REGISTRATION RIGHTS AND LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
Exhibit 4.5
Execution Version
REGISTRATION RIGHTS AND LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
This Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of August 4, 2021, by and among (a) Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A., a public limited liability company (société anonyme) governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg with its registered office at 00, Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, X-0000 Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx (the “Company”), (b) Ardagh Group S.A., a public limited liability company (société anonyme) governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg with its registered office at 00, Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, X-000000 Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx (“AGSA”), (c) Gores Sponsor V LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), Xxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxxxx Xxx (the “Individual Holders”), and (d) Gores Pipe, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Gores Pipe” and, collectively with Sponsor and the Individual Holders, the “Gores Holders”). Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, XXXX and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 6.2 of this Agreement are each referred to herein as a “Holder” and collectively as the “Holders”.
WHEREAS, upon the closing of the transactions (the “Transactions”) contemplated by that certain Business Combination Agreement, dated as of February 22, 2021 (the “Business Combination Agreement”), by and among Gores Holdings V, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“GHV”), the Company, Ardagh MP MergeCo Inc., a Delaware corporation (“MergeCo”), and AGSA, MergeCo merged with and into GHV, with GHV being the surviving corporation of the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and, in the context of and in connection with such merger, (a) issued and outstanding shares of GHV Class A common stock (including shares of GHV Class F common stock then issued and outstanding that were automatically converted into and exchanged for shares of GHV Class A common stock as contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement), were contributed to AMPSA in exchange for shares of the Company, each with a par value of EUR 0.01 per share (the “Shares”), and (b) all issued and outstanding warrants issued by GHV were converted into the right to receive warrants of the Company exercisable for Shares (the “Company Warrants”);
WHEREAS, on the date hereof and prior to the closing of the Transactions, the Sponsor transferred 1,320,000 shares of GHV Class F common stock to Gores Pipe;
WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, in accordance with the Business Combination Agreement, (a) AGSA holds 493,763,520 Shares, and has a right to receive up to 60,730,000 additional Shares (subject to certain adjustments) as contingent consideration (“Contingent Consideration”), and (b) the Gores Holders hold in aggregate 9,843,750 Shares (the “Founder Shares”) and Company Warrants exercisable for 6,250,000 Shares (the “GHV Warrants”), with each Gores Holder holding the number of Founder Shares and GHV Warrants set forth below such Gores Holder’s signature hereto;
WHEREAS, on August 10, 2020, GHV, the Sponsor and the Individual Holders entered into that certain Registration Rights Agreement, which, pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, was terminated effective as of consummation of the Transaction; and
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, and the mutual promises herein made, and in consideration of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, the receipt and sufficiency of which the parties hereto hereby acknowledge, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
Article
I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1 Definitions. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement have the meanings set forth below.
“Adverse Disclosure” means any public disclosure of material non-public information (including information with respect to a potential financing, acquisition, disposition, merger, reorganization or similar transaction), which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (a) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any Misstatement, (b) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, declared effective or used, as the case may be, and (c) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, or under common control with, such specified Person; provided, that, for the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by Contract or otherwise; provided, however, that for the purposes of this Agreement, the Company and its subsidiaries shall not be Affiliates of AGSA; provided, further, that in no event shall the term “Affiliate” include any portfolio company of any Gores Holder or their respective Affiliates.
“Agreement” has the meaning given in the Preamble.
“AGSA” has the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Blackout Period” has the meaning given in Section 2.7(c).
“Block Trade” means an offering or sale of Registrable Securities by any Holder on an underwritten basis (whether firm commitment or otherwise) without substantial marketing efforts prior to pricing and is commonly known as a “block trade”, including a same day trade, overnight trade or similar transaction.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Business Combination Agreement” has the meaning given in the Recitals.
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“Business Day” means a day other than (a) a Saturday or Sunday or (b) any other day on which banks located in Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, xx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx are required or authorized by law to be closed for business.
“Change in Control” means: (a) a sale, lease, license or other disposition, in a single transaction or a series of related transactions, of fifty percent (50%) or more of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (b) a merger, consolidation or other business combination of the Company resulting in any Person or “group” (within the meaning of Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof) (other than AGSA or any of its Affiliates) acquiring at least fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Company or the surviving Person outstanding immediately after such combination; or (c) any Person or “group” (within the meaning of Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date hereof) (other than AGSA or any of its Affiliates) obtaining beneficial ownership (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) of the voting stock of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of the capital stock of the Company entitled to vote for the election of directors of the Company.
“Claims” has the meaning given in Section 4.1(a).
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Commission Guidance” means (a) any publicly-available written or oral guidance of the Commission staff, or any comments, requirements or requests of the Commission staff and (b) the Securities Act.
“Company” has the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Company Shelf Take Down Notice” has the meaning given in Section 2.1(c).
“Company Warrants” has the meaning given in the Recitals.
“Demand Registration” has the meaning given in Section 2.2(a).
“Demanding Holder” means, as applicable, (a) the applicable Holders making a written demand for the Registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.2(a) or (b) the applicable Holders making a written demand for a Shelf Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.1(c).
