AMENDED AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.2
AMENDED
AND RESTATED REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of the _____
day of February, 2008, by and among Pet DRx Corporation (f/k/a Echo Healthcare
Acquisition Corp.), a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the undersigned
parties listed under Investors on the signature page hereto
(each, an “Investor” and collectively, the “Investors”).
WHEREAS,
the holders of all the issued and outstanding securities of the Company
immediately prior to its initial public offering (the “Echo Holders”) entered
into a Registration Rights Agreement dated as of March 22, 2006 (the “Prior
Agreement”);
WHEREAS,
the Company entered into a Second Amended and Restated Merger Agreement, dated
as of October 23, 2007 (the “Merger Agreement”), providing for the merger
(the “Merger”) of a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company with and into XLNT
Veterinary Care, Inc. (“XLNT”), with XLNT continuing as the surviving
corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company;
WHEREAS,
the Merger was consummated on January 4, 2008;
WHEREAS,
the Merger Agreement contemplates that the Company and each “affiliate” of XLNT
within the meaning of Rule 145 promulgated under the Securities Act (as defined
below) will execute and deliver this registration rights agreement;
and
WHEREAS,
the Investors desire to amend and restate the Prior Agreement as set forth
herein and add the XLNT Holders (as defined below) as parties to this
Agreement.
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth
herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
|
1.
|
DEFINITIONS.
|
The
following capitalized terms used herein have the following
meanings:
“Agreement” means this
Agreement, as amended, restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time
to time.
“Commission” means the
Securities and Exchange Commission, or any other federal agency then
administering the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.
“Common Stock” means
the common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company.
“Company” is defined
in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Demand Registration”
is defined in Section 2.1.1.
“Demanding Holder” is
defined in Section 2.1.1.
“Echo Holder” is
defined in the preamble to this agreement.
“Exchange Act” means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations
of the Commission promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at
the time.
“Form S-3” is defined
in Section 2.3.
“Founding Director
Warrants” means the 458,333 warrants issued to certain of the Investors
identified as purchasers of such warrants in the Founding Director Warrant
Purchase Agreement dated of even date herewith.
“Indemnified Party” is
defined in Section 4.3.
“Indemnifying Party”
is defined in Section 4.3.
“Investor” is defined
in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Investor Indemnified
Party” is defined in Section 4.1.
“Maximum Number of
Shares” is defined in Section 2.1.4.
“Notices” is defined
in Section 6.3.
“Piggy-Back
Registration” is defined in Section 2.2.1.
“Register,” “registered” and
“registration”
mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or
similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and
the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such
registration statement becoming effective.
“Registrable
Securities” mean (i) all of the shares of Common Stock owned or held by
Investors, (ii) the Founding Director Warrants owned by certain Investors, (iii)
the shares of Common Stock underlying the Founding Director Warrants, and (iv)
all shares of Common Stock issuable to an XLNT Holder pursuant to the Merger
Agreement. Registrable Securities also include any warrants, shares
of capital stock or other securities of the Company issued as a dividend or
other distribution with respect to or in exchange for or in replacement of such
shares of Common Stock. As to any particular Registrable Securities, such
securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (a) a Registration
Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become
effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold,
transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration
Statement; (b) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new
certificates for them not bearing a legend restricting further transfer shall
have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of them
shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (c) such securities
shall have ceased to be outstanding, or (d) all of the Registrable Securities
held by the Holder of such Registrable Securities are eligible for sale under
Rule 144(k) within a single three-month period.
“Registration
Statement” means a registration statement filed by the Company with the
Commission in compliance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder for a public offering and sale of Common Stock (other
than a registration statement on Form S-4 or Form S-8, or their successors, or
any registration statement covering only securities proposed to be issued in
exchange for securities or assets of another entity).
“Release Date” means
the date on which shares of Common Stock are disbursed from escrow pursuant to
Section 3 of that certain Stock Escrow Agreement dated as of March 22, 2006 by
and among the Company, the Echo Holders and Corporate Stock Transfer, Inc.; with
respect to the Founding Director Warrants, the date on which such warrants
become exercisable by their terms; and with respect to the Common Stock
underlying the Founding Director Warrants, all such underlying shares of Common
Stock issued on exercise of the Founding Director Warrants.
“Securities Act” means
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the
Commission promulgated thereunder, all as the same shall be in effect at the
time.
“Underwriter” means a
securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an
underwritten offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making
activities.
