PLACEMENT AGREEMENT February 6, 2006
PLACEMENT
AGREEMENT
February
6, 2006
Xxxxxxx
Securities, LLC
0000
XXX
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Re: |
Private
placement offering of up to
2,400,000 units
(“Units”), with each Unit consisting of
one share of common stock, $0.001 par value (“Common Stock”) and one
common stock
purchase warrant (“Warrant”).
|
Dear
Sirs:
Aero
Grow
International, Inc. (“Company”) proposes to offer, offer for sale and sell up to
2,400,000 Units at an offering price of $5.00 per Unit, to accredited investors.
The offering of the Units (“Offering”) is being made on a best efforts,
$5,000,000 minimum (“Minimum Amount”) $12,000,000 maximum (“Maximum Amount”)
basis. Each Unit shall consist of one share of Common Stock and one Warrant.
Each Warrant is exercisable for one share of Common Stock at an exercise price
of $6.25 per share. Each Warrant will be non-redeemable and will be exercisable
for five years from the closing of this Offering. There will be only one closing
of this Offering.
The
Company agrees to file, on one occasion, a registration statement under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”) to register the shares of
Common Stock included in each Unit and the shares of Common underlying the
Warrants included in each Unit.
The
Company, the Units, the Common Stock, the Warrants and the registration rights
are more fully described in a private placement memorandum dated February 6,
2006 and any supplements or amendments thereto (the "Memorandum"). The Company
desires to employ Xxxxxxx Securities, LLC (the "Placement Agent") as its
exclusive placement agent to offer, offer for sale and sell the Units subject
to
all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and subject to the terms
and
conditions contained in the Memorandum.
1. |
Description
of Offering and Appointment of
Agent.
|
(a) Appointment.
On
the
basis of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, but
subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Placement Agent is
hereby appointed the exclusive agent of the Company during the Offering Period
(as defined herein) for the purpose of finding subscribers for sale of up to
$12,000,000 of Units on a “best efforts” basis.
The
Placement Agent may, in its sole discretion, appoint participating agents
(including foreign banks, dealers and institutions) to offer and sell the Units
as sub-agents of the Placement Agent (the "Participating Agents") pursuant
a
certain dealer agreement between the Placement Agent and each Participating
Agent (“Dealer Agreement”). A minimum purchase of 5,000 Units per investor is
required. No fractional Units will be sold in the Offering . The Placement
Agent
acknowledges that the Company may limit its acceptance of subscriptions in
any
manner it deems prudent in order to provide for the timely use of subscriber
funds and may reject any subscription for any reason, and the Placement Agent
agrees that any such rejection of a subscription obtained by the Placement
Agent
or by the Participating Agents shall be deemed not to be a sale made by the
Placement Agent or by the Participating Agents. The Placement Agent further
acknowledges that (i) all wire transfers of subscription funds will be sent
to
an escrow account (“Escrow Account”) maintained by Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx,
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx (“Escrow Agent”) under the name “Xxxxxxx - AeroGrow Escrow
Account,” (ii) all subscribers' checks shall be made payable to and deposited
into the Escrow Account, (iii) all subscribers' check will be transmitted
directly to the Escrow Agent by noon of the next business day after receipt
by
the Placement Agent or the Participating Agents, (iv) all executed subscription
documents shall be promptly sent to the Placement Agent, (v) no funds shall
be
disbursed from the Escrow Account until such time as subscriptions in the
Minimum Amount have been accepted by the Company and approved by the Placement
Agent, and (vi) the Escrow Agent shall disburse funds from the Escrow Account
only upon the written direction signed by the Company and the Placement Agent.
(b) Offering
Period. The
"Offering Period" shall mean that period during which the Units are offered
for
sale, commencing on the date of the Memorandum and continuing until March 1,
2006, or such later date mutually agreed to by the Company and Placement Agent
but not later than March 31, 2006 (the "Termination Date"); provided, however,
that the Offering Period shall in all events terminate upon the sale of all
of
the Units.
(c) Acceptance.
The
Placement Agent hereby accepts such agency and agrees on the terms an conditions
herein set forth to use the Placement Agent's best efforts during the Offering
Period to find subscribers for the Units.
(d) Private
Placement Offering. The
Offering will not be registered under federal securities laws or the securities
laws of any state. The Offering will be through
a
private offering to "accredited investors" (as such term is defined in Rule
501
of Regulation D) ("Accredited Investors") pursuant to and in accordance with
exemptions
from registration under federal securities laws and state securities acts (the
"State Acts"). With respect to federal securities laws, the Company will rely
on
one or more exemptions from registration for sales to Accredited Investors,
including, without limitation, exemptions from registration provided by Sections
3(b), 4(2) and/or 4(6) of the Securities Act, Regulation S, and Rule 506 of
Regulation D, promulgated as part of the rules and regulations under the
Securities Act (the "Rules and Regulations"). With respect to the State Acts,
the Company will not be subject to them pursuant to preemption based on Section
18 of the Securities Act or will rely upon limited offering exemptions of
certain states approved by the Company. The Company shall use its best efforts
to qualify or register the Units for sale, or exempt the Units from
qualification or registration, under the State Acts as requested by the
Placement Agent, and the Company shall continue such qualifications in effect
for so long as may be necessary to complete the Offering. The Company or its
counsel shall provide Placement Agent with all applications, forms and documents
filed in each jurisdiction where the Units are to be qualified or registered
or
qualified or offered in an exempt transaction under the State Acts. The Offering
of the Units shall be at the offering price and upon the terms and conditions
set forth in the Memorandum and the subscription agreement which is included
in
the subscription documents to be delivered with the Memorandum, and on the
basis
of the representations and warranties therein contained, and subject to the
terms and conditions herein set forth.
(e) Closing.
All
cash
proceeds from the subscriptions (the "Funds") will be deposited into the Escrow
Account maintained by the Escrow Agent. After the Company's acceptance of
subscriptions in such amount as mutually determined by the Company and the
Placement Agent, but not less than the Minimum Amount, and subject to the
Placement Agent’s approval of such subscriptions, on a date to be determined by
the Company and Placement Agent, a closing will take place at the offices of
the
Company's legal counsel or another location as determined by the Company, and
the shares of Common Stock and Warrants included in the Units evidencing the
subscriptions in the forms shown in the Memorandum will be duly executed and
issued by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Memorandum and
promptly delivered to the investors (the "Closing"), and the shares of Common
Stock when issued shall be fully paid and non-assessable.
2
(f) Other
Covenants.
