REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.5
ANNEX IV
TO
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of July ___, 2010 (this "Agreement"), is made by and between ABSOLUTE LIFE SOLUTIONS, INC., a Nevada corporation, with headquarters located at 00 Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (the “Company”), and each entity named on a signature page hereto (each, an “Initial Investor”) (each agreement with an Initial Investor being deemed a separate and independent agreement between the Company and such Initial Investor, except that each Initial Investor acknowledges and consents to the rights granted to each other Initial Investor under such agreement).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, between the Initial Investor and the Company (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”; capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Securities Purchase Agreement), the Company has agreed to issue and sell to the Initial Investors the Purchased Shares and the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, the Purchased Shares are convertible into shares of Common Stock (the “Conversion Shares”; which term, for purposes of this Agreement, shall include shares of Common Stock of the Company issued or issuable in lieu of accrued dividends thereon) upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the Securities Purchase Agreement or the other Transaction Agreements; and
WHEREAS, the Warrant Shares may be issued upon the exercise of the Warrants; and
WHEREAS, to induce the Initial Investor to execute and deliver the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to provide certain registration rights under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, or any similar successor statute (collectively, the “Securities Act”), with respect to the Registrable Securities (as defined below);
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Initial Investor hereby agree as follows:
1.
Definitions.
As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Closing Date” means the Initial Closing Date.
“Company Counsel” means Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, LLP.
“Effective Date” means the date the SEC declares a Registration Statement covering Registrable Securities and otherwise meeting the conditions contemplated hereby to be effective.
“Held Shares Value” means, for shares of Common Stock acquired by the Investor upon a conversion of Purchased Shares within the thirty (30) days preceding the Restricted Sale Date, but not yet sold by the Investor, the Stated Value of the Purchased Shares converted into such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that if the Investor effected more than one such conversion during such thirty (30) day period and sold less than all of such shares, the sold shares shall be deemed to be derived first from the conversions in the sequence of such conversions (that is, for example, until the number of shares from the first of such conversions have been sold, all shares shall be deemed to be from the first conversion; thereafter, from the second conversion until all such shares are sold).
“Investor” means the Initial Investor and any permitted transferee or assignee who agrees to become bound by the provisions of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9 hereof and who holds Purchased Shares or Registrable Securities.
“Other Issuable Shares” means the Payment Shares, if any, issued or issuable to the Holder as of the date of the filing of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, will be issuable to the Holder pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement .
“Payment Shares” means shares of Common Stock issued by the Company as provided in Section 2(b) below.
“Permitted Suspension Period” means one or more periods aggregating not more than fifty (50) days during any consecutive 12-month period during which the Holder’s right to sell Registrable Securities under the Registration Statement is suspended, provided, however, that each of such periods shall neither (i) be for more than twenty (20) days nor (ii) begin less than ten (10) Trading Days after the last day of the preceding suspension period (whether or not such last day was during or after a Permitted Suspension Period).
“Potential Material Event” means any of the following: (i) the possession by the Company of material information not ripe for disclosure in a registration statement, which shall be evidenced by determinations in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company that disclosure of such information in the registration statement would be detrimental to the business and affairs of the Company; or (ii) any material engagement or activity by the Company which would, in the good faith determination of the Board of Directors of the Company, be adversely affected by disclosure in a registration statement at such time, which determination shall be accompanied by a good faith determination by the Board of Directors of the Company that the registration statement would be materially misleading absent the inclusion of such information.
“Register,” “Registered,” and “Registration” refer to a registration effected by preparing and filing a Registration Statement or Statements in compliance with the Securities Act and pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act or any successor rule providing for offering securities on a continuous basis (“Rule 415"), and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such Registration Statement by the SEC.
"Registrable Securities" means, collectively, the Conversion Shares, the Warrant Shares, and, if any, the Other Issuable Shares.
“Registration Statement” means a registration statement of the Company under the Securities Act covering Registrable Securities on Form S-1, unless the Company is then eligible to file using another form, in which case, the filing may be made on such other eligible form.