2
“XLNT Holder” means
the former holders of securities of XLNT listed under “XLNT Holders” on the
signature pages hereto.
|
2.
|
REGISTRATION
RIGHTS.
|
2.1. Demand
Registration.
2.1.1. Request for
Registration. At any time and from time to time on or after the Release
Date, the holders of a majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities held
by the Echo Holders or the transferees of the Echo Holders, may make a written
demand for registration under the Securities Act of all or part of their
Registrable Securities (a “Demand
Registration”). At any time and from time to time on or after
the later of March 31, 2008 and the filing of the Company’s Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2007, the holders of a majority-in-interest of
the Registrable Securities held by the XLNT Holders or the transferees of the
XLNT Holders may make a written demand for a Demand Registration of all or part
of their Registrable Securities. Any demand for a Demand Registration
shall specify the number of shares of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold
and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. The Company will notify all
holders of Registrable Securities of the demand, and each holder of Registrable
Securities who wishes to include all or a portion of such holder’s Registrable
Securities in the Demand Registration (each such holder including shares of
Registrable Securities in such registration, a “Demanding Holder”)
shall so notify the Company within fifteen (15) days after the receipt by the
holder of the notice from the Company. Upon any such request, the Demanding
Holders shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in the
Demand Registration, subject to Section 2.1.4 and the provisos set forth in
Section 3.1.1. The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than an
aggregate of two (2) Demand Registrations initiated by Echo Holders under this
Section 2.1.1 and not more than an aggregate of two (2) Demand Registrations
initiated by XLNT Holders under this Section 2.1.1.
2.1.2. Effective
Registration. A registration will not count as a Demand Registration
until the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such
Demand Registration has been declared effective and the Company has complied
with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, however, that if,
after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, the offering of
Registrable Securities pursuant to a Demand Registration is interfered with by
any stop order or injunction of the Commission or any other governmental agency
or court, the Registration Statement with respect to such Demand Registration
will be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (i) such
stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii)
a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders thereafter elect to continue the
offering; provided, further, that the
Company shall not be obligated to file a second Registration Statement until a
Registration Statement that has been filed is counted as a Demand Registration
or is terminated.
2.1.3. Underwritten
Offering. If a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so elect and
such holders so advise the Company as part of their written demand for a Demand
Registration, the offering of such Registrable Securities pursuant to such
Demand Registration shall be in the form of an underwritten offering. In such
event, the right of any holder to include its Registrable Securities in such
registration shall be conditioned upon such holder’s participation in such
underwriting and the inclusion of such holder’s Registrable Securities in the
underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Demanding Holders proposing to
distribute their securities through such underwriting shall enter into an
underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter or Underwriters
selected for such underwriting by a majority-in-interest of the Demanding
Holders.
2.1.4. Reduction of
Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Demand
Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the
Demanding Holders in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of
Registrable Securities which the Demanding Holders desire to sell, taken
together with all other shares of Common Stock or other securities which the
Company desires to sell and the shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which
registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back
registration rights held by other shareholders of the Company who desire to
sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares that can be
sold in such offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price,
the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such
offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of shares, as applicable,
the “Maximum Number of
Shares”), then the Company shall include in such registration: (i) first,
the Registrable Securities as to which Demand Registration has been requested by
the Demanding Holders (pro rata in
accordance with the number of shares of Registrable Securities which such
Demanding Holder has requested be included in such registration, regardless of
the number of shares of Registrable Securities held by each Demanding Holder)
that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (ii) second, to
the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the
foregoing clause (i), the shares of Common Stock or other securities that the
Company desires to sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of
Shares; (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not
been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the shares of Common
Stock or other securities registrable pursuant to the terms of the Unit Purchase
Option issued to Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Co. Inc. or its designees in connection
with the Company’s initial public offering (the “Unit Purchase Option”
and such registrable securities, the "Option Securities")
as to which "piggy-back" registration has been requested by the holders thereof,
pro rata, that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and
(iv) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares have not been
reached under the foregoing clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), the shares of Common
Stock or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is
obligated to register pursuant to written contractual arrangements with such
persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of
Shares.
3
2.1.5. Withdrawal. If a
majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders disapprove of the terms of any
underwriting or are not entitled to include all of their Registrable Securities
in any offering, such majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders may elect to
withdraw from such offering by giving written notice to the Company and the
Underwriter or Underwriters of their request to withdraw prior to the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with
respect to such Demand Registration. If the majority-in-interest of the
Demanding Holders withdraws from a proposed offering relating to a Demand
Registration, then such registration shall not count as a Demand Registration
provided for in Section 2.1.
