SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.1 – Form of Securities Purchase Agreement
This
Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated
as of January 20, 2010, between China Marine Food Group Ltd., a
Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and each
purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its
successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and
collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS,
subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to
an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the “Securities
Act”), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each
Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company,
securities of the Company as more fully described in this
Agreement.
NOW,
THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement,
and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which
are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as
follows:
ARTICLE
I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In
addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of
this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section
1.1:
“Acquiring Person”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.4.
“Action” shall have
the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“Affiliate” means any
Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls
or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are
used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Board of Directors”
means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means
any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal
holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the
State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action
to close.
“Closing” means the
closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section
2.1.
“Closing Date” means
the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and
delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i)
the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the
Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been
satisfied or waived.
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“Closing Statement”
means the Closing Statement in the form on Annex A attached
hereto.
“Commission” means the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means
the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any other class
of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or
changed.
“Common Stock
Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries
which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock,
including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options,
warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable
or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common
Stock.
“Company Counsel”
means XxXxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx Xxx Xxxx
00000.
“Disclosure Schedules”
means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently
herewith.
“Evaluation Date”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(r).
“Exchange Act” means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Escrow Agent” means
Sichenzia Xxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, with offices located at 00 Xxxxxxxx, Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000.
“Escrow Agreement”
means the escrow agreement entered into prior to the date hereof, by and among
the Company and the Escrow Agent in substantially the form of Exhibit A attached
hereto pursuant to which the Purchasers, shall deposit Subscription Amounts with
the Escrow Agent to be applied to the transactions contemplated
hereunder.
“Exempt Issuance”
means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or options to employees,
officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan duly
adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board
of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee
directors established for such purpose, (b) securities upon the exercise or
exchange of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder and/or other
securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common
Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such
securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase
the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price
or conversion price of such securities, and (c) securities issued pursuant to
acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the
disinterested directors of the Company, provided that any such issuance shall
only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or
through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an asset in a business
synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company
additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not
include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for
the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is
investing in securities.
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“GAAP” shall have the
meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Indebtedness” shall
have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(z).
“Intellectual Property
Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
3.1(o).
“Liens” means a lien,
charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right
or other restriction.
“Material Adverse
Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section
3.1(b).
“Material Permits”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).
“Person” means an
individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated
association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company,
government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any
kind.
“Proceeding” means an
action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation,
an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether
commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the
final prospectus filed for the Registration Statement.
“Prospectus
Supplement” means the supplement to the Prospectus complying with Rule
424(b) of the Securities Act that is filed with the Commission and delivered by
the Company to each Purchaser at the Closing.
“Registration
Statement” means the effective registration statement with Commission
file No. 333-161910 which registers the sale of the Shares to the
Purchasers.
“Required Approvals”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Rule 144” means Rule
144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule
may be amended from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter
adopted by the Commission having substantially the same effect as such
Rule.
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“Rule 424” means Rule
424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule
may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or
regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same
purpose and effect as such Rule.
“SEC Reports” shall
have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the
Shares.
“Securities Act” means
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” means the
shares of Common Stock issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this
Agreement.
“Short Sales” means
all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange
Act (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of
borrowable shares of Common Stock).
“Subscription Amount”
means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Shares
purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature
page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United
States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Subsidiary” means any
subsidiary of the Company as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a), and
shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the
Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
“Trading Day” means a
day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means
any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or
quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE AMEX, the Nasdaq Capital
Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York
Stock Exchange or the OTC Bulletin Board (or any successors to any of the
foregoing).
“Transaction
Documents” means this Agreement, the Escrow Agreement all exhibits and
schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means
Interwest Transfer Company, Inc. , the current transfer agent of the Company,
with a mailing address of 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxx Xxxx Xxxx,
Xxxx 00000 and a facsimile number of (000) 000-0000, and any successor transfer
agent of the Company.
“Variable Rate
Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
4.10(b).
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ARTICLE
II.
PURCHASE
AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On
the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein,
substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by
the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally
and not jointly, agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of $30,000,022
of Shares. Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Escrow Agent via wire
transfer or a certified check of immediately available funds equal to such
Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto
executed by such Purchaser and the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its
respective Common Stock as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and the
Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section
2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and
conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur at the
offices of Company Counsel at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 or
such other location as the parties shall mutually agree and the Subscription
Amount shall be released from Escrow to the account of the Company in accordance
with the terms of the Escrow Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each
Purchaser may designate the manner of settlement to be by means of “Delivery
versus payment” through DTC (i.e., the Company’s Transfer Agent shall deliver
shares to such Purchaser’s account(s) as designated versus the Purchaser’s
Subscription Amount) at the Closing.
