●] American Depositary Shares1 MDxHealth SA PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
[●] American Depositary Shares1
__________ __, 2021
XXXXX XXXXXXX & CO.
As Representative of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
c/o Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
MDxHealth SA, a limited liability company (naamloze vennootschap/société anonyme) organized under the laws of Belgium (the “Company”), proposes to sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of [●] American Depositary Shares (the “ADSs”), each representing ten new ordinary shares to be issued without nominal value (the “Ordinary Shares”), of the Company. The [●] ADSs to be sold by the Company are called the “Firm ADSs.” The Company has also granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to [●] additional ADSs on the terms and for the purposes set forth in Section 3 hereof (the “Option ADSs”). The Firm ADSs and any Option ADSs purchased pursuant to this Purchase Agreement (the “Agreement”) are herein collectively called the “Securities.”
The Company hereby confirms its agreement with respect to the sale of the Securities to the several Underwriters, for whom Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. is acting as representative (the “Representative” or “you” or “your”).
1. Registration Statement and Prospectus. A registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-260213) with respect to the Securities, including a preliminary form of prospectus, has been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (“Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder and has been filed with the Commission. Such registration statement, including the amendments, exhibits and schedules thereto, as of the time it became effective, including the Rule 430A Information (as defined below), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.” The Company will prepare and file a prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations that discloses the information previously omitted from the prospectus in the Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, which information will be deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 430A Information”). If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations to increase the size of the offering registered under the Act, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement with respect to such increase pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations (such registration statement, including the contents of the Registration Statement incorporated by reference therein is the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”). References herein to the “Registration Statement” will be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement at and after the time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. “Preliminary Prospectus” means any prospectus included in the Registration Statement prior to the effective time of the Registration Statement, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Rules and Regulations and each prospectus that omits Rule 430A Information used after the effective time of the Registration Statement. “Prospectus” means the prospectus that discloses the public offering price and other final terms of the Securities and the offering and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act. All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, is deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System or any successor system thereto.
1 | Plus an option to purchase up to [●] additional American Depositary Shares to cover over-allotments. |
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company.
(a) Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters as follows:
(i) Registration Statement and Prospectuses. The Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. As of the time each part of the Registration Statement (or any post-effective amendment thereto) became or becomes effective, such part conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. Upon the filing or first use within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations, each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (or any supplement to either) conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations.
(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof or the time of first use within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at the effective time of each part thereof, at the First Closing Date (as defined below) or at the Second Closing Date (as defined below), contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Time of Sale (as defined below), neither (A) the Time of Sale Disclosure Package (as defined below) nor (B) any issuer free writing prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations, at the First Closing Date or at the Second Closing Date, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties in this Section 2(a)(ii) shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by you, or by any Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation of such document, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(e).
Each reference to an “issuer free writing prospectus” herein means an issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations.
“Time of Sale Disclosure Package” means the Preliminary Prospectus dated [●], any free writing prospectus set forth on Schedule III and the information on Schedule IV, all considered together.
Each reference to a “free writing prospectus” herein means a free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.
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“Time of Sale” means [●]:00 [a/p]m (New York City time) on the date of this Agreement.
(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.
(A) Each issuer free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in Section 4(a)(iii)(B), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any issuer free writing prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by you or by any Underwriter through you specifically for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(e).
(B) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, and at the date hereof, the Company was not, is not and will not be (as applicable) an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
(C) Each issuer free writing prospectus satisfied, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, all other conditions to use thereof as set forth in Rules 164 and 433 under the Act.
(iv) Emerging Growth Company. From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined below)) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
(v) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.
(vi) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications, other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the prior consent of the Representative with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representative has been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications (as defined below) other than those listed on Schedule V hereto. “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on either Section 5(d) of, or Rule 163B under, the Act. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act. Any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, complied in all material respects with the Act, and when taken together with the Time of Sale Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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(vii) No Other Offering Materials. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or other materials permitted by the Act to be distributed by the Company; provided, however, that, except as set forth on Schedule III, the Company has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus, except in accordance with the provisions of Section 4(a)(xiii) of this Agreement and, except as set forth on Schedule V, the Company has not made and will not make any communication relating to the Securities that would constitute a Testing-the-Waters Communication, except in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(a)(v) of this Agreement.
(viii) Financial Statements. The financial statements of the Company, together with the related notes, set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and fairly present the financial condition of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of operations and changes in cash flows for the periods therein specified in conformity with international financial reporting standards (“IFRS”) consistently applied throughout the periods involved; the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; all non-IFRS financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus complies with the requirements of Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act; and, except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material off-balance sheet arrangements (as defined in Regulation S-K under the Act, Item 303(a)(4)(ii)) or any other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons, that may have a material current or, to the Company’s knowledge, material future effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources or significant components of revenue or expenses. No other financial statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. BDO Réviseurs d’Entreprises SRL, which has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements and schedules filed as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is (x) an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, (y) a registered public accounting firm (as defined in Section 2(a)(12) of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”)) and (z) not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.
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(ix) Absence of Certain Events. Except as contemplated or reflected in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its share capital; and there has not been any change in the share capital (other than a change in the number of outstanding Ordinary Shares due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or conversion of convertible securities), or any material change in the short-term or long-term debt (other than as a result of the conversion of convertible securities), or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase or subscribe the share capital, of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any Material Adverse Effect. “Material Adverse Effect” shall mean any material adverse change or effect, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change or effect, in or affecting (i) the business, earnings, assets, liabilities, prospects, properties, condition (financial or otherwise), operations, general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (ii) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, including the issuance and sale of the Securities, or to consummate the transactions contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(x) Organization and Good Standing. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in Good Standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has full corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as currently being carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in Good Standing in each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases real property or in which the conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary and in which the failure to so qualify would have a Material Adverse Effect. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Good Standing” means that a company has filed all documents required under applicable law in the relevant jurisdiction.
(xi) Absence of Proceedings. Except as set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, there is not pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated, any action, suit or proceeding (a) to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or (b) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of the Company or any subsidiary, any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or any subsidiary or any property or assets owned or leased by the Company or any subsidiary before or by any court or Governmental Authority (as defined below), or any arbitrator, which, would individually or in the aggregate, result in any Material Adverse Effect or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Securities. There are no current or, to the knowledge of the Company, pending, legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings (x) to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject or (y) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of the Company or any subsidiary, any employee plan sponsored by the Company or any subsidiary or any property or assets owned or leased by the Company or any subsidiary, that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus by the Act or by the Rules and Regulations and that have not been so described.
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(xii) Authorization; No Conflicts; Authority. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity hereunder may be limited by applicable United States federal, state or non-United States securities laws and except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets 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 which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (B) result in any violation of the provisions of the Company’s articles of association or (C) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule, regulation or decree of any court or arbitrator or federal, state, local or foreign, including Belgian, governmental agency or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets (each, a “Governmental Authority”), except in the case of clause (A) as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or registration or filing with any Governmental Authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or for the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the issuance or sale of the Securities by the Company, except (1) such as may be required under the Act , the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or state securities or blue sky laws, (2) for the inclusion of the Securities on The Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Exchange”), (3) the listing of the Underlying Shares (as defined below) on the regulated market of Euronext Brussels operated by Euronext Brussels SA/NV (“Euronext Brussels”) (including the related approvals by the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (“FSMA”)); and the Company has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement.
