PLEDGE AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.16
THIS
PLEDGE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as
of February _28__, 2007 (the “Effective Date”) by and among
C-XXXX INTERNATIONAL, INC., a corporation
organized and existing under the laws of South Carolina (the “Company”),
XXXXXXX XXXXX, CEO of the Company (the “Pledgor”), TRAFALGAR CAPITAL
SPECIALIZED INVESTMENT FUND, LUXEMBOURG, (the “Pledgee”), and
XXXXX X. XXXXXXX XX, P.A., as escrow agent (“Escrow
Agent”).
RECITALS:
WHEREAS,
in order to secure the full and prompt payment when due (whether at
the
stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise) of all of the Company’s
obligations (the “Obligations”) to the Pledgee or any successor to the
Pledgee under this Agreement, the Securities Purchase Agreement of even date
herewith between the Pledgor and the Pledgee (the “Securities Purchase
Agreement”), the Convertible Debentures (the “Convertible
Debentures”) issued or to be issued by the Company to the Pledgee, either
now or in the future, up to a total of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars
($2,500,000) of principal, plus any interest, costs, fees, and other amounts
owed to the Pledgee thereunder, the Security Agreement of even date herewith
between the Pledgor and the Pledgee (the “Security Agreement”), and all
other contracts entered into between the parties hereto (collectively, the
“Transaction Documents”), the Pledgor has agreed to irrevocably pledge to
the Pledgee thirty five million (35,000,000) shares of the Pledgor’s common
stock (the “Pledged Shares”).
NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants, agreements,
warranties, and representations herein contained, and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
TERMS
AND CONDITIONS
1. Pledge
and Transfer of Pledged Shares.
1.1.
The
Pledgor hereby grants to Pledgee a security interest in all Pledged Shares
as
security for Pledgor’s obligations under the Convertible Debentures.
Simultaneously with the execution of the Transaction Documents, the Pledgor
shall deliver to the Escrow Agent stock certificates representing the Pledged
Shares, together with duly executed stock powers or other appropriate transfer
documents executed in blank by the Pledgor (the “Transfer Documents”),
and such stock certificates and Transfer Documents shall be held by the Escrow
Agent until the full payment of all amounts due to the Pledgee under the
Convertible Debentures and through repayment in accordance with the terms of
the
Convertible Debentures, or the termination or expiration of this
Agreement.
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2. Rights
Relating to Pledged Shares. Upon the occurrence of an Event of
Default (as defined herein), the Pledgee shall be entitled to vote the Pledged
Shares, to receive dividends and other distributions thereon, and to enjoy
all
other rights and privileges incident to the ownership of the Pledged
Shares.
3. Release
of Pledged Shares from Pledge. Upon the payment of all amounts due
to the Pledgee under the Convertible Debentures by repayment in accordance
with
the terms of the Note, the parties hereto shall notify the Escrow Agent to
such
effect in writing. Upon receipt of such written notice for payment of the
amounts due to the Pledgee under the Convertible Debentures, the Escrow Agent
shall return to the Pledgor the Transfer Documents and the certificates
representing the Pledged Shares, (collectively the “Pledged Materials”),
whereupon any and all rights of Pledgee in the Pledged Materials shall be
terminated. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon
full
payment of all amounts due to the Pledgee under the Convertible Debentures,
by
repayment in accordance with the terms of the Note, this Agreement and Pledgee’s
security interest and rights in and to the Pledged Shares shall
terminate.
4. Event
of Default. An “Event of Default” shall be deemed to have
occurred under this Agreement upon an Event of Default under the Transaction
Documents.
5. Remedies.
Upon and anytime after the occurrence of an Event of Default, the Pledgee shall
have the right to provide written notice of such Event of Default (the
“Default Notice”) to the Escrow Agent, with a copy to the Pledgor. As
soon as practicable after receipt of the Default Notice, the Escrow Agent shall
deliver to Pledgee the Pledged Materials held by the Escrow Agent hereunder.
Upon receipt of the Pledged Materials, the Pledgee shall have the right to
(i) sell the Pledged Shares and to apply the proceeds of such sales, net of
any selling commissions, to the Obligations owed to the Pledgee by the Pledgor
under the Transaction Documents, including, without limitation, outstanding
principal, interest, legal fees, and any other amounts owed to the Pledgee,
and
exercise all other rights and (ii) any and all remedies of a secured party
with respect to such property as may be available under the Uniform Commercial
Code as in effect in the State of New Jersey. To the extent that the net
proceeds received by the Pledgee are insufficient to satisfy the Obligations
in
full, the Pledgee shall be entitled to a deficiency judgment against the Pledgor
for such amount. The Pledgee shall have the absolute right to sell or dispose
of
the Pledged Shares in any manner it sees fit and shall have no liability to
the
Pledgor or any other party for selling or disposing of such Pledged Shares
even
if other methods of sales or dispositions would or allegedly would result in
greater proceeds than the method actually used. The Escrow Agent shall have
the
absolute right to disburse the Pledged Shares to the Pledgee in batches not
to
exceed 9.9% of the outstanding capital of the Pledgor (which limit may be waived
by the Pledgee providing not less than 65 days’ prior written notice to the
Escrow Agent). The Pledgee shall return any Pledged Shares released to it and
remaining after the Pledgee has applied the net proceeds to all amounts owed
to
the Pledgee.