“Effectiveness Deadline” has the meaning given in Section 2.1(a).
“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
“Exempted Registration Statement” means a Registration Statement (a) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, including a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (or similar successor form), (b) for an exchange offer or offering of securities, including a Registration Statement on Form S-4 or F-4 (or similar successor forms), (c) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company, (d) for a dividend reinvestment plan, or (e) filed pursuant to Section 2.1(a).
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“Form F-1 Shelf” has the meaning given in Section 2.1(a).
“Form F-3 Shelf” has the meaning given in Section 2.1(b).
“Founder Shares” has the meaning given in the Recitals.
“GHV” has the meaning given in the Recitals.
“GHV Warrant Lock-up Period” means the period ending 30 days after the date hereof.
“GHV Warrants” has the meaning given in the Recitals.
“Gores Holders” has the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Governmental Authority” means any U.S. or non-U.S. national, federal, state, local, supranational, regional, or provincial government or any court of competent jurisdiction, administrative or regulatory agency, board, bureau, arbitrator, tribunal, or arbitral body or commission or other national, state, local, supranational, regional or provincial governmental authority or instrumentality entitled to exercise any administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory or taxing authority or power.
“Holders” has the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Maximum Number of Securities” has the meaning given in Section 2.2(d).
“MergeCo” has the meaning given in the Recitals.
“Minimum Amount” has the meaning given in Section 2.1(c).
“Misstatement” means an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus and any preliminary Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.
“Permitted Transferee” means a person or entity to whom a Holder is permitted to Transfer such Registrable Securities prior to the expiration of the Share Lock-up Period or GHV Warrant Lock-up Period, as applicable, pursuant to Section 5.2.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, syndicate, person (including, a “person” as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), trust, association or entity or Governmental Authority or any political subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof.
“Piggyback Registration” has the meaning given in Section 2.4(a).
“Prospectus” means the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.
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“Registrable Security” means (a) any outstanding Shares or any other equity security (including the GHV Warrants and including Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security) held by a Holder as of the date of this Agreement or hereafter acquired by a Holder upon the exercise of any GHV Warrants and any Shares issued or issuable as Contingent Consideration, and (b) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to any such Share referred to in the foregoing clause (a) by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other reorganization or otherwise; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (i) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement; (ii) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for such securities not bearing (or book entry positions not subject to) a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (iii) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; or (iv) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.
“Registration” means a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.
“Registration Expenses” means the out-of-pocket expenses of a Registration, including the following:
(a) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the United States Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) and any securities exchange on which the Shares are then listed;
(b) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with “blue sky” qualifications of Registrable Securities);
(c) printing, messenger, telephone, delivery and reasonable road show or other reasonable marketing expenses;
(d) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;
(e) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration; and
(f) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by either (i) the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders (and any local or foreign counsel) initiating a Demand Registration or Shelf Underwritten Offering (including a Block Trade), or (ii) of a majority-in-interest of participating Holders under Section 2.4 if the Registration was initiated by the Company for its own account or that of a Company stockholder other than pursuant to rights under this Agreement, in each case to be registered for offer and sale in the applicable Registration.
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“Registration Statement” means any registration statement that covers the Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registration statement, and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
“Removed Shares” has the meaning given in Section 2.6.
“Requesting Holder” has the meaning given in Section 2.2(a).
“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933.
“Share Lock-up Period” means the period ending 180 days following the date hereof.
“Shelf Take Down Notice” has the meaning given in Section 2.1(c).
“Shelf Underwritten Offering” has the meaning given in Section 2.1(c).
“Sponsor” has the meaning given in the Preamble.
“Subscription Agreements” means those certain subscription agreements dated February 22, 2021 by and between the Company and certain subscribers to Shares.
“Transactions” has the meaning given in the Recitals.
“Transfer” means to, directly or indirectly, sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber, hypothecate or similarly dispose of, either voluntarily or involuntarily, or to enter into any contract, option or other arrangement or understanding with respect to the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or similar disposition of, any interest owned by a person or any interest (including a beneficial interest) in, or the ownership, control or possession of, any interest owned by a person.
“Underwriter” means a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.
“Underwritten Offering” means a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public.
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Article
II
REGISTRATIONS
Section 2.1 Shelf Registration.
(a) The Company shall, as soon as practicable, but in any event no later than the date that is thirty (30) calendar days after the date hereof, file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act to permit the public resale by the Holders of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders from time to time as permitted by Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar provision adopted by the Commission then in effect) on the terms and conditions specified in this Section 2.1(a) and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to be declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, but in no event later than sixty (60) calendar days following the filing deadline (the “Effectiveness Deadline”); provided that the Effectiveness Deadline shall be extended to ninety (90) calendar days after the filing deadline if the Registration Statement is reviewed by, and receives comments from, the Commission. The Registration Statement filed with the Commission pursuant to this Section 2.1(a) shall be on a shelf registration statement on Form F-1 (a “Form F-1 Shelf”) or such other form of registration statement as is then available to effect a registration for resale of such Registrable Securities, covering such Registrable Securities, and shall contain a Prospectus in such form as to permit any Holder to sell such Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar provision adopted by the Commission then in effect) at any time beginning on the effective date for such Registration Statement. A Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section 2.1(a) shall provide for the resale pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, the Holders. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section 2.1(a) to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities. When effective, a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this Section 2.1(a) (including the documents incorporated therein by reference) will comply as to form in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act 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 (in the case of any Prospectus contained in such Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which such statement is made).
