UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
[●], 2023
The Benchmark Company, LLC
000 X. 00xx Xxxxxx, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10155
As Representative of the several Underwriters
named on Schedule 1 attached hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, SU Group Holdings Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), hereby confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with The Benchmark Company, LLC (the “Representative”) and with the other underwriters named on Schedule 1 hereto for which the Representative is acting as representative (the Representative and such other underwriters being collectively called the “Underwriters” or, individually, an “Underwriter”) as follows:
1. Purchase and Sale of Shares.
(a) Shares.
(i) Nature and Purchase of Shares.
(A) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of [●] (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s ordinary shares, par value HK$0.01 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”). In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the total number of Ordinary Shares to be offered by the Company in the Offering, or [●] Ordinary Shares (the “Optional Shares,” and together with the Firm Shares, the “Shares”), exercisable within 30 days after the First Closing Date. The offering and sale of the Shares is herein referred to as the “Offering.”
(B) The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule 1 attached hereto and made a part hereof. The purchase price for one Firm Share shall be (i) $[●] (93% of the public offering price per Firm Share of $[●]) with respect to investors introduced to the Company by the Underwriters or (ii) $[●] (96% of the public offering price per Firm Share of $[●]) with respect to investors introduced by the Company, provided that the purchase price shall not at any time fall below the nominal value of each Firm Share. The Firm Shares are to be offered initially to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus (as defined in Section 2(a)(i)(B) hereof).
(C) In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of [●] Optional Shares from the Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares. The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by the Underwriters to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement. Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option and (ii) the time, date and place at which certificates for the Optional Shares will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the First Closing Date, the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of the Firm Shares and such Optional Shares). Any such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date,” and shall be determined by the Underwriters and shall not be earlier than two or later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise. If any Optional Shares are to be purchased, (a) each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Underwriters may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule I opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares and (b) the Company agrees to sell the number of Optional Shares set forth in this section of this Agreement. The Underwriters may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.
(ii) Shares Payment and Delivery.
(A) Delivery and payment for the Firm Shares shall be made no later than 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the second (2nd) Business Day following the effective date (the “Effective Date”) of the Registration Statement (as defined in Section 2(a)(i)(A) below) (or the third (3rd) Business Day following the Effective Date if the Registration Statement is declared effective after 4:01 p.m., Eastern time) or at such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at the offices of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx XX, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000 (“Representative’s Counsel”), or at such other place (or by electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company.
(B) Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made on the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, payment for the Optional Shares shall be made at the First Closing Date or at the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) by wire transfer in federal (same day) funds, payable to the order of the Company upon delivery of the Shares (in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters) (or through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”)) for the account of the Underwriters. The Firm Shares shall be registered in such name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may request in writing prior to the First Closing Date. The Company shall not be obligated to sell or deliver the Firm Shares except upon tender of payment by the Representative for all of the Shares or via delivery versus payment for the Firm Shares. The Company shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Representative for the accounts of the Underwriters, the Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against the release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The term “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York, New York; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay-at-home,” “shelter-in-place,” “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.
(b) Representative’s Warrant.
(i) Representative’s Warrant. The Company hereby agrees to issue to the Representative (and/or its designees) on the First Closing Date, and each Option Closing Date (if any), a warrant for the purchase of the number of Ordinary Shares equal to 5.0% of the Shares issued on such date, pursuant to a warrant agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Representative’s Warrant”), at an initial exercise price of $[●] per share, which is equal to 100% of the public offering price per Firm Share. The Representative’s Warrant shall have a term of five (5) years and shall not be exercisable for a period of six (6) months from the First Closing Date. The Representative’s Warrant and the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrant are hereinafter referred to together as the “Representative’s Securities.” The Representative understands and agrees that there are significant restrictions pursuant to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) Rule 5110 against transferring the Representative’s Warrant and the underlying Ordinary Shares during the 180 days after the commencement date of sales in the Offering and by its acceptance thereof shall agree that it will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate the Representative’s Warrant, or any portion thereof, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of such securities for a period of 180 days after the commencement date of sales in the Offering, except as expressly permitted by FINRA Rule 5110(e), and only if any such transferee agrees to the foregoing lock-up restrictions.
(ii) Delivery. Delivery of the Representative’s Warrant shall be made on the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date (if any), and shall be issued in the name or names and in such authorized denominations as the Representative may reasonably request.
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2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the First Closing Date and as of each Option Closing Date, if any, as follows:
(a) Registration Matters.
(i) Pursuant to the Securities Act.
(A) The Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement, and an amendment or amendments thereto, on Form F-1 (File No. 333-275705), including any related prospectus or prospectuses, for the registration of the Shares and the Representative’s Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which registration statement and amendment or amendments have been prepared by the Company in all material respects in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act (the “Securities Act Regulations”) and will contain all material statements that are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Except as the context may otherwise require, such registration statement, as amended, on file with the Commission at the time the registration statement became effective (including the Preliminary Prospectus included in the registration statement, financial statements, schedules, exhibits and all other documents filed as a part thereof and all information deemed to be a part thereof as of the Effective Date pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations (the “Rule 430A Information”)), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.” If the Company files any registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, then after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include such registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b). The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission on the date hereof.
(B) Each prospectus used prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and each prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” The Preliminary Prospectus, subject to completion, dated [●], 2023, that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus.” The final prospectus in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in the Offering is hereinafter called the “Prospectus.” Any reference to the “most recent Preliminary Prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to the latest Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement.
(C) “Applicable Time” means [●] p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement.
(D) “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) relating to the Shares that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the Offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
(E) “Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule 2-B of this Agreement.
(F) “Pricing Disclosure Package” means (i) the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) the information included on Schedule 2-A of this Agreement.
(ii) Pursuant to the Exchange Act. The Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A (File No. 001-[●]) providing for the registration pursuant to Section 12(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), of the Ordinary Shares. The registration of the Ordinary Shares under the Exchange Act has been declared effective by the Commission on or prior to the date hereof. The Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Ordinary Shares under the Exchange Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration.
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(b) Stock Exchange Listing. The Ordinary Shares have been approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Exchange”), subject only to official notice of issuance, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, delisting the Ordinary Shares from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Exchange is contemplating terminating such listing.
(c) No Stop Orders, etc. Neither the Commission nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any state regulatory authority has issued any order preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or has instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute, any proceedings with respect to such an order. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
(d) Disclosures in Registration Statement.
(i) Compliance with Securities Act and 10b-5 Representation.
(A) Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Each Preliminary Prospectus, including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment or supplement thereto, and the Prospectus, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations. Each Preliminary Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this Offering and the Prospectus was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to the Commission’s XXXXX filing system (“XXXXX”), except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T promulgated under the Securities Act (“Regulation S-T”).
(B) The Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain, and any amendment thereto as of the date of such amendment will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to the Underwriters’ Information (as defined below).
The Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, and at the First Closing Date, did not, does not, and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that these representations and warranties shall not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to the Underwriters by the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto. The parties acknowledge and agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of the following disclosure contained in the following paragraphs in the “Underwriting” section of the Prospectus: (i) the table showing the number of securities to be purchased by each Underwriter, (ii) the third full paragraph, and (iii) the sub-sections titled “Stabilization,” “Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Securities” and “Notice to Investors” (the “Underwriters’ Information”); and
(C) Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), or at the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option 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 the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements made or statements omitted in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information.
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(ii) Disclosure of Agreements. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (w) for such agreements or instruments for enforceability of which would not reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Change, (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder, except for such defaults that would not reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Change. To the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental or regulatory agency, authority, body, entity or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses (each, a “Governmental Entity”), including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations, except such violations which would not reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Change.
(iii) Prior Securities Transactions. No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Company, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Preliminary Prospectus.
(iv) Regulations. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus concerning the effects of applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules and regulations relating to the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects and no other such regulations are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which are not so disclosed.
(e) Changes After Dates in Registration Statement.
(i) No Material Adverse Change. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise specifically stated therein: (i) there has been no material adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company (a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) other than in the ordinary course of business, there have been no material transactions entered into by the Company, other than as contemplated pursuant to this Agreement; and (iii) no executive officer or director of the Company has resigned from any position with the Company.
(ii) Recent Securities Transactions, etc. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and except as may otherwise be indicated or contemplated herein or disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.
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(f) Independent Accountants. To the knowledge of the Company, Xxxxxx Asia CPAs LLP (the “Auditor”), during such time as it was engaged by the Company, has been and is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. To the knowledge of the Company, the Auditor has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act.
(g) Financial Statements, etc. The financial statements, including the notes thereto and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, fairly present in all material respects the financial position and the results of operations of the Company at the dates and for the periods to which they apply; and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved (provided that unaudited interim financial statements are subject to year-end audit adjustments that are not expected to be material in the aggregate and do not contain all footnotes required by GAAP); and the supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations. The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted financial information and the related notes, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been properly compiled and prepared in all material respects in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission), if any, comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. Each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus discloses all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons, if any, that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) the Company has not incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business, (b) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock, (c) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company (other than (i) grants under any equity compensation plan and (ii) Ordinary Shares issued upon exercise or conversion of option, warrants or convertible securities described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), and (d) there has not been any Material Adverse Change in the Company’s long-term or short-term debt.
(h) Authorized Capital; Options, etc. The Company had, at the date or dates indicated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the duly authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth therein. Based on the assumptions stated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company will have on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, the adjusted capitalization set forth therein. Except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, on the Effective Date, as of the Applicable Time, and on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, there will be no options, warrants, or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any authorized, but unissued Ordinary Shares or any security convertible or exercisable into Ordinary Shares, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell Ordinary Shares or any such options, warrants, rights or convertible securities.
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(i) Valid Issuance of Securities, etc.
