Neither party shall assign or otherwise transfer the agreement or any of its rights and interest to any firm, corporation, or individual, without the prior written consent of the other party, except either party shall have the right to assign, convey, or otherwise transfer its rights, title, interest, and obligations under the agreement, in whole or in part, to any entity controlled by, controlling or under common control with a party thereto, or any entity into which a party may be merged or consolidated or which purchases all or substantially all of the assets of such party.