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5.1.
Each
right, power and remedy of the Pledgee provided for in this Agreement or any
other Transaction Document shall be cumulative and concurrent and shall be
in
addition to every other such right, power or remedy. The exercise or beginning
of the exercise by the Pledgee of any one or more of the rights, powers or
remedies provided for in this Agreement or any other Transaction Document or
now
or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute or otherwise shall
not
preclude the simultaneous or later exercise by the Pledgee of all such other
rights, powers or remedies, and no failure or delay on the part of the Pledgee
to exercise any such right, power or remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof.
No notice to or demand on the Pledgor in any case shall entitle it to any other
or further notice or demand in similar or other circumstances or constitute
a
waiver of any of the rights of the Pledgee to any other further action in any
circumstances without demand or notice. The Pledgee shall have the full power
to
enforce or to assign or contract is rights under this Agreement to a third
party.
5.2.
Demand Registration Rights. In addition to all other remedies available
to the Pledgee, upon an Event of Default, the Pledgor shall promptly, but in
no
event more than thirty (30) days after the date of the Default Notice, file
a registration statement to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission
the Pledged Shares for the resale by the Pledgee. The Pledgor shall cause the
registration statement to remain in effect until all of the Pledged Shares
have
been sold by the Pledgee.
6. Concerning
the Escrow Agent.
6.1.
The
Escrow Agent undertakes to perform only such duties as are expressly set forth
herein and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement
against the Escrow Agent.
6.2.
The
Escrow Agent may act in reliance upon any writing or instrument or signature
which it, in good faith, believes to be genuine, may assume the validity and
accuracy of any statement or assertion contained in such a writing or
instrument, and may assume that any person purporting to give any writing,
notice, advice or instructions in connection with the provisions hereof has
been
duly authorized to do so. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable in any manner
for
the sufficiency or correctness as to form, manner, and execution, or validity
of
any instrument deposited in this escrow, nor as to the identity, authority,
or
right of any person executing the same; and its duties hereunder shall be
limited to the safekeeping of such certificates, monies, instruments, or other
document received by it as such escrow holder, and for the disposition of the
same in accordance with the written instruments accepted by it in the
escrow.
6.3.
Pledgee and the Pledgor hereby agree, to defend and indemnify the Escrow Agent
and hold it harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, actions,
suits, or proceedings at law or in equity, or any other expenses, fees, or
charges of any character or nature which it may incur or with which it may
be
threatened by reason of its acting as Escrow Agent under this Agreement; and
in
connection therewith, to indemnify the Escrow Agent against any and all
expenses, including attorneys’ fees and costs of defending any action, suit, or
proceeding or resisting any claim (and any costs incurred by the Escrow Agent
pursuant to Sections 6.4 or 6.5 hereof). The Escrow Agent shall be vested
with a lien on all property deposited hereunder, for indemnification of
attorneys’ fees and court costs regarding any suit, proceeding or otherwise, or
any other expenses, fees, or charges of any character or nature, which may
be
incurred by the Escrow Agent by reason of disputes arising between the makers
of
this escrow as to the correct interpretation of this Agreement and instructions
given to the Escrow Agent hereunder, or otherwise, with the right of the Escrow
Agent, regardless of the instructions aforesaid, to hold said property until
and
unless said additional expenses, fees, and charges shall be fully paid. Any
fees
and costs charged by the Escrow Agent for serving hereunder shall be paid by
the
Pledgor.
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6.4.
If
any of the parties shall be in disagreement about the interpretation of this
Agreement, or about the rights and obligations, or the propriety of any action
contemplated by the Escrow Agent hereunder, the Escrow Agent may, at its sole
discretion deposit the Pledged Materials with the Clerk of the United States
District Court Southern District of Florida, sitting in Miami, Florida, and,
upon notifying all parties concerned of such action, all liability on the part
of the Escrow Agent shall fully cease and terminate. The Escrow Agent shall
be
indemnified by the Pledgor, the Company and Pledgee for all costs, including
reasonable attorneys’ fees in connection with the aforesaid proceeding, and
shall be fully protected in suspending all or a part of its activities under
this Agreement until a final decision or other settlement in the proceeding
is
received.
6.5.
The
Escrow Agent may consult with counsel of its own choice (and the costs of such
counsel shall be paid by the Pledgor and Pledgee) and shall have full and
complete authorization and protection for any action taken or suffered by it
hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the opinion of such counsel.
The
Escrow Agent shall not be liable for any mistakes of fact or error of judgment,
or for any actions or omissions of any kind, unless caused by its willful
misconduct or gross negligence.
6.6.
The
Escrow Agent may resign upon ten (10) days’ written notice to the parties
in this Agreement. If a successor Escrow Agent is not appointed within this
ten
(10) day period, the Escrow Agent may petition a court of competent
jurisdiction to name a successor.
