UNITS URANERZ ENERGY CORPORATION PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
UNITS
URANERZ ENERGY CORPORATION
October 22, 2009
XXXXXXX XXXX & COMPANY, LLC
XXXXXXX SECURITIES INC.
GMP SECURITIES L.P.
DUNDEE SECURITIES CORPORATION
VERSANT PARTNERS INC.
XXXXXXX SECURITIES INC.
GMP SECURITIES L.P.
DUNDEE SECURITIES CORPORATION
VERSANT PARTNERS INC.
c/o Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies/Gentlemen:
Uranerz Energy Corporation, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Nevada (the
“Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated in this Placement Agency Agreement
(the “Agency Agreement”) to issue and sell up to an aggregate of 10,000,000 units (the “Firm
Units”) at a purchase price of US$2.00 per Unit, each Unit consisting of one share (the “Shares”)
of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) and one-half of one
Common Stock purchase warrant (each whole Common Stock purchase warrant, a “Warrant”), and, for the
sole purpose of covering additional subscriptions in connection with the offer and sale of the Firm
Units, at the option of the Lead Agents (as defined below), up to an additional 1,500,000 units
(the “Additional Units”). Each Additional Unit will be comprised of one Share and one-half of one
Warrant. Each whole Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase from the Company one
additional share of Common Stock (a “Warrant Share”) for a period of 30 months from the Closing
Date (as defined below) at an exercise price of US$3.00, subject to adjustment and early
termination. In the event that the Company’s shares of common stock trade in the United States at
a closing price of greater than US$3.50 per share for a period of 20 consecutive trading days at
any time following the closing of this offering, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the
Warrants by giving notice via a press release to the holders thereof and in such case the Warrants
will expire on the 30th day after the date on which such notice is given by us. The
Warrants shall be issued pursuant to, and the exercise thereof shall be governed by, the provisions
of a warrant
indenture (the “Warrant Indenture”) to be entered into between the Company, as issuer, and
Corporate Stock Transfer, Inc., as trustee (the “Warrant Trustee”). The Firm Units and any
Additional Units are collectively referred to herein as the “Units”. The Units, Shares, Warrants
and Warrant Shares are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities”. The Company hereby
confirms its agreement with Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC, Xxxxxxx Securities Inc., GMP Securities
L.P., Dundee Securities Corporation, and Versant Partners Inc. (collectively, the “Agents”), as set
forth below. Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC and Xxxxxxx Securities Inc. are acting as lead agents
(the “Lead Agents”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities contemplated herein
(the “Offering”).
The Company understands that the Agents propose to make a public offering of the Units in the
United States and each of the Provinces of Canada, except Quebec, either directly or through their
respective U.S. or Canadian broker-dealer affiliates upon the terms set forth in the Prospectuses
(as defined below) and pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants
to, and agrees with, each of the Agents that:
(a) The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a
shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-160504) relating to the offer and sale, from time
to time, of up to US$50,000,000 of the Company’s common shares, debt securities, warrants,
subscription receipts and units (the initial filing and all pre-effective amendments thereto
collectively being referred to as the “Initial Registration Statement”); and such Initial
Registration Statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form previously
delivered to you, have been declared effective by the Commission, in such form and the Company has
filed with the Commission the form of prospectus contained in the Initial Registration Statement
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) which
was deemed by virtue of Rule 430B under the Securities Act to be a part of the Initial
Registration Statement. No other document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement has
heretofore been filed with the Commission. All conditions for use of Form S-3 to register the
distribution of the Securities under the Securities Act have been satisfied. The various parts of
the Initial Registration Statement, including all exhibits thereto and including (i) the
information contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b) under the Securities Act in accordance with Section 3(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule
430B under the Securities Act to be part of the Initial Registration Statement at the time it
became effective under the Securities Act with respect to the Agents, and (ii) the documents
incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained in the Initial Registration Statement at the
time such part of the Registration Statement became effective (the “U.S. Base Prospectus”), each as
amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective under the
Securities Act with respect to the Agents, are hereafter collectively referred to as the
“Registration Statement.” Any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be
deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), after the effective
date of the Initial Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference therein. No stop
order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement or any post-effective
amendment thereto has been issued and
no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission. The
preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Securities filed with the Commission on
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October 15, 2009 pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, together with the U.S. Base Prospectus, is
hereafter referred to as the “U.S. Preliminary Prospectus.” The final prospectus supplement
relating to the Securities, in the form first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Securities Act, together with the U.S. Base Prospectus, is hereafter referred to as the
“U.S. Prospectus”.
Any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act)
relating to the Securities is hereafter referred to as an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”. Any
reference herein to the U.S. Base Prospectus, the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus or the U.S.
Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein
pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 that were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the date of
such U.S. Base Prospectus, U.S. Preliminary Prospectus or the U.S. Prospectus, as the case may be;
and any reference herein to any “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the U.S. Base
Prospectus, the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus or the U.S. Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and
include (i) the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of such U.S. Base
Prospectus, the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus or the U.S. Prospectus, as the case may be, which is
incorporated therein by reference and (ii) any such document so filed.
All references in this Agency Agreement to the Registration Statement, the U.S. Base
Prospectus, the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus, the U.S. Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include
any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and
Retrieval System (XXXXX).
(b) The Company is qualified to file an MJDS Rule (as defined below) shelf prospectus pursuant
to the MJDS Rule (as defined below) and has prepared and filed a preliminary MJDS shelf prospectus
dated July 9, 2009 (the “Canadian Preliminary Base Shelf Prospectus”) and a final MJDS shelf
prospectus dated August 26, 2009 (the “Canadian Final Base Shelf Prospectus”) providing for the
offer and sale, from time to time, of up to US$50,000,000 of the Company’s common shares, debt
securities, warrants, subscription receipts and units with the Canadian securities regulatory
authorities in each of the Canadian Jurisdictions (as defined below), (collectively, the “Canadian
Qualifying Authorities”); and a prospectus receipt (a “Receipt”) has been issued by or on behalf of each
of the Canadian Qualifying Authorities for each of the Canadian Preliminary Base Shelf Prospectus
and the Canadian Final Base Shelf Prospectus. The term “Canadian Jurisdictions” means each of the
provinces of Canada, except Quebec. The term “Canadian Base Prospectus” means the Canadian Final
Base Shelf Prospectus, including documents incorporated therein by reference, at the time the
Receipt was issued with respect thereto in accordance with the multi-jurisdictional disclosure
system described in National Instrument 71-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, as
amended (the “MJDS Rule”), the rules and procedures established under all applicable securities
laws in each of the Canadian Jurisdictions and the respective regulations and rules under such laws
together with applicable published policy statements and instruments of the Canadian Qualifying
Authorities (“Canadian Securities Laws”). The term “Canadian Preliminary
Prospectus” means the Canadian preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Offering,
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filed with
the Canadian Qualifying Authorities in accordance with the MJDS Rule on October 15, 2009,
together with the Canadian Base Prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by
reference. The term “Canadian Prospectus” means the Canadian final prospectus supplement relating
to the Offering, and filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities in accordance with the MJDS
Rule, together with the Canadian Base Prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by
reference. No order suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the
Company has been issued by any of the Canadian Qualifying Authorities and no proceedings for that
purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated
by the Canadian Qualifying Authorities, and any request on the part of the Canadian Qualifying
Authorities for additional information has been complied with.
All references in this Agency Agreement to the Canadian Preliminary Base Shelf Prospectus, the
Canadian Final Base Shelf Prospectus, the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian
Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include
any copy thereof filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities pursuant to the System for
Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR).
As used herein, “Base Prospectuses” shall mean, collectively, the Canadian Base Prospectus and
the U.S. Base Prospectus; “Preliminary Prospectuses” shall mean, collectively, the Canadian
Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus; and “Prospectuses” shall mean,
collectively, the Canadian Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus.
(c) The Company was not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities
Act) as of the eligibility determination date for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the
Securities Act with respect to the Offering contemplated hereby.
(d) The Registration Statement complies, and the U.S. Prospectus and any further amendments or
supplements to the Registration Statement or the U.S. Prospectus will comply, in all material
respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder (the “Rules and Regulations”); the Registration Statement does not and will
not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and any
amendment thereof or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading; the U.S. Prospectus and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, as of
the time of filing thereof and as of the Closing Date (as defined below) will not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this
representation and warranty shall not apply to any information contained in or omitted from the
Registration Statement or the U.S. Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on
behalf of any Agent through the Lead Agents specifically for use therein. The parties hereto agree
that such information provided by or on behalf of any Agent through the Lead Agents consists solely
of the material referred to in Section 14 hereof.
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(e) The Canadian Base Prospectus and the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus complied as of the
time of filing thereof, and the Canadian Prospectus (and any further amendments or supplements
thereto) will comply, in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the MJDS Rule;
the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus, as of the time of filing thereof, did not, and the Canadian
Prospectus (and any further amendments or supplements thereto) will not, as of the time of filing
thereof and through the Closing Date (as defined below) include any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact that is required to be stated or necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not false or
misleading, and the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus, as of the time of filing thereof, constituted,
and the Canadian Prospectus (and any further amendments or supplements thereto) will, as of the
time of filing thereof and through the Closing Date, constitute, full, true and plain disclosure of
all material facts relating to the Securities and to the Company; provided, however, that this
representation and warranty shall not apply to any information contained in or omitted from the
Canadian Preliminary Prospectus or the Canadian Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement
thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by
or on behalf of any Agent through the Lead Agents specifically for use therein. The parties hereto
agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Agent through the Lead Agents consists
solely of the material referred to in Section 14 hereof.
(f) No order preventing or suspending the use of the U.S. Base Prospectus, the U.S.
Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and
the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects
with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty
shall not apply to any information contained in or omitted from the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on
behalf of any Agent through the Lead Agents specifically for use therein. The parties hereto agree
that such information provided by or on behalf of any Agent through the Lead Agents consists solely
of the material referred to in Section 14 hereof.
(g) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complies in all material respects with the applicable
provisions of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and does not include information
that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary
Prospectuses or the Prospectuses, and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and
taken together with the U.S. Prospectus as of the Closing Date, will not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading. No representation and warranty is made in this Section 1(g) with respect to any
information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter
through the Lead Agents specifically for use therein. The parties hereto agree that such
information provided by or on behalf of any Agent through the Lead Agents consists solely of the
material referred to in Section 14 hereof.