(i) Outstanding Securities. All issued and outstanding securities of the Company issued prior to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof have no rights of rescission with respect thereto, and are not subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The offers and sales of the outstanding Ordinary Shares were at all relevant times either registered under the Securities Act and the applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such shares, exempt from such registration requirements. The authorized Ordinary Shares and other outstanding securities conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(ii) Securities Sold Pursuant to this Agreement. The Shares and the Representative’s Securities have been duly authorized for issuance and sale and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; the holders thereof are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; the Shares and Representative’s Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Shares and Representative’s Securities has been duly and validly taken. The Shares and Representative’s Securities conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. All corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Representative’s Warrant has been duly and validly taken; the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Representative’s Warrant have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and when paid for and issued in accordance with such Representative’s Warrant, or exercised on a cashless basis as set forth in such Representative’s Warrant, if applicable, as the case may be, such Ordinary Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
(j) Registration Rights of Third Parties. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any options, warrants, rights or other securities exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Securities Act or to include any such securities in the Registration Statement or any other registration statement to be filed by the Company.
(k) Validity and Binding Effect of Agreements. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Representative’s Warrant have been duly and validly authorized by the Company and, when executed and delivered, will constitute, the valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except: (i) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally; (ii) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws; and (iii) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.
(l) No Conflicts, etc. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Representative’s Warrant and all ancillary documents, the consummation by the Company of the transactions herein and therein contemplated and the compliance by the Company with the terms hereof and thereof do not and will not, with or without the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both: (i) result in a material breach of, or conflict with any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a material default under, or result in the creation, modification, termination or imposition of any material lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or its subsidiaries (each a “Subsidiary,” and together, the “Subsidiaries”) pursuant to the terms of any agreement or instrument to which the Company or its Subsidiaries is a party; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Company’s memorandum and articles of association (as the same may be amended or restated from time to time, the “Charter”) in force on the date of this Agreement; or (iii) violate any existing law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any Governmental Entity applicable to the Company as of the date hereof, except in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above for any such breaches, conflicts or violations which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
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(m) No Defaults; Violations. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no default exists in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition of any material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, loan or credit agreement, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company is subject, except as would not reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Change. The Company is not (i) in violation of any term or provision of its existing Charter, or (ii) except as would not reasonably be expected to result, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Change, in violation of any franchise, license, permit, authorization, certificate, approval, consent, applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment or decree of any Governmental Entity applicable to the Company.
(n) Corporate Power; Licenses; Consents.
(i) Conduct of Business. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has all requisite corporate power and authority, and has all necessary consents, authorizations, approvals, licenses, certificates, clearances, permits and orders and supplements and amendments thereto (collectively, “Authorizations”) of and from all Governmental Entities applicable to the Company that it needs as of the date hereof to conduct its business purpose as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for such Authorizations, the absence of which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(ii) Transactions Contemplated Herein. The Company has all corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the Representative’s Warrant and to carry out the provisions and conditions hereof and thereof, and all Authorizations required in connection therewith have been obtained. No Authorization of, and no filing with, any Governmental Entity, the Exchange or another body is required or has not been obtained for the valid issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares and the Representative’s Securities and the consummation of the transactions and agreements contemplated by this Agreement and the Representative’s Warrant and as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except with respect to applicable federal and state securities or blue-sky laws and the rules and regulations of FINRA.
(o) Litigation; Governmental Proceedings. There is no material action, suit, proceeding, inquiry, arbitration, investigation, litigation or governmental proceeding pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against, or involving the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any executive officer or director, which is required to be disclosed and has not been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or in connection with the Company’s listing application for the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.
(p) Good Standing. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing and is in good standing under the laws of its respective jurisdiction or organization as of the date hereof, and is duly qualified to do business and, in such jurisdictions in which good standing is recognized, is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(q) Insurance. The Company carries or is entitled to the benefits of insurance, with, to the Company’s knowledge, reputable insurers, and in such amounts and covering such risks which the Company believes are reasonably adequate, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
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(r) Transactions Affecting Disclosure to FINRA.
(i) Finder’s Fees. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a finder’s, consulting or origination fee by the Company or any executive officer or director of the Company (each, an, “Insider”) with respect to the sale of the Shares hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its shareholders that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by FINRA.
(ii) Payments Within 180 Days. The Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any FINRA member; or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the 180 days prior to the date of the initial filing of the Registration Statement, other than the payment to the Underwriters as provided hereunder in connection with the Offering, and the Company has not committed to making any direct or indirect payments described in clauses (i)-(iii) in the 60 days following the date hereof.
(iii) Use of Proceeds. None of the net proceeds of the Offering will be paid by the Company to any participating FINRA member or its affiliates, except as specifically authorized herein.
(iv) FINRA Affiliation. There is no, to the Company’s knowledge, (i) officer or director of the Company, (ii) beneficial owner of 10% or more of any class of the Company’s securities or (iii) beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the 180-day period immediately preceding the filing of the Registration Statement that, in each such case, is an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA).
(v) Information. To the Company’s knowledge, all information provided by the Company’s officers and directors in their FINRA Questionnaires to Representative’s Counsel specifically for use by Representative’s Counsel in connection with its Public Offering System filings (and related disclosure) with FINRA is true, correct and complete in all material respects.
(s) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any other person acting on behalf of the Company, has, directly or indirectly, given or agreed to give any money, gift or similar benefit (other than legal price concessions to customers in the ordinary course of business) to any customer, supplier, employee or agent of a customer or supplier, or official or employee of any governmental agency or instrumentality of any government (domestic or foreign) or any political party or candidate for office (domestic or foreign) or other person who was, is, or may be in a position to help or hinder the business of the Company (or assist it in connection with any actual or proposed transaction) in violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”) or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the FCPA.
(t) Compliance with OFAC. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary or any other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, is currently the subject of any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person that, at the time of such financing, is the subject of any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC prohibiting such financing.
(u) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(v) Officers’ Certificate. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or to Representative’s Counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.
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(w) Related Party Transactions. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that have not been described as required.
(x) Subsidiaries. The Company’s direct and indirect Subsidiaries are each set forth in the Registration Statement. There is no entity which the Company indirectly controls through contractual arrangements.
(y) Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of the Company is comprised of the persons set forth under the heading of the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus captioned “Management.” The qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the board comply with the Exchange Act, the Exchange Act Regulations, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) applicable to the Company and the listing rules of the Exchange. At least one member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined under Regulation S-K and the listing rules of the Exchange. In addition, at least a majority of the persons serving on the Board of Directors qualify as “independent,” as defined under the listing rules of the Exchange.
(z) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Compliance.
(i) Disclosure Controls. The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, in the time periods required, the Company will comply with Rule 13a-15 or 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations, and such controls and procedures are effective to ensure that all material information concerning the Company will be made known on a timely basis to the individuals responsible for the preparation of the Company’s Exchange Act filings and other public disclosure documents.
(ii) Compliance. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is, or at the Applicable Time and on the First Closing Date will be, in material compliance with the provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act that are then in effect and with which the Company is required to comply and has taken reasonable steps to ensure the Company’s future compliance (not later than the relevant statutory and regulatory deadlines therefor) with all of the material provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act then applicable to the Company, except where the failure to be in compliance would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(aa) Accounting Controls. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company maintains systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined under Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has no knowledge of any material weaknesses in its internal controls. The Auditor and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses, if any, in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are known to the Company’s management and that have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, if any, known to the Company’s management, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
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(bb) No Investment Company Status. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be, required to register as an “investment company,” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(cc) No Labor Disputes. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent.
(dd) Intellectual Property Rights. To the Company’s knowledge, the Company has, or can acquire on reasonable terms, ownership of and/or license to, or otherwise has the right to use, all inventions, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), patents and patent rights trademarks, service marks and trade names and copyrights (collectively “Intellectual Property”) material to carrying on its businesses as described in the Pricing Prospectus. The Company has not received any written notice relating to any Intellectual Property, including written notice of: (A) infringement or misappropriation of, or conflict with, any Intellectual Property of a third party; (B) asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property of the Company; or (C) assertions that any Intellectual Property of the Company is invalid or otherwise inadequate to protect the interest of the Company, that in each case (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding), individually or in the aggregate, would have or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no third parties who have been able to establish any material rights to any Intellectual Property, except for the retained rights of the owners or licensors of any Intellectual Property that is licensed to the Company. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others: (A) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property of the Company in any material respect or (B) challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property in any material respect or (C) that the Company materially infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates or conflicts with any Intellectual Property or other proprietary rights of others. The Company has complied in all material respects with the terms of each agreement described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus pursuant to which any Intellectual Property is licensed to the Company, except for such noncompliance as did not have a Material Adverse Change, and all such agreements related to products currently made or sold by the Company, or to product candidates currently under development, are in full force and effect. All patents issued in the name of, or assigned to, or licensed to the Company, and all patent applications made by or on behalf of the Company (collectively, the “Company Patents”) have been duly and properly filed, except for such failures to file as would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company has no knowledge of any material information that was required to be disclosed to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “PTO”) but that was not disclosed to the PTO with respect to any issued Company Patent, or that is required to be disclosed and has not yet been disclosed in any pending application in the Company Patents and that would preclude the grant of a patent on such application. To the Company’s knowledge, the Company is the sole owner or exclusive licensee of the Company Patents.
(ee) Taxes. The Company has filed all returns (as hereinafter defined) required to be filed with taxing authorities prior to the date hereof or has duly obtained extensions of time for the filing thereof. The Company has paid all taxes (as hereinafter defined) shown as due on such returns that were filed and has paid all taxes imposed on or assessed against the Company, except (i) such taxes the Company is challenging in good faith and (ii) for such exceptions as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Change. The provisions for taxes payable, if any, shown on the financial statements filed with or as part of the Registration Statement are sufficient for all material accrued and unpaid taxes, whether or not disputed, and for all periods to and including the dates of such consolidated financial statements. Except as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus, (i) no issues have been raised (and are currently pending) by any taxing authority in connection with any of the returns or taxes asserted as due from the Company, and (ii) no waivers of statutes of limitation with respect to the returns or collection of taxes have been given by or requested from the Company. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no tax liens against the assets, properties or business of the Company. The term “taxes” means all federal, state, local, foreign and other net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other taxes, fees, assessments or charges of any kind whatever, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax or additional amounts with respect thereto. The term “returns” means all returns, declarations, reports, statements and other documents required to be filed in respect to taxes.
