EVELO BIOSCIENCES, INC. COMMON STOCK SALES AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.2
$50,000,000
COMMON STOCK
June 3, 2019
Xxxxx and Company, LLC
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Evelo Biosciences, Inc. (the "Company"), confirms its agreement (this "Agreement") with Xxxxx and Company, LLC ("Cowen"), as follows:
1.Issuance and Sale of Shares. The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through Cowen, acting as agent and/or principal, shares (the "Placement Shares") of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the "Common Stock"), having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitation set forth in this Section 1 on the number of shares of Common Stock issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and Cowen shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The issuance and sale of the Placement Shares through Cowen will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and to be declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement to issue the Placement Shares.
The Company has filed or will file, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the "Securities Act"), with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3, including (a) a base prospectus, relating to certain securities, including the Common Stock, to be issued from time to time by the Company, and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the "Exchange Act") and (b) a prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Placement Shares (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement. The Company has furnished to Cowen, for use by Cowen, copies of the prospectus included as part of such registration statement, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, relating to the Placement Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, as amended when it became, or becomes, effective, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B or 462(b) of the Securities Act, is herein called the "Registration Statement." The base prospectus and Prospectus Supplement, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented by any additional prospectus supplement, in the form in which such prospectus and/or Prospectus Supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission, together with any "issuer free writing prospectus," as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act regulations ("Rule 433"), relating to the Placement Shares that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (ii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i), in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g), is herein called the "Prospectus." Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms "amend," "amendment" or "supplement" with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement
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thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to the Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System or any successor thereto ("XXXXX").
2.Placements. Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell the Placement Shares hereunder (each, a "Placement"), it will notify Cowen by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the parties) (a "Placement Notice") containing the parameters in accordance with which it desires the Placement Shares to be sold, which shall at a minimum include the number of Placement Shares to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of Placement Shares that may be sold in any one Trading Day (as defined in Section 3) and any minimum price below which sales may not be made, a form of which containing such minimum sales parameters necessary is attached hereto as Schedule 1. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Schedule 2 (with a copy to each of the other individuals from the Company listed on such schedule), and shall be addressed to each of the individuals from Cowen set forth on Schedule 2, as such Schedule 2 may be amended in writing from time to time. The Placement Notice shall be effective upon receipt by Cowen unless and until (i) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, Cowen declines to accept the terms contained therein for any reason, in its sole discretion, (ii) the entire amount of the Placement Shares have been sold, (iii) in accordance with the notice requirements set forth in Section 4, the Company suspends or terminates the Placement Notice for any reason in its sole discretion, (iv) the Company issues a subsequent Placement Notice with parameters superseding those on the earlier dated Placement Notice, or (v) this Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 11. The amount of any discount, commission or other compensation to be paid by the Company to Cowen in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Schedule 3. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor Cowen will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Shares unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to Cowen and Cowen does not decline such Placement Notice pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified therein and herein. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, the terms of the Placement Notice will control.
3.Sale of Placement Shares by Cowen. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the Company’s delivery of a Placement Notice, and unless the sale of the Placement Shares described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, Cowen, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. ("Nasdaq") to sell such Placement Shares up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice. Cowen will provide written confirmation to the Company (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the Company set forth on Schedule 2, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Shares hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Shares sold on such day, the volume-weighted average price of the Placement Shares sold, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company. Cowen may sell Placement Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an "at the market" offering as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act, including without limitation sales made through Nasdaq or on any other existing trading market for the Common Stock. If expressly authorized by the Company in a Placement Notice, Cowen may also sell Placement Shares in negotiated transactions. Cowen shall not purchase Placement Shares for its own account as principal unless expressly authorized to do so by the Company in a Placement Notice. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that Cowen will be successful in selling Placement Shares, and (ii) Cowen will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Placement Shares for any reason other than a failure by Cowen to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Shares as required under this Section 3. For the purposes hereof, "Trading Day" means any day on which the Company’s Common Stock is purchased and sold on the principal market on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.
4.Suspension of Sales.
(a)The Company or Cowen may, upon notice to the other party in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 2, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other party set forth on Schedule 2), suspend any sale of Placement Shares; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Placement Shares sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. Each of the parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be
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effective against the other unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Schedule 2 hereto, as such schedule may be amended in writing from time to time.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, during any period in which the Company is in possession of material non-public information, the Company and Cowen agree that (i) no sale of Placement Shares will take place, (ii) the Company shall not request the sale of any Placement Shares, and (iii) Cowen shall not be obligated to sell or offer to sell any Placement Shares.
(c)If either Cowen or the Company has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Common Stock, it shall promptly notify the other party, and Cowen may, at its sole discretion, suspend sales of the Placement Shares under this Agreement.
(d)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, during any period in which the Registration Statement is no longer effective under the Securities Act, the Company shall promptly notify Cowen, the Company shall not request the sale of any Placement Shares, and Cowen shall not be obligated to sell or offer to sell any Placement Shares.