(xiii) Capitalization; the Securities; Registration Rights. All of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company (including the outstanding Ordinary Shares) and the ADSs, are duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state and foreign securities laws, including Belgian securities laws and were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities that have not been cancelled (a copy of which has been delivered to counsel to the Representative), and the holders thereof are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Securities which may be sold hereunder by the Company and the Ordinary Shares underlying such Securities (the “Underlying Shares”) have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and non-assessable, and the holders thereof will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and the share capital of the Company, including the Ordinary Shares and ADSs, conforms to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus. Except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, and except for such statutory preferential subscription rights of the existing shareholders of the Company as shall be cancelled (A) there are no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any restriction upon the voting or transfer of, any Ordinary Shares or ADSs pursuant to the Company’s articles of association or any agreement or other 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 under Belgian company law, and (B) neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities of the Company (collectively “Registration Rights”). All of the issued and outstanding shares of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and, except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, the Company owns of record and beneficially, free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens, proxies, equities or other encumbrances, all of the issued and outstanding shares. The Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization.” The Ordinary Shares (including the Securities) conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. For the purposes of this paragraph “non-assessable” means that a holder of the relevant securities will not by reason of merely being such a holder, be subject to assessment or calls by the Company or its creditors for further payment on such securities.
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(xiv) Share Options. Except as described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, there are no options, warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company or any subsidiary of the Company any shares of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company. The description of the Company’s share option, warrants, share bonus and other share plans or arrangements (the “Company Share Plans”), and the options and warrants (together, the “Options”) or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options, warrants and rights. Each grant of an Option (A) was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Option was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee or representative 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 and (B) was made in accordance with the terms of the applicable Company Share Plan, and all applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including all applicable United States federal and Belgian securities laws.
(xv) Compliance with Laws. The Company and each of its subsidiaries holds, and is operating in compliance in all material respects with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates and orders of any Governmental Authority or self-regulatory body required for the conduct of its business and all such franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certifications and orders are valid and in full force and effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such franchise, grant, authorization, license, permit, easement, consent, certification or order or has reason to believe that any such franchise, grant, authorization, license, permit, easement, consent, certification or order will not be renewed in the ordinary course; and the Company and each of its subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal, state, local, Belgian and foreign laws, regulations, orders and decrees.
(xvi) Ownership of Assets. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all property (whether real or personal) described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus as being owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests, other encumbrances or defects except such as are described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus. The property held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries is held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with only such exceptions with respect to any particular lease as do not interfere in any material respect with the conduct of the business of the Company or its subsidiaries.
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(xvii) Intellectual Property. The Company and each of its subsidiaries owns, possesses, licenses, have rights to use on reasonable terms or can acquire on reasonable terms, all Intellectual Property necessary for the conduct of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ business as now conducted or as proposed to be conducted, as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and its subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property is licensed to the Company or any subsidiary, and all such agreements are in full force and effect. Furthermore, (A) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement, misappropriation or violation by third parties of any Intellectual Property purported to be owned by the Company and its subsidiaries (“Company Owned Intellectual Property”); (B) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ rights in or to any such Intellectual Property, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of any such claim, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (C) except as contemplated or provided for by the Kreos Loan Agreements as described in the Registration Statement, there are no third parties who have rights to any Company Owned Intellectual Property, including liens, security interest, or other encumbrances, except for (i) customary reversionary rights of third-party licensors with respect to Intellectual Property that is disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as licensed to the Company or one or more of its subsidiaries or (ii) rights or Intellectual Property that are not material to the Company; (D) the Company Owned Intellectual Property, and to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property licensed to the Company and its subsidiaries, has not been adjudged invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, and there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (E) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any of its subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property or other proprietary rights of others, neither the Company or any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice of such claim and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (F) the conduct of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ business as now conducted or as proposed to be conducted does not and will not infringe or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property or other proprietary right of any third party; (G) to the Company’s knowledge, no employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in or has ever been in violation of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company or any of its subsidiaries or actions undertaken by the employee while employed with the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (H) there is no prior art or public or commercial activity of which the Company is aware that may render any patent included in the Company Owned Intellectual Property invalid or that would preclude the issuance of any patent on any patent application included in such Intellectual Property, which has not been disclosed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or the relevant foreign patent authority, as the case may be; (I) to the Company’s knowledge, the issued patents included in the Intellectual Property of the Company are valid and enforceable and the Company is unaware of any facts that would preclude the issuance of a valid and enforceable patent on any pending patent application included in such Intellectual Property; (J) the Company has taken reasonable steps necessary to secure the interests of the Company in the Company Owned Intellectual Property from all employees, consultants, agents or contractors that developed (in whole or in part) such Intellectual Property; (K) except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no government funding, facilities or resources of a university, college, other educational institution or research center was used in the development of any Intellectual Property that is owned or purported to be owned by the Company that would confer upon any governmental agency or body, university, college, other educational institution or research center any claim or right in or to any such Intellectual Property; (L) to the Company’s knowledge, none of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of the rights of any entity; (M) the Company and its subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable actions to protect the secrecy any trade secrets and other confidential information owned by or otherwise in the possession of the Company or one of its subsidiaries; and (N) all patents and patent applications owned by or licensed to the Company or any of its subsidiaries have been duly and properly filed, prosecuted and maintained in all material respects, have been assigned to the Company or the licensor to the Company, and the patents are subsisting and have not lapsed and the patent applications in the Intellectual Property are subsisting and have not been abandoned. “Intellectual Property” shall mean all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service xxxx registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, domain names, technology, know-how and other intellectual property in the United States and foreign jurisdictions. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Kreos Loan Agreements” means the agreement for the provision of a loan facility, and the agreement for the provision of several convertible loans, each dated 23 September 2019, by and between the Company and Kreos Capital IV (UK) Limited, as amended and restated, as relevant, on 19 October 2020 and on April 19, 2021.
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(xviii) Regulatory and Health Care Authorizations. The Company has submitted and possesses, or qualifies for applicable exemptions to, such valid and current registrations, listings, approvals, clearances, licenses, classifications, exemptions, certificates, authorizations or permits and supplements or amendments thereto issued or required by the appropriate Governmental Authority or designated organization necessary to conduct its business (“Permits”), including, without limitation, all such Permits required by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) (including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”)), state Medicaid agencies, Canadian Governmental Authorities (including for example, “Health Canada”), European Medicines Agency (“EMA”), European Union member state national competent authorities (“NCAs”) or any other comparable local, state, federal or foreign agencies or bodies to which it is subject, and the Company has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or material non-compliance with, any such Permit, except for such Permits, the lack of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xix) Clinical Validation Studies and Other Studies and Clinical Trials. To the extent applicable, the analytical and clinical validation studies and other tests and studies, and any preclinical and clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of, or sponsored by, the Company, or in which the Company has participated, that are described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, were and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with all applicable Health Care Laws, standard medical and scientific research procedures and any applicable rules, regulations and policies of the jurisdiction in which such trials, studies and investigations are being conducted; the descriptions of the results of such studies, tests and trials contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus do not contain any misstatement of a material fact or omit a material fact necessary to make such statements not misleading; the Company has no knowledge of any studies, tests or trials not described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus the results of which reasonably call into question in any material respect the results of the studies, tests and trials described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or Prospectus; and the Company has not received any notices or other correspondence from the FDA, Health Canada, EMA, the European Union NCAs, or any other foreign, state or local governmental body exercising comparable authority or any Institutional Review Board or comparable authority or designated organization requiring or threatening the termination, suspension or material modification of any studies, tests or preclinical or clinical trials conducted by or on behalf of, or sponsored by, the Company or in which the Company has participated, and, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no reasonable grounds for the same. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any violation of law or regulation by the Company in its respective product development efforts, submissions or reports to any regulatory authority that could reasonably be expected to require investigation, corrective action or enforcement action.
