PARAGON SHIPPING INC. Class A Common Shares, US$0.001 Par Value Per Share and Preferred Share Purchase Rights UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
Class A Common Shares, US$0.001 Par Value Per Share
and Preferred Share Purchase Rights
September , 2013
Maxim Group LLC
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Acting severally on behalf of itself
and as representative of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule A annexed hereto.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Paragon Shipping Inc., a Xxxxxxxx Islands corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A to this agreement (this “Agreement”) (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Maxim is acting as a representative (in such capacity, and on behalf of any joint-bookrunning managers acting with Maxim, the “Representative”), with respect to the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of Class A Common Shares, par value US$0.001 per share (the “Common Shares”), and one Preferred Share Purchase Rights of the Company for each Common Share (the “Purchase Rights”) set forth in said Schedule A, and with respect to the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of additional Common Shares and Purchase Rights. The aforesaid Common Shares and Purchase Rights (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the aforesaid additional Common Shares and Purchase Rights subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are collectively referred to herein as the “Securities.” The Purchase Rights shall have the rights, powers and preferences set forth in the Stockholders Rights Agreement, dated January 4, 2008, by and between the Company and Computershare Trust Company (the “Rights Agent”), as amended by the First Amendment to the Stockholders Rights Agreement, dated December 16, 2009, by and between the Company and the Rights Agent (collectively, the “Rights Agreement”).
It is acknowledged that pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated November 10, 2009, by and between the Company, Allseas Marine, S.A. (“Allseas”) and Loretto Finance Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Allseas (“Loretto”), as amended by the First Supplemental Amendment to the Purchase Agreement dated December 1, 2012, by and between the Company, Allseas and Loretto, concurrently herewith, Loretto, which is controlled by Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx, the Company’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, shall be issued
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Common Shares and Purchase Rights (the “Loretto Shares”) without additional consideration, for which shares the Underwriters shall not be entitled to receive any discounts or commissions. The Underwriters shall not purchase or resell the Loretto Shares, and the issuance of the Loretto Shares shall not be deemed a part of the distribution of Securities in the public offering contemplated hereby.
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
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subject to completion included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act is hereafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the exhibits incorporated by reference therein pursuant to the Securities Act Regulations on or before the effective date of the Registration Statement, the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be. Any reference herein to the terms “amend”, “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include: (i) the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act Regulations”) after the effective date of the Registration Statement, the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, which is incorporated therein by reference, and (ii) any such document so filed. All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, a Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“XXXXX”). The Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the Offering was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T promulgated by the Commission.
As used in this Agreement, the following capitalized terms have the following meanings:
“Applicable Time” means [4:00 p.m.] (New York City time) on [ , 2013], or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.
“General Disclosure Package” means any (i) Issuer-Represented General Use Free Writing Prospectses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time as set forth on Schedule B hereto, (ii) the prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) that is included in the Registration Statement as of the Applicable Time, and (iii) any other documents included on Schedule B hereto, all considered together.
“Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Issuer-Represented General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.
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“Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer-Represented General Use Free Writing Prospects.
“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Securities that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by Securities Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by Securities Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Time (as defined in Section 2(c) hereof), and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:
(i) No Material Misstatements or Omissions (Registration Statement and Prospectus). At the time of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or the effectiveness of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, when the Prospectus is first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), when any supplement to or amendment of the Prospectus is filed with the Commission, when any document filed under the Exchange Act was or is filed, at all other subsequent times until the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2(c) hereof), the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements or exhibits thereto complied or will comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations, and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact and did not and will not omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein: (i) in the case of the Registration Statement, not misleading, and (ii) in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. When any Preliminary Prospectus was first filed with the Commission (whether filed as part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto or pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act) and when any amendment thereof or supplement thereto was first filed with the Commission, such Preliminary
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Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements thereto complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except to the extent such statement or omission was corrected or included in a subsequent filing with the Commission. No representation and warranty is made in this subsection (b), however, with respect to any information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any related Preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representative specifically for use therein. The parties acknowledge and agree that such information provided by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists solely of: (i) the names of the several Underwriters appearing in the Prospectus, (ii) the fifth paragraph on page 57 of the Prospectus in the section captioned “Underwriting”; (iii) the fourth paragraph on page 58 the Prospectus in the section captioned “Underwriting”; and (iv) the fourth sentence in the seventh paragraph on page 58 the Prospectus in the section captioned “Underwriting” (the information set forth in clauses (i)-(iv) above, the “Underwriters’ Information”).