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(ff) ERISA Compliance. The Company is not subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the regulations and published interpretations thereunder.
(gg) Compliance with Laws. Except as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change, the Company: (A) to its knowledge, is and at all times has been in compliance with all statutes, rules, or regulations applicable to the business of the Company as currently conducted (“Applicable Laws”); (B) has not received any warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or written notice from any Governmental Entity alleging or asserting noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any Authorizations; (C) to its knowledge, possesses all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and are not in material violation of any term of any such Authorizations; (D) has not received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any Governmental Entity or third party alleging that any activity conducted by the Company is in violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such Governmental Entity or third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding that if brought, would result in a Material Adverse Change; (E) has not received written notice that any Governmental Entity has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such Governmental Entity is considering such action; and (F) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted or taken reasonably practicable steps to file, obtain, maintain or submit all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and correct in all material respects on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission).
(hh) Environmental Laws. The Company is in compliance with all foreign, federal, state and local rules, laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or waste and protection of health and safety or the environment which are applicable to their businesses (“Environmental Laws”), except where the failure to comply would not, singularly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind of toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances by, due to, or caused by the Company (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company is or may otherwise be liable) upon any of the property now or previously owned or leased by the Company, or upon any other property, in violation of any law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit or which would, under any law, statute, ordinance, rule (including rule of common law), regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, give rise to any liability, except for any violation or liability which would not have, singularly or in the aggregate with all such violations and liabilities, a Material Adverse Change; and there has been no disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind onto such property or into the environment surrounding such property of any toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances with respect to which the Company has knowledge, except for any such disposal, discharge, emission, or other release of any kind which would not have, singularly or in the aggregate with all such discharges and other releases, a Material Adverse Change.
(ii) Title to Property. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has good and marketable title in fee simple to, or has valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real or personal property which are material to the business of the Company, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, claims and defects that do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company, and under which the Company holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and the Company has not received any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.
(jj) Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
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(kk) Industry Data. The statistical and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources prepared by a third party provider that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources by the third party provider.
(ll) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(mm) Reserved.
(nn) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer,” as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(oo) Passive Foreign Investment Company Status. Based on the Company’s current estimates of its gross income and the value of its gross assets (including goodwill) and the manner in which the Company conducts its business, the Company was not a Passive Foreign Investment Company within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code (a “PFIC”) for the taxable year ended September 30, 2022 and does not expect that it will become a PFIC for the taxable year ending September 30, 2023.
(pp) Reserved.
(qq) Emerging Growth Company. From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly in or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) or Rule 163B of the Securities Act.
(rr) Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not (i) engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications, other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representative and with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company confirms 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 other than those listed on Schedule 2-C hereto. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(ss) Electronic Road Show. The Company has made available a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) of the Securities Act Regulations such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h) of the Securities Act Regulations) is required in connection with the Offering.
(tt) Margin Securities. The Company owns no “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of Offering will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Ordinary Shares to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.
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(uu) Integration. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause the Offering to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act that would require the registration of any such securities issued in such prior offerings under the Securities Act.
(vv) Confidentiality and Non-Competition. To the Company’s knowledge, no director, officer, key employee or consultant of the Company is subject to any confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer (other than the Company) or prior employer that could reasonably be expected to materially affect his ability to be and act in his respective capacity of the Company or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.
(ww) Stabilization. Neither the Company nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Regulation M of the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(xx) Cayman Islands Legal Matters. The Company represents, warrants and covenants to the several Underwriters, as of the Applicable Time, as of the First Closing Date and as of any Option Closing Date, if any, as follows:
(i) Subject to conducting the Offering as provided for in the Section titled “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Company is not required to publish a prospectus in the Cayman Islands under the Cayman Islands laws with respect to the offer and sale of the Shares and the Representative’s Warrant.
(ii) There are no proceedings that have been instituted in the Cayman Islands for the dissolution of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(iii) Assuming that the Underwriters do not maintain a permanent establishment in the Cayman Islands, are not otherwise subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands, or are exempt therefrom, the issuance, delivery and sale to the Underwriters of the Shares to be sold by the Company hereunder are not subject to any tax imposed by the Cayman Islands or any political subdivision thereof.
(iv) 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 Cayman Islands.
(v) The Company has duly designated Xxxxxxx & Associates as its authorized agent to receive service of process.
(vi) No stamp duty or similar tax or duty is payable under applicable laws or regulations of the Cayman Islands in connection with the creation, issuance or delivery of the Shares and the Representative’s Warrant.
(vii) Subject to the conditions, exceptions and qualifications set forth in the Registration Statement, and the Prospectus, a final and conclusive judgment against the Company for a definitive sum of money entered by any court in the United States may be enforced by a Cayman Islands court.
(viii) The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Cayman Islands.
(yy) Hong Kong and British Virgin Islands Representations and Warranties.
(i) Organization. The Subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing as companies under the applicable laws of Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”), and their business registrations are in full force and effect. 100% of the equity interests of the Subsidiaries are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company as described in the Prospectus, and such equity interests are free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; to the Company’s knowledge, the constituent documents of each Subsidiary comply in all material respects with the requirements of applicable laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and are in full force and effect; and the Subsidiaries have full power and authority (corporate and other) and all consents, approvals, authorizations, permits, licenses, orders, registrations, clearances and qualifications of or with any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Subsidiaries or any of their properties required for the ownership or lease of property by them and the conduct of their business in accordance with their registered business scope, except for such that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change and have the legal right and authority to own, use, lease and operate their assets and to conduct their business in the manner presently conducted and as described in the Prospectus.
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Each Subsidiary has legal and valid title to all of its properties and assets, free and clear of all liens, charges, encumbrances, equities, claims, options and restrictions; each lease agreement to which it is a party is duly executed and legally binding; its leasehold interests are set forth in and governed by the terms of any lease agreements, and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, such agreements are valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with their respective terms under application jurisdictions laws, except where the invalidity of such lease agreements would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change on the Company or the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and, none of the Subsidiaries own, operate, manage or have any other right or interest in any other material real property of any kind, which would reasonably result in a Material Adverse Change to the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as described in the Prospectus.
(ii) Hong Kong and BVI Taxes. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, no transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transaction, transfer or withholding taxes or duties are payable in Hong Kong or the British Virgin Islands to any Hong Kong or BVI taxing authority in connection with (A) the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares to or for the account of the purchasers, and (B) the purchase from the Company and the sale and delivery of the Shares to purchasers thereof.
(iii) Dividends and Distributions. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package, Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and subject to solvency, no Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited or restricted, 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.
(iv) No Immunity. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of its or their 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 Hong Kong, BVI, New York or United States federal law; and, to the extent that the Company, its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement under New York law as provided under this Agreement.
(v) Free Transferability of Dividends or Distributions. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package, Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Ordinary Shares may under current Cayman Islands, BVI and Hong Kong law and regulations be paid to the holders of Ordinary Shares in United States dollars and may be converted into foreign currency that may be transferred out of the Cayman Islands, BVI and Hong Kong in accordance with, and all such payments made to holders thereof or therein who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands, BVI or Hong Kong, will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under, the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands, BVI and Hong Kong, or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in the Cayman Islands, BVI and Hong Kong or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the Cayman Islands, BVI and Hong Kong or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
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(vi) Choice of Law. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package, Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the choice of law provision set forth in this Agreement constitutes a legal and valid choice of law under the laws of the BVI and Hong Kong and will be recognized and given effect to in any action brought before a court of competent jurisdiction in the BVI and Hong Kong, except in respect of the BVI, for those laws (a) which such court considers to be procedural in nature, (b) which are revenue or penal laws or (c) the application of which would be inconsistent with public policy, as such term is interpreted under the laws of the BVI, and subject to compliance with relevant civil procedural requirements (that do not involve a re-examination of the merits of the claim) in the BVI and Hong Kong (if applicable). The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 9(f)(ii) of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each of the New York Courts, and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and authorize, and pursuant to Section 9(f)(ii) of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed an authorized agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Shares or Representative’s Securities in any New York Court, and service of process effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided in Section 9(f)(ii) of this Agreement.
(zz) No Scheme or Arrangement with Shareholders. None of the Company, its Subsidiaries, or its affiliates is a party to any scheme or arrangement through which shareholders or potential shareholders are being loaned, given or otherwise having money made available for the purchase of shares whether before, in or after the Offering. None of the Company, its Subsidiaries, or its affiliates is aware of any such scheme or arrangement, regardless of whether it is a party to a formal agreement.
3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees as follows:
(a) Amendments to Registration Statement. The Company shall deliver to the Representative, prior to filing, any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus proposed to be filed after the Effective Date and not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.
(b) Federal Securities Laws.
(i) Compliance. The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rule 430A of the Securities Act Regulations, and will, during the period required to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, notify the Representative promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed; (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission related to the Prospectus or Offering; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatening, of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement; and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the Offering of the Shares. The Company shall effect all filings required under Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act Regulations, in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and shall take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
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(ii) Continued Compliance. The Company shall comply with the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of Representative’s Counsel or Company Counsel, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading; (ii) amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representative notice of such event; (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or Representative’s Counsel shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Regulations within two (2) Business Days prior to the Applicable Time. The Company shall give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time until the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date.
(iii) Exchange Act Registration. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the registration of the Ordinary Shares under the Exchange Act.
(iv) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative, it shall not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representative shall be deemed to have consented to each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus set forth in Schedule 2-B and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representative. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Underwriters as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(v) Testing-the-Waters Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly notify the Representative and shall promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.