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(xx) Compliance with Health Care Laws. The Company, its directors, employees and, to the Company’s knowledge, its agents are and at all times have been in material compliance with, all health care laws applicable to the Company, its products or services and activities, including, without limitation,(i) the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 as amended (42 U.S.C. § 263a), and all similar additionally applicable state laws, including state laws governing the qualification and licensure, accreditation, certification and operation of clinical laboratories and related personnel, (ii) all foreign, federal, state, and local health care fraud and abuse laws, including but not limited to, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)), the Civil Monetary Penalties Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq.), the criminal False Claims Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(a)), the Medicare and Medicaid exclusion laws (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7), the Medicare physician self-referral law (“Xxxxx Law”) (42 U.S.C. § 1395nn), to the extent applicable the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7h) and other transparency laws, all criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. §§ 286, 287, 1001 and 1347, and the health care fraud criminal provisions under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. § 1320d et seq.) (“HIPAA”), (iii) HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”), (42 U.S.C. § 17921 et seq.), (iv) the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.) its implementing regulations, related guidance and policies, (v) the federal Medicare statute (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act), (vi) the federal Medicaid statute (Title XIX of the Social Security Act), (vii) the Federal Trade Commission Act, (viii) in the case of each of the foregoing clauses, as amended and together with the regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws, and (ix) any other local, state, federal or foreign law, or regulation, or legally binding accreditation standard, memorandum, opinion letter, or other issuance which imposes legal requirements on manufacturing, developing, testing, labeling, advertising, marketing, promoting, distributing, reporting, offering or receiving kickbacks, patient or program charges, recordkeeping, claims processes, documentation requirements, medical necessity, referrals, the hiring of employees, contracting of independent contractors or acquisition of services or supplies from those who have been excluded from government health care programs, quality, safety, privacy, security, licensure, accreditation or any other aspect of the research, design, testing, development, sale, marketing, promotion, advertising, ownership, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, storage, or disposal of medical devices and health care items and services (collectively, “Health Care Laws”). The Company has not received any notification, correspondence or any other written or oral communication concerning any materially adverse action by any applicable Governmental Authority, including notification of any pending or threatened claim, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, the FDA, the European Union NCAs, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, CMS, stated Medicaid agencies, HHS’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Justice and state Attorneys General or similar agencies or Governmental Authorities, of potential or actual material violation or non-compliance by, or liability of, the Company under any Health Care Laws. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to give rise to material liability of the Company under any Health Care Laws. The Company is not a party to, and has no 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 Governmental Authority. Additionally, neither the Company nor any of its employees, officers, directors, or, to the knowledge of the Company, agents, has been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any government health care program or human research study, clinical trial or investigation or, to the knowledge of the Company, is subject to an inquiry, investigation, proceeding, or other similar action by any Government Authority that would reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension, or exclusion.
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(xxi) Post-Commercialization Reporting Obligations. The Company is complying in all material respects with all applicable regulatory post-commercialization reporting obligations, including, without limitation, adverse event reporting requirements set forth by the EU Medical Devices Directives, as applicable, and, to the extent applicable, their national implementing laws in the European Union member states.
(xxii) No Shutdowns or Prohibitions. The Company has not had any product or services, clinical laboratory or facility or manufacturing or service-provider site (whether Company-owned or that of a third party in relation to the Company’s laboratory test offerings) subject to a Governmental Authority (including CMS, state laboratory authorities, or FDA) shutdown or import or export prohibition, nor received any Governmental Authority or designated organization notice of inspectional observations, warning letters, untitled letters, requests to make changes to any Company products, services, processes or operations (including for example, any changes impacting the regulatory status and compliance oversight of any Company products or services, processes or operations), or similar correspondence or notice from the FDA or other governmental authority or designated organization alleging or asserting material noncompliance with any applicable Health Care Laws. To the Company’s knowledge, neither the FDA nor any other Governmental Authority or designated organization is considering such action.
(xxiii) No Safety Notices. (i) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there have been no recalls, warnings, “safety alerts or other notifications or notice of action required or made to regulatory authorities, healthcare professionals, laboratories, or patients, relating to any alleged or potential performance or accuracy failure(s) of testing services offered, or lack of safety, or regulatory compliance of Company products or services or any items used in connection therewith (“Safety Notices”) and (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, there are no facts that would be reasonably likely to result in (x) a Safety Notice with respect to the Company’s products or services, (y) a change in labeling of any the Company’s respective products or services, or (z) a termination or suspension of marketing or testing of any the Company’s products or services.
(xxiv) No Violations or Defaults. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) is in violation of its articles of association, charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents), (ii) is 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, condition or other obligation contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject, or (iii) is in violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over it or its property or assets or has failed to obtain any license, permit, certificate, franchise or other governmental authorization or permit necessary to the ownership of its property or to the conduct of its business, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to the extent any such conflict, breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxv) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have timely filed all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise and any other tax returns required to be filed and are not in default in the payment of any taxes which were payable pursuant to said returns or any assessments with respect thereto, other than any which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is contesting in good faith. There is no pending dispute with any taxing authority relating to any of such returns, and the Company has no knowledge of any proposed liability for any tax to be imposed upon the properties or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries for which there is not an adequate reserve reflected in the Company’s financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The statements set forth in the Registration Statement under the caption “Taxation”, insofar as it purports to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material respects.
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(xxvi) Stamp Taxes. No stamp, registration, sales, documentary, capital, issuance, transfer or other similar taxes or duties (“Stamp Taxes”) are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters in any Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction on or in connection with (i) the creation, issuance or delivery by the Company of the Securities, (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Securities in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) the resale and delivery by the Underwriters of the Securities in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, (iv) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or (vii) the consummation or completion of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for (i) a Belgian stock exchange tax, if the Underwriters act, for purposes of the Belgian stock exchange tax, as a professional intermediary on behalf of purchasers of Securities with habitual residence, seat, or establishment in Belgium in relation to the purchase of Securities (secondary market transaction) or if the relevant Underwriter is resident in Belgium for tax purposes or carries on business through an establishment in Belgium (in both cases unless an exemption applies), (ii) a Belgian annual securities account tax, if the Underwriters hold the Securities on a securities account with a Belgian financial intermediary or if the relevant Underwriter is a resident in Belgium for tax purposes or carries on business through an establishment in Belgium (in both cases unless an exemption applies), (iii) documentary duties that could become due on deeds and certificates issued by Belgian officials (notaries, bailiffs and clerks) and banking institutions, ranging from EUR 0.15 to EUR 95, provided that such deeds and certificates are drawn up or executed in Belgium and (iv) a general, fixed registration tax of EUR 50 due on the voluntary registration in Belgium of any document.