In
connection with the Offering, the Company and Placement Agent each agree as
follows: (i) the Units will be offered and sold only to Accredited Investors
pursuant to the registration exemption provided by Sections 3(b), 4(2) and/or
4(6) of the Securities Act, Regulation S and Rule 506 of Regulation D, as and
to
the extent applicable to the Offering, and
will
otherwise comply with the applicable laws and regulations of any jurisdictions
in which the Units are offered or sold, (ii) neither the offer, sale nor
delivery of the Units in conformity with the terms hereof will violate
Section 5 of the Securities Act, as currently in effect, and (iii) neither
the Company nor Placement Agent has taken, nor will either party take any action
which conflicts with the conditions and requirements of, or which would make
unavailable with respect to the sale of the Units, the exemptions from
registration available pursuant to Regulation S, Rule 506 of Regulation D
or Sections 3(b), 4(2) and/or 4(6) of the Securities Act and neither the
Company nor Placement Agent knows of any reason why any such exemption would
be
otherwise unavailable to it.
(g) Information
to be Supplied.
The
Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to Placement Agent such
information as Placement Agent reasonably believes appropriate to its assignment
or necessary in connection with its assistance in the preparation of, review
of,
or inclusion in, the Memorandum. It is also understood that the Company may
make
available to Placement Agent and the offerees of the Units additional material,
data or other information relating to the Company to the extent such information
can be obtained without unreasonable effort or expense and is not otherwise
confidential or a trade secret of the Company (collectively, as limited the
“Company Data”). The Company recognizes and confirms that (a) in performing
the services contemplated by this Agreement, Placement Agent will use and rely
primarily on the Memorandum and Company Data made available to Placement Agent
and on other information available from generally recognized public sources
without having independently verified the same; (b) the contents of the
Memorandum and the Company Data are the sole responsibility of the Company,
and
Placement Agent does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or
completeness of the Memorandum or the Company Data, and will not undertake
to
verify independently any of their accuracy or completeness; and
(c) Placement Agent will furnish a copy of the Memorandum, and each
supplement or amendment thereto, to each purchaser of Units, and Placement
Agent
will not employ any written material other than the Memorandum, each supplement
and amendment thereto and the Company Data.
2. Representations
and Warranties of the Company. The
Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Placement Agent and
the
Participating Agents (if any) as follows:
(a) The
Company has been duly incorporated, and validly exists as a corporation in
good
standing under the laws of the state of Nevada.
The
Company has the requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its
assets and properties and to carry on its business as it is now being or
currently planned by the Company to be conducted. The Company is in possession
of all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements,
consents, certificates, approvals and orders ("Approvals") necessary to own,
lease and operate the properties it purports to own, operate or lease and to
carry on its business as it is now being conducted, except where the failure
to
have such Approvals could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably
be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as hereinafter defined) on the
Company. The Company is not in violation of any of the provisions of its
Articles of Incorporation or its bylaws, as currently in effect (“Charter
Documents"). The Company is duly qualified or licensed to do business as a
foreign company and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the character
of the properties owned, leased or operated by it or the nature of its
activities makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except for such
failures to be so duly qualified or licensed and in good standing that could
not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect on the Company. The minute books or the equivalent of the Company
to the extent of their existence contain true and accurate records of meetings
and true, complete and accurate records of consents in lieu of meetings of
its
directors (and any committees thereof), similar governing bodies, and
stockholders ("Corporate Records"), since the time of the Company's
organization. The Company has no subsidiaries. For purposes of this Agreement,
the term "Material Adverse Effect" when used in connection with an entity means
any change, event, violation, inaccuracy, circumstance or effect, individually
or when aggregated with other changes, events, violations, inaccuracies,
circumstances or effects, that is materially adverse to the business, assets
(including intangible assets), revenues, financial condition or results of
operations of such entity or its subsidiaries, if any, taken as a whole (it
being understood that neither of the following alone or in combination shall
be
deemed, in and of itself, to constitute a Material Adverse Effect: (a) changes
attributable to the public announcement or pendency of the Merger (as defined
herein), the Offering or any related transactions (collectively, the
“Transactions”), (b) changes in general national or regional economic
conditions, or (c) changes affecting the industry generally in which the Company
operates.
3
(b) The
Company has complied and will comply with Sections 3(b), 4(2) and/or 4(6) of
the
Securities Act, with all of the provisions of the Rules and Regulations
promulgated under the Securities Act, specifically including the provisions
of
Regulation S, Regulation D and Rule 506 thereunder, applicable to them in
connection with the offering and sale of the Units, and with all States Acts
and
regulations applicable to them in connection with the offering and the sale
of
the Units.
(c) The
Memorandum, and any amendments or supplements thereto, as of the date hereof,
and at all subsequent times through the Closing, shall in all material respects
conform to all applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Rules and
Regulations and the State Acts, and shall not contain any untrue statement
of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided however,
that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or
omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Placement Agent and any
Participating Agents for use with reference to the Placement Agent and any
Participating Agents in connection with preparation of the
Memorandum.
(d) The
execution on performance of this Agreement, and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated hereby, have been duly authorized by the Company
and,
at the time of its execution and performance, shall not constitute or result
in
any breach or violation (other than any breach or violation which shall have
been waived or consented to in writing) of any of the terms, provisions or
conditions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed
of
trust, note, contract, commitment, instrument or document to which it or any
of
its properties is subject, the Charter Documents or corresponding documents
of
the Company, or any order, arbitration award , or judgment, of any court of
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of
its
activities or properties; and no consent, approval, authorization or order
of
any court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation of
the
transactions contemplated hereby.
(e) The
Units, the shares of Common Stock, the Warrants and the Agent Warrants shall
be
duly authorized and shall be validly issued and binding obligations of the
Company, and shall conform to the description thereof contained in the
Memorandum. The shares of Common Stock included in the Units, and the shares
of
Common Stock underlying the Warrants and the Agent Warrants, when issued, shall
be fully paid and non-assessable.