5.Settlement.
(a)Settlement of Placement Shares. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Shares will occur on the second (2nd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the trade date on which such sales are made (each, a "Settlement Date" and the first such settlement date, the "First Delivery Date"). The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Shares sold (the "Net Proceeds") will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by Cowen at which such Placement Shares were sold, after deduction for (i) Xxxxx’x commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof, (ii) any other amounts due and payable by the Company to Cowen hereunder pursuant to Section 7(g) (Expenses) hereof, and (iii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales.
(b)Delivery of Placement Shares. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Shares being sold by crediting Xxxxx’x or its designee’s account (provided Cowen shall have given the Company written notice of such designee at least one (1) Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto which in all cases shall be freely tradeable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, Cowen will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date. Cowen will be responsible for providing DWAC instructions or instructions for delivery by other means with regard to the transfer of the Placement Shares being sold. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver duly authorized Placement Shares on a Settlement Date (other than as a result of a failure by Cowen to provide instructions for delivery), in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 9(a) (Indemnification and Contribution) hereto, it will (i) hold Cowen harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or reasonably incurred and documented expense (including reasonably incurred and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company and (ii) pay to Cowen (without duplication) any commission, discount, or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.
6.Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, Cowen that, unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies otherwise, as of the date of this Agreement, each Representation Date (as defined in Section 7(m)), each date on which a Placement Notice is given, and any date on which Placement Shares are sold hereunder:
(a)Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. As of each Representation Date, each date on which a Placement Notice is given, and any date on which Placement Shares are sold hereunder, each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto shall have become effective under the Securities Act, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the Securities Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
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Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it was filed and of its effectiveness, and at each deemed effective date with respect to Cowen pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the Securities Act, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus delivered to Cowen for use in connection with this offering was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement, when they become effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.
The sale of the Placement Shares hereunder meets the requirements or General Instruction I.B.1 of Form S-3.
(b)No Misstatement or Omission. The Prospectus when filed complied and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any post-effective amendments or supplements thereto, at the time it became effective or its date, as applicable, complied and as of each of the Settlement Dates, if any, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and, as of each Settlement Date, if any, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date, did not and, as of each of the Settlement Dates, if any, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to Cowen furnished to the Company in writing by Cowen expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the Agent’s Information (as defined below). There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.
(c)Offering Materials Furnished to Cowen. The Company has delivered to Cowen one complete copy of the Registration Statement and a copy of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits) and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as Cowen has reasonably requested.
(d)Company Stock Plans. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change (as defined below) on the Company and each subsidiary of the Company (each, a "Subsidiary" and, collectively, the "Subsidiaries"), taken as a whole, with respect to the stock options granted pursuant to the stock based compensation plans of the Company (the "Company Stock Plans"), each grant of a stock option was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans and all applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including all applicable federal securities laws.
(e)Emerging Growth Company. On the date of the initial filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission, the Company has been and is an "emerging growth company," as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an "Emerging Growth Company").
(f)Not an Ineligible Issuer. The Company currently is not an "ineligible issuer," as defined in Rule 405 of the rules and regulation of the Commission. The Company agrees to notify Cowen promptly upon the Company becoming an "ineligible issuer."
(g)Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the completion of Xxxxx’x distribution of the Placement Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Placement Shares other than the Prospectus or the Registration Statement.
(h)The Sales Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(i)Authorization of the Common Stock. The Placement Shares, when issued and delivered, will be duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; and the issuance of the Placement Shares is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Common Stock conforms in all material respects to all
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statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Placement Shares will be subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such a holder. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents in all material respects the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.
(j)No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the Securities Act pursuant to this Agreement, other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and have been waived.
(k)No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as defined below) considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a "Material Adverse Change"); (B) the Company and its Subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (C) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock (other than from its employees or other service providers in connection with the termination of their service pursuant to plans or agreements described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus), nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (D) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries, except in each case as described in each of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, respectively.
(l)Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(m)Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with U.S. GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(n)Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not reasonably be likely to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(o)Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each Subsidiary has been duly organized, is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization (to the extent the concept of good standing is applicable in such jurisdiction), has the corporate or other organizational power and authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction (to the extent the concept of good standing is applicable in such jurisdiction) in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing
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would not result in a Material Adverse Change; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (to the extent that such concepts are applicable in such jurisdiction) and are owned directly by the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. The only Subsidiaries of the Company are the Subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year and other than (i) those subsidiaries not required to be listed on Exhibit 21.1 by Item 601 of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act and (ii) those subsidiaries formed since the last day of the most recently ended fiscal year.
(p)Capitalization. The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(q)Absence of Labor Dispute. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, no labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists, except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent; and (b) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors.
(r)Absence of Further Requirements. The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene any provision of (i) applicable law, (ii) the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company, (iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iv) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary, except that in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change, or on the power and ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states or the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. ("FINRA") in connection with the offer and sale of the Placement Shares.