(b) The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to convert the Form F-1 Shelf filed pursuant to Section 2.1(a) to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (a “Form F-3 Shelf”) as promptly as practicable after the Company is eligible to use a Form F-3 Shelf and have the Form F-3 Shelf declared effective as promptly as practicable and to cause such Form F-3 Shelf to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities.
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(c) Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 2.7(a), at any time and from time to time following the effectiveness of the shelf registration statement required by Section 2.1(a) or Section 2.1(b), each of the Sponsor or AGSA may request to sell all or a portion of their Registrable Securities in an underwritten offering that is registered pursuant to such shelf registration statement, including a Block Trade (a “Shelf Underwritten Offering”) provided that the Sponsor or AGSA, as the case may be, (i) reasonably expects to sell Registrable Securities yielding aggregate gross proceeds in excess of 50,000,000 from such Shelf Underwritten Offering or (ii) reasonably expects to sell all of the Registrable Securities held by such Holder in such Shelf Underwritten Offering (the amount of Registrable Securities pursuant to the foregoing clause (i) or (ii), as applicable, the “Minimum Amount”). All requests for a Shelf Underwritten Offering shall be made by giving written notice to the Company (the “Shelf Take Down Notice”). Each Shelf Takedown Notice shall specify the approximate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Shelf Underwritten Offering and the expected price range (net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of such Shelf Underwritten Offering. Within five (5) Business Days after receipt of any Shelf Take Down Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such requested Shelf Underwritten Offering to all other Holders of Registrable Securities (the “Company Shelf Takedown Notice”) and, subject to the provisions of Section 2.2(d) shall include in such Shelf Underwritten Offering all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein, within five (5) Business Days after sending the Company Shelf Takedown Notice, or, in the case of a Block Trade, as provided in Section 2.5. The Company shall enter into an underwriting agreement in a form as is customary in Underwritten Offerings of securities by the Company with the managing Underwriter or Underwriters selected by the Holders and reasonably acceptable to the Company and shall take all such other reasonable actions as are requested by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities. In connection with any Shelf Underwritten Offering contemplated by this Section 2.1(c), subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, the underwriting agreement into which each Holder and the Company shall enter shall contain such representations, covenants, indemnities and other rights and obligations as are customary in underwritten offerings of securities by the Company. Any Shelf Underwritten Offering effected pursuant to this Section 2.1(c) shall be counted as a Registration for purposes of the limit on the number of Registrations that can be effected under Section 2.2.
Section 2.2 Demand Registration.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 2.7, at any time and from time to time on or after the date hereof, each of (i) the Gores Holders of at least a majority in interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by the Gores Holders (the “Gores Demanding Holders”), and (ii) AGSA (together with the Gores Demanding Holders, the “Demanding Holders”), may make a written demand for Registration of all or part of their Registrable Securities on (1) Form F-1 or (2) if available, Form F-3, which in the case of either clause (1) or (2), may be a shelf registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act, which written demand shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such Registration and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof (such written demand a “Demand Registration”). The Company shall, promptly following the Company’s receipt of a Demand Registration, notify, in writing all other Holders of Registrable Securities of such demand, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration (each such Holder that includes all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Registration, a “Requesting Holder”) shall so notify the Company, in writing, within ten (10) days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent a Requesting Holder also separately possesses Demand Registration rights pursuant to this Section 2.2, but is not the Holder who exercises such Demand Registration rights, the exercise by such Requesting Holder of its rights pursuant to the foregoing sentence shall not count as the exercise by it of one of its Demand Registration rights. Upon receipt by the Company of any such written notification from a Requesting Holder(s) to the Company, subject to Section 2.2(d), such Requesting Holder(s) shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration and the Company shall effect, as soon thereafter as practicable, the Registration of all Registrable Securities requested by the Demanding Holders and Requesting Holders pursuant to such Demand Registration.
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(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.2(a) or any other part of this Agreement, a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration shall not count as a Registration unless and until (i) the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration has been declared effective by the Commission and (ii) the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, further, that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, an offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration is subsequently interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission, federal or state court or any other governmental agency, the Registration Statement with respect to such Registration shall be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (1) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (2) a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating such Demand Registration thereafter affirmatively elect to continue with such Registration and accordingly notify the Company in writing, but in no event later than ten (10) days after the removal, rescission or other termination of such stop order or injunction, of such election; provided, further, that the Company shall not be obligated or required to file another Registration Statement until the Registration Statement that has been previously filed with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration by the same Demanding Holder becomes effective or is subsequently terminated.
