PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT
10.56
_______
__, 2010
|
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx Securities, Inc.
000 X.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Introductory. Subject
to the terms and conditions herein (this “Agreement”), Nephros,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby
agrees to sell up to an aggregate of _________ shares (the “Shares”) of common
stock, $0.001 par value per share (the "Common Stock”), and
Common Stock purchase warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of ___________
shares of Common Stock (the “Warrants” and,
together with the Shares, the “Securities”) directly
to various investors (each an “Investor” and,
collectively, the “Investors”) through
Xxxxxx Xxxxx Securities, Inc. as placement agent (the “Placement
Agent”). The Shares and Warrants will be sold in units (“Units”). The
Units will separate immediately and the Shares and Warrants will be issued
separately and will trade separately. The Placement Agent may retain
other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents on its behalf in connection with
the Offering (as defined below).
The
Company hereby confirms its agreement with the Placement Agent as
follows:
Section 1.
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Agreement to Act as Placement
Agent.
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(a) On
the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company
herein contained, and subject to all of the terms and conditions of this
Agreement, the Placement Agent shall be the exclusive Placement Agent in
connection with the offering and sale by the Company of the Securities from the
Company's registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-167022) (the “Registration
Statement”), with the terms of such offering (the “Offering”) to be
subject to market conditions and negotiations between the Company, the Placement
Agent and the prospective Investors. The Placement Agent shall act on
a reasonable best efforts basis and does not guarantee that it will be able to
sell the Securities in the prospective Offering. Subject to the terms
and conditions hereof, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the
Securities shall be made at one or more closings (each a “Closing” and the date
on which each Closing occurs, a “Closing
Date”). As compensation for services rendered, on each Closing
Date, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent the fees and expenses set
forth below:
(i) A
cash fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the
sale of the Securities at the closing of the Offering (the “Closing”).
(ii) Such
number of Common Stock purchase warrants (the “Placement Agent
Warrants”) to Placement Agent or its designees at each Closing to
purchase a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 5.0% of the aggregate
number of Shares sold in the Offering. The Placement Agent Warrants
shall have the same terms as the Warrants issued to the Investors in the
Offering except that the exercise price shall be 125% of the public offering
price per share and the expiration date shall be 5 years from the effective date
of the Registration Statement (as further defined below). The
Placement Agent Warrants shall not be transferable for six months from the date
of the Offering except as permitted by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
(“FINRA”) Rule
5110(g).
(iii) The
Company also agrees to reimburse Placement Agent’s expenses (with supporting
invoices/receipts) up to a maximum of $40,000. Prior to the date
hereof, the Company reimbursed the Placement Agent’s expenses in an amount equal
to $20,000, which shall apply toward the maximum of $40,000. Such
reimbursement shall be payable to the Placement Agent or, at the direction of
the Placement Agent, to Placement Agent Counsel.
(b) The
Placement Agent shall be entitled to a cash fee and Placement Agent
Warrants, calculated in the manner provided in Section 1(a)(i)-(ii) herein, with
respect to any public or private offering or other financing or capital-raising
transaction of any kind (“Tail Financing”) to
the extent that such financing or capital is provided to the Company by
investors whom the Placement Agent had introduced, directly or indirectly, to
the Company during the term of this Agreement, if such Tail Financing is
consummated at any time within the 12-month period following the expiration or
termination of this Agreement.
(c) The
term of the Placement Agent's exclusive engagement will be until the completion
of the Offering; provided, however, that either
party may terminate the engagement at any time upon 10 days written notice to
the other party. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained herein, the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and
contribution contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the
indemnification provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this
Agreement, and the Company’s obligation to pay fees actually earned and payable
and to reimburse expenses actually incurred and reimbursable pursuant to Section
1 hereof, and which are permitted to be reimbursed under FINRA Rule
5110(f)(2)(D), will survive any expiration or termination of this
Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit the
ability of the Placement Agent or its affiliates to pursue, investigate,
analyze, invest in, or engage in investment banking, financial advisory or any
other business relationship with entities or persons other than the
Company.