4
(f) Neither
the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company’s affiliates
have been subject to any order, judgment or decree of any court of competent
jurisdiction temporarily, preliminary or permanently enjoining such person
for
failing to comply with Rule
503
under Regulation D. During the past five year period, to the Company’s
knowledge, no current or former director, executive officer or 10% or more
stockholder of the Company has been the subject of: (a)
a
petition under the Federal bankruptcy laws or any other insolvency or moratorium
law or has a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer been appointed by a
court
for such person, or any partnership in which such person was a general partner
at or within two years before the time of such filing, or any corporation or
business association of which such person was an executive officer at or within
two years before the time of such filing;
(b) a
conviction in a criminal proceeding or a named subject of a pending criminal
proceeding (excluding traffic violations that do not relate to driving while
intoxicated or driving under the influence); (c)
any
order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated,
of
any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining any
such person from, or otherwise limiting, the following activities: (1)
Acting as a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading
advisor, commodity pool operator, floor broker, leverage transaction merchant,
any other person regulated by the United States Commodity Futures Trading
Commission or an associated person of any of the foregoing, or as an investment
adviser, underwriter, broker or dealer in securities, or as an affiliated
person, director or employee of any investment company, bank, savings and loan
association or insurance company, or engaging in or continuing any conduct
or
practice in connection with such activity;
(2)
Engaging in any type of business practice; or (3)
Engaging in any activity in connection with the purchase or sale of any security
or commodity or in connection with any violation of Federal, state or other
securities laws or commodities laws; (d)
any
order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated,
of
any Federal, state or local authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting
for more than 60 days the right of any such person to engage in any activity
described in the preceding sub-paragraph, or to be associated with persons
engaged in any such activity; (e)
a
finding by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") to have violated any
securities law, regulation or decree and the judgment in such civil action
or
finding by the Commission has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or
vacated; or
(f) a
finding by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the
Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated any federal commodities
law, and the judgment in such civil action or finding has not been subsequently
reversed, suspended or vacated.
(g) The
Company represents and warrants that at all times from the respective dates
that
the Memorandum (including, without limitation, any supplement or amendment
thereto) and the Company Data, if any, are furnished or made available by the
Company to Placement Agent or, either directly or through Placement Agent,
to
offerees or any of their representatives, such Memorandum (including, without
limitation, any supplement or amendment thereto) and Company Data will not,
taken separately or in any combination as provided to Placement Agent or any
offeree or its representatives, contain 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.
(h) The
Company will furnish Placement Agent from time to time, such number of copies
of
the Memorandum and Company Data, any exhibits thereto and agreements and
documents referred to therein, as Placement Agent may reasonably
request.
(i) If
any
event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary or
advisable, in the opinion of the Company or Placement Agent, to amend or
supplement the Memorandum in order that the Memorandum will not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the
circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to prospective purchasers,
the Company will forthwith prepare and furnish to Placement Agent such number
of
copies as Placement Agent may reasonably request of an amendment or supplement
to the Memorandum (in form and substance satisfactory to Placement Agent and
its
counsel) that will ensure that the Memorandum does not contain any misstatements
or omissions and is not in any respect misleading and provide the same to
offerees.
5
(j) The
Company will advise Placement Agent promptly of (A) the occurrence of any
event or the existence of any condition known to the Company referred to in
Section 2(i) hereof; (B) the receipt by the Company of any communication,
stop order or any order from the SEC, any state securities commissioner or
any
other domestic or foreign securities or financial regulatory authority or
self-regulatory organization concerning the offering of the Units; and (C)
the
commencement of any lawsuit or proceeding to which the Company is a party
relating to the Units or the Offering. The Company shall make every reasonable
effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is
issued, to obtain the lifting thereof as promptly as possible.
(k) The
Company will (A) make available to each offeree of the Units the
Memorandum; and (B) provide each offeree the opportunity to ask questions
of, and receive answers from, the officers and employees of the Company
concerning the terms and conditions of the Offering and to obtain any other
additional information about the Company and the Units to the extent the
officers and employees of the Company possess the same or can acquire it without
unreasonable effort or expense and it is not otherwise confidential or trade
secret information. The Company may require appropriate confidentiality and
non-disclosure agreements as it is advised by counsel prior to the disclosure
of
any information not otherwise contained in the Memorandum.
(l) The
Company is not in default in the performance or observance of any material
obligation (A) under its Charter Documents, or any indenture, mortgage,
contract, purchase order or other agreement or instrument to which the Company
is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound or affected; or
(B) with respect to any order, writ injunction or decree of any court of
any Federal, state, municipal or other governmental department, commission,
board, bureau, agency or instrumentality, domestic or foreign, and there exists
no condition, event or act which constitutes, nor which after notice, the lapse
of time or both, could constitute a default under any of the foregoing, which
in
either case would have a material adverse effect on the current business of
the
Company.
(m) The
Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this
Agreement, and any document, certificate or instrument required hereunder or
to
be executed or delivered at any Closing in connection with the Offering
(collectively, the “Documents”), and to perform all of its obligations hereunder
and thereunder or contemplated hereby or thereby. The Documents have been,
or
will be, duly executed and delivered by the Company and the execution and
delivery by the Company of the Documents and the performance of all of its
obligations have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action by
the
Company, and each Document (assuming the due authorization and execution of
the
other parties thereto) executed and delivered and obligation performed
constitutes, or will constitute, the legal, valid and binding obligation of
the
Company enforceable in accordance with its respective terms,
subject
to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the enforceability
of creditors' rights generally.
(n) The
(A) authorization, execution, delivery and performance of the Documents;
and (B) authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Units, the shares
of Common Stock, the Warrants and the Agent Warrants will not (1) violate
any provision of law or statute or any order of any court or other governmental
agency applicable to the Company; or (2) conflict with or result in any
breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of, or constitute (with
due
notice or lapse of time or both) a default under, or result in the creation
of
any material lien, security interest, charge or encumbrance upon any of the
properties or assets of the Company under its charter or by-laws, or any
indenture, mortgage, lease agreement or other material agreement or instrument
to which the Company is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound
or affected except for violations, conflicts breaches and defaults that would
not, individually or in the aggregate materially and adversely affect the
Company, Placement Agent or any investor in this Offering.
6
(o) The
Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to issue, sell and
deliver the Units, the shares of Common Stock, the Warrants and the Agent
Warrants and such issuances, sales and deliveries have been duly authorized
by
all requisite corporate action of the Company and when so issued, sold and
delivered the Units, the shares of Common Stock, the Warrants and the
Agent Warrants will be duly and validly issued and outstanding, valid and
binding obligations of the Company, and the shares of Common Stock included
in
the Units and the shares of Common Stock underlying the Warrants and the Agent
Warrants, when issued, shall be fully paid and non-assessable, with no personal
liability attaching to the ownership thereof and will be free and clear of
all
liens, charges, claims, encumbrances, restrictions or preemptive or any other
similar rights imposed by or through the Company, except as waived
prior
to the
Closing or as disclosed herein and as shall be disclosed in the Memorandum,
and
the Company shall have paid all taxes, if any, in respect of the issuance
thereof. Assuming that the investors met such suitability standards as are
specified by the Company and the representations and warranties of Placement
Agent are accurate as to the method of offering, the offer and sale of the
Units, the shares of Common Stock, the Warrants and the Agent Warrants
(collectively, the “Securities”)are exempt from the registration requirements of
the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and the State Acts and the
Securities will be issued in compliance with all applicable Federal and state
securities laws.
