EXHIBIT 5.3
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this "Agreement") is entered into as of
March 14, 2000, by and among U.S. Microbics, Inc., a corporation duly
incorporated and existing under the laws of the State of Colorado (the
"Company"), and the subscriber as named on the signature page hereto
(hereinafter referred to as "Subscriber").
RECITALS:
WHEREAS, pursuant to the Company's offering ("Offering") of up to
Thirty-Five Million Dollars ($35,000,000), excluding any funds paid upon
exercise of the Warrants, of Common Stock of the Company pursuant to that
certain Investment Agreement of even date herewith (the "Investment Agreement")
between the Company and the Subscriber, the Company has agreed to sell and the
Subscriber has agreed to purchase, from time to time as provided in the
Investment Agreement, shares of the Company's Common Stock for a maximum
aggregate offering amount of Thirty-Five Million Dollars ($35,000,000);
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Investment Agreement, the Company has
agreed to issue to the Subscriber the Commitment Warrants and, from time to
time, the Purchase Warrants, each as defined in the Investment Agreement, to
purchase a number of shares of Common Stock, exercisable for five (5) years from
their respective dates of issuance (collectively, the "Warrants"); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Investment Agreement, the Company has
agreed to provide the Subscriber with certain registration rights with respect
to the Common Stock to be issued in the Offering and the Common Stock issuable
upon exercise of the Warrants as set forth in this Agreement.
TERMS:
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises, representations,
warranties, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement and for other
good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby
acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Certain Definitions. As used in this Agreement (including the Recitals
above), the following terms shall have the following meanings (such meanings to
be equally applicable to both singular and plural forms of the terms defined):
"Additional Registration Statement" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(b).
"Amended Registration Statement" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(b).
"Business Day" shall have the meaning set forth in the Investment
Agreement.
"Closing Bid Price" shall have the meaning set forth in the Investment
Agreement.
"Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, par value $0.0001, of the
Company.
"Due Date" shall mean the date that is one hundred twenty (120) days
after the date of this Agreement.
"Effective Date" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.
"Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Filing Deadline" shall mean the date that is forty-five (45) days
after the date of this Agreement.
"Investment Agreement" shall have the meaning set forth in the
Recitals hereto.
"Holder" shall mean Subscriber, and any other person or entity owning
or having the right to acquire Registrable Securities or any permitted assignee;
"Piggyback Registration" and "Piggyback Registration Statement" shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 4.
"Put" shall have the meaning as set forth in the Investment Agreement.
"Register," "Registered," and "Registration" shall mean and refer to a
registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or
similar document in compliance with the Securities Act and pursuant to Rule 415
under the Securities Act or any successor rule, and the declaration or ordering
of effectiveness of such registration statement or document.
"Registrable Securities" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.1.
"Registration Statement" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
2.2.
"Rule 144" shall mean Rule 144, as amended, promulgated under the
Securities Act.
"Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Subscriber" shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble to this
Agreement.
"Supplemental Registration Statement" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 3(b).
"Warrants" shall have the meaning set forth in the above Recitals.
"Warrant Shares" shall mean shares of Common Stock issuable upon
exercise of any Warrant.
2. Required Registration.
2.1 Registrable Securities. "Registrable Securities" shall mean those
shares of the Common Stock of the Company together with any capital stock issued
in replacement of, in exchange for or otherwise in respect of such Common Stock,
that are: (i) issuable or issued to the Subscriber pursuant to the Investment
Agreement, and (ii) issuable or issued upon exercise of the Warrants; provided,
however, that notwithstanding the above, the following shall not be considered
Registrable Securities:
(a) any Common Stock which would otherwise be deemed to be
Registrable Securities, if and to the extent that those shares of Common Stock
may be resold in a public transaction without volume limitations or other
material restrictions without registration under the Securities Act, including
without limitation, pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act; and
(b) any shares of Common Stock which have been sold in a private
transaction in which the transferor's rights under this Agreement are not
assigned.