2.2. Piggy-Back
Registration.
2.2.1. Piggy-Back Rights. If
at any time on or after the date hereof (or, in the case of the Echo Holders,
the Release Date) the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under
the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or
securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible
into, equity securities, by the Company for its own account or for shareholders
of the Company for their account (or by the Company and by shareholders of the
Company including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 2.1), other than a
Registration Statement (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or
other benefit plan, (ii) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely
to the Company’s existing security holders, or for the conversion, exercise, or
exchange of outstanding securities, (iii) for an offering of debt that is
convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend
reinvestment plan, then the Company shall (x) give written notice of such
proposed filing to the holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable
but in no event less than ten (10) days before the anticipated filing date,
which notice shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in
such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the
proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, of the offering, and (y)
offer to the holders of Registrable Securities in such notice the opportunity to
register the sale of such number of shares of Registrable Securities as such
holders may request in writing within fifteen (15) days following receipt of
such notice (a “Piggy-Back
Registration”). The Company shall cause such Registrable Securities to be
included in such registration and shall use its best efforts to cause the
managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed underwritten offering to
permit the Registrable Securities requested to be included in a Piggy-Back
Registration to be included on the same terms and conditions as any similar
securities of the Company and to permit the sale or other disposition of such
Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution
thereof. All holders of Registrable Securities proposing to distribute their
securities through a Piggy-Back Registration that involves an Underwriter or
Underwriters shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with
the Underwriter or Underwriters selected for such Piggy-Back
Registration.
4
2.2.2. Reduction of
Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters for a Piggy-Back
Registration that is to be an underwritten offering advises the Company and the
holders of Registrable Securities in writing that the dollar amount or number of
shares of Common Stock which the Company desires to sell, taken together with
shares of Common Stock, if any, as to which registration has been demanded
pursuant to written contractual arrangements with persons other than the holders
of Registrable Securities hereunder, the Registrable Securities as to which
registration has been requested under this Section 2.2, and the shares of Common
Stock, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to the
written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the
Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Shares, then the Company shall include in
any such registration:
(i) If
the registration is undertaken for the Company’s account: (A) first, the shares
of Common Stock or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be
sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent
that the Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing
clause (A), the shares of Common Stock, if any, including the Registrable
Securities, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to written
contractual piggy-back registration rights of security holders (pro rata in
accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock which each such person has
actually requested to be included in such registration, regardless of the number
of shares of Common Stock with respect to which such persons have the right to
request such inclusion) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of
Shares, and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of shares has not
been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Common Stock
or other securities for the account of other persons that the Company is
obligated to register pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration
rights with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum
Number of Shares; and
(ii) If
the registration is a “demand” registration undertaken at the demand of persons
other than the holders of Registrable Securities pursuant to written contractual
arrangements with such persons, (A) first, the shares of Common Stock for the
account of the demanding persons that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum
Number of Shares; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares
has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the shares of Common Stock
or other securities that the Company desires to sell that can be sold without
exceeding the Maximum Number of Shares; and (C) third, to the extent that the
Maximum Number of Shares has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A)
and (B), the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested
under this Section 2.2 (pro rata in
accordance with the number of shares of Registrable Securities held by each such
holder); and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Shares has not
been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the shares of Common
Stock, if any, as to which registration has been requested pursuant to written
contractual piggy-back registration rights which other shareholders desire to
sell that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of
Shares.
2.2.3. Withdrawal. Any
holder of Registrable Securities may elect to withdraw such holder’s request for
inclusion of Registrable Securities in any Piggy-Back Registration by giving
written notice to the Company of such request to withdraw prior to the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Company may also elect to
withdraw a registration statement at any time prior to the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement. Notwithstanding any such withdrawal, the Company shall
pay all expenses incurred by the holders of Registrable Securities in connection
with such Piggy-Back Registration as provided in Section 3.3.
