REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.14
This
Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”)
is
made and entered into as of January__________, 2007, among Bio-Bridge Science,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”),
and
the purchasers signatory hereto (each such purchaser is a “Purchaser”
and
all
such purchasers are, collectively, the “Purchasers”).
This
Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of
the
date hereof among the Company and the Purchasers (the “Purchase
Agreement”).
The
Company and the Purchasers hereby agree as follows:
1.
Definitions
Capitalized
terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase
Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement.
As
used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
“Advice”
shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).
“Effectiveness
Date”
means,
with respect to the initial Registration Statement required to be filed
hereunder, 120 calendar days after the Filing Date and, with respect to any
additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section
3(c); provided,
however,
in the
event the Company is notified by the Commission that one of the above
Registration Statements will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further
review and comments, the Effectiveness Date as to such Registration Statement
shall be the seventh Trading Day following the date on which the Company is
so
notified if such date precedes the dates required above.
“Effectiveness
Period”
shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2.
“Filing
Date”
means,
with respect to the initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the
60th calendar
day following the Closing Date and, with respect to any additional Registration
Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the 60th day
following the date on which the Company first knows, or reasonably should have
known that such additional Registration Statement is required hereunder.
“Holder”
or
“Holders”
means
the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable
Securities.
“Indemnified
Party”
shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c) hereof.
“Indemnifying
Party”
shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c) hereof.
“Losses”
shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).
“Proceeding”
means
an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without
limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition),
whether commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus”
means
the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without
limitation, a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from
a
prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance
upon
Rule 430A promulgated under the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented
by
any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any
portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement,
and
all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective
amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
“Registrable
Securities”
means,
as of the date in question, (i) all of the shares of Common Stock issuable
upon
conversion in full of the shares of Preferred Stock, (ii) all Warrant Shares,
(iii) any securities issued or issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other
distribution recapitalization or similar event with respect to the foregoing
and
(iv) any additional shares issuable in connection with any anti-dilution
provisions associated with the Preferred Stock and Warrants.
“Registration
Statement”
means
the registration statements required to be filed hereunder and any additional
registration statements contemplated by Section 3(c), including (in each case)
the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration statement or
Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto,
and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by
reference in such registration statement.
“Rule
415”
means
Rule 415 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 purpose and
effect as such Rule.
“Rule
424”
means
Rule 424 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 purpose and
effect as such Rule.
2.
Shelf
Registration
On
or
prior to each Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and file with the
Commission a “Shelf” Registration Statement covering the resale of the
Registrable Securities on such Filing Date for an offering to be made on a
continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. The Registration Statement shall be
on Form S-B2 (except if the Company is not then eligible to register for resale
the Registrable Securities on Form SB-2, in which case such registration shall
be on another appropriate form in accordance herewith). Subject to the
terms of this Agreement, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable
efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be declared effective under
the
Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, and shall
use
its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Registration Statement
continuously effective under the Securities Act until the earliest of (i) the
date that is two (2) years after the last day of the calendar month following
the month in which the relevant Effective Date occurs, (ii) the date when the
Holder may sell all Registrable Securities under Rule 144 without volume or
other restrictions or limits or (iii) the date the Holders no longer own any
of
the Registrable Securities (the “Effectiveness
Period”).
The Company shall immediately notify the Holders via facsimile or e-mail of
the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement within three calendar days that
the
Company receives notification of the effectiveness from the
Commission.
3.
Registration
Procedures
In
connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company
shall:
(a)
(i)
Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective
amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection
therewith as may be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously
effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness
Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration
Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of
the
Registrable Securities; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or
supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of
this
Agreement), and as so supplemented or amended to be filed pursuant to Rule
424;
(iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments received from
the Commission with respect to a Registration Statement or any amendment
thereto; and (iv) comply in all material respects with the provisions of the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition of all
Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement during the applicable
period in accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended
methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration
Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.
(b)
If
during the Effectiveness Period, the number of Registrable Securities at any
time exceeds the number of shares of Common Stock then registered in a
Registration Statement, then the Company shall file as soon as reasonably
practicable but in any case prior to the applicable Filing Date, an additional
Registration Statement covering the resale by the Holders of such additional
Registrable Securities.