2.2 Filing of Initial Registration Statement. The Company shall, by
the Filing Deadline, file a registration statement ("Registration Statement") on
Form SB-2 (or other suitable form, at the Company's discretion, but subject to
the reasonable approval of Subscriber), covering the resale of a number of
shares of Common Stock as Registrable Securities equal to at least Twenty
Million (20,000,000) shares of Common Stock and shall cover, to the extent
allowed by applicable law, such indeterminate number of additional shares of
Common Stock that may be issued or become issuable as Registrable Securities by
the Company pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act. In the event that the
Company has not filed the Registration Statement by the Filing Deadline, then
the Company shall pay to Subscriber an amount equal to $250, in cash, for each
Business Day after the Filing Deadline until such Registration Statement is
filed, payable within ten (10) Business Days following the end of each calendar
month in which such payments accrue.
2.3 [Intentionally Left Blank].
2.4 Registration Effective Date. The Company shall use its best
efforts to have the Registration Statement declared effective by the SEC (the
date of such effectiveness is referred to herein as the "Effective Date") by the
Due Date.
2.5 [Intentionally Left Blank].
2.6 [Intentionally Left Blank].
2.7 Shelf Registration. The Registration Statement shall be prepared
as a "shelf" registration statement under Rule 415, and shall be maintained
effective until all Registrable Securities are resold pursuant to the
Registration Statement.
2.8 Supplemental Registration Statement. Anytime the Registration
Statement does not cover a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock to cover
all outstanding Registrable Securities, the Company shall promptly prepare and
file with the SEC such Supplemental Registration Statement and the prospectus
used in connection with such registration statement as may be necessary to
comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition
of all such Registrable Securities and shall use its best efforts to cause such
Supplemental Registration Statement to be declared effective as soon as
possible.
3. Obligations of the Company. Whenever required under this Agreement to
effect the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Company shall, as
expeditiously and reasonably possible:
(a) Prepare and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
("SEC") a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and
use its best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective
and to remain effective until all Registrable Securities are resold pursuant to
such Registration Statement, notwithstanding any Termination or Automatic
Termination (as each is defined in the Investment Agreement) of the Investment
Agreement.
(b) Prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to
such Registration Statement and the prospectus used in connection with such
Registration Statement ("Amended Registration Statement") or prepare and file
any additional registration statement ("Additional Registration Statement,"
together with the Amended Registration Statement, "Supplemental Registration
Statements") as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities
Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such
Supplemental Registration Statements or such prior registration statement and to
cover the resale of all Registrable Securities.
(c) Furnish to the Holders such numbers of copies of a prospectus,
including a preliminary prospectus, in conformity with the requirements of the
Securities Act, and such other documents as they may reasonably request in order
to facilitate the disposition of Registrable Securities owned by them.
(d) Use its best efforts to register and qualify the securities
covered by such Registration Statement under such other securities or Blue Sky
laws of the jurisdictions in which the Holders are located, of such other
jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the Holders of the Registrable
Securities covered by such Registration Statement and of all other jurisdictions
where legally required, provided that the Company shall not be required in
connection therewith or as a condition thereto to qualify to do business or to
file a general consent to service of process in any such states or
jurisdictions.
(e) [Intentionally Omitted].
(f) As promptly as practicable after becoming aware of such event,
notify each Holder of Registrable Securities of the happening of any event of
which the Company has knowledge, as a result of which the prospectus included in
the Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading, use its best efforts promptly to prepare a
supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement to correct such untrue
statement or omission, and deliver a number of copies of such supplement or
amendment to each Holder as such Holder may reasonably request.
(g) Provide Holders with notice of the date that a Registration
Statement or any Supplemental Registration Statement registering the resale of
the Registrable Securities is declared effective by the SEC, and the date or
dates when the Registration Statement is no longer effective.
(h) Provide Holders and their representatives the opportunity and a
reasonable amount of time, based upon reasonable notice delivered by the
Company, to conduct a reasonable due diligence inquiry of Company's pertinent
financial and other records and make available its officers and directors for
questions regarding such information as it relates to information contained in
the Registration Statement.
(i) Provide Holders and their representatives the opportunity to
review the Registration Statement and all amendments or supplements thereto
prior to their filing with the SEC by giving the Holder at least ten (10)
business days advance written prior to such filing.