2.3. Registrations on Form
S-3. The holders of Registrable Securities may at any time and from time
to time, request in writing that the Company register the resale of any or all
of such Registrable Securities on Form S-3 or any similar short-form
registration which may be available at such time (“Form S-3”); provided, however, that the
Company shall not be obligated to effect such request through an underwritten
offering. Upon receipt of such written request, the Company will promptly give
written notice of the proposed registration to all other holders of Registrable
Securities, and, as soon as practicable thereafter, effect the registration 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 fifteen (15) days after receipt of
such written notice from the Company; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be obligated to effect any such registration pursuant to this
Section 2.3: (i) if Form S-3 is not available for such offering; or (ii) if the
holders of the Registrable Securities, together with the holders of any other
securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such registration, propose to
sell Registrable Securities and such other securities (if any) at any aggregate
price to the public of less than $500,000. Registrations effected pursuant to
this Section 2.3 shall not be counted as Demand Registrations effected pursuant
to Section 2.1.
5
|
3.
|
REGISTRATION
PROCEDURES.
|
3.1. Filings; Information.
Whenever the Company is required to effect the registration of any Registrable
Securities pursuant to Section 2, the Company shall use its best efforts to
effect the registration and sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance
with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof as expeditiously as
practicable, and in connection with any such request:
3.1.1. Filing Registration
Statement. The Company shall, as expeditiously as possible and in any
event within sixty (60) days after receipt of a request for a Demand
Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, prepare and file with the Commission a
Registration Statement on any form for which the Company then qualifies or which
counsel for the Company shall deem appropriate and which form shall be available
for the sale of all Registrable Securities to be registered thereunder in
accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof, and shall use
its best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become and remain
effective for the period required by Section 3.1.3; provided, however, that the
Company shall have the right to defer any Demand Registration for up to thirty
(30) days, and any Piggy-Back Registration for such period as may be applicable
to deferment of any demand registration to which such Piggy-Back Registration
relates, in each case if the Company shall furnish to the holders a certificate
signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company stating that, in the good
faith judgment of the Board of Directors of the Company, it would be materially
detrimental to the Company and its shareholders for such Registration Statement
to be effected at such time; provided further,
however, that
the Company shall not have the right to exercise the right set forth in the
immediately preceding proviso more than once in any 365-day period in respect of
a Demand Registration hereunder.
3.1.2. Copies. The Company
shall, prior to filing a Registration Statement or prospectus, or any amendment
or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the holders of Registrable
Securities included in such registration, and such holders’ legal counsel,
copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment
and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all
exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the
prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary
prospectus), and such other documents as the holders of Registrable Securities
included in such registration or legal counsel for any such holders may request
in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by
such holders.
3.1.3. Amendments and
Supplements. The Company shall prepare and file with the Commission such
amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements to such
Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be
necessary to keep such Registration Statement effective and in compliance with
the provisions of the Securities Act until all Registrable Securities and other
securities covered by such Registration Statement have been disposed of in
accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution set forth in such
Registration Statement (which period shall not exceed the sum of one hundred
eighty (180) days plus any period during which any such disposition is
interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission or any
governmental agency or court) or such securities have been
withdrawn.
3.1.4. Notification. After
the filing of a Registration Statement, the Company shall promptly, and in no
event more than two (2) business days after such filing, notify the holders of
Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement of such filing,
and shall further notify such holders promptly and confirm such advice in
writing in all events within two (2) business days of the occurrence of any of
the following: (i) when such Registration Statement becomes effective; (ii) when
any post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement becomes effective;
(iii) the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order
(and the Company shall take all actions required to prevent the entry of such
stop order or to remove it if entered); and (iv) any request by the Commission
for any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or any prospectus
relating thereto or for additional information or of the occurrence of an event
requiring the preparation of a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so
that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the securities covered by
such Registration Statement, such prospectus will not contain an 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 not misleading, and
promptly make available to the holders of Registrable Securities included in
such Registration Statement any such supplement or amendment; except that before
filing with the Commission a Registration Statement or prospectus or any
amendment or supplement thereto, including documents incorporated by reference,
the Company shall furnish to the holders of Registrable Securities included in
such Registration Statement and to the legal counsel for any such holders,
copies of all such documents proposed to be filed sufficiently in advance of
filing to provide such holders and legal counsel with a reasonable opportunity
to review such documents and comment thereon, and the Company shall not file any
Registration Statement or prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto,
including documents incorporated by reference, to which such holders or their
legal counsel shall object.
6
3.1.5. State Securities Laws
Compliance. The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) register or
qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under
such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as
the holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement
(in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request and (ii) take such
action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the
Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other
Governmental Authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and
operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be
necessary or advisable to enable the holders of Registrable Securities included
in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable
Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any
jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify but for this
paragraph (e) or subject itself to taxation in any such
jurisdiction.