“Required Effective Date” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 2(a)(i) hereof.
“Required Filing Date” means the date as soon as practicable after the Closing Date but no later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the Closing Date.
“Restricted Sale Date” means the first date, other than a date during a Permitted Suspension Period (as defined below), on which the Investor is restricted from making sales of Registrable Securities covered by any previously effective Registration Statement.
2.
Registration.
(a)
Mandatory Registration.
(i)
A.
On or prior to the Required Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and file with the Commission a “resale” Registration Statement providing for the resale of all Registrable Securities for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. The Registration Statement shall be on Form S-1 (except if the Company is then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities on another Form, such Registration Statement may be on such other appropriate form, in accordance herewith and with the Securities Act and the rules promulgated thereunder). Such Registration Statement shall cover to the extent allowable under the Securities Act and the rules promulgated thereunder (including Rule 416), such indeterminate number of additional shares of Common Stock resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions with respect to the Registrable Securities. The Company shall (i) not permit any securities other than the Registrable Securities to be included in the Registration Statement and (ii) use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, and to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until such date as is the earlier of (x) the date when all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold or (y) 36 months after the Closing Date (the “Effectiveness Period”). The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to be declared effective on a date (the “Required Effective Date”) which is no later than the earlier of (Y) five (5) days after oral or written notice by the SEC that it may be declared effective or (Z) two hundred ten (210) days after the Closing Date. The Company shall request that the effective time of the Registration Statement be 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the Effective Date, but the Investor acknowledges that the SEC determines the time of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.
B.
[Reserved]
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C.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Section 2, in the event the Commission does not permit the Company to register all of the Registrable Securities in the Registration Statement because of the Commission’s application of Rule 415 or the Commission requires the Company to either exclude shares held by certain Holders or deem such Holders to be underwriters with respect to their Registrable Securities, the Company shall register in the Registration Statement such number of Registrable Securities as is permitted by the Commission without naming such Holder as an underwriter (unless such Holder agrees to be named as an underwriter); provided, however, that the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such Registration Statement or any subsequent registration statement shall be determined in the following order: (i) first, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock shall be registered on a pro rata basis among the holders of the Preferred Stock, and (ii) second, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants shall be registered on a pro rata basis among the holders of the Warrants. In the event the Commission does not permit the Company to register all of the Registrable Securities in the initial Registration Statement, then except as the Holders of such excluded Registrable Securities may otherwise agree, the Company shall use its best efforts to file subsequent Registration Statements to register the Registrable Securities that were not registered in the initial Registration Statement, as promptly as possible and in a manner permitted by the Commission. For purposes of this Section 2(a)(i)(C), the term “Required Effective Date” means with respect to each subsequent Registration Statement filed pursuant hereto, the earlier of (A) the ninetieth (90th) day following the filing date of such Registration Statement (or in the event such Registration Statement receives a “full review” by the Commission, the one hundred twentieth (120th) day following such filing date) or (B) the date which is within three (3) Trading Days after the date on which the Commission informs the Company (i) that the Commission will not review such Registration Statement or (ii) that such Registration Statement will not be subject to further review; provided that, if the Effectiveness Date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or any other day which shall be a legal holiday or a day on which the Commission is authorized or required by law or other government actions to close, the Effectiveness Date shall be the following Trading Day.
D.
Each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company a completed Selling Stockholder Questionnaire in the form annexed hereto not more than fifteen (15) Trading Days following the date of this Agreement. Each Holder further agrees that it shall not be entitled to be named as a selling security holder in the Registration Statement or use the Prospectus for offers and resales of Registrable Securities at any time, unless such Holder has returned to the Company a completed and signed Selling Stockholder Questionnaire. If a Holder of Registrable Securities returns a Selling Stockholder Questionnaire after the deadline specified in the previous sentence, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to take such actions as are required to name such Holder as a selling security holder in the Registration Statement or any pre-effective or post-effective amendment thereto and to include (to the extent not theretofore included) in the Registration Statement the Registrable Securities identified in such late Selling Stockholder Questionnaire; provided that the Company shall not be required to file an additional Registration Statement solely for such shares. Each Holder acknowledges and agrees that the information in the Selling Stockholder Questionnaire will be used by the Company in the preparation of the Registration Statement and hereby consents to the inclusion of such information in the Registration Statement. Each Holder further agrees that if the information in the Selling Stockholder Questionnaire provided by such Holder changes before the Effective Date, the Holder will promptly notify the Company in writing of each such change.