(c) Delivery to the Underwriters of Registration Statements. The Company has delivered or made available or shall deliver or make available to the Representative and Representative’s Counsel, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
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(d) Delivery to the Underwriters of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered or made available or will deliver or make available to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish or make available, including pursuant to XXXXX, to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Events Requiring Notice to the Representative. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement covering the issuance of Ordinary Shares underlying the Representative’s Warrant to remain effective with a current prospectus for at least nine (9) months after the Applicable Time, and shall notify the Representative immediately and confirm the notice in writing: (i) of the cessation of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of the initiation, or to the Company’s knowledge, the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) of the issuance by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the shares underlying the Representative’s Warrant for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (v) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (vi) of the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 3(e) that, in the judgment of the Company, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in (a) the Registration Statement in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, or (b) the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Commission or any state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.
(f) Listing. The Company shall use commercially reasonable effort to maintain the listing of the Ordinary Shares on the Exchange for at least three (3) years from the date of this Agreement.
(g) Transfer Agent. The Company shall maintain a transfer agent and registrar for the Ordinary Shares.
(h) Payment of Expenses. The Company hereby agrees to pay on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (a) all filing fees and communication expenses relating to the registration of the Shares with the Commission; (b) all FINRA Public Offering System filing fees; (c) all fees and expenses relating to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange; (d) all fees, expenses and disbursements, if any, relating to the registration or qualification of the Shares under the “blue sky” securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions as the Underwriters may reasonably designate (including, without limitation, all filing and registration fees, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of “blue sky” counsel); (e) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration, qualification or exemption of the Shares under the securities laws of such foreign jurisdictions as the Underwriters may reasonably designate; (f) the costs of all mailing and printing of the Offering documents; (g) fees and expenses of Representative’s Counsel not to exceed $100,000; and (h) expenses related to background checks (not to exceed $7,500), lucite tombstones and mementos and “road show” expenses; provided that the aggregate amount of fees and expenses reimbursable pursuant to (g) and (h) above shall not exceed $132,500, for which the Company has paid the Representative a $25,000 advance. The Representative may deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the First Closing Date, the expenses set forth herein (less any amounts previously advanced against such actual reimbursable expense) to be paid by the Company to the Underwriters, provided, however, that in the event that the Offering is terminated, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof. For the avoidance of doubt, it is understood that the Company will not pay or reimburse any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any Underwriter that defaults on its obligations to purchase the Firm Shares.
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(i) Non-accountable Expenses. The Company further agrees that, in addition to the expenses payable pursuant to Section 3(h), on the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, as applicable, it shall pay to the Representative, by deduction from the net proceeds of the Offering contemplated herein, a non-accountable expense allowance equal to one-half percent (0.5%) of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Shares on such date.
(j) Application of Net Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the Offering received by it in a manner consistent with the application thereof described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.
(k) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act covering a period of at least twelve (12) consecutive months beginning after the date of this Agreement.
(l) Stabilization. Neither the Company nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or shall take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under Regulation M of the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(m) Internal Controls. Except to the extent disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company shall maintain a system of internal accounting controls 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 in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(n) FINRA. For a period of 60 days from the later of the First Closing Date or Option Closing Date, the Company shall advise the Representative (who shall make an appropriate filing with FINRA) if it has knowledge that (i) any officer or director of the Company, (ii) any beneficial owner of 10% or more of any class of the Company’s securities or (iii) any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities which were acquired during the 180 days immediately preceding the filing of the Registration Statement is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member participating in the Offering (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA).
(o) No Fiduciary Duties. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters’ responsibility to the Company is solely contractual in nature and that none of the Underwriters or their affiliates or any selling agent shall be deemed to be acting in a fiduciary capacity, or otherwise owes any fiduciary duty to the Company or any of its affiliates in connection with the Offering and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(p) OFAC. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(q) Company Lock-Up Agreement. The Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not, for a period of six (6) months after the date of this Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or cause to be filed any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company, other than pursuant to existing registration rights in favor of shareholders of the Company or on Form S-8 or successor form thereto; or (iii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of capital stock of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The restrictions contained in this Section 3(q) shall not apply to (i) Ordinary Shares to be sold hereunder (including Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Representative’s Warrant), (ii) the issuance by the Company of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of a stock option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, and (iii) the issuance by the Company of stock options or shares of capital stock of the Company under any equity compensation plan of the Company disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
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(r) Release of D&O Lock-up Period. If the Representative, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in the Lock-Up Agreements described in Section 4(f) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three (3) Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release in a form to be reasonably agreed upon between the Company and the Representative.
(s) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, if necessary, to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.
(t) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Shares is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the Securities Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and Exchange Act Regulations. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Shares as may be required under Rule 463 under the Securities Act Regulations.
(u) Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company shall promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Shares within the meaning under the Securities Act and (ii) fifteen (15) days following the completion of the Lock-Up Period.
4. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares, as provided herein, shall be subject to (i) the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date; (ii) the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company made pursuant to the provisions hereof; (iii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and (iv) the following conditions:
(a) Regulatory Matters.
(i) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become effective not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the date of this Agreement or such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by the Representative, and, at the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have been issued under the Securities Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes shall have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by the Commission. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. The Prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.
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(ii) FINRA Clearance. On or before the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received correspondence from FINRA that it will raise no objection as to the underwriting terms and arrangements and amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Registration Statement.
(iii) Exchange Clearance. On or before the First Closing Date, the Firm Shares, and on or before each Option Closing Date, the Optional Shares shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(b) Company Counsel Matters.
(i) Closing Date Opinions of Counsel. On the First Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any), the Representative shall have received (w) the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Schole LLP (“Company Counsel”), counsel to the Company, (x) the favorable opinion of Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxx, Cayman Islands counsel to the Company, and (y) the favorable opinion of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, Hong Kong counsel to the Company, each dated the First Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, and addressed to the Representative, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
(ii) Opinion of Representative’s Counsel. On the First Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any), the Representative shall have received from Representative’s Counsel, such negative assurances statement, dated the First Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, addressed to the Representative, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(iii) Reliance. The opinions referred to in Section 4(b)(i) above shall include a statement to the effect that such counsel may rely: (i) as to matters involving the application of laws other than the laws of the United States and jurisdictions in which they are admitted, to the extent such counsel deems proper and to the extent specified in such opinion, if at all, upon an opinion or opinions (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative) of other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Representative, familiar with the applicable laws; and (ii) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates or other written statements of officers of the Company and officers of departments of various jurisdictions having custody of documents respecting the corporate existence or good standing of the Company, provided that copies of any such statements or certificates shall be delivered to Representative’s Counsel if requested. The opinion of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Schole LLP and any opinion relied upon by Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Schole LLP shall include a statement to the effect that it may be relied upon by Representative’s Counsel in its opinion, if any, delivered to the Underwriters.
(c) Comfort Letters.
(i) Cold Comfort Letter. At the time this Agreement is executed, the Representative shall have received from the Auditor a cold comfort letter containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, addressed to the Representative and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Representative and to Representative’s Counsel from the Auditor, dated as of the date of this Agreement.
(ii) Bring-Down Comfort Letter. At the First Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any), the Representative shall have received from the Auditor a letter, dated as of the First Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, to the effect that the Auditor reaffirms the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 4(c)(i), except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three (3) Business Days prior to the First Closing Date or Option Closing Date.
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(d) Officers’ Certificates.
(i) Officers’ Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate, dated the First Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer stating (on behalf of the Company and not in an individual capacity) that (i) such officers have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and, to their knowledge, the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, as of the Applicable Time and as of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date (if any) did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, and the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time and as of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date (if any), the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective date thereof and as of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date (if any), did not include any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, (ii) since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (iii) to their knowledge after reasonable investigation, as of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date (if any), the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects (except for those representations and warranties qualified as to materiality, which shall be true and correct in all respects and except for those representations and warranties which refer to facts existing at a specific date, which shall be true and correct as of such date) and the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the First Closing Date and Option Closing Date (if any) and (iv) there has not been, subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Material Adverse Change, or any change or development that, singularly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to involve a Material Adverse Change, except as set forth in the Prospectus.
(ii) Secretary’s Certificate. At the First Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any), the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Company Secretary, dated the First Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as applicable, certifying: (i) that the Charter in force on the First Closing Date is true and complete, has not been modified and is in full force and effect; (ii) that the resolutions of the Company’s Board of Directors relating to the Offering are in full force and effect and have not been modified; (iii) the good standing of the Company; and (iv) as to the incumbency of the officers of the Company. The documents referred to in such certificate shall be attached to such certificate.
(iii) Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate on Registration Statement. At the time that this Agreement is executed, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Company signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the date hereof, certifying as to the accuracy of certain information included in the Registration Statement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, and at each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, dated the First Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
(e) No Material Changes. Prior to and on the First Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any): (i) there shall have been no Material Adverse Change that, singularly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to involve a Material Adverse Change, from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (ii) no action, suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Insider before or by any court or federal or state commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (iii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and (iv) the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and neither the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package nor the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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(f) Other Agreements to be Delivered. The Company has caused each the persons listed on Schedule 3 hereto to deliver to the Representative an executed Lock-Up Agreement, in a form substantially similar to that attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Lock-Up Agreement”), prior to the execution of this Agreement. On the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date (if any), the Company shall have delivered to the Representative an executed copy of the Representative’s Warrant.
(g) Additional Documents. At the First Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date (if any), Representative’s Counsel shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling Representative’s Counsel to deliver an opinion to the Underwriters, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares and the Representative’s Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and Representative’s Counsel.
5. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates and each person controlling such Underwriter (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and employees of each Underwriter, its affiliates and each such controlling person (each Underwriter, and each such entity or person hereafter is referred to as an “Indemnified Person”) from and against any losses (other than losses of profits), claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all reasonable, documented out-of-pocket fees and expenses (including the reasonable, documented out-of-pocket fees and expenses of counsel for the Indemnified Persons, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) (collectively, the “Expenses”) and agrees to advance payment of such Expenses as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any actions, whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (i) the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Preliminary Prospectus, or the Prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); or (ii) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the Offering, including any “road show” or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of 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, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon, and in conformity with the Underwriters’ Information, provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to indemnify and hold harmless any Indemnified Person with respect to any Liabilities or Expenses incurred by it that are judicially determined to have resulted from the fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of such Indemnified Person or the breach of this Agreement or any obligations of confidentiality owed to the Company. With respect to any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Pricing Disclosure Package, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 5(a) shall not inure to the benefit of any Indemnified Person to the extent that any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of such Indemnified Person results from the fact that a copy of the Prospectus was not given or sent to the person asserting any such loss, liability, claim or damage at or prior to the written confirmation of sale of the Shares to such person as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and if the untrue statement or omission has been corrected in the Prospectus, unless such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company with its obligations under Section 3(c) hereof.