(xxvii) Passive Foreign Investment Company. The Company does not believe that it was a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes for the taxable year ended December 31, 2020 and it does not expect to be treated as a PFIC for the current taxable year.
(xxviii) Exchange Listing and Exchange Act Registration. The Securities have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market upon official notice of issuance and, on the date the Registration Statement became effective, the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A or other applicable form under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and are included or approved for listing on the Exchange, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the ADSs under the Exchange Act or delisting the ADSs from the Exchange nor has the Company received any written notification that the Commission or the Exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. The Ordinary Shares are listed on Euronext Brussels and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, delisting the Ordinary Shares from Euronext Brussels, nor has the Company received any notification that the FSMA or Euronext Brussels is contemplating terminating such listing. Except as previously disclosed to counsel for the Underwriters or as set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no affiliations with members of FINRA among the Company’s officers or directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent or greater stockholders of the Company or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired during the 180-day period immediately preceding the initial filing date of the Registration Statement.
(xxix) Ownership of Other Entities. Other than the subsidiaries of the Company listed in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement, the Company, directly or indirectly, owns no capital stock or other equity or ownership or proprietary interest in any corporation, partnership, association, trust or other entity.
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(xxx) Internal Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of “internal controls over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (v) any interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Disclosure Package fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and none of the Company, its board of directors and audit committee is aware of any “significant deficiencies” or “material weaknesses” (each as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board) in its internal control over financial reporting, or any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees of the Company and its subsidiaries who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls; and since the end of the latest audited fiscal year, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s board of directors has, subject to the exceptions, cure periods and the phase in periods specified in the applicable stock exchange rules (“Exchange Rules”), validly appointed an audit committee to oversee internal accounting controls whose composition satisfies the applicable requirements of the Exchange Rules and the Company’s board of directors and/or the audit committee has adopted a charter that satisfies the requirements of the Exchange Rules.
(xxxi) No Brokers or Finders. Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, the Company has not incurred and will not incur any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(xxxii) Insurance. The Company and each of its subsidiaries carries, or is covered by, insurance from reputable insurers in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and the properties of its subsidiaries and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries; all policies of insurance and any fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its business, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; there are no claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xxxiii) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and after giving effect to the sale of the Securities in accordance with this Agreement and the application of proceeds as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” will not be, required to be registered as an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(xxxiv) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(xxxv) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies 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 and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(xxxvi) Anti-Bribery and Anti-Money Laundering Laws. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its affiliates and its and its subsidiaries’ respective officers, directors, supervisors, managers, agents, or employees, has not violated, its participation in the offering will not violate, and the Company and each of its subsidiaries has instituted and maintains policies and procedures designed to ensure continued compliance with, each of the following laws: (A) anti-bribery laws, including but not limited to, any applicable law, rule, or regulation of any locality, including but not limited to any law, rule, or regulation promulgated to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, signed December 17, 1997, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the U.K. Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000, or any other law, rule or regulation of similar purposes and scope or (B) anti-money laundering laws, including but not limited to, applicable federal, state, international, foreign or other laws, regulations or government guidance regarding anti-money laundering, including, without limitation, Title 18 U.S. Code section 1956 and 1957, the Patriot Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and international anti-money laundering principles or procedures by an intergovernmental group or organization, such as the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, of which the United States is a member and with which designation the United States representative to the group or organization continues to concur, all as amended, and any Executive order, directive, or regulation pursuant to the authority of any of the foregoing, or any orders or licenses issued thereunder.
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(xxxvii) OFAC.
(A) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any or their directors, officers or employees, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by an individual or entity that is:
(1) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor
(2) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).
(B) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity:
(1) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any individual or entity or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(2) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(C) For the past five years, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has knowingly engaged in, and is not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(xxxviii) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any statute, any rule, regulation, decision or order of any Governmental Authority or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any Environmental Laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any Environmental Laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim would individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which would lead to such a claim. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries anticipates incurring any material capital expenditures relating to compliance with Environmental Laws.
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(xxxix) Compliance with Occupational Laws. The Company and each of its subsidiaries (A) is in compliance, in all material respects, with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, treaties, statutes and codes promulgated by any and all Governmental Authorities (including pursuant to the Occupational Health and Safety Act) relating to the protection of human health and safety in the workplace (“Occupational Laws”); (B) has received all material permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Occupational Laws to conduct its business as currently conducted; and (C) is in compliance, in all material respects, with all terms and conditions of such permit, license or approval. No action, proceeding, revocation proceeding, writ, injunction or claim is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Occupational Laws, and the Company does not have knowledge of any facts, circumstances or developments relating to its operations or cost accounting practices that could reasonably be expected to form the basis for or give rise to such actions, suits, investigations or proceedings.
(xl) ERISA and Employee Benefits Matters. (A) To the knowledge of the Company, no “prohibited transaction” as defined under Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code and not exempt under ERISA Section 408 and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder has occurred with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan. At no time has the Company or any ERISA Affiliate maintained, sponsored, participated in, contributed to or has or had any liability or obligation in respect of any Employee Benefit Plan subject to Part 3 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA, Title IV of ERISA, or Section 412 of the Code or any “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA or any multiple employer plan for which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate has incurred or could incur liability under Section 4063 or 4064 of ERISA. No Employee Benefit Plan provides or promises, or at any time provided or promised, retiree health, life insurance, or other retiree welfare benefits except as may be required by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended, or similar state law. Each Employee Benefit Plan is and has been operated in material compliance with its terms and all applicable laws, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code and, to the knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred (including a “reportable event” as such term is defined in Section 4043 of ERISA) and no condition exists that would subject the Company or any ERISA Affiliate to any material tax, fine, lien, penalty or liability imposed by ERISA, the Code or other applicable law. Each Employee Benefit Plan intended to be qualified under Code Section 401(a) is so qualified and has a favorable determination or opinion letter from the IRS upon which it can rely, and any such determination or opinion letter remains in effect and has not been revoked; to the knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred since the date of any such determination or opinion letter that is reasonably likely to adversely affect such qualification; (B) with respect to each Foreign Benefit Plan, such Foreign Benefit Plan (1) if intended to qualify for special tax treatment, meets, in all material respects, the requirements for such treatment, and (2) if required to be funded, is funded to the extent required by applicable law, and with respect to all other Foreign Benefit Plans, adequate reserves therefor have been established on the accounting statements of the applicable Company or subsidiary; (C) the Company does not have any obligations under any collective bargaining agreement with any union and no organization efforts are underway with respect to Company employees. As used in this Agreement, “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; “Employee Benefit Plan” means any “employee benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA, including, without limitation, all stock purchase, stock option, stock-based severance, employment, change-in-control, medical, disability, fringe benefit, bonus, incentive, deferred compensation, employee loan and all other employee benefit plans, agreements, programs, policies or other arrangements, whether or not subject to ERISA, under which (x) any current or former employee, director or independent contractor of the Company or its subsidiaries has any present or future right to benefits and which are contributed to, sponsored by or maintained by the Company or any of its respective subsidiaries or (y) the Company or any of its subsidiaries has had or has any present or future obligation or liability; “ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended; “ERISA Affiliate” means any member of the company’s controlled group as defined in Code Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o); and “Foreign Benefit Plan” means any Employee Benefit Plan established, maintained or contributed to outside of the United States or which covers any employee working or residing outside of the United States.
