REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT 10.2
This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of this day of , 20 by and among HEARUSA, INC., a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware (the “Company”), and the persons identified as Purchasers pursuant to that certain Purchase Agreement of even date herewith by and among the Company and such Purchasers (the “Purchase Agreement”).
The parties hereby agree as follows:
Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise defined shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Purchase Agreement and/or the Warrants or Notes issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“Additional Registrable Securities” shall mean any shares of Common Stock which are included within the definition of Registrable Securities but not included in any Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) below.
“Common Stock” shall mean the Company’s Common Stock $0.10 per share.
“Conversion Price” shall have the meaning set forth in the Notes.
“Filing Date” shall mean the date which is thirty (30) days following the date on which the Company files (or is required to file, if earlier) its Form 10-K for the year ended on or about December 28, 2003.
“Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement and by all other amendments and supplements to the prospectus, including post-effective amendments and all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.
“Purchasers” shall mean the purchasers identified in the Purchase Agreement and any subsequent holder of any Notes, Warrants, Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities as a result of a transfer of such securities.
“Register,” “registered” and “registration” refer to a registration made by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the 1933 Act (as defined below), and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement or document.
“Registrable Securities” shall mean (i) the Underlying Shares, the Warrant Shares and any other shares of Common Stock issued or issuable (a) upon conversion of, or payment of interest or repayment of principal under, the Notes, and upon the exercise of the Warrants, or (b) upon any distribution with respect to, any exchange for or any replacement of such Notes or Warrants, or (c) upon any conversion, exercise or exchange of any securities issued in connection with any such distribution, exchange or replacement; (ii) securities issued or issuable upon any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or similar event with respect to such shares of Common Stock; and (iii) any other security issued as a dividend or other distribution with respect to, in exchange for, or in replacement of, the securities referred to in the preceding clauses.
“Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement of the Company filed under the 1933 Act that covers the resale of any of the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, amendments and supplements to such Registration Statement, including post-effective amendments, all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference in such Registration Statement.
“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“1933 Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“1934 Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
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accordance with Section 3(c) to the Purchasers and their counsel prior to its filing or other submission.
(i) The Company shall use its best efforts to have each Registration Statement declared effective as soon as possible after filing. If (A) the Registration Statement covering Registrable Securities is not declared effective by the SEC within three (3) months following the Filing Date (or within 30 days of the Filing Date in the event the SEC does not review the Registration Statement), or the Registration Statement covering Additional Registrable Securities is not declared effective by the SEC within three (3) months following demand of a Purchaser relating to the Additional Registrable Securities to be covered thereby (each of the foregoing deadlines, a “Registration Date”), (B) except as maybe provided in subparagraph (c)(ii) below for an Allowed Delay, after a Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC, sales cannot be made pursuant to such Registration Statement for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a stop order, or the Company’s failure to update the Registration Statement) but except as excused pursuant to subparagraph (ii) below, (C) the Registrable Securities (or Additional Registrable Securities after issuance and registration) specifically are not listed or included for quotation on the Nasdaq National Market System, the Nasdaq Small-Cap Market, the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange (each an “Approved Market”) or trading of the Common Stock is suspended or halted thereon, or (D) the Company fails, refuses or is otherwise unable to timely issue Underlying Shares upon conversion of the Notes or Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrants, in accordance with the terms of the Notes and Warrants, in each case within twenty (20) days
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following the Purchaser’s written demand for issuance of such Underlying Shares or Warrant Shares or certificates, then the Company will make pro-rata payments to the Purchaser as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, in an amount equal to 2% of the sum of the aggregate principal amount then outstanding under the Notes for each month (or portion thereof) following the Registration Date during which any of the events described in (A), (B), (C) or (D) above occurs and is continuing (the “Blackout Period”). Each such payment shall be due and payable within five (5) days of the end of each month (or ending portion thereof) of the Blackout Period until the termination of the Blackout Period. The Blackout Period shall terminate upon (x) the effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement in the case of (A) and (B) above; (y) listing or inclusion and/or trading of the Registrable Securities on an Approved Market in the case of (C) above; and (z) delivery of such shares in the case of (D) above.