(c) Subject to the provisions of Section 2.2(d) and Section 2.7, if a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders so advise the Company as part of their Demand Registration that the offering of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering, then the right of such Demanding Holder or Requesting Holder (if any) to include its Registrable Securities in such Registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Underwritten Offering and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering to the extent provided herein. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this Section 2.2(c), subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Company and the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating the Demand Registration, which Underwriter(s) shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company.
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(d) If a Demand Registration is to be an Underwritten Offering and the managing Underwriter or Underwriters, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) in writing that, in its opinion, the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account and the Shares, if any, as to which a Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other stockholders of the Company who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in such Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the“Maximum Number of Securities”), then the Company shall include in such Underwritten Offering, as follows: (i) first, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) (pro rata based on the total amount of Registrable Securities held by each such Demanding Holder and Requesting Holder (if any) (such proportion is referred to herein as “Pro Rata”)) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the Shares or other equity securities of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register in a Registration pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
Section 2.3 Withdrawal of Securities. A Demanding Holder or a Requesting Holder shall have the right to withdraw all or a portion of its Registrable Securities included in a Demand Registration pursuant to Section 2.2(a) or a Shelf Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.1(c) for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of its intention to so withdraw at any time prior to (i) in the case of a Demand Registration not involving an Underwritten Offering, the effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement or (ii) in the case of any Demand Registration involving an Underwritten Offering or any Shelf Underwritten Offering, prior to the pricing of such Underwritten Offering or Shelf Underwritten Offering; provided, however, that upon withdrawal by a majority-in-interest of the Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, withdrawal of an amount of Registrable Securities included by the Holders in such Shelf Underwritten Offering, in their capacity as Demanding Holders, being less than the Minimum Amount), the Company shall cease all efforts to secure effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement or complete the Underwritten Offering, as applicable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration or a Shelf Underwritten Offering prior to and including its withdrawal under this Section 2.3.
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Section 2.4 Piggyback Registration.
(a) If the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into equity securities, for its own account or for the account of stockholders of the Company (or by the Company and by the stockholders of the Company including pursuant to Section 2.2), other than an Exempted Registration Statement, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but not less than twenty (20) days (or, in the case of a Block Trade, five (5) Business Days) before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement, which notice shall (i) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution (including whether such registration will be pursuant to a shelf registration statement), and the proposed price and name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, (ii) such Holders’ rights under this Section 2.4 and (iii) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within ten (10) days after receipt of such written notice (or in the case of a Block Trade, within two (2) Business Days) (such Registration a “Piggyback Registration”). The Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities identified in a Holder’s response notice described in the foregoing sentence to be included in such Piggyback Registration and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering, if any, to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this Section 2.4(a) to be included in a Piggyback Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company or Company stockholder(s) for whose account the Registration Statement is to be filed included in such Registration and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this Section 2.4(a), subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company or Company stockholder(s) for whose account the Registration Statement is to be filed. For purposes of this Section 2.4, the filing by the Company of an automatic shelf registration statement for offerings pursuant to Rule 415(a) that omits information with respect to any specific offering pursuant to Rule 430B shall not trigger any notification or participation rights hereunder until such time as the Company amends or supplements such Registration Statement to include information with respect to a specific offering of securities (and such amendment or supplement shall trigger the notice and participation rights provided for in this Section 2.4).
(b) If a Piggyback Registration is to be an Underwritten Offering and the managing Underwriter or Underwriters, in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that, in its opinion, the dollar amount or number of the Shares that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (x) the Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, (y) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.4, and (z) the Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:
(i) if the Registration is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Registration (1) first, the Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities, (2) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (1), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.4(a), Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities and (3) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (1) and (2), the Shares, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and
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(ii) if the Registration is pursuant to a request by persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Registration (1) first, the Shares or other equity securities, if any, of such requesting persons or entities, other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities, (2) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (1), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to this Section 2.4(a), Pro Rata, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities, (3) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (1) and (2), the Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities and (4) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (1), (2) and (3), the Shares or other equity securities for the account of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.
(c) Any Holder of Registrable Securities shall have the right to withdraw all or any portion of its Registrable Securities in a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw such Registrable Securities from such Piggyback Registration prior to (i) in the case of a Piggyback Registration not involving an Underwritten Offering or Shelf Underwritten Offering, the effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement or (ii), in the case of any Piggyback Registration involving an Underwritten Offering or any Shelf Underwritten Offering, prior to the pricing of such Underwritten Offering or Shelf Underwritten Offering. The Company (whether on its own good faith determination or as the result of a request for withdrawal by persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Piggyback Registration at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to and including its withdrawal under this Section 2.4(c).
(d) For purposes of clarity, any Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.4 shall not be counted as a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration effected under Section 2.2 or a Shelf Underwritten Offering effected under Section 2.1(c).
Section 2.5 Block Trades. Subject to Section 2.7, if the Holders desire to effect a Block Trade, then notwithstanding any other time periods in this Article II, the Holders shall provide written notice to the Company at least five (5) Business Days prior to the date such Block Trade will commence. As expeditiously as possible, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to facilitate such Block Trade. The Holders shall use reasonable best efforts to work with the Company and the Underwriters (including by disclosing the maximum number of Registrable Securities proposed to be the subject of such Block Trade) in order to facilitate preparation of the Registration Statement, Prospectus and other offering documentation related to the Block Trade and any related due diligence and comfort procedures. In the event of a Block Trade, and after consultation with the Company, the Demanding Holders and the Requesting Holders (if any) shall determine the Maximum Number of Securities, the underwriter or underwriters and share price of such offering.
