SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT BY AND AMONG MRU HOLDINGS, INC. AND THE PERSONS LISTED ON THE SCHEDULE OF BUYERS ATTACHED HERETO Dated as of October 19, 2007
EXECUTION
COPY
BY
AND AMONG
MRU
HOLDINGS, INC.
AND
THE
PERSONS LISTED ON THE SCHEDULE OF BUYERS
ATTACHED
HERETO
Dated
as of October 19, 2007
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
1.
|
PURCHASE
AND SALE OF NOTES.
|
5
|
|
a.
|
Closing
Date
|
5
|
|
b.
|
Form
of Payment and Delivery of Notes
|
5
|
|
c.
|
Currency;
Interest
|
5
|
|
2.
|
BUYERS’
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.
|
6
|
|
a.
|
Investment
Purpose
|
6
|
|
b.
|
Accredited
Investor Status
|
6
|
|
c.
|
Reliance
on Exemptions
|
6
|
|
d.
|
Information
|
6
|
|
e.
|
No
Governmental Review
|
6
|
|
f.
|
Transfer
or Resale
|
7
|
|
g.
|
Legends
|
7
|
|
h.
|
Authorization;
Enforcement; Validity
|
8
|
|
i.
|
Residency
|
8
|
|
j.
|
No
Other Agreements
|
8
|
|
3.
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.
|
8
|
|
a.
|
Organization
and Qualification; Subsidiaries
|
8
|
|
b.
|
Authorization;
Enforcement; Validity
|
9
|
|
c.
|
Capitalization
|
9
|
|
d.
|
Issuance
of Securities
|
11
|
|
e.
|
No
Conflicts
|
11
|
|
f.
|
SEC
Documents; Financial Statements.
|
12
|
|
x.
|
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx
Compliance; Internal Accounting Controls; Disclosure Controls and
Procedures; Books and Records.
|
14
|
|
h.
|
Absence
of Certain Changes
|
16
|
|
i.
|
Absence
of Litigation
|
16
|
|
j.
|
Full
Disclosure; No Undisclosed Events, Liabilities, Developments or
Circumstances
|
16
|
|
k.
|
Acknowledgment
Regarding Buyers’ Purchase of Notes
|
16
|
|
l.
|
No
General Solicitation
|
17
|
|
m.
|
No
Integrated Offering
|
17
|
|
n.
|
[Reserved.]
|
17
|
|
o.
|
Employee
Relations
|
17
|
|
p.
|
Intellectual
Property Rights
|
18
|
|
q.
|
Environmental
Laws
|
18
|
|
r.
|
Insurance
|
19
|
|
s.
|
Regulatory
Permits
|
19
|
|
t.
|
Principal
Market
|
19
|
|
u.
|
Tax
Status
|
19
|
|
v.
|
Transactions
With Related Parties
|
20
|
|
w.
|
[Reserved.]
|
20
|
|
x.
|
Foreign
Corrupt Practices
|
20
|
i
y.
|
Outstanding
Indebtedness; Liens
|
20
|
|
z.
|
Real
Property
|
21
|
|
aa.
|
Tangible
Assets
|
21
|
|
bb.
|
No
Materially Adverse Contracts, Etc
|
21
|
|
cc.
|
Investment
Company
|
21
|
|
dd.
|
Stock
Options
|
22
|
|
4.
|
AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
22
|
|
a.
|
Best
Efforts
|
22
|
|
b.
|
Form D
and Blue Sky
|
22
|
|
c.
|
Reporting
Status
|
22
|
|
d.
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
22
|
|
e.
|
Financial
Information
|
23
|
|
f.
|
Internal
Accounting Controls
|
23
|
|
g.
|
[Reserved.]
|
24
|
|
h.
|
[Reserved.]
|
24
|
|
i.
|
Expenses
|
24
|
|
j.
|
Disclosure
of Transactions and Other Material Information.
|
24
|
|
k.
|
Pledge
of Securities
|
25
|
|
l.
|
Notices
|
26
|
|
m.
|
Compliance
with Laws and Maintenance of Permits
|
26
|
|
n.
|
Inspection
and Audits
|
26
|
|
o.
|
Collateral
|
27
|
|
p.
|
Insurance
|
27
|
|
q.
|
Taxes
|
27
|
|
r.
|
Intellectual
Property
|
27
|
|
s.
|
Patriot
Act, Investor Secrecy Act and Office of Foreign Assets
Control
|
27
|
|
t.
|
Security
Covenants
|
28
|
|
u.
|
Dividends
or Cash Distributions by Excluded Subsidiaries..
|
28
|
|
v.
|
Public
Disclosure of Change of Control or Organic Change
|
28
|
|
w.
|
Right
to Participate in Future Financing
|
29
|
|
5.
|
NEGATIVE
COVENANTS.
|
30
|
|
a.
|
[Reserved.]
|
30
|
|
b.
|
Status
|
30
|
|
c.
|
Stay,
Extension and Usury Laws
|
30
|
|
d.
|
Restriction
on Purchases or Payments
|
30
|
|
e.
|
Payment
and Lien Restrictions
|
30
|
|
f.
|
Prepayments
|
31
|
|
g.
|
Indebtedness
|
31
|
|
h.
|
Liens
|
32
|
|
i.
|
Sale
of Collateral
|
32
|
|
j.
|
Corporate
Existence
|
32
|
|
k.
|
Related
Party Transactions
|
32
|
|
l.
|
Restriction
on Loans; Investments; Subsidiary Equity
|
32
|
|
m.
|
Investment
Company
|
33
|
ii
n.
|
[Reserved.]
|
33
|
|
o.
|
[Reserved.]
|
33
|
|
p.
|
No
Avoidance of Obligations
|
33
|
|
q.
|
Regulation
M
|
33
|
|
r.
|
No
Integrated Offering
|
33
|
|
6.
|
[RESERVED.]
|
33
|
|
7.
|
CONDITIONS
TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY TO SELL
|
33
|
|
8.
|
CONDITIONS
TO BUYERS’ OBLIGATIONS TO PURCHASE
|
34
|
|
9.
|
INDEMNIFICATION.
|
36
|
|
10.
|
GOVERNING
LAW; MISCELLANEOUS.
|
38
|
|
a.
|
Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Jury Trial
|
38
|
|
b.
|
Counterparts
|
38
|
|
c.
|
Headings
|
39
|
|
d.
|
Severability
|
39
|
|
e.
|
Entire
Agreement; Amendments
|
39
|
|
f.
|
Notices
|
39
|
|
g.
|
Successors
and Assigns
|
40
|
|
h.
|
No
Third Party Beneficiaries
|
40
|
|
i.
|
Survival
|
40
|
|
j.
|
Further
Assurances
|
41
|
|
k.
|
Termination
|
41
|
|
l.
|
Placement
Agent
|
41
|
|
m.
|
No
Strict Construction
|
41
|
|
n.
|
Remedies
|
41
|
|
o.
|
Rescission
and Withdrawal Right
|
41
|
|
p.
|
Payment
Set Aside
|
42
|
|
q.
|
Independent
Nature of Buyers
|
42
|
|
r.
|
Interpretative
Matters
|
42
|
iii
SECURITIES
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
(the
“Agreement”),
dated
as of October 19, 2007, by and among MRU Holdings, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, with principal offices
located
at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
(the
“Company”),
and
the investors listed on the Schedule
of Buyers
attached
hereto (each, a “Buyer”
and,
collectively, the “Buyers”).
Capitalized terms used and not defined elsewhere in this Agreement have the
respective meanings assigned to such terms in the Appendix
hereto.
WHEREAS:
A. The
Company and the Buyers are executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance
upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Rule 506 of
Regulation D (“Regulation D”)
as
promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”)
under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933
Act”).
B. The
Buyers, severally and not jointly, desire to purchase from the Company, and
the
Company wishes to sell to the Buyers, upon the terms and conditions stated
in
this Agreement, secured senior notes, in the form attached as Exhibit
A,
in an
original aggregate principal amount of $11,200,000 on
the
Closing Date (such notes, together with any promissory notes or other securities
issued in exchange or substitution therefor or replacement thereof, and as
any
of the same may be amended, supplemented, restated or modified and in effect
from time to time, the “Notes”).
C. Contemporaneously
with the Closing (as defined in Section
1(a),
below),
the Company will execute and deliver a Pledge and Security Agreement, in the
form attached as Exhibit B
(as the
same may be amended, supplemented, restated or modified and in effect from
time
to time, the “Pledge
and Security
Agreement”),
in
favor of the Collateral Agent, as collateral agent for the Buyers, pursuant
to
which the Company will pledge in favor of the Collateral Agent, as collateral
agent for the Buyers, a first priority perfected security interest in the
Pledged Collateral and a first priority security interest in the Account
Collateral.
D. Contemporaneously
with the Closing, MRU ABS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
(“MRU
ABS”),
will
execute and deliver an Assignment Agreement, in the form attached as
Exhibit
C
(the
“Assignment
Agreement”)
in
favor of the Company, pursuant to which MRU ABS will distribute all of its
rights to receive all of the residual cash flow from the MRU Student Loan Trust
2007-A.
E. Contemporaneously
with the Closing, MRU ABS will execute and deliver a Direction Letter to The
Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., in the form attached as Exhibit
D
(the
“Direction
Letter”)
pursuant to which The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. will agree to
distribute all of the residual cash flow from the MRU Student Loan Trust 2007-A
to the Blocked Account (as defined in the Pledge and Security
Agreement).
F. Contemporaneously
with the Closing, each of the Company’s Subsidiaries other than the Excluded
Subsidiaries will execute and deliver a Guaranty, in the form attached hereto
as
Exhibit
E
(as the
same may be amended, supplemented, restated or modified and in effect from
time
to time, the “Guaranty”),
pursuant to which the Subsidiaries will agree to guaranty certain obligations
of
the Company (the guarantees under the Guaranty, including any such guarantees
added after the Closing, being referred to herein as the “Guarantees”).
4
NOW
THEREFORE,
the
Company and each of the Buyers, severally and not jointly, hereby agree as
follows:
1. PURCHASE
AND SALE OF NOTES.
Subject
to the satisfaction (or waiver) of the conditions set forth in Sections
7
and
8
below,
the Company shall issue and sell to each Buyer, and each Buyer severally agrees
to purchase from the Company (the “Closing”),
Notes
in the respective principal amounts set forth opposite such Buyer’s name on the
Schedule
of Buyers.
The
aggregate purchase price (the “Purchase
Price”)
for
the Notes purchased by each Buyer shall be the product
of
(i)
$9,983,000, multiplied by
(ii) the
quotient of (A) the principal amount of the Notes purchased by such Buyer as
set
forth opposite such Buyer’s name in the Schedule
of Buyers divided by
(B)
$11,200,000 (such quotient, such Buyer’s “Allocation
Percentage”).
a. Closing
Date.
The
date and time of the closing of the purchase and sale of the Notes (the
“Closing
Date”)
shall
be 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first Business Day following the
date
of this Agreement, subject
to the satisfaction (or waiver) of all of the conditions to the Closing set
forth in Sections
7
and
8
(or such
later or earlier date as is mutually agreed to by the Company and the Buyers).
The Closing shall occur at the offices of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Rosenman LLP, 000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, or at such other place
as
the Company and Buyers may collectively designate in writing.
b. Form
of Payment and Delivery of Notes.
On the
Closing Date, (i) each Buyer shall pay such Buyer’s Allocation Percentage of the
Purchase Price to the Company for the Notes to be issued and sold to such Buyer
on the Closing Date, by wire transfer of immediately available funds in
accordance with the Company’s written wire instructions (less any amount
deducted and paid in accordance with Section
4(i)),
and
(ii) the Company shall deliver to each Buyer a Note (or Notes in the principal
amounts as such Buyer shall request) representing the original principal amount
of the Notes that such Buyer is purchasing hereunder, duly executed on behalf
of
the Company and registered in the name of such Buyer or its designee.
c. Currency;
Interest.
All
payments to a Buyer under this Agreement or any of the other Transaction
Documents shall be made in lawful money of the United States of America, by
wire transfer of immediately available funds to such accounts as such Buyer
may
from time to time designate by written notice in accordance with Section
10(f)
of this
Agreement. All references herein and in each of the other Transaction Documents
to “dollars” or “$” shall mean the lawful money of the United States of America.
Any amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement that are not paid when due shall
bear interest at the rate equal to the lesser
of
(i) the
Applicable Interest Rate (as such term is defined in the Notes), and (ii) the
highest lawful interest rate.
5
2. BUYERS’
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.
Each
Buyer represents and warrants, as of the date of this Agreement and the Closing
Date, with respect to only itself, that:
a. Investment
Purpose.
Such
Buyer is acquiring the Notes (together with the related Guarantees) purchased
by
such Buyer hereunder (the Notes and the Guarantees being collectively referred
to herein as the “Securities”)
for
such Buyer’s own account and not with a view towards, or for resale in
connection with, the public sale or distribution thereof, except pursuant to
sales registered under, or exempted from the registration requirements of,
the
1933 Act; provided,
however,
that by
making the representations herein, such Buyer does not agree to hold any of
the
Securities for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to
dispose of the Securities at any time in accordance with or pursuant to a
registration statement or an exemption under the 1933 Act.
b. Accredited
Investor Status.
Such
Buyer is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of
Regulation D.
c. Reliance
on Exemptions.
Such
Buyer understands that the Securities are being offered and sold to it in
reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of the
Securities Laws and that the Company is relying in part upon the truth and
accuracy of, and such Buyer’s compliance with, the representations, warranties,
agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of such Buyer set forth herein
in
order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility
of
such Buyer to acquire the Securities.
d. Information.
Such
Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been furnished with all materials relating
to the business, finances and operations of the Company and materials relating
to the offer and sale of the Securities that have been requested by such Buyer.
Such Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been afforded the opportunity to
ask
questions of, and have received answers from, the Company, provided that such
answers do not affect any of the Buyer’s ability to rely upon the Company’s
representations and warranties set forth herein. Neither such inquiries nor
any
other due diligence investigations conducted by such Buyer or its advisors,
if
any, or its representatives shall modify, amend or affect such Buyer’s right to
rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in Sections
3
and
10(l)
below or
contained in any of the other Transaction Documents. Such Buyer understands
that
its investment in the Securities involves a high degree of risk. Such Buyer
has
sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary
to
make an informed investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the
Securities.
e. No
Governmental Review.