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(h) Each document filed or to be filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities and
incorporated, or deemed to be incorporated, by reference in the Canadian Prospectus complied, or
will comply, when so filed in all material respects with the requirements of Canadian Securities
Laws, and none of such documents contained, or will contain, at the time of its filing any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit at the time of its filing 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 or are made, not false or misleading.
(i) Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, who have audited the consolidated financial statements and supporting
schedules and information of the Company that are included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, and whose reports appear
or are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and
the Prospectuses are independent with respect to the Company as required by Canadian Securities
Laws and are independent registered public accountants as required by the Securities Act, the
Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board.
(j) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, except as disclosed in the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, (i) the Company has not declared or paid any
dividends, or made any other distribution of any kind, on or in respect of its capital stock, (ii)
there has not been any material change in the capital stock or long-term or short-term debt of the
Company, (iii) the Company has not sustained any material loss or interference with its business or
properties from fire, explosion, flood, hurricane, accident or other calamity, whether or not
covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or any legal or governmental proceeding, and (iv)
there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material
adverse change, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, in or
affecting the business, general affairs, management, condition (financial or otherwise), results of
operations, stockholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company, taken as a whole (a
“Material Adverse Change”). Since the date of the latest balance sheet included, or incorporated
by reference, in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, the
Company has not incurred or undertaken any liabilities or obligations, whether direct or indirect,
liquidated or contingent, matured or unmatured, or entered into any transactions, including any
acquisition or disposition of any business or asset, which are material to the Company, taken as a
whole, except for liabilities, obligations and transactions which are disclosed in the Preliminary
Prospectuses and the Prospectuses.
(k) The Company has no subsidiaries.
(l) The Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of
capital stock of the Company are fully paid and non-assessable and have been duly and validly
authorized and issued, in compliance with all applicable securities laws and not in violation of or
subject to any preemptive or similar right that entitles any person to acquire from the Company any
Common Stock or other security of the Company or any security convertible into, or exercisable or
exchangeable for, Common Stock or any other such security (any “Relevant
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Security”), except for such rights as may have been fully satisfied or waived prior to the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement.
(m) The Company has full power and authority (corporate or otherwise) to issue the Securities,
and to perform its obligations hereunder. The Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares to be delivered
on the Closing Date (as defined below), or upon exercise of the Warrants in accordance with their
terms, as applicable, have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered in
accordance with this Agency Agreement or Warrant Indenture, as applicable, will be duly and validly
issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will have been issued in compliance with all applicable
securities laws and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or
similar right that entitles any person to acquire any Relevant Security from the Company. The
Common Stock, the Units, the Shares and the Warrants conform to the descriptions thereof contained
in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses. Except as
disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses and other than with respect to
employee stock options that have been granted subsequent to June 30, 2009 pursuant to the Company’s
equity compensation plans, the Company has no outstanding warrants, options to purchase, or any
preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any contracts or commitments
to issue or sell, any Relevant Security. Except as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectuses and
the Prospectuses, no holder of any Relevant Security has any rights to require registration or
qualification under the Securities Act or the Canadian Securities Laws of any Relevant Security in
connection with the offer and sale of the Securities contemplated hereby, and any such rights so
disclosed have either been fully complied with by the Company or effectively waived by the holders
thereof.
(n) The Company has been duly organized and validly exists as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization. The Company is duly qualified to do business
and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which the character or
location of its properties (owned, leased or licensed) or the nature or conduct of its business
makes such qualification necessary, except for those failures to be so qualified or in good
standing which (individually and in the aggregate) could not reasonably be expected to have a
material adverse effect on (i) the business, general affairs, management, condition (financial or
otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company,
taken as a whole; or (ii) the ability of the Company to consummate the Offering or any other
transaction contemplated by this Agency Agreement the Warrant Indenture, the Preliminary
Prospectuses or the Prospectuses (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(o) The Company has all requisite power and authority, and all necessary consents, approvals,
authorizations, orders, registrations, qualifications, licenses, filings and permits of, with and
from all judicial, regulatory and other legal or governmental agencies and bodies and all third
parties, U.S., Canadian or foreign (collectively, the “Consents”), to own, lease and operate its
properties and conduct its business as it is now being conducted and as disclosed in the
Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, and each such Consent is
valid and in full force and effect, except in each case as could not reasonably be expected to have
a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received notice of any investigation or proceedings
which, if decided adversely to the Company, could reasonably be expected to result in, the
revocation of, or imposition of a materially burdensome
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restriction on, any such Consent. The Company is not aware of any pending change to any applicable law or
regulation or governmental position that would materially affect the business of the Company
or the business or legal environment under which the Company operates.
(p) This Agency Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company. The Warrant Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed and
delivered by the Company (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the
Warrant Trustee of the Warrant Indenture) will be a legally binding and valid obligation of the
Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement
thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general
applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and relating to general principles of
equity. The Warrant Indenture, when executed and delivered, will conform in all material respects
to the description thereof in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses.
(q) There are no reports or information that in accordance with the requirements of the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or Canadian Securities Laws must be made publicly available in
connection with the Offering of the Securities that have not been made publicly available as
required; there are no material documents required to be filed as of the date hereof with the
Commission or the Canadian Qualifying Authorities or with any other Canadian securities regulatory
authority in connection with the Offering of the Securities that have not been filed as required;
the Company has not filed any confidential material change reports or similar confidential report
with any securities regulatory authority that is still maintained on a confidential basis.
(r) The issue and sale of the Securities, the compliance by the Company with this Agency
Agreement and the Warrant Indenture and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
contemplated do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the
terms and provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time,
or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien
upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
loan agreement or other agreement, instrument, franchise, license or permit to which the Company is
a party or by which the Company or its respective properties, operations or assets may be bound or
(ii) violate or conflict with any provision of the articles of incorporation, by-laws, or other
organizational documents of the Company, or (iii) violate or conflict with any statute, law, rule,
regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other
legal or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, except (in the case of clauses (i) and
(iii) above) as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) No Consent of, with or from any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency
or body or any third party, domestic or foreign, is required for the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agency Agreement or the Warrant Indenture or consummation of the transactions
contemplated by such agreements, except the registration under the Securities Act of the Securities
and the qualification of the Securities for distribution in the Canadian Jurisdictions as
contemplated by this Agency Agreement (including the filing of a
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prospectus supplement covering the
issuance of the Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrants, from time to time, as contemplated by
this Agency Agreement), necessary approvals
of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”) and the NYSE Amex LLC (“NYSE Amex”) and any consents
as may be required under state or foreign securities or blue sky laws, or the by-laws and rules of
the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) in connection with the placement of the
Units by the Agents and the sale of the Securities by the Company, each of which has been obtained
and is in full force and effect; except for the approval of the TSX and the NYSE Amex and the
filing of the Prospectuses with the Commission and with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities under
the MJDS Rule, each of which will be obtained or filed, as applicable, in accordance with the terms
and conditions of this Agency Agreement.
(t) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the
Prospectuses, there is no judicial, regulatory, arbitral or other legal or governmental proceeding
or other litigation or arbitration, U.S., Canadian or foreign, pending to which the Company is a
party or of which any property, operations or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is the
subject which, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; to the Company’s knowledge, no such
proceeding, litigation or arbitration is threatened or contemplated; and the defense of all such
proceedings, litigation and arbitration against or involving the Company could not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) The consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, and the supporting
schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary
Prospectuses and the Prospectuses present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position
as of the dates indicated and the cash flows and results of operations for the periods specified of
the Company; except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses
and the Prospectuses, said consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with
United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the
periods involved and the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses present fairly, in all material respects, the
information required to be stated therein. No other financial statements or supporting schedules
are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the
Prospectuses by Canadian Securities Laws, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or the Rules and
Regulations. The other financial and statistical information included or incorporated by reference
in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, including the
selected consolidated financial data set forth under the captions “Selected Consolidated Financial
Data” and “Capitalization” in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, present fairly the
information included therein and have been prepared on a basis consistent with that of the
financial statements that are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
and the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses and the books and records of the Company.
(v) There has not been any reportable event (within the meaning of National Instrument 51-102
— Continuous Disclosure Obligations of the Canadian Securities Administrators) between the Company
and its auditors.
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(w) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration
Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses is based on or derived
from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and
accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which it is derived.
(x) The Common Stock has been registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act. The
Common Stock is listed on the TSX, the NYSE Amex and the Frankfurt Exchange, the Company is not in
default of any listing requirements of the TSX, NYSE Amex or the Frankfurt Exchange applicable to
the Company, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of,
terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or de-listing the Common
Stock from the TSX, the NYSE Amex or the Frankfurt Exchange, nor has the Company received any
notification that the Commission, the Canadian Qualifying Authorities, the TSX, the NYSE Amex or
the Frankfurt Exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.
(y) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting and other controls sufficient to
provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s
general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting
principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accounting
for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken
with respect to any differences. The books and records of the Company disclose all of their
material financial transactions and such transactions have been fairly and accurately recorded.
(z) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term
is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the
Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal
financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles. The Company’s
internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material
weaknesses in their internal control over financial reporting. Since the date of the latest
audited consolidated financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Preliminary
Prospectuses and the Prospectuses there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(aa) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule
13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such
disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating
to the Company is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial
officer by others within those entities. Such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
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(bb) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of its directors or
officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of
2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including,
without limitation, Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to
certifications. The Company is not indebted to any of its directors or officers, other than on
account of directors fees or expenses accrued but not paid, or to the best of its knowledge, to any
of its stockholders. The Company has not guaranteed or agreed to guarantee any debt, liability or
other obligation of any kind whatsoever of any person, firm or corporation of any kind whatsoever.
(cc) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates (within the meaning of Rule 144 under the
Securities Act) has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is designed to
cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of any
of the Securities.
(dd) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates (within the meaning of Rule 144 under the
Securities Act) has, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of any securities which could
be “integrated” (within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations) with the
offer and sale of the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(ee) The statements set forth in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses under the
captions “Description of Common Stock” and “Description of Warrants”, insofar as they purport to
constitute a summary of the terms of the Common Stock, the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant
Shares, and under the captions “U.S. Federal Income Tax
Consequences”, “Plan of Distribution”, and in the
Prospectuses under “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax
Considerations” and “Certain Canadian Federal Income Tax
Consequences” and in the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian Prospectus under “Eligibility for
Investment” and “Purchaser’s Statutory Rights”,
insofar as they purport to summarize legal matters and documents referred to
therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material respects.