(p) No
permit, consent, approval, authorization, order of, or filing with, any court
or
governmental authority is required in connection with the execution and delivery
by the Company of this Agreement or to consummate the Offering, except that
the
offer and sale of the Units in certain jurisdictions may be subject to the
provisions of the securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions and the
federal securities laws.
(q) There
is
no action suit proceeding before or by any United States court or governmental
agency or body, now pending or threatened, against or affecting the Company,
or
any of its properties, which would reasonably be anticipated to result in any
Material Adverse Effect.
(r) The
Company has (A) duly and timely filed all tax returns required to be filed
by the Company under applicable law that include or relate to the Company,
its
income, assets, payroll, operations or business, which tax returns are true,
correct and complete in all material respects; (B) duly and timely paid, in
full, all taxes which are currently due and payable and for which the Company
is
liable; or (C) adequately reserved for taxes that have not been paid or are
in
dispute.
(s) The
Company is not in default under any agreement, lease, license contract or
commitment, whether oral or written including, without limitation, agreements
with employees and consultants (“Company Agreements”) to which the Company is a
party or by which any of its assets are bound, and there is no event known
to
the Company that, with notice, or lapse of time, or both, would constitute
a
default by any party to any Company Agreement or give any party the right to
terminate or modify any of the same and the Company has not received notice
that
any party to any Company Agreement intends to cancel or terminate any Company
Agreement or to exercise or not to exercise any renewal or extension options
under any Company Agreement, except as to any events described in this
subparagraph that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) The
Company holds, and is in compliance with, all permits, licenses, registrations
and authorizations required by it in connection with the conduct of the business
of the Company as currently conducted under all Federal, state and local laws,
rules and regulations (the “Permits”), except where the failure to be in
compliance has not had, and is not reasonably expected to have, a Material
Adverse Effect.
7
(u) The
Company’s financial statements, which may be unaudited, that are included in the
Memorandum, are true and correct and fairly present, in accordance with U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”), consistently applied,
the financial condition of the Company as of the dates specified (“Financial
Statements”). The audited Financial Statements of the Company included in the
Memorandum have been audited in accordance with the standards of the U.S. Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) by an independent certifying
accountant duly registered with the PCAOB. The Company maintains 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 generally accepted
accounting principles 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. Except
as
set forth in Schedule 2(u) hereto, the Company has no liabilities individually
in excess of $25,000 and in the aggregate in excess of $50,000 (absolute,
accrued, contingent or otherwise) of a nature required to be disclosed on a
balance sheet or in the related notes to the financial statements prepared
in
accordance with U.S. GAAP which are, individually or in the aggregate, material
to the business, results of operations or financial condition of the Company,
except: (i) liabilities provided for in or otherwise disclosed in the balance
sheets of the Company as of September 30, 2005 prepared in accordance with
U.S.
GAAP, (ii) such liabilities arising in the ordinary course of the Company’s
business since September 30, 2005 and (iii) liabilities disclosed in the
Memorandum, none of which would have a Material Adverse Effect on the
Company.
(v) Since
September 30, 2005, the Company has conducted its business in the ordinary
course and has not suffered any Material Adverse Effect. The Company has in
place insurance
policies covering the assets, business, products, equipment, properties,
operations, employees, officers, directors, managers and managing members
(collectively, the "Insurance Policies") of the Company adequate for the
Company’s business as presently conducted.
(w) The
capitalization of the Company has been correctly and completely described in
the
Memorandum and, except as shall be disclosed therein, no person has any right
of
first refusal, pre-emptive right, right of participation, or any similar right
to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Documents. There are
no
outstanding options, warrants, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments
of
any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations
convertible into or exchangeable for, or giving any person any right to
subscribe for or acquire, any shares of capital stock of the Company, or
contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company
is
or may become bound to issue shares of capital stock, except as shall be
reflected in the Memorandum. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock
of
the Company are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued
in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such
outstanding shares of capital stock was issued in violation of any pre-emptive
rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.
(x) The
Company has rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks,
trademark applications, service marks, trade names, copyrights, licenses and
other similar rights that are necessary or material for use in connection with
its business (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”), except to the
extent that the failure to have such Intellectual Property Rights, individually
or in the aggregate, would not have or reasonably be expected to result in
a
Material Adverse Effect. No claims have been made or threatened by any third
party to the effect that Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company
violate or infringe upon the rights of such claimant. To the actual knowledge
of
the Company, all of the Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there
is no existing infringement by another person of any of the Intellectual
Property Rights.
8
(y) At
the
Closing, the Company will deliver, or cause to be delivered, to Placement Agent,
in each case in form and substance satisfactory to Placement Agent and its
counsel: (A) a certificate of the Company signed by the Chief Executive
Officer and the Chief Financial Officer thereof certifying (1) that the
representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are
true and accurate in all material respects as of the Closing; and, (2)
that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in each
subscription agreement entered into with a prospective purchaser of the Units
are true and correct in all material respects as of the date of such
certificate, except to the extent any such representation or warranty was
expressly made as of any other date, in which case such representation and
warranty was true and correct in all material respects as of such other date;
and at the Closing, and (B) an opinion of the Company’s counsel, as to matters
reasonably requested by the Placement Agent. In
rendering the opinions required herein, counsel and special securities counsel
to the Company may, as to factual matters, rely upon certificates, statements,
letters, representations and affidavits of officers of the Company, its
officers, any other records of the Company, certificates of public officials,
and letters of independent certified public accountants. With respect to the
opinions required herein, “known to such counsel”, “to the best knowledge of
such counsel” or any like phrase or reference shall mean to the best of
knowledge of such counsel after due inquiry and investigation; “due inquiry and
investigation” shall include only (i) discussions, inquiries and conferences
with officials and agents of the Company occurring in connection with such
counsel's representation of the Company, (ii) review of certain corporate
records documents and proceedings of the Company as provided to such counsel
by
the Company and (iii) review of files maintained by such counsel relating to
the
Company; “due inquiry and investigation” shall not mean or imply any independent
verification of any factual matter of which such counsel becomes aware as a
result of the foregoing discussions, inquiries and reviews.
(z) The
Company further agrees that it will not consummate the Offering unless it
delivers or causes to be delivered the items described in Section 2(m) to
Placement Agent at the Closing. The consummation of the Offering and the release
of the investor funds from the Escrow Account shall be further subject to any
other conditions set forth in the Memorandum or the subscription agreement
entered into by each purchaser of Units.
(aa) The
Company will be responsible for and comply with all applicable notification
and
fee requirements to qualify the offering and sale under the state securities
or
“blue sky” laws of such jurisdiction in which any sales pursuant to the offering
may be transacted and as may otherwise be required or as requested by Placement
Agent provided that, in connection therewith, the Company shall not be required
to qualify as a foreign corporation.