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Section 2.6 Rule 415; Removal. If at any time the Commission takes the position that the offering of some or all of the Registrable Securities in a Registration Statement on Form F-3 filed pursuant to this Article II is not eligible to be made on a delayed or continuous basis under the provisions of Rule 415 under the Securities Act (provided, however, the Company shall be obligated to use diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the Commission Guidance, including Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation 612.09) or requires a Holder to be named as an “underwriter,” the Company shall (a) promptly notify each holder of Registrable Securities thereof (or in the case of the Commission requiring a Holder to be named as an “underwriter,” the Holder) and (b) use reasonable best efforts to persuade the SEC that the offering contemplated by such Registration Statement is a valid secondary offering and not an offering “by or on behalf of the issuer” as defined in Rule 415 and that none of the Holders is an “underwriter.” The Holders shall have the right to select one legal counsel designated by the holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities subject to such Registration Statement to review and oversee any registration or matters pursuant to this Section 2.6, including participation in any meetings or discussions with the Commission regarding the Commission’s position and to comment on any written submission made to the Commission with respect thereto. No such written submission with respect to this matter shall be made to the Commission to which the applicable Holders’ counsel reasonably objects. In the event that, despite the Company’s reasonable best efforts and compliance with the terms of this Section 2.6, the Commission refuses to alter its position, the Company shall (a) remove from such Registration Statement such portion of the Registrable Securities (the “Removed Shares”) or (b) agree to such restrictions and limitations on the registration and resale of the Registrable Securities as the Commission may require to assure the Company’s compliance with the requirements of Rule 415; provided, however, that the Company shall not agree to name any Holder as an “underwriter” in such Registration Statement without the prior written consent of such Holder. In the event of a share removal pursuant to this Section 2.6, the Company shall give the applicable Holders at least five (5) days prior written notice along with the calculations as to such Holder’s allotment. Subject to the Company’s obligations under the Subscription Agreements, any removal of shares of the Holders pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall first be applied to Holders other than the Holders with securities registered for resale under the applicable Registration Statement and thereafter allocated between the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the aggregate amount of Registrable Securities held by the Holders. In the event of a share removal of the Holders pursuant to this Section 2.6, the Company shall promptly register the resale of any Removed Shares pursuant to Section 2.1(b). In the case of a Form F-1 Shelf filed to register the resale of Removed Shares, upon such date as the Company becomes eligible to register all of the Removed Shares for resale on a Form F-3 Shelf pursuant to the Commission Guidance and, if applicable, without a requirement that any of the Holders be named as an “underwriter” therein, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to file a Form F-3 Shelf as promptly as practicable to replace the applicable Form F-1 Shelf and have the Form F-3 Shelf declared effective as promptly as practicable and to cause such Form F-3 Shelf to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities thereunder held by the applicable Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities.
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Section 2.7 Restrictions on Registration and Block Trade Rights; Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure.
(a) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, in no event will the Gores Holders be entitled, on a collective basis, to initiate more than an aggregate of three (3) Registrations pursuant to a Demand Registration or a Shelf Underwritten Offering (including a Block Trade) under Section 2.1(c) (including with respect to a Block Trade) or Section 2.2(a), as the case may be; provided, however, that a Registration shall not be counted for such purposes unless a Registration Statement that may be available at such time has become effective.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, or in the opinion of counsel for the Company it is necessary to supplement or amend such Prospectus to comply with law, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement or including the information counsel for the Company believes to be necessary to comply with law (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as practicable after the time of such notice such that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, as applicable, will not include a Misstatement and complies with law), or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed. The Company shall promptly notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 2.7(b).
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company shall not be obligated to (i) effect any Demand Registration or Underwritten Offering or (ii) file a Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or effect an Underwritten Offering (or, if the Company has filed a Registration Statement that includes Registrable Securities, the Company shall be entitled to suspend the offer and sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement) for a period of up to forty-five (45) days if the Company has determined that the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant a Registration Statement would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control (any such period, a “Blackout Period”); provided, however, that in no event shall any Blackout Period together with other Blackout Periods exceed an aggregate of ninety (90) days in any twelve (12)-month period. In the event the Company exercises its rights under this Section 2.7(c), the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of any Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities. The Company shall promptly notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 2.7(c). The Holders receiving notice of a Blackout Period (and the expiration thereof) shall maintain the confidentiality of the existence (and circumstances, to the extent known) of a Blackout Period. In connection with any notice of a Blackout Period, the Company may not deliver any material non-public information, and, for avoidance of doubt, solely the receipt of notice of a Blackout Period without additional information shall not constitute material non-public information.