Section
2. Representations, Warranties and
Covenant of the Company. Except as set forth in the
Incorporated Documents, the Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to
the Placement Agent as of the date hereof, and as of each Closing Date, as
follows:
(a) Securities Law
Filings. The Company has filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) the
Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”),
which was filed on May 21, 2010 for the registration under the Securities Act of
the Securities. Following the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement and the determination of pricing among the Company and the prospective
Investors introduced to the Company by Placement Agent, the Company will file
with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and 424(b) under the Securities Act,
and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and
Regulations”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a final
prospectus relating to the placement of the Securities, their respective
pricings and the plan of distribution thereof and will advise the Placement
Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the
Company required to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, at any
given time, including the exhibits thereto filed at such time, as amended at
such time, is hereinafter called the “Registration
Statement”; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the
Registration Statement is hereinafter called the “Base Prospectus”; and
the amended or supplemented form of prospectus, in the form in which it will be
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and/or 424(b) (including the
Base Prospectus as so amended or supplemented) is hereinafter called the “Prospectus
Supplement.” The Registration Statement at the time it
originally becomes effective is hereinafter called the “Original Registration
Statement.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration
Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the
Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents
incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated
Documents”), if any, which were or are filed under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), at
any given time, as the case may be; and any reference in this Agreement to the
terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration
Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the
Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any
document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue
date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be,
deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement
to financial statements and schedules and other information which is
“contained,” “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in
the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement
(and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include
all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is
deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base
Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be. The
Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to
issue a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or
the use of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement or intends to
commence a proceeding for any such purpose.
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(b) Assurances. The
Original Registration Statement, as amended, (and any further documents to be
filed with the Commission) contains all exhibits and schedules as required by
the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective
amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material
respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and
did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading. The Base Prospectus, and the Prospectus Supplement, each
as of its respective date, comply or will comply in all material respects with
the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. Each of
the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented,
did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading. The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the
Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the
Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder,
and none of such documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained
any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to Incorporated Documents
incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement), in
light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading. No
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or
events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the
aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required
to be filed with the Commission. Except for this Agreement, there are
no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the
transaction contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required
pursuant to the Securities Act or (y) will not be filed within the requisite
time period. Except for this Agreement, there are no contracts or other
documents required to be described in the Base Prospectus or Prospectus
Supplement, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration
Statement, which have not been described or filed as required.
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(c) Offering
Materials. Neither the Company nor any of its directors and
officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to each Closing
Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the
Securities other than the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the
Registration Statement, copies of the documents incorporated by reference
therein and any other materials permitted by the Securities Act.
(d) Subsidiaries. All
of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company (the “Subsidiaries”) are
set forth in the Incorporated Documents. The Company owns, directly
or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each
Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding
shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully
paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for
or purchase securities.
(e) Organization and
Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an
entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or
organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its
properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently
conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor
default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of
incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter
documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified
to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other
entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or
property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the
failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not
have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on
the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, (ii) a material
adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or
condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as
a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform
in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under this Agreement
or the transactions contemplated under the Prospectus Supplement (any of (i),
(ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse
Effect”) and no an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding
(including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding,
such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened (“Proceeding”) has been
instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking
to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or
qualification.
(f) Authorization;
Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and
authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement and the Prospectus Supplement and otherwise to carry out its
obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of
each of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and under the Prospectus Supplement
have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and
no further action is required by the Company, the Company’s Board of Directors
(the “Board of
Directors”) or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or
therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals (as defined
below). This Agreement has been duly executed by the Company and,
when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid
and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in
accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles
and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws
of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally,
(ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance,
injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as
indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable
law.
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(g) No
Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the
Company of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the
Prospectus Supplement, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the
consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to which
it is a party do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of
the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation,
bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or
constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both
would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of
the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any
rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without
notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other
instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other
understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any
property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or
(iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation
of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other
restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a
Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and
regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary
is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such
as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(h) Filings, Consents and
Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent,
waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or
registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other
governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the transactions
contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement, other than (i) the filing
with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement and (ii) such filings as are
required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the
“Required
Approvals”).
(i)
Issuance of the Securities;
Registration. The Securities are duly authorized and, when
issued and paid for in accordance with the Prospectus Supplement, will be duly
and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all liens,
charges, security interests, encumbrances, rights of first refusal, preemptive
rights or other restrictions (collective, “Liens”) imposed by
the Company. The shares underlying the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”),
when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the
Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital
stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the
Prospectus Supplement.