(s)No Material Actions or Proceedings. There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or its Subsidiaries is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and proceedings that would not result in a Material Adverse Change, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and are not so described in all material respects; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents to which the Company or its Subsidiaries is subject or bound that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described in all material respects or filed as required.
(t)Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.
(u)Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits (collectively, "Governmental Licenses") issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to obtain such Governmental Licenses would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Change, except as described in the Registration Statement.
(v)Title to Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries do not own any real property. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the
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Company and its Subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(w)Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all material U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have properly requested extensions thereof and have paid all material taxes required to be paid by them (except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company). No tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that has had a material adverse effect and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency that could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its Subsidiaries and that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect.
(x)Company Not an "Investment Company." The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Placement Shares as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an "investment company" as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").
(y)Insurance. The Company and its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries 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 at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change, except as described in the Registration Statement.
(z)No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or , to the Company’s knowledge, any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which would be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Placement Shares or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
(aa)Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, or stockholders of the Company, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents.
(bb) Exchange Act Compliance. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the Settlement Dates, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(cc) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or controlled affiliates, nor any director, officer, or employee thereof, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent or representative of the Company or of any of its Subsidiaries or controlled affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment, giving or receipt of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any government official (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) ("Government Official") in order to influence official action, or to any person in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the "FCPA"); (ii) the Company and its Subsidiaries and controlled affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with the FCPA and with the representations and warranties contained herein; and (iii) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the sale of the Placement Shares in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of the FCPA.
(dd) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening
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America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the "Money Laundering Laws"), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(ee) Compliance with OFAC. None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any director, officer or employee thereof, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, controlled affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, is an individual or entity ("Person") that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that are: (A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, "Sanctions"), or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria). The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the sale of the Placement Shares, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person: (A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or (B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise). For the past five years, the Company and its Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(ff) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain a system of "internal control over financial reporting" (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act (the "Exchange Act Rules")) that is 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 U.S. 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. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act Rules) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that 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, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management to allow timely decisions regarding disclosures. The Company has conducted evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(gg) Compliance with Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants ("Environmental Laws"), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.
(hh) Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and
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other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names (collectively, "Intellectual Property") currently employed by them in connection with the business now operated by them (collectively, the "Company Intellectual Property"), and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Change. Other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no rights of third parties to any of the Intellectual Property owned by the Company, and such Intellectual Property is owned by the Company free and clear of all material liens, security interests, or encumbrances; to the knowledge of the Company, the patents, trademarks and copyrights held or licensed by the Company included within the Company Intellectual Property are valid, enforceable and subsisting; to the Company’s knowledge, there is no infringement by third parties of any of the Company Intellectual Property; other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries is obligated to pay a material royalty, grant a license, or provide other material consideration to any third party in connection with the Company Intellectual Property, (ii) the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any action, suit, proceeding or claim that the Company or its Subsidiaries is infringing, misappropriating, diluting or otherwise violating any rights of others with respect to any of the Company’s product candidates, processes or Intellectual Property, (iii) no action, suit, claim or other proceeding is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, challenging the validity, enforceability, scope, registration, ownership or use of any of the Company Intellectual Property, (iv) no action, suit, claim or other proceeding is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Company Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim, (v) to the knowledge of the Company, the development, manufacture, sale, and any currently proposed use of any of the products, proposed products or processes of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, in the current or proposed conduct of the business of the Company, do not currently, and will not upon commercialization, to the knowledge of the Company, infringe any right or valid patent claim of any third party, (vi) to the knowledge of the Company, no third party has any ownership right in or to any Company Intellectual Property in any field of use that is exclusively licensed to the Company, other than any licensor to the Company of such Company Intellectual Property or applicable government march-in rights, (vii) to the knowledge of the Company, no employee, consultant or independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is in or has ever been in violation in any material respect of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer or independent contractor where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment or independent contractor’s engagement with the Company or actions undertaken while employed or engaged with the Company, and (viii) the Company has taken reasonable measures to protect its confidential information and trade secrets and to maintain and safeguard the Company Intellectual Property, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements. All patents and patent applications owned by or licensed to the Company or under which the Company has rights have, to the knowledge of the Company, been duly and properly filed and maintained, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change; to the knowledge of the Company, there are no material defects in any of the patents or patent applications disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as being owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries; to the knowledge of the Company, the parties prosecuting such applications have complied with their duty of candor and disclosure to the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("USPTO") in connection with such applications; and the Company is not aware of any facts required to be disclosed to the USPTO that were not disclosed to the USPTO and which would preclude the grant of a patent in connection with any such application or could form the basis of a finding of invalidity with respect to any patents that have issued with respect to such applications.
(ii) Listing. The Company is subject to and in compliance in all material respects with the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the Nasdaq, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or reasonably likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or Nasdaq is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.
(jj) Brokers. Except for Xxxxx, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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(kk) No Outstanding Loans or Other Indebtedness. Except as described in the Prospectus, there are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of the members of any of them.
