SALES AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.2
November 9, 2020
XXXXXXXXX LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
SVB LEERINK LLC
1301 Avenue of the Xxxxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
BioNTech SE, a European stock corporation (Societas Europaea) incorporated in Germany and governed by the laws of the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany and registered with the commercial register (Handelsregister) of the local court (Amtsgericht) of Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany, under number HRB 48720 (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to sell from time to time through Xxxxxxxxx LLC and SVB Leerink LLC, as sales agents and/or principals (each, an “Agent” and collectively, the “Agents”), up to 5,524,506 ordinary registered shares (Namensaktien) of the Company with no par value and a notional amount attributable to each share of €1.00 (“Ordinary Shares”) in the form of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”).
The ADSs to be sold from time to time hereunder have been issued, pursuant to a deposit agreement (the “Deposit Agreement”), dated October 9, 2019, among the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon as depositary (the “Depositary”). Each ADS will initially represent the right to receive one Ordinary Share deposited with the Depositary pursuant to the Deposit Agreement.
Section 1. | DEFINITIONS |
(a) Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the following respective meanings:
“Affiliate” of a Person means another Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first-mentioned Person. The term “control” (including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Agency Period” means the period commencing on the date of this Agreement and expiring on the earliest to occur of (x) the date on which the Agents shall have placed the Maximum Program Amount pursuant to this Agreement and (y) the date this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 7.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
“Floor Price” means the minimum price set by the Company in the Issuance Notice below which the Designated Agent (as defined below) shall not sell Shares during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance Notice, which may be adjusted by the Company at any time during the period set forth in the Issuance Notice by delivering written notice of such change to the Designated Agent and which in no event shall be less than $1.00 without the prior written consent of the Designated Agent, which may be withheld in the Designated Agent’s sole discretion.
“Issuance Amount” means the aggregate Sales Price of the Shares to be sold by the Designated Agent pursuant to any Issuance Notice.
“Issuance Notice” means a written notice delivered to the Designated Agent by the Company in accordance with this Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A that is executed by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer or Chief Commercial Officer & Chief Business Officer.
“Issuance Notice Date” means any Trading Day during the Agency Period that an Issuance Notice is delivered pursuant to Section 3(b)(i).
“Issuance Price” means the Sales Price less the Selling Commission.
“Maximum Program Amount” means the lesser of (i) the number or dollar amount of Ordinary Shares in the form of ADSs registered under the effective Registration Statement (defined below) pursuant to which the offering is being made, (ii) the number or dollar amount of Ordinary Shares in the form of ADSs permitted to be sold under Form F-3 (including General Instruction I.B.5 thereof, if applicable), (iii) the number or dollar amount of ADSs for which the Company has filed a Prospectus (defined below), or (iv) 5,524,506 ADSs.
“Person” means an individual or a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, joint stock company, governmental authority or other entity of any kind.
“Principal Market” means The Nasdaq Global Select Market or such other national securities exchange on which the ADSs are then listed.
“Sales Price” means the actual sale execution price of each Share placed by the Designated Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
“Selling Commission” means three percent (3%) of the gross proceeds of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement, or as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Agents with respect to any Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement.
“Settlement Date” means the second business day following each Trading Day during the period set forth in the Issuance Notice on which Shares are sold pursuant to this Agreement, when the Company shall deliver to the Designated Agent the amount of Shares sold on such Trading Day and the Designated Agent shall deliver to the Company the Issuance Price received on such sales.
“Shares” shall mean the Company’s ADSs and underlying Ordinary Shares issued or issuable pursuant to this Agreement.
“Trading Day” means any day on which the Principal Market is open for trading.
Section 2. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY |
The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Agents that, unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies otherwise, as of (1) the date of this Agreement, (2) each Issuance Notice Date, (3) each Settlement Date, (4) each Triggering Event Date (as defined below) with respect to which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o) and (5) as of each Time of Sale (each of the times referenced above is referred to herein as a “Representation Date”), except as may be disclosed in the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements thereto) on or before a Representation Date:
(a) Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and will file with the Commission a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 that contains a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”). Such registration statement registers the sale by the Company of the Shares under the Securities Act. The Company may file one or more additional registration statements from time to time that will contain a base prospectus and related prospectus or prospectus supplement, if applicable, with respect to the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement(s), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B under
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the Securities Act, including all financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto and all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the Securities Act as from time to time amended or supplemented, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement,” and the prospectus supplement relating to the sale of the Shares and constituting a part of such registration statement(s), together with the Base Prospectus and any prospectus supplement filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act relating to a particular sale of the Shares, including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the Securities Act, in each case, as from time to time amended or supplemented, is referred to herein as the “Prospectus,” except that if any revised prospectus is provided to the Agents by the Company for use in connection with the offering of the Shares that is not required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, the term “Prospectus” shall refer to such revised prospectus from and after the time it is first provided to the Agents for such use. The registration statement on Form F-6 (File No. 333-233898) relating to the ADSs have been filed with the Commission and have become effective (such registration statement on Form F-6, including all exhibits thereto, as amended at the time such registration statement became effective, being hereinafter referred to as the “ADS Registration Statement”).
As used in this Agreement, the terms “amendment” or “supplement” when applied to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing by the Company with the Commission of any document under the Exchange Act after the date hereof that is or is deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed under the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include, without limitation, the filing of any document under the Exchange Act which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed under the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date.
At the time the Registration Statement becomes effective, the Company will have met the then-applicable requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Securities Act. During the Agency Period, each time the Company files an annual report on Form 20-F, the Company will meet the then-applicable requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Securities Act.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement have become effective or have been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information in connection therewith, if any. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission.
The Prospectus, when filed, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed with the Commission through its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”) (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy thereof delivered to the Agents for use in connection with the sale of the Shares. Each of the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, as of the date of each Issuance Notice, if any, at each Time of Sale (as defined below), if any, and as of each Settlement Date, if any, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and 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. As of the date of this Agreement, the Prospectus and any Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) considered together (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”) did not contain any 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 under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date, as of the date of each Issuance Notice, if any, at each Time of Sale, if any, 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 necessary in
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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 three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the ADS 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 the Agents furnished to the Company in writing by the Agents expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Agents to the Company consists of the information described in Section 6 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. The Registration Statement and the offer and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby meet the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said rule.
(c) Free Writing Prospectus. Any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending, and each such Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date, as of the date of each Issuance Notice, if any, and at each Time of Sale, if any, and as of each Settlement Date, if any, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts with or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein. Except for the Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any Free Writing Prospectus.