(j) Capitalization. The
capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Incorporated
Documents. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its
most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant
to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option
plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the
Company’s employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or
exercise of securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle
the holder thereof to acquire at any time any Common Stock, including, without
limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other
instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock (“Common Stock
Equivalents”) outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed
periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of
first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to
participate in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement that has not
been waived in writing. Except as disclosed in the Incorporated
Documents or as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities, there are
no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or
commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or
obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any
Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock, or
contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or
any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock
or Common Stock Equivalents. Except as disclosed in the Incorporated
Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company
to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than
the Investors) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company
securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any
of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in
compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such
outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar
rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval
or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is
required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. Except as
disclosed in the SEC Reports (as defined below), there are no stockholders
agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the
Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of
the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
5
(k) SEC Reports; Financial
Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules,
forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under
the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter
period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material)
(the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents
incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the
Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a
timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has
filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such
extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in
all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the
Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained
any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports
comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the
rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the
time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in
accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied
on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may
be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and
except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes
required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial
position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the
dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then
ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial,
year-end audit adjustments.
6
(l) Material Changes;
Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the
date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports,
except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the
date hereof, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had
or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect,
(ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise)
other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not
required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP
or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not
altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any
dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or
purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of
its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to
any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock
option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission
any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the
issuance of the Securities contemplated by the Prospectus Supplement or
disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement, no event, liability, fact, circumstance,
occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to
occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their
respective business, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial
condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable
securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has
not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this
representation is made.
(m) Litigation. There
is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the
Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any
court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority
(federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i)
adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of this
Agreement, the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement
or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or
officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of
violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of
breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of
the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the
Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of
the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other
order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the
Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities
Act.
(n) Labor
Relations. No material labor dispute exists or, to the
knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of
the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a
member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company
or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a
party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries
believe that their relationships with their employees are good. No
executive officer, to the knowledge of the Company, is, or is now expected to
be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract,
confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or
non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive
covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such
executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any
liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company
and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and
foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices,
terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure
to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
7
(o) Compliance. Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and
no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of
time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under),
nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in
default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit
agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by
which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or
violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or
order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or
has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any
governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state
and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health
and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except
in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(p) Regulatory
Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all
certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal,
state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their
respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure
to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”),
and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material
Permit.
(q) Title to
Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and
marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and
marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the
business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all
Liens, except for Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property
and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of
such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and Liens for the payment of
federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made
therefor in accordance with GAAP and the payment of which is neither delinquent
nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under
lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid,
subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries
are in compliance.
(r) Intellectual
Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have
rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark
applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights,
licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or
required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in
the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse
Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property
Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual
Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to
expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this
Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since
the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC
Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the
Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person,
except as could not have or reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual
Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another
Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and
its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy,
confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where
failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) Insurance. The
Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial
responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent
and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are
engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance
coverage. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to
believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and
when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers
as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in
cost.
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(t) Transactions With Affiliates
and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of
the officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company,
none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction
with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees,
officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement
providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real
or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or
lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer,
director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in
which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or
is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000
other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered,
(ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii)
other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock
option plan of the Company.
(u) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx; Internal
Accounting Controls. The Company is in material compliance
with any and all applicable requirements of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 that
are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and
regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of
the date hereof and as of each Closing Date. Except as disclosed in
the Incorporated Documents, the Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system
of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that:
(i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or
specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain
asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance
with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded
accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable
intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The
Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and designed such
disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be
disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange
Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods
specified in the Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s
certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure
controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by the Company’s
most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the
“Evaluation
Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed
periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying
officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based
on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation
Date, there have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s
internal control over financial reporting.
(v) Certain
Fees. Except as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement, no
brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company
to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent,
investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the
Prospectus Supplement. The Investors shall have no obligation with
respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other
Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in
connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the
transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement.
9
(w) Investment Company.