(j) Provide each Holder with prompt notice of the issuance by the SEC
or any state securities commission or agency of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceeding
for such purpose. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance
of any stop order and, if any is issued, to obtain the removal thereof at the
earliest possible date.
(k) Use its best efforts to list the Registrable Securities covered by
the Registration Statement with all securities exchanges or markets on which the
Common Stock is then listed and prepare and file any required filing with the
NASD, American Stock Exchange, NYSE and any other exchange or market on which
the Common Stock is listed.
4. Piggyback Registration. If anytime prior to the date that the
Registration Statement is declared effective or during any Ineffective Period
(as defined in the Investment Agreement) the Company proposes to register
(including for this purpose a registration effected by the Company for
shareholders other than the Holders) any of its Common Stock under the
Securities Act in connection with the public offering of such securities solely
for cash (other than a registration relating solely for the sale of securities
to participants in a Company stock plan or a registration on Form S-4
promulgated under the Securities Act or any successor or similar form
registering stock issuable upon a reclassification, upon a business combination
involving an exchange of securities or upon an exchange offer for securities of
the issuer or another entity), the Company shall, at such time, promptly give
each Holder written notice of such registration (a "Piggyback Registration
Statement"). Upon the written request of each Holder given by fax within ten
(10) days after mailing of such notice by the Company, the Company shall cause
to be included in such registration statement under the Securities Act all of
the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be registered
("Piggyback Registration") to the extent such inclusion does not violate the
registration rights of any other security holder of the company granted prior to
the date hereof; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent the
Company from withdrawing or abandoning such registration statement prior to its
effectiveness.
5. Limitation on Obligations to Register under a Piggyback Registration. In
the case of a Piggyback Registration pursuant to an underwritten public offering
by the Company, if the managing underwriter determines and advises in writing
that the inclusion in the related Piggyback Registration Statement of all
Registrable Securities proposed to be included would interfere with the
successful marketing of the securities proposed to be registered by the Company,
then the number of such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback
Registration Statement, to the extent any such Registrable Securities may be
included in such Piggyback Registration Statement, shall be allocated among all
Holders who had requested Piggyback Registration pursuant to the terms hereof,
in the proportion that the number of Registrable Securities which each such
Holder seeks to register bears to the total number of Registrable Securities
sought to be included by all Holders. If required by the managing underwriter of
such an underwritten public offering, the Holders shall enter into an agreement
limiting the number of Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback
Registration Statement and the terms, if any, regarding the future sale of such
Registrable Securities.
6. Dispute as to Registrable Securities. In the event the Company believes
that shares sought to be registered under Section 2 or Section 4 by Holders do
not constitute "Registrable Securities" by virtue of Section 2.1 of this
Agreement, and the status of those shares as Registrable Securities is disputed,
the Company shall provide, at its expense, an Opinion of Counsel, reasonably
acceptable to the Holders of the Securities at issue (and satisfactory to the
Company's transfer agent to permit the sale and transfer), that those securities
may be sold immediately, without volume limitation or other material
restrictions, without registration under the Securities Act, by virtue of Rule
144 or similar provisions.
7. Furnish Information. At the Company's request, each Holder shall furnish
to the Company such information regarding Holder, the Registrable Securities
held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities to the
extent required to effect the registration of its Registrable Securities or to
determine that registration is not required pursuant to Rule 144 or other
applicable provision of the Securities Act. The Company shall include all
information provided by such Holder pursuant hereto in the Registration
Statement, substantially in the form supplied, except to the extent such
information is not permitted by law.
8. Expenses. All expenses, other than commissions and fees and expenses of
counsel to the selling Holders, incurred in connection with registrations,
filings or qualifications pursuant hereto, including (without limitation) all
registration, filing and qualification fees, printers' and accounting fees, fees
and disbursements of counsel for the Company, shall be borne by the Company.