(d) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(e) Financial Statements. The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and of any other company, including Neon Therapeutics, Inc. (“Neon”), each of which are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries or of such other company (as applicable) as of the dates indicated and the results of their respective operations and the respective changes in their cash flows for the periods specified. The financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto, and except in the case of unaudited financial statements, which are subject to normal year-end adjustments and do not contain certain footnotes as permitted by the applicable rules of the Commission, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein. The financial statements of Neon have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein. The financial statements of all other companies included or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus have been prepared in conformity with GAAP or IFRS applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein. The other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries or of such other company and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. All disclosures included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.
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The pro forma financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus have been prepared in conformity with IFRS and the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. The pro forma financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified.
(f) No Material Adverse Change. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any material change in the capital stock (other than the sale of Shares hereunder and the issuance of Ordinary Shares upon exercise of stock options and warrants described as outstanding in, and the grant of options and awards under existing equity incentive plans described in, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus), short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(g) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized (and are in good standing, to the extent such concept is applicable) under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are validly existing and are duly qualified to do business (and are in good standing, to the extent such concept is applicable), in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except where the failure to be so qualified (or in good standing, to the extent such concept is applicable) or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Transaction Documents (as defined below) (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(h) Capitalization. The Company has a capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”. All the outstanding Ordinary Shares of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable (nicht nachschusspflichtig) and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights other than those described in the Registration statement and the Prospectus. Except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including for the avoidance of doubt descriptions in reports or documents incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus), there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any Ordinary Shares or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any Ordinary Shares or other equity interest of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options. The Ordinary Shares of the Company conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration
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Statement and the Prospectus. All the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (nicht nachschusspflichtig) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(i) Share Options. With respect to the share options or performance shares (the “Share Options”) granted pursuant to the share-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Share Plans”), (i) each grant of a Share Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Share Option was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the management board and supervisory board of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required shareholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (ii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the applicable Company Share Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including the rules of the Principal Market, and (iii) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with IFRS in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company.
(j) Sales Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(k) Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Depositary, constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles. The Shares are duly and validly issued and the persons in whose names the Shares are registered will be entitled to the rights specified therein and in the Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(l) The Shares. The Ordinary Shares underlying the Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and, when delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be validly issued, will be fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Shares, when delivered and paid for as provided herein, will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. The issuance of the Ordinary Shares underlying the Shares was not, and the sale of the Shares is not, subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights the exercise and transfer of which have not been validly and irrevocably waived or otherwise validly and irrevocably declined. The Shares, when delivered against payment thereof, will be freely transferable to or for the account of the Designated Agent and the initial purchasers thereof. There are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of the Shares under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany.
(m) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its articles of association or similar organizational documents, (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”), the issuance of the Ordinary Shares underlying the Shares, the deposit of the underlying Ordinary Shares, the sale of the Shares, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and the Prospectus will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
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which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(o) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance of the Ordinary Shares underlying the Shares, the sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, except for the registration of the capital increase(s) in relation to such Ordinary Shares with the commercial register, if any, and the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Principal Market, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares as contemplated hereunder.
(p) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that would, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, no such Actions are threatened or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others. There are no current or pending Actions that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(q) Independent Accountants for the Company. Ernst & Young GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft or any accounting firm who has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries that are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(r) Independent Accountants for Neon. To the Company’s knowledge, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has certified certain financial statements of Neon, was an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to Neon within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act at the time PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP audited the financial statements of Neon included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(s) Independent Accountants for Other Companies. To the Company’s knowledge, each accounting firm who has certified certain financial statements of companies other than the Company that are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus was an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to such company within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act at the time such accounting firm audited the financial statements of such other company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(t) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple (in the case of real property) to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(u) Intellectual Property. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries own or have a valid and enforceable right to use all (1) patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, Internet domain name registrations (and all applications for, and all goodwill associated with, such trademarks, service marks, trade names and Internet domain name registrations), copyrights, copyright registrations, licenses and trade secret rights, in each case, in any jurisdiction throughout the world (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) and (2) inventions, know-how, software, databases, systems, procedures, and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and proprietary or confidential information) (collectively, “Intellectual Property Assets”) used or held for use in any material respect, or otherwise necessary for, the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; (ii) the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate, and has not infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated, any Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets of any third party in any material respect (it being understood that the foregoing representation in this clause (ii) is made to the Company’s knowledge with respect to patents); (iii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not received notice of any pending or threatened action, suit, or proceeding by any third party that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ respective businesses as presently conducted and as proposed to be conducted as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (A) challenging the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ rights in or to any of the Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets owned by or licensed to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (B) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (C) alleging that the Company or any of its subsidiaries has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated any Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets of any third party; (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, neither the Intellectual Property Rights nor the Intellectual Property Assets of the Company and its subsidiaries are being materially infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any third party; (v) other than as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all Intellectual Property Rights and Intellectual Property Assets owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are solely and exclusively owned by the Company or such subsidiaries and all other Intellectual Property Rights and Intellectual Property Assets used or held for use by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are licensed to the Company or such subsidiaries, and the Company and its subsidiaries hold all of such ownership and license rights, in each case, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, defects or other restrictions; (vi) other than as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any facts that could result in a finding that any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company is invalid or unenforceable; (vii) other than as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries have taken reasonable steps in accordance with customary industry practice to maintain and protect any confidential information and trade secrets of the Company and its subsidiaries and to protect any confidential information provided to them by any third party; (viii) other than as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable actions to maintain and to protect all patents and trademark and copyright and Internet domain name registrations (including all applications therefor) owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, including payment of applicable maintenance fees, filing of applicable statements of use, timely response office actions, and disclosure of any required information; and (ix) other than as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all personnel (including founders, current and former employees, consultants, contractors, representatives, and agents) involved in the development of Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets for or on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries have signed written and enforceable confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries either (A) has obtained sole and exclusive ownership of such Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets, or (B) has obtained a valid right to exploit such Intellectual Property Rights or Intellectual Property Assets, sufficient for the conduct of the business as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(v) Regulatory Matters; Products and Product Candidates. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company (collectively with its subsidiaries): (i) has operated and currently operates its business in compliance in all material respects with applicable provisions of the Health Care Laws (as defined below) of the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), the Department of Health and Human Services and any comparable foreign or other regulatory authority to which they are subject (collectively, the “Applicable Regulatory Authorities”) applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, storage, import, export or disposal of any of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ product candidates
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or any product manufactured or distributed by the Company; (ii) has not received any FDA Form 483, written notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or written notice from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority alleging or asserting non-compliance with (A) any Health Care Laws or (B) any licenses, certificates, approvals, clearances, exemptions, authorizations, permits and supplements or amendments thereto required by any such Health Care Laws (“Regulatory Authorizations”); (iii) possesses all Regulatory Authorizations required to conduct its business as currently conducted, except where the failure to possess the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and such Regulatory Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and the Company is not in violation, in any material respect, of any term of any such Regulatory Authorizations; (iv) has not received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from the Applicable Regulatory Authorities or any other third party alleging that any product of the Company is in material violation of any Health Care Laws or Regulatory Authorizations and has no knowledge that the Applicable Regulatory Authorities or any other third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (v) has not received written notice that any of the Applicable Regulatory Authorities has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any material Regulatory Authorizations and has no knowledge that any of the Applicable Regulatory Authorities is considering such action; (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 Health Care Laws or Regulatory Authorizations and that 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 materially corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); (vii) is not a party to and does not have any ongoing reporting obligations pursuant to any corporate integrity agreements, deferred prosecution agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, plans of correction or similar agreements with or imposed by any Applicable Regulatory Authority; and (viii) along with its employees, officers and directors, has not been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any government health care program or human clinical research and, to the knowledge of the Company, is not subject to a governmental inquiry, investigation, proceeding, or other similar action that could reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension, or exclusion.