3.1.6. Agreements for
Disposition. The Company shall enter into customary agreements
(including, if applicable, an underwriting agreement in customary form) and take
such other actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate
the disposition of such Registrable Securities. The representations, warranties
and covenants of the Company in any underwriting agreement which are made to or
for the benefit of any Underwriters, to the extent applicable, shall also be
made to and for the benefit of the holders of Registrable Securities included in
such registration statement. No holder of Registrable Securities included in
such registration statement shall be required to make any representations or
warranties in the underwriting agreement except, if applicable, with respect to
such holder’s organization, good standing, authority, title to Registrable
Securities, lack of conflict of such sale with such holder’s material agreements
and organizational documents, and with respect to written information relating
to such holder that such holder has furnished in writing expressly for inclusion
in such Registration Statement.
3.1.7. Cooperation. The
principal executive officer of the Company, the principal financial officer of
the Company, the principal accounting officer of the Company and all other
officers and members of the management of the Company shall cooperate fully in
any offering of Registrable Securities hereunder, which cooperation shall
include, without limitation, the preparation of the Registration Statement with
respect to such offering and all other offering materials and related documents,
and participation in meetings with Underwriters, attorneys, accountants and
potential investors.
3.1.8. Records. The Company
shall make available for inspection by the holders of Registrable Securities
included in such Registration Statement, any Underwriter participating in any
disposition pursuant to such registration statement and any attorney, accountant
or other professional retained by any holder of Registrable Securities included
in such Registration Statement or any Underwriter, all financial and other
records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company, as shall
be necessary to enable them to exercise their due diligence responsibility, and
cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information
requested by any of them in connection with such Registration
Statement.
7
3.1.9. Opinions and Comfort
Letters. The Company shall furnish to each holder of Registrable
Securities included in any Registration Statement a signed counterpart,
addressed to such holder, of (i) any opinion of counsel to the Company delivered
to any Underwriter and (ii) any comfort letter from the Company’s independent
public accountants delivered to any Underwriter. In the event no legal opinion
is delivered to any Underwriter, the Company shall furnish to each holder of
Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement, at any time that
such holder elects to use a prospectus, an opinion of counsel to the Company to
the effect that the Registration Statement containing such prospectus has been
declared effective and that no stop order is in effect.
3.1.10. Earnings Statement.
The Company shall comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the
Commission and the Securities Act, and make available to its shareholders, as
soon as practicable, an earnings statement covering a period of twelve (12)
months, beginning within three (3) months after the effective date of the
registration statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of
Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder.
3.1.11. Listing. The Company
shall use its best efforts to cause all Registrable Securities included in any
registration to be listed on such exchanges or otherwise designated for trading
in the same manner as similar securities issued by the Company are then listed
or designated or, if no such similar securities are then listed or designated,
in a manner satisfactory to the holders of a majority of the Registrable
Securities included in such registration.
3.2. Obligation to Suspend
Distribution. Upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the
happening of any event of the kind described in Section 3.1.4(iv), or, in the
case of a resale registration on Form S-3 pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof, upon
any suspension by the Company, pursuant to a written xxxxxxx xxxxxxx compliance
program adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors, of the ability of all
“insiders” covered by such program to transact in the Company’s securities
because of the existence of material non-public information, each holder of
Registrable Securities included in any registration shall immediately
discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities pursuant to the
Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities until such holder
receives the supplemented or amended prospectus contemplated by Section
3.1.4(iv) or the restriction on the ability of “insiders” to transact in the
Company’s securities is removed, as applicable, and, if so directed by the
Company, each such holder will deliver to the Company all copies, other than
permanent file copies then in such holder’s possession, of the most recent
prospectus covering such Registrable Securities at the time of receipt of such
notice.