9. Indemnification. In the event any Registrable Securities are included in
a Registration Statement under this Agreement:
(a) To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and
hold harmless each Holder, the officers, directors, partners, legal counsel, and
accountants of each Holder, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act,
or as deemed by the Securities Exchange Commission, or as indicated in a
registration statement) for such Holder and each person, if any, who controls
such Holder or underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities
Act or the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages, or liabilities
(joint or several) to which they may become subject under the Securities Act,
the Exchange Act or other federal or state law, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages, or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are
based upon any of the following statements or omissions: (i) any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in such
registration statement, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus
contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto, or (ii) the omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein, or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the
Company will reimburse each such Holder, officer or director, underwriter or
controlling person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them
in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage,
liability, or action; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained
in this subsection 9(a) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any
such loss, claim, damage, liability, or action if such settlement is effected
without the consent of the Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld), nor shall the Company be liable in any such case for any such loss,
claim, damage, liability, or action to the extent that it arises out of or is
based upon a violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished expressly for use in connection with such
registration by any such Holder, officer, director, underwriter or controlling
person; provided however, that the above shall not relieve the Company from any
other liabilities which it might otherwise have.
(b) Each Holder of any securities included in such registration being
effected shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and
officers, each underwriter and each other person, if any, who controls (within
the meaning of the Securities Act) the Company or such other indemnified party,
against any liability, joint or several, to which any such indemnified party may
become subject under the Securities Act or any other statute or at common law,
insofar as such liability (or actions in respect thereof) arises out of or is
based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material
fact contained, on the effective date thereof, in any registration statement
under which securities were registered under the Securities Act at the request
of such Holder, any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained
therein, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or (ii) any omission or alleged
omission by such Holder to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, to the
extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission was made in such registration
statement, preliminary or final prospectus, amendment or supplement thereto in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the
Company by such Holder specifically for use therein. Such Holder shall reimburse
any indemnified party for any legal fees incurred in investigating or defending
any such liability; provided, however, that such Holder's obligations hereunder
shall be limited to an amount equal to the proceeds to such Holder of the
securities sold in any such registration; and provided further, that no Holder
shall be required to indemnify any party against any liability arising from any
untrue or misleading statement or omission contained in any preliminary
prospectus if such deficiency is corrected in the final prospectus or for any
liability which arises out of the failure of such party to deliver a prospectus
as required by the Securities Act.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section
9 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental
action), such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be
made against any indemnifying party under this Section 9, deliver to the
indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof and the
indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent
the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party
similarly noticed, to assume, the defense thereof with counsel mutually
satisfactory to the parties; provided, however, that an indemnified party shall
have the right to retain its own counsel, with the reasonably incurred fees and
expenses of one such counsel to be paid by the indemnifying party, if
representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the
indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential conflicting
interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such
counsel in such proceeding. The failure to deliver written notice to the
indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such
action, if materially prejudicial to its ability to defend such action, shall
relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under
this Section 9, but the omission so to deliver written notice to the
indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any
indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 9.
(d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraphs (a) and/or
(b) of this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an
indemnified party for any reason, the Company and each Holder agree to
contribute to the aggregate claims, losses, damages and liabilities (including
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or
defending same) (collectively "Losses") to which the Company and one or more of
the Holders may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative fault of the Company and the Holders in connection with the statements
or omissions which resulted in such Losses. Relative fault shall be determined
by reference to whether any alleged untrue statement or omission relates to
information provided by the Company or by the Holders. The Company and the
Holders agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were
determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation that does
not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), 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 9,
each person who controls a Holder of Registrable Securities within the meaning
of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer,
partner, employee and agent of a Holder shall have the same rights to
contribution as such holder, and each person who controls the Company within the
meaning of either the Securities Act or the Exchange Act and each director and
officer of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the
Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this
paragraph (d).
(e) The obligations of the Company and Holders under this Section 9
shall survive the resale, if any, of the Common Stock, the completion of any
offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement under this
Agreement, and otherwise.
10. Reports Under Exchange Act. With a view to making available to the
Holders the benefits of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act and any
other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a Holder to sell
securities of the Company to the public without registration, the Company agrees
to:
(a) make and keep public information available, as those terms are
understood and defined in Rule 144; and
(b) use its best efforts to file with the SEC in a timely manner all
reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and
the Exchange Act.