(ii) For not more than ten (10) consecutive trading days or for a total of not more than thirty (30) trading days in any consecutive twelve (12) month period, the Company may delay the disclosure of material non-public information concerning the Company, by terminating or suspending effectiveness of any registration contemplated by this Section, the disclosure of which at the time is not, in the good faith opinion of the Company, in the best interests of the Company (an “Allowed Delay”); provided, that the Company shall promptly (a) notify the Purchasers in writing of the existence of (but in no event, without the prior written consent of a Purchaser, shall the Company disclose to such Purchaser any of the facts or circumstances regarding) material non-public information giving rise to an Allowed Delay, and (b) advise the Purchasers in writing to cease all sales under the Registration Statement until the end of the Allowed Delay. No payments under subparagraph (c)(i) shall be required in the event and for the duration of an Allowed Delay.
(a) use its best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and to remain continuously effective for a period (the “Registration Period”) that will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the date on which all Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities have been sold (and no Notes or Warrants remain outstanding), and (ii) the date on which all Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as the case may be, may be sold pursuant to Rule 144(k).
(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective for the period specified in Section 3(a) and to comply with the provisions of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act with respect to the distribution of all
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Registrable Securities and Additional Registrable Securities; provided that, at a time reasonably prior to the filing of a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, the Company will furnish to the Purchasers copies of all documents proposed to be filed, which documents will be subject to the comments of the Purchasers;
(c) permit counsel designated by the Purchasers to review each Registration Statement and all amendments and supplements thereto no fewer than five (5) business days prior to their filing with the SEC and not file any document to which such counsel reasonably objects;
(d) furnish to the Purchasers and their legal counsel (i) promptly after the same is prepared and publicly distributed, filed with the SEC, or received by the Company, one copy of any Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, each preliminary prospectus and Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, and each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the staff of the SEC, and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, in each case relating to such Registration Statement (other than any portion of any thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential treatment), and (ii) such number of copies of a Prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto and such other documents as each Purchaser may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities and Additional Registrable Securities owned by such Purchaser;
(e) in the event the Company selects an underwriter for the offering, the Company shall enter into and perform its reasonable obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, including, without limitation, customary indemnification and contribution obligations, with the underwriter of such offering;
(f) if required by the underwriter, or if any Purchaser is described in the Registration Statement as an underwriter, the Company shall furnish, on the effective date of the Registration Statement, on the date that Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, are delivered to an underwriter, if any, for sale in connection with the Registration Statement and at periodic intervals thereafter from time to time on request, (i) an opinion, dated as of such date, from legal counsel representing the Company for purposes of such Registration Statement, in form, scope and substance as is customarily given in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriter and any such Purchaser and (ii) a letter, dated such date, from the Company’s independent certified public accountants in form and substance as is customarily given by independent certified public accountants to underwriters in an underwritten public offering, addressed to the underwriter and any such Purchaser;
(g) make effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness and, if such order is issued, obtain the withdrawal of any such order at the earliest possible moment;
(h) furnish to each Purchaser at least five copies of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, including financial statements and
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schedules by air mail or reputable courier within three (3) business days of the effective date thereof;
(i) prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, use its best efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the Purchasers and their counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of such Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions requested by the Purchaser and do any and all other reasonable acts or things necessary or advisable to enable the distribution in such jurisdictions of the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement;
(j) cause all Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement to be listed on each securities exchange, interdealer quotation system or other market on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
(k) immediately notify the Purchasers, at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, upon discovery that, or upon the happening of any event as a result of which, the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing, and at the request of any such holder, promptly prepare and furnish to such holder a reasonable number of copies of a supplement to or an amendment of such Prospectus as may be necessary so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, such Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances then existing; and
(l) otherwise use its best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, take such other actions as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate the registration of the Registrable Securities and Additional Registrable Securities, if applicable, hereunder; and make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve months, beginning after the effective date of each Registration Statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act (for the purpose of this subsection 3(l), “Availability Date” means the 45th day following the end of the fourth fiscal quarter that includes the effective date of such Registration Statement, except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the 90th day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter).
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not be affiliated with the Purchasers and who are reasonably acceptable to the Company), and any underwriter participating in any disposition of Common Stock on behalf of the Purchasers pursuant to the Registration Statement or amendments or supplements thereto or any blue sky, NASD or other filing, all financial and other records, all SEC Documents and other filings with the SEC, and all other corporate documents and properties of the Company as may be reasonably necessary for the purpose of establishing a due diligence defense under applicable securities laws and such other reasonable purposes, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees, within a reasonable time period, to supply all such information reasonably requested by such Purchasers or any such representative, advisor or underwriter in connection with such Registration Statement (including, without limitation, in response to all questions and other inquiries reasonably made or submitted by any of them), prior to and from time to time after the filing and effectiveness of the Registration Statement for the sole purpose of enabling such Purchasers and such representatives, advisors and underwriters and their respective accountants and attorneys to conduct initial and ongoing due diligence with respect to the Company and the accuracy of the Registration Statement.