(bb) Except
as
set forth in this Agreement or as disclosed on Schedule 2(bb), neither the
Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its officers, directors or
stockholders has incurred, nor will they incur, directly or indirectly, any
liability for brokerage, finders' fees, agent’s commissions or any similar
charges in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions. Except as set
forth in this Agreement or the Transactions, no membership interests, ownership
interests, equity securities, convertible securities, warrants, options, or
other derivative securities of the Company will be payable to any third party
by
the Company or any of its officers, directors or stockholders as a result of
the
Transactions.
3. Representations
and Warranties of the Placement Agent.
The
Placement Agent represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Company as
follows:
(a) The
Placement Agent is a limited liability duly
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction in which it was formed, with all requisite power and authority
to
enter into this Agreement and to carry out your obligations hereunder. This
Agreement (i) has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Placement
Agent, (ii) constitutes legal, valid and binding obligation of the Placement
Agent, and (iii) subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws
affecting the enforceability of creditors' rights generally, is enforceable
as
to the Placement Agent in accordance with its terms.
9
(b) The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Placement Agent
and
the consummation by the Placement Agent of the transactions contemplated hereby
and by the Memorandum will not conflict with or result in the Placement Agent’s
breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
default in any material respect under, (i) any indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the
Placement Agent is a party or to which the Placement Agent or its property
is
subject, (ii) the Placement Agent’s charter or its operating agreement or (iii)
any statute, judgment, decree, order, rule or regulation applicable to the
Placement Agent of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction
over the Placement Agent.
(c) The
Placement Agent is, and at all times through the date of the final sale of
a
Unit shall remain, duly registered pursuant to the provisions of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) as a broker-dealer and duly
registered as a broker-dealer in those states in which the Placement Agent
is
required to be so registered in order to carry out the Offering as contemplated
by the Memorandum; the Placement Agent is, and at all times through the date
of
the final sale of a Unit shall remain, a member in good standing of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASD”); the Placement Agent will not
reallow discounts or pay commissions or other compensation for participation
in
the distribution of the Offering in the United States to any broker-dealer
or
person which is not a member of the NASD; the Placement Agent shall act as
an
independent contractor, and nothing herein shall constitute the Placement Agent
an employee of the Company; the Placement Agent shall not make sales of Units
to
discretionary accounts.
The
Placement Agent may reallow discounts or pay commissions or other compensation
to any foreign bank, person, dealer or institution for participation in the
distribution of the Offering outside the United States to non-U.S. persons
(notwithstanding that such foreign bank, person, dealer or institution may
not
be a member of the NASD.
(d) In
connection with the offer, offer for sale and sale of the Units, the Placement
Agent (and its representatives and agents) shall conform to and comply with
(i)
the provisions of the Rules of Fair Practice of the NASD, (ii) applicable
provisions of federal law, including without limitation the Securities Act,
the
Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations, and (iii) the State Acts and the
rules and regulations thereunder, including without limitation those referred
to
in such letters regarding state securities and “blue sky” matters (“Blue Sky
Letters”) as are prepared by counsel for the Company and sent to the Placement
Agent from time to time, with regard to, among other things, the period during
which and conditions under which the Units may be offered, offered for sale
and
sold in various states; the Placement Agent shall not distribute the Memorandum
or otherwise commence the Offering in any jurisdiction without prior
confirmation from the Company or its counsel that the Offering may be commenced
under applicable securities laws, rules and regulations.
(e) The
Placement Agent will use its best efforts to procure subscribers for the Units
and will conduct the Offering in compliance with the suitability standards
set
forth in the Memorandum and with the requirements of Sections
3(b), 4(2) and/or 4(6) of the Securities Act, Regulation S and Rule 506 of
Regulation D, as and to the extent applicable to the Offering;
accordingly, at all times through the date of the final sale of a Unit, the
Placement Agent will have:
(i) not
made
any untrue statement of a material fact and not omitted to state a material
fact
required to be stated or necessary to make any statement made not misleading,
to
the extent any representations are made by the Placement Agent concerning the
Offering or matters set forth in the Memorandum and Company Data other than
those set forth in the Memorandum and Company Data;
10
(ii) not
offered, offered for sale, or sold the Units by means of: (A) any advertisement,
article, notice, or other communication mentioning the Units published in any
newspaper, magazine or similar medium or broadcast over television or radio;
(B)
any seminar or meeting, the attendees of which have been invited by any general
solicitation or general advertising; or (C) any
letter, circular, notice, or other written communication, unless the
communication is accompanied or preceded by the Memorandum, except to the extent
that any of the foregoing are permitted under or in connection with offers
or
sales to non-U.S. persons under Regulation S;
(iii) prior
to
the sale of any of the Units, reasonably believed that each subscriber and
his
or her purchaser representative, if any, met the suitability and other investor
standards set forth in the Memorandum and the Blue Sky Letters, and the
Placement Agent will have prepared and maintained, for your benefit and the
benefit of the Company, file memoranda and other appropriate records
substantiating the foregoing;
(iv) only
used
sales materials other than the Memorandum and Company Data which have been
approved for use in the Offering by the Company, and refrained from providing
any such materials to any offeree unless such materials were accompanied or
preceded by the Memorandum;
(v) provided
each offeree with a copy of the Memorandum;
(vi) promptly
distributed any amendment or supplement to the Memorandum provided to the
Placement Agent by the Company under this Agreement to persons who had
previously received a copy of the Memorandum from the Placement Agent and who
the Placement Agent believed continued to be interested in the Units and have
included such amendment or supplement in all deliveries of the Memorandum made
after receipt of any such amendment or supplement; and
(vii) not
made
any representations on behalf of the Company other than those contained
in the Memorandum and the Company Data, nor shall the Placement Agent have
acted
as an
agent
of the Company or for the Company in any other capacity, except as expressly
set
forth herein.
4. Compensation
and Expenses.
(a) The
Company agrees to pay to the Placement Agent a placement fee of ten percent
(10%) of the aggregate gross offering proceeds of all of the Units sold. The
Placement Agent may instruct the Company to pay a portion of any placement
fee
due directly to Participating Agents. Such placement fee shall be due and
payable at the Closing. The Company also agrees to pay to the Placement Agent,
as warrant placement agent for transactions involving the exercise of any
Warrants, which exercise is solicited by the Placement Agent, a warrant
solicitation fee of five percent (5%) of the aggregate exercise price received.