(ll) No Reliance. The Company has not relied upon Xxxxx or legal counsel for Xxxxx for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Placement Shares.
(mm) Compliance with Laws. The Company has not been advised, and has no reason to believe, that it and each of its Subsidiaries are not conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is conducting business, except where failure to be so in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Change.
(nn) Regulatory Matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries have operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they are conducting business. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) is and at all times has been in material compliance with all statutes, rules or regulations applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, labeling, promotion, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product candidate under development, manufactured or distributed by the Company ("Applicable Laws"); (ii) has not received any FDA Form 483, notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other written correspondence or notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") or any other similar federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority (each a "Governmental Authority") alleging or asserting material noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any licenses, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations, permits and supplements or amendments thereto required by any Applicable Laws to conduct the Company’s business as described in Registration Statement ("Authorizations"); (iii) possesses all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries is in material violation of any such Authorizations; (iv) has not received notice of any pending or completed claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from the FDA or any other Governmental Authority or third party alleging that any product candidate operation or activity is in material violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and the Company has no knowledge that the FDA or any other Governmental Authority or third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (v) has not received notice that the FDA or Governmental Authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, materially modify or revoke any material Authorizations and has no knowledge that the FDA or any other Governmental Authority is considering such action; and (vi) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were materially complete and correct on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission). Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its officers, directors or managing employees (as defined in 42 U.S.C. x 0000x-0(x)) is or has been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any state or federal health care program, or made subject to any pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated action which could reasonably be expected to result in such exclusion, suspension or debarment.
(oo) Clinical Trials and Preclinical Studies and Tests. The clinical trials and preclinical studies and tests conducted by the Company that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and, to the Company’s knowledge, those clinical trials and preclinical studies and tests conducted on behalf of the Company, were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to accepted professional scientific standards and all Applicable Laws and Authorizations, including, without limitation, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The descriptions of the results of such trials, studies and tests contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are accurate and complete and fairly present the data derived from such trials, studies and tests in all material respects. The Company is not aware of any trials, studies or tests, the results of which the Company believes are materially inconsistent with the trial, study or test results described or referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus when viewed in the context in which such results are described and the clinical state of development. The Company has not received any notices or written correspondence from the FDA or any other Governmental Authority requiring the termination, suspension or material modification of any clinical trials or preclinical studies or tests conducted by or on behalf of the Company.
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(pp) Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. Solely to the extent that the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and Nasdaq thereunder (the "Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act") have been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(qq) Cybersecurity. (A) To the knowledge of the Company, there has been no security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise of or relating to the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, "IT Systems and Data") that would result in a Material Adverse Change; (B) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have been notified of, or have any knowledge of, any event or condition that would result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; and (C) the Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented appropriate controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable regulatory standards. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, the Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
(rr) Privacy Laws. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are in material compliance with all applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA"), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (the "HITECH Act") (42 U.S.C. Section 17921 et seq.) and the European Union General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") (EU 2016/679) (collectively, "Privacy Laws"). The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or any other agreement referred to in this Agreement will not result in a material breach by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any applicable Privacy Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received notice of any actual or potential liability under, or actual or potential material violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, or (ii) is a party to any order or decree that imposes any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.
(ss) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of Xxxxx and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of Xxxxx.
(tt) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(uu) Forward Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(vv) No Rated Securities. Neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have any debt securities or preferred stock that are rated by any "nationally recognized statistical rating agency" (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act).
(ww) ERISA Compliance. Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, (i) each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"), for which the Company or any member of its "Controlled Group" (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code) would have any liability (each, a "Employee Benefit Plan") has been maintained in compliance in all material respects with ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) for each Employee Benefit Plan that is
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subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, as applicable, has been satisfied (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) and is reasonably expected to be satisfied in the future (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period); (iv) to the extent applicable to an Employee Benefit Plan, the fair market value of the assets of each Employee Benefit Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Employee Benefit Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Employee Benefit Plan); (v) no "reportable event" (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (vi) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Employee Benefit Plan or premiums to the PBGC, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of an Employee Benefit Plan (including a "multiemployer plan", within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (vii) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to Xxxxx or to counsel for Xxxxx shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to Xxxxx as to the matters set forth therein.