(ii)
[Reserved]
(b)
Payments by the Company.
(i)
If the Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities is not filed as contemplated by this Agreement with the SEC by the Required Filing Date, the Company will make payment to the Initial Investor in such amounts and at such times as shall be determined pursuant to this Section 2(b).
(ii)
If the Registration Statement covering the Registrable Securities is not effective by the relevant Required Effective Date or if there is a Restricted Sale Date, then the Company will make payments to the Initial Investor in such amounts and at such times as shall be determined pursuant to this Section 2(b).
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(iii)
The amount (the “Periodic Amount”) to be paid by the Company to the Initial Investor shall be determined as of each Computation Date (as defined below) and such amount shall be equal to the Periodic Amount Percentage (as defined below) of the Stated Value of the Holder’s Purchased Shares for the period from the date following the relevant Required Filing Date or the Required Effective Date or a Restricted Sale Date, as the case may be, to the first relevant Computation Date, and thereafter to each subsequent Computation Date (each such period, a “Computation Period”). The “Periodic Amount Percentage” means [one percent (1%)] of the Stated Value of all Purchased Shares for each Computation Period (and pro rata for any Computation Period which is less than thirty [30] days); provided, however, that with respect to Periodic Amounts payable with respect to (X) Section 2(a)(i) or (Y) Section 2(a)(ii) with respect to any Computation Period (or portion thereof) occurring prior to the Effective Date, such Periodic Amounts shall cease to accrue on the date which is one hundred eighty (180) days after the Required Effective Date. Anything in the preceding provisions of this paragraph (iii) to the contrary notwithstanding, after the relevant Effective Date the Purchase Price shall be deemed to refer to the sum of (X) the Stated Value of all Purchased Shares not yet converted and (Y) the Held Shares Value. By way of illustration and not in limitation of the foregoing, if the Registration Statement is filed on or before the Required Filing Date, but is not declared effective until seventy-five (75) days after the Required Effective Date, the Periodic Amount will aggregate two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the Stated Value of the Purchased Shares (1% for days 1-30, plus 1% for days 31-60, plus 0.5% for days 61-75).
(iv)
Each Periodic Amount, if any, will be payable by the Company, except as provided in the other provisions of the immediately succeeding subparagraph (v), in cash or other immediately available funds to the Investor on the third Trading Day after the relevant Computation Period, without requiring demand therefor by the Investor.
(v)
Notwithstanding the provisions of the immediately preceding subparagraph (iv),
(A) at the option of the Company, exercisable in its discretion on the date the Periodic Amount is due; provided, however, that the Company may exercise this discretion if, but only if the Effective Date is within two hundred ten (210) days after the Closing Date and the Registration Statement covering the Payment Shares is then effective1; or
(B) at the option of the Investor, exercisable in its sole and absolute discretion by written notice to the Company at any time before the Periodic Amount is paid, all or a portion of the Periodic Amount shall be paid by the issuance of additional shares of Common Stock to the Investor (“Payment Shares”) in an amount equal to the Periodic Amount being paid thereby divided by the then applicable Conversion Price; provided, further that the Delivery Date for the Payment Shares shall be three (3) Trading Days after the date the Periodic Amount is due (if the election is made by the Company) or after the Investor gives the notice contemplated by clause (ii) of this subparagraph. [The provisions of Article IV(B) of the Certificate of Designations shall apply to the delivery of the certificates of the Payment Shares.]