3.3. Registration
Expenses. The Company shall bear all costs and expenses incurred in
connection with any Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.1, any Piggy-Back
Registration pursuant to Section 2.2, and any registration on Form S-3 effected
pursuant to Section 2.3, and all expenses incurred in performing or complying
with its other obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the Registration
Statement becomes effective, including, without limitation: (i) all registration
and filing fees; (ii) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or “blue
sky” laws (including fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with blue
sky qualifications of the Registrable Securities); (iii) printing expenses; (iv)
the Company’s internal expenses (including, without limitation, all salaries and
expenses of its officers and employees); (v) the fees and expenses incurred in
connection with the listing of the Registrable Securities as required by Section
3.1.11; (vi) Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fees; (vii) fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Company and fees and expenses for independent
certified public accountants retained by the Company (including the expenses or
costs associated with the delivery of any opinions or comfort letters requested
pursuant to Section 3.1.9); (viii) the fees and expenses of any special experts
retained by the Company in connection with such registration and (ix) the fees
and expenses of one legal counsel selected by the holders of a
majority-in-interest of the Registrable Securities included in such
registration. The Company shall have no obligation to pay any underwriting
discounts or selling commissions attributable to the Registrable Securities
being sold by the holders thereof, which underwriting discounts or selling
commissions shall be borne by such holders. Additionally, in an underwritten
offering, all selling shareholders and the Company shall bear the expenses of
the underwriter pro rata in proportion to the respective amount of shares each
is selling in such offering.
3.4. Information. The
holders of Registrable Securities shall provide such information as may
reasonably be requested by the Company, or the managing Underwriter, if any, in
connection with the preparation of any Registration Statement, including
amendments and supplements thereto, in order to effect the registration of any
Registrable Securities under the Securities Act pursuant to Section 2 and in
connection with the Company’s obligation to comply with federal and applicable
state securities laws.
8
|
4.
|
INDEMNIFICATION
AND CONTRIBUTION.
|
4.1. Indemnification by the
Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Investor
and each other holder of Registrable Securities, and each of their respective
officers, employees, affiliates, directors, partners, members, attorneys and
agents, and each person, if any, who controls an Investor and each other holder
of Registrable Securities (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities
Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) (each, an “Investor Indemnified
Party”), from and against any expenses, losses, judgments, claims,
damages or liabilities, whether joint or several, arising out of or based upon
any untrue statement (or allegedly untrue statement) of a material fact
contained in any Registration Statement under which the sale of such Registrable
Securities was registered under the Securities Act, any preliminary prospectus,
final prospectus or summary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement,
or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement, or arising out of
or based upon any omission (or alleged omission) to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, or any violation by the Company of the Securities Act or any rule or
regulation promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company and relating to
action or inaction required of the Company in connection with any such
registration; and the Company shall promptly reimburse the Investor Indemnified
Party for any legal and any other expenses reasonably incurred by such Investor
Indemnified Party in connection with investigating and defending any such
expense, loss, judgment, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the
Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such expense,
loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any untrue
statement or allegedly untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
such Registration Statement, preliminary prospectus, final prospectus, or
summary prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished to the Company, in writing, by such
selling holder expressly for use therein. The Company also shall indemnify any
Underwriter of the Registrable Securities, their officers, affiliates,
directors, partners, members and agents and each person who controls such
Underwriter on substantially the same basis as that of the indemnification
provided above in this Section 4.1.
4.2. Indemnification by Holders
of Registrable Securities. Each selling holder of Registrable Securities
will, in the event that any registration is being effected under the Securities
Act pursuant to this Agreement of any Registrable Securities held by such
selling holder, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors
and officers and each underwriter (if any), and each other person, if any, who
controls such selling holder or such underwriter within the meaning of the
Securities Act, against any losses, claims, judgments, damages or liabilities,
whether joint or several, insofar as such losses, claims, judgments, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any
untrue statement or allegedly untrue statement of a material fact contained in
any Registration Statement under which the sale of such Registrable Securities
was registered under the Securities Act, any preliminary prospectus, final
prospectus or summary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement, or any
amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, or arise out of or are
based upon any omission or the alleged omission to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement therein not
misleading, if the statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such selling
holder expressly for use therein, and shall reimburse the Company, its directors
and officers, and each such controlling person for any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by any of them in connection with investigation or defending
any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action. Each selling holder’s
indemnification obligations hereunder shall be several and not joint and shall
be limited to the amount of any net proceeds actually received by such selling
holder.