(b) In
addition, the Company shall issue and sell, at the Closing, to the Placement
Agent or its designees 1 warrant (covering one share of Common Stock) for every
10 Units sold in the Offering at a price of $0.0001 per warrant (“Agent
Warrants”). Each Agent Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one
share of Common Stock. The Agent Warrants shall be non-redeemable and shall
be
exercisable at any time after the Closing at a price equal $6.25 per share,
on a
net-issuance or cashless basis. The Company hereby grants the same registration
rights to the Placement Agent with respect to the shares of common stock
underlying the Agent Warrants as are granted to investors with respect to the
shares of Common Stock and the Warrants as set forth in this Agreement and
the
Memorandum. The Agent Warrants will expire five (5) years from the date of
issuance.
11
(c) The
Company will pay all costs and expenses related to the Offering and/or the
performance of the Company's obligations under this Agreement, including
preparation of the Memorandum, preparation of related documentation, accounting
fees, legal fees, experts fees, consultants' fees, escrow fees, filing fees
with
the SEC and applicable states, any costs and expenses to qualify the Units
for
sale in any state, and any all costs and expenses for investor or road show
presentations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be
responsible for any expenses of the Placement Agent or Participating Agents
incurred in connection with the Offering, including, but without limitation,
attorneys' fee, operating expenses, travel expenses and other incidental
expenses incurred by the Placement Agent or the Participating Agents; except
that the Company shall pay the Placement Agent a non-accountable expense
allowance equal to three percent (3%) of the aggregate gross offering proceeds
of all of the Units sold (“Allowance”).
5. Covenants
of the Company. The
Company covenants and agrees that it will:
(a) Comply
with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as now and
hereafter amended, by the Rules and Regulations from time to time in force,
and
by all State Acts, to permit the continuance of offers and sales of the Units
in
accordance with the provisions of Sections 3(b), 4(2) and/or 4(6) of the
Securities Act, Regulation S and Rule 506 of Regulation D, as and to the extent
applicable to the Offering, and the Memorandum. During the Offering Period,
the
Company will amend or supplement the Memorandum in order to make such Memorandum
comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Rules and Regulations
and the State Acts.
(b) Until
the
termination of the Offering Period, furnish to the Placement Agent information
necessary to keep the Memorandum fair, accurate and complete in all material
respects.
(c) If
at any
time any event occurs as a result of which the Memorandum would include an
untrue statement of a material fact or, in view of the circumstances under
which
they were made,
omit
to
state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
the Company will notify the Placement Agent thereof (unless the information
shall have been received from the Placement Agent) and will effect the
preparation of an amended or supplemental Memorandum which will correct such
statement or omission.
(d) Upon
the
Placement Agent's reasonable request, the Company will prepare an amended or
supplemental Memorandum and take any other action which may be necessary of
advisable in connection with the offer and sale of the Units.
(e) Not
offer, offer to sell, offer for sale or sell any of the Units of the Company
or
other securities, except and to the extent any such offer, offer to sell, offer
for sale or sale shall not render unavailable the exemptions from registration
and qualification requirements of the Securities Act and the State Acts relied
upon the respect to the offering and sale of the Units contemplated by this
Agreement.
(f) Provided
their subscriptions are accepted by the Company and approved by the Placement
Agent, issue the shares of Common Stock and Warrants with respect to the Units
to the holders in accordance with the description of the procedures as set
forth
in the Memorandum and the subscription documents to be delivered with the
Memorandum.
12
(g) Prepare,
execute and file a Form D (and any and all amendments or supplements thereto)
with the SEC in timely manner and deliver copies thereof to the Placement Agent,
together with copies of all forms (including without limitation, Form Ds) and
other documents and/or materials filed either before or after the Closing,
and
comply with Regulation D and the State Acts and make any fillings required
by
the SEC and state securities authorities in a timely manner.
(h) The
Company
will make available for inspection by the Placement Agent or its authorized
representatives, at the Company’s principal office during normal business hours,
any information and documents relating to the business and operations of the
Company as the Placement Agent may reasonably request and as are available
to
the Company or obtainable by it without unreasonable effort or expense.
(i) The
Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Units as set forth
in
the Memorandum.
(j) The
Company shall at all times reserve and keep available such number of authorized
shares of its common stock as are sufficient to permit the exercise of the
Warrants and Agent Warrants; all shares of common stock issued upon the exercise
of Warrants and Agent Warrants, upon receipt of full payment therefore, will
be
duly authorized, validly and legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable,
and
such common stock will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any
preemptive rights provided for by law or by the Company's Charter Documents
or
be subject to any lien, claim, encumbrance, security interest, preemptive rights
or any other claim of any third party.
(k) The
Company shall file such registration statements and include such securities
of
the Company in such registration statements filed under the Securities Act
as
specifically provided in the Memorandum and the subscription agreement entered
into by the purchaser of the Units.
6. Covenants
of Placement Agent.
The
Placement Agent covenants and agrees that it will:
(a) Comply
with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as now and
hereafter amended, by the Rules and Regulations from time to time in force,
and
by all State Acts, to permit the continuance of offers and sales of the Units
in
accordance with Sections 3(b), 4(2) and/or 4(6) of the Securities Act,
Regulation S and Rule 506 of Regulation D, as and to the extent applicable
to
the Offering, and the Memorandum.
(b) Comply
with all applicable rules of the NASD and any other laws, rules and regulations
applicable to broker-dealers.
(c) Not
offer, offer to sell, offer for sale or sell any of the Units of the Company
or
other securities, except and to the extent any such offer, offer to sell, offer
for sale or sale shall nor render unavailable the exemptions from registration
and qualification requirements of the Securities Act and the State Acts relied
upon with respect to the offering and sale of the Units contemplated by this
Agreement.
7. Conditions
of Closing. The
purchase of, and payment for, the Units on the Closing shall be subject to
the
continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and
the
Placement Agent as of the date hereof and as of the Closing, to the performance
by the Company and Placement Agent of their respective obligations hereunder,
and to the following conditions:
13
(a) The
Placement Agent's obligations as provided herein shall be subject to the
accuracy of the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company herein
contained as of the date hereof and as of the Closing, and to the performance
by
the Company of its obligations hereunder to be performed.
(b) The
Closing of the Offering shall be subject to the Company's acceptance of
subscriptions in such amount as mutually determined by the Company and the
Placement Agent, but not less than the Minimum Amount, and subject to the
Placement Agent’s approval of such subscriptions.
(c) The
Closing of the Offering shall be subject to the closing of the merger
transaction (“Merger”) contemplated under that certain Agreement and Plan of
Merger by and between the Company and Wentworth I, Inc. (“Wentworth”) dated
January 12, 2006 (“Merger Agreement”).
(d) The
Closing of the Offering shall be subject to the satisfaction of the conditions
set forth in the subscription agreement between the Company and each purchaser
of Units.
(e) At
the
Closing, the Company shall:
(1) Accept
subscriptions of qualifying potential purchasers that the Company reasonably
believes to be accredited investors under Regulation D and the State Acts,
in
accordance with the Memorandum.