6.7
Conflict Waiver. The Pledgor hereby acknowledges that
the Escrow Agent is securities counsel to the Pledgee and counsel to the Pledgee
in connection with the transactions contemplated and referred herein. The
Pledgor agrees that in the event of any dispute arising in connection with
this
Agreement or otherwise in connection with any transaction or agreement
contemplated and referred herein, the Escrow Agent shall be permitted to
continue to represent the Pledgee and the Pledgor will not seek to disqualify
such counsel and waives any objection Pledgor might have with respect to the
Escrow Agent acting as the Escrow Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
6.8
Notices. Unless otherwise provided herein, all
demands, notices, consents, service of process, requests and other
communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered in person
or
by overnight courier service, or mailed by certified mail, return receipt
requested, addressed:
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If
to the Pledgor, to:
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C-Xxxx
International, Inc..
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0000
X. Xxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000
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Xxxxxxx,
XX 00000
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Attn:
Xx. Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, CEO
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Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
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Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
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With
a copy to:
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The
X’Xxxx Law Firm, P.C.
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00000
X. Xxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 000-X
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Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx, XX 00000
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Attention: Xxxxxxx
X. X’Xxxx, Esq.
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Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
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Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
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If
to the Pledgee:
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Trafalgar
Capital Specialized
Investment
Fund, Luxembourg
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0-00
Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
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XX
0000
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X-0000
Xxxxxxxxxx
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Attention:
Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Chairman of the Board of
Trafalgar
Capital Sarl, the General Partner
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Facsimile:
011-44-207-405-0161
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and
001-786-323-1651
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With
copy to:
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Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx XX, P.A.
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0000
Xxxxxxxx Xxx
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Xxxx
Xxxxx, XX 00000
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Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
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Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
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Any
such
notice shall be effective (a) when delivered, if delivered by hand delivery
or overnight courier service, or (b) five (5) days after deposit in
the United States mail, as applicable.
7. Binding
Effect. All of the covenants and obligations contained herein shall
be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the respective parties, their
successors and assigns.
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8. Governing
Law; Venue; Service of Process. The validity, interpretation and
performance of this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the laws
of
the State of Florida applicable to contracts made and to be performed wholly
within that state except to the extent that Federal law applies. The parties
hereto agree that any disputes, claims, disagreements, lawsuits, actions or
controversies of any type or nature whatsoever that, directly or indirectly,
arise from or relate to this Agreement, including, without limitation, claims
relating to the inducement, construction, performance or termination of this
Agreement, shall be brought in the state state courts located in Broward County,
Florida or United States District Courts for the Southern District of
Florida, and the parties hereto agree not to challenge the selection of that
venue in any such proceeding for any reason, including, without limitation,
on
the grounds that such venue is an inconvenient forum. The parties hereto
specifically agree that service of process may be made, and such service of
process shall be effective if made, pursuant to Section 8
hereto.
9. Enforcement
Costs. If any legal action or other proceeding is
brought for the enforcement of this Agreement, or because of an alleged dispute,
breach, default or misrepresentation in connection with any provisions of this
Agreement, the successful or prevailing party or parties shall be entitled
to
recover reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs and all expenses even if not
taxable as court costs (including, without limitation, all such fees, costs
and
expenses incident to appeals), incurred in that action or proceeding, in
addition to any other relief to which such party or parties may be
entitled.
10. Remedies
Cumulative. No remedy herein conferred upon any
party is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy, and each and every such
remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other remedy given
hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law, in equity, by statute, or
otherwise. No single or partial exercise by any party of any right, power or
remedy hereunder shall preclude any other or further exercise
thereof.
11. Counterparts.
This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute
the same instrument.
12. No
Penalties. No provision of this Agreement is to be
interpreted as a penalty upon any party to this Agreement.
13. JURY
TRIAL. EACH OF THE PLEDGEE AND THE PLEDGOR HEREBY KNOWINGLY,
VOLUNTARILY AND INTENTIONALLY WAIVES THE RIGHT WHICH IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL
BY
JURY OF ANY CLAIM, DEMAND, ACTION OR CAUSE OF ACTION BASED HEREON, OR ARISING
OUT OF, UNDER OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE DEALINGS BETWEEN PLEDGEE AND
PLEDGOR, THIS PLEDGE AND ESCROW AGREEMENT OR ANY DOCUMENT EXECUTED IN CONNECTION
HEREWITH, OR ANY COURSE OF CONDUCT, COURSE OF DEALING, STATEMENTS (WHETHER
ORAL
OR WRITTEN) OR ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY HERETO OR THERETO IN EACH CASE WHETHER
NOW
EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, EQUITY OR
OTHERWISE.
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Pledge and
Escrow Agreement as of the date first above written.
TRAFALGAR
CAPITAL SPECIALIZED INVESTMENT FUND, LUXEMBOURG
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By:
Its:
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Trafalgar
Capital Sarl
General
Partner
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By:
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/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxx | |
Name:
Title:
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Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
Chairman
of the Board
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CMark
International, Inc.
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By:
/s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxx,
Xx.
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Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xx.
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Title:
CEO
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Escrow
Agent: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx XX,
P.A.
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By:
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/s/
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Esq.
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Name:
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Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx, Esq.
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