Such
Buyer understands that no Governmental Entity has passed on or made any
recommendation or endorsement of the Securities or the fairness or suitability
of an investment in the Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or
endorsed the merits of the offering of the Securities.
6
f. Transfer
or Resale.
Such
Buyer understands that (i) the Securities have not been and are not being
registered under the 1933 Act or any other Securities Laws, and may not be
offered for sale, sold, assigned or transferred unless (A) subsequently
registered thereunder, (B) such Buyer shall have delivered to the Company an
opinion of counsel, in a generally acceptable form, to the effect that the
Securities to be sold, assigned or transferred may be sold, assigned or
transferred pursuant to an exemption from such registration, or (C) such
Buyer provides the Company with reasonable assurance that the Securities can
be
sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the 1933
Act, as amended (or a successor rule thereto) (“Rule
144”);
(ii)
any sale of the Securities made in reliance on Rule 144 may be made only in
accordance with the terms of Rule 144, and further, if Rule 144 is not
applicable, any resale of the Securities under circumstances in which the seller
(or the Person through whom the sale is made) may be deemed to be an underwriter
(as that term is defined in the 0000 Xxx) may require compliance with some
other
exemption under the 1933 Act or any other Securities Laws; and
(iii) neither the Company nor any other person is under any obligation to
register the Securities under the 1933 Act or any other Securities
Laws. Notwithstanding
the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, the Securities may be pledged in
connection with a bona fide margin account or other loan or financing
arrangement secured by the Securities.
g. Legends.
Such
Buyer understands that, except as set fort below, the certificates or other
instruments representing the Notes shall bear a restrictive legend in the
following form (the “1933
Act Legend”):
THE
SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE
SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED
(I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE
SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE
SECURITIES LAWS OR (B) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL, IN A GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE
FORM, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SAID ACT OR APPLICABLE STATE
SECURITIES LAWS OR (II) UNLESS SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 UNDER SAID
ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION
WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED
BY THE SECURITIES.
The
legend set forth above shall be removed and the Company shall issue a
certificate without such legend to the holder of the Securities, if
(i) such Securities are registered for resale under the 1933 Act,
(ii) in connection with a sale transaction, such holder provides the
Company with an opinion of counsel, in a generally acceptable form, to the
effect that a public sale, assignment or transfer of the Securities may be
made
without registration under the 1933 Act, (iii) such holder provides the
Company with reasonable assurances that the Securities can be sold pursuant
to
Rule 144(k) promulgated under the 1933 Act (or a successor rule thereto),
or (iv) such holder provides the Company reasonable assurances that the
Securities have been or are being sold pursuant to Rule 144.
7
h. Authorization;
Enforcement; Validity.
Such
Buyer is a validly existing corporation, partnership, limited liability company
or other entity and has the requisite corporate, partnership, limited liability
or other organizational power and authority to purchase the Securities pursuant
to this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed
and delivered on behalf of such Buyer and is the valid and binding agreement
of
such Buyer enforceable against such Buyer in accordance with its terms. The
Pledge and Security Agreement and each of the other agreements entered into
by
such Buyer in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby as of the
Closing will have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered
on
behalf of such Buyer as of the Closing and will be valid and binding agreements
of such Buyer, enforceable against such Buyer in accordance with their
respective terms.
i. Residency.
Such
Buyer is a resident of that jurisdiction specified below its address on the
Schedule
of Buyers.
j. No
Other Agreements.
As of
the Closing Date, such Buyer has not, directly or indirectly, made any
agreements with the Company relating to the terms or conditions of the
transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents except as set forth
in
the Transaction Documents.
3. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.
The
Company represents and warrants, as of the date of this Agreement and on the
Closing Date, to each Buyer, that:
a. Organization
and Qualification; Subsidiaries.
The
Company was formed on March 2, 2000. Set forth in Schedule
3(a)
is a
true and correct list of the Company’s Subsidiaries and the jurisdiction in
which each is organized or incorporated, together with their respective
jurisdictions of organization. Other than with respect to the entities listed
on
Schedule
3(a),
the
Company does not directly or indirectly own any security or beneficial ownership
interest, in any other Person (including through joint venture or partnership
agreements) or have any interest in any other Person. Each of the Company and
its Subsidiaries is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or
other entity and is duly organized or formed and validly existing in good
standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated or
organized and has the requisite corporate, partnership, limited liability
company or other organizational power and authority to own its properties and
to
carry on its business as now being conducted and as proposed to be conducted
by
the Company and its Subsidiaries. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries
is
duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction
in
which its ownership of property or the nature of the business conducted or
presently proposed to be conducted by the Company and its Subsidiaries will
make
such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to be so
qualified or be in good standing could not have and could not be, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Except as set forth in Schedule
3(a),
the
Company holds all right, title and interest in and to 100% of the capital stock,
equity or similar interests of each of its Subsidiaries, in each case, free
and
clear of any Liens,
and no
such Subsidiary owns
capital stock or holds an equity or similar interest in any other Person. Each
of the Excluded Subsidiaries as of the date hereof as identified as such in
Schedule
3(a),
and
each Subsidiary so identified meets all of the requirements of an Excluded
Subsidiary as set forth in the definition thereof included in Appendix
A.
8
b. Authorization;
Enforcement; Validity.
Each of
the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has the requisite corporate or other
organizational power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations
under this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents to which such
Person is a party and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms
hereof and thereof. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents
by
the Company and each of its Subsidiaries that is a party thereto and the
consummation by the Company and each of its Subsidiaries that is a party thereto
of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the issuance
of
the Notes and the Guarantees, have been duly authorized by the respective boards
of directors, members, managers, trustees, stockholders, other equityholders
or
holders of beneficial interests, as applicable, of the Company and such
Subsidiaries and no further consent or authorization is required by the Company,
any such Subsidiaries or any of their respective boards of directors, members,
managers, trustees, stockholders, other equityholders or holders of beneficial
interests, as applicable. This Agreement and the other Transaction Documents
dated of even date herewith have been duly executed and delivered by the Company
and each of its Subsidiaries that is a party thereto, and constitute the valid
and binding obligations of the Company and each of such Subsidiaries,
enforceable against the Company and each of such Subsidiaries in accordance
with
their respective terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
fraudulent conveyance or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and
general principles of equity. As of the Closing, the Transaction Documents
dated
after the date of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date shall
have
been duly executed and delivered by the Company and each of its Subsidiaries
that is a party thereto and shall constitute the valid and binding obligations
of the Company and each of such Subsidiaries, enforceable against the Company
and each of such Subsidiaries in accordance with their respective terms, except
as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance or similar
laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity.
c. Capitalization.
The
authorized Capital Stock of the Company consists of:
(i) 25,000,000
shares of Preferred Stock, of which:
(A) 4,500,000
shares have been designated as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the
“Series
A Convertible Preferred”),
no
shares of which are issued and outstanding; and
(B) 12,000,000
shares have been designated as Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the
“Series
B Convertible Preferred”),
8,237,264 shares of which are issued and outstanding; and
9
(ii) 200,000,000
shares of Common Stock, of which:
(A) 25,999,793
shares are issued and outstanding;
(B) 9,500,000
shares are reserved
for
issuance pursuant to the Company’s stock option, restricted stock and employee
stock purchase plans described on Schedule
3(c)(ii)(B)
(the
“Equity
Plans”),
including 5,687,192 shares
issuable pursuant to outstanding awards under the Equity Plans; and
(C) 6,555,292
shares are reserved for issuance pursuant to the Company’s outstanding warrants
described on Schedule
3(c)(ii)(C)
(the
“Warrants”).
No
shares
of Common Stock or Preferred Stock are reserved for issuance under any plan,
agreement or arrangement, other than shares of Common Stock reserved for
issuance with respect to the Series A Convertible Preferred, the Series B
Convertible Preferred, the Warrants and under the Equity Plans; and except
as
described in the foregoing provisions of this Section 3(c),
there
are no shares of Capital Stock, Options, Convertible Securities or other equity
securities of the Company authorized, issued or outstanding. All of the
outstanding and issuable shares of Capital Stock have been, or upon issuance
will be, validly issued and are, or upon issuance will be, fully paid and
nonassessable.
Except
as
set forth on Schedule
3(c):
(1) no
shares
of the Capital Stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries are subject
to
preemptive rights or any other similar rights or any Liens suffered or permitted
by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;
(2) there
are
no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or
commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights
convertible into or exercisable for, any shares of Capital Stock of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, or contracts, commitments, understandings or
arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become
bound to issue additional shares of Capital Stock of the Company or any of
its
Subsidiaries or options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or
commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights
convertible into or exercisable for, any shares of Capital Stock of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries;
(3) except
as
otherwise provided in any registration rights agreement described in
Schedule 3(c),
there
are no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of its securities under
the 1933 Act;
10
(4) other
than the Notes, there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries that contain any redemption or similar
provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or
arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound to redeem
a security of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and there are no other
stockholder agreements or similar agreements to which the Company or any of
its
Subsidiaries is a party;
(5) there
are
no securities or instruments containing anti-dilution or similar provisions
that
will or may be triggered by the issuance of the Securities; and
(6) the
Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or
agreements or any similar plan or agreement.
The
Company has furnished
to each
Buyer true and correct copies of:
(A) the
Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and in effect (the
“Certificate
of Incorporation”);
(B) the
Company’s Bylaws, as amended and in effect (the “Bylaws”);
(C) the
organizational documents of each of the Company’s Subsidiaries, as amended and
in effect; and
(D) except
for award agreements pursuant to, and not materially different from the forms
provided under, the Equity Plans, all documents and instruments containing
the
terms of all securities, if any, that, directly or indirectly, are convertible
into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, Common Stock, and the material rights
of the holders thereof in respect thereto.
d. Issuance
of Securities.
The
Notes are duly authorized and, upon issuance in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement, shall be free from all taxes and Liens with respect to the
issuance thereof (other than Liens created or imposed upon by the Buyers) and
entitled to the rights set forth therein; provided,
however,
that
the Securities are subject to restrictions on transfer under the Securities
Laws, assuming the accuracy of each of the representations and warranties set
forth in Sections 2(a)
through
and including 2(g),
the
issuance by the Company of the Securities is exempt from registration under
the
1933 Act and any other applicable Securities Laws.
e. No
Conflicts.
The
execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents
by
the Company and each of its Subsidiaries that is a party thereto, the
performance by the Company and each of such Subsidiaries of its obligations
hereunder and thereunder and the consummation by the Company and each of such
Subsidiaries of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will
not:
(i) result
in
a violation of the certificate or articles of incorporation, certificate or
articles of organization, bylaws, operating agreement, partnership agreement
or
any other governing documents, as applicable, of any such Person;
11
(ii) conflict
with, or constitute a breach or default (or an event which, with the giving
of
notice or passage of time or both, constitutes or would constitute a breach
or
default) under, or give to others any right of termination, amendment,
acceleration or cancellation of, or other remedy with respect to, any agreement,
indenture or instrument to which any such Person is a party; or
(iii) result
in
a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including
Securities Laws and the rules and regulations, if any, of the Principal Market)
applicable to any such Person or by which any property or asset of any such
Person is bound or affected.
Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of its
certificate or articles of incorporation, certificate or articles of
organization, bylaws, operating agreement, partnership agreement or any other
governing document, as applicable. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is or has been in violation of any term of or in default under
(or
with the giving of notice or passage of time or both would be in violation
of or
default under) any contract, agreement, mortgage, indebtedness, indenture,
instrument, judgment, decree or order or any Law applicable to the Company
or
its Subsidiaries, except where such violation or default could not, individually
or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect
or
to result in the acceleration of any Indebtedness or other obligation. The
business of the Company and its Subsidiaries has not been and is not being
conducted, in violation of any Law of any Governmental Entity except as could
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect. Except for the filing of instruments to perfect security
interests and as set forth in Schedule
3(e),
neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is, has been, or will be required to
obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or
registration with, any court or Governmental Entity in order for it to execute,
deliver or perform any of its obligations under or contemplated by the
Transaction Documents in accordance with the terms hereof or thereof. Except
for
the filing of Form D with the SEC, all consents, authorizations, orders,
filings and registrations that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or
has
been required to obtain as described in the preceding sentence have been
obtained or effected on or prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to
the
date of the effectiveness of such requirement.
f. SEC
Documents; Financial Statements.
(i) Since
June 30, 2005, the Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements
and other documents required to be filed by it with the SEC pursuant to the
reporting requirements of the 1934 Act (all of the foregoing filed prior to
the
date this representation is made (including all exhibits included therein and
financial statements and schedules thereto and documents incorporated by
reference therein) being referred to herein as the “SEC
Documents”
and
the
Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2007, as included in the
Company’s annual report on Form 10-KSB, for the period then ended, as filed with
the SEC on September 28, 2007, being referred to herein as the “Most
Recent Balance Sheet”).
A
complete and accurate list of the SEC Documents is set forth on Schedule
3(f)(i).
Each of
the SEC Documents was filed with the SEC via the SEC’s XXXXX system within the
time frames prescribed by the SEC for the filing of such SEC Documents. As
of
their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material respects
with
the Securities Laws. None of the SEC Documents, at the time they were filed
with
the SEC, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state
a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading. Except as set forth on Schedule
3(f)(i),
since
the filing of each of the SEC Documents, no event has occurred that would
require an amendment or supplement to any such SEC Document and as to which
such
an amendment or supplement has not been filed and made publicly available on
the
SEC’s XXXXX system no less than five Business Days prior to the date this
representation is made. Except as set forth on Schedule
3(f)(i),
the
Company has not received any written comments from the SEC staff that have
not
been resolved to the satisfaction of the SEC staff.
12
(ii) As
of
their respective filing dates, the consolidated financial statements of the
Company and its Subsidiaries included in the SEC Documents complied as to form
in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the
Securities Laws with respect thereto. Such consolidated financial statements
have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles,
consistently applied, during the periods involved (except (i) as may be
otherwise indicated in such financial statements or the notes thereto, or (ii)
in the case of unaudited interim statements, to the extent they may exclude
footnotes) and fairly present in all material respects the financial position
of
the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and the results of
their operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the
case
of unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments that are not
material individually or in the aggregate).