The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of
payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment
company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that
it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(x) Registration
Rights. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, no Person has
any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities
Act of any securities of the Company.
(y) Listing and Maintenance
Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to
Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action
designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of,
terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has
the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating
terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months
preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the
Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is
not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading
Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the
foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and
maintenance requirements. For purposes of this Agreement, “Trading Market” means
the OTC Bulletin Board.
(z) Application of Takeover
Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken
all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share
acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under
a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s
certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its
state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Investors as a
result of the Investors and the Company fulfilling their obligations or
exercising their rights under this Agreement and the transactions contemplated
pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement, including without limitation as a result
of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Investors’ ownership of the
Securities.
(aa) Disclosure. Except
with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the
Prospectus Supplement, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person
acting on its behalf has provided any of the Investors or their agents or
counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute
material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the
Prospectus Supplement. The Company understands and confirms
that the Investors will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting
transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure
furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Investors regarding the Company,
its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure
Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct and does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in
order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated
by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this Agreement
taken as a whole do not contain any 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, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made and when made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and
agrees that no Investor makes or has made any representations or warranties with
respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically
set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
10
(bb) No Integrated
Offering. Neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor
any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any
offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security,
under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be
integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable
shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the
securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(cc) Solvency. Based
on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of each Closing Date,
after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale
of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets
exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the
Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent
liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute
unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as
proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the
particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company,
consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability
thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the
proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets,
after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient
to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are
required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts
beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the
timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its
debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances
which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation
under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year
from each Closing Date Date. The SEC Reports sets forth as of the
date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or
any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has
commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means
(x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000
(other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business),
(y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of
indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in
the Company’s balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by
endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar
transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of
any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be
capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
(dd) Tax
Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary (i) has made or filed all United States
federal and state income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns,
reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject,
(ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are
material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and
declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate
for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to
which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no
unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of
any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of
no basis for any such claim.
11
(ee) Foreign Corrupt
Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the
Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company, has (i)
directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts,
entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic
political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic
government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political
parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any
contribution made by the Company (or made by any person acting on its behalf of
which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in
any material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977,
as amended.
(ff) Accountants. The
Company’s accounting firm is set forth in the Incorporated
Documents. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such
accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the
Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial
statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the year ending
December 31, 2010.
(gg) Regulation M
Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting
on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to
cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any
security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the
Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for
soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay
to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other
securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii),
compensation paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the
placement of the Securities.
(hh) Office of Foreign Assets
Control. Neither the Company nor, to the Company's knowledge,
any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is currently
subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets
Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).
(ii) U.S. Real Property Holding
Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real
property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon
Investor’s request.
(jj) Bank Holding Company
Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or
Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the
“BHCA”) and to
regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal
Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or
Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more
of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five
percent or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to
the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling
influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is
subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(kk) Money
Laundering. 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, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable
rules and regulations thereunder (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 knowledge of the
Company, threatened.
12
(ll) Certificates. Any
certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to
the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent shall be
deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement
Agent as to the matters set forth therein.
(mm) Reliance. The
Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent will rely upon the accuracy
and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and warranties and hereby
consents to such reliance.
Section
3.
Delivery and
Payment. Each Closing shall occur at the offices of the
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (or at such
other place as shall be agreed upon by the Placement Agent and the Company)
(“Placement Agent
Counsel”). Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, at each
Closing payment of the purchase price for the Shares sold on such Closing Date
shall be made by Federal Funds wire transfer, against delivery of such
Securities, and such Securities shall be registered in such name or names and
shall be in such denominations, as the Placement Agent may request at least one
business day before the time of purchase (as defined below). At the
option of the Placement Agent, each Closing shall occur in escrow pursuant to
customary escrow arrangements that are reasonable acceptable to the
Company.
Deliveries
of the documents with respect to the purchase of the Securities, if any, shall
be made at the offices of Placement Agent Counsel. All actions
taken at a Closing shall be deemed to have occurred simultaneously.
Section
4.