(ff) There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described
in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses or the Prospectuses, or to be filed as
an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required; insofar as such descriptions
summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, such descriptions
are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.
(gg) The Company is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 of the Exchange Act
and files periodic reports with the Commission. All conditions for use of Form S-3 to register the
Securities under the Securities Act have been satisfied. The documents incorporated or deemed to
be incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, at the time they
were or hereafter are filed with the Commission or the Canadian Qualifying Authorities, complied
and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange
Act, the Rules and Regulations and Canadian Securities Laws and, when read together with the other
information in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, as applicable, do not contain an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
11
a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading.
(hh) The Company is not and, at all times up to and including consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture, and after giving effect to
application of the net proceeds of the Offering as described in the Preliminary Prospectuses and
the Prospectuses, will not be, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended, and is not and will not be an entity “controlled” by an
“investment company” within the meaning of such act.
(ii) Except as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, there are no
contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to
a valid claim against the Company or any Agent for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other
like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agency Agreement and the
Warrant Indenture or, to the Company’s knowledge, any arrangements, agreements, understandings,
payments or issuance with respect to the Company or any of its officers, directors, shareholders,
partners, employees, or affiliates that may affect the Agents’ compensation as determined by FINRA.
(jj) Except as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, the Company (i)
does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any
of the Agents and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Units
hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any of the Agents.
(kk) Except as otherwise disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, the
Company owns or leases all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its business as
presently operated and as proposed to be operated as described in the Preliminary Prospectuses and
the Prospectuses, except as such do not (individually or in the aggregate) materially affect the
Company’s conduct of its business as presently operated and as proposed to be operated as described
in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses. The Company has good and marketable title to
all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each
case free and clear of any and all Liens except such as are described in the Preliminary
Prospectuses and the Prospectuses or such as do not (individually or in the aggregate) materially
affect the value of such property or materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made
of such property by the Company; and any real property and buildings held under lease or sublease
by the Company are held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions
as are not material to, and do not materially interfere with, the use made and proposed to be made
of such property and buildings by the Company. The Company has not received any notice of any claim
adverse to its ownership of any real or personal property or of any claim against the continued
possession of any real property, whether owned or held under lease or sublease by the Company.
(ll) All interests in material mining claims, concessions, exploitation or extraction rights
or similar rights (“Mining Claims”) that are held by the Company are completely and accurately
described in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses and are in good standing, are valid
and enforceable, are free and clear of any material liens or charges, and no
12
material royalty is
payable in respect of any of them, except as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the
Prospectuses. Except as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, no other
material property rights are necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as described
therein, and there are no material restrictions on the ability of the Company
to use, transfer or otherwise exploit any such property rights except as required by
applicable law or as set forth in the agreements listed in Exhibit A hereto (collectively, the
“Material Agreements”) and the Company does not know of any claim or basis for a claim that may
adversely affect the Company’s rights in any material respect. Except as disclosed in the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses, the Mining Claims held by the Company cover the
properties required by the Company for the purposes described therein.
(mm) The Company has duly filed with the applicable regulatory authorities all reports
required by NI 43-101, and all such reports comply with the requirements of such instrument in all
material respects.
(nn) The Company maintains insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company
reasonably considers adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and
as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries, all of which
insurance is in full force and effect, except where the failure to maintain such insurance could
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no material claims by the
Company under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability
or defending under a reservation of rights clause. The Company reasonably believes that it will be
able to renew its existing insurance as and when such coverage expires or will be able to obtain
replacement insurance adequate for the conduct of the business and the value of its properties at a
cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(oo) The Company has accurately prepared and timely filed all U.S. and Canadian federal,
state, provincial, foreign and other tax returns that are required to be filed by it and has paid
or made provision for the payment of all taxes, assessments, governmental or other similar charges,
including without limitation, all sales and use taxes and all taxes which the Company is obligated
to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, with respect to the
periods covered by such tax returns (whether or not such amounts are shown as due on any tax
return). No deficiency assessment with respect to a proposed adjustment of the Company’s U.S. or
Canadian federal, state, provincial, local or foreign taxes is pending or, to the best of the
Company’s knowledge, threatened. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company
in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not finally determined are adequate to meet
any assessments and related liabilities for any such period and, since the date of the most recent
audited consolidated financial statements, the Company has not incurred any liability for taxes
other than in the ordinary course of its business. There is no tax lien, whether imposed by any
U.S. or Canadian federal, state, provincial, foreign or other taxing authority, outstanding against
the assets, properties or business of the Company.
(pp) There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under Canadian or U.S.
federal law or the laws of any state, province or any political subdivision thereof, required to be
paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agency Agreement and the Warrant
Indenture or the issuance and sale by the Company of the Securities.
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(qq) No dispute between the Company and any local, native or indigenous group exists or is
threatened or imminent with respect to any of the Company’s properties or exploration activities
that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(rr) No labor disturbance by the employees of the Company exists or, to the best of the
Company’s knowledge, is imminent and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor
disturbances by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or
contractors, which, in either case (individually or in the aggregate), could reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ss) No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in either Section 406 of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations
thereunder (“ERISA”) or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to
time (the “Code”)), “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or other
event of the kind described in Section 4043(b) of ERISA (other than events with respect to which
the 30-day notice requirement under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred with
respect to any employee benefit plan for which the Company would have any liability which could
(individually or in the aggregate) reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; each
employee benefit plan for which the Company would have any liability is in compliance in all
material respects with applicable law, including (without limitation) ERISA and the Code; the
Company has not incurred and does not expect to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with
respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from any “pension plan”; and each plan for which the
Company would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code
is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could cause
the loss of such qualification.
(tt) There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, use, treatment,
disposal, discharge, emission, contamination, release or other activity involving any kind of
hazardous, toxic or other wastes, pollutants, contaminants, petroleum products or other hazardous
or toxic substances, chemicals or materials (“Hazardous Substances”) by, due to, on behalf of, or
caused by the Company (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions
the Company is or may be liable) upon any property now or previously owned, operated, used or
leased by the Company, or upon any other property, which would be a violation of or give rise to
any liability under any applicable law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit, common
law provision or other legally binding standard relating to pollution or protection of human health
and the environment (“Environmental Law”), except for violations and liabilities which,
individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. There has been no disposal, discharge, emission contamination or other release of any kind
at, onto or from any such property or into the environment surrounding any such property of any
Hazardous Substances with respect to which the Company has knowledge, except as could not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The
Company has not agreed to assume, undertake or provide indemnification for any liability of any
other person under any Environmental Law, including any obligation for cleanup or remedial action,
except as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect. There is no pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened
administrative, regulatory or judicial
14
action, claim or notice of noncompliance or violation,
investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company. No property of
the Company is subject to any Lien under any Environmental Law. The Company is not subject to any
order, decree, agreement or other individualized legal requirement related to any Environmental
Law, which, in any case (individually or in the aggregate), could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(uu) In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of
Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company, in the course of
which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation,
any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure or remediation of properties
or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints
on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such
review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(vv) The Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its employees or agents, has not at
any time during the last five years (i) made any unlawful contribution to any candidate for
non-United States office, or failed to disclose fully any such contribution in violation of law, or
(ii) made any payment to any federal or state governmental officer or official, or other person
charged with similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or permitted by
the laws of the United States of any jurisdiction thereof. The operations of the Company are and
have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and
reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended,
the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder
and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any
governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding
by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the
Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the
Company, threatened. The Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer,
agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is not currently subject to any U.S. sanctions
administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and
the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute
or otherwise make available such proceeds to any joint venture partner or other person or entity,
for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions
administered by OFAC.
(ww) The Company (i) is not in violation of its articles of incorporation, by-laws, or other
organizational documents, (ii) is not in default under, and no event has occurred which, with
notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default under or result in the creation or
imposition of any Lien upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or
by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject, or (iii) is in violation
of any statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any
judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, U.S., Canadian or foreign,
except (in
15
the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above) for violations or defaults that could not
(individually or in the aggregate) reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xx) The Company has complied with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act with
respect to each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus including, without limitation, all prospectus
delivery, filing, record retention and legending requirements applicable to any
such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company has not (i) distributed any offering
material in connection with the Offering other than the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectuses
and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus set forth on Annex IV hereto, or (ii) filed, referred to,
approved, used or authorized the use of any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under
the Securities Act with respect to the Offering of the Units, except for any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus set forth in Annex IV hereto and any electronic road show previously approved by the
Lead Agents.
(yy) The Company is a reporting issuer in the Canadian Jurisdictions and is not on the list of
defaulting issuers maintained under the securities legislation of each of the Canadian
Jurisdictions.
(zz) Corporate Stock Transfer, Inc. at its principal offices in the City of Denver, Colorado
is the duly appointed registrar and transfer agent of the Company with respect to the Common Stock
and Warrant Trustee with respect to the Warrants.
(aaa) The minute books and corporate records of the Company are true and correct in all
material respects and contain all minutes of all meetings and all resolutions of the directors (and
any committees of such directors) and stockholders of the Company as at the date hereof and at the
Closing Date will contain the minutes of all meetings and all resolutions of the directors (and any
committees of such directors) and stockholders of the Company.
(bbb) Each stock option granted under any stock option plan of the Company (each, a “Stock
Plan”) was granted with a per share exercise price no less than the fair market value per share of
Common Stock on the grant date of such option, and no such grant involved any “back-dating,”
“forward-dating” or similar practice with respect to the effective date of such grant; each such
option (i) was granted in compliance with applicable law and with the applicable Stock Plan(s),
(ii) was duly approved by the board of directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) of the
Company, as applicable, and (iii) has been properly accounted for in the Company’s financial
statements and disclosed, to the extent required, in the Company’s filings or submissions with the
Commission and the Canadian Qualifying Authorities.
(ccc) The Company has been a reporting company for at least three years and timely in its
reporting obligations under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder during the past twelve months. As of a date within 60 calendar days of the date of this
Agreement, the aggregate market value of the Common Stock held by non-affiliates was US$100,000,000
or greater and the Common Stock had an annual trading volume of at least three million shares.
16
Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Company and delivered to the Lead Agents or to
counsel for the Agents shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each
Agent as to the matters covered thereby.