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Article III
COMPANY PROCEDURES
Section 3.1 General Procedures. If the Company is required to effect the Registration of Registrable Securities, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:
(a) prepare and file with the Commission as soon as reasonably practicable a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold;
(b) prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus as may be required by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended method of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;
(c) prior to filing a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration, and such Holders’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus), and such other documents as the Underwriters and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or the legal counsel for any such Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders;
(d) prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, but in any case no later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, use its reasonable best efforts to (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended method of distribution) may reasonably request and to keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as such Registration Statement remains in effect and (ii) take such action as may be necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company or otherwise and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;
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(e) cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are then listed no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;
(f) provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;
(g) furnish to each seller of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement such number of conformed copies of such Registration Statement and of each such amendment and supplement thereto (in each case including all exhibits), such number of copies of the Prospectus contained in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus and any summary Prospectus) and any other Prospectus filed under Rule 424 under the Securities Act, in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, and such other documents as such seller may reasonably request;
(h) advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or Prospectus the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to amend or supplement such Registration Statement or Prospectus or prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued, as applicable;
(i) advise each Holder of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when such registration statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any Prospectus forming a part of such registration statement has been filed;
(j) notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event or the existence of any condition as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, or in the opinion of counsel for the Company it is necessary to supplement or amend such Prospectus to comply with law, and then to correct such Misstatement or include such information as is necessary to comply with law, in each case as set forth in Section 2.7, at the request of any such Holder promptly prepare and furnish to such Holder a reasonable number of copies of a supplement to or an amendment of such Prospectus as may be necessary so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such securities, such Prospectus shall not include a Misstatement or such Prospectus, as supplemented or amended, shall comply with law;
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(k) make available for inspection, at such place and in such manner as determined by the Company in its sole discretion, permit a representative of the Holders, the Underwriters, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter access to the Company’s books and records and such opportunities to discuss the business, finances and accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries with its officers, directors and the independent public accountants who have certified its financial statements as shall be necessary, in the opinion of such Holders’ and such Underwriters’ respective counsel, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act, and will cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided, however, that (i) if requested by the Company, such representatives, Holders or Underwriters enter into a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information and (ii) any records, information or documents that are furnished by the Company and that are non-public shall be used only in connection with the Registration;
(l) obtain a “comfort” letter from the Company’s independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Offering, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “comfort” letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders and any Underwriter;
(m) on the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration, obtain an opinion and negative assurance letter, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters;
(n) in the event of any Underwritten Offering, enter into an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing Underwriter of such offering;
(o) otherwise use its reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and to make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve (12) months which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission); and
(p) use its reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in any Underwritten Offering.
Section 3.2 Registration Expenses. The Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company. It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders. In addition, the Company will pay its internal expenses (including all salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit or quarterly review, the expense of any liability insurance obtained by the Company and the expenses and fees for listing the securities to be registered on each securities exchange.
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Section 3.3 Participation in Underwritten Offerings.
(a) No person may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (ii) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements.
(b) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that no Underwriter shall require any Holder to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the Underwriters other than representations, warranties or agreements regarding such Holder and such Holder’s intended method of distribution and any other representation required by law, and if, despite the Company’s reasonable best efforts, an Underwriter requires any Holder to make additional representation or warranties to or agreements with such Underwriter, such Holder may elect not to participate in such Underwritten Offering (but shall not have any claims against the Company as a result of such election). Any liability of such Holder to any Underwriter or other person under such underwriting agreement shall be limited to an amount equal to the proceeds (net of expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions) that it derives from such registration.
Section 3.4 Covenants of the Company. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company hereby covenants and agrees:
(a) the Company will not file any Registration Statement or Prospectus included therein with the Commission which refers to any Holder of Registrable Securities by name or otherwise without the prior written approval of such Holder, which may not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed;
(b) at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and to promptly furnish the Holders with true and complete copies of all such filings. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell Shares held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission), including providing any legal opinions. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements; and
(c) promptly following the effectiveness of the shelf registration statement required by Section 2.1(a), the Company shall cause the transfer agent to remove any restrictive legends (including any electronic transfer restrictions) from Shares or GHV Warrants held by such Holder and provide or cause any customary opinions of counsel to be delivered to the transfer agent in connection with such removal.
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Article IV
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION
Section 4.1 Indemnification.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers, directors, partners, stockholders or members, employees, agents, investment advisors and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act and Exchange Act) from and against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), joint or several (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) (collectively, “Claims”), to which any such Holder or other persons may become subject, insofar as such Claims arise out of or are based on any untrue or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Company will reimburse such Holder or other person for any legal or any other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim; except insofar as the Claim or expense arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such filing in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein. The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act and Exchange Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder.
(b) In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, as a condition to including any Registrable Securities in any Registration Statement, the Company shall have received an undertaking reasonably satisfactory to it from such Holder, to indemnify the Company, its directors and officers and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act and Exchange Act) from and against any Claims, to which any the Company or such other persons may become subject, insofar as such Claims arise out of or are based on any untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information furnished in writing by such Holder expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the obligation to indemnify shall be several, not joint and several, among such Holders of Registrable Securities, and the liability of each such Holder of Registrable Securities shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act and Exchange Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company and the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to ensure that no Underwriter shall require any Holder of Registrable Securities to provide any indemnification other than that provided hereinabove in this Section 4.1(b), and, if, despite the Company’s reasonable best efforts, an Underwriter requires any Holder of Registrable Securities to provide additional indemnification, such Holder may elect not to participate in such Underwritten Offering (but shall not have any claim against the Company as a result of such election).