The term “Health Care Laws” means Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1395-1395hhh (the Medicare statute); Title XIX of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1396-1396v (the Medicaid statute); the Federal Xxxx-Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, 00 X.X.X. § 0000x-0x(x); the civil False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq.; the criminal False Claims Act, 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(a); any criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including but not limited to 18 U.S.C. Sections 286 and 287 and the health care fraud criminal provisions under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1320d et seq., (“HIPAA”); the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1320a-7a and 1320a-7b; the Physician Payments Xxxxxxxx Xxx, 00 X.X.X. § 0000x-0x; the Exclusion Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7; HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 17921 et seq.; the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 301 et seq.; the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 201 et seq.; the regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws; and any similar federal, state and local laws and regulations.
(w) Preclinical Studies and Clinical Trials. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the pre-clinical studies and clinical trials conducted by or, to the knowledge of the Company, on behalf of or sponsored by the Company, or in which the Company has participated that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as applicable, were, and if still pending are, being conducted in all material respects in accordance with standard medical and scientific research standards and procedures for products or product candidates comparable to those being developed by the Company and all applicable statutes and all applicable rules and regulations of the Regulatory Authorities and current Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices. The descriptions in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus of the results of such studies and trials are, to the knowledge of the Company, accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly present the data derived therefrom. The Company has no knowledge of any other studies or trials not described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus the results of which are inconsistent with or which the Company reasonably believes call into question the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company has not received any written notices or correspondence from the Regulatory Authorities or any other governmental agency requiring or threatening the termination, modification or suspension of any pre-clinical studies or clinical trials that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or the results of which are referred to in the Registration
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Statement and the Prospectus other than ordinary course communications with respect to modifications in connection with the design and implementation of such studies or trials, and, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no reasonable grounds for the same.
(x) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents.
(y) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).
(z) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date that this representation is made, except as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings, or where the failure to pay or file such taxes or tax returns would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets that has or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except for any tax deficiency being contested in good faith and for which appropriate reserves have been provided in accordance with IFRS.
(aa) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where such revocation or modification would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(bb) No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement that is material to the Company to which it is a party.
(cc) Certain Environmental Matters. Except any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries (A) are in compliance with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws (including common law), rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to pollution or the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (B) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under any Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (C) have not received written notice of any actual or potential liability or obligation under or relating to, or any actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (x) there is no
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proceeding that is pending, or that is known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceeding regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (y) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any facts or issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (z) none of the Company or its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.
(dd) Compliance with ERISA. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates (as defined hereafter) has any liability (contingent or otherwise) under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) with respect to any “employee benefit plan,” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA. An “ERISA Affiliate” of any person or entity means any other person or entity which, together with that person or entity, could be treated as a single employer under Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”). Each “employee benefit plan,” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA that is maintained for the benefit of the employees of the Company or its affiliates has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and the requirements of applicable law. The Registration Statement and the Prospectus identify each employment, severance or other similar agreement, arrangement or policy and each material plan or arrangement required to be disclosed pursuant to the Securities Act providing for insurance coverage (including any self-insured arrangements), workers’ compensation, disability benefits, severance benefits, supplemental unemployment benefits, vacation benefits or retirement benefits, or deferred compensation, profit-sharing, bonuses, stock options, stock appreciation rights or other forms of incentive compensation, or post-retirement insurance, compensation or benefits that is entered into, maintained or contributed to, as the case may be, by the Company or any of its affiliates for the benefit of any officer or director or former officer or director of the Company or any of its affiliates. These agreements, arrangements, policies or plans are referred to collectively as “Benefit Arrangements.” Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, each Benefit Arrangement has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and with the requirements of applicable law and there is no liability in respect of post-retirement health and medical benefits for retired employees of the Company or any of its affiliates, other than medical benefits required to be continued under applicable law.
(ee) Disclosure Controls. The Company maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been 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 as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company has carried out an evaluation of its effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures to the extent required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(ff) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with IFRS. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls that are designed to be 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 IFRS 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 disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the supervisory board (Aufsichtsrat) of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
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(gg) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in such amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are generally maintained by similarly situated companies and which the Company believes are adequate to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received written notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) 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 comparable coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business as now conducted at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(hh) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications and databases owned by, or leased or licensed to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, “IT Systems”), to the knowledge of the Company, are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with, the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, and to the Company’s knowledge are free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants; the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third-party data maintained by or on behalf of them (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses; to the knowledge of the Company, there have been no material breaches, violations, outages, unauthorized uses of, accesses to or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ Personal Data or IT Systems, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any third party; there are no material incidents under internal review or investigations relating to any security breach or other compromise of the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ Personal Data or IT Systems and the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to their IT Systems or Personal Data; the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented commercially reasonable backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices; and the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority and internal policies, procedures and contractual obligations relating to the security of IT Systems and the privacy, collection, use, transfer, storage, protection, disposal or disclosure of Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
(ii) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any member of the Company’s management board or supervisory board or subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any employee of, or any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any 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; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries have each instituted, maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
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(jj) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts 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 “Anti-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 Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(kk) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any member of the Company’s management board or supervisory board or subsidiaries nor to the knowledge of the Company, any employee of, or any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”). The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions, except in cases where compliance with extraterritorial provisions in any such sanctions would be unlawful for the Company. For the past five (5) years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(ll) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Subject to the requirements of applicable law and the availability of distributable reserves (in such jurisdictions where relevant restrictions apply), no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock or similar ownership interest, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(mm) No Broker’s Fees. Except for the pertinent arrangements with Blättchen Financial Advisors or pursuant to this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Agent for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(nn) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the sale of Shares, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
(oo) No Stabilization. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to activities of the Agents, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the ADSs.