(vi)
The parties acknowledge that the damages which may be incurred by the Investor if the Registration Statement is not filed by the Required Filing Date or the Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the Required Effective Date, including if the right to sell Registrable Securities under a previously effective Registration Statement is suspended or the shares of the Company’s stock are not listed on the Principal Trading Market, may be difficult to ascertain. The parties agree that the amounts payable pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2(b) represent a reasonable estimate on the part of the parties, as of the date of this Agreement, of the amount of such damages.
(vii)
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the amounts payable by the Company pursuant to this provision shall not be payable to the extent any delay in the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement occurs because of an act of, or a failure to act or to act timely by the Initial Investor or its counsel.
________________
1 If the Investor requests payment of any accrued Periodic Amount on any date which is earlier than two hundred forty (240) days after the Closing Date but prior to the Effective Date, and if, prior to the payment thereof, the Investor does not elect to have such payment made in shares as provided in clause (B) of this paragraph, the Company shall either pay such amount to the Investor or deposit such amount in escrow with the Company Counsel with a statement that it will issue shares to the Investor pursuant to this clause (A) if the conditions provided herein are met. If such amount is paid in escrow, it shall be held until such date or the earlier issuance of shares pursuant to such election in accordance with such terms. If the shares are not issued or issuable by such date, the Company Counsel shall release the funds to the Investor. If the shares are duly issued to the Investor, as confirmed by the Investor, the funds held in escrow may be released to the Company.
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(ix)
Anything in the preceding provisions of this Section 2(b) to the contrary notwithstanding, if, but only if, the Registration Statement is declared effective within thirty (30) days following the Required Effective Date,
(A) the provisions of Section 2(b)(i) shall not apply; and
(B) the provisions of Section 2(b)(ii) shall not apply to the fact that the Registration Statement was initially declared effective after the Required Effective Date;
and the Company will not have any obligation to pay any Periodic Amount to the Investor with respect thereto; provided, however, that the provisions of Section 2(b)(ii) shall continue to apply to all other events described therein.
3.
Obligations of the Company. In connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities, the Company shall do each of the following:
(a)
Prepare promptly, and file with the SEC by the Required Filing Date a Registration Statement with respect to not less than the number of Registrable Securities provided in Section 2(a) above, and thereafter use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement relating to Registrable Securities to become effective by the Required Effective Date and keep the Registration Statement effective at all times during the period (the “Registration Period”) continuing until the earlier of (i) the date when the Investors may sell all Registrable Securities under Rule 144 without volume or other restrictions or limits or (ii) the date the Investors no longer own any of the Registrable Securities, which Registration Statement (including any amendments or supplements thereto and prospectuses contained therein) shall 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, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading;
(b)
Prepare and file with the SEC such amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to the Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection with the Registration Statement as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective at all times during the Registration Period, and, during the Registration Period, comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities of the Company covered by the Registration Statement until such time as all of such Registrable Securities have been disposed of in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the seller or sellers thereof as set forth in the Registration Statement;
(c)
Permit a single firm of counsel designated by the Initial Investors (“Investor’s Counsel”) to review the Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto a reasonable period of time (but not less than three (3) Trading Days) prior to their filing with the SEC, and not file any document in a form to which such counsel reasonably objects;
(d)
Notify each Investor and the Investor’s Counsel and any managing underwriters immediately (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than three (3) Trading Days prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one (1) Trading Day following the day (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement is proposed to be filed; (B) whenever the SEC notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement; (C) whenever the Company receives (or a representative of the Company receives on its behalf) any oral or written comments from the SEC in respect of a Registration Statement (copies or, in the case of oral comments, summaries of such comments shall be promptly furnished by the Company to the Investors); and (D) with respect to the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective; (ii) of any request by the SEC or any other Federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (iii) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iv) if at any time any of the representations or warranties of the Company contained in any agreement (including any underwriting agreement) contemplated hereby ceases to be true and correct in all material respects; (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and (vi) of the occurrence of any event that to the best knowledge of the Company makes any statement made in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. In addition, the Company shall communicate with the Investor’s Counsel with regard to its proposed written responses to the comments contemplated in clause (C) of this Section 3(d), so that, to the extent practicable, the Investors shall have the opportunity to comment thereon;