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(xli) Business Arrangements. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, other than ordinary course manufacturing arrangements, non-exclusive U.S. distribution agreements and distribution agreements outside the U.S., neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has granted rights to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products to any other person and is not bound by any agreement that affects the exclusive right of the Company or such subsidiary to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products.
(xlii) Labor Matters. No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or is threatened or imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that could result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xliii) Restrictions on Subsidiary Payments to the Company. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(xliv) Disclosure of Legal Matters. There are no statutes, regulations, legal or governmental proceedings or contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or included as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or included as required.
(xlv) Statistical Information. Any third-party statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(xlvi) Forward-looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(xlvii) FinCEN Matters. All of the beneficial ownership information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters by the Company or its counsel in compliance with the control and beneficial ownership certification requirements of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network within the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“FinCEN”)is true, complete, correct and compliant with the rules, regulations and requirements of FinCEN.
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(xlviii) Cybersecurity. The Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) 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 physical, technical and administrative 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 “Personal Data,” used in connection with their businesses. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, facial photograph, social security number or tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (iii) “personal data” as defined by GDPR (as defined below); (iv) any information which would qualify as “protected health information” under HIPAA; and (v) any other piece of information that allows the identification of such natural person, or his or her family, or permits the collection or analysis of any data related to an identified person’s health or medical condition. To the knowledge of the Company, there have been no breaches, material violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same, except for those that are unlikely to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries at all prior times have been and 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, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification. The Company and its subsidiaries have at all times made all disclosures to users or customers required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and none of such disclosures made or contained in any policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling, and analysis of Personal Data have been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements in any material respect.
(xlix) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries are, and at all prior times were, in material compliance with all applicable state and federal data privacy and security laws and regulations, including without limitation HIPAA, and the Company and its subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable actions to prepare to comply with, and since May 25, 2018, have been and currently are in compliance with, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (EU 2016/679) (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”). To ensure compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company and its subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling, and analysis of Personal Data (the “Policies”). The Company and its subsidiaries have at all times made all disclosures to users or customers required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and none of such disclosures made or contained in any Policy have, to the knowledge of the Company, been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements in any material respect. The Company further certifies that neither it nor any subsidiary: (i) has received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, or other corrective action pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.
(l) Immunity. Neither the Company nor any of its properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the laws of the Kingdom of Belgium.
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(li) Valid Choice of Law; Enforceability. The choice of laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of Belgium and will be honored by the courts of Belgium, subject to the restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 16 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each of New York state and the 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. Any final judgment for a fixed or readily calculable sum of money rendered by a New York Court having jurisdiction under its own domestic laws and recognized by the Belgian courts as having jurisdiction to give such final judgment in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon this Agreement and any instruments or agreements entered into for the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein would be declared enforceable against the Company. The Company is not aware of any reason why the enforcement in Belgium of such a New York Court judgment would be, as of the date hereof, contrary to the public policy of Belgium.
(lii) No Public Offering in European Economic Area. The Company has not made and will not make an offer to the public of the Securities in any member state of the European Economic Area.
(liii) Absence of Market Abuse. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, in relation to the offering of the Securities or otherwise, any action or engaged in any course of conduct in breach of, and has taken adequate measures and has adequate procedures in place in order to ensure compliance with, and none of the issue of the Securities, the sale of the Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will constitute a violation by the Company of, any applicable European Union, Belgian, U.S. or any other relevant jurisdiction “insider dealing,” “xxxxxxx xxxxxxx” or similar legislation and, so far as the Company is aware, no person acting on its behalf has breached or is in breach of any relevant market abuse or xxxxxxx xxxxxxx law or regulation, including any reporting obligations to the Commission, the FSMA or any other authority. The Company has not taken, nor will the Company take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would be reasonably expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or to result in a violation of applicable laws, including Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the Market Abuse Regulation and its implementing rules.
(b) Effect of Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to you or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Securities.
(a) Firm ADSs. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell [ ● ] Firm ADSs to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the number of Firm ADSs set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto. The purchase price for each Firm ADSs shall be $[ ● ] per ADS. The obligation of each Underwriter to the Company shall be to purchase from the Company that number of Firm ADSs (to be adjusted by the Representative to avoid fractional ADSs) which represents the same proportion of the number of Firm ADSs to be sold by the Company pursuant to this Agreement as the number of Firm ADSs set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto represents to the total number of Firm ADSs to be purchased by all Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement. In making this Agreement, each Underwriter is contracting severally and not jointly; except as provided in paragraph (d) of this Section 3 and in Section 8 hereof, the agreement of each Underwriter is to purchase only the respective number of Firm ADSs specified in Schedule I.
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(b) Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm ADSs to be sold by the Company hereunder (and any Option Shares to be so sold by the Company) is to be made in immediately available funds to a blocked account designated by the Company (the “Blocked Account”). Such payment is to be made not later than 9:00 a.m., Central European Summer Time, by the second business day after the date of this Agreement or at such other time and date not later than five business days thereafter as the Representative and the Company shall agree upon, such time and date for delivery of the Firm ADSs being herein called the “First Closing Date”, each such time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Closing Date, being herein called a “Second Closing Date”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Closing”. On the First Closing Date, the Company will issue the Ordinary Shares underlying the Firm ADSs by [12:00 p.m.] Central European Summer Time. The effective realization of the Company’s capital increase and the issuance of the Ordinary Shares underlying the Firm ADSs to be issued by the Company, will be acknowledged and recorded in a notarial deed by an authorized representative of the Company in accordance with 7:186 of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code of 23 March 2019, as amended from time to time (the “Belgian Companies and Associations Code”) (the “Deed”), pursuant to the provisions of the resolutions of the meeting of the Company’s board of directors held on [ ● ], 2021, and the Underwriters shall subscribe for such Ordinary Shares underlying the Firm ADSs with a view to distribute the Firm ADSs on and after the First Closing Date to the investors to whom such Firm ADSs have been sold. To that effect, the Company will procure that the Ordinary Shares underlying the Firm ADSs so issued by the Company shall qualify as registered shares for which Bank of New York Mellon will be registered as shareholder in the split share register of the Company to be held in the United States. Delivery of Securities purchased by each Underwriter hereunder shall be delivered to Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. through the facilities of the Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”) for the account of such Underwriter. (As used herein, “business day” means a day on which the Euronext Brussels and the New York Stock Exchange are open for trading and on which banks in Brussels, Belgium and New York, New York are open for business and are not permitted by law or executive order to be closed).
As compensation for the Underwriters’ commitments, the Company will pay to the Representative for the Underwriters’ proportionate accounts the sum of $[ ● ] per ADS times the total number of ADSs (including any Option ADSs) purchased by the Underwriters from the Company on the First Closing Date (and any Second Closing Date, as appropriate). Such payment will be made on the First Closing Date (or any Second Closing Date) with respect to the ADSs (or Option ADSs) purchased on such date by wire transfer or credit of immediately available funds from the Blocked Account to an account designated by the Representative.