(ii) No Material Misstatements or Omissions (Free Writing Prospectuses and General Disclosure Package). Neither: (A) any Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Time of Sale (as defined below) and the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (B) any individual Issuer-Represented Limited-Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, includes or included as of the Time of Sale any untrue statement of a material fact or omits or omitted as of the Time of Sale to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus included in the Registration Statement or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) based upon and in conformity with written information specifically furnished to the Company by the Representative specifically for use therein.
(iii) Reports and Schedules. The Company filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements or other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, during the three years preceding the date hereof (the foregoing materials filed during such three-year period, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension; as of their respective filing or amendment dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations; and as of their respective filing or amendment dates, the SEC Reports did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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(iv) Compliance of Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has notified or will notify promptly the Representative so that any use of such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus may cease until it is promptly amended or supplemented by the Company, at its own expense, to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information specifically furnished to the Company by the Representative specifically for use therein.
(v) No Distribution of Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or other materials permitted by the Securities Act to be distributed by the Company. Without prior notice to and the prior written approval of the Representative, the Company will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, required to be filed with the Commission. The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. The Company has satisfied and will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 under the Securities Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(vi) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus: (A) at the time the Original Registration Statement became effective, (B) at the earlier of the time the Prospectus was first used and the date and time of the first contract of sale of Securities in this offering and (C) at the Closing Time (and if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
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(vii) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young (Hellas) Certified Auditors Accountants S.A. (“Ernst”), and Deloitte Hadjipavlou, Sofianos & Cambanis S.A, the accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, are each independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations.
(viii) No Restrictions. There are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of the Securities under the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s (as defined below) organizational documents or the laws of the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands.
(ix) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the documents in the General Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus constitute a fair summary of the information purported to be summarized and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Securities Act except as so included or incorporated by reference. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or incorporated by reference therein regarding “non GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act to the extent applicable.
(x) No Dividends or Incurred Liabilities. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is presented in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not declared, paid or made any dividends or other distributions of any kind on or in respect of its capital stock. Since the date of the latest balance sheet presented in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has incurred or undertaken any liabilities or obligations, whether direct or indirect, liquidated or contingent, matured or unmatured, or entered into any transactions, including any acquisition or disposition of any business or asset, which are material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except for liabilities, obligations and transactions which are disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
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(xi) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except as otherwise disclosed therein: (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”) and (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise.
(xii) Subsidiaries. The name and jurisdiction of incorporation or formation of each direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company as of the date hereof (each a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) is disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Except for the Subsidiaries and Box Ships Inc., a Xxxxxxxx Islands corporation that was formerly a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and of which the Company owns approximately 13.8% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, the Company holds no ownership or other interest, nominal or beneficial, direct or indirect, in any corporation, partnership, joint venture or other business entity. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no director, officer or key employee of the Company named in the Prospectus holds any direct equity, debt or other pecuniary interest in the Subsidiaries or any Person with whom the Company or any Subsidiary does business or is in privity of contract with, other than, in each case, indirectly through the ownership by such individuals of Common Shares. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through wholly-owned Subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity except for those arising under any credit facility or loan agreement (“Credit Facilities”) to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any security holder of such Subsidiary.