4.3. Conduct of Indemnification
Proceedings. Promptly after receipt by any person of any notice of any
loss, claim, damage or liability or any action in respect of which indemnity may
be sought pursuant to Section 4.1 or 4.2, such person (the “Indemnified Party”)
shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any other person for
indemnification hereunder, notify such other person (the “Indemnifying Party”)
in writing of the loss, claim, judgment, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the
failure by the Indemnified Party to notify the Indemnifying Party shall not
relieve the Indemnifying Party from any liability which the Indemnifying Party
may have to such Indemnified Party hereunder, except and solely to the extent
the Indemnifying Party is actually prejudiced by such failure. If the
Indemnified Party is seeking indemnification with respect to any claim or action
brought against the Indemnified Party, then the Indemnifying Party shall be
entitled to participate in such claim or action, and, to the extent that it
wishes, jointly with all other Indemnifying Parties, to assume control of the
defense thereof with counsel satisfactory to the Indemnified Party. After notice
from the Indemnifying Party to the Indemnified Party of its election to assume
control of the defense of such claim or action, the Indemnifying Party shall not
be liable to the Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses subsequently
incurred by the Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof other
than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that in any
action in which both the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party are named
as defendants, the Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate
counsel (but no more than one such separate counsel) to represent the
Indemnified Party and its controlling persons who may be subject to liability
arising out of any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought by the
Indemnified Party against the Indemnifying Party, with the fees and expenses of
such counsel to be paid by such Indemnifying Party if, based upon the written
opinion of counsel of such Indemnified Party, representation of both parties by
the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing
interests between them. No Indemnifying Party shall, without the prior written
consent of the Indemnified Party, consent to entry of judgment or effect any
settlement of any claim or pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which
the Indemnified Party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have
been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Party, unless such judgment or
settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all
liability arising out of such claim or proceeding.
9
4.4. Contribution.
4.4.1. If
the indemnification provided for in the foregoing Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 is
unavailable to any Indemnified Party in respect of any loss, claim, damage,
liability or action referred to herein, then each such Indemnifying Party, in
lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Party, shall contribute to the amount paid
or payable by such Indemnified Party as a result of such loss, claim, damage,
liability or action in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
fault of the Indemnified Parties and the Indemnifying Parties in connection with
the actions or omissions which resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability
or action, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative
fault of any Indemnified Party and any Indemnifying Party shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by such Indemnified Party or such Indemnifying
Party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
4.4.2. The
parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution
pursuant to this Section 4.4 were determined by pro rata allocation
or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding Section 4.4.1.
The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Party as a result of any loss,
claim, damage, liability or action referred to in the immediately preceding
paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth
above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Party in
connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 4.4, no holder of Registrable
Securities shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the dollar
amount of the net proceeds (after payment of any underwriting fees, discounts,
commissions or taxes) actually received by such holder from the sale of
Registrable Securities which gave rise to such contribution obligation. No
person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section
11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
|
5.
|
UNDERWRITING
AND DISTRIBUTION.
|
5.1. Rule 144. The Company
covenants that it shall file any reports required to be filed by it under the
Securities Act and the Exchange Act and shall take such further action as the
holders of Registrable Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent
required from time to time to enable such holders to sell Registrable Securities
without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the
exemptions provided by Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as such Rules may be
amended from time to time, or any similar Rule or regulation hereafter adopted
by the Commission.
10
|
6.
|
MISCELLANEOUS.
|
6.1. [INTENTIONALLY
OMITTED]
6.2. Assignment; No Third Party
Beneficiaries. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of
the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole
or in part. This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the holders
of Registrable Securities hereunder may be freely assigned or delegated by such
holder of Registrable Securities in conjunction with and to the extent of any
transfer of Registrable Securities by any such holder. This Agreement and the
provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each
of the parties and their respective successors and the permitted assigns of the
Investor or holder of Registrable Securities or of any assignee of the Investor
or holder of Registrable Securities. This Agreement is not intended to confer
any rights or benefits on any persons that are not party hereto other than as
expressly set forth in Article 4 and this Section 6.2.
6.3. Notices. All notices,
demands, requests, consents, approvals or other communications (collectively,
“Notices”)
required or permitted to be given hereunder or which are given with respect to
this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be personally served, delivered by
reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or transmitted by hand
delivery, telegram, telex or facsimile, addressed as set forth below, or to such
other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written
notice. Notice shall be deemed given on the date of service or transmission if
personally served or transmitted by telegram, telex or facsimile; provided, that if
such service or transmission is not on a business day or is after normal
business hours, then such notice shall be deemed given on the next business day.
Notice otherwise sent as provided herein shall be deemed given on the next
business day following timely delivery of such notice to a reputable air courier
service with an order for next-day delivery.
To the
Company:
Pet DRx Corporation
Suite
500
000
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx
000
Xxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention:
General Counsel
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
with a
copy to:
Windy
City, Inc..
0000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxx
Xxxxxx, President
Facsimile: (000)
000-0000
and
to:
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx LLP
One
Atlantic Center, Fourteenth Floor
0000 Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, XX
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxx 00000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxx, Esq.