(2) Issue
and
deliver the shares of Common Stock and the Warrants with respect to the Units
to
subscribers as described in the Memorandum.
(3) Issue
and
deliver the Agent Warrants to the Placement Agent as provided
hereunder.
(c) At
the
Closing, if any, the Placement Agent shall:
(1) Deliver
to the Company all subscription agreements that the Company agrees are
acceptable.
(2) Receive
from the Company or give assignment instructions for all compensation, including
Agent Warrants, payable to the Placement Agent.
8. Indemnification.
(a) The
Placement Agent and each of the Participating Agents, severally and not jointly,
agree to indemnify and hold the Company and the directors, officers, employees,
agents, attorneys, shareholders and control persons (as defined under federal
and state securities laws) of the Company, and the respective heirs, personal
representatives and assigns of each of the foregoing (collectively, the "Company
Indemnified Persons") harmless from and against any loss, liability, claim,
damage and expense (including, but not limited to, expenses reasonably incurred
in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced
or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon) to which the Company Indemnified
Persons may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar
as
such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including
reasonable attorneys' and experts' fees) arise solely out of: (i) any breach
of
any representation, warranty, agreement or covenant under this Agreement by
Placement Agent or under the Dealer Agreement by Participating Agents, (ii)
any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained
in
the Memorandum, or any amendment or supplement thereto, 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 such untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made
in the Memorandum or such supplement or such amendment in reliance upon and
in
conformity with information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent,
(iii) any statement made, either orally or in a writing other than the
Memorandum or the Company Data, by the Placement Agent or the Participating
Agents containing an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any
material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
required to be stated or necessary to make the statements not misleading, unless
such statements or omissions are made in reliance upon or in conformity with
statements made or information provided by the Company and/or the actions of
the
Company, and/or (iv) any amount paid in settlement of any litigation, commenced
or threatened, or of any claim based upon any of the matters under (i) through
(iii) (including, but not limited to, expenses reasonably incurred in
investigating, preparing or defending against any such litigation or claim)
if
such settlement is affected with the written consent of the Placement Agent
and/or the effected Participating Agents.
14
If
for
any reason, the foregoing indemnification is unavailable to any Company
Indemnified Persons, then the Placement Agent or Participating Agents shall
contribute to the amount paid or payable by any such Company Indemnified Person
as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability in such proportion as
is
appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Placement Agent or
Participating Agents and any Company Indemnified Person.
Promptly
after a Company Indemnified Person receives notice of the commencement of any
action, claim, proceeding or investigation (“Action”), such Company Indemnified
Person, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the Placement Agent
or Participating Agents under this Section 8(a), will notify the Placement
Agent
or Participating Agents of the commencement thereof. The omission to so notify
the Placement Agent or Participating Agents will relieve the Placement Agent
and
Participating Agents from any liability which they may have to any Company
Indemnified Person under this Section 8(a) if the Placement Agent or
Participating Agents have been prejudiced in asserting, or shall have lost
the
right to assert, a legal defense by reason of such omission. The Placement
Agent
or Participating Agents will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent
that they may wish, to assume the defense thereof subject to the provisions
herein stated, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Company Indemnified
Person. The Company Indemnified Person will have the right to employ separate
counsel in any such Action and to participate in the defense thereof but the
fees and expenses of such counsel will be at the expense of the Company
Indemnified Person if the Placement Agent or Participating Agents have assumed
the defense of the Action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Company
Indemnified Person. No settlement of any Action against a Company Indemnified
Person for which indemnification from the Placement Agent or Participating
Agents is sought will be made without the consent of the Placement Agent or
Participating Agents.
(b) The
Company agrees to indemnify and hold the Placement Agent and Participating
Agents, and the directors, officers, employees, agents, attorneys, shareholders
and control persons (as defined under federal and state securities laws) of
the
Placement Agent and Participating Agents, and the respective heirs, personal
representatives and assigns of each of the foregoing (collectively, the "Agent
Indemnified Persons") harmless from and against any loss, liability, claim,
damage and expense (including, but not limited to, expenses reasonably incurred
in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced
or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon) to which the Agent Indemnified
Persons may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar
as
such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including
reasonable attorneys' and experts' fees) arise out of or relate to: (i) any
breach of any representation, warranty, agreement or covenant under this
Agreement by the Company, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of any material fact contained in the Memorandum, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or the Company Data, 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, (iii) any statement
made, either orally or in a writing other than the Memorandum or the Company
Data, by the Company containing an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of any material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material
fact required to be stated or necessary to make the statements not misleading,
and/or (iv) any amount paid in settlement of any litigation, commenced or
threatened, or of any claim based upon any of the matters under (i) through
(iii) (including, but not limited to, expenses reasonably incurred in
investigating, preparing or defending against any such litigation or claim)
if
such settlement is affected with the written consent of the Company;
provided, however,
that the
Company shall not be liable to any Agent Indemnified Persons to the extent
that
any such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs or expenses, or any actions
in respect thereof, arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Memorandum
or such amendment or such supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Placement
Agent
15
If
for
any reason, the foregoing indemnification is unavailable to any Agent
Indemnified Persons, then the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or
payable by any such Agent Indemnified Persons as a result of such loss, claim,
damage or liability in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
fault of the Company and any Agent Indemnified Person.
Promptly
after an Agent Indemnified Person receives notice of the commencement of any
action, claim, proceeding or investigation (“Action”), such Agent Indemnified
Person, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the Company under
this Section 8(b), will notify the Company of the commencement thereof. The
omission to so notify the Company will relieve the Company from any liability
which it may have to any Agent Indemnified Person under this Section 8(b) if
the
Company has been prejudiced in asserting, or shall have lost the right to
assert, a legal defense by reason of such omission. The Company will be entitled
to participate in, and, to the extent that they may wish, to assume the defense
thereof subject to the provisions herein stated, with counsel reasonably
satisfactory to such Agent Indemnified Person. The Agent Indemnified Person
will
have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Action and to participate
in the defense thereof but the fees and expenses of such counsel will be at
the
expense of the Agent Indemnified Person if the Company has assumed the defense
of the Action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agent Indemnified
Person. No settlement of any Action against an Agent Indemnified Person for
which indemnification from the Company is sought will be made without the
consent of the Company.
9. Representations,
Indemnities and Agreements to Survive Sale and Payment.
The
respective representations, indemnities, warranties, covenants and other
agreements of the Company and the Placement Agent set forth in or made pursuant
to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any
investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, or
any
Agent Indemnified Person or Company Indemnified Person, and shall survive
closing, delivery of, and payment for the Units.