(xiii) Formation and Power. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has been duly incorporated, formed or organized, and validly exists as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, formation or organization. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as it is currently being conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and to own, lease and operate its respective properties. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company in each jurisdiction in which the character or location of its properties (owned, leased or licensed) or the nature or conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary, except, in each case, for those failures to be so qualified or in good standing which (individually and in the aggregate) would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xiv) Capitalization. As of the dates indicated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column headed “Actual” and “As Adjusted” under the section thereof captioned “Capitalization” and, after giving effect to the Offering and the other transactions (excluding the offer and sale of the Over-allotment Securities) contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will be as set forth in the column headed “As Further Adjusted” in such section. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are fully paid and non-assessable and have been duly and validly authorized and issued, in compliance with all applicable state, federal and foreign securities laws and not in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar right that does or will entitle any Person (as defined below), upon the issuance or sale of any security, to acquire from the Company or any Subsidiary any Relevant Security. As used herein, the term “Relevant Security” means any Common Shares or other security of the Company or any Subsidiaries that is convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or equity securities, or that holds the right to acquire any Common Shares or equity securities of the Company or any Subsidiary or any other such Relevant Security, except for such rights as may have been fully satisfied or waived prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. As used herein, the term “Person” means any foreign or domestic individual, corporation, trust, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity. Except as set forth in, or contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, on the Effective Date and on the Closing Date, there will be no options, warrants, or other rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any authorized, but unissued Common Shares or any security convertible into Common Shares, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell Common Shares or any such options, warrants, rights or convertible securities.
(xv) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance and, when issued and paid for, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will have been issued in compliance with all applicable state, federal and foreign securities laws and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar right that does or will entitle any Person to acquire any Relevant Security from the Company or any Subsidiaries upon issuance or sale of the Securities in the Offering. The Securities conform to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any Subsidiaries has outstanding warrants, options to purchase, or any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any Relevant Security. The Common Shares are listed on the Global Market tier of the Nasdaq Stock Market (“NASDAQ”). The Company is not in default of any listing requirements of the NASDAQ applicable to the Company, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, de-listing the Common Shares from the NASDAQ, nor has the Company received any notification that NASDAQ has initiated proceedings to terminate such listing.
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(xvi) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement and each document and instrument to be delivered by the Company hereunder has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and all other agreements, documents, certificates and instruments required to be delivered pursuant to this Agreement.
(xvii) Rights Agreement. The Rights Agreement between the Company and the rights agent party thereto constitutes a valid and binding agreement of each such party enforceable against each such party in accordance with its terms; and when issued in accordance with the terms of the Rights Agreement, the preferred stock purchase rights constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company and the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus contain a summary of the terms of the Rights Agreement, which summary is accurate and complete in all material respects.
(xviii) Agreements. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement or any document incorporated by reference therein (including, without limitation, all charter parties to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party), and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement. Any descriptions of the terms of any of the foregoing contracts and agreements that are contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are accurate and complete in all material respects.
(xix) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation of its charter, by-laws or other organizational documents or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement (including any Credit Facility), note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) except for such violations or defaults, singly or in the aggregate, that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities by the Company) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both: (A) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, by-laws or organization document of the Company or any Subsidiary, or (B) conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material
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Adverse Effect), or result in any violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality, self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including without limitation, the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ) or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations except for such violations that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any Subsidiary.
(xx) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company, Allseas, any of the Company’s other affiliates (as used herein, as that term is defined under the Securities Act) or any Subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any Subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxi) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxii) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts, instruments or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.
(xxiii) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them in any material respect, and none of the Company or any Subsidiary has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect
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the interest of the Company or any Subsidiary therein, and which infringement or conflict (in the case of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxiv) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court, governmental authority or agency or self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority or approval of the Company’s shareholders, is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except (i) the filing of the Statement of Designation with the Registrar of Corporations of the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands, (ii) such as have been already obtained as of the Applicable Time or as may be required under the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, state securities laws or the rules and regulations of the NASDAQ) and (iii) under the by-laws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
(xxv) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(xxvi) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and each Subsidiary possess such permits, licenses, certificates, approvals, financial assurances, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate international, national, state or local regulatory agencies or bodies (collectively, “Governmental Authorities”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and each Subsidiary are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and none of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxvii) Title to Property. The Company and each Subsidiary has good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as: (A) are described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus or (B) would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the
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Company or any of its Subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease in any material respect.
(xxviii) Vessels.
(A) Each of the vessels described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by the Company or any Subsidiary as described therein (“Owned Vessels”) has been duly and validly registered in the name of a Subsidiary under the laws and regulations and flag of the nation of its registration and is owned directly by the Company or such Subsidiary free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances, except such as are described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each such Subsidiary has good title to the applicable Owned Vessel, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests and claims and all defects of the title of record except for those liens arising under Credit Facilities, each as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(B) Each memorandum of agreement or option agreement to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party to purchase any vessels as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been duly authorized and has been executed and delivered by the respective parties thereto, and the Company has no reason to believe that such agreements do not constitute valid and binding agreements of each such party enforceable in all material respects against each such party in accordance with its terms. Upon exercise of its rights to acquire any vessel as provided for in any such memorandum of agreement or option agreement, the Company or applicable Subsidiary will have an enforceable right to acquire the vessel subject to the same.