Facsimile: (000)
000-0000
To an
Investor: to the address of such Investor(s) as are then reflected on the
records of the Company.
6.4. Severability. This
Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of
any term or provision hereof shall not affect the validity or enforceability of
this Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu of
any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend
that there shall be added as a part of this Agreement a provision as similar in
terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid
and enforceable.
11
6.5. Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed an original, and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the
same instrument.
6.6. Entire Agreement.
This Agreement (including all agreements entered into pursuant hereto and all
certificates and instruments delivered pursuant hereto and thereto) constitute
the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof
and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations,
understandings, negotiations and discussions between the parties, whether oral
or written.
6.7. Modifications and
Amendments. No amendment, modification or termination of this Agreement
shall be binding upon any party unless executed in writing by such
party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any and all parties must obtain
the written consent of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Co. Inc. to amend or modify this
Agreement
6.8. Titles and Headings.
Titles and headings of sections of this Agreement are for convenience only and
shall not affect the construction of any provision of this
Agreement.
6.9. Waivers and
Extensions. Any party to this Agreement may waive any right, breach or
default which such party has the right to waive, provided that such
waiver will not be effective against the waiving party unless it is in writing,
is signed by such party, and specifically refers to this Agreement. Waivers may
be made in advance or after the right waived has arisen or the breach or default
waived has occurred. Any waiver may be conditional. No waiver of any breach of
any agreement or provision herein contained shall be deemed a waiver of any
preceding or succeeding breach thereof nor of any other agreement or provision
herein contained. No waiver or extension of time for performance of any
obligations or acts shall be deemed a waiver or extension of the time for
performance of any other obligations or acts.
6.10. Remedies Cumulative.
In the event that the Company fails to observe or perform any covenant or
agreement to be observed or performed under this Agreement, the Investor or any
other holder of Registrable Securities may proceed to protect and enforce its
rights by suit in equity or action at law, whether for specific performance of
any term contained in this Agreement or for an injunction against the breach of
any such term or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in this Agreement
or to enforce any other legal or equitable right, or to take any one or more of
such actions, without being required to post a bond. None of the rights, powers
or remedies conferred under this Agreement shall be mutually exclusive, and each
such right, power or remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to any other
right, power or remedy, whether conferred by this Agreement or now or hereafter
available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.
6.11. Governing Law. This
Agreement shall be governed by, interpreted under, and construed in accordance
with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made
and to be performed within the State of New York, without giving effect to any
choice-of-law provisions thereof that would compel the application of the
substantive laws of any other jurisdiction.
6.12. Waiver of Trial by
Jury. Each party hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives the right
to a trial by jury in any action, suit, counterclaim or other proceeding
(whether based on contract, tort or otherwise) arising out of, connected with or
relating to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated hereby, or the actions
of the Investor in the negotiation, administration, performance or enforcement
hereof.
12
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have
caused this Registration Rights Agreement to be executed and delivered by their
duly authorized representatives as of the date first written above.
PET DRX CORPORATION | ||||
a Delaware corporation | ||||
|
||||
By:
|
/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
|
|||
Name:
|
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |||
Title:
|
Secretary |
INVESTORS:
ECHO
HOLDERS:
/s/ Xxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
/s/ Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxxx
/s/ Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx
/s/ Xxxxxx X.
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx X.
Xxxxx
/s/ Xxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
/s/ Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
/s/ Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Windy
City, Inc.
By :/s/ Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxxx, President
Chicago
Investments, Inc.
By: Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxxx, President
[signatures
continued on following page]
[signatures
continued on following page]
XLNT
HOLDERS:
/s/
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Partners IV, L.P
By:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
/s/
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Partners International IV, L.P
By:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
/s/
Xxxxx X.
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Employee Fund IV, L.P
By: Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxx
/s/
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
Camden
Partners Strategic Fund III, L.P.
By:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
/s/
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
Camden
Partners Strategic Fund III-A, L.P.
By:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
________________________________
Xxxxxxx
Affiliated Holdings, LLC
By:
/s/
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Gateway
Advisors
By:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
________________________________
J. Xxxxx
Xxxx
/s/
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx
/s/
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
[signatures
continued on following page]
[signatures
continued on following page]
Consented to pursuant to Section 6.7: | |||
XXXXXX XXXXXX & CO. INC. | |||
By:
|
/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | ||
Name: | Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx | ||
Title:
|
Managing Director |