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(c) Option ADSs. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters an option to purchase all or any portion of the Option ADSs at the same purchase price as the Firm ADSs, for use solely in covering any over-allotments made by the Underwriters in the sale and distribution of the Firm ADSs. The option granted hereunder may be exercised in whole or in part at any time (but not more than once) within 30 days after the effective date of this Agreement upon notice (which notice must be confirmed in writing and may be made by electronic mail to the Company) by the Representative to the Company setting forth the aggregate number of Option ADSs as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option and the date and time, as determined by you, when the Ordinary Shares underlying the Option ADSs are to be issued and the Option ADSs are to be delivered, but in no event earlier than the First Closing Date (as defined above) nor earlier than the second business day or later than the tenth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. The number of Option ADSs to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the same percentage of the total number of Option ADSs to be purchased by the several Underwriters as the number of Firm ADSs to be purchased by such Underwriter is of the total number of Firm ADSs to be purchased by the several Underwriters, as adjusted by the Representative in such manner as the Representative deems advisable to avoid fractional ADSs. No Option ADSs shall be sold and delivered unless the Firm ADSs previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered.
(d) The documents to be delivered at each Closing by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 5 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Securities and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(m) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of DLA Piper LLP (US), 0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx Xxx Xxxx 00000 (the “Closing Location”), and the Securities will be delivered to Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., through the facilities of DTC, for the account of such Underwriter, all at such Closing. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at [ ● ] [a.m./p.m.], New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Closing, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 3, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(e) Purchase by Representative on Behalf of Underwriters. It is understood that you, individually and not as the Representative of the several Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment to the Company, on behalf of any Underwriter for the Securities to be purchased by such Underwriter. Any such payment by you shall not relieve any such Underwriter of any of its obligations hereunder. Nothing herein contained shall constitute any of the Underwriters an unincorporated association or partner with the Company.
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4. Covenants.
(a) Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters as follows:
(i) Required Filings. The Company will prepare and file a Prospectus with the Commission containing the Rule 430A Information omitted from the Preliminary Prospectus within the time period required by, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of, Rules 424(b) and 430A of the Rules and Regulations. If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations to increase the size of the offering registered under the Act and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has not yet been filed and become effective, the Company will prepare and file the Rule 462 Registration Statement with the Commission within the time period required by, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of, Rule 462(b) and the Act. The Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon your request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in your opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters; and the Company will furnish the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus and will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus to which you shall reasonably object by notice to the Company after having been furnished a copy a reasonable time prior to the filing.
(ii) Listing of Ordinary Shares. The Company will use its best efforts to have the Underlying Shares listed as soon as practicably possible on Euronext Brussels.
(iii) Notification of Certain Commission Actions. The Company will advise you, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and the Company will promptly use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued.
(iv) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.
(A) Within the time during which a prospectus (assuming the absence of Rule 172) relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), the Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, as now and hereafter amended, and by the Rules and Regulations, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective investors, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) to comply with the Act, the Company promptly will (x) notify you of such untrue statement or omission, (y) amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance and (z) notify you when any amendment to the Registration Statement is filed or becomes effective or when any supplement to the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) is filed.
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(B) If at any time following issuance of an issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the Securities 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 (x) has promptly notified or promptly will notify the Representative of such conflict, untrue statement or omission, (y) has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission and (z) has notified or promptly will notify you when such amendment or supplement was or is filed with the Commission to the extent required to be filed by the Rules and Regulations.
(v) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company shall take or cause to be taken all necessary action to qualify the Securities for sale under the securities laws of such domestic United States or foreign jurisdictions as you reasonably designate and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities, except that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation (where not otherwise required) or to execute a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction (where not otherwise required).
(vi) Provision of Documents. The Company will furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement (three of which will be signed and will include all consents and exhibits filed therewith), and to the Underwriters and any dealer each Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case as soon as reasonably available and in such quantities as you may from time to time reasonably request.
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(vii) Value Added Tax. The Company shall make all payments under this Agreement exclusive of any value added tax, goods and services tax, or any other tax of a similar nature (“VAT”) which is chargeable thereon and if any VAT is or becomes chargeable in respect of any such payment, the Company shall, subject to receipt of an appropriate VAT invoice (where required under applicable law), pay in addition the amount of such VAT (at the same time and in the same manner as the payment to which such VAT relates). Where a sum (a “Relevant Sum”) is paid or reimbursed to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any cost, expense or other amount and that cost, expense or other amount includes an amount in respect of irrecoverable VAT (the “VAT Element”), then the Company, to the extent applicable, shall, in addition, pay an amount to the Underwriters by reference to the VAT Element. For the purposes of this Agreement “VAT” means (i) any tax imposed in compliance with the Council Directive of 28 November 2006 on the common system of value added tax (EC Directive 2006/112) and (ii) any other tax of a similar nature, whether imposed in a member state of the European Union in substitution for or levied in addition to such tax referred to in (i) above or imposed elsewhere.
(viii) Withholding. The Company shall make all payments under this Agreement and under the Securities in U.S. dollars and such payments shall be free and clear of, and without any deduction or withholding for or on account of, any current or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges or other deductions or withholdings levied in any jurisdiction unless such deduction or withholding is required by applicable law. In that event, and except for any net income, capital gains, franchise taxes or other similar taxes imposed on the Underwriters by Belgium or other applicable jurisdiction or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein as a result of any present or former connection (other than any connection resulting from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) between the Underwriters and such jurisdiction, the Company will pay additional amounts as may be necessary in order to ensure that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made.
(ix) Stamp Taxes. The Company shall pay, and jointly and severally indemnify and hold the Underwriters harmless against, any Stamp Taxes, including any interest and penalties with respect thereto, imposed under the laws of Belgium or any other jurisdiction that are payable in connection with (i) the creation, issuance or delivery by the Company of the Securities, (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Securities in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, (iii) the resale and delivery by the Underwriters of the Securities in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, (iv) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or (v) the consummation or completion of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(x) Rule 158. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a 12-month period beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement (which, for purposes of this paragraph, will be deemed to be the effective date of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if applicable) that shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations.
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(xi) Payment and Reimbursement of Expenses. The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, will pay or cause to be paid (A) all expenses (including transfer taxes allocated to the respective transferees) incurred in connection with the delivery to the Underwriters of the Securities, (B) all expenses and fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and counsel but, except as otherwise provided below, not including fees of the Underwriters’ counsel) in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, delivery, and shipping of the Registration Statement (including the financial statements therein and all amendments, schedules, and exhibits thereto), the Securities, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, and the printing, delivery, and shipping of this Agreement and other underwriting documents, including Blue Sky Memoranda (covering the states and other applicable jurisdictions), (C) all filing fees and fees and disbursements of the Underwriters’ counsel incurred in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale by the Underwriters or by dealers under the securities or blue sky laws of the states and other jurisdictions which you shall designate, (D) the fees and expenses of the Custodian and any transfer agent or registrar, (E) the filing fees and fees and disbursements of Underwriters’ counsel incident to any required review and approval by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (F) all expenses and fees incurred in connection with the listing of the ADSs on the Exchange and the Underlying Shares on Euronext Brussels, (G) the cost and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations or any “road show” undertaken in connection with marketing of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, (H) all other costs and expenses of the Company incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder that are not otherwise specifically provided for herein, and (I) all other reasonable out-of-pocket documented costs and expenses of the Underwriters (including reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel) incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder not otherwise specifically provided for herein, provided, however that such costs and expenses provided for in clauses (C), (E) and (I) shall not exceed $150,000 in the aggregate. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 9 hereof or if the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform any agreement on its or their part to be performed, or because any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder required to be fulfilled by the Company is not fulfilled, the Company will reimburse the several Underwriters for all out-of-pocket accountable disbursements (including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with their investigation, preparing to market and marketing the Securities or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder.