(iii) Since
June 30, 2007, none of the Company, its Subsidiaries and their respective
officers, directors and Affiliates has made any filing with the SEC, issued
any
press release or made, distributed, paid for or approved (or engaged any other
Person to make or distribute) any other public statement, report, advertisement
or communication on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or
otherwise relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that contains
any
untrue statement of a material fact or omits any statement of material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they are or were made, not misleading or has provided
any other information to any Buyer, including information referred to in
Section
2(d),
that,
considered in the aggregate, contains any untrue statement of a material fact
or
omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are or were made,
not misleading. Except as set forth in Schedule
3(f)(iii),
none of
the Company, its Subsidiaries and their respective officers, directors,
employees or agents has provided any Buyer with any material, nonpublic
information.
(iv) Except
as
set forth in Schedule
3(f)(iv),
the
Company is not required to file and will not be required to file any agreement,
note, lease, mortgage, deed or other instrument entered into prior to the date
this representation is made and in effect on the date this representation is
made and to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the
Company or any Subsidiary is bound that has not been previously filed as an
exhibit (including by way of incorporation by reference) to its reports filed
or
made with the SEC under the 1934 Act.
13
(v) The
accounting firm that has expressed its opinion with respect to the consolidated
financial statements included in the Company’s most recently filed annual report
on Form 10-KSB (the “Audit
Opinion”)
is
independent of the Company pursuant to the standards set forth in Rule 2-01
of
Regulation S-X promulgated by the SEC and such firm was otherwise qualified
to
render the Audit Opinion under applicable Securities Laws. Each accounting
firm
that since such filing has conducted or will conduct a review or audit of any
of
the Company’s consolidated financial statements is independent of the Company
pursuant to the standards set forth in Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated
by the SEC and is otherwise qualified to conduct such review or audit and render
an audit opinion under applicable Securities Laws.
(vi) There
is
no transaction, arrangement or other relationship between the Company and an
unconsolidated or other off-balance-sheet entity that is required to be
disclosed by the Company in its reports pursuant to the 1934 Act that has not
been so disclosed in the SEC Documents at least five Business Days prior to
the
date of this Agreement.
(vii) Except
as
described in Schedule
3(f)(vii),
since
June 30, 2005, there have been no internal or SEC inquiries or investigations
(formal or informal) regarding accounting or revenue recognition discussed
with,
reviewed by or initiated at the direction of any executive officer, board of
directors or any committee thereof of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(viii) The
Company is not a “shell company” (as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the 1934
Act).
(ix) Schedule
3(f)(ix)
hereto
sets forth a pro forma consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its
Subsidiaries and the pro forma capitalization of the Company, in each case
as of
the Most Recent Balance Sheet, and giving effect to the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents
as if
they occurred on the Closing Date (collectively, the “Pro
Forma Financial Information”).
The
Pro Forma Financial Information (i) has been prepared based upon assumptions
that provide a reasonable basis for presenting the effects of such transactions,
and the pro forma adjustments shall give appropriate effect to such assumptions,
(ii) is based upon financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP,
(iii)
consistent with the books and records of the Company and its Subsidiaries (which
are true, accurate and complete), and (iv) fairly present such information
as of
the dates presented.
x. Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx
Compliance; Internal Accounting Controls; Disclosure Controls and Procedures;
Books and Records.
(i) The
Company and its Subsidiaries are in all material respects in compliance with
the
applicable provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the
rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx”).
14
(ii) Since
June 30, 2005, except as set forth on Schedule
3(g)(ii),
neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any director or officer or, to
the
Company’s Knowledge, employee, of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has
received or otherwise had or obtained Knowledge of any complaint, allegation,
assertion or claim, whether written or oral, regarding the accounting or
auditing practices, procedures, methodologies or methods of the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries or its internal accounting controls, including any
complaint, allegation, assertion or claim that the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries has engaged in questionable accounting or auditing practices.
(iii) No
attorney representing the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, whether or not
employed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, has reported evidence of
a
material violation of Securities Laws, breach of fiduciary duty or similar
violation by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective
officers, directors, employees or agents to their respective boards of directors
or any committee thereof or pursuant to Section 307 of Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx.
(iv) The
Company has, and has caused each of its Subsidiaries to, at all times keep
books, records and accounts with respect to all of such Person’s business
activities, in accordance with sound accounting practices and GAAP consistently
applied. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains a system of internal
accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A)
transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific
authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation
of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles and to maintain asset and liability accountability, (C) access to
assets or incurrence of liability is permitted only in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorization and (D) the recorded
accountability for assets and liabilities is compared with the existing assets
and liabilities at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with
respect to any differences.
(v)
The
Company has timely filed and made publicly available on the SEC’s XXXXX system
no less than five Business Days prior to the date of this representation, all
certifications and statements required by (A) Rule 13a-14 or
Rule 15d-14 under the 1934 Act and (B) Section 906 of Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx
with respect to any Company SEC Documents.
(vi) The
Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures required by
Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 under the 1934 Act; such disclosure
controls and procedures are, and at all times have been, effective to ensure
that the information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports
that
it files with or submits to the SEC (A) is recorded, processed, summarized
and reported accurately within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and
forms and (B) is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management,
including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer,
as
appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure.
(vii) The
Company maintains internal control over financial reporting as required under
the 1934 Act and has not been advised by its registered public accountants
of
any material weakness in the Company’s internal controls.
15
h. Absence
of Certain Changes.
Since
June 30, 2007, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any
steps, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries currently expects
to
take any steps to seek protection pursuant to any bankruptcy law nor does the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries have any Knowledge or reason to believe
that
the creditors of such Person intend to initiate involuntary bankruptcy
proceedings or any Knowledge of any fact that would reasonably lead a creditor
to do so. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is as of the date
this
representation is made, nor after giving effect to the transactions contemplated
hereby or by any of the other Transaction Documents will be, Insolvent. Except
as disclosed in Schedule 3(h),
since
June 30, 2007, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has declared
or
paid any dividends or sold any assets outside of the ordinary course of
business. Except as disclosed in Schedule
3(h),
since
June 30, 2007, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has had any
capital expenditures outside the ordinary course of its business.
i. Absence
of Litigation.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
3(i),
(i)
there has at no time been any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation
(“Litigation”)
before
or by any court, public board, Governmental Entity, self-regulatory organization
or body pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened against or affecting
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and (ii) to the Company’s Knowledge, no
director or officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has been involved
in securities-related Litigation during the past five years. No Litigation
disclosed on Schedule
3(i)
has, has
had or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate,
a
Material Adverse Effect.
j. Full
Disclosure; No Undisclosed Events, Liabilities, Developments or
Circumstances.
Since
June 30, 2007, there has been no Material Adverse Effect and no circumstances
exist that, in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to be, cause or
have
a Material Adverse Effect. Except (A) as and to the extent disclosed or reserved
against on the Most Recent Balance Sheet, (B) as incurred since the date thereof
in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (C) as
incurred at the Closing Date under the Notes and the other Transaction
Documents, or (D) as set forth on Schedule
3(j),
neither
the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries has any material liabilities or
obligations of any nature, whether fixed or unfixed, known or unknown, secured
or unsecured, absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise and whether due or
to
become due. No representation or warranty or other statement made by the Company
in this Agreement or any of the other Transaction Documents, the schedules
hereto or any certificate or instrument delivered pursuant to this Agreement
contains any untrue statement or omits to state a material fact necessary to
make any such statement, in light of the circumstances in which it was made,
not
misleading.
k. Acknowledgment
Regarding Buyers’ Purchase of Notes.
The
Company acknowledges and agrees that each Buyer is acting solely in the capacity
of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Company in connection with this
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Buyer is acting
as
a financial advisor or fiduciary of any party to this Agreement or any of the
other Transaction Documents (or in any similar capacity) with respect to this
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby, and any advice given by any Buyer or any of its
representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and
the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby is merely incidental to such
Buyer’s purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Buyer
that the decision of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries to enter into
the
Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation by
such Person and its representatives.
16
l. No
General Solicitation.
Neither
the Company nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on the behalf
of
any of the foregoing, has engaged or will engage in any form of general
solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D
under the 1933 Act), including advertisements, articles, notices, or other
communications published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or
broadcast over radio, television or internet or any seminar or meeting whose
attendees have been invited by general solicitation or general advertising,
in
connection with the offer or sale of the Securities.
m. No
Integrated Offering.
Neither
the Company nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on the behalf
of
any of the foregoing, has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales
of
any security or solicited any offers to purchase any security, under
circumstances that would require registration of any of the Securities under
the
1933 Act or cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior
offerings by the Company for purposes of the 1933 Act, nor will the Company
or
any of its Affiliates or any Person acting on behalf of any of the foregoing
take any action or steps that would require registration of the issuance of
any
of the Securities under the 1933 Act or cause the offering of the Securities
to
be integrated with other offerings for purposes of the 1933 Act.
n. [Reserved.]
o. Employee
Relations.
Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is involved in any labor union dispute
nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, is any such dispute threatened. None
of
the employees of either the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or has been
a
member of a union that relates, or following the Closing will relate, to such
employee’s relationship with the Company and neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is or following the Closing will be, a party to a collective
bargaining agreement. No executive officer (as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the
1934 Act), nor any other individual whose termination would be required to
be
disclosed on a Current Report on Form 8-K, has notified the Company that such
individual intends to leave the Company or otherwise terminate such individual’s
employment with the Company. Except as set forth on Schedule
3(o),
no such
individual is, has been, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material
term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary
information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or
agreement or any restrictive covenant, and the employment of each such
individual does not, has not and will not subject the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters.
The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries is, and has at all times been, in
compliance in all material respects with all Laws relating to employment and
employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours.
The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is, and has at all times been, in
compliance in all material respects with all Laws relating to employee benefits
and employee benefit plans (as such terms are defined in
ERISA).
17
p. Intellectual
Property
Rights.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
3(p),
the
Company and its Subsidiaries own, possess or can obtain on commercially
reasonable terms adequate rights or licenses to use all trademarks, trademark
applications and registrations, trade names, service marks, service xxxx
registrations, service names, patents, patent rights, patent applications,
copyrights (whether or not registered), inventions, licenses, approvals,
governmental authorizations, trade secrets and other intellectual property
rights (collectively, “Intellectual
Property”)
necessary to conduct their respective businesses as conducted as of the date
this representation is made. Except as set forth in Schedule
3(p),
(i)
none of the rights of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in its Intellectual
Property have expired or terminated, or are expected to expire or terminate
within five years from the date of this Agreement, except to the extent such
termination could not and could not reasonably be expected, individually or
in
the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) there has been no
infringement by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of the Company’s
or any of its Subsidiaries’ licensors or licensees of any Intellectual Property
rights of others, (iii) to the Knowledge of the Company, there has been no
infringement by any third parties of any Intellectual Property owned or licensed
by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or of any development of similar
or
identical trade secrets or technical information by others, (iv) there is no
claim, action or proceeding against or, to the Knowledge of the Company, being
threatened against, the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
respective licensors regarding their Intellectual Property or infringement
of
other Intellectual Property rights and there is no claim, action or proceeding
against or, to the Knowledge of the Company, being threatened against the
Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective licensors regarding
their Intellectual Property or infringement of other Intellectual Property
rights, (v) there are no facts or circumstances that could reasonably be
expected to give rise to any of the foregoing, (vi) to the Knowledge of the
Company, there is no patent or patent application which contains claims that
interfere with the issued or pending claims of any of the Intellectual Property
owned or licensed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and (vii) none
of
the technology employed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has been
obtained or is being used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in violation
of any material contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or is being used by any of the officers or directors of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any employees
of
the Company or of its Subsidiaries on behalf of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries in violation of the rights of any Person or Persons. The Company
and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the
secrecy, confidentiality and the value of all of their material Intellectual
Property.
q. Environmental
Laws.
Each of
the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) is, and has at all times been, in
compliance in all material respects with any and all, and has not violated
in
any material respect any, Environmental Laws (as defined below), (ii) has
no, and has never had any, liability for failure to comply with any
Environmental Law, (iii) has received all permits, licenses or other approvals
required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business
as
presently conducted, and (iv) is in compliance with all terms and
conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except, in each case, where
the failure to so comply reasonably would not be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
18
r. Insurance.
The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized
financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts
as
management of the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses
in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company
nor
any such Subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied
for, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any reason to believe
that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when
such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as
may
be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
s. Regulatory
Permits.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations,
approvals, licenses and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or
foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses
as conducted at the time this representation is made (“Permits”),
except where the failure to possess such Permits would not have, individually
or
in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any
of
its Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the
revocation or modification of any such Permit.
t. Principal
Market.
The
Company is not in violation of any of the rules, regulations or requirements
of
the NASDAQ Global Market (the “Principal
Market;”
provided
however,
that, if after the date of this Agreement the Common Stock is listed on another
national securities exchange, the “Principal
Market”
shall
mean such national securities exchange) and has no Knowledge of any facts or
circumstances which would reasonably lead to delisting or suspension, or
termination of the trading of, the Common Stock by the Principal Market in
the
foreseeable future. Since July 16, 2007, (i) the Company’s Common Stock has been
quoted on the Principal Market, (ii) trading in the Common Stock has not been
suspended by the SEC or the Principal Market and (iii) the Company has received
no communication, written or oral, from the SEC or the Principal Market
regarding the suspension or delisting, or termination of the trading, of the
Common Stock from the Principal Market.
u. Tax
Status.
The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) has made or filed all federal, state
and foreign income and all other tax returns, reports and declarations required
by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other
governmental assessments and charges shown or determined to be due on such
returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith
and for which the Company has made appropriate reserves on its books, and (iii)
has set aside on its books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of
all
taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports
or
declarations (referred to in clause (i) above) apply, provided
that
such taxes have, have had, or are expected in the future to have, a Material
Adverse Effect. There are no unpaid taxes claimed in writing to be due from
the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction,
and there is no basis for any such claim. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries is a “United States real property holding corporation”
(“USRPHC”)
as
that term is defined in Section 897(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended, and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
19
v. Transactions
With Related Parties.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
3(v),
no
Related Party of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor any Affiliate
thereof, is presently, has been within the past three years, or will be as
a
result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other
Transaction Documents, a party to any transaction, contract, agreement,
instrument, commitment, understanding or other arrangement or relationship
with
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, whether for the furnishing of services
to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or
otherwise requiring payments or consideration to or from any such Related Party.