(pp) Margin Rules. Neither the sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
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(qq) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included or incorporated by reference in any of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(rr) Statistical and Market 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 or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(ss) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. 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 with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) applicable to the Company as of the date the Company became subject to such provisions, including Section 402 related to loans.
(tt) Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares and at the date that this representation is made, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(uu) No Ratings. There are no debt securities, convertible securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act.
(vv) Stamp Taxes. No stamp duties or other issuance or transfer taxes (for the avoidance of doubt this does not include any value added tax or similar taxes) are payable by or on behalf of the Agents in the Federal Republic of Germany, the United States or any political subdivision or tax authority thereof solely in connection with (i) the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents or (ii) the sale and delivery by the Agents of the Shares as contemplated herein and in the Prospectus.
(ww) No Immunity. Except as provided by laws or statutes generally applicable to transactions of the type described in this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or their respective properties or assets has immunity under German, U.S. federal or New York state law from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any German, U.S. federal or New York state court, from service of process, attachment upon or prior to judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or from execution of a judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, in any such court with respect to their respective obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection herewith; and, to the extent that the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings arising out of, or relating to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, may at any time be commenced, the Company has, pursuant to Section 8(i) of this Agreement, waived, and it will waive, or will cause its subsidiaries to waive, such right to the extent permitted by law.
(xx) Enforcement of Foreign Judgments. Any final judgment for a fixed or determined sum of money rendered by any U.S. federal or New York state court located in the State of New York having jurisdiction under its own laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon any of the Transaction Documents would be declared enforceable against the Company by the courts of the Federal Republic of Germany, without reconsideration or reexamination of the merits.
(yy) Valid Choice of Law. The choice of laws of the State of New York as the governing law of the Transaction Documents is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and will be honored by the courts of the Federal Republic of Germany, subject to the restrictions described under the caption “Service of Process and Enforcement of Liabilities” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 8(g) of this Agreement and Section 7.6 of the Deposit Agreement,
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has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each New York state and United States federal court sitting in the City of New York and has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in such court.
(zz) Indemnification and Contribution. The indemnification and contribution provisions set forth in Section 6 hereof do not contravene German law or public policy.
(aaa) Passive Foreign Investment Company. The Company was not a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) as defined in Section 1297 of the Code for its most recently completed taxable year and the Company does not expect to be a PFIC for the current tax year.
(bbb) Dividends. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no approvals are currently required in the Federal Republic of Germany in order for the Company to pay dividends or other distributions declared by the Company to the holders of Ordinary Shares and for the Depositary to distribute such dividends or other distributions to holders of ADSs. Under current laws and regulations of the Federal Republic of Germany and any political subdivision thereof, any amount payable with respect to the Ordinary Shares or ADSs upon liquidation of the Company or upon redemption thereof and dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the share capital of the Company may be paid by the Company and distributed by the Depositary in United States dollars or euros and freely transferred out of the Federal Republic of Germany, and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the Federal Republic of Germany or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
(ccc) Legality. The legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility into evidence of any of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, this Agreement or the Shares in any jurisdiction in which the Company is organized or does business is not dependent upon such document being submitted into, filed or recorded with any court or other authority in any such jurisdiction on or before the date that this representation is made or that any tax, imposition or charge be paid in any such jurisdiction on or in respect of any such document.
(ddd) Legal Action. A holder of the Shares and each Agent is entitled to xxx as plaintiff in the court of the jurisdiction of formation and domicile of the Company for the enforcement of its respective rights under this Agreement and such access to such courts will not be subject to any conditions which are not applicable to residents of such jurisdiction or a company incorporated in such jurisdiction except that plaintiffs not residing in the Federal Republic of Germany may be required to guarantee payment of a possible order for payment of costs or damages at the request of the defendant.
(eee) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(fff) Personal Liability of Shareholders and ADS Holders. No holder of the Shares after the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents is or will be subject to any personal liability in respect of any liability of the Company by virtue only of its holding of any such Shares. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no limitations on the rights of holders of the Shares to hold, vote or transfer their Shares.
Any certificate signed by any officer or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Agents or counsel for the Agents in connection with a sale of Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agents as to the matters covered thereby on the date of such certificate.
The Company acknowledges that the Agents and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(o) hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Agents, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
Section 3. SALE OF SHARES
(a) Sale of Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and the Agents agree that the Company may
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from time to time seek to sell Shares through an Agent named in the applicable Issuance Notice, acting as sales agent, or directly to an Agent acting as principal (either such agent, the “Designated Agent”), as follows, up to the Maximum Program Amount, based on and in accordance with Issuance Notices as the Company may deliver, during the Agency Period.
(b) | Mechanics of Issuances. |
(i) Issuance Notice. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, on any Trading Day during the Agency Period on which the conditions set forth in Section 5(a) and Section 5(b) shall have been satisfied, the Company may deliver to the Designated Agent an Issuance Notice; provided, however, that (A) in no event may the Company deliver an Issuance Notice to the extent that (x) the sum of the aggregate Sales Price of the requested Shares set forth in the Issuance Notice, plus the aggregate Sales Price of all Shares issued under all previous Issuance Notices effected pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the Maximum Program Amount, or (y) the sum of the aggregate number of requested Shares set forth in the Issuance Notice, plus the aggregate number of all Shares issued under all previous Issuance Notices effected pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the Maximum Program Amount, (B) prior to delivery of any Issuance Notice, the period set forth for any previous Issuance Notice shall have expired or been terminated, and (C) any sales of the Shares shall be effected by or through the Designated Agent on any single given day and the Company shall in no event request that more than one Agent offer or sell the Shares pursuant to this Agreement on the same day. An Issuance Notice shall be considered delivered on the Trading Day that it is received by e-mail to the persons set forth in Schedule B hereto and confirmed by the Company by telephone (including a voicemail message to the persons so identified), with the understanding that, with adequate prior written notice, the Agents may modify the list of such persons from time to time. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitation set forth in this Section 3(b)(i) on the aggregate Sales Price and aggregate number of Shares that may be issued and sold under this Agreement from time to time shall be the sole responsibility of the Company, and that the Agents shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance.
(ii) Agent Efforts. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, upon the receipt of an Issuance Notice, the Designated Agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal sales and trading practices to place the Shares with respect to which the Designated Agent has agreed to act as sales agent, subject to, and in accordance with the information specified in, the Issuance Notice, unless the sale of the Shares described therein has been suspended, cancelled or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company and the Designated Agent may modify an Issuance Notice at any time provided they both agree in writing to any such modification.