The Company acknowledges that Xxxxx and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 7 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to Xxxxx, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
7. | Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with Xxxxx that: |
(a)Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Xxxxx under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), (i) the Company will notify Xxxxx promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information (insofar as it relates to the transactions contemplated hereby), (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon Xxxxx’x reasonable request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in Xxxxx’x reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Shares by Xxxxx (provided, however, that the failure of Xxxxx to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect Xxxxx’x right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and provided, further, that (other than Xxxxx’x right under Section 9 hereof) the only remedy Xxxxx shall have with respect to the failure by the Company to make such filing shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement until such amendment or supplement is filed); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, relating to the Placement Shares or a security convertible into the Placement Shares unless a copy thereof has been submitted to Xxxxx within a reasonable period of time before the filing and Xxxxx has not reasonably objected thereto (provided, however, that the failure of Xxxxx to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect Xxxxx’x right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and provided, further, that (other than Xxxxx’x right under Section 9 hereof) the only remedy Xxxxx shall have with respect to the failure by the Company to obtain such consent shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to Xxxxx at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via XXXXX; (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, other than documents incorporated by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act, and (v) prior to the termination of this Agreement, the Company will notify Xxxxx if at any time the Registration Statement shall no longer be effective as a result of the passage of time pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act or otherwise. Prior to the initial sale of any Placement Shares, the Company shall file a final Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) relating to the Placement Shares.
(b)Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise Xxxxx, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such
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purpose; and it will promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued.
(c)Delivery of Prospectus; Subsequent Changes. During any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Xxxxx under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Shares, (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as from time to time in force, and to file on or before their respective due dates (taking into account any extensions available under the Exchange Act) all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, 15(d) or any other provision of or under the Exchange Act. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify Xxxxx to suspend the offering of Placement Shares during such period and the Company will promptly amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.
(d)Listing of Placement Shares. During any period in which the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Xxxxx under the Securities Act with respect to a pending sale of the Placement Shares (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Placement Shares to be listed on Nasdaq and to qualify the Placement Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as Xxxxx reasonably designates and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or dealer in securities or file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.
(e)Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to Xxxxx and its counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities as Xxxxx may from time to time reasonably request and, at Xxxxx’x request, will also furnish copies of the Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales of the Placement Shares may be made; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to Xxxxx to the extent such document is available on XXXXX.
(f)Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement covering a 12-month period that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 of the Securities Act.
(g)Expenses. The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 hereunder, will pay the following expenses all incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including, but not limited to, expenses relating to (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement and each amendment and supplement thereto, of each Prospectus and of each amendment and supplement thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Placement Shares, (iii) the qualification of the Placement Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(d) of this Agreement, including filing fees (provided, however, that any fees or disbursements of counsel for Xxxxx in connection therewith shall be paid by Xxxxx except as set forth in (vii) below), (iv) the printing and delivery to Xxxxx of copies of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and of this Agreement, (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing or qualification of the Placement Shares for trading on Nasdaq, (vi) the filing fees and expenses, if any, of the Commission, (vii) the filing fees and associated legal expenses of Xxxxx’x outside counsel for filings with the FINRA Corporate Financing Department, such legal expense reimbursement not to exceed $10,000 and, (viii) the reasonable fees and disbursements of Xxxxx’x counsel in an amount not to exceed $50,000.
(h)Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the Net Proceeds as described in the Prospectus in the section entitled "Use of Proceeds."
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(i)Notice of Other Sales. During the pendency of any Placement Notice given hereunder, and for five (5) trading days following the termination of any Placement Notice given hereunder, the Company shall provide Xxxxx notice as promptly as reasonably practicable before it offers to sell, contracts to sell, sells, grants any option to sell or otherwise disposes of any shares of Common Stock (other than Placement Shares offered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Common Stock; provided that such notice shall not be required in connection with the (i) issuance, grant or sale of Common Stock, options to purchase shares of Common Stock, restricted shares of Common Stock, restricted stock units or other equity awards, or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or other equity awards pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Prospectus, (ii) the issuance of securities in connection with an acquisition, merger or sale or purchase of assets, (iii) the issuance or sale of Common Stock pursuant to any dividend reinvestment plan that the Company may adopt from time to time provided the implementation of such is disclosed to Xxxxx in advance, (iv) the issuance or sale of any shares of common stock issuable upon the exchange, conversion or redemption of securities or the exercise of warrants, options or other rights in effect or outstanding or disclosed in filings by the Company available on XXXXX or otherwise in writing to Xxxxx prior to the date of the applicable Placement Notice, or (v) the issuance or sale of Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock, offered and sold in a privately negotiated transaction to vendors, customers, strategic partners or potential strategic partners conducted in a manner so as not to be integrated with the offering of Common Stock hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, nothing herein shall be construed to restrict the Company’s ability, or require the Company to provide notice to Xxxxx, to file a registration statement under the Securities Act.
(j)Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during the pendency of a Placement Notice, advise Xxxxx promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document provided to Xxxxx pursuant to this Agreement.
(k)Due Diligence Cooperation. The Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by Xxxxx or its agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as Xxxxx may reasonably request.
(l)Required Filings Relating to Placement of Placement Shares. The Company agrees that on such dates as the Securities Act shall require, the Company will (i) file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (each and every filing under Rule 424(b), a "Filing Date"), which prospectus supplement will set forth, within the relevant period, the amount of Placement Shares sold through Xxxxx, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to Xxxxx with respect to such Placement Shares, and (ii) deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of such exchange or market.