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(e)
Furnish to each Investor and to Investor’s Counsel (i) promptly after the same is prepared and publicly distributed, filed with the SEC, or received by the Company, one (1) copy of the Registration Statement, each preliminary prospectus and prospectus, and each amendment or supplement thereto, and (ii) such number of copies of a prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto and such other documents, as such Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Investor;
(f)
As promptly as practicable after becoming aware thereof, notify each Investor of the happening of any event of which the Company has knowledge, as a result of which the prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and use its best efforts promptly to prepare a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement or other appropriate filing with the SEC to correct such untrue statement or omission, and deliver a number of copies of such supplement or amendment to each Investor as such Investor may reasonably request;
(g)
As promptly as practicable after becoming aware thereof, notify each Investor who holds Registrable Securities being sold (or, in the event of an underwritten offering, the managing underwriters) of the issuance by the SEC of a Notice of Effectiveness or any notice of effectiveness or any stop order or other suspension of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement at the earliest possible time;
(h)
Comply with Regulation FD or any similar rule or regulation regarding the dissemination of information regarding the Company, and in furtherance of the foregoing, and not in limitation thereof, not disclose to the Investor any non-public material information regarding the Company;
(i)
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time or from time to time after the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company notifies the Investors in writing that the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is suspended for any reason, whether due to a Potential Material Event or otherwise, the Investors shall not offer or sell any Registrable Securities, or engage in any other transaction involving or relating to the Registrable Securities, from the time of the giving of such notice until such Investor receives written notice from the Company that such the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been restored, whether because the Potential Material Event has been disclosed to the public or it no longer constitutes a Potential Material Event or otherwise; provided, however, that the Company may not so suspend the right to such holders of Registrable Securities during the periods the Registration Statement is required to be in effect other than during a Permitted Suspension Period (and the applicable provisions of Section 2(b) shall apply with respect to any such suspension other than during a Permitted Suspension Period);
(j)
Use its reasonable efforts to secure and maintain the designation of all the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement on the Principal Trading Market and the quotation of the Registrable Securities on the Principal Trading Market;
(k)
Provide a transfer agent (“Transfer Agent”) and registrar, which may be a single entity, for the Registrable Securities not later than the initial Effective Date;
(l)
Cooperate with the Investors who hold Registrable Securities being offered to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates for the Registrable Securities to be offered pursuant to the Registration Statement and enable such certificates for the Registrable Securities to be in such denominations or amounts as the case may be, as the Investors may reasonably request, and, within five (5) Trading Days after a Registration Statement which includes Registrable Securities is ordered effective by the SEC, the Company shall deliver, and shall cause legal counsel selected by the Company to deliver, to the Transfer Agent for the Registrable Securities (with copies to the Investors whose Registrable Securities are included in such Registration Statement) an appropriate instruction and opinion of such counsel, which shall include, without limitation, directions to the Transfer Agent to issue certificates of Registrable Securities(including certificates for Registrable Securities to be issued after the Effective Date and replacement certificates for Registrable Securities previously issued) without legends or other restrictions, subject to compliance with applicable law and other rules and regulations, including, without limitation, prospectus delivery requirements;
(m)
Take all other reasonable administrative steps and actions (including the participation of Company counsel) necessary to expedite and facilitate disposition by the Investor of the Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement; provided, however, that the foregoing does not require that the Company take any steps whatsoever regarding the identification or selection of a broker to sell the Registrable Securities, the identification of buyers of the Registrable Securities, or the negotiation of the sale terms of the Registrable Securities; and
(n)
Not file any other registration statement (other than the Registration Statement and amendments thereto) during the period commencing on the Initial Closing Date and ending on the Effective Date.
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4.