Covenants and Agreements of the
Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the
Placement Agent as follows:
(a) Registration Statement
Matters. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly
after it receives notice thereof of the time when any amendment to the
Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to
any Prospectus Supplement or any amended Prospectus Supplement has been filed
and will furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof. The Company
will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information
statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to
Section 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of any
Prospectus Supplement and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is
required in connection with the Offering. The Company will advise the
Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof (i) of any request by
the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement any
Prospectus Supplement or for additional information, and (ii) of the issuance by
the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any order
directed at any Incorporated Document, if any, or any amendment or supplement
thereto or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Base Prospectus or
any Prospectus Supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto or any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the
qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the
institution or threatened institution of any proceeding for any such purpose, or
of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the
Registration Statement or a Prospectus Supplement or for additional information.
The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop
order or prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall
enter any such stop order or order or notice of prevention or suspension at any
time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order
at the earliest possible moment, or will file a new registration statement and
use its best efforts to have such new registration statement declared effective
as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall
comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 430C, as
applicable, under the Securities Act, including with respect to the timely
filing of documents thereunder, and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm
that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) are
received in a timely manner by the Commission.
13
(b) Blue Sky
Compliance. The Company will cooperate with the Placement
Agent and the Investors in endeavoring to qualify the Securities for sale under
the securities laws of such jurisdictions (United States and foreign) as the
Placement Agent and the Investors may reasonably request and will make such
applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be
reasonably required for that purpose, provided that the Company shall not be
required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to
service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or
required to file such a consent, and provided further that the Company shall not
be required to produce any new disclosure document other than a Prospectus
Supplement. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file
such statements, reports and other documents as are or may be required to
continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Placement
Agent may reasonably request for distribution of the Securities. The
Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly of the suspension of the
qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the
Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation
or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the
issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption,
the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the
earliest possible moment.
(c) Amendments and Supplements
to a Prospectus Supplement and Other Matters. The Company will
comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the
distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement, the
Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus Supplement. If during the
period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection
with the distribution of Securities contemplated by the Incorporated Documents
or any Prospectus Supplement (the “Prospectus Delivery
Period”), any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of
the Company or in the opinion of the Placement Agent or counsel for the
Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Incorporated
Documents or any Prospectus Supplement in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may
be, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the
Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus Supplement or to file under the
Exchange Act any Incorporated Document to comply with any law, the Company will
promptly prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own expense to
the Placement Agent and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the Registration
Statement or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Incorporated
Documents or any Prospectus Supplement that is necessary in order to make the
statements in the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus Supplement as so
amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement,
the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus Supplement, as so amended or
supplemented, will comply with law. Before amending the Registration
Statement or supplementing the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus
Supplement in connection with the Offering, the Company will furnish the
Placement Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will
not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agent
reasonably objects.
14
(d) Copies of any Amendments and
Supplements to a Prospectus Supplement. The Company will
furnish the Placement Agent, without charge, during the period beginning on the
date hereof and ending on the later of the last Closing Date of the Offering, as
many copies of the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus Supplement and any
amendments and supplements thereto (including any Incorporated Documents, if
any) as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.
(e) Free Writing
Prospectus. The Company covenants that it will not, unless it
obtains the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, make any offer
relating to the Securities that would constitute an Company Free Writing
Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing
prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be
filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule
433 of the Securities Act. In the event that the Placement Agent
expressly consents in writing to any such free writing prospectus (a “Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus”), the Company covenants that it shall (i) treat each
Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Company Free Writing Prospectus, and
(ii) comply with the requirements of Rule 164 and 433 of the Securities Act
applicable to such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of
timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(f)
Transfer
Agent. The Company will maintain, at its expense, a registrar
and transfer agent for the Common Stock.
(g) Earnings
Statement. As soon as practicable and in accordance with
applicable requirements under the Securities Act, but in any event not later
than 18 months after the last Closing Date, the Company will make generally
available to its security holders and to the Placement Agent an earnings
statement, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after
the last Closing Date, that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule
158 under the Securities Act.
(h) Periodic Reporting
Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the
Company will duly file, on a timely basis, with the Commission all reports and
documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act within the time periods
and in the manner required by the Exchange Act.
(i) Additional
Documents. The Company will
enter into any subscription, purchase or other customary agreements as the
Placement Agent or the Investors deem necessary or appropriate to consummate the
Offering, all of which will be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to
the Placement Agent and the Investors. The Company agrees that the
Placement Agent may rely upon, and each is a third party beneficiary of, the
representations and warranties, and applicable covenants, set forth in any such
purchase, subscription or other agreement with Investors in the
Offering.