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On
or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered
to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this
Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) legal
opinions of U.S., PRC, Hong Kong Counsel, substantially in the forms of,
substantially in the forms of Exhibit B, Exhibit C,
and Exhibit D,
respectively, attached hereto;
(iii) a
copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Company’s transfer agent instructing
the transfer agent to deliver via the Depository Trust Company Deposit
Withdrawal Agent Commission System (“DWAC”) Shares
purchased pursuant to this Agreement, registered in the name of such
Purchaser;
(iv) the
Escrow Agreement, duly executed by the Company; and
(v) the
Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement (which may be delivered in accordance with
Rule 172 under the Securities Act).
(b) On
or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be
delivered to the Company the following:
(i) this
Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;
(ii) the
Escrow Agreement, duly executed by such Purchaser; and
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(iii) such
Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer to Escrow Agent pursuant to the
Escrow Agreement or to the Company to an account as specified in writing by the
Company.
2.3 Closing
Conditions.
(a) The
obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject
to the following conditions being met:
(i) the
accuracy in all material respects on the Closing Date of the representations and
warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date
therein);
(ii) all
obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed
at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and
(iii) the
delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this
Agreement.
(b) The
respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the
Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the
accuracy in all material respects (except that any representation and warranty
that is qualified as to "materiality" or "Material Adverse Effect” shall be true
and correct in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the
representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (except for those
which by their terms specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case such
representations and warranties shall have been true and correct in all material
respects (except that any representation and warranty that is qualified as to
"materiality" or "Material Adverse Effect” shall be true and correct in all
respects) as of such earlier date);
(ii) all
obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at
or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;
(iii) the
delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this
Agreement;
(iv) there
shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the
date hereof; and
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(v) from
the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have
been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal Trading Market
(except for any suspension of trading of limited duration agreed to by the
Company, which suspension shall be terminated prior to the Closing), and, at any
time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by
Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall
not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such
service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been
declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall
there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other
national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any
material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the
reasonable judgment of each Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to
purchase the Securities at the Closing.
ARTICLE
III.
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and
Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the
Disclosure Schedules and in the SEC Reports, which SEC Reports and Disclosure
Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or
otherwise made herein, the Company hereby makes the following representations
and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. All
of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on Schedule
3.1(a). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the
capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any
Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each
Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of
preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase
securities. If the Company has no subsidiaries, all other references
to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be
disregarded. Other than as contemplated by the Transaction Documents, there are
no outstanding preemptive, conversion or other rights, options, warrants or
agreements granted or issued by or binding upon any subsidiary for the purchase
or acquisition of any shares of capital stock of any subsidiary or any other
securities convertible into, exchangeable for or evidencing the rights to
subscribe for any shares of such capital stock that would have a dilutive effect
on the Company’s ownership of its subsidiaries. Other than as contemplated by
the Transaction Documents, neither the Company nor any subsidiary is subject to
any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to repurchase or otherwise acquire or
retire any shares of the capital stock of any subsidiary or any convertible
securities, rights, warrants or options of the type described in the preceding
sentence. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is party to, nor has any
knowledge of, any agreement restricting the voting or transfer of any shares of
the capital stock of any subsidiary
(b) Organization and
Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an
entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or
organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its
properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently
conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor
default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of
incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter
documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified
to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other
entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or
property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the
failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not
have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on
the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a
material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business,
prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the
Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its
obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse
Effect”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction
revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such
power and authority or qualification.
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(c) Authorization;
Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and
authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by each
of the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations
hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of each of the
Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all
necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by
the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection
therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. Each
Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have
been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the
terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of
the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except
(i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application
affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws
relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other
equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution
provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No
Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the
Company of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities
and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby
to which it is a party do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any
provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of
incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii)
conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of
time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien
upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give
to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation
(with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit
facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or
otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a
party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is
bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or
result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction,
decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the
Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws
and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a
Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and
(iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
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(e) Filings, Consents and
Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent,
waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or
registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other
governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other
than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii)
the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement, (iii)
application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the
Securities for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby and (iv)
such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws
(collectively, the “Required
Approvals”).