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(c) Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any Claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (ii) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such Claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such Claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one (1) counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) and which settlement includes a statement or admission of fault or culpability on the part of such indemnified party or does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.
(d) The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director, partners, stockholders or members, employees, agents, investment advisors or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the Transfer of Registrable Securities.
(e) If the indemnification provided under Section 4.1 from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any Claims, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such Claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other hand from the offering of the Registrable Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (ii) above but also to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such Claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder or any director, officer, employee, agent, investment advisor or controlling person thereof under this Section 4.1(e) shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 4.1(a), Section 4.1(b) and Section 4.1(c) above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 4.1(e) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 4.1(e). No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this Section 4.1(e) from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
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Article
V
LOCK-UP
Section 5.1 Transfer Restrictions. Except for a Transfer to a Permitted Transferee as permitted by Section 5.2, (a) during the Share Lock-Up Period, AGSA shall not Transfer any Shares beneficially owned or owned of record by AGSA, (b) during the Share Lock-up Period, no Gores Holder shall Transfer any Founder Shares beneficially owned or owned of record by such Holder, and (c) during the GHV Warrant Lock-up Period, no Gores Holder shall Transfer any GHV Warrants or any of the Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise or conversion of such GHV Warrants beneficially owned or owned of record by such Holder.
Section 5.2 Exceptions. The provisions of Section 5.1 shall not apply to:
(a) transactions relating to Shares acquired in open market transactions;
(b) Transfers of Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Shares as a bona fide gift;
(c) Transfers by a Holder of Shares to a trust, or other entity formed for estate planning purposes for the primary benefit of the spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling, child or grandchild of such Holder or any other person with whom such Holder has a relationship by blood, marriage or adoption not more remote than first cousin;
(d) Transfers by a Holder by will or intestate succession upon the death of such Holder;
(e) Transfer of Shares pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement;
(f) if a Holder is a corporation, partnership (whether general, limited or otherwise), limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (i) Transfers by such Holder to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control or management with such Holder, (ii) distributions of Shares to partners, limited liability company members or stockholders of such Holder;
(g) transfers upon dissolution of a Holder;
(h) Transfers by a Holder to its officers, directors or Affiliates;
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(i) pledges of Shares or other Registrable Securities as security or collateral in connection with any borrowing or the incurrence of any indebtedness by a Holder (provided such borrowing or incurrence of indebtedness is secured by a portfolio of assets or equity interests issued by multiple issuers);
(j) Transfers pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, stock sale, recapitalization, consolidation or other transaction involving a Change in Control, provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, recapitalization, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the Shares subject to this Agreement shall remain subject to this Agreement; and
(k) Transfers by AGSA or its Affiliates in one transaction or a series of related transactions under which Shares held by AGSA or its Permitted Transferees are exchanged with its securityholders for securities issued by AGSA, provided that AGSA shall use commercially reasonable efforts to consult with the Sponsor prior to taking such action or entering into any definitive agreement with respect to such action;
provided, that in the case of any Transfer or distribution pursuant to Section 5.2(b) through Section 5.2(h), each donee, distributee or other transferee shall agree in writing, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement in the same manner as the transferring Holder.
Article
VI
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 6.1 Notices. All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given when delivered (a) in person or (b) by e-mail or other means of electronic transmission (so long as confirmation of transmission is electronically or mechanically generated or sent and kept on file by the sending party, and no “bounceback” or notice of non-delivery is received), and the sender may, in its sole discretion, deliver a copy by mail (postage prepaid) or by an internationally-recognized courier service (postage prepaid). Notices shall be given to the respective Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 6.1).
(a) | If to the Company or AGSA: |
00, Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
X-0000 Xxxxxxxxxx | |||
Xxxxxxxxxx | |||
Attention: | Hermanus Troskie | ||
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Email: | xxxxxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx | ||
xxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx |
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Shearman & Sterling, LLP | |||
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000-0000 | |||
Attention: | Xxxxx X’Xxxxx | ||
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |||
Email: | xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx | ||
xxxxx.xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx |
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(b) | If to any Gores Holder, to such Holder’s address as set forth on the signature page hereto. |
Section 6.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries.
(a) This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part.
(b) Prior to the expiration of the Share Lock-up Period or the GHV Warrant Lock-up Period, as the case may be, no Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, except in connection with a transfer of Registrable Securities by such Holder to a Permitted Transferee (but subject to such Permitted Transferee, if required pursuant to Section 5.2, agreeing in writing, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement).
(c) This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and its successors and the permitted assigns of the applicable Holders, which shall include Permitted Transferees.
(d) This Agreement shall not confer any rights or benefits on any persons that are not parties hereto, other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and this Section 6.2.