(j)
No Manipulation of
Price. The
Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or
result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to
constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of
the Company.
(k) Acknowledgment. The
Company acknowledges that any advice given by the Placement Agent to the Company
is solely for the benefit and use of the Board of Directors of the Company and
may not be used, reproduced, disseminated, quoted or referred to, without the
Placement Agent's prior written consent.
15
Section
5. Conditions of the Obligations of the
Placement Agent. The obligations of the Placement Agent
hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties
on the part of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof, in each case as of the
date hereof and as of each Closing Date as though then made, to the timely
performance by each of the Company of its covenants and other obligations
hereunder on and as of such dates, and to each of the following additional
conditions:
(a) [RESERVED]
(b) Compliance with Registration
Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from the FINRA. Each
Prospectus Supplement (in accordance with Rule 424(b)) and “free writing
prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), if any, shall
have been duly filed with the Commission, as appropriate; no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof
shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been
initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order preventing or suspending the
use of any Prospectus Supplement shall have been issued and no proceeding for
that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order
having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or
any other securities of the Company shall have been issued by any securities
commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange and no proceedings
for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities
regulatory authority or stock exchange; all requests for additional information
on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with; and the FINRA shall
have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the placement
terms and arrangements.
(c) Corporate
Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters
in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Statement and each
Prospectus Supplement, and the registration, sale and delivery of the
Securities, shall have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably
satisfactory to the Placement Agent's counsel, and such counsel shall have been
furnished with such papers and information as it may reasonably have requested
to enable such counsel to pass upon the matters referred to in this
Section 5.
(d) No Material Adverse
Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this
Agreement and prior to each Closing Date, in the Placement Agent's sole judgment
after consultation with the Company, there shall not have occurred any Material
Adverse Change or Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the
Company. The Placement Agent shall have received on each
Closing Date the favorable opinion of legal counsel to the Company, dated as of
such Closing Date, addressed to the Placement Agent in form and substance
satisfactory to the Placement Agent, which opinion shall include a “10b-5”
representation from such counsel.
(f)
Officers’
Certificate. The Placement Agent shall have received on each
Closing Date a certificate of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, signed
by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to
the effect that, and the Placement Agent shall be satisfied that, the signers of
such certificate have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Incorporated
Documents, any Prospectus Supplement, and this Agreement and to the further
effect that:
(i) The
representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and
correct, as if made on and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied
with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date;
16
(ii) No
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use
of the Base Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement has been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the
Company’s knowledge, threatened under the Securities Act; no order having the
effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other
securities of the Company has been issued by any securities commission,
securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities
regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States;
(iii) When
the Registration Statement became effective, at the time of sale, and at all
times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the
Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, when such
documents became effective or were filed with the Commission, contained all
material information required to be included therein by the Securities Act and
the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the
requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules
and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and the
Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, did not and do
not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading
(provided, however, that the preceding representations and warranties contained
in this paragraph (iii) shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the
Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein) and, since the
effective date of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event
required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder to be set forth in the Incorporated Documents which has not been so
set forth; and
(iv) Subsequent
to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus Supplement, there has
not been: (a) any Material Adverse Change; (b) any transaction that
is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except
transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business; (c) any
obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and the
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, except
obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; (d) any material change
in the capital stock (except changes thereto resulting from the exercise of
outstanding stock options or warrants) or outstanding indebtedness of the
Company or any Subsidiary; (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind
declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company; or (f) any loss or
damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company or any Subsidiary
which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a Material
Adverse Effect.
(g) [RESERVED]
(h) Stock Exchange
Listing. The Common Stock shall be registered under the
Exchange Act and shall be quoted on the Trading Market, and the Company shall
not have taken any action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of
terminating, the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or
suspending from quotation the Common Stock from the Trading Market, nor shall
the Company have received any information suggesting that the Commission or the
Trading Market is contemplating terminating such registration or suspension from
quotation.
17
(i)
Additional
Documents. On or before each Closing Date, the Placement Agent
and counsel for the Placement Agent shall have received such information and
documents as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to
pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein, or in
order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or
the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein
contained.