(C) Any vessel currently being built for the Company or any Subsidiary (a “NewBuild Vessel”) is disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each applicable Subsidiary has all rights, title and interest as purchaser of each NewBuild Vessel under a shipbuilding contract for such NewBuild Vessels (each, a “Shipbuilding Contract”), free of any mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances except for those liens arising under Credit Facilities or as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and (B) all instalments which were due to be paid under each Shipbuilding Contract up to and including the date hereof have been duly paid and there are no defaults or breaches by the applicable Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, by the builder of the applicable NewBuild Vessel, under any Shipbuilding Contract, in any such case which would permit the builder to terminate such Shipbuilding Contract or entitle the builder to delay delivery of the applicable NewBuild Vessel for
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more than ten (10) days. Each Shipbuilding Contract has been duly authorized and has been executed and delivered by the respective parties thereto, and the Company has no reason to believe that such agreements do not constitute valid and binding agreements of each such party enforceable in all material respects against each such party in accordance with its terms.
(D) Each of the Owned Vessels is in good standing with respect to the payment of past and current taxes, fees and other amounts payable under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is registered, except where such lien or defect of title or record would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(E) Each of the Owned Vessels is operated in compliance with the rules, codes of practice, conventions, protocols, guidelines or similar requirements or restrictions imposed, published or promulgated by any governmental authority, classification society or insurer applicable to the respective Owned Vessel (collectively, “Maritime Guidelines”) and all applicable international, national, state and local conventions, laws, regulations, orders, governmental licenses and other requirements (including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws), in each case as in effect on the date hereof, except where such failure to be in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each applicable Subsidiary are qualified to own or lease, as the case may be, and operate such Owned Vessels under all applicable international, national, state and local conventions, laws, regulations, orders, governmental licenses and other requirements (including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws) and Maritime Guidelines, including the laws, regulations and orders of each such vessel’s flag state, in each case as in effect on the date hereof, except where such failure to be so qualified would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(E) Each of the Owned Vessels is classed by a classification society which is a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies and such Owned Vessels are in class with valid class and trading certificates, without any overdue recommendations, in each case based on the classification and certification requirements in effect on the date hereof.
(xxix) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
(xxx) Compliance with Environmental Laws. (A) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any applicable international, national, state or local convention, law, regulation, order, Governmental License or other requirement relating to pollution or protection of human health or safety (as they relate to exposure to Materials of Environmental Concern (as defined below)) or protection of the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or protection of natural resources, including without limitation, conventions, laws or regulations
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relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum and petroleum products (collectively, “Materials of Environmental Concern”), or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Materials of Environmental Concern (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received any written communication, whether from a Governmental Authority, citizens group, employee or otherwise, that alleges that the Company or any such Subsidiary is in violation of any Environmental Law or Governmental License required pursuant to Environmental Law; except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (B) there is no claim, action or cause of action filed with a court or Governmental Authority and no investigation, or other action with respect to which the Company or any Subsidiary has received written notice alleging potential liability for investigatory costs, cleanup costs, governmental response costs, natural resources damages, property damages, personal injuries, attorneys’ fees or penalties arising out of, based on or resulting from the presence, or release into the environment, of any Material of Environmental Concern at any location owned, leased or operated by the Company or any Subsidiary, now or in the past, or from any vessel owned, leased or operated by the Company or any Subsidiary, now or in the past (collectively, “Environmental Claim”), pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary or any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any Subsidiary has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (C) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no past or present actions, activities, circumstances, conditions, events or incidents, including, without limitation, the release, emission, discharge, presence or disposal of any Material of Environmental Concern, that reasonably would be expected to result in a violation of any Environmental Law, require expenditures to be incurred pursuant to Environmental Law, or form the basis of an Environmental Claim against the Company, any Subsidiary or against any person or entity whose liability for any Environmental Claim the Company or any Subsidiary has retained or assumed either contractually or by operation of law, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect (for the avoidance of doubt, the operation of vessels in the ordinary course of business shall not be deemed, by itself, an action, activity, circumstance or condition set forth in this clause (C)); and (D) none of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject to any pending proceeding under Environmental Law to which a Governmental Authority is a party and which the Company reasonably believes is likely to result in monetary sanctions of US$100,000 or more.