(iii) Method of Offer and Sale. The Shares may be offered and sold (A) in privately negotiated transactions with the consent of the Company; (B) as block transactions; or (C) by any other method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on the Principal Market or sales made into any other existing trading market of the ADSs; provided that the Sales Price shall not represent a discount exceeding 5% below the prevailing market price of the ADSs on the Principal Market. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to require any party to agree to the method of offer and sale specified in the preceding sentence, and (except as specified in clauses (A) and (B) above) the method of placement of any Shares by the Designated Agent shall be at the Designated Agent’s discretion.
(iv) Confirmation to the Company. If acting as sales agent hereunder, the Designated Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day next following the Trading Day on which it has placed Shares hereunder setting forth the number of Shares sold on such Trading Day, the corresponding Sales Price and the Issuance Price payable to the Company in respect thereof.
(v) Settlement. Each sale of Shares will be settled on the applicable Settlement Date for such sale of Shares and, subject to the provisions of Section 5, on or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Shares being sold by crediting the Designated Agent or its designee’s account at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian (DWAC) System, or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto and, upon receipt of such Shares, which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form, the Designated Agent will deliver, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, the related Issuance Price in same day funds delivered to an account designated by the Company prior to the Settlement Date. The Company may sell Shares to the Designated Agent as principal at a price agreed upon at each relevant time Shares are sold pursuant to this Agreement (each, a “Time of Sale”).
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(vi) Suspension or Termination of Sales. Consistent with standard market settlement practices, the Company or the Designated Agent may, upon notice to the other party hereto in writing or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable email), suspend any sale of Shares, and the period set forth in an Issuance Notice shall immediately terminate; provided, however, that (A) such suspension and termination shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Shares placed or sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice; (B) if the Company suspends or terminates any sale of Shares after the Designated Agent confirms such sale to the Company, the Company shall still be obligated to comply with Section 3(b)(v) with respect to such Shares; and (C) if the Company defaults in its obligation to deliver Shares on a Settlement Date, the Company agrees that it will hold the Designated Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage or expense (including, without limitation, penalties, interest and reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, in performing its obligations under this Agreement, the Agents may borrow ADSs from stock lenders in the event that the Company has not delivered Shares to settle sales as required by subsection (v) above, and may use the Shares to settle or close out such borrowings. The Company agrees that no such notice shall be effective against the Designated Agent unless it is made to the persons identified in writing by the Designated Agent pursuant to Section 3(b)(i).
(vii) No Guarantee of Placement, Etc. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) there can be no assurance that the Designated Agent will be successful in placing Shares; (B) the Designated Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other Person if it does not sell Shares; and (C) the Designated Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Designated Agent and the Company.
(viii) Material Non-Public Information. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company and the Agents agree that the Company shall not deliver any Issuance Notice to any Agent, and the Agents shall not be obligated to place any Shares, while the Company is in possession of material non-public information.
(c) Fees. As compensation for services rendered, the Company shall pay to the Designated Agent, on the applicable Settlement Date, the Selling Commission for the applicable Issuance Amount (including, if applicable, with respect to any suspended or terminated sale pursuant to Section 3(b)(vi) but only for Shares actually sold by the Agent) by the Designated Agent deducting the Selling Commission from the applicable Issuance Amount. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company shall not be required to pay to the Agent any Selling Commission with respect to any Issuance Notice, except to the extent Shares are placed pursuant thereto.
(d) Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the Depositary and any registrar and transfer agent of the Shares; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with (A) the delivery of the Ordinary Shares underlying the Shares to the Depositary in the manner contemplated by the Deposit Agreement, (B) the delivery of the Shares (or the ADRs evidencing the Shares) by the Depositary to or for the account of the Agent in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement, (C) the sale and delivery by the Agent of the Shares to the initial purchasers thereof, and (D) the execution and delivery of this Agreement; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Agents in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Agents, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum and a “Canadian wrapper,” and any supplements thereto, advising the Agents of such qualifications, registrations, determinations and exemptions; (vii) the reasonable fees and disbursements of the Agents’ counsel, including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Agents in connection with FINRA
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review, if any, and approval of the Agents’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Shares; (viii) the filing fees incident to FINRA review, if any; and (ix) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Shares on the Principal Market. The fees and disbursements of Agents’ counsel pursuant to subsections (vi) and (vii) above shall not exceed (A) $75,000 in connection with the execution of this Agreement for the Agents’ counsel and (B) $15,000 in connection with each Triggering Event Date (as defined below) on which the Company is required to provide a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o).
Section 4. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS
The Company covenants and agrees with the Agents as follows, in addition to any other covenants and agreements made elsewhere in this Agreement:
(a) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Agency Period, the Company shall (i) file, on a timely basis, with the Commission all reports and documents required to be filed under Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within the time periods required by the Exchange Act; and (ii) either (A) include in its annual reports on Form 20-F or reports on Form 6-K which include the Company’s quarterly financial information, a summary detailing, for the relevant reporting period, (1) the number of Shares sold through the Agents pursuant to this Agreement and (2) the net proceeds received by the Company from such sales or (B) prepare a prospectus supplement containing, or include in such other filing permitted by the Securities Act or Exchange Act (each an “Interim Prospectus Supplement”), such summary information and, at least once a quarter and subject to this Section 4, file such Interim Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (and within the time periods required by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430B under the Securities Act).
(b) Securities Act Compliance. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Agents in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus; (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the ADSs from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rule 424(b) and Rule 433, as applicable, under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(c) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an 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 when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Agents or counsel for the Agents it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, including the Securities Act, the Company agrees (subject to Section 4(d) and 4(f)) to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish at its own expense to the Agents, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus (including by filing a document incorporated by reference therein) so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an 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 when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law including the Securities Act. Neither the Agents’ consent to, or delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Sections 4(d) and 4(f).
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(d) Agent’s Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. Prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Agents for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, insofar as such proposed amendment or supplement relates to the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Agents’ prior consent, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
(e) Use of Free Writing Prospectus. Neither the Company nor any Agent has prepared, used, referred to or distributed, or will prepare, use, refer to or distribute, without the other party’s prior written consent, any “written communication” that constitutes a “free writing prospectus” as such terms are defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act with respect to the offering contemplated by this Agreement (any such free writing prospectus being referred to herein as a “Free Writing Prospectus”).
(f) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to the Agents for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Agents’ consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. The Company shall furnish to the Agents, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, or used by the Company, as the Agents may reasonably request. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 173(d)) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the date of this Agreement) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict or so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an 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 prevailing at such subsequent time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Agents for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Agents’ consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.