(f) Issuance of the Securities;
Registration. The Securities are duly authorized and, when
issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents,
will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of
all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has prepared and filed the
Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities
Act, which became effective on December 23, 2009 (the “Effective Date”),
including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may
have been required to the date of this Agreement. The Registration
Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or
preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the
Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required
by the rules and regulations of the Commission, proposes to file the Prospectus,
with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the
Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the date
of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any
amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the
requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and
the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at time the Prospectus
or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date,
conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the
Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading.
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(g) Capitalization. The
capitalization of the Company is as set forth on Schedule
3.1(g). Except as set forth on Schedule 31.(g), the Company
has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report
under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock
options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common
Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans,
issuances under Stock Consultant Plan or other stock payments for
services and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common
Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic
report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first
refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to
participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction
Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the
Securities and except as disclosed in the SEC Reports and as set forth on
Schedule 3.1(g), there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to
subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or
securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire,
any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or
arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to
issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock
Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not
obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any
Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a right of any holder
of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset
price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital
stock of the Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been
issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of
such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or
similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further
approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others
is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no
stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with
respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to
the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s
stockholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial
Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules,
forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under
the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter
period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material)
(the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents
incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the
Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a
timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has
filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such
extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in
all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the
Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained
any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports
comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the
rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the
time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in
accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied
on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may
be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and
except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes
required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial
position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the
dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then
ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial,
year-end audit adjustments.
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(i) Material Changes;
Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the
date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports,
except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the
date hereof, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had
or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect,
(ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise)
other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not
required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP
or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not
altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any
dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or
purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of
its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to
any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock
option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission
any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the
issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on
Schedule
3.1(i), no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or
development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist
with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective business,
prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be
required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the
time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly
disclosed at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the date that this
representation is made.
(j) Litigation. There
is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the
Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any
court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority
(federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i)
adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any
of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an
unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any
director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving
a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a
claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the
knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any
investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former
director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any
stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration
statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the
Securities Act.
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(k) Labor
Relations. No material labor dispute exists or, to the
knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of
the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a
member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company
or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a
party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries
believe that their relationships with their employees are good. No
executive officer, to the knowledge of the Company, is, or is now expected to
be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract,
confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or
non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive
covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such
executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any
liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company
and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and
foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices,
terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure
to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and
no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of
time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under),
nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in
default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit
agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by
which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or
violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or
order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body or (iii) is or has been in
violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental
authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local
laws applicable to its business and all such laws that affect the environment,
except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Regulatory
Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all
certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal,
state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their
respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure
to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”),
and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material
Permit.
(n) Title to
Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and
marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and
marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the
business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all
Liens, except for Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property
and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of
such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and Liens for the payment of
federal, state or other taxes, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor
subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under
lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid,
subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries
are in compliance.
12
(o) Patents and
Trademarks. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have
rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark
applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights,
licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or
material for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in
the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse
Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property
Rights”). Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received
a notice (written or otherwise) that any of the Intellectual Property Rights
used by the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the rights of
any Person. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual
Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another
Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and
its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy,
confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where
failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) Insurance. The
Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial
responsibility against losses and risks, including, but not limited to,
directors and officers insurance coverage. Neither the Company nor
any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its
existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain
similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its
business without a significant increase in cost.
(q) Transactions With Affiliates
and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of
the officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company,
none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction
with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees,
officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement
providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real
or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any
officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any
entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial
interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess
of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services
rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and
(iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock
option plan of the Company.
13
(r) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx; Internal
Accounting Controls. The Company is in material compliance
with all provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 which are applicable to it
as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a
system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable
assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s
general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary
to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to
maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the
recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences. The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as
defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and
designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information
required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under
the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the
time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The
Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s
disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the
Company’s most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date,
the “Evaluation
Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed
periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying
officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based
on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation
Date, there have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s
internal control over financial reporting.
(s) Certain
Fees. Except as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement, no
brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company
to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent,
investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Purchasers shall have
no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or
on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that
may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction
Documents.
(t) Investment Company.
The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of
payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment
company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that
it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(u) Registration
Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company to effect
the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the
Company.
(v) Listing and Maintenance
Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to
Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action
designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of,
terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has
the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating
terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months
preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the
Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is
not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading
Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the
foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and
maintenance requirements.