(xxxi) Effect of Environmental Laws. The Company has reasonably concluded that any existing compliance and remediation costs and liabilities arising under Environmental Laws and resulting from the business, operations or properties of the Company or any Subsidiary would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(xxxii) Registration Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company under the Securities Act, which have not been validly
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waived in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the 90-day period after the date hereof as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(xxxiii) Accounting Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (II) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.
(xxxiv) Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) that are in effect and which the Company is required to comply with.
(xxxv) Taxes. No capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to the Republic of Greece, the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands (assuming that none of the Underwriters are citizens or residents of the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands or are carrying on business or conducting transactions in the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands), or Liberia, or to any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with the issuance, sale and delivery by the Company of the Securities to or for the respective accounts of the Underwriters.
(xxxvi) Payment of Taxes. All United States federal income tax returns of the Company and its Subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The United States federal income tax returns of the Company
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through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 have been filed and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company. The Company and Subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not result in a Material Adverse Effect and has paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and Subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxvii) Transfer Taxes. There are no documentary, stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties or similar fees or charges under U.S. federal law or the laws of any U.S. state, the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands (assuming that none of the Underwriters are citizens or residents of the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands or are carrying on business or conducting transactions in the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands), Liberia or Greece, or any political subdivision of any thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance, sale and delivery by the Company of the Securities to or for the respective accounts of the Underwriters.
(xxxviii) Insurance. The Company and its Subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers (which term shall include protection and indemnity associations or clubs), in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably considers adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as is generally maintained by companies or insurance clubs of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. There are no material claims by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause and neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is currently required to make any payment, or is aware of any facts which would require the Company or any Subsidiary to make any payment, in respect of a call by, or a contribution to, any insurance club, except for any payment or claims which would not, in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any Subsidiary will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxix) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(xl) Pending Proceedings and Examinations. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.
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(xli) Related Party Transactions. Except in each case as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus:
(A) There are no business or family relationships or related party transactions involving the Company, any Subsidiary or any other Person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.
(B) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any Subsidiary on the one hand, and the directors, officers, control persons, customers or suppliers of the Company, any Subsidiary or the Company’s affiliates on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and which is not so described.
(C) No Unconsolidated Entities. There are no transactions, arrangements or other relationships between and/or among the Company or any Subsidiary, any of their affiliates and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structure finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein which have not been described as required.
(D) There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company or any Subsidiary to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective family members. All transactions by the Company or any Subsidiary with officers, directors or control persons of the Company have been duly approved by the Board of Directors of the Company or duly appointed committees thereof.
(xlii) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any director or officer, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent or representative of the Company or of any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; and the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein.
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(xliii) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(xliv) OFAC. (A) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director or officer thereof, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, is Person that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is (1) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, or Her Majesty’s Treasury (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor (2) located, organized or resident in Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan or Syria.
(B) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person to fund or facilitate any activities or business of any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(C) Since their inception, the Company and its Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in and will not knowingly engage in any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(xlv) Commissions and Fees. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or, to the Company’s knowledge, any arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or issuance with respect to the Company or any of its officers, directors, shareholders, partners, employees, Subsidiaries or affiliates that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation as determined by FINRA.
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(xlvi) No Association with FINRA. Neither the Company nor any of its officers, directors, employees or affiliates directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, or is a person associated with (within the meaning of Article I (dd) of the bylaws of the FINRA), any member firm of the FINRA.
(xlvii) No Outstanding Loans or Other Indebtedness. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees or indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of the family members of any of them.
(xlviii) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter.
(xlix) Immunity from Jurisdiction. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the laws of the United States, the Republic of Xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx or Greece or any political subdivisions thereof.