2. Agreement to Act as Agents; Offering of Securities. On the basis of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms
and conditions herein set forth:
(a) The Company hereby authorizes the Agents to act as its exclusive agents in connection with
the Offering. Prior to the earlier of (i) the date on which this Agency Agreement is terminated
and (ii) the Closing Date (as defined below), the Company shall not, without the prior written
consent of the Lead Agents, solicit or accept offers to purchase any equity securities of the
Company (other than pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants to purchase Common Stock that
are outstanding at the date hereof) otherwise than through the Agents in accordance herewith.
(b) The Agents hereby agree, as agents of the Company, to use their reasonable best efforts to
solicit offers to purchase all or part of the Units from the Company upon the terms and conditions
set forth in the Prospectuses. The Agents shall make reasonable best efforts to assist the Company
in obtaining performance by each purchaser whose offer to purchase Units has been solicited by the
Agents and accepted by the Company, but the Agents shall not have any liability to the Company in
the event that any such purchase is not consummated for any reason. Under no circumstances will
the Agents be obligated to underwrite or to purchase any Units for their own accounts or otherwise
provide any financing and, in soliciting purchases of Units, the Agents shall act solely as the
Company’s agents and not as principals. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is understood and agreed
that the Agents (or their affiliates) may, solely at their discretion and without any obligation to
do so, purchase Units as principals.
(c) Subject to the provisions of this Section 2, offers for the purchase of Units may be
solicited by the Agents as agents for the Company at such times and in such amounts as the Agents
deem advisable. Each Agent shall have the right, in its discretion reasonably exercised, without
notice to the Company, to reject any offer to purchase the Units received by it, in whole or in
part, and any such rejection shall not be deemed a breach of its agreement contained herein.
(d) The Company hereby grants to the Agents, acting severally and not jointly, the option to
place up to 1,500,000 Additional Units at the same purchase price per Unit to be paid for the Firm
Units for the sole purpose of covering additional subscriptions in the sale of Firm Units. This
option may be exercised at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part on one or more
occasions, up to two business days prior to the Closing Date, by written notice from the Lead
Agents to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Additional Units as to
which the option is being exercised.
(e) As compensation for the services rendered to the Company by the Agents in respect of the
Offering, the Company will pay to the Agents, in U.S. currency, an aggregate amount equal to six
percent (6%) of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale
17
of the Units on the
Closing Date (as defined below) (the “Agency Fee”), payable on the Closing Date. The Agency Fee
will be divided among the Agents pro rata based on the percentages noted in Schedule I hereto.
(f) No Units which the Company has agreed to sell pursuant to this Agency Agreement shall be
deemed to have been purchased and paid for, or sold by the Company, until the appropriate
corresponding amount of Shares and Warrants shall have been delivered to the Lead Agents acting on
behalf of the purchasers thereof against payment by the Lead Agents on behalf of such purchasers,
in each case in accordance with this Agency Agreement. If the
Company shall default in its obligations to deliver the Units to the Lead Agents acting on
behalf of a purchaser, the Company shall indemnify and hold the Agents harmless against any loss,
claim, damage or liability directly or indirectly arising from or as a result of such default by
the Company.
(g) The Shares and Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately. Payment
of the purchase price for the Units, and delivery of certificates representing the Shares and
Warrants shall be made at the offices of Lang Xxxxxxxx LLP or at such other place as shall be
agreed upon by the Lead Agents and the Company, at 8:15 A.M., New York City time, on October 27,
2009, or such other time and date as the Lead Agents and the Company may agree upon in writing
(such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of
the certificates representing the Shares and Warrants will be made through the facilities of The
Depository Trust Company for the respective accounts of the Lead Agents, acting on behalf of the
purchasers, against payment of the purchase price for the Units by wire transfer in same day funds
to or as directed in writing by the Company in the manner described below. Certificates for the
Shares and Warrants shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such denominations as
the Lead Agents may request. The Company will permit the Lead Agents to examine and package such
certificates for delivery at least one full business day prior to the Closing Date. Each purchaser
shall deposit its respective payment of the purchase price for the Units into an account or
accounts established with the Agents. On the Closing Date, the Agents shall, with respect to each
such purchaser, cause the purchase price for such Units, reduced by an amount equal to the sum of
the aggregate Agency Fee payable to the Agents with respect to the sale of such Units, to be wired
from such accounts to an account designated by the Company in exchange for the release of such
purchaser’s Units.
(h) The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the terms of this Agency Agreement and the
Offering (including the price of the Units) were negotiated at arm’s length between sophisticated
parties represented by counsel; (ii) no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company and
the Agents has been created as a result of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agency
Agreement or the process leading to such transactions, irrespective of whether any Agent has
advised or is advising any such party on other matters, (iii) the Agents’ obligations to the
Company in respect of the Offering are set forth in this Agency Agreement in their entirety and
(iv) it has obtained such legal, tax, accounting and other advice as it deems appropriate with
respect to this Agency Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and any other activities
undertaken in connection therewith, and it is not relying on the Agents with respect to any such
matters.
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3. Covenants of the Company. In addition to the other covenants and agreements of the
Company contained herein, the Company further covenants and agrees with each of the Agents that:
(a) The Company shall prepare the U.S. Prospectus in a form approved by you and file such U.S.
Prospectus pursuant to, and within the time period specified in, Rule 424(b) and Rule 430B under
the Securities Act. The Company shall prepare the Canadian Prospectus in a form approved by the
Lead Agents and file such Canadian Prospectus pursuant to, and within the time period specified
under the MJDS Rule. The Company shall file a prospectus supplement in the United States relating
to issuances, from time to time upon exercises of the
Warrants, of the Warrant Shares (the “U.S. Warrant Prospectus”), in a form approved by the
Lead Agents and file such U.S. Warrant Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) and Rule 430B under the
Securities Act prior to the Closing Date. Prior to the termination of the Offering of the
Securities, the Company will not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement or
amendment to the Prospectuses or the U.S. Warrant Prospectus unless the Company has furnished a
copy to the Lead Agents and their legal counsel for their review prior to filing and will not file
any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Lead Agents reasonably object. The Company
will cause the Prospectuses and the U.S. Warrant Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement
thereto to be filed, each in a form approved by the Lead Agents with the Canadian Qualifying
Authorities in accordance with the MJDS Rule (in the case of the Canadian Prospectus) and with the
Commission (in the case of the U.S. Prospectus and the U.S. Warrant Prospectus) within the time
period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Lead Agents of such timely filings.
The Company will promptly advise the Lead Agents (1) when the U.S. Prospectus and the U.S. Warrant
Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed with the Commission, (2) when the
Canadian Prospectus shall have been filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities pursuant to the
MJDS Rule, (3) when, prior to termination of the Offering of the Units, any amendment to the
Registration Statement or the Canadian Prospectus shall have been filed or become effective or a
Receipt in respect of any such amendment has been issued, as the case may be, (4) of any request by
the Canadian Qualifying Authorities or the Commission for any amendment of or supplement to the
Canadian Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the U.S. Prospectus or the U.S. Warrant
Prospectus, as applicable, or for any additional information, (5) of the Company’s intention to
file, or prepare any supplement or amendment to, the Registration Statement, the Prospectuses, the
U.S. Warrant Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (6) of the time when any amendment
to the Canadian Prospectus has been filed with or receipted by the Canadian Qualifying Authorities,
or of the filing with or mailing or the delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment of
or supplement to the Registration Statement, the U.S. Prospectus or the U.S. Warrant Prospectus,
(7) of the issuance by the Canadian Qualifying Authorities or the Commission of any cease trade
order or any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Canadian Prospectus or the Registration
Statement, as applicable, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or suspending the use of any of
the Prospectuses, the U.S. Warrant Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or, in each
case, of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings therefor, (8) of the receipt of any
comments or communications from the Canadian Qualifying Authorities, the Commission or any other
regulatory authority relating to the Prospectuses, the Registration Statement, the U.S. Warrant
Prospectus or the listing of the Shares and the Warrant Shares on the
19
TSX or the NYSE Amex, and (9)
of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the
qualification of the Units, Shares, Warrants or Warrant Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the
initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose. If the Canadian Qualifying
Authorities or the Commission shall propose or enter a cease trade order or a stop order at any
time, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such cease
trade order or stop order and, if issued, to obtain the lifting of such order as soon as possible.
(b) The Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly after the execution of
this Agency Agreement, and in any event no later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the date of
this Agency Agreement, the U.S. Prospectus.
(c) The Company will prepare and file with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities, promptly after
the execution of this Agency Agreement, and in any event no later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City
time) on the date of this Agency Agreement, and in conformity in all material respects with
applicable Canadian Securities Laws, the Canadian Prospectus.
(d) If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities (or, in lieu thereof, the
notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required to be delivered under the
Securities Act, any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Preliminary Prospectuses
(prior to the availability of the Prospectuses) or the Prospectuses as then amended or supplemented
would, in the judgment of the Agents or the Company, include 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, in light of the circumstances existing at the time of delivery of such
Preliminary Prospectuses or Prospectuses (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule
173(a) under the Securities Act) to the purchaser, not misleading, or if to comply with the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations or Canadian Securities Laws, it shall
be necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectuses, the
Registration Statement, or the Canadian Base Prospectus, or to file any document incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectuses or in any amendment thereof or
supplement thereto, the Company will notify the Lead Agents promptly and prepare and file with the
Commission and the Canadian Qualifying Authorities an appropriate amendment, supplement or document
(in form and substance satisfactory to the Lead Agents) that will correct such statement or
omission or effect such compliance, and will use its reasonable best efforts to have any amendment
to the Registration Statement declared effective as soon as possible
and/or obtain receipt therefor, issued in accordance with the MJDS Rule the Canadian Qualifying Authorities as soon as possible. The Company, during the
period when a prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the
Securities Act) is required to be delivered under the Securities Act in connection with the offer
or sale of the Securities, will file all reports and other documents required to be filed by the
Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations thereunder, and with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities pursuant to
Canadian Securities Laws, within the time periods required thereby.