Obligations of the Investors. In connection with the registration of the Registrable Securities, the Investors shall have the following obligations:
(a)
Each Investor, by such Investor's acceptance of the Registrable Securities, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Investor has notified the Company in writing of such Investor's election to exclude all of such Investor's Registrable Securities from the Registration Statement; and
(b)
Each Investor agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3(f), (g) or (i) above, such Investor will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until such Investor's receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section 3(f), (g) or (i), and, if so directed by the Company, such Investor shall deliver to the Company (at the expense of the Company) or destroy (and deliver to the Company a certificate of destruction) all copies in such Investor's possession, of the prospectus covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice.
5.
Expenses of Registration. All reasonable expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions of the Investor) incurred in connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Section 3, but including, without limitation, all registration, listing, and qualifications fees, printers and accounting fees, the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company shall be borne by the Company.
6.
Indemnification. In the event any Registrable Securities are included in a Registration Statement under this Agreement:
(a)
To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Investor who holds such Registrable Securities, the directors, if any, of such Investor, and the officers, if any, of such Investor (each, including the Investor, an “Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (joint or several) incurred (collectively, “Claims”) to which any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise, insofar as such Claims (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any of the following statements, omissions or violations in the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereof, or any prospectus included therein: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereof or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented, if the Company files any amendment thereof or supplement thereto with the SEC) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein any material fact necessary to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which the statements therein were made, not misleading or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law or any rule or regulation under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law (the matters in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iii) being referred to individually as a “Violation” and any two or more of them as “Violations”). Subject to clause (b) of this Section 6, the Company shall reimburse the Indemnified Party promptly as such expenses are incurred and are due and payable, for any legal fees or other reasonable expenses incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the indemnification agreement contained in this Section 6(a) shall not (I) apply to any Claim arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party expressly for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, any such amendment thereof or supplement thereto or prospectus, if such prospectus (or supplement or amendment thereto) was timely made available by the Company pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof; (II) be available to the extent such Claim is based on a failure of the Investor to deliver or cause to be delivered the prospectus made available by the Company or the amendment or supplement thereto made available by the Company; (III) be available to the extent such Claim is based on the delivery of a prospectus by the Investor after receiving notice from the Company regarding the suspension or other restriction, termination or expiration of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (IV) apply to amounts paid in settlement of any Claim if such settlement is effected without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The Investor will indemnify the Company and its officers, directors and agents (each, an “Indemnified Party”) against any claims arising out of or based upon a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company, by or on behalf of such Investor, expressly for use in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement or the amendment or supplement thereto, subject to such limitations and conditions as are applicable to the indemnification provided by the Company pursuant to this Section 6. Such indemnity shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Indemnified Party and shall survive the transfer of the Registrable Securities by the Investors pursuant to Section 9.
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(b)
Promptly after receipt by an Indemnified Party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action), such Indemnified Party shall, if a Claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 6, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to the indemnifying party (provided such counsel shall not have a conflict of interest with the Indemnified Party and provided that all defenses available to the Indemnified Party can be maintained without prejudicing the rights of the indemnifying party). In case any such action is brought against any Indemnified Party, and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, assume the defense thereof, subject to the provisions herein stated and after notice from the indemnifying party to such Indemnified Party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such Indemnified Party under this Section 6 for any legal or other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation, unless the indemnifying party shall not pursue the action to its final conclusion. The Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of such counsel shall not be at the expense of the indemnifying party if the indemnifying party has assumed the defense of the action with counsel as provided above. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall not relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the Indemnified Party under this Section 6, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is prejudiced in its ability to defend such action. The indemnification required by this Section 6 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred and is due and payable; provided, however, that the Investor shall not obligated to make any indemnification payment to the Company under this Section 6 unless and until there has been a final adjudication of liability on the part of the Investor.
7.
Contribution. To the extent any indemnification by an indemnifying party is prohibited or limited by law, the indemnifying party agrees to make the maximum contribution with respect to any amounts for which it would otherwise be liable under Section 6 to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however, that (a) no contribution shall be made under circumstances where the maker would not have been liable for indemnification under the fault standards set forth in Section 6; (b) no seller of Registrable Securities guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any seller of Registrable Securities who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation; and (c) except where the seller has committed fraud (other than a fraud by reason of the information included or omitted from the Registration Statement as to which the Company has not given notice as contemplated under Section 3 hereof) or intentional misconduct, contribution by any seller of Registrable Securities shall be limited in amount to the net amount of proceeds received by such seller from the sale of such Registrable Securities.