(l) Foreign Private Issuer Status. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
(li) PFIC Status. The Company did not qualify as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) within the meaning of Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for its most recently completed taxable year, if any.
(lii) Dividends and Distributions. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends, from making any other distribution, from repaying any loans or advances or from transferring any of its property or assets. All dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the shares of capital stock of the Company may, under the current laws and regulations of the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands, Greece and any political subdivisions thereof, be paid in United States dollars and may be freely transferred out of the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands or Greece and all such dividends and other distributions will not be subject to withholding or other taxes under the laws and regulations of the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands (so long as not paid to a citizen or resident of the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands) or Greece and are otherwise free and clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction and without the necessity of obtaining any consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, licenses, registrations, clearances and qualifications of or with any court or governmental agency or body or any stock exchange authority in the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands or Greece.
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(liii) Distributions from Subsidiaries. There are no encumbrances or restrictions on the ability of any Subsidiary: (A) to pay dividends or make other distributions on such Subsidiary’s capital stock or to pay any indebtedness to the Company and any such dividends and other distributions, under the current laws and regulations of the jurisdictions where such Subsidiaries are organized, may be freely transferred out of such jurisdictions and all such dividends and other distributions will not be subject to withholding or other taxes under the laws and regulations of such jurisdictions, (B) to make loans or advances or pay any indebtedness to the Company or (C) to transfer any of its property or assets to the Company.
(liv) Forward-Looking Statements. Each “forward-looking statement” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed with a reasonable basis and has been disclosed in good faith.
(lv) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 16 of this Agreement has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the jurisdiction of any federal or state court in the State of New York, County of New York, and has the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to Section 16 of this Agreement has legally, validly and effectively designated, appointed and empowered, an agent for service of process in any suit or proceeding based on or arising under this Agreement in any federal or state court in the State of New York.
(lvi) XBRL. The interactive data in eXtensibile Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(lvii) Distributions and Redemptions. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no limitations on the ability of the Company to make distributions in respect of or to redeem the Securities.
(b) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.
(a) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share of US$ , the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.
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(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional Common Shares at the price per share of US$ , less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 45 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time upon notice by the Representative to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representative, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject in each case to such adjustments as the Representative in its discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.
(c) Payment.
(i) Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx Xxx Xxxx 00000, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time of payment and delivery being herein called the “Closing Time” and such date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Date”).
(ii) In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representative to the Company.
(iii) Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company (which at the Company’s election may be an account of the Company’s legal counsel), against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase.
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(d) Denominations; Registration. The Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A and 430B as applicable and will notify the Representative immediately, and confirm the notice in writing: (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Securities shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement, the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(b) Filing of Amendments and Exchange Act Documents. The Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)) or new registration statement relating to the Securities or any amendment, supplement or revision to either any preliminary prospectus (including any prospectus included in the Original Registration Statement or amendment thereto at the time it became effective) or to the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, and the Company will furnish the Representative with a copy of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the Exchange Act or Exchange Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the execution of this Agreement or, if filed less than 48 hours prior to the execution of this Agreement, immediately after filing; the Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the execution of this
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Agreement to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Original Registration Statement and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy of the Original Registration Statement and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Original Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters and for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the reasonable opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or to file a new registration statement amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to comply with such requirements; the Company will use its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable (if it is not an automatic shelf registration statement with respect to the Securities); and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented
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Free Writing Prospects there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospects conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement (or any other registration statement relating to the Securities) or the Statutory Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospects to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(f) Blue Sky and Other Qualifications. The Company will use its best reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other applicable jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may reasonably designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for a period of not less than one year from the date hereof; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to take any action which would reasonably result in it having to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.
(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”
(i) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Securities on the NASDAQ for at least three (3) years after the Closing Date, except as a result of a transaction approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Common Shares.
(j) Blue Sky Upon Delisting. For a period of three (3) years from the Closing Date, if the Company fails to maintain the listing of the Common Shares on a nationally recognized exchange in the United States, the Company shall, at its expense, obtain and keep current a listing in the Standard & Poor’s Corporation Records Services or the Xxxxx’x Industrial Manual; provided that Xxxxx’x OTC Industrial Manual is not sufficient for these purposes.