(c)
Use
its commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued,
obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order suspending the effectiveness of a
Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or
exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale
in
any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.
2
(d)
Promptly deliver to each Holder, without charge, some copies of the Prospectus
or Prospectuses (including each form of prospectus) and each amendment or
supplement thereto as such Persons may reasonably request in connection with
resales by the Holder of Registrable Securities. Subject to the terms of
this Agreement, the Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and
each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in
connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered
by
such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto,
(e)
Prior
to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its commercially
reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders
in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the
Registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale
by
the Holder under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions within
the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each
registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the
Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably
necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable
Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that the Company
shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction
where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax
in
any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent
to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(f)
If
requested by the Holders, cooperate with the Holders to facilitate the timely
preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities
to
be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which
certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement,
of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be
in
such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holders may
request.
(g)
Comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.
(h)
The
Company may require each selling Holder to furnish to the Company a certified
statement as to the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by
such
Holder and, if required by the Commission, the person thereof that has voting
and dispositive control over the Shares. During any periods that the Company
is
unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of
the
Registrable Securities solely because any Holder fails to furnish such
information within five Trading Days of the Company’s request, any liquidated
damages that are accruing at such time as to such Holder only shall be tolled
and any Event that may otherwise occur solely because of such delay shall be
suspended as to such Holder only, until such information is delivered to the
Company.
4.
Registration
Expenses.
All
fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with this
Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company whether or not any
Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to the Registration Statement. The
fees
and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without
limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation,
fees and expenses (A) with respect to filings required to be made with the
Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, and (B)
in
compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws reasonably agreed
to by the Company in writing (including, without limitation, fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with Blue Sky
qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities and determination
of
the eligibility of the Registrable Securities for investment under the laws
of
such jurisdictions as requested by the Holders), (ii) printing expenses
(including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for
Registrable Securities), (iii)
fees
and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (iv)
Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance,
and (v) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in
connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of its
internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation,
all
salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or
accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses
incurred in connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities on any
securities exchange as required hereunder. In no event shall the Company
be responsible for any broker or similar commissions or any legal fees or other
costs of the Holders.
5.
Indemnification
(a)
Indemnification
by the Company.
The
Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify
and
hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, agents and employees of
each
of them, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section
15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers,
directors, agents and employees of each such controlling Person, to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims,
damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable
attorneys’ fees) and expenses (collectively, “Losses”),
as
incurred, arising out of or relating to any untrue or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any Prospectus or
any
form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto , or arising out
of
or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required
to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case
of
any Prospectus or form of prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except to the extent,
but only to the extent, that such untrue statements or omissions are based
solely upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the
Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such
information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of
distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved
in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement, such
Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement
thereto.
3
(b)
Indemnification
by Holders.
Each
Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the
Company, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person who controls
the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section
20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents or employees of
such controlling Persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law,
from and against all Losses, as incurred, to the extent arising out of or based
solely upon: (a) such Holder’s failure to comply with the prospectus delivery
requirements of the Securities Act or (b) any untrue or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus,
or
any form of prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any
preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged
omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading (i) to the extent, but only to the extent,
that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so
furnished in writing by such Holder to the Company specifically for inclusion
in
such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or (ii) to the extent that such
untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information regarding
such
Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use
therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such
Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was
reviewed by such Holder expressly for use in the Registration Statement , such
Prospectus or such form of Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto.
In no event shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater
in
amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder upon
the sale of the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification
obligation.
(c)
Conduct
of Indemnification Proceedings.
If any
Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity
hereunder (an “Indemnified
Party”),
such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity
is
sought (the “Indemnifying
Party”)
in
writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the defense
thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
Indemnified Party and the payment of all fees and expenses incurred in
connection with defense thereof; provided, that the failure of any Indemnified
Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its
obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to
the
extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction
(which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such
failure shall have prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.
An
Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such
Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses
of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties
unless: (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees
and expenses; (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume
the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory
to
such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding; or (3) the named parties to
any
such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified
Party and the Indemnifying Party, and such Indemnified Party shall reasonably
believe that a material conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same
counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party
(in
which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing
that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Indemnifying
Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense
thereof and the reasonable fees and expenses of one separate counsel shall
be at
the expense of the Indemnifying Party). The Indemnifying Party shall not
be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without its written
consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. No Indemnifying
Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect
any settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified
Party is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release
of
such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter
of such Proceeding.