(g) Filing of Agent Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not take any action that would result in the Agents or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Agents that the Agents otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(h) Copies of Registration Statement and Prospectus. After the date of this Agreement through the last time that a prospectus is required by the Securities Act (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 173(d)) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares, the Company agrees to furnish the Agents with copies (which may be electronic copies) of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, and with copies of the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto in the form in which it is filed with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, both in such quantities as the Agents may reasonably request from time to time; and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required under the Securities Act or under the blue sky or securities laws of any jurisdiction at any time on or prior to the applicable Settlement Date for any period set forth in an Issuance Notice in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event has occurred 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 any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other
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reason it is necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to notify the Agents and to request that the Agents suspend offers to sell Shares (and, if so notified, the Agents shall cease such offers as soon as practicable); and if the Company decides to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented, to advise the Agents promptly by telephone (with confirmation in writing) and to prepare and cause to be filed promptly with the Commission an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, including by filing a document incorporated by reference therein; provided, however, that if during such same period any Agent is required to deliver a prospectus in respect of transactions in the Shares, the Company shall promptly prepare and file with the Commission such an amendment or supplement.
(i) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Agents and counsel for the Agents to qualify or register the Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Agents, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Agents promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof as soon as practicable.
(j) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Agents an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 under the Securities Act; provided that the Company shall be deemed to have furnished such statements to its security holders and the Sales Agents to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s XXXXX system or any successor to such system.
(k) Listing; Reservation of Shares. The Company will (i) use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the listing of the Shares on the Principal Market and (ii) reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, Shares for the purpose of enabling the Company to satisfy its obligations under this Agreement.
(l) Transfer Agent; Deposit Agreement. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares. The Company agrees that it will comply with the Deposit Agreement so that ADRs evidencing the relevant Shares will, assuming compliance by the Depositary with its obligations under the Deposit Agreement, be executed (and, if applicable, countersigned) and delivered by the Depositary against receipt of such underlying Ordinary Shares to the Designated Agent at the Settlement Date, and to otherwise comply with the terms of the Deposit Agreement, including without limitation, the covenants set forth in the Deposit Agreement.
(m) Due Diligence. During the term of this Agreement, the Company will reasonably cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agents in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during normal business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Agents may reasonably request from time to time.
(n) Representations and Warranties. The Company acknowledges that each delivery of an Issuance Notice and each delivery of Shares on a Settlement Date shall be deemed to be (i) an affirmation to the Agents that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such Issuance Notice or of such Settlement Date, as the case may be, as though made at and as of each such date, except as may be disclosed in the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements thereto); and (ii) an undertaking that the Company will advise the Agents if any of such representations and warranties will not be true and correct as of the Settlement Date for the Shares relating to such Issuance Notice, as though made at and as of each such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Shares).
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(o) Deliverables at Triggering Event Dates; Certificates. The Company agrees that on or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and, during the term of this Agreement after the date of the first Issuance Notice, upon:
(A) the filing of the Prospectus or the amendment or supplement of any Registration Statement or Prospectus (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to an offering of securities other than the Shares or a prospectus filed pursuant to Section 4(a)(ii)(B)), by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker or supplement, but not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus;
(B) the filing with the Commission of an annual report on Form 20-F (including any Form 20-F/A containing amended financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed annual report on Form 20-F);
(C) the filing with the Commission of a report on Form 6-K containing quarterly financial information of the Company (including any Form 6-K/A containing amended financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed annual report on Form 6-K/A);
(any such event, a “Triggering Event Date”), the Company shall furnish the Agents with a certificate on or prior to each Triggering Event Date, dated the date of delivery, in the form and substance satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel, substantially similar to the form attached as Exhibit B hereto. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 4(o) shall be automatically waived for any Triggering Event Date occurring at a time when no Issuance Notice is pending or a suspension is in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers instructions for the sale of Shares hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Triggering Event Date) and the next occurring Triggering Event Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Triggering Event Date when a suspension was in effect and did not provide the Agents with a certificate under this Section 4(o), then before the Company delivers the instructions for the sale of Shares or the Designated Agent sells any Shares pursuant to such instructions, the Company shall provide the Agents with a certificate in conformity with this Section 4(o) dated as of the date that the instructions for the sale of Shares are issued.
(p) Legal Opinions. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement,
(A) the written legal opinion and negative assurance letter of Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel;
(B) the written legal opinion of Freshfields Bruckhaus Xxxxxxxx Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater PartG mbB, German counsel for the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel;
(C) the written legal opinions of each of Xxxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx and XxXxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, intellectual property counsel for the Company, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel; provided, however, that each such intellectual property counsel shall only be required to deliver such written opinions (x) on or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and (y) on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o)(B) for which no waiver is applicable or the date of the first Issuance Notice thereafter, whichever is earlier;
(D) an intellectual property certificate of the Vice President, Legal & Intellectual Property of the Company in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel; provided, however, that such intellectual property certificate shall only be required to be delivered (x) on or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and (y) on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o)(B) for which no waiver is applicable or the date of the first Issuance Notice thereafter, whichever is earlier; and
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(E) a negative assurance letter of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel to the Agents;
In lieu of such opinions for subsequent periodic filings, in the discretion of the Agent, the Company may furnish a reliance letter from such counsel to the Agents, permitting the Agents to rely on a previously delivered opinion letter, modified as appropriate for any passage of time or Triggering Event Date (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of such Triggering Event Date).
(q) Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Company shall cause Ernst & Young GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, the independent registered public accounting firm who has audited the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, to furnish the Agents a comfort letter, dated the date of delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agents and their counsel; provided, however, that any such comfort letter will only be required on the Triggering Event Date specified to the extent that the Triggering Event Date filing contains financial statements filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act and incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into a Prospectus. If requested by the Agents, the Company shall also cause a comfort letter to be furnished to the Agents within ten (10) Trading Days of the date of occurrence of any material transaction or event requiring the filing of a current report on Form 6-K containing material amended financial information of the Company, including the restatement of the Company’s financial statements. The Company shall be required to furnish no more than one comfort letter hereunder per calendar quarter.
On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice, the Company shall cause PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm who has audited the financial statements of Neon included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, to furnish the Agents a comfort letter, dated the date of delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agents and their counsel.
(r) Officer’s Certificate. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o) for which no waiver is applicable, and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Company shall furnish the Agents a certificate executed by an Officer of the Company, signing in such capacity, dated the date of delivery, in the form and substance satisfactory to the Agents and their counsel, substantially similar to the form attached as Exhibit C hereto.
(s) Agent’s Own Account; Clients’ Account. The Company consents to each Agent trading, in compliance with applicable law, in the ADSs for such Agent’s own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement.