(m)Representation Dates; Certificate. On or prior to the First Delivery Date and each time the Company subsequently thereafter (i) amends or supplements the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares (other than a prospectus supplement filed in accordance with Section 7(l) of this Agreement) by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of document(s) by reference to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares; (ii) files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act; (iii) files its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or (iv) files a report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than information "furnished" pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or to provide disclosure pursuant to Item 8.01 of Form 8-K relating to the reclassification of certain properties as discontinued operations in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144) under the Exchange Act (each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a "Representation Date"); the Company shall furnish Xxxxx with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) within three (3) Trading Days of any Representation Date if requested by Xxxxx. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(m) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date; provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply for any Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide Xxxxx with a certificate under this Section 7(m), then before the Company delivers the Placement Notice or Xxxxx sells any
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Placement Shares, the Company shall provide Xxxxx with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m), dated the date of the Placement Notice.
(n)Legal Opinion. On or prior to the First Delivery Date and within three (3) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to Xxxxx a written opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP ("Company Counsel"), or other counsel satisfactory to Xxxxx, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Xxxxx and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, counsel may furnish Xxxxx with a letter (a "Reliance Letter") to the effect that Xxxxx may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(n) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Representation Date).
(o)Intellectual Property Opinion. On or prior to the First Delivery Date and within three (3) Trading Days of each Representation Date on which the Company files its Annual Report on 10-K (or, if the Company has notified Xxxxx that it does not then presently intend to make sales of Placement Shares under this Agreement, then the next date on which written opinions are delivered under this Agreement), the Company shall cause to be furnished to Xxxxx a written opinion and negative assurance letter of Xxxxx Xxxx LLP and XxXxxxxx & English, LLP (together, "Company IP Counsel"), or other counsel satisfactory to Xxxxx, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Xxxxx and its counsel, dated the date that the opinion is required to be delivered, with respect to intellectual property matters, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, however, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent Representation Dates, counsel may furnish Xxxxx with a Reliance Letter to the effect that Xxxxx may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(o) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented at such Representation Date).
(p)Comfort Letter. On or prior to the First Delivery Date and within three (3) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause its independent accountants to furnish Xxxxx letters (the "Comfort Letters"), dated the date such Comfort Letters are delivered, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Xxxxx, (i) confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the PCAOB, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ "comfort letters" to Xxxxx in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the "Initial Comfort Letter") and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.
(q)Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Placement Shares or (ii) sell, bid for, or purchase the Common Stock to be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement, or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Placement Shares other than Xxxxx; provided, however, that the Company may bid for and purchase shares of its common stock in accordance with Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act.
(r)Insurance. The Company and its Subsidiaries shall use commercially reasonably efforts to maintain, or cause to be maintained, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as is reasonable and customary for the business for which it is engaged.
(s)Compliance with Laws. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries shall maintain, or cause to be maintained, all material environmental permits, licenses and other authorizations required by federal, state and local law in order to conduct their businesses as described in the Prospectus, and the Company and each of its Subsidiaries shall conduct their businesses, or cause their businesses to be conducted, in substantial compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations and with applicable environmental laws, except where the failure to maintain or be in compliance with such permits, licenses and authorizations could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(t)Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor its Subsidiaries will be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement,
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an "investment company," as such term is defined in the 1940 Act, assuming no change in the Commission’s current interpretation as to entities that are not considered an investment company.
(u)Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of, or dealings in, the Placement Shares as contemplated by the provisions hereof and the Prospectus.
(v)No Offer to Sell. Other than the Prospectus and a free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) approved in advance by the Company and Xxxxx in its capacity as principal or agent hereunder, neither Xxxxx nor the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than Xxxxx in its capacity as such) will make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any written communication (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act), required to be filed with the Commission, that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy Common Stock hereunder.
(w)Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company and its Subsidiaries will use their commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all effective applicable provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.
8.Conditions to Xxxxx’x Obligations. The obligations of Xxxxx hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties made by the Company herein, to the due performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, to the completion by Xxxxx of a due diligence review satisfactory to Xxxxx in its reasonable judgment, and to the continuing satisfaction (or waiver by Xxxxx in its sole discretion) of the following additional conditions:
(a)Registration Statement Effective. The Registration Statement shall be effective and shall be available for (i) all sales of Placement Shares issued pursuant to all prior Placement Notices and (ii) the sale of all Placement Shares contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice.
(b)No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; or (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any material document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related Prospectus or such documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially 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, that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any materially 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c)No Misstatement or Material Omission. Xxxxx shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in Xxxxx’x reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in Xxxxx’x opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(d)Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any material adverse change, on a consolidated basis, in the authorized capital stock of the Company or any Material Adverse Change or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, or any downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities) by any rating organization or a public announcement by any rating organization that it has under surveillance or review its rating of any of the Company’s securities (other than asset backed securities), the effect of which, in the case of any such action by a rating organization described above, in the reasonable judgment of Xxxxx (without relieving the Company of any obligation or liability it may otherwise have), is so material as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering of the Placement Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
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(e)Company Counsel Legal Opinion. Xxxxx shall have received the opinions of Company Counsel required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(n) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(n).