6.
Reports
Under Exchange Act.
With a view to making available to the Holder the benefits of Rule 144
promulgated under the Securities Act and any other rule or regulation of the
SEC
that may at any time permit a Holder to sell Registrable Shares of the Company
to the public without registration, the Company agrees to:
4
(a) |
Make
and keep public information available, as those terms are used in
SEC Rule
144, at all times;
|
(b) |
File
with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required
of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act;
and
|
(c) |
Undertake
any additional actions reasonably necessary to maintain the availability
of the use of Rule 144.
|
7.
Miscellaneous
(a)
Remedies.
In the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder, of any of their
obligations under this Agreement, each other Holder or the Company, as the
case
may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law
and
under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to
specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. The Company and
each Holder agree that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation
for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions
of
this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any action for
specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall waive the defense
that
a remedy at law would be adequate.
(b)
Compliance.
Each
Holder, severally and not jointly, covenants and agrees that it will comply
with
the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to
it
in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration
Statement.
(c)
Discontinued
Disposition.
Each
Holder, severally and not jointly, agrees by its acquisition of such Registrable
Securities that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence
of
any event of the kind described in Section 3(c), such Holder will forthwith
discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under a Registration
Statement until such Holder’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented
Prospectus and/or amended Registration Statement, or until it is advised in
writing (the “Advice”)
by the
Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus may be resumed, and, in either
case, has received copies of any additional or supplemental filings that are
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus or
Registration Statement. The Company will use its commercially reasonable
efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly
as
it practicable. The Company agrees and acknowledges that any periods
during which the Holder is required to discontinue the disposition of the
Registrable Securities hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section
2(b).
(d)
Amendments
and Waivers.
The
provisions of this Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented,
and
waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given,
unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and each Holder
of
the then outstanding Registrable Securities. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect
to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of Holders and that does
not
directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given by
Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent
relates; provided,
however,
that
the provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented
except in accordance with the provisions of the immediately preceding
sentence.
(e)
Notices.
Any and
all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to
be
provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase
Agreement.
(f)
Successors
and Assigns.
This
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors
and
permitted assigns of each of the parties and shall inure to the benefit of
each
Holder. The Company may not assign its rights or obligations hereunder without
the prior written consent of all of the Holders of the then-outstanding
Registrable Securities. Each Holder may assign their respective rights hereunder
in the manner and to the Persons as permitted under the Purchase
Agreement.
(g)
No
Inconsistent Agreements.
Neither
the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered, as of the date hereof,
nor
shall the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on or after the date of this
Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would
have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement
or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof.
(h)
Execution
and Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when
so
executed shall be deemed to be an original and, all of which taken together
shall constitute one and the same Agreement. In the event that any signature
is
delivered by facsimile transmission, such signature shall create a valid binding
obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed
the same with the same force and effect as if such facsimile signature were
the
original thereof).
5
(i)
Governing
Law.
All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and
interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined with the provisions of
the
Purchase Agreement.
(j)
Cumulative
Remedies.
The
remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any remedies
provided by law.
(k)
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.
(l)
Headings.
The
headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall
not
limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.
(m)
Independent
Nature of Holders’ Obligations and Rights.
The
obligations of each Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the
obligations of any other Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible
in
any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder.
Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at
any
closing, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall
be
deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint
venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Holders
are in any way acting in concert with respect to such obligations or the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Each Holder shall be entitled
to
protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising
out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to
be
joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.
6
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement
as
of the date first written above.
BIO-BRIDGE
SCIENCE, INC.
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
|
|
|
Name:
Xxxxx Xxxx, MD
|
|
|
Title:
Chairman & Chief Executive
Officer
|
[SIGNATURE
PAGE OF HOLDERS FOLLOWS]
7
[PURCHASER’S
SIGNATURE PAGE]
Name
of Investing Entity:
|
|
Signature
of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity:
|
|
Name
of Authorized Signatory:
|
|
Title
of Authorized Signatory:
|
[SIGNATURE
PAGES CONTINUE]
8