(xii) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities to be sold by it hereunder for the purposes set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus and will file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in accordance with Rule 463 of the Rules and Regulations.
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(xiii) Company Lock Up. The Company will not, without the prior written consent of Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., from the date of execution of this Agreement and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), (A) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with or confidentially submit to the Commission a registration statement under the Act (other than a Form S-8 registration statement covering the Company’s options in effect as of the date of this Agreement) relating to, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Securities, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase Ordinary Shares or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Ordinary Shares or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (B) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of Ordinary Shares or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be settled by delivery of Ordinary Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing restrictions shall not apply to (i) the Securities to be sold hereunder or issued pursuant to share option or warrant plans for directors, employees, consultants and other staff members of the Company and its subsidiaries, existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement or pursuant to stock option plans established consistent with past practices as described in the Prospectus, or the exercise of such options or warrants, and (ii) the issue of shares pursuant to the terms of the Kreos Loan Agreements).
(xiv) Shareholder Lock-Ups. The Company has caused to be delivered to you prior to the date of this Agreement a letter, in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Lock-Up Agreement”), from each individual or entity listed on Schedule II. The Company will enforce the terms of each Lock-Up Agreement and issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent and registrar for the Ordinary Shares with respect to any transaction or contemplated transaction that would constitute a breach of or default under the applicable Lock-Up Agreement. If Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions of any Lock-Up Agreement between an officer or director of the Company and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of such release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by means of a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, issued through a major news service, at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
(xv) No Market Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities, and has not affected any sales of ADSs or Ordinary Shares which are required to be disclosed in response to Item 701 of Regulation S-K under the Act which have not been so disclosed in the Registration Statement.
(xvi) SEC Reports. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will file on a timely basis with the Commission such periodic and special reports as required by the Rules and Regulations.
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(xvii) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., and each Underwriter severally represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus required to be filed with the Commission; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the free writing prospectuses included in Schedule III. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an issuer free writing prospectus, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show. Each Underwriter severally represents and agrees that, (A) unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., it has not distributed, and will not distribute any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication other than those listed on Schedule V, and (B) any Testing-the-Waters Communication undertaken by it was with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act.
(xviii) Emerging Growth Company. The Company will as soon as reasonably practicable promptly notify Xxxxx Xxxxxxx if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (A) completion of the distribution of Securities within the meaning of the Act and (B) completion of the Lock-Up Period.
5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof and at each of the First Closing Date and the Second Closing Date (each, a “Closing Date”) (as if made at such Closing Date), of and compliance with all representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Required Filings; Absence of Certain Commission Actions. All filings required by Rules 424, 430A and 433 of the Rules and Regulations shall have been timely made (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or Rule 164(b)); no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or any amendment thereof, nor suspending or preventing the use of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus shall have been issued; no proceedings for the issuance of such an order shall have been initiated or threatened; and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to your satisfaction.
(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. No Underwriter shall have advised the Company that (i) the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a material fact which, in your opinion, is material or omits to state a material fact which, in your opinion, is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (ii) the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any issuer free writing prospectus contains an untrue statement of fact which, in your opinion, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in your opinion, is material and is required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.
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(c) Absence of Certain Events. Except as contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its share capital; and there shall not have been any change in the share capital (other than a change in the number of Ordinary Shares due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or conversion of convertible securities or pursuant to the Kreos Loan Agreements), or any material change in the short-term or long-term debt of the Company (other than as a result of the conversion of convertible securities), or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase shares of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any Material Adverse Effect or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Effect (whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business), that, in your judgment, makes it impractical or inadvisable to offer or deliver the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus.
(d) No Downgrade. On or after the Time of Sale (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities or preferred shares by any “nationally recognized statistical organization,” as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities or preferred shares;
(e) Opinion of Company Counsel. On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, (i) the opinion and negative assurance letter of K&L Gates LLP counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you in form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to such matters as you may reasonably request and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters, and (ii) the opinion and negative assurance letter of Xxxxx & XxXxxxxx CVBA and of Xxxxx XxXxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you in form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to such matters as you may reasonably request and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(f) Opinion of Intellectual Property Counsel. On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, the opinion of Xxxxxxx and Xxxxx LLP, intellectual property counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you in form and substance satisfactory to you.
(g) Opinion of the Company’s General Counsel. On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, the opinion of the General Counsel for the Company with respect to certain regulatory matters, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you in form and substance satisfactory to you.
(h) Opinion of Underwriters’ Counsel. On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, such opinion or opinions from DLA Piper LLP (US), counsel for the several Underwriters, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, with respect to the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and other related matters as you reasonably may request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
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(i) Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed after the date hereof and on each Closing Date you, as the Representative of the several Underwriters, shall have received a letter of BDO Réviseurs d’Entreprises SRL, dated such date and addressed to you, in form and substance satisfactory to you.
(j) Officers’ Certificate. On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as the Representative of the Underwriters, a certificate, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, signed by the chief executive officer and by the chief financial officer of the Company, to the effect that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct as if made at and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date; and
(ii) No stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or any amendment thereof or the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale, nor suspending or preventing the use of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus, has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge, is contemplated by the Commission or any state or regulatory body.
(k) Lock-Up Agreement. The Underwriters shall have received all of the Lock-Up Agreements referenced in Section 4 and the Lock-Up Agreements shall remain in full force and effect.
(l) Other Documents. The Company shall have furnished to you and counsel for the Underwriters such additional documents, certificates and evidence as you or they may have reasonably requested.
(m) FINRA No Objections. FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(n) Exchange Listing. The Securities to be delivered on such Closing Date will have been approved for listing on the Exchange subject to official notice of issuance.
(o) CFO Certificate. On the date of this Agreement and on each Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are satisfactory in form and substance to you and counsel for the Underwriters. The Company will furnish you with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as you shall reasonably request.
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6. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon: (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, including the 430A Information and any other information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to the Rules and Regulations, if applicable, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus, any issuer information that the Company has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Act (a “road show”), (ii) 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, or (iii) any investigation or proceeding by any governmental authority, commenced or threatened (whether or not any Underwriter is a target of or party to such investigation or proceeding); and the Company will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating or defending against such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred arise out of or are based upon 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, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating or defending against such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of or is based upon an 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 you, or by any Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof; it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by an Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(e).
(b) Indemnification by the Underwriters. Each Underwriter will, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company becomes subject, under the Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus, any issuer information that the Company has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or any road show, or (ii) arise out of or are based upon 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, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by you, or by such Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof (it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by an Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(e)), and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred.