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(a) Procedure. Upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an action against such Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may reasonably be expected to be sought under this Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing, provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any obligation or liability which the Company may have on account of this Section 5 or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent the Company is materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. An Indemnified Person shall have the right to require that the Company assume the defense of any such action (including the employment of counsel designated by the Company and reasonably satisfactory to the Representative). Any Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel for the benefit of the Underwriters and the other Indemnified Persons or (ii) such Indemnified Person shall have been advised that in the opinion of counsel that there is an actual or potential conflict of interest that prevents (or makes it imprudent for) the counsel engaged by the Company for the purpose of representing the Indemnified Person, to represent both such Indemnified Person and any other person represented or proposed to be represented by such counsel. The Company shall not be liable any settlement of any action effected without its prior written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened action in respect of which advancement, reimbursement, indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination (i) includes an unconditional release of that Indemnified Person from all Liabilities arising out of such action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person. The advancement, reimbursement, indemnification and contribution obligations of the Company required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as every Liability and Expense is incurred and is due and payable, and in such amounts as fully satisfy each and every Liability and Expense as it is incurred (and in no event later than 30 days following the date of any invoice therefore); provided, however, that the Indemnified Persons shall repay such amounts to the extent it ultimately is determined that such persons are not entitled to indemnification hereunder.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers, employees and persons who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all Liabilities, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, the Underwriters’ Information. In case any action shall be brought against the Company or any other person so indemnified based on any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to the several Underwriters by the provisions of Section 5(a). The Company agrees promptly to notify the Representative of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or any person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or in connection with the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus; provided that failure by the Company so to notify the Representative shall not relieve any Underwriter from any obligation or liability which such Underwriter may have on account of this Section 5 or otherwise to the Company, except to the extent such Underwriter is materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure.
(c) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 5 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 5(a) or 5(c) in respect of any Liabilities and Expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such Liabilities and Expenses, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and each of the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the Offering, 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 hand, in connection with the matters as to which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, 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 hand, with respect to such Offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total proceeds from the Offering purchased under this Agreement (after deducting all underwriting discounts, commissions and other fees but before deducting expenses) that are actually received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discount, fees and commissions received or to be received by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, 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, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement, omission, act or failure to act; provided that the parties hereto agree that the written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, consists solely of the Underwriters’ Information. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were 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 into account the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.
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(d) Survival. The advancement, reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations set forth in this Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Indemnified Person’s services under or in connection with, this Agreement. Each Indemnified Person is an intended third-party beneficiary of this Section 5, and has the right to enforce the provisions of Section 5 as if he/she/it was a party to this Agreement.
6. Default by an Underwriter.
(a) Default Not Exceeding 10% of Firm Shares or Optional Shares. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their obligations to purchase the Firm Shares or Optional Shares, and if the number of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares with respect to which such default relates does not exceed in the aggregate 10% of the number of Firm Shares or Optional Shares that all Underwriters have agreed to purchase hereunder, then such Firm Shares or Optional Shares to which the default relates shall be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder.
(b) Default Exceeding 10% of Firm Shares or Optional Shares. In the event that the default addressed in Section 6(a) relates to more than 10% of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares, the Representative may in its discretion arrange for itself or for another party or parties to purchase such Shares to which such default relates on the terms contained herein. If, within thirty six (36) hours after such default relating to more than 10% of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares, the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of such Firm Shares or Optional Shares, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty six (36) hours within which to procure another party or parties satisfactory to the Representative to purchase said Firm Shares or Optional Shares on such terms. In the event that neither the Representative nor the Company arrange for the purchase of the Firm Shares or Optional Shares to which a default relates as provided in this Section 6, this Agreement will automatically be terminated by the Representative or the Company without liability on the part of the Company (except as provided in Sections 3(f) and 5 hereof) or the several Underwriters (except as provided in Section 5 hereof); provided that if any such default occurs with respect to any Optional Shares, this Agreement will not terminate in respect of the Firm Shares; and provided, further, that nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the other Underwriters and to the Company for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.
(c) Postponement of First Closing Date. In the event that the Firm Shares or Optional Shares to which the default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date for a reasonable period, but not in any event exceeding seven (7) Business Days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendment to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 6 with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.
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7. Additional Covenants.
(a) Prohibition on Press Releases and Public Announcements. Except as required by law or rules of Nasdaq, the Company shall not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without the Representative’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld), for a period ending at 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the first (1st) Business Day following the forty-fifth (45th) day after the First Closing Date, other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company’s business.
(b) Right of First Refusal. Provided that the Firm Shares are sold in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Company agrees that the Representative shall have an irrevocable right of first refusal (the “Right of First Refusal”), for a period of six (6) months after the First Closing Date, to act as lead or joint-lead investment banker, lead or joint book-runner, and/or lead or joint placement agent, for each and every future public and private equity and debt offering, including all equity linked financings (each, a “Subject Transaction”) of the Company or any successor to or Subsidiary of the Company during such six (6) month period, on terms and conditions customary to the Representative for such Subject Transactions. For the avoidance of any doubt, the Company shall not retain, engage or solicit any additional investment banker, book-runner and/or placement agent in a Subject Transaction during such six (6) month period referred to above without the express written consent of the Representative, except a joint-lead investment banker, joint book-runner or joint placement agent as contemplated in this Section 7(b). The Company shall notify the Representative of its intention to pursue a Subject Transaction, including the material terms thereof, by providing written notice thereof by registered mail or overnight courier service addressed to the Representative. If the Representative fails to exercise its Right of First Refusal with respect to any Subject Transaction within five (5) Business Days after the receipt of such written notice, then the Representative shall have no further claim or right with respect to the Subject Transaction. The Representative may elect, in its sole and absolute discretion, not to exercise its Right of First Refusal with respect to any Subject Transaction, provided that any such election by the Representative shall not adversely affect the Representative’s Right of First Refusal with respect to any other Subject Transaction during the six (6) month period agreed to above.
8. Effective Date of this Agreement and Termination Thereof.
(a) Effective Date. This Agreement shall become effective when both the Company and the Representative have executed the same and delivered counterparts of such signatures to the other party.
(b) Termination. The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any First Closing Date, (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in the Representative’s opinion will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on the New York Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required by FINRA or by order of the Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction; or (iii) if the United States shall have become involved in a new war or a material increase in major hostilities; or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority; or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities markets; or (vi) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in the Representative’s reasonable opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Shares; or (vii) if the Company is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants hereunder; or (viii) if the Representative shall have knowledge after the date hereof of a Material Adverse Change, or an adverse material change in general market conditions, in each case, as in the Representative’s reasonable judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Shares or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Shares. Section 5 of this Agreement shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
(c) Expenses. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, except in the case of a default by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 6(b) above, in the event that this Agreement shall not be carried out for any reason whatsoever, within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the Company shall be obligated to pay to the Representative its actual and accountable out-of-pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein then due and payable (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of Representative’s Counsel not to exceed $100,000) up to a maximum of $132,500 in the aggregate and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof (up to a maximum aggregate of $132,500) to the Representative (less $25,000 previously advanced to the Underwriters); and provided, however, that such expense cap in no way limits or impairs the indemnification and contribution provisions of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any advance received by the Representative will be reimbursed to the Company to the extent not actually incurred in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(4)(A).
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(d) Survival of Indemnification. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Section 5 shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be in any way affected by, such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.
(e) Representations, Warranties, Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company or (ii) delivery of and payment for the Shares.
9. Miscellaneous.
(a) Notices. All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise specifically provided, shall be in writing and addressed to the other party at its address set forth below (or to such other address that the receiving party may designate from time to time in accordance with this Section 9(a)), and shall be deemed to have been given (a) three (3) days after mailing if sent by certified mail return receipt requested, (b) two (2) days after mailing if sent by receipted overnight carrier (i.e. Federal Express), provided that proof of delivery or rejection is obtained, or (c) when delivered if by hand or sent by email to the physical address or email address set forth below.
If to the Representative:
The Benchmark Company, LLC
000 X. 00xx Xxxxxx, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10155
Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
With copies to (which shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx XX, Xxxxx 000
Washington,
DC 20001
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Xx.
Email: xxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
If to the Company:
SU Group Holdings Limited
Unit 01 – 03, 3/F, Billion Trade Centre
00 Xxxx Xx Xxxx, Xxxx Xxxx
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Attention: Kong Wing Fai
Email: xxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
With copies to (which shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Schole LLP
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx
New York, New York 10105
Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx and xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
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(b) Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.
(c) Amendment. This Agreement may only be amended by a written instrument executed by each of the parties hereto.
(d) Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, it is understood and agreed by the parties hereto that all other terms and conditions of that certain engagement letter, dated May 23, 2023 (the “Engagement Letter”), by and between the Company and Representative, as such Engagement Letter may be amended from time to time, shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the terms of the Engagement Letter and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
(e) Binding Effect. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon the Representative, the Underwriters, each Indemnified Person referred to in Section 5, the Company and the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Section 5 hereof, and their respective successors, legal representatives, heirs and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agreement or any provisions herein contained. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser, in its capacity as such, of securities from any of the Underwriters.
(f) Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction; Trial by Jury.