The Company shall not disclose material nonpublic information to the Purchasers, or to advisors to or representatives of the Purchasers, unless prior to disclosure of such information the Company identifies such information as being material nonpublic information and provides the Purchasers, such advisors and representatives with the opportunity to accept or refuse to accept such material nonpublic information for review. The Company may, as a condition to disclosing any material nonpublic information hereunder, require the Purchasers’ advisors and representatives to enter into a confidentiality agreement (including an agreement with such advisors and representatives prohibiting them from trading in Common Stock during such period of time as they are in possession of material nonpublic information) in form reasonably satisfactory to the Company and the Purchasers. Nothing herein shall require the Company to disclose material nonpublic information to the Purchasers or their advisors or representatives.
5. Obligations of the Purchasers.
(a) Each Purchaser shall furnish in writing to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, held by it and the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, held by it, as shall be reasonably required to effect the registration of such Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as the Company may reasonably request. At least ten (10) days prior to the first anticipated filing date of any Registration Statement, the Company shall notify each Purchaser of the information the Company requires from such Purchaser if such Purchaser elects to have any of the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities included in the Registration Statement.
(b) Each Purchaser, by its acceptance of the Registrable Securities and Additional Registrable Securities, if any, agrees to cooperate with the Company as reasonably
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requested by the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of a Registration Statement hereunder, unless such Purchaser has notified the Company in writing of its election to exclude all of its Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, from the Registration Statement. Each Purchaser agrees to comply with the applicable prospectus delivery requirements under the 1933 Act in connection with any resales of Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(c) In the event the Company determines to engage the services of an underwriter which engagement is reasonably acceptable to the Purchasers, each Purchaser agrees to enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, including, without limitation, customary indemnification and contribution obligations, with the managing underwriter of such offering and take such other actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the dispositions of the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable.
(d) Each Purchaser agrees that, upon receipt of any notice from the Company of the happening of any event rendering a Registration Statement no longer effective, such Purchaser will immediately discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement covering such Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, until the Purchaser’s receipt of the copies of the supplemented or amended prospectus filed with the SEC and declared effective and, if so directed by the Company, the Purchaser shall deliver to the Company (at the expense of the Company) or destroy all copies in the Purchaser’s possession of the prospectus covering the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, current at the time of receipt of such notice.
(e) No Purchaser may participate in any third party underwritten registration hereunder unless it (i) agrees to sell the Registrable Securities or Additional Registrable Securities, as applicable, on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements in usual and customary form entered into by the Company, (ii) completes and executes all questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, underwriting agreements and other documents reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements, and (iii) agrees to pay its pro rata share of all underwriting discounts and commissions and any expenses in excess of those payable by the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
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except insofar as the same are based upon any information furnished in writing to the Company by such Purchasers, expressly for use therein, or (ii) any violation by the Company of any federal, state or common law, rule or regulation applicable to the Company in connection with any Registration Statement, Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, and shall reimburse in accordance with subparagraph (c) below, each of the foregoing persons for any legal and any other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending any such claims. The foregoing is subject to the condition that, insofar as the foregoing indemnities relate to any untrue statement, alleged untrue statement, omission or alleged omission made in any preliminary prospectus or Prospectus that is eliminated or remedied in any Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto, the above indemnity obligations of the Company shall not inure to the benefit of any indemnified party if a copy of such corrected Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto had been provided to such indemnified party and was not sent or given by such indemnified party at or prior to the time such action was required of such indemnified party by the 1933 Act and if delivery of such Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto would have eliminated (or been a sufficient defense to) any liability of such indemnified party with respect to such statement or omission. Indemnity under this Section 5(a) shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any indemnified party and shall survive the permitted transfer of the Registrable Securities and Additional Registrable Securities.
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Company shall have obtained the written consent to such amendment, action or omission to act, of the Purchasers affected by such amendment, action or omission to act.
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required to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby and to evidence the fulfillment of the agreements herein contained.
(k) Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflicts of law.
[Signature Pages Follow]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.
THE COMPANY: | ||||
HEARUSA, INC. | ||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: |
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THE PURCHASER: | ||||
By: | ||||
Title: |
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