(k) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, directly or indirectly: (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase
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or otherwise transfer or dispose of any of the Company’s securities other than any shares issued pursuant to the Rights Agreement (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”) or file any registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of any Lock-Up Securities, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of any Lock-Up Securities or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to the Securities to be sold hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results or becomes aware that material news or a material event will occur during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day restricted period, the restrictions imposed in this clause (j) shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
(l) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations.
(m) Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative or by the Company and the Representative, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.
(n) Publicity. The Company shall not, prior to the Closing Time or within 48 hours of any Date of Delivery (if any), as the case may be, issue a press release or other communication directly or indirectly or hold a press conference with respect to the Company or any Subsidiary, the financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, assets, or liabilities of the Company or any Subsidiary, or the offering of the Securities, without the Representative’s consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
(o) Manipulation. The Company shall not, and shall cause its Subsidiaries not to, take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which will constitute, or has constituted, or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
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SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of any Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto (which fees and disbursements shall not exceed $2,500), (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, and of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any Blue Sky Survey prepared by the Underwriters’ counsel and any supplement thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the Company’s proportionate share of the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, which proportionate share shall be equal to a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of representatives, officers or consultants provided transportation services and the denominator of which shall be the total number of persons traveling, (x) a non-accountable expense allowance in an aggregate amount of $87,500, if the amount of Securities sold in the offering is less than or equal to $15 million, or $112,500, if the amount of Securities sold in the offering is greater than $15 million (which non-accountable expense allowance is inclusive of fees of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with FINRA’s review of the compensation terms of the transactions contemplated hereby); and (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the NASDAQ.
(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a)(i) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for their accountable out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
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SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Filing of Prospectus. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and become effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A).
(b) Opinion of U.S. Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the Representative and the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion and negative assurances statements, dated as of Closing Time, of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
(c) Opinion of Counsel on Issues of Xxxxxxxx Islands Law for Company. At Closing Time, the Representative and the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, special counsel on matters of Xxxxxxxx Islands law for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
(d) Opinion of Counsel on Issues of Liberian Law for Company. At Closing Time, the Representative and the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, special counsel on matters of Liberian law for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
(e) Opinion of Greek Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the Representative and the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx, special Greek counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
(f) Negative Assurances Letter of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Representative and the Underwriters shall have received a negative assurances letter, dated as of Closing Time, of Ellenoff Xxxxxxxx & Schole LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
(g) Company Officers’ Certificate. At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof, since the Applicable Time or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the chief executive officer of the Company or the chief financial officer of the Company,
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dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Securities Act, no order preventing the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated.
(h) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. Within one hour from the time an executed version of this Agreement is distributed via e-mail to Ernst by the Representative or counsel for the Representative, the Representative shall have received from Ernst a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (the “Comfort Letter Condition”).
(i) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received from Ernst a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (i) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.
(j) No Objection. FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(k) Lock-Up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto signed by the persons and entities listed on Schedule C hereto.
(l) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received:
(i) Company Officers’ Certificates. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the chief executive officer of the Company and of the chief financial officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(h) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(ii) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion and negative assurances statements of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, special U.S. counsel for the Company, together with the favorable opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, special counsel for the Company
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on issues of Xxxxxxxx Islands law, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, special counsel for the Company on issues of Liberia law, Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx, special Greek counsel for the Company, each in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Sections 5(b) through 5(f) hereof.
(iii) Negative Assurances Statement of Counsel for Underwriters. A negative assurances letter of Ellenoff Xxxxxxxx & Schole LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the letter required by Section 5(g) hereof.
(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from Ernst, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representative pursuant to Section 5(j) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.
(m) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.
(n) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section (including, without limitation, the Comfort Letter Condition) shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities, on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the Initial Securities or Option Securities, as applicable, may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 16 and 17 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
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SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the Securities Act (each, an “Affiliate”), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospects or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospects in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information
(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in
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subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information or any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer- Represented Free Writing Prospects or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein.