14
(w) Application of Takeover
Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken
all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share
acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under
a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s
certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its
state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a
result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or
exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without
limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the
Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.
(x) Disclosure. Except
with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it
nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or
their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or
might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise
disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement. The Company understands
and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in
effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the
disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding
the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, including
the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct and does not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material
fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The press releases
disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this
Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made and when made, not misleading. The Company
acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations
or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than
those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(y) No Integrated
Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and
warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its
Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or
indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to
buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the
Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of
any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which
any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
15
(z) Solvency. Based
on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date,
after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale
of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets
exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the
Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent
liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute
unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as
proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the
particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, and
projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the
current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would
receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all
anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in
respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be
paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability
to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of
cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no
knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will
file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization
laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. Schedule 3.1(z) sets
forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness
of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has
commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means
(x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000
(other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business),
(y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of
indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in
the Company’s balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by
endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar
transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of
any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be
capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
(aa) Tax
Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary has filed all necessary federal, state
and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has paid or accrued all taxes
shown as due thereon, and the Company has no knowledge of a tax deficiency which
has been asserted or threatened against the Company or any
Subsidiary.
(bb) Foreign Corrupt
Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the
Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company, has (i)
directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts,
entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic
political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic
government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political
parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any
contribution made by the Company (or made by any person acting on its behalf of
which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in
any material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977,
as amended.
16
(cc) Accountants. The
Company’s accounting firm is set forth on Schedule 3.1(cc) of
the Disclosure Schedules. To the knowledge and belief of the Company,
such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by
the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the
financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the year
ending December 31, 2009.
(dd)
Acknowledgment
Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company
acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the
capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents
and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company further
acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of
the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction
Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any
Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection
with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is
merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The
Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to
enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based
solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by
the Company and its representatives.
(ee) Acknowledgement Regarding
Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere
herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(e) and 4.14
hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the
Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers have been asked by the Company to
agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long
and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on
securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified
term; (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser,
specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative”
transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement
transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s
publicly-traded securities; (iii) any
Purchaser, and counter-parties in
“derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or
indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock, and (iv)
each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over
any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and
acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at
various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, and (z)
such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing
stockholders' equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the
hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such
aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the
Transaction Documents.
(ff) Regulation M
Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting
on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to
cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any
security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the
Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for
soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay
to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other
securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii),
compensation paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the
placement of the Securities.
17
3.2 Representations and
Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and
for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and
as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date
therein):
(a) Organization;
Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity
duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its organization with full right, corporate or partnership power
and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and
thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and performance by such
Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly
authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or
similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each
Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such
Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms
hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such
Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as
limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to
the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable
remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be
limited by applicable law.
(b) Understandings or
Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as
principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or
understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the
distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting
such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration
Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state
securities laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities
hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.
(c) Purchaser
Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities,
it was, and as of the date hereof it is: (i) an “accredited investor” as defined
in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8) under the Securities Act or
(ii) a “qualified institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the
Securities Act. Such Purchaser is not required to be registered as a
broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act and is neither employed by
nor an Affiliate of a broker-dealer.
(d) Experience of Such
Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its
representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business
and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of
the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits
and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the
economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is
able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
18
(e) Certain Transactions and
Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions
contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on
behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or
indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the
securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such
Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) as of the Company or any
other Person representing the Company setting forth the material terms of the
transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the
execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a
Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio
managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio
managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the
portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the
representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of
assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to
purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to
other Persons party to this Agreement, such Purchaser has maintained the
confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this
transaction (including the existence and terms of this
transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for avoidance of doubt,
nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or
preclude any actions, with respect to the identification of the availability of,
or securing of, available shares to borrow in order to effect Short Sales or
similar transactions in the future.
The
Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in Section
3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the
Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any
representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or
any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with
this Agreement or the consummation of the transaction contemplated
hereby.
ARTICLE
IV.
OTHER
AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Furnishing of
Information. Until the earliest of the time that no Purchaser
owns Securities, the Company covenants to timely file (or obtain extensions in
respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports
required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the
Exchange Act even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting
requirements of the Exchange Act. As long as any Purchaser owns
Securities, if the Company is not required to file reports pursuant to the
Exchange Act, it will prepare and furnish to the Purchasers and make publicly
available in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is required for the
Purchasers to sell the Securities, including without limitation, under Rule 144.