8.
Reports under Securities Act and Exchange Act. With a view to making the benefits of Rule 144 available to Investor with respect to the Registrable Securities, the Company agrees to:
(a)
make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in Rule 144;
(b)
file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act; and
(c)
furnish to the Investor so long as the Investor owns Registrable Securities, promptly upon request, (i) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of Rule 144, the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (ii) if not available on the SEC’s XXXXX system, a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by the Company and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested to permit the Investor to sell such securities pursuant to Rule 144 without Registration; and
(d)
at the request of any Investor holding Registrable Securities (a “Holder”), give its Transfer Agent instructions (supported by an opinion of Company counsel, if required or requested by the Transfer Agent) to the effect that, upon the Transfer Agent’s receipt from such Holder of
(i) a certificate (a “Rule 144 Certificate”) certifying (A) that the Holder’s holding period (as determined in accordance with the provisions of Rule 144) for the shares of Registrable Securities which the Holder proposes to sell (the “Securities Being Sold”) is not less than (6) six months or such relevant period, as applicable, and (B) as to such other matters as may be appropriate in accordance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act, and
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(ii) an opinion of counsel acceptable to the Company based on the Rule 144 Certificate, Securities being sold may be sold pursuant to the provisions of Rule 144, even in the absence of an effective Registration Statement,
the Transfer Agent is to effect the transfer of the Securities Being Sold and issue to the buyer(s) or transferee(s) thereof one or more stock certificates representing the transferred Securities Being Sold without any restrictive legend and without recording any restrictions on the transferability of such shares on the Transfer Agent’s books and records (except to the extent any such legend or restriction results from facts other than the identity of the Holder, as the seller or transferor thereof, or the status, including any relevant legends or restrictions, of the shares of the Securities Being Sold while held by the Holder). If the Transfer Agent reasonably requires any additional documentation at the time of the transfer, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered all such reasonable additional documentation as may be necessary to effectuate the issuance of an unlegended certificate.
9.
Assignment of the Registration Rights. The rights to have the Company register Registrable Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be automatically assigned by the Investor to any transferee of the Registrable Securities (or all or any portion of any unconverted Purchased Shares) only if the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer or assignment, furnished with written notice of (a) the name and address of such transferee or assignee, (b) the securities with respect to which such registration rights are being transferred or assigned, and (c) written evidence of the transferee’s assumption of the Investor’s obligations under this Agreement.
10.
Amendment of Registration Rights. Any provision of this Agreement may be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the written consent of the Company and Investors who hold more than fifty (50%) percent interest of the Registrable Securities (as calculated by the Stated Value of the outstanding Purchased Shares then held by all Holders). Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this Section 10 shall be binding upon each Investor and the Company.
11.
Miscellaneous.
(a)
A person or entity is deemed to be a holder of Registrable Securities whenever such person or entity owns of record such Registrable Securities. If the Company receives conflicting instructions, notices or elections from two or more persons or entities with respect to the same Registrable Securities, the Company shall act upon the basis of instructions, notice or election received from the registered owner of such Registrable Securities.
(b)
Any notice required or permitted hereunder shall be given in manner provided in the Section headed “NOTICES” in the Securities Purchase Agreement, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.
(c)
Failure of any party to exercise any right or remedy under this Agreement or otherwise, or delay by a party in exercising such right or remedy, shall not operate as a waiver thereof.
(d)
Reference is made to the provisions of Section 10(a) of the Securities Purchase Agreement (regarding applicable governing law, jurisdiction and venue), the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.
(e)
JURY TRIAL WAIVER. The Company and the Investor hereby waive a trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim brought by either of the Company or the Investor against the other in respect of any matter arising out or in connection with this Agreement.
(f)
If any provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement or the validity or enforceability of this Agreement in any other jurisdiction.