No Related Party of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their
respective affiliates, has any direct or indirect ownership interest in any
Person (other than ownership of less than 2% of the outstanding common stock
of
a publicly traded corporation) in which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
has any direct or indirect ownership interest or with which the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries competes or has a business relationship.
w. [Reserved.]
x. Foreign
Corrupt Practices.
Neither
the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director or officer, or,
to
the Knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee or other person acting on
behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, in the course of its
actions for, or on behalf of, the Company, used any corporate funds for any
unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating
to political activity; made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any
foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds;
violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff,
influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic
government official or employee.
y. Outstanding
Indebtedness; Liens.
Payments of principal and other payments due under the Notes will, upon issuance
at the Closing, rank senior to all other Indebtedness of the Company or any
of
its Subsidiaries (in right of payment, whether with respect of payment of
redemptions, interest or damages or upon liquidation or dissolution or
otherwise) other than Indebtedness of the Excluded Subsidiaries pursuant to
Warehouse Documents. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any,
and upon consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other
Transaction Documents will not have any, outstanding Indebtedness other than
the
Indebtedness permitted under Section
5(g).
There
are no, and upon consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by
the
other Transaction Documents there will not be any, Liens on any of the assets
of
the Company and its Subsidiaries other than the Liens permitted under
Section
5(h).
There
are no, and upon consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by
the
other Transaction Documents there will not be any, financing statements securing
obligations of any amounts filed against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
or any of their respective assets, other than under the Pledge and Security
Agreement and the Warehouse Documents.
20
z. Real
Property.
Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns any real property. Schedule
3(z)
contains
a complete and correct list of all the real property, facilities and fixtures
that (i) are leased or, in the case of fixtures, otherwise owned or possessed
by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) in connection with which the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries has entered into an option agreement,
participation agreement or acquisition agreement or (iii) the Company or any
of
its Subsidiaries has agreed to lease or otherwise acquire or may be obligated
to
lease or otherwise acquire in connection with the conduct of its business
(collectively, including any of the foregoing acquired after the date of this
Agreement, the “Real
Property”),
which
list identifies all of the Real Property and specifies which of the Company
and
its Subsidiaries leases, owns or possesses each item of the Real Property.
Schedule
3(z)
also
contains a complete and correct list of all leases and other agreements with
respect to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or otherwise
bound or affected with respect to the Real Property, except easements, rights
of
way, access agreements, surface damage agreements, surface use agreements or
similar agreements that pertain to Real Property that is contained wholly within
the boundaries of any leased Real Property otherwise described on Schedule
3(z)
(the
“Real
Property Leases”).
All
of the Real Property Leases are valid and in full force and effect and are
enforceable against all parties thereto. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
conveyance or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general
principles of equity, is in default in any material respect under any of such
Real Property Leases and no event has occurred which with the giving of notice
or the passage of time or both could constitute a default under, or otherwise
give any party the right to terminate, any of such Real Property Leases, or
could adversely affect the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ interest in and
title to the Real Property subject to any of such Real Property Leases. No
Real
Property Lease is subject to termination, modification or acceleration as a
result of the transactions contemplated hereby.
aa. Tangible
Assets.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the
tangible assets that are material to their businesses (the “Assets”),
in
each case free and clear of any Lien, other than Permitted Liens. The Assets
include all tangible assets necessary for the conduct of the Company’s and its
Subsidiaries businesses as presently proposed to be conducted. The Assets that
are facilities, fixtures, equipment, and other personal property have been
maintained in accordance with normal industry practice, and are in good
operating condition and repair (subject to normal wear and tear), and are
suitable for the purposes for which they are now used. There are no existing
agreements, options, commitments or rights with, of or to any Person to acquire
any such Assets, or any interests therein.
bb. No
Materially Adverse Contracts, Etc.
The
Company is not subject to any charter, contract, agreement, instrument,
corporate or other legal restriction, or any judgment, decree, order, rule,
regulation or other Law that has, has had, or is expected in the future to
have,
a Material Adverse Effect.
cc. Investment
Company.
The
Company is not, and upon each Closing will not be, an “investment company,” a
company controlled by an “investment company,” or an “affiliated person” of, or
“promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company,” as such
terms are defined in the Investment Company Act.
21
dd. Stock
Options.
Except
as set forth in Schedule
3(dd),
every
Option issued by the Company (i) has (or, if no longer outstanding, had), with
respect to each share of Common Stock into which it is convertible or for which
it is exercisable or exchangeable, an exercise price equal to or greater than
the fair market value per share of Common Stock on the date of grant of such
Option, (ii) was issued in compliance with the terms of the plan under which
it
was issued and in compliance with applicable Laws, rules and regulations,
including the rules and regulations of the Principal Market, and (iii) has
been
accounted for in accordance with GAAP and otherwise been disclosed accurately
and completely and in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Laws,
including Rule 402 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC, and the Company
has
paid, or properly reserved for, all taxes payable with respect to each such
Option (including with respect to the issuance and exercise thereof), and has
not deducted any amounts from its taxable income that it is not entitled to
deduct with respect to any such stock option (including the issuance and
exercise thereof).
4. AFFIRMATIVE
COVENANTS.
a. Best
Efforts.
Each
party shall use its reasonable best efforts to timely satisfy each of the
conditions to be satisfied by it as provided in Sections
7
and
8
of this
Agreement.
b. Form D
and Blue Sky.
The
Company agrees to timely file a Form D with respect to the Securities as
required under Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof to each Buyer
promptly after such filing. The Company shall, on or before the Closing Date,
take such action as the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in
order
to obtain an exemption for, or to qualify the Securities for, sale to the Buyers
at the Closing to occur on the Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement under
applicable Securities Laws of the states of the United States, and shall provide
to each Buyer evidence of any such action so taken on or prior to the Closing
Date. The Company shall make all filings and reports relating to the offer
and
sale of the Securities required under applicable Securities Laws of the states
of the United States following the Closing Date.
c. Reporting
Status.
During
the period commencing on the date of this Agreement and ending on the date
on
which no Notes remain outstanding and the Pledge and Security Agreement has
been
terminated (the period ending on such latest date, the “Reporting
Period”),
the
Company shall timely file all reports required to be filed with the SEC pursuant
to the 1934 Act, and the Company shall not terminate its status as an issuer
required to file reports under the 1934 Act even if the Securities Laws
otherwise would permit such termination.
d. Use
of
Proceeds.
The
Company will use the proceeds from the sale of the Securities first, to pay
expenses and commissions related to the sale of the Securities, and second,
for
general working capital needs.
22
e. Financial
Information.
Unless
the following are filed with the SEC through XXXXX and are immediately available
to the public through the XXXXX system, the Company agrees to send the following
to each Buyer during the Reporting Period: (i) within one Business Day after
the
filing thereof with the SEC, a copy of each of its quarterly reports on Form
10-QSB or 10-Q and annual reports on Form 10-KSB or 10-K, as the case may be
(each, a “Periodic
Report”),
Current Reports on Form 8-K, registration statements (other than on Form S-8)
and amendments and supplements to each of the foregoing, (ii) unless immediately
available through Bloomberg, facsimile copies of all press releases issued
by
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, contemporaneously with the issuance
thereof, and (iii) copies of any notices and other information made available
or
given to the stockholders of the Company generally, contemporaneously with
the
making available or giving thereof to the stockholders. Within one Business
Day
after the date the Company files any Periodic Report during the Reporting
Period, the Company shall deliver to each Buyer and each holder of Notes a
compliance certificate, in form and substance satisfactory to such Buyer or
holder. Such compliance certificate shall not contain any material, non-public
information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
f. Internal
Accounting Controls.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall, and, shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries to:
(i) at
all
times keep books, records and accounts with respect to all of such Person’s
business activities, in accordance with sound accounting practices and GAAP
consistently applied;
(ii) maintain
a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable
assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s
general or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary
to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to
maintain asset and liability accountability, (C) access to assets or incurrence
of liability is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or
specific authorization and (D) the recorded accountability for assets and
liabilities is compared with the existing assets and liabilities at reasonable
intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences;
(iii) timely
file and make publicly available on the SEC’s XXXXX system, all certifications
and statements required by (A) Rule 13a-14 or Rule 15d-14 under the 1934 Act
and
(B) Section 906 of Sarbanes Oxley with respect to any Periodic Reports;
(iv) maintain
disclosure controls and procedures required by Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 under
the 1934 Act, and cause such disclosure controls and procedures to be effective
at all times to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the
Company in the reports that it files with or submits to the SEC (A) is recorded,
processed, summarized and reported accurately within the time periods specified
in the SEC’s rules and forms and (B) is accumulated and communicated to the
Company’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal
financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure; and
(v) maintain
internal control over financial reporting as required under the 1934 Act.
23
g. [Reserved.]
h. [Reserved.]
i. Expenses.
At the
Closing, the Company shall pay each Buyer (A) a transaction fee in an amount
equal to the product of (I) such Buyer’s Allocation Percentage, multiplied by
(II) $112,000, and (B) a reimbursement amount equal to the result of (X) all
of
such Buyer’s legal, due diligence and other expenses incurred in connection with
this Agreement and the transaction contemplated hereby, including fees and
expenses of attorneys, investigative and other consultants and travel costs
and
all other expenses relating to negotiating and preparing the Transaction
Documents and consummating the transactions contemplated thereby, minus
(Y) any
amount previously paid by the Company to such Buyer therefor. The aggregate
amount payable to each Buyer pursuant to the preceding sentence at the Closing
shall be withheld as an off-set by such Buyer from its Purchase Price to be
paid
by it at such Closing. In addition to reimbursement obligations of the Company
set forth in above in this Section
4(i),
and not
in limitation thereof, following the Closing, the Company shall promptly
reimburse each Buyer and each holder of Notes for all of the respective
out-of-pocket fees, costs and expenses incurred thereby in connection with
any
amendment, modification or waiver of any of the Transaction Documents, the
enforcement of such Person’s rights and remedies under any of the Transaction
Documents and/or any release, termination, amendment or modification of any
Lien
of such Buyer or holder or the Collateral Agent in any of the Pledged Collateral
or the Account Collateral.
j. Disclosure
of Transactions and Other Material Information.
(i) On
or
prior to 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the second Business Day following
the
Closing Date, the Company shall file a Form 8-K (the “Announcing
Form 8-K”)
with
the
SEC. The Announcing Form 8-K, (x) shall describe the terms of the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents, including the purchase of the Notes,
(y) shall include as exhibits to such Form 8-K this Agreement (but not the
schedules hereto), the
form
of Note and the form of Pledge and Security Agreement and the form of the
Guaranty, and (z) shall include any other information required to be disclosed
therein pursuant to any Securities Laws or other Laws. The Company represents
and warrants that none of the information contained in any of the schedules
hereto (except for information specifically regarding the transaction
contemplated hereby) constitutes material non-public information regarding
the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Unless required by Law, the Company shall
not make any public announcement regarding the transactions contemplated hereby
prior to the Closing. Subject to the agreements and covenants set forth in
this
Section
4(j),
the
Company shall not issue any press releases or any other public statements with
respect to the transactions contemplated hereby or disclosing the name of any
Buyer; provided,
however,
that
the Company shall be entitled, without the prior approval of any Buyer, to
make
any press release or other public disclosure with respect to such transactions
(A) in substantial conformity with the Announcing Form 8-K and contemporaneously
therewith and (B) as is required by applicable Law (provided;
however,
that
the Buyers shall be consulted by the Company in connection with any such press
release or other public disclosure prior to its release and shall be provided
with a copy thereof).
24
(ii) The
Company hereby represents, warrants, covenants and agrees that on and after
the
December 4, 2007, no Buyer shall be in possession of any material nonpublic
information received from the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their
respective Affiliates, officers, directors, employees or agents. Notwithstanding
any provision herein to the contrary, the Company shall not, and shall cause
each of its Subsidiaries and its and each of their respective Affiliates,
officers, directors, employees and agents not to, provide any Buyer with any
material nonpublic information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
from and after the filing of the Announcing Form 8-K with the SEC, without
the
express prior written consent of such Buyer. In the event that a Buyer believes
that the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective
Affiliates, officers, directors, employees or agents has breached the foregoing
covenant, the Buyer shall so notify the Company as provided in Section
10(f)
hereof.
If the Company has failed to either (i) cause Buyer to conclude that such
information does not constitute material nonpublic information or (ii) make
public disclosure of the claimed material nonpublic information provided to
such
Buyer by the end of the second full business day following receipt of the notice
provided for in the immediately preceding sentence, then, in addition to any
other remedy provided herein or in the Transaction Documents, such Buyer shall
have the right to make public disclosure in the form of a press release, public
advertisement or otherwise, of such material nonpublic information without
prior
approval by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective
Affiliates, officers, directors, employees or agents. No Buyer shall have any
liability to the Company, its Subsidiaries, or any of its or their respective
Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, stockholders or agents for any
such
disclosure. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in the event that
the Company believes that a notice or communication to any Buyer or Investor
(as
defined in Section
4(k))
contains material, nonpublic information relating to the Company or any of
its
Subsidiaries, the Company so shall indicate to the such Buyer or Investor
contemporaneously with delivery of such notice or communication, and such
indication shall provide such Buyer or Investor the means to refuse to receive
such notice or communication; and in the absence of any such indication, the
holders of the Securities shall be allowed to presume that all matters relating
to such notice or communication do not constitute material, nonpublic
information relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Upon receipt
or
delivery by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any notice in accordance
with the terms of the Transaction Documents, unless the Company has in good
faith determined that the matters relating to such notice do not constitute
material, nonpublic information relating to the Company or its Subsidiaries,
the
Company shall within one Business Day after any such receipt or delivery
Publicly Disclose such material, nonpublic information.
k. Pledge
of Securities.