The Company further covenants that it will take such further action as any
holder of Securities may reasonably request, to the extent required from time to
time to enable such Person to sell such Securities without registration under
the Securities Act, including without limitation, within the requirements of the
exemption provided by Rule 144.
4.2 Integration. The
Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise
negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities
Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for
purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would
require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction
unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent
transaction.
19
4.3 Securities Laws Disclosure;
Publicity. The Company shall, by 8:30 a.m. (New York City
time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, issue a press
release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby,
and issue a Current Report on Form 8-K disclosing the material terms of the
transactions contemplated hereby, and including the Transaction Documents as
exhibits thereto within the time required by the Exchange Act. From
and after the issuance of such press release, the Company shall have publicly
disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the
Purchasers by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any of their respective
officers, directors, employees or agents in connection with the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Company and each
Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with
respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any
Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public
statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press
release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with
respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not
unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by
law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party
with prior notice of such public statement or
communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not
publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any
Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading
Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as
required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final
Transaction Documents (including signature pages thereto) with the Commission
and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market
regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior
notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b). Purchasers
acknowledge that their identities will be disclosed by the Company to the
NYSE/AMEX in connection with the listing of the Securities with the
NYSE/AMEX.
4.4 Shareholder Rights
Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or,
with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an
“Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination,
poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar
anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company,
or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan
or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction
Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the
Purchasers.
4.5 Non-Public
Information. Except with respect to the material terms and
conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the
Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its
behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information
that the Company believes constitutes material non-public information, unless
prior thereto such Purchaser shall have executed a written agreement with the
Company regarding the confidentiality and use of such
information. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser
shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in
securities of the Company. Except with respect to the material terms
and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents,
each Purchaser severally covenants and agrees that, neither it, nor any other
Person acting on its behalf will seek to obtain any information that constitutes
material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have
executed a written agreement with the Company regarding the confidentiality and
use of such information.
20
4.6 Use of
Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale
of the Securities hereunder for working capital and general corporate purposes
and shall not use such proceeds for: (a) the satisfaction of any portion of the
Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of
the Company’s business and prior practices), (b) the redemption of any Common
Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or (c) the settlement of any outstanding
litigation.
4.7 Reservation of Common
Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company
shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive
rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of
enabling the Company to issue Shares pursuant to this Agreement.
4.8 Listing of Common
Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the
listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is
currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to
list or quote all of the Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the
listing of all of the Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees,
if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading
Market, it will then include in such application all of the Shares, and will
take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Shares to be listed
or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The
Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing
and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all
respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the
bylaws or rules of the Trading Market.
4.9 Equal Treatment of
Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of
any Transaction Document) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or
consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of any of the Transaction
Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to
the Transaction Documents. For clarification purposes, this provision
constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and
negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to
treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the
Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase,
disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.
21
4.10 Certain Transactions and
Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the
other Purchasers, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its
behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or
sales, including Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the
period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time
that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly
announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section
4.4. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers,
covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press
release as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the
confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction and the
information included in the Disclosure Schedules. Notwithstanding the
foregoing and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the
contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser
makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in
effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced
pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, (ii) no
Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in
any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from
and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are
first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in
Section 4.4 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality to the
Company or its Subsidiaries after the issuance of the initial press release as
described in Section 4.4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a
Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio
managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio
managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the
portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the
covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets
managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase
the Securities covered by this Agreement.
ARTICLE
V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination.
This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s
obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations
between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other
parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before February 1, 2010;
provided, however, that no such
termination will affect the right of any party to xxx for any breach by the
other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees and
Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction
Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its
advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses
incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all
Transfer Agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection
with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
5.3 Entire
Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the
exhibits and schedules thereto, the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement,
contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject
matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or
written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been
merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
22
5.4 Notices. Any
and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to
be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and
effective on the earliest of: (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or
communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on
the signature pages attached hereto prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a
Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such
notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number set
forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day
or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second
(2nd)
Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized
overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such
notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and
communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached
hereto.
5.5 Amendments;
Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived,
modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the
case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers holding at least 75% in
interest of the Shares then outstanding or, in the case of a waiver, by the
party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is
sought. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision,
condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing
waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any
other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or
omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the
exercise of any such right.
5.6 Headings. The
headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this
Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions
hereof.