(i) This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any such process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 9(a) hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. 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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(ii) By the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company hereby irrevocably designates and appoints Xxxxxxx & Associates, located at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000 as its authorized agent upon whom process may be served in any suit, proceeding or other action against it instituted by any Underwriter or by any person controlling an Underwriter as to which such Underwriter or any such controlling person is a party and based upon this Agreement, or in any other action against the Company in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (“New York Courts”), arising out of the offering made by the Prospectus, the Registration Statement or any purchase or sale of the Shares in connection therewith. The Company expressly accepts jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such suit, proceeding or other action and, without limiting other methods of obtaining jurisdiction, expressly submits to nonexclusive personal jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such suit, proceeding or other action. Such designation and appointment shall be irrevocable, unless and until a successor authorized agent in the County and State of New York reasonably acceptable to the Representative shall have been appointed by the Company, such successor shall have accepted such appointment and written notice thereof shall have been given to the Underwriters. The Company further agrees that service of process upon its authorized agent or successor shall be deemed in every respect personal service of process upon the Company in any such suit, proceeding or other action. In the event that service of any process or notice of motion or other application to any such court in connection with any such motion in connection with any such action or proceeding cannot be made in the manner described above, such service may be made in the manner set forth in conformance with the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents on Civil and Commercial Matters or any successor convention or treaty. The Company hereby irrevocably waives any objection that it may have or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding arising out of or based on the Shares or this Agreement or otherwise relating to the offering, issuance and sale of the Shares in any Federal or state court sitting in the County of New York and hereby further irrevocably waives any claim that any such action or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company agrees that any final judgment after exhaustion of all appeals or the expiration of time to appeal in any such action or proceeding arising out of the sale of the Shares or this Agreement rendered by any such Federal court or state court shall be conclusive and may be enforced in any other jurisdiction by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall affect or limit the right of the Underwriters or any person controlling an Underwriter to serve any process or notice of motion or other application in any other manner permitted by law or limit or affect the right of the Underwriters or any person controlling an Underwriter to bring any action or proceeding against the Company or any of its properties in the courts of any other jurisdiction. The Company further agrees to take any and all action, including the execution and filing of all such instruments and documents, as may be necessary to continue such designations and appointments or such substitute designations and appointments in full force and effect. The Company hereby agrees with the Underwriters to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in connection with any action or proceeding arising from the sale of the Shares or this Agreement brought by the Company, the Underwriters or any person controlling an Underwriter. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders 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.
(g) Execution in Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement, and shall become effective when one or more counterparts has been signed by each of the parties hereto and delivered to each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agreement by email/pdf transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.
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(h) Waiver, etc. The failure of any of the parties hereto to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way effect the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof or the right of any of the parties hereto to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.
(i) Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph, clause or provision.
(j) Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (a) each Underwriter has been retained solely to act as underwriter in connection with the sale of the Shares and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and any Underwriter has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether any Underwriter has advised or is advising the Company on other matters; (b) the price and other terms of the Shares set forth in this Agreement were established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Underwriters 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 each Underwriter and its affiliates constitute full service securities firms, engaging in a wide range of activities for their own accounts and the accounts of customers, including corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, merchant banking, equity and fixed income sales, trading and research, derivatives, foreign exchange, futures, asset management, custody, clearance and securities lending, that may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that no Underwriter has any obligation to disclose such interest and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; (d) in the course of their businesses, the Underwriters and their affiliates may, directly or indirectly, hold long or short positions, trade and otherwise conduct such activities in or with respect to debt or equity securities and/or bank debt of, and/or derivative products relating to, the Company, any prospective investor and other participants in the Offering; (e) at any given time each Underwriter and/or any of its affiliates may have been and/or be engaged by one or more entities that may be competitors with, or otherwise adverse to, the Company in matters unrelated to the Offering; (f) consistent with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, each Underwriter has adopted policies and procedures to establish and maintain the independence of such Underwriter’s research departments and personnel and, as a result, each Underwriter’s research analysts may hold views, make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company, prospective investors, the Offering and other participants in the Offering that differ from the views of such Underwriter’s investment banking personnel; and (g) it has been advised that each Underwriter is acting, in respect of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, solely for the benefit of such Underwriter, and not on behalf of the Company. In addition, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit, subject to applicable law, the ability of the Underwriters or their affiliates to (a) trade in the Company’s or any other company’s securities or publish research on the Company or any other company, subject to applicable law, or (b) pursue or engage in investment banking, financial advisory or other business relationships with entities that may be engaged in or contemplate engaging in, or acquiring or disposing of, businesses that are similar to or competitive with the business of the Company.
[Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between us.
Very truly yours, | |||
SU Group Holdings Limited | |||
By: | |||
Name: | |||
Title: |
Confirmed
as of the date first written above
mentioned, on behalf of itself and as
Representative of the several Underwriters
named on Schedule 1 hereto:
The Benchmark Company, LLC | |||
By: | |||
Name: | |||
Title: |
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
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SCHEDULE 1
Underwriter | Total
Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased | |||
The Benchmark Company, LLC | [●] | |||
Total: | [●] |
SCHEDULE 2-A
Pricing Information
Number of Firm Shares: [●]
Number of Optional Shares: [●]
Public Offering Price per Share: $[●]
Underwriting Discount per Share: (i) $[●] per share with respect to investors introduced to the Company by the Underwriters and (ii) $[●] per share with respect to investors introduced by the Company
Non-accountable expense allowance per Share: $[●]
SCHEDULE 2-B
Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses
[None.]
SCHEDULE 2-C
Written Testing-the-Waters Communications
[None.]
SCHEDULE 3
List of Lock-Up Parties
[●]
EXHIBIT A
Form of Representative’s Warrant
THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER OR ASSIGN THIS PURCHASE WARRANT EXCEPT AS HEREIN PROVIDED AND THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER, ASSIGN, PLEDGE OR HYPOTHECATE THIS PURCHASE WARRANT OR CAUSE IT TO BE THE SUBJECT OF ANY HEDGING, SHORT SALE, DERIVATIVE, PUT OR CALL TRANSACTION FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS FOLLOWING [●], 2023 (THE “EFFECTIVE DATE”) TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE BENCHMARK COMPANY, LLC OR A SELECTED DEALER IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING FOR WHICH THIS PURCHASE WARRANT WAS ISSUED TO THE UNDERWRITER AS CONSIDERATION (THE “OFFERING”), OR AN OFFICER OR PARTNER, AFFILIATE OR REGISTERED PERSON OF THE BENCHMARK COMPANY, LLC.
THIS PURCHASE WARRANT IS NOT EXERCISABLE PRIOR TO [●], 2024. VOID AFTER 5:00 P.M., EASTERN TIME, [●], 2028.
ORDINARY SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT
For the Purchase of [●] Ordinary Shares
of
SU Group Holdings Limited
1. Purchase Warrant. THIS CERTIFIES THAT, in consideration of funds duly paid by or on behalf of [●] (“Holder”), as registered owner of this Purchase Warrant, to SU Group Holdings Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), Holder is entitled, at any time or from time to time beginning [●], 2024 (the “Commencement Date”), and ending at or before 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, [●], 2028, which will be the fifth anniversary of the effective date of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-275705) (such date, the “Expiration Date”), but not thereafter, to subscribe for, purchase and receive, in whole or in part, up to [●] (the “Shares”) of the Company’s ordinary shares, par value HK$0.01 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), subject to adjustment as provided in Section 6 hereof. If the Expiration Date is a day on which banking institutions are authorized by law to close, then this Purchase Warrant may be exercised on the next succeeding day which is not such a day in accordance with the terms herein. During the period ending on the Expiration Date, the Company agrees not to take any action that would terminate this Purchase Warrant. This Purchase Warrant is initially exercisable at $[●] per Share; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of any of the events specified in Section 6 hereof, the rights granted by this Purchase Warrant, including the exercise price per Share and the number of Shares to be received upon such exercise, shall be adjusted as therein specified. The adjustment to the exercise price will be made either according to the specified criteria or to the nominal value of the Share at the time of issuance, whichever is higher. The term “Exercise Price” shall mean the initial exercise price or the adjusted exercise price, depending on the context.
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2. Exercise.
2.1 Exercise Form. In order to exercise this Purchase Warrant, the exercise form attached hereto must be duly executed and completed and delivered to the Company, together with this Purchase Warrant and payment of the Exercise Price for the Shares being purchased and all taxes required to be paid by the Holder, if any, payable in cash by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated by the Company or by certified check or official bank check. If the subscription rights represented hereby shall not be exercised at or before 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on the Expiration Date, this Purchase Warrant shall become and be void without further force or effect, and all rights represented hereby shall cease and expire. Each exercise hereof shall be irrevocable.
2.2 Cashless Exercise. In lieu of exercising this Purchase Warrant by payment of cash or check payable to the order of the Company pursuant to Section 2.1 above, Holder may elect to receive the number of Shares equal to the value of this Purchase Warrant (or the portion thereof being exercised), by surrender of this Purchase Warrant to the Company, together with the exercise form attached hereto, and all taxes required to be paid by the Holder, if any, in which event the Company will issue to Holder the Shares in accordance with the following formula:
X | = | Y(A-B) | |
A |
Where,
X | = | The number of Shares to be issued to Holder; | |
Y | = | The number of Shares for which the Purchase Warrant is being exercised if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise; | |
A | = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable exercise form if such exercise form is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b)(68) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Exercise Form or (z) the Bid Price of the Ordinary Shares on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Exercise Form if such Exercise Form is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof, which Bid Price shall be shown on supporting documents provided by the Holder to the Company within two Trading Days of delivery of the exercise form, or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable exercise form if the date of such exercise form is a Trading Day and such exercise form is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day; and | |
B | = | The Exercise Price. |
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“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Ordinary Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Ordinary Shares for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Ordinary Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Ordinary Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Ordinary Shares are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Ordinary Shares so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of one Ordinary Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Ordinary Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Ordinary Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Ordinary Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Ordinary Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Ordinary Shares are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the daily volume weighted average price of the Ordinary Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date), or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of an Ordinary Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
3. Transfer.
3.1 General Restrictions. The registered Holder of this Purchase Warrant agrees by his, her or its acceptance hereof, that such Holder will not: (a) sell, transfer, assign, pledge or hypothecate this Purchase Warrant for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the Effective Date to anyone other than: (i) The Benchmark Company, LLC (“Benchmark”) or an underwriter or a selected dealer participating in the Offering, or (ii) an officer, partner, or registered person of Benchmark or of any such underwriter or selected dealer, in each case in accordance with FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(e), or (b) cause this Purchase Warrant or the securities issuable hereunder to be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of this Purchase Warrant or the securities hereunder, except as provided for in FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). After 180 days after the Effective Date, transfers to others may be made subject to compliance with or exemptions from applicable securities laws. In order to make any permitted assignment, the Holder must deliver to the Company the assignment form attached hereto duly executed and completed, together with the Purchase Warrant and payment of all transfer taxes, if any, payable in connection therewith. The Company shall within five (5) business days transfer this Purchase Warrant on the books of the Company and shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Warrant or Purchase Warrants of like tenor to the appropriate assignee(s) expressly evidencing the right to purchase the aggregate number of Shares purchasable hereunder or such portion of such number as shall be contemplated by any such assignment.