20
(e) The Company will not, without the prior consent of the Lead Agents, (i) make any offer
relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405
under the Securities Act, except for any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus set forth in Annex IV
hereto and any electronic road show previously approved by the Lead Agents, or (ii) file, refer to,
approve, use or authorize the use of any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the
Securities Act with respect to the Offering of the Securities. If at any time any event shall have
occurred as a result of which any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented
would, in the judgment of the Agents or the Company, conflict with the information in the
Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses or the Prospectuses as then amended or
supplemented or would, in the judgment of the Agents or the Company, include 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, in light of the circumstances existing at the time of delivery to the
purchaser, not misleading, or if to comply with the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations it
shall be necessary at any time to amend or supplement any Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus, the Company will notify the Lead Agents promptly and, if requested by
the Lead Agents, prepare and furnish without charge to each Agent an appropriate amendment or
supplement (in form and substance satisfactory to the Lead Agents) that will correct such
statement, omission or conflict or effect such compliance.
(f) The Company has complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of
Rule 433 with respect to each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus including, without limitation, all
prospectus delivery, filing, record retention and legending requirements applicable to each such
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
(g) The Company will promptly deliver to each of the Agents conformed copies of the Canadian
Base Prospectus, the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian Prospectus and any amendment
or supplement thereto, signed and certified as required by Canadian Securities Laws, a copy of any
other document required to be filed by the Company in compliance with Canadian Securities Laws in
connection with the Offering, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement, as initially filed
and all amendments thereto, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith. The Company will
promptly deliver to each of the Agents such number of copies of the Preliminary Prospectuses,
Prospectuses and the Registration Statement, all amendments of and supplements to such documents,
if any, as the Agents may reasonably request. Prior to 10:00 A.M., New York time, on the business
day next succeeding the date of this Agency Agreement and from time to time thereafter, the Company
will furnish the Agents with copies of the Prospectuses in New York City and Vancouver, in such
quantities as the Agents may reasonably request.
(h) The Company will furnish to the Warrant Trustee, without charge, during the period when a
prospectus is required by the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations to be delivered in
connection with exercises of Warrants, such number of copies of the U.S. Warrant Prospectus as the
Warrant Trustee may reasonably request. The copies of the U.S. Warrant Prospectus furnished to the
Warrant Trustee will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the
Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent required or permitted by Regulation S-T.
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(i) Promptly from time to time, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in
cooperation with the Lead Agents, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the
securities laws relating to the offering or sale of the Securities of such jurisdictions, domestic
or foreign, as the Lead Agents may designate and to maintain such qualification in effect for so
long as required for the distribution thereof; except that in no event shall the Company be
obligated in connection therewith to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now
so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than
those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not
now so subject nor, except in the United States or Canada, shall the offering or sale be made in
any jurisdiction which would require registration of the Securities or require the Company to file
a prospectus in such jurisdiction or subject the Company to ongoing reporting requirements in such
jurisdiction
(j) The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable,
but in any event not later than twelve months after the effective date of the
Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Securities Act), an earnings
statement of the Company (which need not be audited) which will satisfy the provisions of Section
11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158.
(k) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts during the term of the Warrants to
maintain the effectiveness of one or more registration statements covering of the issuance and sale
of the Warrant Shares, and shall take such other action to ensure that Warrant Shares shall not be
subject to restrictions on resale under the Securities Act by persons that are not affiliates of
the Company (provided, however, that nothing shall prevent the amalgamation, merger or sale of the
Company, including any take-over bid, and any associated delisting or deregistration or ceasing to
be a reporting issuer, provided that, so long as the Warrants are outstanding and represent a right
to acquire securities of the acquiring company, the acquiring company shall assume the Company’s
obligations under the Warrant Indenture).
(l) During the period of 60 days from the date of the Prospectuses (the “Lock-Up Period”),
without the prior written consent of the Lead Agents, the Company (i) will not, directly or
indirectly, issue, offer, sell, agree to issue, offer or sell, solicit offers to purchase, grant
any call option, warrant or other right to purchase, purchase any put option or other right to
sell, pledge, borrow or otherwise dispose of any Relevant Security, or make any public announcement
of any of the foregoing, (ii) will not establish or increase any “put equivalent position” or
liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” (in each case within the meaning of Section 16
of the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations) with respect to any Relevant Security, and (iii)
will not otherwise enter into any swap, derivative or other transaction or arrangement that
transfers to another, in whole or in part, any economic consequence of ownership of a Relevant
Security, whether or not such transaction is to be settled by delivery of Relevant Securities,
other securities, cash or other consideration; and the Company will obtain an undertaking in
substantially the form of Annex III hereto of each of its officers and directors listed on Schedule
II attached hereto, not to engage in any of the aforementioned transactions on their own behalf,
other than the sale of Securities as contemplated by this Agency Agreement and (i) the Company’s
issuance of Common Stock upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities
outstanding on the date hereof; (ii) the Company’s
22
issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of
currently outstanding options; (iii) the Company’s issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of
currently outstanding warrants; and (iv) the grant and exercise of options under, or the issuance
and sale of shares pursuant to, employee stock option plans in effect on the date hereof, each as
described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses and (v)
the Company’s issuance of up to 10% of its issued and outstanding Common Stock at the date hereof
in connection with the acquisition of any business, property or asset that is consistent with the
business of the Company as presently carried on, as described in the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses. During the Lock-up Period, the Company will not
qualify a prospectus under Canadian Securities Laws or file a registration statement under the
Securities Act in connection with any transaction by the Company or any person that is prohibited
pursuant to the foregoing, except for registration statements on Form S-8 relating to employee
benefit plans and the U.S. Warrant Prospectus.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period the
Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to
the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period the Company announces
that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the
Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by the immediately preceding paragraph shall continue to
apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release
or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless the Lead Agents
waive, in writing, such extension. The Company will provide the Lead Agents, each officer and
director of the Company listed on Schedule II attached hereto with prior notice of any such
announcement that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period.
(m) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to maintain its status as a reporting
issuer not in default under Canadian Securities Laws.
(n) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the
Shares on the TSX and the NYSE Amex.
(o) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Units as set forth under the
caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses.
(p) The Company will not take, and will cause its affiliates (within the meaning of Rule 144
under the Securities Act) not to take, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is
designed to cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or
result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or
resale of the Securities.
(q) The Company shall provide the Lead Agents with a draft of any press release to be issued
in connection with the Offering of the Units, and will provide the Lead Agents and their counsel
sufficient time to comment thereon and will accept all reasonable comments of the Lead Agents and
their counsel on such press releases.
23
(r) Each Agent, severally and not jointly, covenants and agrees with the Company that such
Agent will not use or refer to any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the
Securities Act) without the prior written consent of the Company, except for any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus set forth in Annex IV hereto and any electronic road show previously approved by
the Lead Agents. The Company and each Agent, severally and not jointly, agrees that any such free
writing prospectus, the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Agents, is listed
in Annex IV hereto.
4. Payment of Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agency
Agreement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectuses are consummated or this Agency Agreement
is terminated, the Company hereby agrees to pay all costs and expenses incident to the performance
of its obligations hereunder, including the following: (i) all expenses in connection with the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectuses, the
Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectuses, the U.S. Warrant Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus and any and all amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of
copies thereof to the Agents; (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Warrant Indenture;
(iii) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection
with the qualification of the Securities under Canadian Securities
Laws, the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act and the Offering; (iii) the
cost of producing this Agency Agreement and any agreement among Agents, blue sky survey, closing
documents and other instruments, agreements or documents (including any compilations thereof) in
connection with the Offering; (iv) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the
Securities for offering and sale under state or foreign securities, or “blue sky”, laws as provided
in Section 3(i) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents in
connection with such qualification and in connection with any blue sky survey; (v) the filing fees
incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents in connection with compliance
with the rules and regulations of FINRA in connection with the Offering; (vi) all fees and expenses
in connection with listing the Shares and Warrant Shares on the TSX and the NYSE Amex; (vii) all
travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expense of the Company
incurred in connection with attending or hosting meetings with prospective purchasers of the Units;
and (viii) any transfer taxes incurred in connection with this Agency Agreement or the Offering.
The Company also will pay or cause to be paid: (a) the cost of preparing certificates representing
the Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares; (b) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or
registrar for the Shares and the Warrant Trustee; (c) the reasonable actual and accountable costs
and expenses of the Agents, including the fees of their counsel, any experts or consultants
retained by them and other out of pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agency Agreement except that the Company shall only be
responsible for up to $150,000 of the legal fees of the Agents’ counsel; and (d) all other costs
and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this Section 4. It is understood, however, that except as provided in
this Section 4 and in Sections 6, 7 and 9 hereof, the Agents will pay their own costs and expenses
in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agency Agreement.
5. Conditions of Agents’ Obligations. The respective obligations of the several
Agents hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the
24
Company herein contained, as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, to the performance by
the Company of all of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional
conditions:
(a) The Canadian Prospectus shall have been filed with the Canadian Qualifying Authorities and
the U.S. Prospectus and the U.S. Warrant Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in a
timely fashion in accordance with Section 3 hereof; no order of any securities commission,
securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in Canada to cease distribution of the Shares and
Warrants under the Canadian Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, shall have been issued, and no
proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company,
threatened; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any
post-effective amendment thereto, and no stop order suspending or preventing the use of any U.S.
Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus, the U.S. Prospectus, the U.S.
Warrant Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, shall have been issued by the Commission
and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; all requests
for additional information on the part of the Canadian Qualifying Authorities or the Commission
shall have been complied with to the Agents’ reasonable satisfaction; and all necessary regulatory
or stock exchange approvals shall have been received.
(b) At the Closing Date, you shall have received the written opinion of Lang Xxxxxxxx LLP,
Canadian counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Agents, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Lead Agents, to the effect set forth in Annex I hereto.
(c) At the Closing Date, you shall have received the written opinion of Xxxxxx & Whitney LLP,
United States counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Agents, in form
and substance satisfactory to the Lead Agents, to the effect set forth in Annex II hereto.
(d) At the Closing Date, you shall have received the written opinions of counsel to the
Company, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Agents, in form and substance satisfactory to
the Lead Agents, as to title by the Company of the West North Butte Project, the South Doughstick
Project, the Xxxxxxx Ranch Project and the Xxxx Project, and with respect to such matters related
to the transactions contemplated hereby reasonably requested by the Agents.
(e) At the Closing Date, you shall have received the written opinions of Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Xxxxxxx and Xxxx LLP, the Agents’ United States counsel, and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, the Agents’
Canadian counsel (together, “Agents’ Counsel”), dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Agents,
with respect to such matters as you may require, and the Company shall have furnished to Agents’
Counsel such documents as they may reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon
such matters.