(t) Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
(u) Market Activities. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any other reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M. If the limitations of Rule 102 of Regulation M (“Rule 102”) do not apply with respect to the Shares or any other reference security pursuant to any exception set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102, then promptly upon notice from the Agents (or, if later, at the time stated in the notice), the Company will, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause each of its affiliates to, comply with Rule 102 as though such exception were not available but the other provisions of Rule 102 (as interpreted by the Commission) did apply. The Company shall promptly notify the Agents if it no longer meets the requirements set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102.
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(v) Notice of Other Sale. Without the written consent of the Agents, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Ordinary Shares, ADSs or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs (other than Shares hereunder), warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Ordinary Shares or ADSs, during the period beginning on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which any Issuance Notice is delivered to the Agents hereunder and ending on the earlier of the Trading Day immediately following: (A) the Settlement Date with respect to Shares sold pursuant to such Issuance Notice, and (B) the date an Issuance Notice is cancelled if no Shares have been sold pursuant to such Issuance Notice; and will not directly or indirectly enter into any other “at the market” or continuous equity transaction to offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Ordinary Shares or ADSs (other than the Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Ordinary Shares prior to the termination of this Agreement; provided, however, that such restrictions will not be required in connection with any Ordinary Shares or other securities of the Company issued or issuable (i) under Company Share Plans, as in effect on the date of this Agreement or subsequently disclosed in filings by the Company available on XXXXX or otherwise in writing to the agent, (ii) as consideration for mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations, strategic alliances, joint ventures, marketing or distribution arrangements, collaboration arrangements, co-promotion agreements, intellectual property license agreements, or offered and sold in privately negotiated transactions with vendors, strategic partners or potential strategic partners occurring after the date of this Agreement which are not used for capital raising purposes, provided that the aggregate number of the shares issued pursuant to clause (ii) shall not exceed more than five percent (5%) of the total number of outstanding Ordinary Shares immediately prior to such issuance or (iii) upon exchange, conversion or redemption of securities or the exercise or vesting of options or other equity awards outstanding at the date of this Agreement.
(w) Tax Indemnity. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Agents against any documentary, stamp, registration or similar issuance tax, including any interest and penalties, on the sale of the Shares pursuant to Section 3 and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All indemnity payments to be made by the Company hereunder in respect of this Section 4(w) shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future German taxes, duties or governmental shares whatsoever unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, except for any net income, capital gains or franchise taxes imposed on the Agents by the Federal Republic of Germany or the United States or any political subdivision of tax authority thereof or therein as a result of any present or former connection (other than any connection resulting from the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents) between the Agents and the jurisdiction imposing such withholding or deductions, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order to ensure that the net amounts received after such withholding or deductions shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction has been made.
Section 5. CONDITIONS TO DELIVERY OF ISSUANCE NOTICES AND TO SETTLEMENT
(a) Conditions Precedent to the Right of the Company to Deliver an Issuance Notice and the Obligation of the Agents to Sell Shares. The right of the Company to deliver an Issuance Notice hereunder is subject to the satisfaction, on the date of delivery of such Issuance Notice, and the obligation of the Designated Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts to place Shares during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance Notice is subject to the satisfaction, on each Trading Day during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance Notice, of each of the following conditions:
(i) Accuracy of the Company’s Representations and Warranties; Performance by the Company. The Company shall have delivered the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(o) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 4(o). The Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to such date, including, but not limited to, the covenants contained in Section 4(p), Section 4(q) and Section 4(r).
(ii) No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby that prohibits or directly and materially adversely affects any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and no proceeding shall have been commenced that may have the effect of prohibiting or materially adversely affecting any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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(iii) No Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, (A) in the judgment of the Agents there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect; and (B) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act.
(iv) No Suspension of Trading in or Delisting of ADSs; Other Events. The trading of the ADSs (including without limitation the Shares) shall not have been suspended by the Commission, the Principal Market or FINRA and the ADSs (including without limitation the Shares) shall have been approved for listing or quotation on and shall not have been delisted from the Principal Market. There shall not have occurred (and be continuing in the case of occurrences under clauses (A) and (B) below) any of the following (A) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Principal Market or trading in securities generally on either the Principal Market shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the FINRA; (B) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal or New York, authorities; or (C) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Agents is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities.
(b) Documents Required to be Delivered on each Issuance Notice Date. The Designated Agent’s obligation to use its commercially reasonable efforts to place Shares hereunder shall additionally be conditioned upon the delivery to the Agents on or before the Issuance Notice Date of a certificate in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, executed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer or Chief Commercial Officer & Chief Business Officer of the Company, to the effect that all conditions to the delivery of such Issuance Notice shall have been satisfied as at the date of such certificate (which certificate shall not be required if the foregoing representations shall be set forth in the Issuance Notice or in the certificate described in Section 4(o)).
(c) No Misstatement or Material Omission. The Agents shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Information, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in the Agents’ reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in the Agents’ reasonable opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(d) Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement shall be in full force and effect. The Depositary shall have delivered to the Company certificates reasonably satisfactory to the Designated Agent evidencing the deposit with the Depositary or its nominee of the Ordinary Shares being so deposited against issuance of ADRs evidencing the ADSs to be delivered by the Company at the Settlement Date, and the execution, countersignature (if applicable), and delivery of ADRs evidencing such ADSs pursuant to the Deposit Agreement.
(e) Additional Documents. The Company shall have furnished to the Agents such further certificates and documents as the Agents may reasonably request.
Section 6. | INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION |
(a) Indemnification of the Agent. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent, each Agent’s officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls an Agent within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Agent or such officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Shares
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have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and to reimburse the applicable Agent(s) and each such officer, employee and controlling person for any and all documented expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the applicable Agent(s)) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by the applicable Agent(s) or such officer, employee or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agents expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any such Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Agents to the Company consists of the information described in subsection (B) below. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 6(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
(b) Indemnification of the Company and Company Officers and Directors. The Agents agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Shares have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; but, for each of (i) and (ii) above, only to the extent arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agents expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any such Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Agents to the Company consists of the information set forth in the second sentence of the ninth paragraph under the caption “Plan of Distribution” in the Prospectus, and to reimburse the Company and each such director, officer and controlling person for any and all documented expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Company) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by the Company or such officer, director or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 6(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Agents or the Company may otherwise have.
(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 6, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity
25
agreement contained in this Section 6 or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 6 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with any local counsel) for the indemnified parties shall be selected in writing by the indemnified party (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 6(a) or Section 6(b) above), (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party and shall be paid as they are incurred.
(d) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 6 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 6(c) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request; and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding.
(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent(s), on the other hand, from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement; or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent(s), on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent(s), on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total gross proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total commissions received by the applicable
26
Agent(s). The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent(s), on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such 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, on the one hand, or the applicable Agent(s), on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 6(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 6(e); provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 6(c) for purposes of indemnification.