(f)Xxxxx Counsel Legal Opinion. Xxxxx shall have received from Xxxxxxx Procter LLP, counsel for Xxxxx, such opinion or opinions, on or before the date on which the delivery of the Company Counsel legal opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(n), with respect to such matters as Xxxxx may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(g)Company IP Counsel Legal Opinion. Xxxxx shall have received the opinions of Company IP Counsel required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(o) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(o).
(h)Comfort Letter. Xxxxx shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(p) on or before the date on which such delivery of such Comfort Letter is required pursuant to Section 7(p).
(i)Representation Certificate. Xxxxx shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(m).
(j)Secretary’s Certificate. On or prior to the First Delivery Date, Xxxxx shall have received a certificate, signed on behalf of the Company by its corporate Secretary, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Xxxxx and its counsel.
(k)No Suspension. Trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended on Nasdaq.
(l)Other Materials. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(m), the Company shall have furnished to Xxxxx such appropriate further information, certificates and documents as Xxxxx may have reasonably requested. All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents shall have been in compliance with the provisions hereof. The Company will furnish Xxxxx with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as Xxxxx shall have reasonably requested.
(m)Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.
(n)Approval for Listing. The Placement Shares shall either have been (i) approved for listing on Nasdaq, subject only to notice of issuance, or (ii) the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Shares on Nasdaq at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.
(o)No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred any event that would permit Xxxxx to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 11(a).
9.Indemnification and Contribution.
(a)Company Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Xxxxx, the directors, officers, partners, employees and agents of Xxxxx and each person, if any, who (i) controls Xxxxx within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with Xxxxx (a "Xxxxx Affiliate") from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including, but not limited to, any and all reasonable investigative, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any and all amounts paid in settlement (in accordance with Section 9(c)) of, any action, suit or proceeding between any of the indemnified parties and any indemnifying parties or between any indemnified party and any third party, or otherwise, or any claim asserted), as and when incurred, to which Xxxxx, or any such person, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based, directly or indirectly, on (x) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any free writing prospectus or in any application or other document executed by or on behalf of the Company or based on written information furnished by or on behalf of the Company filed in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Common Stock under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission or (y) the omission or alleged omission to state in any such document a material fact required to be stated in it or necessary to make the statements therein in light of (other than the case of the Registration Statement) the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage arises from the sale of the Placement
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Shares pursuant to this Agreement and is caused directly or indirectly by an untrue statement or omission, or alleged untrue statement or omission, made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Agent’s Information. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.
(b)Cowen Indemnification. Cowen agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors and each officer of the Company that signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Company (a "Company Affiliate") against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 9(a), as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendments thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Agent’s Information.
(c)Procedure. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 9 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 9, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 9 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provision of this Section 9 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (1) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (2) the indemnified party has reasonably concluded (based on advice of counsel) that there may be legal defenses available to it or other indemnified parties that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party, (3) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (4) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction (in addition to any local counsel) at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly as they are incurred after the indemnifying party receives a written invoice relating to fees, disbursements and other charges in reasonable detail. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 9 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising or that may arise out of such claim, action or proceeding.
(d)Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 9 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company or Cowen, the Company and Cowen will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than Cowen, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) to which the Company and Cowen may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits
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received by the Company on the one hand and Cowen on the other. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and Cowen on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total Net Proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total compensation received by Cowen from the sale of Placement Shares on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and Cowen, on the other, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or Cowen, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and Cowen agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 9(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense, or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 9(d) shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 9(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 9(c) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 9(d), Cowen shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions received by it under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 9(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any officers, directors, partners, employees or agents of Cowen, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each director of the Company and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 9(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 9(d) except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 9(c) hereof, no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof.
10.Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 9 of this Agreement and all representations and warranties of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto shall survive, as of their respective dates, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of Cowen, any controlling persons, or the Company (or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons), (ii) delivery and acceptance of the Placement Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
11.Termination.
(a)Cowen shall have the right by giving written notice as hereinafter specified at any time to terminate this Agreement if (i) any Material Adverse Change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change has occurred that, in the reasonable judgment of Cowen, may materially impair the ability of Cowen to sell the Placement Shares hereunder, (ii) the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder; provided, however, in the case of any failure of the Company to deliver (or cause another person to deliver) any certification, opinion, or letter required under Sections 7(m), 7(n), 7(o) or 7(p), Xxxxx’x right to terminate shall not arise unless such failure to deliver (or cause to be delivered) continues for more than thirty (30) days from the date such delivery was required; or (iii) any other condition of Xxxxx’x obligations hereunder is not fulfilled, or (iv), any suspension or limitation of trading in the Placement Shares or in securities generally on Nasdaq shall have occurred. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g) (Expenses), Section 9 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 10 (Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery), Section 16 (Applicable Law; Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 17 (Waiver of Jury Trial) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. If Cowen elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 11(a), Cowen shall provide the required notice as specified in Section 12 (Notices).