(f) At the Closing Date, you shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Agents, as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties
25
of the Company
set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, as to the
performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to the
Closing Date, and as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (i) of this Section 5, and as
to such other matters as you may reasonably request.
(g) At the time this Agency Agreement is executed, you shall have received a comfort letter,
from Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, dated as of
the date of this Agency Agreement and addressed to the Agents, and in form and substance
satisfactory to the Agents and Agents’ Counsel.
(h) At the Closing Date, you shall have received from Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, a letter to the
effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to paragraph (g) of
this section, and addressed to the Agents, and in form and substance satisfactory to the Agents and
Agents’ Counsel.
(i) The Company shall not have sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the
Prospectuses, any material loss or interference with its business or properties from fire,
explosion, flood, hurricane, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or
from any labor dispute or any legal or governmental proceeding, other than as set forth in the
Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses (exclusive of any amendment or supplement
thereto); and subsequent to the dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses (exclusive of any amendment or
supplement thereto), there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term or
short-term debt of the Company or any change or any development involving a change, whether or not
arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, in the business, general affairs,
management, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity,
properties or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries, individually or taken as a whole, the
effect of which, in any such case described above, is, in the judgment of the Lead Agents, so
material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering on the
terms and in the manner contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectuses
(exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
(j) You shall have received a duly executed lock-up agreement from each person who is a
director or officer of the Company listed on Schedule II hereto, in each case substantially in the
form attached hereto as Annex III.
(k) At the Closing Date, the Warrant Indenture shall have been duly authorized by the Company
and duly executed and delivered by each of the Company and the Warrant Trustee.
(l) At the Closing Date, the Shares and the Warrant Shares shall have been conditionally
approved for listing on the TSX and shall be approved for listing, subject to official notice of
issuance, on the NYSE Amex.
26
(m) At the Closing Date, the Agents will be satisfied, based on the reasonable judgment of
their counsel, that the Offering is exempt from the filing and review requirements of FINRA.
(n) The Company shall have furnished the Agents and Agents’ Counsel with such other
certificates, opinions or other documents as they may have reasonably requested.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as
required by this Agency Agreement, or if any of the certificates, opinions, written statements or
letters furnished to the Agents or to Agents’ Counsel pursuant to this Section 5 shall not be
satisfactory in form and substance to the Lead Agents and to Agents’ Counsel, all obligations of
the Agents hereunder may be cancelled by the Lead Agents at, or at any time prior to, the Closing
Date. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone. Any
such telephone notice shall be confirmed promptly thereafter in writing.
6. Indemnification.
(a) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Agent, each of the officers and
directors of each Agent and each other person, if any, who controls any Agent within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any and all losses,
liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever as incurred (including but not limited to
attorneys’ fees and any and all expenses whatsoever incurred in investigating, preparing or
defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, and any and all
amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or several, to which they or any of
them may become subject under Canadian Securities Laws, the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, liabilities, claims,
damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained (A) in the Preliminary
Prospectuses or the Prospectuses, as originally filed or in any supplement thereto or amendment
thereof, in the Registration Statement, as originally filed or any amendment thereof, or in any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or in any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under
the Securities Act) filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act,
or (B) in any other materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the
Company in connection with the Offering, including in any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under
the Securities Act) for the Offering (“Marketing Materials”), or (ii) the omission or alleged
omission to state in the Preliminary Prospectuses or the Prospectuses, as originally filed or in
any supplement thereto or amendment thereof, in the Registration Statement, as originally filed or
any amendment thereof, or in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or in any “issuer information” (as
defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule
433(d) under the Securities Act, or in any Marketing Materials, 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, in the case of any prospectus) not misleading; provided, however, that the
Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent but only to the extent that any such
loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by
27
or on behalf of any Agent through
the Lead Agents expressly for use therein. The parties agree that such information provided by or
on behalf of any Agent through the Lead Agents consists solely of the material referred to in
Section 14 hereof. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company
may otherwise have, including but not limited to other liability under this Agency Agreement.
(b) Each Agent, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each
of the directors of the Company, each of the officers of the Company who shall have signed the
Canadian Prospectuses and the Registration Statement and each other person, if any, who controls
the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange
Act, against any losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses whatsoever as incurred
(including but not limited to attorneys’ fees and any and all expenses whatsoever incurred in
investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim
whatsoever, and any and all amounts paid in settlement of any claim or litigation), joint or
several, to which they or any of them may become subject under Canadian Securities Laws, the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, liabilities, claims, damages
or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Prospectuses or the
Prospectuses, as originally filed or any amendment thereof or amendment thereto, or in the
Registration Statement, as originally filed or any amendment thereof, or arise out of or are based
upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but
only to the extent, that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of or is
based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission
made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the
Company by or on behalf of any Agent through the Lead
Agents specifically for use therein; provided, however, that in no case shall any Agent be
liable or responsible for any amount in excess of the Agency Fees received by such Agent hereunder.
The parties agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Agent through the Lead
Agents consists solely of the material referred to in Section 14 hereof.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice
of any claims or the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in
respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify each
party against whom indemnification is to be sought in writing of the claim or the commencement
thereof (but the failure so to notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying
party from any liability which it may have under this Section 6 to the extent that it is not
materially prejudiced as a result thereof or otherwise has notice of any such action, and in any
event shall not retrieve it from any liability that such indemnifying party may have otherwise than
on account of the indemnity agreement hereunder). In case any such claim or action is brought
against any indemnified party, and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof,
the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate, at its own expense in the defense of such
action, and to the extent it may elect by written notice delivered to the indemnified party
promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense
thereof with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided however, that counsel to the
indemnifying party shall not (except with the written consent of the
28
indemnified party) also be
counsel to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnified party or parties
shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case (including one local
counsel in each relevant jurisdiction), but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the
expense of such indemnified party or parties unless (i) the employment of such counsel shall have
been authorized in writing by one of the indemnifying parties in connection with the defense of
such action, (ii) the indemnifying parties shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the
defense of such action within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, (iii)
the indemnifying party does not diligently defend the action after assumption of the defense, or
(iv) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses
available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to one or all of
the indemnifying parties (in which case the indemnifying parties shall not have the right to direct
the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events
such fees and expenses shall be borne by the indemnifying parties. No indemnifying party shall,
without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, effect any settlement or compromise
of, or consent to the entry of judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened claim,
investigation, action or proceeding in respect of which indemnity or contribution may be or could
have been sought by an indemnified party under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not
the indemnified party is an actual or potential party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise
or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability
arising out of such claim, investigation, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a
statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or any failure to act, by or on behalf of the
indemnified party.
7. Contribution. In order to provide for contribution in circumstances in which the
indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason held to be unavailable from any
indemnifying party or is insufficient to hold harmless a party indemnified thereunder, the Company
and the Agents shall contribute to the aggregate losses, claims,
damages, liabilities and expenses of the nature contemplated by such indemnification provision
(including any investigation, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount
paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claims asserted, but after deducting
in the case of losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses suffered by the Company, any
contribution received by the Company from persons, other than the Agents, who may also be liable
for contribution, including persons who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, officers of the Company who signed the Canadian
Prospectuses and the Registration Statement and each director of the Company) as incurred to which
the Company and one or more of the Agents may be subject, in such proportions as is appropriate to
reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Agents from the Offering or, if such
allocation is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportions as are appropriate to reflect
not only the relative benefits referred to above but also the relative fault of the Company and the
Agents in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims,
damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The
relative benefits received by the Company and the Agents shall be deemed to be in the same
proportion as (x) the total proceeds from the Offering (net of the Agency Fee but before deducting
expenses) received by the Company bears to (y) the Agency Fee received by the Agents, in each case
as set forth in the
29
table on the cover page of the U.S. Prospectus. The relative fault of each of
the Company and of the Agents shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the
untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state
a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Agents and the parties’
relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such
statement or omission. The Company and the Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Agents
were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not
take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate
amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and
referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any
litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any judicial, regulatory or other legal or
governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions
of this Section 7, (i) no Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount
by which the Agency Fee applicable to the Units distributed to the public exceeds the amount of any
damages which such Agent has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission and (ii) 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. For purposes
of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of
the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as
such Agent, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of
the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each officer and director of the Company
shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company subject in each case to clauses (i) and
(ii) of the immediately preceding sentence. Any party entitled to contribution will, promptly
after receipt of notice of commencement of any
action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may
be made against another party or parties, notify each party or parties from whom contribution may
be sought, but the omission to so notify such party or parties shall not relieve the party or
parties from whom contribution may be sought from any obligation it or they may have under this
Section 7 or otherwise. The obligations of the Agents to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are
several in proportion to the respective number of Units to be placed by each of the Agents
hereunder (as set forth in Schedule 1 hereto) and not joint.
8. Survival of Representations and Agreements. All representations and warranties,
covenants and agreements of the Agents and the Company contained in this Agency Agreement or in
certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, including the agreements
contained in Section 4, the indemnity agreements contained in Section 6 and the contribution
agreements contained in Section 7, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless
of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Agent or any controlling person thereof or by or
on behalf of the Company, any of its officers and directors or any controlling person thereof, and
shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares and Warrants to and by the Agents. The
representations contained in Section 1 and the agreements
30
contained in Sections 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9
hereof shall survive any termination of this Agency Agreement, including termination pursuant to
Section 9 hereof.
9. Effective Date of Agreement; Termination.
(a) This Agency Agreement shall become effective when the parties hereto have executed and
delivered this Agency Agreement.
(b) The Agents shall have the right to terminate this Agency Agreement at any time prior to
the Closing Date, if, at or after [9 a.m.] (New York Time) on the date hereof, (i) any domestic or
international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in the opinion of the Agents
will in the immediate future materially disrupt, the market for the Company’s securities or
securities in general; or (ii) trading in the Common Stock shall have been suspended by the
Commission, the Canadian Qualifying Authorities, the TSX, the NYSE Amex or trading in securities
generally on the NYSE Amex or on the TSX shall have been suspended or been made subject to material
limitations, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for
prices for securities shall have been required, on the NYSE Amex or TSX or by order of the
Commission or any other governmental authority having jurisdiction; or (iii) a banking moratorium
has been declared by any U.S. or Canadian federal authority or any material disruption in
commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services shall have occurred; or (v) (A)
there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism involving
the United States or there is a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or
(B) there shall have been any other calamity or crisis or any change in political, financial or
economic conditions if the effect of any such event in (A) or (B), in the reasonable judgment of
the Agents, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering of the Firm Units or
the Additional Units, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the
Prospectuses.
