing general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ ESC II, L.P. By: DLJ LBO Plans Management Corporation, as general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: DLJ FIRST ESC, L.P. By: DLJ LBO Plans Management Corporation, as general partner By: /s/ Kirk B. Wortman --------------------------------- Name: Kirk B. Wortman Title: The address for each of the DLJ Entities listed above is: c/o DLJ Merchant Banking II, Inc. 277 Park Avenue New York, New York 10172 Fax: (212) 892-7272 Merrill Lynch Entities: ML IBK POSITIONS, INC. By: /s/ Joseph S. Valenti --------------------------------- Name: Joseph S. Valenti Title: Vice President KECALP INC., as nominee for Merrill Lynch KECALP International L.P. 1997 By: /s/ Edward J. Higgins --------------------------------- Name: Edward J. Higgins Title: Vice President MERRILL LYNCH KECALP L.P. 1997 By: KECALP Inc., as general partner By: /s/ Edward J. Higgins --------------------------------- Name: Edward J. Higgins Title: Vice President The address for each of the Merrill Lynch Entities listed above is: 225 Liberty Street, 31st Floor New York, NY 10080 Fax: (212) 236-3496 Individual Shareholders: By: /s/ David V. Harkins --------------------------------- Name: David V. Harkins By: /s/ Sheryll J. Harkins --------------------------------- Name: The 1995 Harkins Gift Trust By: /s/ Thomas R. Shepherd --------------------------------- Name: Thomas R. Shepherd Money Purchase Pension Plan By: /s/ Scott A. Schoen --------------------------------- Name: Scott A. Schoen By: /s/ C. Hunter Boll --------------------------------- Name: C. Hunter Boll By: /s/ Scott M. Sperling --------------------------------- Name: Scott M. Sperling By: /s/ Scott M. Sperling --------------------------------- Name: Sperling Family Limited Partnership By: /s/ Anthony J. DiNovi --------------------------------- Name: Anthony J. DiNovi By: /s/ Thomas M. Hagerty --------------------------------- Name: Thomas M. Hagerty By: /s/ Warren C. Smith, Jr. --------------------------------- Name: Warren C. Smith, Jr. By: /s/ Seth W. Lawry --------------------------------- Name: Seth W. Lawry By: /s/ Joseph J. Incandela --------------------------------- Name: Joseph J. Incandela By: /s/ Kent R. Weldon --------------------------------- Name: Kent R. Weldon By: /s/ Terrence M. Mullen --------------------------------- Name: Terrence M. Mullen By: /s/ Todd M. Abbrecht --------------------------------- Name: Todd M. Abbrecht By: /s/ Wendy L. Masler --------------------------------- Name: Wendy L. Masler By: /s/ Wendy L. Masler ---------------------------------- Name: THL-CCI Limited Partnership By: Wendy L. Masler Title: Vice President By: /s/ Andrew D. Flaster --------------------------------- Name: Andrew D. Flaster By: --------------------------------- Name: First Trust Co. FBO Kristina A. Watts By: /s/ Charles Robins --------------------------------- Name: Charles Robins By: /s/ James Westra --------------------------------- Name: James Westra By: /s/ Charles A. Brizius --------------------------------- Name: Charles A. Brizius SCHEDULE I CERTAIN NAMED INDIVIDUAL SHAREHOLDERS OF THL David V. Harkins The 1995 Harkins Gift Trust Thomas R. Shepherd Money Purchase Pension Plan (Keogh) Scott A. Schoen C. Hunter Boll Scott M. Sperling Sperling Family Limited Partnership Anthony J. DiNovi Thomas M. Hagerty Warren C. Smith, Jr. Seth W. Lawry Joseph J. Incandela Kent R. Weldon Terrence M. Mullen Todd M. Abbrecht Wendy L. Masler Andrew D. Flaster First Trust Co. FBO Kristina A. Watts Charles W. Robins James Westra Charles A. Brizius