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3.2 Restrictions Imposed by the Act. The securities evidenced by this Purchase Warrant shall not be transferred unless and until: (i) the Company has received the opinion of counsel for the Company/Holder that the securities may be transferred pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Act and applicable state securities laws (the Company hereby agreeing that the opinion of counsel for the Company/Holder shall be deemed satisfactory evidence of the availability of an exemption under the Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws), or (ii) a registration statement or a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement relating to the offer and sale of such securities has been filed by the Company and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and compliance with applicable state securities law has been established.
4. Reserved.
5. New Purchase Warrants to be Issued.
5.1 Partial Exercise or Transfer. Subject to the restrictions in Section 3 hereof, this Purchase Warrant may be exercised or assigned in whole or in part. In the event of the exercise or assignment hereof in part only, upon surrender of this Purchase Warrant for cancellation, together with the duly executed exercise or assignment form and funds sufficient to pay any Exercise Price and/or transfer tax if exercised pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the Holder, without charge, a new Purchase Warrant of like tenor to this Purchase Warrant in the name of the Holder evidencing the right of the Holder to purchase the number of Shares purchasable hereunder as to which this Purchase Warrant has not been exercised or assigned.
5.2 Lost Certificate. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Purchase Warrant and of reasonably satisfactory indemnification or the posting of a bond, determined in the sole discretion of the Company, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Purchase Warrant of like tenor and date. Any such new Purchase Warrant executed and delivered as a result of such loss, theft, mutilation or destruction shall constitute a substitute contractual obligation on the part of the Company.
6. Adjustments.
6.1 Adjustments to Exercise Price and Number of Securities. The Exercise Price and the number of Shares underlying the Purchase Warrant shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as hereinafter set forth:
6.1.1 Share Dividends; Split Ups. If, after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 6.3 below, the number of outstanding Shares is increased by a stock dividend payable in Shares or by a split up of Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective day thereof, the number of Shares purchasable hereunder shall be increased in proportion to such increase in outstanding Shares, and the Exercise Price shall be proportionately decreased.
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6.1.2 Aggregation of Shares. If, after the date hereof, and subject to the provisions of Section 6.3 below, the number of outstanding Shares is decreased by a consolidation, combination or reclassification of Shares or other similar event, then, on the effective date thereof, the number of Shares purchasable hereunder shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding Shares, and the Exercise Price shall be proportionately increased.
6.1.3 Replacement of Securities upon Reorganization, etc. In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Shares other than a change covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2 hereof or that solely affects the par value of such Shares, or in the case of any share reconstruction or amalgamation or consolidation or merger of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation or merger in which the Company is the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding Shares), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the property of the Company as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which the Company is dissolved, the Holder of this Purchase Warrant shall have the right thereafter (until the expiration of the right of exercise of this Purchase Warrant) to receive upon the exercise hereof, for the same aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder immediately prior to such event, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, share reconstruction or amalgamation, or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, by a Holder of the number of Shares of the Company obtainable upon exercise of this Purchase Warrant immediately prior to such event; and if any reclassification also results in a change in Shares covered by Section 6.1.1 or 6.1.2, then such adjustment shall be made pursuant to Sections 6.1.1, 6.1.2 and this Section 6.1.3. The provisions of this Section 6.1.3 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, reorganizations, share reconstructions or amalgamations, or consolidations, sales or other transfers.
6.1.4 Changes in Form of Purchase Warrant. This form of Purchase Warrant need not be changed because of any change pursuant to this Section 6.1, and Purchase Warrants issued after such change may state the same Exercise Price and the same number of Shares as are stated in the Purchase Warrants initially issued pursuant to this Agreement. The acceptance by any Holder of the issuance of new Purchase Warrants reflecting a required or permissive change shall not be deemed to waive any rights to an adjustment occurring after the Commencement Date or the computation thereof.
6.2 Substitute Purchase Warrant. In case of any consolidation of the Company with, or share reconstruction or amalgamation or merger of the Company with or into, another corporation (other than a consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation or merger which does not result in any reclassification or change of the outstanding Shares), the corporation formed by such consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation shall execute and deliver to the Holder a supplemental Purchase Warrant providing that the holder of each Purchase Warrant then outstanding or to be outstanding shall have the right thereafter (until the stated expiration of such Purchase Warrant) to receive, upon exercise of such Purchase Warrant, the kind and amount of shares of stock and other securities and property receivable upon such consolidation or share reconstruction or amalgamation, by a holder of the number of Shares of the Company for which such Purchase Warrant might have been exercised immediately prior to such consolidation, share reconstruction or amalgamation or merger, sale or transfer. Such supplemental Purchase Warrant shall provide for adjustments which shall be identical to the adjustments provided for in this Section 6. The above provision of this Section shall similarly apply to successive consolidations or share reconstructions or amalgamations or mergers.
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6.3 Elimination of Fractional Interests. The Company shall not be required to issue certificates representing fractions of Shares upon the exercise of the Purchase Warrant, nor shall it be required to issue scrip or pay cash in lieu of any fractional interests, it being the intent of the parties that all fractional interests shall be eliminated by rounding any fraction up or down, as the case may be, to the nearest whole number of Shares or other securities, properties or rights.
7. Reservation. The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized Shares, solely for the purpose of issuance upon exercise of the Purchase Warrants, such number of Shares or other securities, properties or rights as shall be issuable upon the exercise thereof. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon exercise of the Purchase Warrants and payment of the Exercise Price therefor, in accordance with the terms hereby, all Shares and other securities issuable upon such exercise shall be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and not subject to preemptive rights of any shareholder.
8. Certain Notice Requirements.
8.1 Holder’s Right to Receive Notice. Nothing herein shall be construed as conferring upon the Holder the right to vote or consent or to receive notice as a shareholder for the election of directors or any other matter, or as having any rights whatsoever as a shareholder of the Company. If, however, at any time prior to the expiration of the Purchase Warrants and their exercise, any of the events described in Section 8.2 shall occur, then, in one or more of said events, the Company shall deliver to each Holder a copy of each notice relating to such events given to the other shareholders of the Company at the same time and in the same manner that such notice is given to the shareholders.
8.2 Events Requiring Notice. The Company shall be required to give the notice described in this Section 8 upon one or more of the following events: (i) if the Company shall take a record of the holders of its Shares for the purpose of entitling them to receive a dividend or distribution payable otherwise than in cash, or a cash dividend or distribution payable otherwise than out of retained earnings, as indicated by the accounting treatment of such dividend or distribution on the books of the Company, or (ii) the Company shall offer to all the holders of its Shares any additional shares of capital stock of the Company or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company, or any option, right or warrant to subscribe therefor.
8.3 Notice of Change in Exercise Price. The Company shall, promptly after an event requiring a change in the Exercise Price pursuant to Section 6 hereof, send notice to the Holder of such event and change (“Price Notice”). The Price Notice shall describe the event causing the change and the method of calculating same.
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8.4 Transmittal of Notices. All notices, requests, consents and other communications under this Purchase Warrant shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly made when hand delivered, or mailed by express mail or private courier service: (i) if to the registered Holder of the Purchase Warrant, to the address of such Holder as shown on the books of the Company, or (ii) if to the Company, to following address or to such other address as the Company may designate by notice to the Holder:
If to the Holder:
The Benchmark Company, LLC
000 Xxxx 00xx Xx., 17th Floor
New York, NY 10155
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Managing Director, Head of Equity Capital Markets
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx XX, Xxxxx 000
Washington, DC 20001
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Xx.
Email: xxxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
If to the Company:
SU Group Holdings Limited
Unit 01 – 03, 3/F, Billion Trade Centre
00 Xxxx Xx Xxxx, Xxxx Xxxx
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Attention: Kong Wing Fai
Email: xxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
With copies to (which shall not constitute notice):
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Schole LLP
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx
New York, New York 10105
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx and xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
9. Miscellaneous.
9.1 Amendments. The Company and Benchmark may from time to time supplement or amend this Purchase Warrant without the approval of the Holder in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein that may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or to make any other provisions in regard to matters or questions arising hereunder that the Company and Benchmark may deem necessary or desirable and that the Company and Benchmark deem shall not adversely affect the interest of the Holder. All other modifications or amendments shall require the written consent of and be signed by (i) the Company and (ii) the Holder(s) of Purchase Warrants then-exercisable for at least a majority of the Shares then-exercisable pursuant to all then-outstanding Purchase Warrants.
9.2 Headings. The headings contained herein are for the sole purpose of convenience of reference, and shall not in any way limit or affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the terms or provisions of this Purchase Warrant.
9.3. Entire Agreement. This Purchase Warrant (together with the other agreements and documents being delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Purchase Warrant) constitutes the entire agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings of the parties, oral and written, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
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9.4 Binding Effect. This Purchase Warrant shall inure solely to the benefit of and shall be binding upon, the Holder and the Company and their permitted assignees, respective successors, legal representative and assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Purchase Warrant or any provisions herein contained.