(c) Any notice of termination pursuant to this Section 9 shall be in writing.
(d) If this Agency Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to any of the provisions hereof, or
if the sale of the Units provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the
obligations of the Agents set forth herein is not satisfied or because of any refusal, inability or
failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision
hereof, the Company will, subject to demand by the Agents, reimburse the Agents for all reasonable
actual and accountable out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel),
incurred by the Agents in connection herewith.
10. Notices. All communications hereunder, except as may be otherwise specifically
provided herein, shall be in writing, and:
(a) if sent to any Agent, shall be delivered, or faxed and confirmed in writing, to such Agent
c/o Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC, 000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Prospectus Department, with a copy to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx &
Xxxx LLP at 000 Xxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, X0X 0X0, Attention:
31
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx,
Esq. and to Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx LLP, 0000-000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, X0X 0X0,
Attention: Xxxxx X. XxXxxxxx, Esq.;
(b) if sent to the Company, shall be delivered, or faxed and confirmed in writing to the
Company and its Canadian and U.S. counsel at the addresses set forth in the Registration Statement;
provided, however, that any notice to an Agent pursuant to Section 6 shall be delivered or sent by
facsimile transmission to such Agent at its address set forth in its acceptance facsimile to the
Lead Agents, which address will be supplied to any other party hereto by the Lead Agents upon
request. Any such notices and other communications shall take effect at the time of receipt
thereof.
11. Parties. This Agency Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of, and shall be
binding upon, the Agents and the Company and the controlling persons, directors, officers,
employees and agents referred to in Sections 7 and 8 hereof, and their respective successors and
assigns, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any legal or equitable right,
remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of this Agency Agreement or any provision
herein contained. This Agency Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to
be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and said controlling persons and their
respective successors, officers, directors, heirs and legal representatives, and it is not for the
benefit of any other person, firm or corporation. The term “successors and assigns” shall not
include a purchaser, in its capacity as such, of Shares and Warrants from any of the Agents.
12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agency Agreement shall
be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The Company
irrevocably (a) submits to the jurisdiction of any court of the State of New York or the United
States District Court for the Southern District of the State of New York (each a “New York Court”)
for the purpose of any suit, action, or other proceeding arising out of this Agency Agreement, or
any of the agreements or transactions contemplated by this Agency Agreement, the Registration
Statement and the Prospectuses (each, a “Proceeding”), (b)
agrees that all claims in respect of any Proceeding may be heard and determined in any New
York Court, (c) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any immunity from jurisdiction of
any New York Court or from any legal process therein, (d) agrees not to commence any Proceeding
other than in a New York Court, and (e) waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claim
that such Proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum. THE COMPANY (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND, TO
THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ON BEHALF OF ITS RESPECTIVE EQUITY HOLDERS AND CREDITORS)
HEREBY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY CLAIM BASED UPON, ARISING
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGENCY AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGENCY
AGREEMENT, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROSPECTUS.
13. Judgment Currency. If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is
necessary to convert a sum due hereunder into any currency other than U.S. dollars, the parties
hereto agree, to the fullest extent that they may effectively do so, that the rate of exchange used
32
shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Agents could purchase
U.S. dollars with such other currency in The City of New York on the business day preceding that on
which final judgment is given. The obligations of the Company in respect of any sum due from it to
any Agent shall, notwithstanding any judgment in any currency other than U.S. dollars, not be
discharged until the first business day, following receipt by such Agent of any sum adjudged to be
so due in such other currency, on which (and only to the extent that) such Agent may in accordance
with normal banking procedures purchase U.S. dollars with such other currency; if the U.S. dollars
so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Agent hereunder, the Company agrees, as a
separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Agent against such
loss. If the U.S. dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Agent
hereunder, such Agent agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the U.S.
dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Agent hereunder.
14. The parties acknowledge and agree that, for purposes of Sections 1(c), 1(d), 1(e), 1(f)
and 6 hereof, the information provided by or on behalf of any Agent consists solely of the legal
names of any Agents contained on the cover page of the Prospectuses
and the legal names of the Agents and the breakdown of responsibility
for the placement of Units among the Agents under the section heading
“Plan of Distribution” in the Prospectuses.
15. No Fiduciary Relationship. The Company hereby acknowledges that the Agents are
acting solely as Agents in connection with the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities
contemplated hereby. The Company further acknowledges that the Agents are acting pursuant to a
contractual relationship created solely by this Agency Agreement entered into on an arm’s length
basis, and in no event do the parties intend that the Agents act or be responsible as a fiduciary
to the Company, its management, shareholders or creditors or any other person in connection with
any activity that the Agents may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of such purchase and
sale of the Company’s securities, either before or after the date hereof. The Agents hereby
expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company, either in connection with
the transactions contemplated by this Agency Agreement or any matters leading up to such
transactions, and the Company hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The
Company and the Agents agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent
judgments with respect to any such transactions and that any opinions or views expressed by the
Agents to the Company regarding such transactions, including, but not limited
to, any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Company’s securities, do
not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company. The Company and the Agents agree that the
Agents are acting as principal and not the fiduciary of the Company and no Agent has assumed, and
no Agent will assume, any advisory responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the
transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether any Agent
has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters). The Company hereby waives and
releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the
Agents with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary, advisory or similar duty to
the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agency Agreement or any
matters leading up to such transactions.
16. Counterparts. This Agency Agreement may be executed in any number of
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall
33
together constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of a signed counterpart of this Agency
Agreement by facsimile transmission shall constitute valid and sufficient delivery thereof.
17. Headings. The headings herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and
are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agency
Agreement.
18. Time is of the Essence. Time shall be of the essence of this Agency Agreement.
As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.
[signature page follows]
34
If the foregoing correctly sets forth your understanding, please so indicate in the space
provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement among
us.
Very truly yours, URANERZ ENERGY CORPORATION |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Accepted as of the date first above written
XXXXXXX XXXX & COMPANY, LLC | XXXXXXX SECURITIES INC. | ||||||||
By:
|
By: | ||||||||
Name: | Name: | ||||||||
Title: | Title: | ||||||||
GMP SECURITIES L.P. | |||||||||
By: |
|||||||||
Name: | |||||||||
Title: | |||||||||
DUNDEE SECURITIES CORPORATION | |||||||||
By: |
|||||||||
Name: | |||||||||
Title: | |||||||||
VERSANT PARTNERS INC. | |||||||||
By: |
|||||||||
Name: | |||||||||
Title: |
SCHEDULE I
Allocation of | ||||
Agent | Agents’ Compensation | |||
Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC |
37 | % | ||
Xxxxxxx Securities Inc. |
37 | % | ||
GMP Securities L.P. |
15 | % | ||
Dundee Securities Corporation |
8.5 | % | ||
Versant Partners Inc. |
2.5 | % | ||
Total |
100 | % | ||
SCHEDULE II
Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Director, Chairman of the Board
Xxxxx Xxxx, Director
Xxxxxx Xxxx, Director
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Director
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Director
Xxxx Xxxxxx, Director
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Director, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Chief Financial Officer
Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Senior Vice-President, Exploration
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Vice President, Lands
Xxxxx Xxxx, Director
Xxxxxx Xxxx, Director
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Director
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Director
Xxxx Xxxxxx, Director
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Director, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Chief Financial Officer
Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Senior Vice-President, Exploration
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Vice President, Lands
EXHIBIT A
Material Agreements
o | Agreement dated November 18,2005 between Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx and the Company; | |
o | Option and Purchase Agreement dated December 9, 2005 between Excalibur Industries and the Company; | |
o | Surface Use Agreement dated June 13, 2006 between T-Chair Livestock Co., and the Company; | |
o | Purchase and Sale Agreement for Mining Claims dated January 23, 2007 between Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx and the Company; | |
o | Mining Agreement dated April 24, 2007 between Xxxxxx and Xxxxx Xxx Xxxxx and the Company | |
o | Mining Agreement dated April 24, 2007 between Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx Revocable Trust, Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx Xxxx as Co-Trustees and the Company; | |
o | Surface Use and Damage Agreement dated August 13, 2008 between Dry Fork Land and Livestock Limited Partnership and the Company | |
o | Mining Agreement dated August 20, 2008 between Xxx Xxxxxx and Xxxx Xxxxxx, successor so-trustees to the Pax Irvine Mineral Trust, and the Company; | |
o | Arkose Mining Venture Agreement dated January 15, 2008 and related agreements. | |
o | Agreement between Mountain West Mines, Inc. and Xxxxx Land Company dated April 3, 1967; | |
o | Warranty Deed with Release of Homestead between Xxxx Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Irvine filed for record March 28, 1952 |
ANNEX I
Form of Opinion of Lang Xxxxxxxx LLP
1. | To the knowledge of such counsel, no holders of securities of the Company have rights to the qualification of such securities under the Canadian Prospectus. | |
2. | The Company has been duly organized and validly exists as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, with corporate power and authority to own, lease or license, as the case may be, its properties and conduct its business as described in the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus. The Company is registered as an extra-provincial company under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) for the purpose of carrying on business in the Province of British Columbia. The Common Stock, the Firm Units, the Additional Units, the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares conform to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus. | |
3. | The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus. All of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are not in violation of or subject to any preemptive or, to the best of such counsel’s knowledge, similar rights that entitle or will entitle any person to acquire any Units, Shares or Warrants from the Company upon issuance or sale thereof. The Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date, or upon execise of the Warrants in accordance with their terms, as applicable, have been duly and validly authorized and, when delivered in accordance with the Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture, as applicable, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to preemptive or, to the best of such counsel’s knowledge, similar rights that entitle or will entitle any person to acquire any Relevant Security from the Company upon issuance or sale thereof. | |
4. | The Common Stock currently outstanding is listed on the TSX and the Shares and the Warrant Shares have been conditionally approved for listing on the TSX. | |
5. | The Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture have been executed and delivered by the Company. | |
6. | To such counsel’s knowledge and other than as set forth in the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian Prospectus, there are no judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental proceedings pending by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or of which |
any property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of such counsel’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated. | ||
7. | The execution, delivery, and performance of the Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture and consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby and the Prospectuses do not and will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to the Material Agreements, to the extent governed by Canadian laws or (B) to the knowledge of such counsel, violate or conflict with any judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation of any Canadian court or judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body. | |
8. | The Company is a “reporting issuer” under the securities legislation of each of the Canadian Jurisdictions which provide for such status and is not on the list of defaulting issuers maintained thereunder. | |
9. | The statements under the captions “Eligibility for Investment” and “Purchaser’s Statutory Rights” in the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian Prospectus, and under the caption “Certain Canadian Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the Canadian Prospectus insofar as such statements constitute a summary of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present the information called for with respect to such legal matters, documents and proceedings. | |
10. | A Receipt has been obtained in respect of the Canadian Preliminary Base Shelf Prospectus and the Canadian Final Base Shelf Prospectus from the Canadian Qualifying Authorities and, subject to the filing of standard post-closing notices of distribution, all necessary documents have been filed, all necessary proceedings have been taken and all necessary consents, approvals, and authorizations have been obtained, in each case by the Company, under Canadian Securities Laws to permit the Units, Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares to be offered, sold and delivered, as contemplated by the Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture in the Canadian Jurisdictions by or through investment dealers or brokers duly and properly registered under Canadian Securities Laws who have complied with the relevant provisions of such laws and the terms of such registration; to the knowledge of such counsel, no order suspending the distribution of the Units, Shares, Warrants or Warrant Shares has been issued, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or threatened by any of the Canadian Qualifying Authorities. |
In addition, such opinion shall also contain a statement that such counsel has participated in
conferences with officers and representatives of the Company, US Counsel for the Company,
representatives of the independent public accountants for the Company, counsel for the Agents
and representatives of the Agents at which the contents of the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus
and the Canadian Prospectus and related matters were discussed and, although such counsel need not
pass upon or assume any responsibility for the factual accuracy, completeness or fairness of the
statements contained in the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian Prospectus on the
basis of such participation and the information such counsel gained in the course of performing its
work in connection with the matters contemplated by the Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture,
no facts have come to the attention of such counsel which lead such counsel to believe that the
Canadian Prospectus, as of its date (or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto made prior to
the Closing Date as of the date of such amendment or supplement) and as of the Closing Date,
contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits 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 (it being understood that such
counsel need express no belief or opinion with respect to the financial statements and schedules
and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or in regard to information
in the technical reports referred to in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2008, which Annual Report is incorporated by reference into the Canadian Preliminary
Prospectus and the Canadian Prospectus).