The Company and the Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6(e) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 6(e).
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6(e), an Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the agent fees received by such Agent in connection with the offering contemplated hereby. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 6(e), each officer and employee of an Agent and each person, if any, who controls an Agent within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
Section 7. | TERMINATION & SURVIVAL |
(a) Term. Subject to the provisions of this Section 7, the term of this Agreement shall continue from the date of this Agreement until the end of the Agency Period, unless earlier terminated by the parties to this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.
(b) Termination; Survival Following Termination.
(i) Each Agent may terminate this Agreement, solely with respect to its rights and obligations hereunder, and the Company may terminate this Agreement, with respect to one or both Agents, prior to the end of the Agency Period, by giving written notice as required by this Agreement, upon ten (10) Trading Days’ notice to all other parties party to this Agreement; provided that, (A) if the Company terminates this Agreement after an Agent confirms to the Company any sale of Shares, the Company shall remain obligated to comply with Section 3(b)(v) with respect to such Shares and (B) Section 2, Section 6, Section 7 and Section 8 shall survive termination of this Agreement. If termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Shares, such sale shall nevertheless settle in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the termination by one Agent of its rights and obligations under this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7(b)(i) shall not affect the rights and obligations of the other Agent under this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement, the Company shall not have any liability to the Agents for any discount, commission or other compensation with respect to any Shares not otherwise sold by the Agents under this Agreement.
(ii) In addition to the survival provision of Section 7(b)(i), the respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the Agents set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of an Agent or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
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Section 8. | MISCELLANEOUS |
(a) Press Releases and Disclosure. The Company may issue a press release describing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby as soon as practicable following the date of this Agreement, and may file with the Commission a report on Form 6-K, with this Agreement attached as an exhibit thereto, describing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Company shall consult with the Agents prior to making such disclosures, and the parties hereto shall use all commercially reasonable efforts, acting in good faith, to agree upon a text for such disclosures that is reasonably satisfactory to all parties hereto. No party hereto shall issue thereafter any press release or like public statement (including, without limitation, any disclosure required in reports filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act) related to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby without the prior written approval of the other parties hereto, except as may be necessary or appropriate in the reasonable opinion of the party seeking to make disclosure to comply with the requirements of applicable law or stock exchange rules. If any such press release or like public statement is so required, the party making such disclosure shall consult with the other parties prior to making such disclosure, and the parties shall use all commercially reasonable efforts, acting in good faith, to agree upon a text for such disclosure that is reasonably satisfactory to all parties hereto.
(b) No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the determination of any fees, are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Company and the Agents, (ii) when acting as a principal under this Agreement, an Agent is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) the Agents have not assumed nor will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether any Agent has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and the Agents do not have any obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Agents and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) Agents have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
(c) Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Agents’ research analysts and research departments are required to and should be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and as such an Agent’s research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company understands that the Agents are full service securities firms and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for their own account or the account of their customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Agents:
Jefferies LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: General Counsel
SVB Leerink LLC
1301 Avenue of the Xxxxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxx
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Esq.
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with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxx
Attention: Yasin Keshvargar
If to the Company:
Xx xxx Xxxxxxxxx 00
X-00000 Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx
Attention: Xx. Xxxxx Xxxx
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Xxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
Attention: Xxxx Xxxx.
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others in accordance with this Section 8(d).
(e) Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 6, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Shares as such from any Agent merely by reason of such purchase.
(f) Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Article, Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Article, Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Article, Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
(g) Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court, as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company irrevocably appoints BioNTech USA Holding, LLC, located at 000 X 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0x, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, as its authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
(h) Judgment Currency. The Company agrees to indemnify each Agent, its directors, officers, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Agent within the meaning of Section 17 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any loss incurred by such Agent as a result of any judgment or order being given or made for any amount due hereunder and such judgment or order being expressed and paid in a currency
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(the “Judgment Currency”) other than U.S. dollars and as a result of any variation as between (i) the rate of exchange at which the U.S. dollar amount is converted into the Judgment Currency for the purpose of such judgment or order, and (ii) the rate of exchange at which such indemnified person is able to purchase U.S. dollars with the amount of the Judgment Currency actually received by the indemnified person. The foregoing indemnity shall constitute a separate and independent obligation of the Company and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any such judgment or order as aforesaid. The term “rate of exchange” shall include any premiums and costs of exchange payable in connection with the purchase of, or conversion into, the relevant currency.
(i) Waiver of Immunity. To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (sovereign or otherwise) from jurisdiction of any court of (i) the Federal Republic of Germany, or any political subdivision thereof, (ii) the United States or the State of New York, (iii) any jurisdiction in which it owns or leases property or assets or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution, set-off or otherwise) with respect to themselves or their respective property and assets or this Agreement, the Company hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Agreement to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
(j) General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument, and may be delivered by facsimile transmission or by electronic delivery of a portable document format (PDF) file. Any signature to this Agreement may be delivered by facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf) or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000 or the New York Electronic Signature and Records Act or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Article and Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
[Signature Page Immediately Follows]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
| ||
By: | /s/ Xx. Xxxxx Poetting | |
Name: Xx. Xxxxx Poetting | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer |
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Agents in New York, New York as of the date first above written.
XXXXXXXXX LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: Managing Director | ||
SVB LEERINK LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxx | |
Name: Xxxxx X. Xxx | ||
Title: Head of Alternative Equities |
[Signature Page to Sales Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF ISSUANCE NOTICE
[Date]
[Xxxxxxxxx LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000]
[SVB Leerink LLC
1301 Avenue of the Americas, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000]
Attn: [ ]
Reference is made to the Sales Agreement between BioNTech SE (the “Company”) and Xxxxxxxxx LLC and SVB Leerink LLC dated as of November 9, 2020. The Company confirms that all conditions to the delivery of this Issuance Notice to [Xxxxxxxxx LLC][SVB Leerink LLC] (the “Agent”) are satisfied as of the date hereof.
Date of Delivery of Issuance Notice (determined pursuant to Section 3(b)(i)):
Issuance Amount (equal to the total Sales Price for such Shares): $
Number of days in selling period:
First date of selling period:
Last date of selling period:
Settlement Date(s) if other than standard T+2 settlement:
Floor Price Limitation (in no event less than $1.00 without the prior written consent of the Agent, which consent may be withheld in the Agent’s sole discretion): $ per Share; provided that notwithstanding the Floor Price, in no event shall the Sales Price with respect to any Shares represent a discount exceeding 5% below the prevailing market price of the Shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.
Comments:
BIONTECH SE | ||
By: |
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Name: | ||
Title: |
SCHEDULE A
NOTICE PARTIES