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(c) Notice and Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party except to the extent such indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced by such failure (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses). In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of the indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that if, in the sole judgment of the Representative, it is advisable for the Underwriters to be represented as a group by separate counsel, the Representative shall have the right to employ a single counsel (in addition to local counsel) to represent the Representative and all Underwriters who may be subject to liability arising from any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought by the Underwriters under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section 6, in which event the reasonable fees and expenses of such separate counsel shall be borne by the indemnifying party or parties and reimbursed to the Underwriters as incurred. An indemnifying party shall not be obligated under any settlement agreement relating to any action under this Section 6 to which it has not agreed in writing. In addition, no indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party for all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel pursuant to this Section 6(c), such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(d) Contribution; Limitations on Liability; Non-Exclusive Remedy. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) or (b) above, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities 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 Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relevant intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d). The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending against any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The remedies provided for in this Section 6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies that might otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
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(e) Information Provided by the Underwriters. The Underwriters severally confirm and the Company acknowledges that the statements with respect to the public offering of the Securities by the Underwriters set forth in paragraphs 3, 10 and 11 under the caption “Underwriting” in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning such Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus.
7. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties, and agreements of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto, and the agreements of the several Underwriters and the Company contained in Section 6 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person thereof, or the Company or any of its officers, directors, or controlling persons, or any controlling person thereof, and shall survive delivery of, and payment for, the Securities to and by the Underwriters hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
8. Substitution of Underwriters.
(a) Obligation to Purchase Under Certain Circumstances. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail to take up and pay for the amount of Firm ADSs agreed by such Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder, upon tender of such Firm ADSs in accordance with the terms hereof, and the amount of Firm ADSs not purchased does not aggregate more than 10% of the total amount of Firm ADSs set forth in Schedule I hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated to take up and pay for (in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations hereunder as set forth in Schedule I hereto except as may otherwise be determined by you) the Firm ADSs that the withdrawing or defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase.
(b) Termination Under Certain Circumstances. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail to take up and pay for the amount of Firm ADSs agreed by such Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder, upon tender of such Firm ADSs in accordance with the terms hereof, and the amount of Firm ADSs not purchased aggregates to more than 10% of the total amount of Firm ADSs set forth in Schedule I hereto, and arrangements satisfactory to you for the purchase of such Firm ADSs by other persons are not made within 36 hours thereafter, this Agreement shall terminate. In the event of any such termination the Company shall not be under any liability to any Underwriter (except to the extent provided in Section 4(a)(vii) and Section 6 hereof) nor shall any Underwriter (other than an Underwriter who shall have failed, otherwise than for some reason permitted under this Agreement, to purchase the amount of Firm ADSs agreed by such Underwriter to be purchased hereunder) be under any liability to the Company (except to the extent provided in Section 6 hereof).
(c) Postponement of Closing. If Firm ADSs to which a default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters or by any other party or parties, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date for not more than seven business days in order that the necessary changes in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, in the Prospectus or in any other documents, as well as any other arrangements, may be effected. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 8.
(d) No Relief from Liability. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
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9. Termination.
(a) Right to Terminate. You, as Representative of the several Underwriters, shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by giving notice as hereinafter specified at any time at or prior to the First Closing Date, and the option referred to in Section 3(b), if exercised, may be cancelled at any time prior to the Second Closing Date, if (i) the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable, at or prior to such Closing Date, to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder, (ii) any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder is not fulfilled, (iii) trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission, the FSMA, the Exchange or Euronext Brussels (iv) trading generally on Euronext Brussels, the Nasdaq Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange shall have been wholly suspended, (iv) minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required, on Euronext Brussels, the Nasdaq Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange, by such Exchange or by order of the Commission or any other Governmental Authority, (v) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Belgian or United States federal or state authorities, or (vi) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the sale of and payment for the Securities. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4(a)(vii) and Section 6 hereof shall at all times be effective.
(b) Notice of Termination. If you elect to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section, the Company shall be notified promptly by you by telephone, confirmed by letter.
10. Default by the Company.
(a) Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at the First Closing Date to issue, sell and deliver the number of Securities which it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any Underwriter or, except as provided in Section 4(a)(vii) and Section 6 hereof, any non-defaulting party.
(b) No Relief from Liability. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
11. Notices. Except as otherwise provided herein, all communications hereunder shall be in writing and, if to the Underwriters, shall be mailed via overnight delivery service or hand delivered via courier , to the Representative c/o Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000, to the attention of Equity Capital Markets and separately, General Counsel; (ii) if to the Company, shall be mailed or delivered to it at 00000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000 Xxxxxx, XX 00000 Attention: General Counsel, or in each case to such other address as the person to be notified may have requested in writing. Any party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose.
12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns and the controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 6. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give to any other person, firm or corporation any legal or equitable remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. The term “successors and assigns” as herein used shall not include any purchaser, as such purchaser, of any of the Securities from any of the several Underwriters.
13. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (a) the Representative has been retained solely to act as an underwriter in connection with the sale of the Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Representative has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether the Representative has advised or is advising the Company on other matters; (b) the price and other terms of the Securities set forth in this Agreement were established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representative and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (c) it has been advised that the Representative and its affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Representative has no obligation to disclose such interest and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; (d) it has been advised that the Representative is acting, in respect of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, solely for the benefit of the Representative and the other Underwriters, and not on behalf of the Company; (e) it, he or she waives to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representative for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and agrees that the Representative shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including shareholders, employees or creditors of the Company.
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14. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(c) As used in this section:
“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k);
“Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b);
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Xxxx-Xxxxx Xxxx Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
15. Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement and any transaction contemplated by this Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related thereto shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflict of laws that would results in the application of any other law than the laws of the State of New York. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
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16. Submission to Jurisdiction, Etc. Each party hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and New York state courts sitting in the Borough of Manhattan, City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any lawsuit, action or other proceeding in such courts, and hereby further irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such lawsuit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company irrevocably designates and appoints Cogency Global Inc. located at 000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 , as its authorized agent in the United States upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees that service of process upon such authorized agent by certified or registered mail, or by personal delivery by Federal Express, to such authorized agent shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all actions as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of five years from the date of this Agreement. With respect to any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (a “Related Proceeding”), each party irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction, service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with respect to any judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), each party waives any such immunity in the Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended.
17. Judgment Currency. The obligations of the Company pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any sum due to any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by such Underwriter of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which (and only to the extent that) such Underwriter may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency; if the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, the Company agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter against such loss.
18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original and all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via electronic mail (including, without limitation, “pdf”, “tif” or “jpg”) and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
19. 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 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 Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
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Please sign and return to the Company the enclosed duplicates of this Agreement whereupon this Agreement will become a binding agreement between the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
MDXHEALTH SA | ||
By | ||
Chief Executive Officer |
Confirmed as of the date first | ||
above mentioned, on behalf of | ||
themselves and the other several | ||
Underwriters named in Schedule I | ||
hereto. | ||
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. | ||
By | ||
Managing Director |
SCHEDULE I
SCHEDULE II
List of Individuals and Entities Executing Lock-Up Agreements
SCHEDULE III
Certain Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses
SCHEDULE IV
Pricing Information
SCHEDULE V
Written Testing-the-Waters Communications
EXHIBIT A
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
A-1
EXHIBIT B
Form of Company Press Release for Waivers or Releases
of Officer/Director Lock-Up Agreements
B-1