ANNEX II
Form of Opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP
1. | The Common Stock currently outstanding is listed on the NYSE Amex, and, based solely on a letter from the NYSE Amex, the Shares are duly authorized for listing on the NYSE Amex. | |
2. | The Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. | |
3. | To the best of such counsel’s knowledge and other than as set forth in the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus, there are no judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental proceedings pending by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body to which the Company is a party or of which any property of the Company is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of such counsel’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated. | |
4. | The execution, delivery, and performance of the Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture and consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby and the U.S. Prospectus do not and will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to the Material Agreements or (B) violate or conflict with any provision of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, or, to the best knowledge of such counsel, any judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or regulation of any court or any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body. | |
5. | No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, filing, qualification, license or permit of or with any court or any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body is required by the Company under the federal laws of the United States of America, which in our experience are normally applicable to the transactions of the type contemplated by the Agency Agreement, except for the anti-fraud provisions of such federal laws, for the execution, delivery and performance of the Agency Agreement and the Warrant Indenture or consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby and the U.S. Prospectus, except for (1) such as may be required under state securities or blue sky laws in connection with the offer and sale of the Units, Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares (as to which such counsel need express no opinion), (2) such as have been made or obtained under the Securities Act and (3) such as are required by FINRA. |
6. | The Registration Statement, the U.S. Prospectus and the U.S. Warrant Prospectus and any amendments thereof or supplements thereto (other than the financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein, as to which no opinion need be rendered) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the U.S. Prospectus and the U.S. Warrant Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto (other than the financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein, as to which no opinion need be rendered) when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the Rules and Regulations. | |
7. | The statements included under the caption “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the U.S. Base Prospectus and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the U.S. Prospectus insofar as such statements summarize legal matters discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters in all material respects. | |
8. | The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Units and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the U.S. Prospectus, will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. | |
9. | Based solely on a certificate of good standing from the Secretary of State of Wyoming, the Company is qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in the State of Wyoming. | |
10. | The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act, and, to the best knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereof has been issued and no proceedings therefor have been initiated or threatened by the Commission and all filings required by Rule 424(b), Rule 430B and Rule 433 under the Securities Act have been made in the manner and in the time period required therein. | |
11. | To the best knowledge of such counsel, no contract or agreement is required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that is not so filed. | |
12. | The Company is not in violation of its respective charter or by-laws and, to the best of such counsel’s knowledge after due inquiry, the Company is not in default in the performance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument that is |
material to the Company, taken as a whole, to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or its respective property is bound. |
In addition, such opinion shall also contain a statement that such counsel has participated in
conferences with officers and representatives of the Company, Canadian counsel for the Company,
representatives of the independent public accountants for the Company, counsel for the Agents and
representatives of the Agents at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the U.S.
Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus and related matters were discussed and, although
such counsel need not pass upon or assume any responsibility for the factual accuracy, completeness
or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the U.S. Preliminary
Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus on the basis of such participation and the information such
counsel gained in the course of performing its work in connection with the matters contemplated by
the Agency Agreement, no facts have come to the attention of such counsel which lead such counsel
to believe that (A) the Registration Statement, at the time it became effective (including the
information deemed to be part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant
to Rule 430B), or any amendment thereof made prior to the Closing Date, as of the date of such
amendment, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (B)
the U.S. Prospectus, as of its date (or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto made prior to
the Closing Date as of the date of such amendment or supplement) and as of the Closing Date,
contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits 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 (it being understood that such
counsel need express no belief or opinion with respect to the financial statements and schedules
and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or in regard to information
in the technical reports referred to in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2008, which Annual Report is incorporated by reference into the Registration
Statement, the U.S. Preliminary Prospectus and the U.S. Prospectus ).
ANNEX III
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
_________, 2009
Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC
Xxxxxxx Securities Inc.
Xxxxxxx Securities Inc.
As Representatives of the several
Agents referred to below
c/o Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC
Uranerz Energy Corporation Lock-Up Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter agreement (this “Agreement”) relates to the proposed public offering (the
“Offering”) by Uranerz Energy Corporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), of its common
stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Stock”).
In order to induce you and the other agents for which you act as representatives (the
“Agents”) to act as agents in connection with the Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that,
without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC and Xxxxxxx Securities Inc. (the
“Lead Agents”), during the period from the date hereof until sixty (60) days from the date of the
final prospectus for the Offering (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned (a) will not, directly or
indirectly, offer, sell, agree to offer or sell, solicit offers to purchase, grant any call option
or purchase any put option with respect to, pledge, borrow or otherwise dispose of any Relevant
Security (as defined below), and (b) will not establish or increase any “put equivalent position”
or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” with respect to any Relevant Security (in
each case within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder), or otherwise enter into any swap, derivative or
other transaction or arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any economic
consequence of ownership of a Relevant Security, whether or not such transaction is to be settled
by delivery of Relevant Securities, other securities, cash or other consideration. As used herein
“Relevant Security” means the Stock, any other equity security of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries and any security convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, any Stock or
other such equity security. The foregoing provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to (a)
transfers of shares of Common Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Common Shares disposed of as bona fide gifts, (b) entry into written trading plans
for the sale or other disposition by the undersigned of Common Shares for purposes of complying
with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act (“10b5-1 Plans”), provided that no sales or other
distributions pursuant to a 10b5-1 Plan may occur until the expiration of the Lock-Up Period and
provided that no public announcements or public filings are made regarding the entry into a 10b5-1
Plan until the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, (c) transfers by the undersigned of shares of
Common Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or
exchange able for Common Shares as a result of testate, intestate succession or bona fide
estate planning, (d) transfers by the undersigned to a trust, partnership, limited liability
company or other entity, the majority of the beneficial interests of which are held, directly or
indirectly, by the undersigned, (e) distributions by the undersigned of shares of Common Shares or
any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares to limited partners
or stockholders of the undersigned and (f) the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion
of a security outstanding on the date of this Lock-up Agreement by the undersigned pursuant to the
Company’s Stock Option Plan, provided that no sales of the underlying common stock occurs until the
expiration of the Lock-Up Period; provided that in the case of any such permitted transfer or
distribution pursuant to clause (a), (c), (d), (e) or (f), each transferee or distribute shall sign
and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this Lock-Up Agreement.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, if (1) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period
the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company
occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period the Company announces that it will
release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period,
the restrictions imposed by the immediately preceding paragraph shall continue to apply until the
expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence
of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless the Lead Agents waive, in writing,
such extension. The undersigned acknowledges that the Company has agreed in the placement agency
agreement for the Offering to provide notice to the undersigned of any event that would result in
an extension of the Lock-Up Period pursuant to this paragraph, and the undersigned agrees that any
such notice properly delivered will be deemed to have been given to, and received by, the
undersigned.
The undersigned hereby authorizes the Company during the Lock-Up Period to cause any transfer
agent for the Relevant Securities to decline to transfer, and to note stop transfer restrictions on
the stock register and other records relating to, Relevant Securities for which the undersigned is
the record holder and, in the case of Relevant Securities for which the undersigned is the
beneficial but not the record holder, agrees during the Lock-Up Period to cause the record holder
to cause the relevant transfer agent to decline to transfer, and to note stop transfer restrictions
on the stock register and other records relating to, such Relevant Securities. The undersigned
hereby further agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Lead Agents, during the
Lock-up Period the undersigned (x) will not file or participate in the filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission of any registration statement, or circulate or participate in the
circulation of any preliminary or final prospectus or other disclosure document with respect to any
proposed offering or sale of a Relevant Security and (y) will not exercise any rights the
undersigned may have to require registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission of any
proposed offering or sale of a Relevant Security.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and
authority to enter into this Agreement and that this Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and
binding obligation of the undersigned, enforceable in accordance with its terms. Upon request, the
undersigned will execute any additional documents necessary in connection with enforcement hereof.
Any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors and assigns of the
undersigned from the date first above written.
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
New York. Delivery of a signed copy of this letter by facsimile transmission shall be effective as
delivery of the original hereof.
[signature page follows]
Very truly yours, |
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By: | ||||
Print Name: | ||||
ANNEX IV
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
None