11. Amendment of Registration Rights. Any provision of this Agreement may
be amended and the observance thereof may be waived (either generally or in a
particular instance and either retroactively or prospectively), only with the
written consent of the Company and the written consent of each Holder affected
thereby. Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this paragraph
shall be binding upon each Holder, each future Holder, and the Company.
12. Notices. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall
be made in writing signed by the party making the same, shall specify the
section under this Agreement pursuant to which it is given, and shall be
addressed if to (i) the Company at: U.S. Microbics, Inc.; Attn: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx;
0000-X Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx; Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000; Telephone: (000) 000-0000,
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000; Email: Xxx@Xxxxxxxxxx.xxx (or at such other location
as directed by the Company in writing) and (ii) the Holders at their respective
last address as the party as shown on the records of the Company. Any notice,
except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, shall be made by fax and shall
be deemed given at the time of transmission of the fax.
13. Termination. This Agreement shall terminate on the date all Registrable
Securities cease to exist (as that term is defined in Section 2.1 hereof); but
without prejudice to (i) the parties' rights and obligations arising from
breaches of this Agreement occurring prior to such termination (ii) other
indemnification obligations under this Agreement.
14. Assignment. No assignment, transfer or delegation, whether by operation
of law or otherwise, of any rights or obligations under this Agreement by the
Company or any Holder, respectively, shall be made without the prior written
consent of the majority in interest of the Holders or the Company, respectively;
provided that the rights of a Holder may be transferred to a subsequent holder
of the Holder's Registrable Securities (provided such transferee shall provide
to the Company, together with or prior to such transferee's request to have such
Registrable Securities included in a Registration, a writing executed by such
transferee agreeing to be bound as a Holder by the terms of this Agreement), and
the Company hereby agrees to file an amended registration statement including
such transferee or a selling security holder thereunder; and provided further
that the Company may transfer its rights and obligations under this Agreement to
a purchaser of all or a substantial portion of its business if the obligations
of the Company under this Agreement are assumed in connection with such
transfer, either by merger or other operation of law (which may include without
limitation a transaction whereby the Registrable Securities are converted into
securities of the successor in interest) or by specific assumption executed by
the transferee.
15. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Colorado applicable to agreements made
in and wholly to be performed in that jurisdiction, except for matters arising
under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, which matters shall be construed
and interpreted in accordance with such laws. Any dispute arising out of or
relating to this Agreement or the breach, termination or validity hereof shall
be finally settled by the federal or state courts located in San Diego County,
California.
16. Execution in Counterparts Permitted. This Agreement may be executed in
any number of counterparts, each of which shall be enforceable against the
parties actually executing such counterparts, and all of which together shall
constitute one (1) instrument.
17. Specific Performance. The Holder shall be entitled to the remedy of
specific performance in the event of the Company's breach of this Agreement, the
parties agreeing that a remedy at law would be inadequate.
18. Indemnity. Each party shall indemnify each other party against any and
all claims, damages (including reasonable attorney's fees), and expenses arising
out of the first party's breach of any of the terms of this Agreement.
19. Entire Agreement; Written Amendments Required. This Agreement,
including the Exhibits attached hereto, the Investment Agreement, the Common
Stock certificates, and the other documents delivered pursuant hereto constitute
the full and entire understanding and agreement between the parties with regard
to the subjects hereof and thereof, and no party shall be liable or bound to any
other party in any manner by any warranties, representations or covenants except
as specifically set forth herein or therein. Except as expressly provided
herein, neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended, waived,
discharged or terminated other than by a written instrument signed by the party
against whom enforcement of any such amendment, waiver, discharge or termination
is sought.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Agreement as of this
14th day of March, 2000.
U.S. MICROBICS, INC.
By:
--------------------------------------
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, President & CEO
Address:
0000-X Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Telephone: (000) 000-0000, x102
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
E- mail: Xxx@Xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
SUBSCRIBER:
XXXXXX PRIVATE EQUITY, LLC.
By: _____________________________
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx, Manager
Address: 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxx. 000, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