The
Company acknowledges and agrees that the Securities of a Buyer may be pledged
by
such Buyer or its transferees (each, including each Buyer, an “Investor”)
in
connection with a bona fide margin agreement or other loan secured by the
Securities. The pledge of Securities shall not be deemed to be a transfer,
sale
or assignment of the Securities hereunder, and no Investor effecting any such
pledge of Securities shall be required to provide the Company with any notice
thereof or otherwise make any delivery to the Company pursuant to this Agreement
or any other Transaction Document, including Section
2(f)
of this
Agreement. The Company hereby agrees to execute and deliver such documentation
as a pledgee of the Securities may reasonably request in connection with a
pledge of the Securities to such pledgee by an Investor.
25
l. Notices.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries
to notify the Collateral Agent in writing (A) at least 30 days in advance of
any
change in such Person’s legal name and (B) within 10 days of the change of the
use of any trade name, assumed name, fictitious name or division name not
previously disclosed to the Collateral Agent in writing. All of the foregoing
notices also shall be provided by the Company or the applicable Subsidiary
to
each Buyer in writing.
m. Compliance
with Laws and Maintenance of Permits.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, maintain all governmental consents, franchises, certificates,
licenses, authorizations, approvals and permits, the lack of which would
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and the Company and
each of its Subsidiaries shall remain in compliance with all Laws (including
Environmental Laws and Laws relating to student loans, taxes, employer and
employee contributions and similar items, securities, ERISA or employee health
and safety) the failure with which to comply would have a Material Adverse
Effect on such Person.
n. Inspection
and Audits.
During
the Reporting Period and subject to each Buyer’s execution of a confidentiality
agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company with respect to the information
provided pursuant to Sections
4(n)(i)
and
4(n)(ii)
hereto,
which execution shall constitute a waiver, with respect to any material
non-public information regarding the Company and the Subsidiaries provided
to
such Buyer directly in response to such Buyer’s request hereunder, of the
restriction herein on the Company’s disclosure to such Buyer of material
nonpublic information:
(i) The
Company shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit each Buyer
(and each Buyer’s designees), at such Buyer’s own expense, to call at the
Company’s and each of its Subsidiaries’ places of business at any reasonable
times, and, upon reasonable advance notice, to inspect, examine and audit the
Pledged Collateral and the Account Collateral and to inspect, audit, check
and
make extracts from such Person’s books, records, journals, orders, receipts and
any correspondence and other data relating to the Pledged Collateral or the
Account Collateral or any transactions between the parties hereto, and each
Buyer (and each Buyer’s designees) shall have the right to make such
verification concerning the Pledged Collateral or the Account Collateral as
such
Buyer may consider reasonable under the circumstances; and
(ii) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary herein, upon written request to the Company by any
Buyer, the Company shall promptly provide such Buyer with any financial,
operating or other type of information requested by such Buyer to the extent
that is reasonably available or can be developed without significant effort
or
expense to the Company.
26
o. Collateral.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, maintain and preserve the Pledged Collateral and the Account
Collateral and the value thereof.
p. Insurance.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries to maintain, at its expense, such public liability and third party
property damage insurance with companies that regularly insure Persons engaged
in businesses similar to that of the Company or the applicable Subsidiary and
in
coverage and amount consistent with Persons of established reputation engaged
in
similar business. Original (or certified) copies of such policies have been
delivered to each Buyer, together with evidence of payment of all premiums
therefor.
q. Taxes.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries
to file all required tax returns and pay all of its taxes when due, subject
to
any extensions granted by the applicable taxing authority, including taxes
imposed by federal, state or municipal agencies, and shall cause any Liens
for
taxes to be promptly released; provided,
however,
that
the Company and its Subsidiaries shall have the right to contest the payment
of
such taxes in good faith by appropriate proceedings so long as (i) the
amount so contested is shown on such Person’s financial statements;
(ii) the contesting of any such payment does not give rise to a Lien for
taxes.
r. Intellectual
Property.
From
the date of this Agreement until the first date following the Closing Date
on
which the Notes are no longer outstanding and the Pledge and Security Agreement
has terminated, the Company shall and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries
to
maintain adequate Intellectual Property to continue its business as presently
proposed to be conducted by it or as hereafter conducted by it, unless the
failure to maintain any of the foregoing would not reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect.
s. Patriot
Act, Investor Secrecy Act and Office of Foreign Assets Control.
As
required by federal law and such Buyer’s policies and practices, each Buyer may
need to obtain, verify and record certain customer identification information
and documentation in connection with opening or maintaining accounts, or
establishing or continuing to provide services, and, during the Reporting
Period, the Company agrees to, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to,
provide such information.
27
t. Security
Covenants.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, at its own cost and expense, cause to be promptly and duly
taken, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further acts, documents
and
assurances as may from time to time be necessary or as a Buyer or the Collateral
Agent may from time to time reasonably request in order to carry out the intent
and purposes of this Agreement, the Security Documents and the other Transaction
Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including all
such actions to establish, create, preserve, protect and perfect a first
priority Lien in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of such Buyer
in
the Pledged Collateral and the Account Collateral. During the Reporting Period,
the Company shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, refrain from
engaging to any substantial extent in any business other than offering financing
products to current, prior, or prospective students for the financing or
refinancing of higher education expenditures and providing online college
application services, together with other ancillary products and services that
are related thereto or in furtherance thereof (the
“Student
Loan Business”).
u. Dividends
or Cash Distributions by Excluded Subsidiaries.
During
the Reporting Period, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the
Warehouse Documents, the Company shall cause each of the Excluded Subsidiaries
to promptly distribute any cash and cash equivalents held thereby, as a dividend
or other cash distribution, to the Company or a Subsidiary that is not an
Excluded Subsidiary and to which such an Excluded Subsidiary would be permitted
to pay dividends and make cash distributions pursuant to Section
5(d).
v. Public
Disclosure of Change of Control or Organic Change.
During
the Reporting Period, in the event of a Change of Control or Organic Change,
the
Company shall no later than the Business Day that is 20 Business Days prior
to
the consummation of a Change of Control or an Organic Change, Publicly Disclose
the principal terms of the agreement or agreements giving rise to such Change
of
Control or Organic Change, including the expected date on which the transaction
shall be consummated (the first public announcement thereof, the “Change
of Control Announcement”).
28
w. Right
to Participate in Future Financing.
Subject
to the exceptions described below, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries
agrees that during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the
first date following the Closing on which no Note remains outstanding, neither
the Company nor its Subsidiaries will (x) contract with any party for any debt
or equity financing (including any debt financing with an equity component),
or
(y) issue any debt or equity securities of the Company or any such Subsidiary
or
securities convertible, exchangeable or exercisable into or for debt
or equity
securities of the Company or any such Subsidiary (including debt securities
with
an equity component) (each, a “Future
Offering”),
unless, after it has received an offer regarding a Future Offering that it
has a
bona fide intention to accept, it shall have first delivered to each Buyer
(or
the designee appointed by such Buyer) written notice (the “Future
Offering Notice”)
describing the Future Offering in reasonable detail and providing each Buyer
an
option (the “Buyer
Purchase Option”)
to
purchase up to 25% of such Buyer’s Allocation Percentage (such 25% of such
Buyer’s Allocation Percentage being referred to herein as such Buyer’s
“Participation
Percentage”)
of the
total amount of securities to be issued in such Future Offering (the limitations
referred to in this and the preceding sentence are collectively referred to
as
the “Capital
Raising Limitations”).
No
Future Offering Notice shall contain any material non-public information
regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Upon the written request
of
any Buyer made within five Business Days after its receipt of a Future Offering
Notice (an “Additional
Information Request”),
the
Company shall provide the Buyers with such additional information regarding
the
proposed Future Offering, including terms and conditions and use of proceeds
thereof, as any Buyer shall reasonably request. A Buyer may exercise its Buyer
Purchase Option by delivering written notice to the Company within five Business
Days after the later of (i) such Buyer’s receipt of a Future Offering Notice or
(ii) such Buyer’s receipt of all of the information reasonably requested by the
Buyer in an Additional Information Request (the “Buyer
Purchase Notice Date”),
which
notice shall state the quantity or percentage of securities being offered in
the
Future Offering that such Buyer will purchase, up to 25% of its Participation
Percentage, and that quantity or percentage of securities (if any) it is willing
to purchase in excess of its Allocation Percentage (such Buyer’s “Over-allotment
Amount”).
In
the event that one or more Buyers fail to elect to purchase up to each such
Buyer’s Aggregate Percentage, then each of the Buyers that have indicated a
willingness to purchase a Buyer Over-allotment Amount shall be entitled to
purchase an amount of the securities subject to the Buyer Purchase Option that
such Buyer or Buyers have failed to elect to purchase (the “Unpurchased
Securities”)
equal
to the lesser of (x) the Buyer Over-allotment Amount of such Buyer, and (y)
the
product of (I) such Buyer’s Allocation Percentage, and (II) the aggregate amount
of such Unpurchased Securities subject to the Buyer Purchase Option. The Company
shall have 90 days following the Buyer Purchase Notice Date to sell the
securities of the Future Offering (other than the securities to be purchased
by
the Buyers pursuant to this Section
4(w)),
upon
terms and conditions no more favorable to the purchasers thereof than specified
in the Future Offering Notice. The exercise of the Buyer Purchase Option shall
be contingent upon, and contemporaneous with, the consummation of such Future
Offering. In connection with such consummation, each Buyer that exercises the
Buyer Purchase Option shall deliver to the Company duly and properly executed
originals of any documents reasonably required by the Company to effectuate
such
Future Offering together with payment of the purchase price for the securities
being purchased by such Buyer in such Future Offering, and the Company shall
promptly issue to such Buyer the securities purchased thereby. In the event
the
Company has not sold such securities of the Future Offering within such 90-day
period, the Company shall not thereafter issue or sell such securities or any
other securities subject to this Section
4(w)
without
first offering such securities to the Buyers in the manner provided in this
Section
4(w).
No
Buyer shall be required to participate or exercise its right of participation
with respect to a particular Future Offering in order to exercise its right
of
participation with respect to later Future Offerings. The Capital Raising
Limitations shall not apply to (i) any transaction involving the Company’s
issuances of securities (A) as consideration in a merger or consolidation (the
primary purpose or material result of which is not to raise or obtain equity
capital or cash), (B) in connection with any strategic partnership or joint
venture (the primary purpose or material result of which is not to raise or
obtain equity capital or cash), or (C) as consideration for the acquisition
of a
business, product, license or other assets by the Company (the primary purpose
or material result of which is not to raise or obtain equity capital or cash),
(ii) the issuance of securities upon exercise or conversion of the Company’s
Options or Convertible Securities outstanding as of the date hereof and listed
on Schedule
3(c),
provided
that
such securities are not amended or modified on or after the date hereof and
provided,
further,
that
the conversion price, exchange price, exercise price or other purchase price
is
not reduced, adjusted or otherwise modified and the number of shares issued
or
issuable is not increased (whether by operation of law or in accordance with
the
relevant governing documents or otherwise) on or after the date hereof, (iii)
the grant of additional options, or the issuance of other securities, under
any
of the Company’s stock option, restricted stock or employee stock purchase plan
existing on the date of this Agreement and described on Schedule
3(c),
and
(iv) the incurrence of indebtedness by any of the Excluded Subsidiaries pursuant
to Warehouse Documents.
29
5. NEGATIVE
COVENANTS.
a. [Reserved.]
b. Status.
From
the date of this Agreement until the first date following the Closing Date
on
which no Notes are outstanding, the Company shall not become a USRPHC; and
upon
any Buyer’s request, the Company shall inform such Buyer whether any of the
Securities then held by Buyer constitute a U.S. real property interest pursuant
to Treasury Regulation Section 1.897-2(h) without regard to Treasury Regulation
Section 1.897-2(h)(3).
c. Stay,
Extension and Usury Laws.
The
Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it shall
not
at any time insist upon, plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the
benefit or advantage of, any stay, extension or usury law or other law that
would prohibit or forgive it from paying all or any portion of any principal
of,
or interest or premium on any of the Notes as contemplated herein or therein,
wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or which may affect
the
covenants under, or the performance of, any of the Transaction Documents; and
the Company (to the extent it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all
benefit or advantage of any such law, and covenants that it will not, by resort
to any such law, hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power granted
to
any Buyer herein or in any of the other Transaction Documents, but will suffer
and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law has been
enacted.
d. Restriction
on Purchases or Payments.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall not, and shall not permit any of it
Subsidiaries to (i) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on or make any
other
distributions (whether in cash, stock, equity securities or property) in respect
of any the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s Capital Stock, or establish or set any
record date with respect to any of the foregoing; provided,
however,
that
any Subsidiary may declare, set aside or pay dividends on or make any other
distributions (whether in cash, stock, equity securities or property) in respect
of any of its Capital Stock that is held solely by the Company or a wholly-owned
domestic Subsidiary, provided
that all
of the equity of such Subsidiary is directly or indirectly owned by the Company,
such Subsidiary is controlled by the Company, and such Subsidiary is a party
to
the Guaranty, or (ii) purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, directly or
indirectly, any shares of the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ Capital
Stock, except repurchases of unvested shares at cost in connection with the
termination of employment of an employee pursuant to options or agreements
in
effect on the date of this Agreement, or cashless (i.e., net issue) exercise
of
options by employees under existing options, in each case as set forth in this
Schedule
5(d).
e. Payment
and Lien Restrictions.
During
the Reporting Period, (i) the Company shall not, nor will it permit any of
its
Subsidiaries to enter into or assume any agreement prohibiting or otherwise
restricting the creation or assumption of any Lien upon its properties or
assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or requiring the grant of
any
security for an obligation, except to the extent any such agreement provides
for
Permitted Liens; and (ii) except as provided herein, the Company shall not
and
shall not cause or permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than the Excluded
Subsidiaries pursuant to Warehouse Document) to directly or indirectly create
or
otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual
encumbrance or consensual restriction of any kind on the ability of any such
Subsidiary to: (1) pay dividends or make any other distribution on any of such
Subsidiary’s Capital Stock owned by the Company or any other Subsidiary; (2) pay
any Indebtedness owed to the Company or any other Subsidiary; (3) make loans
or
advances to the Company or any other Subsidiary; or (4) transfer any of its
property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary.
30
f. Prepayments.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall not, nor will it permit any of its
Subsidiaries (other than the Excluded Subsidiaries pursuant to Warehouse
Documents) to, prepay any Indebtedness that is in parity with or subordinate
to
the Notes by structure or contract; provided,
however,
that
any Subsidiary may prepay any Indebtedness to the Company or a wholly-owned
domestic Subsidiary (other than the Excluded Subsidiaries) of the
Company.
g. Indebtedness.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall not, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries not to, create, incur, assume, extend the term of, become obligated
on or suffer to exist (directly or indirectly), any Indebtedness other than
under the Notes issued pursuant to this Agreement, except that the Company
and
its Subsidiaries may:
(i) incur
non-convertible Indebtedness for borrowed money, but only to the extent a
subordination agreement in favor of each Buyer substantially in the form of
Exhibit
F
(with
such changes thereto as are approved by the Buyers that purchased at least
two-thirds (2/3) of the aggregate original principal amount of the Notes on
the
Closing Date) hereto is executed and delivered to such Buyer with respect
thereto;
(ii) incur
non-recourse Indebtedness in respect of any residual interest in future
securitization trusts;
(iii) incur unsecured
intercompany Indebtedness amongst the Company and one or more of its
wholly-owned domestic Subsidiaries that is a party to, and in compliance with,
the Guaranty;
(iv) incur
Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries for taxes, assessments,
municipal or governmental charges not yet due;
(v) incur
obligations of the Company and its Subsidiaries for collection or deposit in
the
ordinary course of business;
(vi) incur
Indebtedness of the Excluded Subsidiaries evidenced by Warehouse Documents;
and
(vii) incur
or
assume Capital Lease Obligations, for the purpose of financing all or any part
of the costs of acquiring technology-related fixed assets, in an aggregate
principal amount at any time outstanding not greater than $2,000,000.
31
h. Liens.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall not, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries not to, grant or suffer to exist (voluntarily or involuntarily)
any
Lien, claim, security interest or other encumbrance whatsoever on any of its
assets, other than Permitted Liens.
i. Sale
of Collateral.
During
the Reporting Period, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries shall
sell, transfer, assign or dispose of any Pledged Collateral or any Account
Collateral, except pursuant to the Pledge and Security Agreement and the Account
Control Agreement.
j. Corporate
Existence.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall maintain its corporate existence and
shall not sell all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (including, for
the avoidance of any doubt, all or substantially all of the assets of the
Subsidiaries in the aggregate).
k. Related
Party
Transactions.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall not, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries not to, enter into, amend, modify or supplement any transaction,
contract, agreement, instrument, commitment, understanding or other arrangement
with any Related Party, except for customary employment arrangements and benefit
programs, on reasonable terms, that are not otherwise prohibited by this
Agreement.
l. Restriction
on Loans; Investments; Subsidiary Equity.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its
Subsidiaries to:
(i) Make
any
loans to, or investments in, any other Person, including through lending money,
deferring the purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts
receivable on terms of 90 days or less), purchasing any note, bond, debenture
or
similar instrument, entering into any letter of credit, guaranteeing (or taking
any action that has the effect of guaranteeing) any obligations of any other
Person, or acquiring any equity securities of, or other ownership interest
in,
or making any capital contribution to any other Person, except that (A) Excluded
Subsidiaries may purchase, finance, own, and service student loans and revolving
credit receivables targeted at students, and (B) the Company may invest in
another entity in an arms-length transaction in which (I) the Company believes
that it has received reasonably equivalent value, and (II) the Company is
acquiring an interest in such other entity (x) in exchange solely for
non-redeemable Capital Stock of the Company, (y) solely with proceeds from
the
sale by the Company of non-redeemable Capital Stock of the Company to
unaffiliated third parties, or (z) solely in connection with the marketing
of
the Student Loan Business, provided that the aggregate amount paid by the
Company pursuant to this clause (z) does not exceed $2,000,000 during the
Reporting Period.
(ii) Other
than the sale of an interest in a Subsidiary for cash in an arms-length
transaction in which the Company has determined that it has received reasonably
equivalent value (provided
that
after any and all such sales, the Company remains active in the Student Loan
Business), issue, transfer or pledge any capital stock or equity interest in
any
Subsidiary to any Person other than the Company.
32
m. Investment
Company.
From
the date of this Agreement until the first date following the Closing Date
on
which no Notes are outstanding, the Company shall not become an “investment
company,” a company controlled by an “investment company,” or an “affiliated
person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment
company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act.
n. [Reserved.]
o. [Reserved.]
p. No
Avoidance of Obligations.
During
the Reporting Period, the Company shall not, and shall cause each of its
Subsidiaries not to, enter into any agreement which would limit or restrict
the
Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ ability to perform under, or take any
other voluntary action to avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance
of any of the terms to be observed or performed by it under, this Agreement,
the
Notes and the other Transaction Documents.
q. Regulation
M.
Neither
the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of their respective Affiliates
will take any action prohibited by Regulation M under the 1934 Act in connection
with the offer, sale and delivery of the Securities contemplated
hereby.
r. No
Integrated Offering.
Neither
the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any of their respective
Affiliates, nor any Person acting on behalf of any of the foregoing shall,
directly or indirectly, make any offers or sales of any security or solicit
any
offer to purchase any security, under any circumstances that would require
registration of any of the Securities under the 1933 Act or cause the offering
of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for
purposes of the 1933 Act, the stockholder approval requirements of the Principal
Market, or any other regulatory or self-regulatory authority.
6. [RESERVED.]
7. CONDITIONS
TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY TO SELL.
The
obligation of the Company to issue and sell the Notes to each Buyer at the
Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Closing Date (unless
otherwise specifically provided in this Section
7),
of
each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the
Company’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Company at any time in its sole
discretion by providing each Buyer with prior written notice
thereof:
a. Such
Buyer and the Collateral Agent shall have executed each of the Transaction
Documents to which it is a party and delivered the same to the
Company.
b. Such
Buyer shall have delivered to the Company such Buyer’s Allocation Percentage of
the Purchase Price (less the amount withheld by such Buyer pursuant to
Section 4(i))
for the
Notes being purchased by such Buyer at the Closing by wire transfer of
immediately available funds pursuant to the wire instructions provided by the
Company.
33
c. The
representations and warranties of such Buyer herein shall be true and correct
as
of the date when made and as of the Closing Date as though made at that time
(except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date,
which shall be true and correct as of such date), and such Buyer shall have
performed, satisfied and complied with the covenants, agreements and conditions
required by the Transaction Documents to be performed, satisfied or complied
with by such Buyer at or prior to the Closing Date.
8. CONDITIONS
TO BUYERS’ OBLIGATIONS TO PURCHASE.
The
obligation of each Buyer to purchase the Notes from the Company at the Closing
is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Closing Date (unless otherwise
specifically provided in this Section
8),
of
each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for each
Buyer’s sole benefit and may be waived only by such Buyer at any time in its
sole discretion by providing the Company with prior written notice
thereof:
a. The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries shall have executed and delivered the
Transaction Documents to which such Person is a party to such Buyer. In
addition, the Company and its Subsidiaries shall have delivered fully executed
copies of the Direction Letter, the Assignment Agreement and the Blocked Account
Agreement to such Buyer.
b. The
representations and warranties of the Company herein and in all of the other
Transaction Documents shall be true and correct as of the date when made and
as
of the Closing Date as though made at that time (except for representations
and
warranties that speak as of a specific date, which shall be true and correct
as
of such date) and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied
with
the covenants, agreements and conditions required by the Transaction Documents
to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to the
Closing Date»
c. Such
Buyer shall have received a certificate, executed by the chief executive officer
of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, to the foregoing effect and as
to
such other matters as may be reasonably requested by such Buyer.
d. Such
Buyer shall have received the opinion of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP dated as of the
Closing Date, which opinion will address, among other things, laws of the States
of Delaware and New York applicable to the transactions contemplated hereby,
in
form, scope and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Buyer and applicable
to the security interest provided pursuant to the Pledge and Security Agreement,
in the form of Exhibit
G
hereto,
and otherwise in form, scope and substance reasonably satisfactory to such
Buyer.
e. The
Company shall have executed and delivered to such Buyer the Notes to be issued
to such Buyer at the Closing.
f. The
Board
of the Company shall have adopted, and not rescinded or otherwise amended or
modified, resolutions consistent with Section 3(b)
above
and in a form reasonably acceptable to such Buyer (the “Resolutions”).
34
g. The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate evidencing the
incorporation (or other organization) and good standing of the Company and
each
Subsidiary in such entity’s state or other jurisdiction of incorporation or
organization, issued by the Secretary of State (or other applicable authority)
of such state or jurisdiction of incorporation or organization as of a date
within 10 days of the Closing Date.
h. The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a secretary’s certificate, dated as
of the Closing Date, certifying as to (A) the Resolutions, (B) the
Certificate of Incorporation, certified as of a date within 10 days of such
Closing Date, by the Secretary of State of Delaware, (C) the Bylaws of the
Company, (D) the certificate or articles of incorporation or other
organizational documents of each of the Company’s Subsidiaries, each certified
as of a date within 10 days of such Closing Date, by the Secretary of State
of
the state of such entity’s jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, and
(E) the bylaws or other similar documents of each of the Company’s Subsidiaries,
each as in effect at the Closing.
i. The
Company shall have made all filings under all applicable Securities Laws
necessary to consummate the issuance of the Securities pursuant to this
Agreement in compliance with such laws.
j. The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer all waivers, consents, approvals
and
authorizations required from any Persons for the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby (including waivers of any preemptive rights
held by any Persons), and all such waivers, consents, approvals and
authorizations shall be in full force and effect.
k. The
Company shall have given, executed, delivered, filed and/or recorded any
financing statements, notices, instruments, documents, agreements and other
papers that may be necessary or desirable (in the reasonable judgment of such
Buyer) to create, preserve, perfect or validate the first priority, perfected
security interest in the Pledged Collateral and the Account Collateral granted
to such Buyer pursuant to the Pledge and Security Agreement and to enable such
Buyer to exercise and enforce its rights with respect to such security
interest.
l. The
Company shall not have made any public announcement regarding the transactions
contemplated by the Agreement prior to the Closing.
m. The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer such other documents relating to
the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement as such Buyer or its counsel may
reasonably request.
35
9. INDEMNIFICATION.
a. In
consideration of each Buyer’s execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
other Transaction Documents to be executed by such Buyer and acquiring the
Securities hereunder and thereunder and in addition to all of the Company’s and
its Subsidiaries’ other obligations under the Transaction Documents, the Company
shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless such Buyer and each other
holder of the Securities and all of their stockholders, partners, officers,
directors, members, managers, employees and direct or indirect investors and
any
of the foregoing Persons’ agents or other representatives (including those
retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement)
(collectively, the “Indemnitees”)
from
and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs,
penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and expenses in connection therewith
(irrespective of whether any such Indemnitees is a party to the action for
which
indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys’ fees
and disbursements (the “Indemnified
Liabilities”),
incurred by any Indemnitees as a result of, or arising out of, or relating
to
(i) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made
by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in any of the Transaction Documents
or
any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby,
(ii) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries contained in the Transaction Documents or any other
certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby,
(iii) any cause of action, suit or claim brought or made against such
Indemnitees and arising out of or resulting from the execution, delivery,
performance or enforcement of the Transaction Documents in accordance with
the
terms thereof or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated
hereby or thereby in accordance with the terms thereof (other than a cause
of
action, suit or claim brought or made against an Indemnitee by such Indemnitee’s
owners, investors or Affiliates), (iv) any other transaction financed or to
be financed in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, with the proceeds
of
the issuance of the Securities, or (v) the status of such Buyer or holder of
the
Securities as an investor in the Company. To the extent that the foregoing
undertaking by the Company may be unenforceable for any reason, the Company
shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each
of
the Indemnified Liabilities that is permissible under applicable law.
b. Promptly
after receipt by the Indemnitee under this Section
9
of
notice of the commencement of any action or proceeding (including by any
Governmental Entity) involving any Indemnified Liabilities, such Indemnitee
shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the Company under
this Section
9,
deliver
to the Company a written notice of the commencement thereof, and the Company
shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the Company so
desires, to assume control of the defense thereof with counsel mutually
satisfactory to the Company and the Indemnitee. In any such proceeding, any
Indemnitee may retain its own counsel, but, except as provided in the following
sentence, the fees and expenses of that counsel will be at the expense of that
Indemnitee, unless (i) the Company and the Indemnitee shall have mutually agreed
to the retention of that counsel, (ii) the Company does not assume the defense
of such proceeding in a timely manner, or (iii) in the reasonable opinion of
counsel retained by the Indemnitee, the representation by such counsel for
the
Indemnitee and the Company would be inappropriate due to actual or potential
differing interests between such Indemnitee and any other party represented
by
such counsel in such proceeding. The Company shall pay reasonable fees for
only
one separate legal counsel (plus any local counsel) for the Indemnitees, and
such legal counsel shall be selected by the holders holding at least two-thirds
(2/3) of interest of the Aggregate Notes Principal Balance (as defined in the
Notes). The Indemnitee shall cooperate with the Company in connection with
any
negotiation or defense of any such Indemnified Liabilities by the Company and
shall furnish to the Company all information reasonably available to the
Indemnitee which relates to such Indemnified Liabilities. The Company shall
keep
the Indemnitee fully apprised at all times as to the status of the defense
or
any settlement negotiations with respect thereto. The Company shall not be
liable for any settlement of any action, claim or proceeding effected without
its prior written consent; provided,
however,
that
the Company shall not unreasonably withhold, delay or condition its consent.
The
Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Indemnitee, consent
to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement or other compromise with
respect to any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which
indemnification or contribution may be or has been sought hereunder (whether
or
not the Indemnitee is an actual or potential party to such action or claim)
which does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the
claimant or plaintiff to such Indemnitee of a release from all liability in
respect to such claim or litigation and such settlement shall not include any
admission as to fault on the part of the Indemnitee. Following indemnification
as provided for hereunder, the Company shall be subrogated to all rights of
the
Indemnitee with respect to all third parties, firms or corporations relating
to
the matter for which indemnification has been made. The failure to deliver
written notice to the Company within a reasonable time of the commencement
of
any such action shall not relieve the Company of any liability to the Indemnitee
under this Section
9,
except
to the extent that the Company is prejudiced in its ability to defend such
action.
36
c. The
indemnification required by this Section
9
shall be
made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the
investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or Indemnified
Liabilities are incurred; provided,
however,
that,
to the extent the Company makes payments pursuant to this Section
9(c)
with
respect to a direct claim by the Indemnitee for breach of this Agreement or
any
of the other Transaction Documents (i.e., not related to any third party action
suit, proceeding or claim against, or otherwise involving, the Indemnitee),
but
reasonably believes (and notifies the Indemnitee at the time the Company makes
such payments of such belief) that the Indemnitee is not to entitled to
indemnification hereunder with respect to any of the actions, causes of action,
suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities, damages and/or
expenses to which such payments relate, the Indemnitee shall repay to the
Company the amount of such periodic payments made by the Company to the
Indemnitee pursuant to this Section
9(c)
in the
event (and only to the extent) that it is determined by a court of competent
jurisdiction, as set forth in a final non-appealable order, that the Indemnitee
both (i) is not entitled to indemnification hereunder with respect to any of
the
actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees,
liabilities, damages and/or expenses as to which such payments relate because
none of the foregoing is in fact an Indemnified Liability, and (ii) does not
otherwise have any rights or remedies vis-à-vis the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries with respect to any of such actions, causes of action, suits,
claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities, damages and/or expenses
(or
with respect to any breach, violation or other matter giving rise thereto);
provided, further, that in no event shall the Indemnitee be required to repay
to
the Company any amount in excess of the amount of the periodic repayments
actually received by the Indemnitee from the Company pursuant to this
Section
9(c)
with
respect to such actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs,
penalties, fees, liabilities, damages and/or expenses (i.e., without payment
to
the Company of any interest thereon, any costs of recovery thereof or any other
fees or expenses relating thereto).
d. The
indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to (i) any cause
of
action or similar right of the Indemnitee against the Company or others, and
(ii) any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to the
law.
37
10. GOVERNING
LAW; MISCELLANEOUS.
a. Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Jury Trial.
All
questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation
of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of New
York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision
or
rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction) that would
cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State
of
New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction
of
the state and federal courts sitting in the New York City, borough of Manhattan,
for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or
with
any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably
waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim
that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that
such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum or that
the
venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Each party hereby
irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being
served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof to
such
party at the address for such notices to it under this Agreement and agrees
that
such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice
thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right
to serve process in any manner permitted by law. The parties acknowledge that
each Buyer has an office in the State of New York and will have made the payment
of the Purchase Price from its bank account located in the State of New York.
EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT
TO
REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN
CONNECTION HEREWITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION
CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.
b. Counterparts.
This
Agreement and any amendments hereto may be executed and delivered in one or
more
counterparts, and by the different parties hereto in separate counterparts,
each
of which when executed 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 counterparts have been signed by each party hereto and delivered to the
other parties hereto, it being understood that all parties need not sign the
same counterpart. In the event that any signature to this Agreement or any
amendment hereto is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery
of
a “.pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding
obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is
executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf”
signature page were an original thereof. At the request of any party each other
party shall promptly re-execute an original form of this Agreement or any
amendment hereto and deliver the same to the other party. No party hereto shall
raise the use of a facsimile machine or e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data
file to deliver a signature to this Agreement or any amendment hereto or the
fact that such signature was transmitted or communicated through the use of
a
facsimile machine or e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file as a defense
to the formation or enforceability of a contract, and each party hereto forever
waives any such defense.
38
c. Headings.
The
headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form
part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
d. Severability.
If any
provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any
jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity
or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or
the
validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other
jurisdiction.
e. Entire
Agreement; Amendments.
This
Agreement supersedes all other prior oral or written agreements between each
Buyer, the Company, its Subsidiaries, their Affiliates and Persons acting on
their behalf with respect to the matters discussed herein, and this Agreement
and the other Transaction Documents contain the entire understanding of the
parties with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except
as
specifically set forth herein or therein, neither the Company nor any Buyer
makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to
such
matters. No provision of this Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented
other than by an instrument in writing signed by the Company and the Buyers
that
purchased at least two-thirds (2/3) of the aggregate original principal amount
of the Notes on the Closing Date, or if prior to the Closing, by the Buyers
listed on the Schedule
of Buyers
as being
obligated to purchase at least two-thirds (2/3) of the aggregate original
principal amount of the Notes. Any such amendment shall bind all holders of
the
Notes. No such amendment shall be effective to the extent that it applies to
less than all of the holders of the Notes then outstanding.
f. Notices.
Any
notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to
be
given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed
to
have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon
receipt, when sent by facsimile (provided
confirmation of transmission is mechanically or electronically generated and
kept on file by the sending party); or (iii) one Business Day after deposit
with
a nationally recognized overnight delivery service, in each case properly
addressed to the party to receive the same. The addresses and facsimile numbers
for such communications shall be:
If
to the
Company:
MRU
Holdings, Inc.
1114
Avenue of the Xxxxxxxx
00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
XX 00000
Attention:
General
Counsel
Facsimile:
(000)
000-0000
39
With
a
copy to:
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx LLP
000
Xxxx
Xxxxxx
00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxx,
XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxx
X.
Xxxx, Esq.
Facsimile: (000)
000-0000
If
to a
Buyer, to it at the address and facsimile number set forth on the Schedule
of Buyers,
with
copies to such Buyer’s representatives as set forth on the Schedule
of Buyers,
or, in
the case of a Buyer or any party named above, at such other address and/or
facsimile number and/or to the attention of such other person as the recipient
party has specified by written notice given to each other party five days prior
to the effectiveness of such change. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given
by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (B)
mechanically or electronically generated by the sender’s facsimile machine
containing the time, date, recipient facsimile number and an image of the first
page of such transmission or (C) provided by a nationally recognized
overnight delivery service shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service,
receipt by facsimile or deposit with a nationally recognized overnight delivery
service in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, respectively.
g. Successors
and Assigns.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and
their respective successors and assigns, including any purchasers of the
Securities. The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or
obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the holders of at
least two-thirds (2/3) of the Aggregate Notes Principal Balance. A Buyer may
assign some or all of its rights hereunder without the consent of the Company;
provided,
however,
that
any such assignment shall not release such Buyer from its obligations hereunder
unless such obligations are assumed by such assignee (as evidenced in writing)
and the Company has consented to such assignment and assumption, which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained in the Transaction Documents, a Buyer shall be entitled to pledge
the
Securities in connection with a bona fide margin account or other loan or
financing arrangement secured by the Securities.
h. No
Third Party Beneficiaries.
This
Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
permitted successors and assigns and, to the extent provided in Section
9
hereof,
each Indemnitee, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof
be
enforced by, any other Person.
i. Survival.
Unless
this Agreement is terminated under Section
10(k),
the
representations and warranties of each Buyer and the Company contained in
Sections 2
and
3,
the
agreements and covenants set forth in Sections 4,
5,
and
10,
and the
indemnification and contribution provisions set forth in Section
9,
shall
survive the Closing. Each Buyer shall be responsible only for its own
representations, warranties, agreements and covenants hereunder. The Company
acknowledges and agrees that the provisions of Section
13
of the
Notes shall survive the redemption, repayment or surrender of such
Note.
40
j. Further
Assurances.
Each
party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further
acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements,
certificates, instruments and documents, as the other party may reasonably
request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby.
k. Termination.
In the
event that the Closing shall not have occurred with respect to a Buyer on or
before the third Business Day following the date of this Agreement due to the
Company’s or such Buyer’s failure to satisfy the conditions set forth in
Sections
7
and
8
above
(and the nonbreaching party’s failure to waive such unsatisfied condition(s)),
the nonbreaching party shall have the option to terminate this Agreement with
respect to such breaching party at the close of business on such date without
liability of any party to any other party; provided,
however,
that if
this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section
10(k),
the
Company shall be obligated to pay such Buyer (so long as such Buyer is not
a
breaching party) its reimbursement amount as set forth in Section
4(i)
as if
such Buyer had purchased the Notes.
l. Placement
Agent.
The
Company represents and warrants that it has not engaged any placement agent,
broker, or financial advisor in connection with the sale of the Notes or any
other transactions contemplated hereby. The Company shall be responsible for
the
payment of any placement agent’s fees or broker’s commissions relating to or
arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company shall pay,
and
hold each Buyer harmless against, any liability, loss or expense (including
attorneys’ fees and out-of-pocket expenses) arising in connection with any claim
for any such payment.
m. No
Strict Construction.
The
language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by
the
parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction
will
be applied against any party.
n. Remedies.
Each
Buyer and each holder of the Securities shall have all rights and remedies
set
forth in the Transaction Documents and all rights and remedies that such Buyer
and holders have been granted at any time under any other agreement or contract
and all of the rights that such Buyer and holders have under any law. Any Person
having any rights under any provision of this Agreement shall be entitled to
enforce such rights specifically (without posting a bond or other security
or
proving actual damages), to recover damages by reason of any breach of any
provision of this Agreement and to exercise all other rights granted by law,
or
in equity.
o. Rescission
and
Withdrawal Right.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting
any
similar provisions of) the Transaction Documents, whenever any Buyer exercises
a
right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries does not timely perform its related obligations
within the periods therein provided, then such Buyer may rescind or withdraw,
in
its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any
relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to
its
future actions and rights.
41
p. Payment
Set Aside.
To the
extent that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries makes a payment or payments
to a Buyer pursuant to this Agreement, the Notes, the Guaranty or any other
Transaction Document or a Buyer enforces or exercises its rights hereunder
or
thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement
or
exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be
fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are
required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company or any
of
its Subsidiaries, by a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law
(including any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable
cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation
or
part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued
in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such
enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
q. Independent
Nature of Buyers.
The
obligations of each Buyer hereunder are several and not joint with the
obligations of any other Buyer, and no Buyer shall be responsible in any way
for
the performance of the obligations of any other Buyer hereunder. Each Buyer
shall be responsible only for its own representations, warranties, agreements
and covenants hereunder. The decision of each Buyer to purchase the Securities
pursuant to this Agreement has been made by such Buyer independently of any
other Buyer and independently of any information, materials, statements or
opinions as to the business, affairs, operations, assets, properties,
liabilities, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or
prospects of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which may have been made
or
given by any other Buyer or by any agent or employee of any other Buyer, and
no
Buyer or any of its agents or employees shall have any liability to any other
Buyer (or any other Person or entity) relating to or arising from any such
information, materials, statements or opinions. Nothing contained herein, and
no
action taken by any Buyer pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to
constitute the Buyers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or
any
other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Buyers are in any way
acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the
transactions contemplated hereby. Each Buyer shall be entitled to independently
protect and enforce its rights, including the rights arising out of this
Agreement, the Notes and the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not
be
necessary for any other Buyer to be joined as an additional party in any
proceeding for such purpose.
r. Interpretative
Matters.
Unless
the context otherwise requires, (i) all references to Sections, Schedules,
Appendices or Exhibits are to Sections, Schedules, Appendices or Exhibits
contained in or attached to this Agreement, (b) each accounting term not
otherwise defined in this Agreement has the meaning assigned to it in accordance
with GAAP, (c) words in the singular or plural include the singular and
plural and pronouns stated in either the masculine, the feminine or neuter
gender shall include the masculine, feminine and neuter, (d) the words “hereof,”
“herein” and words of similar effect shall reference this Agreement in its
entirety, and (e) the use of the word “including” in this Agreement shall
be by way of example rather than limitation.
*
* * * * *
42
SIGNATURE
PAGES TO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
Buyers
and the Company have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly
executed as of the date first written above.
COMPANY:
|
|
MRU
HOLDINGS, INC.
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxx
|
Name:
|
Xxxxxx Xxxx |
Title:
|
Chief Financial Officer |
43
THE
LONGVIEW FUND, L.P.,
|
|
a
California limited partnership
|
|
By:
Viking Asset Management, LLC
|
|
Its:
Investment Advisor
|
|
By:
|
/s/
S. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
Name:
|
S.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
Title:
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
LONGVIEW
MARQUIS MASTER FUND, L.P.,
|
|
a
British Virgin Islands limited partnership
|
|
By:
Viking Asset Management, LLC
|
|
Its:
Investment Advisor
|
|
By:
|
/s/
S. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
S.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title:
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
44
SCHEDULE
OF BUYERS
Buyer’s
Name
and legal status |
|
Buyer
Address
and
Facsimile Number
|
|
Principal
Amount of Notes |
|
Investor’s Representative’s
Address
and
Facsimile
Number (to receive copies of notices) |
|
Purchase Price
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
The
Longview Fund, L.P., a California limited partnership
|
|
|
c/o
Viking Asset Management, LLC
000
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attn:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
|
$
|
1,700,000
|
|
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP
000
X. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Xxxx X. Xxxx, Esq.
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
|
$
|
1,515,277
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
And
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
c/o
Viking Asset Management, LLC
00
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
XX 00000
Attn:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Longview
Marquis Master Fund, L.P., a British Virgin Islands limited
partnership
|
|
|
c/o
Viking Asset Management, LLC
000
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attn:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
|
$
|
9,500,000
|
|
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx LLP
000
X. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention:
Xxxx X. Xxxx, Esq.
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
|
$
|
8,467,723
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
And
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
c/o
Viking Asset Management, LLC
00
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx,
XX 00000
Attn:
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
45
APPENDIX
CERTAIN
DEFINED TERMS
For
purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
“Account
Collateral”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
“Affiliate”
means,
with respect to any Person, another Person that, directly or indirectly,
(i) has a 5% equity interest in that Person, (ii) has a common ownership
with that Person, (iii) controls that Person, (iv) is controlled by that
Person or (v) shares common control with that Person; and “control”
or
“controls”
means
that a Person has the power, direct or indirect, to conduct or govern the
policies of another Person.
“Blocked Account
Agreement”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
“Bloomberg”
means
Bloomberg Financial Markets (or any successor thereto).
“Business
Day”
means
any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks
in
the New York City are authorized or required by law to remain
closed.
“Capital
Lease Obligation”
means,
as to any Person, any obligation that is required to be classified and accounted
for as a capital lease on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance
with GAAP, and the amount of such obligation shall be the capitalized amount
thereof, determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Capital
Stock”
means
any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however
designated) of capital stock of a corporation, and any and all equivalent
ownership interests in a Person (other than a corporation).
“Collateral
Agent”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
“Common
Stock”
means
the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share.
“Contingent
Obligation”
means,
as to any Person, any direct or indirect liability, contingent or otherwise,
of
such Person with respect to any indebtedness, lease, dividend or other
obligation of another Person if a primary purpose or intent of the Person
incurring such liability, or a primary effect thereof, is to provide assurance
to the obligee of such liability that such liability will be paid or discharged,
or that any agreements relating thereto will be complied with, or that the
holders of such liability will be protected (in whole or in part) against loss
with respect thereto.
Appendix
- 1
“Convertible
Securities”
means
any stock or securities (other than Options) directly or indirectly convertible
into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock.
“Environmental
Laws”
means
all Laws relating to any matter arising out of or relating to public health
and
safety, or pollution or protection of the environment (including ambient air,
surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or workplace,
including any of the foregoing relating to the presence, use, production,
generation, handling, transport, treatment, storage, disposal, distribution,
discharge, emission, release, threatened release, control or cleanup of any
Hazardous Materials.
“ERISA”
means
the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Excluded
Subsidiaries”
means
MRU Funding SPV, Inc., MRU Lending Holdco, LLC, MRU ABS, MRU Student Loan Trust
2007-A, Education Empowerment Funding LLC, Student Services SPV, Inc., and
MRU
Lending, Inc. so long as each of the foregoing is a Subsidiary, and any other
Subsidiary of the Company formed after the date hereof, that is a Subsidiary:
(a) (i) that is a bankruptcy remote, special purpose entity formed solely for
participating in a rated securitization program pursuant to which such
bankruptcy remote subsidiary purchases, finances, owns and services student
loans and other financial products targeted at students and, to the extent
applicable, sells such student loans to a trust in such a securitization
transaction, and (ii) the organizational documents of which contain restrictions
and requirements substantially similar to the restrictions and requirements
contained in MRU ABS organizational documents as in effect on the date hereof,
which, among other things, prohibit such Subsidiary from guaranteeing the
Indebtedness of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and from incurring any
Indebtedness not directly related to the securitization for which such
Subsidiary was formed, or (b) that is a special purpose entity formed for the
purpose of purchasing, financing, owning and servicing student loans and
revolving credit receivables targeted at students and that is party to Warehouse
Documents.
“GAAP”
means
U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
“Governmental
Entity”
means
the government of the United States or any other nation, or any political
subdivision thereof, whether state, provincial or local, or any agency
(including any self-regulatory agency or organization), authority,
instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising
executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administration powers
or
functions of or pertaining to government.
“Hazardous
Materials”
means
any hazardous, toxic or dangerous substance, materials and wastes, including
hydrocarbons (including naturally occurring or man-made petroleum and
hydrocarbons), flammable explosives, asbestos, urea formaldehyde insulation,
radioactive materials, biological substances, polychlorinated biphenyls,
pesticides, herbicides and any other kind and/or type of pollutants or
contaminants (including materials which include hazardous constituents), sewage,
sludge, industrial slag, solvents and/or any other similar substances,
materials, or wastes and including any other substances, materials or wastes
that are or become regulated under any Environmental Law (including any that
are
or become classified as hazardous or toxic under any Environmental
Law).
Appendix
- 2
“Indebtedness”
of any Person means, without duplication:
(i) All
indebtedness for borrowed money;
(ii) All
obligations issued, undertaken or assumed as the deferred purchase price of
property or services (other than unsecured account trade payables that are
(A)
entered into or incurred in the ordinary course of the Company’s and its
Subsidiaries’ business, (B) on terms that require full payment within 90 days
from the date entered into or incurred, (C) not unpaid in excess of 60 days
from
the receipt of invoice, or are being contested in good faith and as to which
such reserve as is required by GAAP has been made and (D) not exceeding at
any
one time an aggregate amount among the Company and its Subsidiaries of (1)
$3,000,000 at any time during the months of June, July, August, September or
October of any year, or (2) $2,500,000 at any other time.
(iii) All
reimbursement or payment obligations with respect to letters of credit, surety
bonds and other similar instruments;
(iv) All
obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures, redeemable capital stock
or
similar instruments, including obligations so evidenced incurred in connection
with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses;
(v) All
indebtedness created or arising under any conditional sale or other title
retention agreement, or incurred as financing, in either case with respect
to
any property or assets acquired with the proceeds of such indebtedness (even
though the rights and remedies of the seller, bank or other financing source
under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or
sale
of such property);
(vi) All
Capital Lease Obligations;
(vii) All
indebtedness referred to in clauses (i) through (vi) above secured by (or for
which the holder of such indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or
otherwise, to be secured by) any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security
interest or other encumbrance upon or in any property or assets (including
accounts and contract rights) owned by any Person, even though the Person that
owns such assets or property has not assumed or become liable for the payment
of
such indebtedness; and
(viii) All
Contingent Obligations in respect of indebtedness or obligations of others
of
the kinds referred to in clauses (i) through (vii) above.
“Insolvent”
means,
with respect to any Person as of any date, (i) the present fair saleable value
of such Person’s assets is less than the amount required to pay such Person’s
total indebtedness, contingent or otherwise, (ii) such Person is unable to
pay
its debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent or otherwise, as such debts
and liabilities become absolute and matured, (iii) such Person intends to
incur, prior to the second anniversary of such date, or believes that it will
incur, prior to the second anniversary of such date, debts that would be beyond
its ability to pay as such debts mature, or (iv) such Person has
unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the business in which it is
engaged as such business is then conducted and is then proposed to be conducted.
Appendix
- 3
“Investment
Company Act”
means
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
“Knowledge,”
“Knowledge
of the Company,”
“to
the Company’s Knowledge”
and
similar language means the actual knowledge of any “officer” (as such term is
defined in Rule 16a-1 under the 0000 Xxx) of the Company or of any Subsidiary
and the knowledge any such Person would be expected to have after reasonable
due
diligence and inquiry.
“Laws”
means
all present or future federal, state local or foreign laws, statutes, common
law
duties, rules, regulations, ordinances and codes, together with all
administrative or judicial orders, consent agreements, directed duties,
requests, licenses, authorizations and permits of, and agreements with, any
Governmental Entity.
“Lien”
means
with respect to any asset or property, any mortgage, lien, pledge,
hypothecation, charge, security interest, encumbrance or adverse claim of
any kind and any restrictive covenant, condition, restriction or exception
of
any kind that has the practical effect of creating a mortgage, lien, pledge,
hypothecation, charge, security interest, encumbrance or adverse claim of
any kind (including (i) any of the foregoing created by, arising under or
evidenced by any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, the
interest of a lessor with respect to a Capital Lease Obligation, or any
financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the
foregoing, and (ii) any restriction on the use, voting, transfer, receipt
of income or other exercise of any attributes of free and clear ownership by
a
current holder).
“Material
Adverse Effect”
means
any material adverse effect on (i) the business, properties, assets, operations,
results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise), credit worthiness
or
prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (ii) any of
the
transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, or (iii) the authority
or ability of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to enter into the
Transaction Documents and perform its obligations thereunder.
“Options”
means
any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common
Stock or Convertible Securities.
“Permitted
Lien”
means:
(i)
Liens
created by the Security Documents;
(ii)
Liens
for
taxes or other governmental charges not at the time due and payable, or which
are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently
prosecuted, so long as foreclosure, distraint, sale or other similar proceedings
have not been initiated, and in each case for which the Company and its
Subsidiaries maintain adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP in respect
of
such taxes and charges;
(iii)
Liens
arising in the ordinary course of business in favor of carriers, warehousemen,
mechanics and materialmen, or other similar Liens imposed by law, which remain
payable without penalty or which are being contested in good faith by
appropriate proceedings diligently prosecuted, which proceedings have the effect
of preventing the forfeiture or sale of the property subject thereto, and in
each case for which adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP are being
maintained;
Appendix
- 4
(iv)
Liens
arising in the ordinary course of business in connection with worker’s
compensation, unemployment compensation and other types of social security
(excluding Liens arising under ERISA);
(v)
Attachments,
appeal bonds (and cash collateral securing such bonds), judgments and other
similar Liens, for sums not exceeding $100,000 in the aggregate for the Company
and its Subsidiaries, arising in connection with court proceedings, provided
that the
execution or other enforcement of such Liens is effectively stayed;
(vi)
Easements,
rights of way, restrictions, minor defects or irregularities in title and other
similar Liens arising in the ordinary course of business and not materially
detracting from the value of the property subject thereto and not interfering
in
any material respect with the ordinary conduct of the business of the Company
or
any of its Subsidiaries;
(vii)
Liens
arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provision relating
to
banker’s liens, rights of set-off or similar rights and remedies and burdening
only deposit accounts or other funds maintained with a creditor depository
institution, provided
that no
such deposit account is a dedicated cash collateral account or is subject to
restrictions against access by the depositor in excess of those set forth by
regulations promulgated by the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve
System and that no such deposit account is intended by the Company or any of
its
Subsidiaries to provide collateral to the depository institution;
(viii)
Liens
of
Excluded Subsidiaries securing Indebtedness permitted under Section
5(g)(vi)
pursuant to Warehouse Documents; and
(ix)
Any
Lien
on any asset securing Indebtedness permitted under Section 5(g)(vii),
provided
that
such Lien attaches only to the assets financed by such Indebtedness, and such
Lien attaches concurrently with or within 90 days after the acquisition thereof.
“Person”
means
an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture,
a
corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization, a Governmental Entity
or
any other legal entity.
“Pledged
Collateral”
has
the
meaning assigned to such term in the Pledge and Security Agreement.
Appendix
- 5
“Preferred
Stock”
means
the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.
“Public
Disclosure”
or
“Publicly
Disclose”
means
the Company’s public dissemination of information through the filing via the
Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system of the SEC (“XXXXX”)
of a Periodic Report or Current Report disclosing such information pursuant
to
the requirements of the 1934 Act.
“Related
Party”
means
a
Person’s or any of its subsidiary’s officers, directors, persons who were
officers or directors at any time during the previous two years, stockholders
(other than any holder of less than 5% of the outstanding shares of such
Person), or Affiliates of such Person
or
any of its subsidiaries, or any individual related by blood, marriage or
adoption to any such individual or any entity in which any such entity or
individual owns a beneficial interest.
“Securities
Laws”
means
the securities laws (including “Blue Sky” laws), legislation and regulations of,
and the instruments, policies, rules, orders, codes, notices and interpretation
notes of, the securities regulatory authorities (including the SEC) of the
United States and any applicable states and other jurisdictions.
“Security
Documents”
means
the Pledge and Security Agreement, the Guarantees, the Blocked Account Agreement
and any other agreements, documents and instruments executed concurrently
herewith or at any time hereafter pursuant to which the Company, its
Subsidiaries, or any other Person either (i) guarantees payment or
performance of all or any portion of the obligations hereunder or under any
other instruments delivered in connection with the transactions contemplated
hereby and by the other Transaction Documents, and/or (ii) provides, as security
for all or any portion of such obligations, a Lien on any of its assets in
favor
of a Buyer, as any or all of the same may be amended, supplemented, restated
or
otherwise modified from time to time.
“Subsidiary”
means
any entity in which the Company, directly or indirectly:
(i)
beneficially
owns or otherwise holds 25% or more of the equity or similar
interests;
(ii)
beneficially
owns or otherwise holds or controls 25% or more of the outstanding securities
entitled to vote generally in the election of such entity’s directors (or the
equivalent thereof);
(iii)
if
the
entity is a limited partnership, is a general partner;
(iv)
if
the
entity is a limited liability company, is a manager or managing member;
or
(v)
otherwise
has the ability or right to control (whether by ownership, contractual right
or
otherwise) the management and policies of such entity;
provided,
however,
that
neither Education Empowerment Fund I, LLC nor any other fund managed by the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries and substantially similar to Education
Empowerment Fund I, LLC, shall constitute a Subsidiary solely due to the
Company’s or any of the Subsidiaries’ service as a manager of such fund, so long
as neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has any financial obligations
to such fund except for those obligations that are directly related to serving
as a manager of such fund.
Appendix
- 6
“Transaction
Documents”
means
this Agreement, the Notes, the Pledge and Security Agreement, the Blocked
Account Agreement, the Guaranty and each of the other agreements or instruments
to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which it
is
bound and which is entered into by the parties hereto or thereto in connection
with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.
“Warehouse
Documents”
means
(i) that certain Master Loan Agreement, dated as of January 10, 2006, by and
between MRU Funding SPV, Inc. and Xxxxxxx Xxxxx Bank USA, together with the
other agreements entered into in connection therewith, (ii) that certain
Receivables Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 11, 2007, by and
among Education Empowerment SPV, LLC, Autobahn Funding Company and DZ Bank,
together with the other agreements entered into in connection therewith, and
(iii) any
agreement entered into after the Closing Date by an Excluded Subsidiary for
the
purpose of financing education loans and credit receivables targeted to students
on terms and conditions similar to the warehouse documents identified in the
preceding clauses (i) and (ii) and under which such Excluded Subsidiary is
advanced funds at a rate of at least 85% of the aggregate original principal
amount of the performing student loans held by such Excluded
Subsidiary.
“Warehouse
Indebtedness”
means
the Indebtedness evidenced by the Warehouse Documents.
Appendix
- 7
EXHIBIT
A
FORM
OF NOTES
Exhibit
A
- 1
EXHIBIT
B
PLEDGE
AND SECURITY AGREEMENT
Exhibit
B - 1
EXHIBIT
C
ASSIGNMENT
AGREEMENT
Exhibit
C
- 1
EXHIBIT
D
DIRECTION
LETTER
Exhibit
D
- 1
EXHIBIT
E
GUARANTY
Exhibit
E
- 1
EXHIBIT
F
FORM
OF SUBORDINATION AGREEMENT
Exhibit
F
- 1
EXHIBIT
G
FORM
OF COMPANY COUNSEL’S OPINION
Exhibit
G
- 1