If any
condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to
be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Placement Agent by notice
to the Company at any time on or prior to a Closing Date, which termination
shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except
that Section 6 (Payment of Expenses), Section 7 (Indemnification and
Contribution) and Section 8 (Representations and Indemnities to Survive
Delivery) shall at all times be effective and shall survive such
termination.
Section
6. Payment of
Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and
expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the performance of its
obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated
hereby, including, without limitation: (i) all expenses incident to
the issuance, delivery and qualification of the Securities (including all
printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and
transfer agent of the Common Stock; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and
other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities;
(iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or
certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses
incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and
distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements,
exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Base Prospectus
and each Prospectus Supplement, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and
this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses
incurred by the Company or the Placement Agent in connection with qualifying or
registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of)
all or any part of the Securities for offer and sale under the state securities
or blue sky laws or the securities laws of any other country, and, if requested
by the Placement Agent, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey,” an
“International Blue
Sky Survey” or other memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising
the Placement Agent of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions; (vii)
if applicable, the filing fees incident to the review and approval by the FINRA
of the Placement Agent's participation in the offering and distribution of the
Securities; (viii) the fees and expenses associated with including the
Securities on the Trading Market; (ix) all costs and expenses incident to the
travel and accommodation of the Company’s and the Placement Agent's employees on
the “roadshow,”
if any; and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Part II of the
Registration Statement.
18
Section
7. Indemnification and
Contribution.
(a) The
Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its
affiliates and each person controlling the Placement Agent (within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and
employees of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each such controlling
person (the Placement Agent, and each such entity or person. an “Indemnified Person”)
from and against any losses, claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and
other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and
shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all fees and expenses (including the
reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Persons, except
as otherwise expressly provided herein) (collectively, the “Expenses”) as they
are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or
defending any Actions, whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto,
(i) caused by, or arising out of or in connection with, any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Incorporated
Document or by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading (other than untrue statements or alleged
untrue statements in, or omissions or alleged omissions from, information
relating to an Indemnified Person furnished in writing by or on behalf of such
Indemnified Person expressly for use in the Incorporated Documents) or (ii)
otherwise arising out of or in connection with advice or services rendered or to
be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the
transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person's actions or
inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions; provided, however, that, in the
case of clause (ii) only, the Company shall not be responsible for any
Liabilities or Expenses of any Indemnified Person that have resulted primarily
from such Indemnified Person's (x) gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct in connection with any of the advice, actions, inactions or services
referred to above or (y) use of any offering materials or information concerning
the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities in the
Offering which were not authorized for such use by the Company and which use
constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. The Company also agrees
to reimburse each Indemnified Person for all Expenses as they are incurred in
connection with enforcing such Indemnified Person's rights under this
Agreement.
(b) Upon
receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an Action against such
Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may be sought under this
Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing;
provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall
not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have on account
of this indemnity or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent
the Company shall have been prejudiced by such failure. The Company shall, if
requested by the Placement Agent, assume the defense of any such Action
including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement
Agent, which counsel may also be counsel to the Company. Any Indemnified Person
shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and
participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel
shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has
failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) the named
parties to any such Action (including any impeded parties) include such
Indemnified Person and the Company, and such Indemnified Person shall have been
advised in the reasonable opinion of counsel that there is an actual conflict of
interest that prevents the counsel selected by the Company from representing
both the Company (or another client of such counsel) and any Indemnified Person;
provided that the Company shall not in such event be responsible hereunder for
the fees and expenses of more than one firm of separate counsel for all
Indemnified Persons in connection with any Action or related Actions, in
addition to any local counsel. The Company shall not be liable for any
settlement of any Action effected without its written consent (which shall not
be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not,
without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent (which shall not be
unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any
judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened Action in
respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder
(whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such
settlement, compromise, consent or termination includes an unconditional release
of each Indemnified Person from all Liabilities arising out of such Action for
which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder. The
indemnification required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount
thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense,
loss, damage or liability is incurred and is due and payable.