5.7 Successors and
Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted
assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or
obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other
than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights
under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers
any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound,
with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction
Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”
5.8 No Third-Party
Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of
the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is
not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other
Person.
5.9 Governing
Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity,
enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by
and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of
New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law
thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the
interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a
party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders,
employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal
courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to
the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City
of New York, borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder
or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or
discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the
Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert
in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject
to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is
improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party
hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process
being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof
via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of
delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this
Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient
service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall
be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner
permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or
proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in
addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.6, the prevailing
party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for
its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the
investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or
proceeding.
23
5.10 Survival. The
representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and
the delivery of the Securities.
5.11 Execution. This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken
together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become
effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the
other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same
counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by
facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, such
signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or
on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if
such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If
any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a
court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable,
the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth
herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected,
impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially
reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same
or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision,
covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the
intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be
hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
5.13 Replacement of
Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any
Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or
cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation
thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a
new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The
applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall
also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity)
associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.14 Remedies. In
addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by
law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will
be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction
Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be
adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of
obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and
not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the
defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
24
5.15 Payment Set
Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or
payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser
enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the
proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently
invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered
from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored
to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other person under any law
(including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common
law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration
the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be
revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been
made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.16 Independent Nature of
Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each
Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the
obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any
way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other
Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or
in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant
thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an
association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a
presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group
with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the
Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to
independently protect and enforce its rights including, without limitation, the
rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents,
and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an
additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser
has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in their review and
negotiation of the Transaction Documents. The Company has elected to
provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the
convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so
by any of the Purchasers.
5.17 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays,
etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action
or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a
Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on
the next succeeding Business Day.
5.18 Construction. The
parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel has reviewed and
had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the
normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be
resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation
of the Transaction Documents or any amendments hereto. In addition, each
and every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any
Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward
stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions
of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
25
5.19 WAIVER OF
JURY TRIAL. IN ANY
ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY
OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST
EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY,
IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature
Pages Follow)
26
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto
have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their
respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated
above.
CHINA
MARINE FOOD GROUP LIMITED
|
Address for Notice:
|
||
Da
Bao Industrial zone
|
|||
Shishi
City
|
|||
Fujian
|
|||
China
|
|||
By:
|
|
Fax:
|
|
Name:
|
|||
Title:
|
|||
With
a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
|
|||
Xxxxxxxxxx
& Xxxxx LLP
|
|||
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
|
|||
Xxx
Xxxx Xxx Xxxx 00000
|
|||
Xxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx, Esq
|
[REMAINDER
OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE
PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
27
[PURCHASER
SIGNATURE PAGES TO CHINA MARINE FOOD GROUP LIMITED SECURITIES PURCHASE
AGREEMENT]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement
to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date
first indicated above.
Name of
Purchaser: ________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of
Purchaser: _________________________________
Name of
Authorized Signatory:
_______________________________________________
Title of
Authorized Signatory:
________________________________________________
Email
Address of Authorized
Signatory:_________________________________________
Facsimile
Number of Authorized Signatory:
__________________________________________
Address
for Notice of Purchaser:
Address
for Delivery of Securities for Purchaser (if not same as address for
notice):
Subscription
Amount: $_________________
Shares:
_________________
EIN
Number: [PROVIDE
THIS UNDER SEPARATE COVER]
[SIGNATURE
PAGES CONTINUE]
28
Schedule
3.1(a)
Subsidiaries
As set
forth in the SEC Reports, below is an organizational chart of the Company and
its subsidiaries:
The
Company is a holding company organized under the laws of Nevada and Ocean
Technology is a holding company organized under the laws of Hong
Kong. The other subsidiaries are organized under the laws of the
People’s Republic of China. All subsidiaries are wholly-owned except for
Xianghe, the beverage company, in which an 80% interest is
owned.
29
Schedule
3.1(g)
Capitalization
References
are made to the Company’s SEC Reports, including the annual report on Form 10K
for the year ended December 31, 2008 and subsequent quarterly reports on form
10Q
30
Schedule
3.1(i)
Material
Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments
Reference
is made to the Company’s SEC Reports
31
Schedule
3.1(z)
Solvency
References
are made to the Company’s SEC Reports
32
Schedule 3.1
(cc)
Accountants
The
Company’s current accounting firm is ZYCPA Company Limited (formerly Xxxxx Xx
(Hong Kong) C.P.A. Company Limited).
33