(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this section will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this section, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, suit or proceeding, enclosing a copy of all papers served. No indemnification provided for in Section 6(a) or 6(b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 6(c) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was prejudiced by the failure to give such notice but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party of any such action, suit or proceeding shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under this section. In case any such action, suit or proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with one firm of legal counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof and the approval by the indemnified party of such counsel, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses, except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof. The indemnified party shall have the right to employ its counsel in any such action, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by such indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying parties, (ii) the indemnified party shall have been advised by counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying parties shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (iii) the indemnifying parties shall not have employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after notice of the commencement thereof, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying parties. An indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any action, suit, and proceeding or claim effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
SECTION 7. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in Section 6(a) or 6(b) is due in accordance with its terms but for any reason is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect to any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims,
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damages and expenses (including any investigation, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claims asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by any person entitled hereunder to contribution from any person who may be liable for contribution) incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or, if such allocation is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above shall be deemed to include any reasonable legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. Any party entitled to contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made against another party or parties under this Section 7, notify such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission so to notify such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought shall not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have hereunder or otherwise than under this Section 7. No party shall be liable for contribution with respect to any action, suit, proceeding or claim settled without its written consent. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any Subsidiary submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any
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Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination; General. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time: (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NASDAQ, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT or the NASDAQ has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities, or (vi) the Comfort Letter Condition has not been satisfied.
(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 16 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representative shall have the right, within 36 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters reasonably acceptable to the Company, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 36-hour period, then:
(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
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(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default. In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.
SECTION 11. Tax Disclosure. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, from the commencement of discussions with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, the Company (and each employee, representative or other agent of the Company) may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure (as such terms are used in Sections 6011, 6111 and 6112 of the U.S. Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder) of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided relating to such tax treatment and tax structure.
SECTION 12. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representative at Maxim Group LLC, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, with a copy to Maxim Group LLC, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy for information purposes only to Ellenoff Xxxxxxxx & Schole LLP, 000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx., Esq., and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 00 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00000, Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company (on behalf of itself and each Subsidiary and affiliate of the Company) acknowledges and agrees that: (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal
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and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
SECTION 14. Integration. This Agreement supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company or any affiliate thereof and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
SECTION 15. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 16. Jurisdiction. The Company agrees that any suit, action or proceeding against the Company brought by any Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of any Underwriter, or by any person who controls any Underwriter, arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in any federal or New York State court located in the City and County of New York (a “New York Court”), and waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any suit, action or proceeding. The Company hereby irrevocably designates and appoints Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP (the “Process Agent”) as its authorized agent upon whom process may be served in any Claim brought against the Company, it being understood that the designation and appointment of the Process Agent as such authorized agent shall become effective immediately without any further action on the part of the Company. The Company represents to each Underwriter that it has notified the Process Agent of such designation and appointment and that the Process Agent has accepted the same in writing. The Company hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Process Agent to accept such service. The Company further agrees that service of process upon the Process Agent and written notice of said service to the Company, mailed by first-class mail or delivered to the Process Agent, shall be deemed in every
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respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such Claim. Nothing herein shall affect the right of each Underwriter, its partners, directors, officers and members, any person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or any “affiliate” (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act) of such Underwriter, or the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action arising out of or based upon this Agreement may be instituted by any Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of any Underwriter, or by any person who controls any Underwriter, in any court of competent jurisdiction in the Republic of The Xxxxxxxx Islands. The provisions of this Section 16 shall survive any termination of this Agreement, in whole or in part.
SECTION 17. Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
SECTION 18. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN ENTERED INTO, AND SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SECTION 19. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 20. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof.
SECTION 21. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. Delivery of an executed signature page of this Agreement by facsimile transmission or electronic transmission shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart hereof.
SECTION 22. Effect of Headings. The Section headings and subheadings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
[Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very Truly Yours, | ||
PARAGON SHIPPING, INC. | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
AGREED TO ACCEPTED: | ||
MAXIM GROUP LLC | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
For itself and as Representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.
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SCHEDULE A
Name of Underwriter |
Number of Initial Securities | |
Maxim Group LLC |
||
Global Hunter Securities, LLC |
||
National Securities Corporation |
||
Total |
A-1
SCHEDULE B
Elements of General Disclosure Package
None.
B-1
SCHEDULE C
List of persons and entities subject to lock-up
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx Skrimizeas
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Loretto Finance Inc.
Innovation Holdings S.A.
C-1
Exhibit A-1