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(b)The Company shall have the right, by giving ten (10) days notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(c)Cowen shall have the right, by giving ten (10) days notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(d)Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 11, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Shares through Cowen on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein; provided that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(e)This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 11(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided, however, that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 7(g), Section 9, Section 10, Section 16 and Section 17 shall remain in full force and effect.
(f)Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by Cowen or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Shares, such Placement Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
12.Notices. All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given by any party to any other party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing, unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, and if sent to Cowen, shall be delivered to Cowen at Xxxxx and Company, LLC, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, fax no. 000-000-0000, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy to Xxxxxxx Procter LLP, The New York Times Building, 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxx X. X’Xxxxxx; or if sent to the Company, shall be delivered to Evelo Biosciences, Inc., 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Chief Executive Officer, with a copy to Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx. Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally or by verifiable facsimile transmission (with an original to follow) on or before 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on a Business Day (as defined below), or, if such day is not a Business Day on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier and (iii) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). For purposes of this Agreement, "Business Day" shall mean any day on which the Nasdaq and commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.
13.Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and Cowen and their respective successors and the affiliates, controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 9 hereof. References to any of the parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, however, that Cowen may assign its rights and obligations hereunder to an affiliate of Cowen without obtaining the Company’s consent.
14.Adjustments for Share Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any share split, share dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Common Stock.
15.Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto and Placement Notices issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and Cowen. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written
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by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement.
16.Applicable Law; Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the non-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 with any transaction contemplated hereby, 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 brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. 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 (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested) 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 manner permitted by law.
17.Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and Cowen each hereby irrevocably waives any right it may have to a trial by jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or any transaction contemplated hereby.
18.Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a)Cowen has been retained solely to act as sales agent in connection with the sale of the Common Stock and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and Cowen has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether Cowen has advised or is advising the Company on other matters;
(b)the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c)the Company has been advised that Cowen and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that Cowen has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and
(d)the Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against Cowen, for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that Cowen shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, partners, employees or creditors of the Company.
19.Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile transmission.
20.Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following term has the meaning set forth below:
(a)"Applicable Time" means the date of this Agreement, each Representation Date, the date on which a Placement Notice is given, and any date on which Placement Shares are sold hereunder.
(b)"Agent’s Information" means, solely the following information in the Prospectus Supplement: the second (2nd) sentence of the seventh (7th) paragraph under the caption "Plan of Distribution" in the Prospectus Supplement.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank]
21
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and Cowen, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and Cowen.
Very truly yours,
XXXXX AND COMPANY, LLC
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx |
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx |
Title: | Managing Director |
ACCEPTED as of the date first-above written:
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx |
Name: | Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx |
Title: Chief Financial Officer
[Signature Page to Sales Agreement]
SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF PLACEMENT NOTICE
From: [ ]
Cc: [ ]
To: [ ]
Subject: Cowen at the Market Offering-Placement Notice
Gentlemen:
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Sales Agreement between Evelo Biosciences, Inc. (the "Company"), and Xxxxx and Company, LLC ("Cowen") dated June 3, 2019 (the "Agreement"), I hereby request on behalf of the Company that Cowen sell up to [•] shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, at a minimum market price of $[•] per share. Sales should begin on the date of this Notice and shall continue until [DATE] [all shares are sold].
SCHEDULE 2
Xxxxxxxxxx (Simba) Xxxx, Ph.D., President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Chief Financial Officer
Xxxxx and Company, LLC
Xxxx Xxxxxx, Managing Director, Equity Capital Markets
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Director, Equity Capital Markets
Xxx Xxxxxx, Associate, Equity Capital Markets
SCHEDULE 3
Compensation
Cowen shall be paid compensation equal to 3.00% of the gross proceeds from the sales of Placement Shares pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
Exhibit 7(m)
OFFICER CERTIFICATE
The undersigned, the duly qualified and elected , of Evelo Biosciences, Inc. ("Company"), a Delaware corporation, does hereby certify in such capacity and on behalf of the Company, pursuant to Section 7(m) of the Sales Agreement dated June 3, 2019 (the "Sales Agreement") between the Company and Xxxxx and Company, LLC, that to the best of the knowledge of the undersigned.
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in Section 6 of the Sales Agreement (A) to the extent such representations and warranties are subject to qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality or Material Adverse Change, are true and correct on and as of the date hereof with the same force and effect as if expressly made on and as of the date hereof, except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date and which were true and correct as of such date, and (B) to the extent such representations and warranties are not subject to any qualifications or exceptions, are true and correct in all material respects as of the date hereof as if made on and as of the date hereof with the same force and effect as if expressly made on and as of the date hereof except for those representations and warranties that speak solely as of a specific date and which were true and correct as of such date; and
(ii) The Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied pursuant to the Sales Agreement at or prior to the date hereof.
By: |
Name:
Title:
Date: