REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of April 20, 2017 by and among FTE Networks, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and each of the several sellers signatory hereto (each such Seller, a “Seller” and, collectively, the “Sellers”).
WHEREAS, in connection with that certain Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of March 9, 2017 by and between the Company, Benchmark Builders, Inc., a New York corporation (“Benchmark”) and the Sellers (the “Purchase Agreement”), the Sellers have received shares of common stock in the Company, par value $0.001 per share, in the individual amounts set forth on Schedule 2.2(b) of the Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement Shares”) as consideration, in part, for their sale to the Company of all of the issued and outstanding capital stock in Benchmark; and
WHEREAS, to induce the Sellers to enter into the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to grant the Sellers certain rights with respect to registration of Registrable Securities (as defined below) under the Securities Act pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and each Seller hereby agree as follows:
1. Definitions.
Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Advice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).
“Cut-Off Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Demand Registration Statement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Effectiveness Date” means, with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or a Demand Registration Statement required to be filed hereunder, the 120th calendar day following the Filing Date and with respect to any additional Registration Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 2(d) or Section 3(c), the 90th calendar day following the date on which an additional Registration Statement is required to be filed hereunder; provided, however, that in the event the Company is notified by the Commission that one or more of the above Registration Statements will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and comments, the Effectiveness Date as to such Registration Statement shall be the 10th calendar day following the date on which the Company is so notified if such date precedes the dates otherwise required above (unless the Company is required to update its financial statements prior to requesting acceleration of such Registration Statement, which will require the Company to file an amendment to such Registration Statement, in which case the Company shall file any necessary amendment to such Registration Statement and request effectiveness thereof as soon as reasonably practicable and in no event later than the 60th calendar day following the Filing Date); provided, further, if such Effectiveness Date falls on a day that is not a Trading Day, then the Effectiveness Date shall be the next succeeding Trading Day.
“Effectiveness Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Filing Date” means, with respect to (a) the Initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the later of (i) the 90th calendar day following the Closing Date or (ii) the 45th calendar day following the Company’s completion of all of its 2016 fiscal year end audits; (b) with respect to a Demand Registration Statement, the filing date specified in Section 2(b); and (c) with respect to any additional Registration Statements, which may be required pursuant to Section 2(b), Section 2(d) or Section 3(c), the earliest practical date on which the Company is permitted by SEC Guidance to file such additional Registration Statement related to the Registrable Securities.
“Holder” or “Holders” means the holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable Securities.
“Indemnified Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Indemnifying Party” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Initial Registration Statement” means the initial Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Agreement.
“Losses” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).
“Prospectus” means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation, a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, and all other amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
“Purchase Agreement Shares” means the shares of common stock issued to the Sellers pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
“Registrable Securities” means, as of any date of determination, (a) all of the Purchase Agreement Shares and (b) any securities issued or then issuable upon any stock split, dividend or other distribution, recapitalization or similar event with respect to the foregoing; provided, however, that any such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities (and the Company shall not be required to maintain the effectiveness of any, or file another, Registration Statement hereunder with respect thereto) for so long as (a) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such Registrable Securities is declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act and such Registrable Securities have been disposed of by the Holder in accordance with such effective Registration Statement, (b) such Registrable Securities have been previously sold in accordance with Rule 144, or (c) such securities become eligible for resale under Rule 144 without restriction or limitation, as determined by counsel to the Company pursuant to a written opinion letter to such effect, addressed, delivered and acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holders, as reasonably determined by the Company, upon the advice of counsel to the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, any such Registrable Securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities after the Cut-Off Date.
“Registration Statement” means any registration statement required to be filed hereunder pursuant to Section 2(a) and Section 2(b), including a Demand Registration Statement, and any additional registration statements contemplated by Section 2(d) or Section 3(c), including (in each case) the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to any such registration statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in any such registration statement.
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“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 415” means Rule 415 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Selling Stockholder Questionnaire” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).
“SEC Guidance” means (i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance of the Commission staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff and (ii) the Securities Act.
2. Registration.
(a) On or prior to each Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement covering the resale of all of the Registrable Securities that are not then registered on an effective Registration Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415. Each Registration Statement filed hereunder shall be on Form S-1, unless expressly specified otherwise, or such other Securities Act form available to the Company for such filing. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed under this Agreement (including, without limitation, under Section 3(c)) to be declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, but in any event no later than the applicable Effectiveness Date, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the Securities Act until the first to occur of: (A) the date that is three (3) years from the date the Registration Statement is declared effective by the Commission (the “Cut-Off Date”) and (B) the date that all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement (i) have been sold, thereunder or pursuant to Rule 144, or (ii) may be sold Rule 144 without restriction or limitation, as determined by the counsel to the Company pursuant to a written opinion letter which shall be obtained at the Company’s expense, to such effect, addressed, delivered and acceptable to the Transfer Agent and the affected Holders (the “Effectiveness Period”). The Company shall telephonically request effectiveness of a Registration Statement as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on a Trading Day. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders via facsimile or by e-mail of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement on the same Trading Day that the Company telephonically confirms effectiveness with the Commission, which shall be the date requested for effectiveness of such Registration Statement. The Company shall, by 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on the Trading Day after the effective date of such Registration Statement, file a final Prospectus with the Commission as required by Rule 424.
(b) Demand Rights.
(i) If at any time after the filing of the Initial Registration Statement and when it is eligible to use a Form S-3 registration statement, the Company shall receive from any Holder (and the Holder remains the owner of at least thirty percent (30%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding) a written request or requests that the Company file a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (“Demand Registration Statement”) with respect to all or a part of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holder or Holders, the Company will promptly give written notice of the proposed registration, and any related qualification or compliance, to all other Holders of Registrable Securities within ten (10) Business Days thereafter, and as soon as practicable, but in any event within sixty (60) days after the date such request is given by the initiating Holders in accordance with this Section, file such Demand Registration Statement as may be so requested and as would permit or facilitate the sale and distribution of all or such portion of such Holder’s or Holders’ Registrable Securities as are specified in such request, together with all or such portion of the Registrable Securities of any other Holder or Holders joining in such request as are specified in a written request given within ten (10) days after receipt of such written notice from the Company.
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(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing obligations, if the Company furnishes to a Holder, after requesting a registration pursuant to Section 2(b)(i), a certificate signed by the Company’s chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of the Company’s board of directors it would be materially detrimental to the Company and its stockholders for such registration statement to either become effective or remain effective, because (i) the Company has engaged or has fixed to engage within ninety (90) days of such request in a registered public offering as to which the Company’s stockholders may include Registrable Shares or (ii) the Company is engaged in any other activity that, in the good faith determination of the Company’s board of directors, would be adversely affected by the requested registration to the material detriment of the Company, then the Company shall have the right to defer taking action with respect to such filing for a period of not more than one hundred eighty (180) days after the later of (x) the date the request of the Holder is given and (y) the effective date of such offering, the date of commencement of such other material activity, or the date of such written opinion of the Company’s investment banker, as applicable; provided, however, that the Company may not invoke this right more than once in any twelve (12) month period.
(iii) The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2(b)(i) during the period that is thirty (30) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is ninety (90) days after the effective date of, a Company initiated registration, provided, that the Company is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective; nor shall the Company be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, more than one registration pursuant to Section 2(b)(i). A registration shall not be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Subsection 2(b)(i) until such time as the applicable Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC, unless the Holder withdraws its request for such registration, elects not to pay the registration expenses therefor, and forfeits its right to one demand registration statement pursuant to this Section, in which case such withdrawn registration statement shall be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Section.
(c) Notwithstanding the registration obligations set forth in Sections 2(a) and 2(b), if the Commission informs the Company that all of the Registrable Securities cannot, as a result of the application of Rule 415, be registered for resale as a secondary offering on a single registration statement, the Company agrees to promptly inform each of the Holders thereof and use its commercially reasonable efforts to file amendments to the Initial Registration Statement as required by the Commission, covering the maximum number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered by the Commission, on Form S-1 or Form S-3.
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(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if the Commission or any SEC Guidance sets forth a limitation on the number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered on a particular Registration Statement as a secondary offering (and notwithstanding that the Company used diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all or a greater portion of Registrable Securities), the Company shall give the Holder at least five (5) Trading Days prior written notice along with the calculations as to such Holder’s allotment as anticipated by the Company. In the event the Company amends the Initial Registration Statement in connection with the foregoing, the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to file with the Commission, as promptly as allowed by the Commission or SEC Guidance provided to the Company or to registrants of securities in general, one or more registration statements on Form X-0, Xxxx X-0, or such other form available to register for resale those Registrable Securities that were not registered for resale on the Initial Registration Statement, as amended.
3. Registration Procedures.
In connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company shall:
(a) Not less than five (5) Trading Days prior to the filing of each Registration Statement and not less than one (1) Trading Day prior to the filing of any related Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any document that would be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference), the Company shall (i) furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents proposed to be filed, which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of such Holders, and (ii) cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent registered public accountants to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of respective counsel to each Holder, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act. Notwithstanding the above, the Company shall not be obligated to provide the Holders advance copies of any universal shelf registration statement registering securities in addition to those required hereunder, or any Prospectus prepared thereto. The Company shall not file a Registration Statement or any such Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto to which the Holders of 67% or more of the Registrable Securities shall reasonably object in good faith, provided that, the Company is notified of such objection in writing no later than three (3) Trading Days after the Holders have been so furnished copies of a Registration Statement or one (1) Trading Day after the Holders have been so furnished copies of any related Prospectus or amendments or supplements thereto. Each Holder agrees to furnish to the Company a completed questionnaire in the form attached to this Agreement as Annex A (a “Selling Stockholder Questionnaire”) on a date that is not less than three (3) Trading Days prior to the Filing Date or by the end of the third (3rd) Trading Day following the date on which such Holder receives draft materials in accordance with this Section. The Company shall furnish to each Holder (A) a Selling Stockholder Questionnaire for completion at least ten (10) Trading Days prior to the Filing Date, together with a request that such Selling Stockholder Questionnaire be completed and returned to the Company in a timely manner and (B) a specific reference to this Section 3(a).
(b) (i) Prepare and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the Registrable Securities, (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule 424, (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments received from the Commission with respect to a Registration Statement or any amendment thereto and provide as promptly as reasonably possible to the Holders true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission relating to a Registration Statement (provided that, the Company shall excise any information contained therein which would constitute material non-public information regarding the Company), and (iv) comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of this Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so supplemented.
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(c) If during the Effectiveness Period, the number of Registrable Securities at any time exceeds 100% of the number of shares of Common Stock then registered in a Registration Statement, then the Company shall file as soon as reasonably practicable, but in any case, prior to the applicable Filing Date, an additional Registration Statement covering the resale by the Holders of not less than the number of such Registrable Securities.
(d) Notify the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant to clauses (iii) through (vi) hereof, be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the requisite changes have been made) as promptly as reasonably possible (and, in the case of (i)(A) below, not less than one (1) Trading Day prior to such filing) and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later than one (1) Trading Day following the day (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is proposed to be filed, (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and whenever the Commission comments in writing on such Registration Statement, and (C) with respect to a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become effective, (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information, (iii) of the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any Proceedings for that purpose, (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such purpose, (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes the financial statements included in a Registration Statement ineligible for inclusion therein or any statement made in a Registration Statement or Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to a Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of a Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (vi) of the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development with respect to the Company that the Company believes may be material and that, in the determination of the Company, makes it not in the best interest of the Company to allow continued availability of a Registration Statement or Prospectus, provided, however, in no event shall any such notice contain any information which would constitute material, non-public information regarding the Company.
(e) Use its reasonable best efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal of (i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.
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(f) Furnish to each Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each such Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such documents with the Commission; provided, that any such item which is available on the XXXXX system (or successor thereto) need not be furnished in physical form.
(g) Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company hereby consents to the use of such Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except after the giving of any notice pursuant to Section 3(d).
(h) The Company shall cooperate with any broker-dealer through which a Holder proposes to resell its Registrable Securities in effecting a filing with the FINRA Corporate Financing Department pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110, as requested by any such Holder.
(i) Prior to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale by the Holder under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions within such states as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that, the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(j) If requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holder to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement and applicable law, of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may request.
(k) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3(d), as promptly as reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its stockholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with clauses (iii) through (vi) of Section 3(d) above to suspend the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable. The Company shall be entitled to exercise its right under this Section 3(k) to suspend the availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus, subject to the payment of partial liquidated damages otherwise required pursuant to Section 3(d), for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days (which need not be consecutive days) in any 12-month period.
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(l) Comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.
(m) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to maintain eligibility for use of Form S-1 (or any successor form thereto) for the registration of the resale of Registrable Securities.
(n) The Company may require each selling Holder to furnish to the Company a certified statement as to the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and, if required by the Commission, the natural persons thereof that have voting and dispositive control over the shares. During any periods that the Company is unable to meet its obligations hereunder with respect to the registration of the Registrable Securities solely because any Holder fails to furnish such information within three Trading Days of the Company’s request, any breach that may otherwise occur because of such delay shall be suspended as to such Holder only, until such information is delivered to the Company.
4. Registration Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the performance of or compliance with, this Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent registered public accountants) (A) with respect to filings made with the Commission, (B) with respect to filings required to be made with any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed for trading, (C) in compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws reasonably agreed to by the Company in writing (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with Blue Sky qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities) and (D) if not previously paid by the Company, with respect to any filing that may be required to be made by any broker through which a Holder intends to make sales of Registrable Securities with FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110, so long as the broker is receiving no more than a customary brokerage commission in connection with such sale, (ii) printing expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for Registrable Securities), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses, (iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) Securities Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and (vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
5. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, members, partners, agents, brokers (including brokers who offer and sell Registrable Securities as principal as a result of a pledge or any failure to perform under a margin call of Common Stock), investment advisors and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each of them, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) and the officers, directors, members, stockholders, partners, agents and employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses (collectively, “Losses”), as incurred, arising out of or relating to (1) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading or (2) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, except to the extent that (i) such untrue statements or omissions are based upon information regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities or (ii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), the use by such Holder of an outdated, defective or otherwise unavailable Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated, defective or otherwise unavailable for use by such Holder. The Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or assertion of any Proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement of which the Company is aware.
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(b) Indemnification by Holders. Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents and employees, each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents or employees of such controlling Persons (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles, notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as incurred, to the extent arising out of or based solely upon: (x) such Holder’s failure to comply with any applicable prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act or the plan of distribution in any Registration Statement through no fault of the Company or (y) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading (i) to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so furnished in writing by such Holder to the Company expressly for inclusion in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or (ii) to the extent that such information relates to such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a Registration Statement, such Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or (iii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), to the extent related to the use by such Holder of an outdated, defective or otherwise unavailable Prospectus after the Company has notified such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated, defective or otherwise unavailable for use by such Holder.
(c) Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “Indemnified Party”), such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is sought (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Party and the payment of all fees and expenses incurred in connection with defense thereof; provided, that, the failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, except (and only) to the extent that it shall be finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) that such failure shall have materially and adversely prejudiced the Indemnifying Party.
An Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties unless: (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses, (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding, or (3) the named parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and counsel to the Indemnified Party shall reasonably believe that a material conflict of interest is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one separate counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party). The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding.
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Subject to the terms of this Agreement, all reasonable fees and expenses of the Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and expenses to the extent incurred in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a manner not inconsistent with this Section) shall be paid to the Indemnified Party, as incurred, within ten Trading Days of written notice thereof to the Indemnifying Party; provided, that, the Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Party for that portion of such fees and expenses applicable to such actions for which such Indemnified Party is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or further review) not to be entitled to indemnification hereunder.
6. Miscellaneous.
(a) Remedies. In the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder of any of their respective obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Company, as the case may be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, shall be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. Each of the Company and each Holder agrees that monetary damages would not provide adequate compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall not assert or shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(b) Compliance. Each Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it (unless an exemption therefrom is available) in connection with sales of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement.
(c) Discontinued Disposition. By its acquisition of Registrable Securities, each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(d)(iii) through (vi), such Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities under a Registration Statement until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been supplemented or amended) may be resumed. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly as is practicable.
(d) Amendments and Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given, unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and the Holders of 67% or more of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (for purposes of clarification, this includes any Registrable Securities issuable upon exercise or conversion of any Security). If a Registration Statement does not register all of the Registrable Securities pursuant to a waiver or amendment done in compliance with the previous sentence, then the number of Registrable Securities to be registered for each Holder shall be reduced pro rata among all Holders and each Holder shall have the right to designate which of its Registrable Securities shall be omitted from such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of a Holder or some Holders and that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be given only by such Holder or Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or consent relates; provided, however, that the provisions of this sentence may not be amended, modified, or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of the first sentence of this Section 6(d). No consideration shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration also is offered to all of the parties to this Agreement.
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(e) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.
(f) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties and shall inure to the benefit of each Holder. The Company may not assign (except by merger) its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of all of the Holders of the then outstanding Registrable Securities. Each Holder may assign their respective rights hereunder only in the manner and to such Persons as may permitted under the Purchase Agreement.
(g) No Inconsistent Agreements. The Company has not entered, as of the date hereof, and the Company shall not, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities, that would have the effect of impairing the rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof. The Company has not previously entered into any agreement granting any registration rights with respect to any of its securities to any Person that have not been satisfied in full.
(h) Execution and Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature 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.
(i) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
(j) Cumulative Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not exclusive of any other remedies provided by law.
(k) Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
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(l) Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of the Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
(m) Independent Nature of Holders’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder. Nothing contained herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of group or entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way acting in concert or as a group or entity with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other matters, and the Company acknowledges that the Holders are not acting in concert or as a group, and the Company shall not assert any such claim, with respect to such obligations or transactions. Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. The use of a single agreement with respect to the obligations of the Company contained was solely in the control of the Company, not the action or decision of any Holder, and was done solely for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any Holder. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement is between the Company and a Holder, solely, and not between the Company and the Holders collectively and not between and among Holders.
********************
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the Execution Date.
| THE COMPANY: | ||
| FTE NETWORKS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| THE SELLERS: | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Xxxxx XxXxxxx | |
| By: | ||
| Name: | Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
SIGNATURE PAGE TO REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Annex A
Selling Stockholder Notice and Questionnaire
Selling Stockholder Notice and Questionnaire
The undersigned beneficial owners of shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) of FTE Networks, Inc. (the “Company”), understand that the Company has filed or intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) for the registration of the resale of the shares of Common Stock held by the undersigned (the “Registrable Securities”). This Questionnaire is being furnished to you and other stockholders whose Common Stock will be included in the Registration Statement. This Questionnaire seeks information necessary to complete the registration of these shares with the Commission.
To sell or otherwise dispose of any Registrable Securities in the offering, a holder or beneficial owner of Registrable Securities will be required to agree to be named as a selling stockholder in the related prospectus and execute and return this Selling Stockholder Questionnaire.
Please respond to every question unless otherwise directed. If the answer is “none” or “not applicable,” please so state. Please include all information sought by the related question. Unless stated otherwise, answers should be given as of the date you complete this Questionnaire. If there is any response or underlying factual matter about which you are uncertain, please discuss the matter fully and include any additional explanation or information which you believe is helpful.
Certain legal consequences arise from being named as a selling stockholder in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus. Accordingly, holders and beneficial owners of Registrable Securities are advised to consult their own securities law counsel regarding the consequences of being named or not being named as a selling stockholder in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus.
Please complete, sign, date, and email or fax this Questionnaire as soon as possible to Xxxxx Xxxxxx, CFO at FTE Networks, Inc, fax: 0-000-000-0000, email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx. Please call Xxxxx Xxxxxx at 000-000-0000 with any questions regarding this Questionnaire.
NOTICE
The undersigned beneficial owner (the “Selling Stockholder”) of Registrable Securities hereby elects to register for resale the Registrable Securities owned by it and listed below in Question 5 (unless otherwise specified under such Question 5) in the Registration Statement.
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The undersigned hereby provides the following information to the Company and represents and warrants that such information is accurate:
QUESTIONNAIRE
| 1. | Name. Full Legal Name of Selling Stockholder: |
| 2. | Address for Notices to Selling Stockholder. |
| Telephone: | |
| Fax: | |
| Email address: | |
| Contact Person: |
| 3. | Relationship with the Company. |
Describe the nature of any position, office or other material relationship the Selling Stockholder has had with the Company during the past three years:
| 4. | Organizational Structure. Please indicate or (if applicable) describe how the Selling Stockholder is organized. |
| (a) | Is the Selling Stockholder a natural person? (If so, please xxxx the box and skip to Question 5.) |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
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| (b) | Is the Selling Stockholder a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)? (If so, please xxxx the box and skip to Question 5.) |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
| (c) | Is the Selling Stockholder a majority-owned subsidiary of a reporting company under the Exchange Act? (If so, please xxxx the box and skip to Question 5.) |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
| (d) | Is the Selling Stockholder a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940? (If so, please xxxx the box and skip to Question 5.) |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
If the answer to all of the foregoing questions is “no,” please complete the following:
| (e) | Legal Description of Selling Stockholder: | |
| Please describe the type of legal entity that the Selling Stockholder is (e.g., corporation, partnership, limited liability company, etc.); | ||
| (f) | Please indicate whether the Selling Stockholder is controlled by another entity (such as a parent company, a corporate member, corporate shareholder, etc.) or is controlled by a natural person. |
Controlled by: Natural Person(s) [ ] Entity [ ]
If you checked “Natural Person(s)”:
Please indicate the name of the natural person(s) who has voting or investment control over the shares held by the Selling Stockholder and the position of control that person(s) holds in or over the Selling Stockholder, then move to Question 5.
Name of natural person(s):_____________________________________
Controlling position in Selling Stockholder (e.g., sole member, controlling shareholder, sole stockholder, trustee, etc.): _____________ __________________________________________________________
If you checked “Entity”:
Please indicate the name and type of entity that controls the Selling Stockholder.
Name of controlling entity: ____________________________________
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Type of legal entity (e.g., corporation, partnership, limited liability company, etc.): ______________________________________________
Is this entity controlled by another entity (such as a parent company, a corporate member, corporate shareholder, etc.) or is it controlled by a natural person?
Controlled by: Natural Person(s) [ ] Entity* [ ]
If you checked “Natural Person(s)”:
Name of natural person(s) who controls this entity and has voting or investment control over the shares held by the Selling Stockholder the Selling Stockholder: ____________________________________________________
Natural person’s position in this entity (e.g., sole member, controlling shareholder, sole stockholder, trustee, etc.): ___________________________________________
*If you answered “Entity” here, please repeat step (f) for each controlling entity moving up the corporate chain of control until you reach the level at which there is only a natural person or persons in control (e.g., Acme LLC is controlled by ABC Corp., its member, which is controlled by X shareholder, its controlling shareholder). List the name of the entities along that chain of control, the types of entity each is, the natural person(s) in control of the ultimately controlling entity, and his or her control position over that entity in the lines below:
(Continued on next page…)
| A-4 |
| 5. | Beneficial Ownership of Registrable Securities:\ |
This question covers beneficial ownership of the Company’s securities.
| (a) | Please state the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock that the Selling Stockholder beneficially owns as of the date of this Questionnaire: |
| (b) | Please state the number of shares of the Registrable Securities that the Selling Stockholder wishes to have registered for resale in the Registration Statement. | |
| Common Stock: ______________________ |
| 6. | Broker-Dealer Status: |
| (a) | Is the Selling Stockholder a broker-dealer? |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
| (b) | If “yes” to Question 6(a), did the Selling Stockholder receive the Registrable Securities as compensation for investment banking services to the Company? |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
| Note: | If the answer to Question 6(b) is no, Commission’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement. |
| (c) | Is the Selling Stockholder an affiliate of a broker-dealer? |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
| (d) | If the Selling Stockholder is an affiliate of a broker-dealer, does the Selling Stockholder certify that it purchased the Registrable Securities in the ordinary course of business, and at the time of the purchase of the Registrable Securities to be resold, the Selling Stockholder had no agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the Registrable Securities? |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
| Note: | If the answer to Question 6(d) no, the Commission’s staff has indicated that you should be identified as an underwriter in the Registration Statement. |
| 7. | Legal Proceedings with the Company. Is the Company a party to any pending legal proceeding in which the Selling Stockholder is named as an adverse party? |
| Yes [ ] | No [ ] |
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State any exceptions here:
| 8. | Reliance on Responses. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Company and its legal counsel shall be entitled to rely on its responses in this Questionnaire in all matters pertaining to the Registration Statement and the sale of any Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement. |
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
| A-6 |
The undersigned agrees to promptly notify the Company of any inaccuracies or changes in the information provided herein that may occur subsequent to the date hereof at any time while the Registration Statement remains effective.
By signing below, the undersigned consents to the disclosure of the information contained herein in its answers to Questions 1 through 7 and the inclusion of such information in the Registration Statement and the related prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, by authority duly given, has caused this Notice and Questionnaire to be executed and delivered either in person or by its duly authorized agent.
| BENEFICIAL OWNER (individual) | BENEFICIAL OWNER (entity) | |||
| Print Name | Name of Entity | |||
| Signature | Signature | |||
| Print Name: | ||||
| Signature (if Joint Tenants or Tenants in Common) | ||||
| Title: | ||||
PLEASE FAX OR PDF A COPY OF THE COMPLETED AND EXECUTED NOTICE AND QUESTIONNAIRE, AND RETURN THE ORIGINAL TO:
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
ATTN: Xxxxx Xxxxxx, CFO
FAX: 0-000-000-0000
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
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