9.5 Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Trial by Jury. This Purchase Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflict of laws principles thereof. The Company hereby agrees that any action, proceeding or claim against it arising out of, or relating in any way to this Purchase Warrant shall be brought and enforced in the courts located in New York, New York, or in the United States District Court located in New York, New York, and irrevocably submits to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive. The Company hereby waives any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. Any process or summons to be served upon the Company may be served by transmitting a copy thereof by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 8 hereof. Such mailing shall be deemed personal service and shall be legal and binding upon the Company in any action, proceeding or claim. The Company and the Holder agree that the prevailing party(ies) in any such action shall be entitled to recover from the other party(ies) all of its reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses relating to such action or proceeding and/or incurred in connection with the preparation therefor. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) and the Holder hereby irrevocably waive, 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.
9.6 Waiver, etc. The failure of the Company or the Holder to at any time enforce any of the provisions of this Purchase Warrant shall not be deemed or construed to be a waiver of any such provision, nor to in any way affect the validity of this Purchase Warrant or any provision hereof or the right of the Company or any Holder to thereafter enforce each and every provision of this Purchase Warrant. No waiver of any breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment of any of the provisions of this Purchase Warrant shall be effective unless set forth in a written instrument executed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought; and no waiver of any such breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment shall be construed or deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach, non-compliance or non-fulfillment.
9.7 Exchange Agreement. As a condition of the Holder’s receipt and acceptance of this Purchase Warrant, Xxxxxx agrees that, at any time prior to the complete exercise of this Purchase Warrant by Holder, if the Company and Benchmark enter into an agreement (“Exchange Agreement”) pursuant to which they agree that all outstanding Purchase Warrants will be exchanged for securities or cash or a combination of both, then Holder shall agree to such exchange and become a party to the Exchange Agreement.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Purchase Warrant to be signed by its duly authorized officer as of the [●] day of [●], 2023.
SU GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
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[Form to be used to exercise Purchase Warrant]
Date: __________, 20___
The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to exercise the Purchase Warrant for ______ ordinary shares, par value HK$0.01 per share (the “Shares”), of SU Group Holdings Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), and hereby makes payment of $____ (at the rate of $____ per Share) in payment of the Exercise Price pursuant thereto. Please issue the Shares as to which this Purchase Warrant is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below and, if applicable, a new Purchase Warrant representing the number of Shares for which this Purchase Warrant has not been exercised.
or
The undersigned hereby elects irrevocably to convert its right to purchase ___ Shares of the Company under the Purchase Warrant for ______ Shares, as determined in accordance with the following formula:
X | = | Y(A-B) | ||
A |
Where,
X | = | The number of Shares to be issued to Holder; | |
Y | = | The number of Shares for which the Purchase Warrant is being exercised; | |
A | = | The fair market value of one Share which is equal to $_____; and | |
B | = | The Exercise Price which is equal to $______ per share |
The undersigned agrees and acknowledges that the calculation set forth above is subject to confirmation by the Company and any disagreement with respect to the calculation shall be resolved by the Company in its sole discretion.
Please issue the Shares as to which this Purchase Warrant is exercised in accordance with the instructions given below and, if applicable, a new Purchase Warrant representing the number of Shares for which this Purchase Warrant has not been converted.
Signature _______________________________
Signature Guaranteed ______________________
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES
Name: | ||
(Print in Block Letters) | ||
Address: | ||
NOTICE: The signature to this form must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the Purchase Warrant without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a bank, other than a savings bank, or by a trust company or by a firm having membership on a registered national securities exchange.
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[Form to be used to assign Purchase Warrant]
ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered Holder to effect a transfer of the within Purchase Warrant):
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, __________________ does hereby sell, assign and transfer unto the right to purchase ordinary shares, par value HK$0.01 per share, of SU Group Holdings Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), evidenced by the Purchase Warrant and does hereby authorize the Company to transfer such right on the books of the Company.
Dated: __________, 20__
Signature __________________________________
Signature Guaranteed _________________________
NOTICE: The signature to this form must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within Purchase Warrant without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever, and must be guaranteed by a bank, other than a savings bank, or by a trust company or by a firm having membership on a registered national securities exchange.
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EXHIBIT B
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
Lock-Up Agreement
[●], 2023
The Benchmark Company, LLC
as Representative
of the Underwriters
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, 17th Floor
New York, New York 10155
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that The Benchmark Company, LLC (the “Representative”) proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with SU Group Holdings Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), providing for the registered public offering (the “Public Offering”) of ordinary shares, par value HK$0.01 per share, of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”).
To induce the Representative to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and continue its efforts in connection with the Public Offering, and in light of the benefits that the Public Offering will confer upon the undersigned in its capacity as a security holder and/or an officer or director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, the undersigned will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending six (6) months after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Lock-Up Period”): (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, grant, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Ordinary Shares or capital stock of the Company (collectively, “Capital Stock”) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Capital Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired (including any securities acquired pursuant to the Public Offering) by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”); (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement or transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities or any securities convertible into or exercisable for any Capital Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) above or this clause (2) is to be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise; (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any Lock-Up Securities; or (4) publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, or to enter into any transaction, swap or other arrangement relating to any Lock-Up Securities.
B-1
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions below, the undersigned may transfer Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of the Representative in connection with (a) transactions relating to Lock-Up Securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering; provided that no filing under Section 13 or Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or other public announcement shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Lock-Up Period in connection with subsequent sales of Lock-Up Securities acquired in such open market transactions; (b) transfers of Lock-Up Securities as a bona fide gift, by will or intestacy or to a family member (as defined below) or trust for the benefit of the undersigned or a family member; (c) transfers of Lock-Up Securities to a charity or educational institution; (d) transfers of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer for securities of the Company, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Company’s securities involving a Change of Control (as defined below), which transaction is approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, provided that it shall be a condition of the transfer that if the tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the undersigned’s securities subject to this letter agreement shall remain subject to the restrictions herein; or (e) if the undersigned, directly or indirectly, controls a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, any transfers of Lock-Up Securities to any shareholder, partner or member of, or owner of similar equity interests in, the undersigned, as the case may be; provided that in the case of any transfer pursuant to the foregoing clauses (b), (c), (d) or (e), it shall be a condition to any such transfer that (i) the transferee/donee agrees to be bound by the terms of this lock-up agreement (including, without limitation, the restrictions set forth in the preceding sentence) to the same extent as if the transferee/donee were a party hereto; (ii) each party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall not be required by law (including without limitation the disclosure requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Exchange Act) to make, and shall agree to not voluntarily make, any filing or public announcement of the transfer or disposition prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period; and (iii) the undersigned notifies the Representative at least two (2) business days prior to the proposed transfer or disposition.
For purposes of this letter agreement, “family member” shall mean the spouse or domestic partner of the undersigned, an immediate family member of the undersigned or an immediate family member of the undersigned’s spouse or domestic partner, in each case living in the undersigned’s household or whose principal residence is the undersigned’s household (regardless of whether such spouse, domestic partner or family member may at the time be living elsewhere due to educational activities, health care treatment, military service, temporary internship or employment or otherwise). “Immediate family member” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(e) under the Exchange Act. For purposes of this letter agreement, “Change of Control” means the consummation of any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, other than the Company or its subsidiaries, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of a majority of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company (or the surviving entity).
In addition, the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to (i) the exercise of stock options granted pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans; provided that it shall apply to any of the undersigned’s Ordinary Shares issued upon such exercise, (ii) the exercise of warrants or conversion of convertible promissory notes or other convertible securities; provided that it shall apply to any of the undersigned’s Capital Stock issued upon such exercise or conversion, (iii) a contract, instruction or plan (a “Plan”) that satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(B) under the Exchange Act, or (iv) the establishment of any new Plan; provided that, other than as provided herein, no sales of the undersigned’s Ordinary Shares shall be made pursuant to such new Plan prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, and such a Plan may only be established if no public announcement of the establishment or existence thereof and no filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other regulatory authority in respect thereof or transactions thereunder or contemplated thereby, by the undersigned, the Company or any other person, shall be required, and no such announcement or filing is made voluntarily, by the undersigned, the Company or any other person, prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s securities subject to this lock-up agreement except in compliance with this lock-up agreement.
B-2
The undersigned now has, and, for the duration of this letter agreement will have, good and marketable title to the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever, other than any charitable pledge of such securities that by its terms could not result in any transfer, disposition or distribution of such securities during the Lock-Up Period. If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the undersigned agrees that the foregoing restrictions shall be equally applicable to any securities that the undersigned may purchase in the Public Offering; (ii) the Representative agrees that, at least three (3) business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Lock-Up Securities, the Representative will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver; and (iii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two (2) business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representative hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two (2) business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer of Lock-Up Securities not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this lock-up agreement to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of such transfer.
During the Lock-Up Period, the undersigned hereby waives any and all notice requirements and rights with respect to the registration of securities pursuant to any agreement, understanding or anything otherwise setting forth the terms of any security of the Company held by the undersigned, including any registration rights agreement or investors’ rights agreement to which the undersigned and the Company may be party.
The undersigned understands that the Company and the Representative are relying upon this lock-up agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this lock-up agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
This letter agreement shall automatically terminate and be of no further effect (i) on December 31, 2023, in the event the execution of the Underwriting Agreement shall not have occurred on or before such date (provided that the Company may by written notice to the undersigned prior to December 31, 2023, extend such date for a period of up to an additional three months, in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by such date), (ii) prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, upon such date the Company notifies the Representative in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Public Offering, (iii) if the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Public Offering is withdrawn, or (iv) upon the termination of the Underwriting Agreement prior to the First Closing Date (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) in accordance with the terms thereof.
The undersigned consents to receipt of this letter agreement in electronic form and understands and agrees that this letter agreement may be signed electronically. In the event that any signature is delivered by electronic mail, or otherwise by electronic transmission evidencing an intent to sign this letter agreement, such electronic mail or other electronic transmission shall create a valid and binding obligation of the undersigned with the same force and effect as if such signature were an original. Execution and delivery of this letter agreement by electronic mail or other electronic transmission is legal, valid and binding for all purposes.
This lock-up agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
B-3
Very truly yours, | ||
(Name - Please Print) | ||
(Signature) | ||
(Name of Signatory, in the case of entities - Please Print) | ||
(Title of Signatory, in the case of entities - Please Print) | ||
Address: | ||
B-4