19
(c) In
the event that the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to an Indemnified Person
other than in accordance with this Agreement, the Company shall contribute to
the Liabilities and Expenses paid or payable by such Indemnified Person in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits to the
Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified
Person, on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement or (ii)
if the allocation provided by the immediately preceding clause is not permitted
by applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault
of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent and any other
Indemnified Person, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to
which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations; provided that in no event shall the Company contribute
less than the amount necessary to ensure that all Indemnified Persons, in the
aggregate, are not liable for any Liabilities and Expenses in excess of the
amount of fees actually received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this
Agreement. For purposes of this paragraph, the relative benefits to the Company,
on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent on the other hand, of the matters
contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as
(a) the total value paid or contemplated to be paid to or received or
contemplated to be received by the Company in the transaction or transactions
that are within the scope of this Agreement, whether or not any such transaction
is consummated, bears to (b) the fees paid to the Placement Agent under this
Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act, as
amended, shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of
fraudulent misrepresentation.
(d) The
Company also agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability (whether
direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in
connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified
Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any
Indemnified Person's actions or inactions in connection with any such advice,
services or transactions except for Liabilities (and related Expenses) of the
Company that have resulted primarily from such Indemnified Person's gross
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct in connection with any such advice,
actions, inactions or services.
(e) The
reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations of the Company set forth
herein shall apply to any modification of this Agreement and shall remain in
full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any
Indemnified Person's services under or in connection with, this
Agreement.
20
Section
8. Representations and Indemnities to
Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements,
representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or any person
controlling the Company, of its officers, and of the Placement Agent set forth
in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect,
regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the
Company, or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any
controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment
for the Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this
Agreement. A successor to a Placement Agent, or to the Company, its
directors or officers or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled
to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements
contained in this Agreement.
Section
9. Notices. All
communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered
or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the
Placement Agent to the address set forth above, attn: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
With
a copy to:
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx LLP
000
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
If to the
Company:
Nephros,
Inc.
00 Xxxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxxxx 00000
Facsimile:
Attention: Xxxx
X. Xxxxxx
With
a copy to:
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP
0000 Xxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxx
Any party
hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written
notice to the others.
21
Section
10. Successors. This
Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto,
and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling
persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and to their respective successors, and
personal representative, and no other person will have any right or obligation
hereunder.
Section
11. Partial
Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity
or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision
hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is
for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed
to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to
make it valid and enforceable.
Section
12. Governing Law
Provisions. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been made
and delivered in New York City and both this engagement letter and the
transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed as to validity,
interpretation, construction, effect and in all other respects by the internal
laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles
thereof. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company: (i) agrees that
any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this
engagement letter and/or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be
instituted exclusively in New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) waives
any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit,
action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the
New York Supreme Court, County of New York, and the United States District Court
for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or
proceeding. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company further
agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be
served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court,
County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern
District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed
by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect
effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or
proceeding, and service of process upon the Placement Agent mailed by certified
mail to the Placement Agent’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective
service process upon the Placement Agent, in any such suit, action or
proceeding. Notwithstanding any provision of this engagement letter
to the contrary, the Company agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor its
affiliates, and the respective officers, directors, employees, agents and
representatives of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each other person, if
any, controlling the Placement Agent or any of its affiliates, shall have any
liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the
Company for or in connection with the engagement and transaction described
herein except for any such liability for losses, claims, damages or liabilities
incurred by us that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the
bad faith or gross negligence of such individuals or entities.
Section
13. General
Provisions.
(a) This
Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and
supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements,
understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter
hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts,
each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the
signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This
Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties
hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived
in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to
benefit. Section headings herein are for the convenience of the
parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this
Agreement.
22
(b) The
Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i)
the Placement Agent has acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no
fiduciary duties to the Company or any other person, (ii) Placement Agent owes
the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and
(iii) the Placement Agent may have interests that differ from those of the
Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by
applicable law any claims it may have against the Placement Agent arising from
an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the
Securities
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remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]
23
If the
foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign
below whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall
become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very
truly yours,
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NEPHROS,
INC.,
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a
Delaware corporation
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By:
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Name:
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Title:
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The
foregoing Placement Agency Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the
date first above written.
XXXXXX
XXXXX SECURITIES, INC.
By:
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Name:
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Title:
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24