(g)
Subject to the requirements of Section 9 hereof, this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and assigns of each of the parties hereto.
(h)
All pronouns and any variations thereof refer to the masculine, feminine or neuter, singular or plural, as the context may require.
(i)
The headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning thereof.
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(j)
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which shall constitute one and the same agreement. This Agreement, once executed by a party, may be delivered to the other party hereto by telephone line facsimile transmission of a copy of this Agreement bearing the signature of the party so delivering this Agreement.
(k)
This Agreement (including to the extent relevant the provisions of other Transaction Agreements) constitutes the entire agreement among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings among the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. There are no restrictions, promises, warranties or undertakings, other than those set forth or referred to herein.
[BALANCE OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this Agreement to be duly executed on its behalf (if an entity, by one of its officers thereunto duly authorized) as of the date first above written.
INITIAL INVESTOR:
____________________________________
[Print Name of Initial Investor]
By: _________________________________
Name: ______________________________
Title: _______________________________
COMPANY:
By: __________________________________
Name: _______________________________
Title: _______________________________
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EXHIBIT A
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The selling security holders and any of their pledgees, donees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their shares of common stock being offered under this prospectus on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which shares of our common stock are traded or in private transactions. These sales may be at fixed or negotiated prices. The selling security holders may use any one or more of the following methods when disposing of shares:
•
ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;
•
block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;
•
purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resales by the broker-dealer for its account;
•
an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;
•
privately negotiated transactions;
•
to cover short sales made after the date that the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part is declared effective by the Commission;
•
broker-dealers may agree with the selling security holders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share;
•
a combination of any of these methods of sale; and
•
any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.
The shares may also be sold under Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), if available, rather than under this prospectus. The selling security holders have the sole and absolute discretion not to accept any purchase offer or make any sale of shares if they deem the purchase price to be unsatisfactory at any particular time.
The selling security holders may pledge their shares to their brokers under the margin provisions of customer agreements. If a selling security holder defaults on a margin loan, the broker may, from time to time, offer and sell the pledged shares.
Broker-dealers engaged by the selling security holders may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate in sales. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the selling security holders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in amounts to be negotiated, which commissions as to a particular broker or dealer may be in excess of customary commissions to the extent permitted by applicable law.
If sales of shares offered under this prospectus are made to broker-dealers as principals, we would be required to file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. In the post-effective amendment, we would be required to disclose the names of any participating broker-dealers and the compensation arrangements relating to such sales.
The selling security holders and any broker-dealers or agents that are involved in selling the shares offered under this prospectus may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act in connection with these sales. Commissions received by these broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. Any broker-dealers or agents that are deemed to be underwriters may not sell shares offered under this prospectus unless and until we set forth the names of the underwriters and the material details of their underwriting arrangements in a supplement to this prospectus or, if required, in a replacement prospectus included in a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
The selling security holders and any other persons participating in the sale or distribution of the shares offered under this prospectus will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations under that act, including Regulation M. These provisions may restrict activities of, and limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares by, the selling security holders or any other person. Furthermore, under Regulation M, persons engaged in a distribution of securities are prohibited from simultaneously engaging in market making and other activities with respect to those securities for a specified period of time prior to the commencement of such distributions, subject to specified exceptions or exemptions. All of these limitations may affect the marketability of the shares.
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If any of the shares of common stock offered for sale pursuant to this prospectus are transferred other than pursuant to a sale under this prospectus, then subsequent holders could not use this prospectus until a post-effective amendment or prospectus supplement is filed, naming such holders. We offer no assurance as to whether any of the selling security holders will sell all or any portion of the shares offered under this prospectus.
We have agreed to pay all fees and expenses we incur incident to the registration of the shares being offered under this prospectus. However, each selling security holder and purchaser is responsible for paying any discounts, commissions and similar selling expenses they incur.
We and the selling security holders have agreed to indemnify one another against certain losses, damages and liabilities arising in connection with this prospectus, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
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EXHIBIT B
SELLING STOCKHOLDER NOTICE AND QUESTIONNAIRE
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