10. Termination
of Agreement.
Notwithstanding any of the terms and provisions thereof, this Agreement may
be
terminated by the Placement Agent based on a material breach of this Agreement
by the Company. The Placement Agent shall give fifteen (15) days' prior written
notice to the Company of such material breach, and the Company shall have thirty
(30) days to cure such material breach before the Placement Agent may terminate
the Agreement. In the event the Placement Agent reasonably determines that
the
Units are not marketable, notwithstanding its best efforts to sell the Units,
the Placement Agent may terminate this Agreement with thirty (30) days' prior
written notice to the Company.
16
In
the
event of any termination this Agreement or the expiration of the Offering
Period, the Placement Agent shall be entitled to; (i) any fees and compensation
to which it was entitled as of the date of termination or expiration, and (ii)
the fees and compensation as set forth in Section 4 for any securities sold
by
Company during the one (1) year period following such expiration or termination
to any investor introduced by Placement Agent and/or any Participating Agent.
Additionally,
Sections 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14 shall survive any termination or survive
closing, delivery of, and payment for the Units.
11. Notices.
All
notices, requests, demands or other communications with respect to this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be personally delivered or mailed,
postage prepaid, certified mail, or delivered by facsimile or a nationally
recognized express courier service, charges prepaid, to the Company or Placement
Agent at the addresses set forth in this Agreement (or such other addresses
as
the parties may specify from time to time in accordance with this section).
Any
such notice shall, when sent in accordance with the preceding sentence, be
deemed to have been given and received, on the earliest of:(i) on the day
personally delivered including by facsimile, (ii) on the third day following
the
date mailed, or (iii) twenty-four hours after shipment by such courier
service.
If
to the Company:
|
Aero
Grow International, Inc.
|
|
000
00xx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
|
||
Xxxxxxx,
XX 00000
|
||
Attn:
W. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx, CEO
|
||
(000)
000-0000
|
||
(000)
000-0000 telecopy
|
||
If
to the Placement Agent
|
Xxxxxxx
Securities, LLC
|
|
0000
XXX Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000
|
||
Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
|
||
Attn:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, President
|
||
(720)
889 -0131
|
||
(000)
000-0000 telecopy
|
12. Successors.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the Placement
Agent and the Company and, to the extent provided in Section 8, an Agent
Indemnified Person or Company Indemnified Person, and no other person shall
acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser
of
any of the Units shall be construed a successor, representative or assignee
by
reason of such purchase.
13. Right
of Exclusive Representation.
During
the one year period following the Closing of the Offering, the Company grants
Placement Agent the right to act as the Company’s exclusive placement agent
and/or managing underwriter for any private placement or public offering of
securities by the Company and as the Company’s exclusive financial advisor for
any merger or acquisition involving the Company. This provision will not apply
to any sale of securities to employees.
14. |
Miscellaneous
Provisions.
|
(a) Construction.
This
agreement shall be governed by, subject to an construed in accordance with
the
laws of the state of Colorado without regard to such state’s conflicts of law
principles.
17
(b) Severability.
If any
portion of this Agreement shall be held invalid or inoperative, then, so far
as
is reasonable and possible (i) the remainder of this Agreement shall be
considered valid and operative, and (ii) effect shall be given to the intent
manifested by the portion held invalid or inoperative.
(c) Modification
or Amendment.
This
Agreement may not be modified or amended except by written agreement executed
by
the parties hereto.
(d) Number
and Gender of Words. Whenever
the contest so requires, the masculine shall include the feminine and neuter,
and the singular shall include the plural, and conversely.
(e) Other
Instruments; Counterparts.
The
parties hereto covenant and agree that they will execute such other and further
instruments and documents are or may become necessary or convenient to effect
and carry out the terms of this Agreement. This Agreement may be executed by
facsimile signatures and in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed
an original. It shall not be necessary that each party executes each
counterpart, or that any one counterpart be executed by more than one party
so
long as each party executes at least one counterpart.
(f) No
Partnership.
The
Placement Agent is not a principal of or a partner with, or does not control
in
any way, the Company or its employees or agents.
(g) Announcements..
Before
the Company releases any information referring to the Placement Agent’s role
under this Offering or uses Placement Agent’s name in a manner which may result
in public dissemination thereof, the Company shall furnish drafts of all
documents or prepared oral statements to Placement Agent for comments, and
shall
not release any information relating thereto without the prior written consent
of the Placement Agent. Nothing herein shall prevent the Company from releasing
any information to the extent that such release is required by law, rule or
regulation. The Company agrees that, following the completion of the Offering,
the Placement Agent shall have the right to place “tomb stone” advertisements in
financial and other newspapers and journals, at the Company’s cost, describing
its services to the Company hereunder, provided that Placement Agent will submit
a copy of any such advertisements to the Company for its prior approval, which
approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
(h) Assignment.
The
Placement Agent may assign this Agreement to another company or firm under
its
common control. Otherwise, this Agreement shall not be assignable by any party
to this Agreement without the express prior written consent of the other party
to the Agreement, and in the event of an attempted assignment by one party
to
this Agreement without such consent, such attempted assignment shall be void
and
without effect.
(i) Parties.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the parties
hereto and any permitted 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 Agreement or any provision herein contained, except that
the
Participating Dealers shall be a third party beneficiary of the provisions
of
Section 8(b) hereof.
(j) Entire
Agreement.
This
Agreement contains the entire understanding between the parties and supersedes
any prior understandings or written or oral agreements between them respecting
the subject matter hereof.
18
(k)
Consent
to Jurisdiction and Waiver of Trial by Jury.
Each
party hereto; (i) consents to personal jurisdiction and service and venue
in any court in which a claim subject to this agreement is brought against
the
other party hereto or any other Indemnified Party; and (ii) waives all
right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based
upon contract, tort or otherwise) related to or arising out of the engagement
of
Placement Agent pursuant to, or the performance by Placement Agent of the
services contemplated by, this Agreement.
(l) Attorneys’
Fees.
In the
event any party hereto shall commence legal proceedings against the other to
enforce the terms hereof, or to declare rights hereunder, as the result of
a
breach of any covenant or condition of this Agreement, the prevailing party
in
any such proceeding shall be entitled to recover from the losing party its
costs
of suit, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, as may be fixed by the
court.
[Remainder
of this page intentionally left blank.]
19
If
the
foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return
to us
a counterpart hereof, whereupon this Agreement and the Placement Agent's
acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between you, as the
Placement Agent, and the Company.
Aero
Grow International, Inc.
By:
___________________________________
W. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx, CEO
ACCEPTED
AND AGREED TO:
Xxxxxxx
Securities, LLC
By:
___________________________________
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, President
Date:
_________________________________
20