(e) No assignment by any party hereto of such party’s rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (i) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 6.1 and (ii) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement). Any Transfer or assignment made other than as provided in this Section 6.2 shall be null and void.
Section 6.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which when executed and delivered shall thereby be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Any party hereto may execute and deliver signed counterparts of this Agreement to the other Parties by electronic mail or other electronic transmission in portable document format (.PDF) or any other electronic signature complying with the United States ESIGN Act of 2000 (including xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx), each of which shall be deemed an original.
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Section 6.4 Governing Law. This Agreement, and all claims or causes of action based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware (except to the extent mandatorily governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), without giving effect to principles or rules of conflict of laws to the extent such principles or rules would require or permit the application of laws of another jurisdiction.
Section 6.5 Jurisdiction. In any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated herein: (a) each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally consents and submits to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (unless the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over the matter, in which case the United States District Court for the District of Delaware); (b) each of the parties hereto irrevocably waives and agrees that it will not attempt to deny or defeat such jurisdiction by motion or other request for leave from such court; and (c) each of the parties hereto agrees that it will not bring any such action in any court other than the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (unless the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over the matter, in which case the United States District Court for the District of Delaware).
Section 6.6 WAIVER OF TRIAL BY JURY. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EACH PARTY HEREBY KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY AND INTENTIONALLY WAIVES (AND SHALL CAUSE ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES TO WAIVE) THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION BASED HEREON, ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE transactions contemplated herein OR ANY COURSE OF CONDUCT, COURSE OF DEALINGS, STATEMENTS (WHETHER VERBAL OR WRITTEN) OR ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY IN CONNECTION HEREWITH. EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (A) THIS WAIVER IS A MATERIAL INDUCEMENT FOR THE OTHER PARTIES TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT, AND (B) NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THAT FOREGOING WAIVER.
Section 6.7 Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any rule of law, or public policy, all other conditions and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated herein is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party hereto. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the parties hereto as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated herein be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.
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Section 6.8 Modification or Amendment Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority in interest of the Registrable Securities at the time in question, compliance with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects one Holder, solely in its capacity as a holder of Shares or other Registrable Securities, in a manner that is adverse and different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of the Holder so affected, (b) any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects the Gores Holders solely in their capacity as Gores Holders in a manner that is adverse and different from the other Holders, shall require the consent of a majority-in-interest of the then-outstanding number of Registrable Securities held by the Gores Holders. No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party.
Section 6.9 Other Registration Rights. Other than pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Agreements, the Company represents and warrants that no person, other than a Holder of Registrable Securities, has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other person. Further, the Company represents and warrants that this Agreement supersedes any other registration rights agreement or agreement with similar terms and conditions among the parties thereto and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
Section 6.10 Term. This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier of the date as of which (a) all of the Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to a Registration Statement (but in no event prior to the applicable period referred to in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act and Rule 174 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission)) or (b) as to any Holder individually, such Holder is permitted to sell all of such Holder’s Registrable Securities under Rule 144 (or any similar provision) under the Securities Act without limitation on the amount of securities sold or the manner of sale and the reporting requirements of Rule 144(i)(2) are not applicable or has otherwise sold all of the Registrable Securities held by such Holder. The provisions of Article IV shall survive any termination to the extent related to a Claim arising prior to the termination of this Agreement.
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Section 6.11 Interpretation. The parties hereto have participated jointly in negotiating and drafting this Agreement. If an ambiguity or a question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party hereto by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation.” Words in the singular form will be construed to include the plural and vice versa, unless the context requires otherwise. Reference to any law means such law as amended, modified, codified, replaced or re-enacted, in whole or in part, from time to time, including rules, regulations, enforcement procedures and any interpretations promulgated thereunder. Underscored references to Articles or Sections shall refer to those portions of this Agreement, and any underscored references to a clause shall, unless otherwise identified, refer to the appropriate clause within the same Section in which such reference occurs. The headings for this Agreement are for reference purposes only and do not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. The use of the terms “hereunder”, “hereof”, “hereto” and words of similar import shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or clause of this Agreement. The word “or” is not exclusive and is deemed to have the meaning “and/or” unless expressly indicated otherwise. Any reference to “days” means calendar days unless Business Days are expressly specified. When calculating the period of time before which, within which or following which any act is to be done or step taken pursuant to this Agreement, the date that is the reference date in calculating such period shall be excluded, and if the last day of such period is not a Business Day, the period shall end on the immediately following Business Day. References to “writing”, “written” and comparable terms refer to printing, typing and other means of reproducing words (including electronic media) in a visible form. References to a Person are also to its successors and permitted assigns
[The Remainder of This Page Is Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
COMPANY: | ||
ARDAGH METAL PACKAGING S.A. | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxx | |
Name: Xxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: Director |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
GORES HOLDERS: | |||
GORES SPONSOR V LLC | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxx | ||
By: | AEG Holdings, LLC | ||
Its: | Managing Member | ||
Name: | Xxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
Address: | 0000 Xxxxxxx Xx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000 | ||
Email: | xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx | ||
Founder Shares Owned: 8,448,750 GHV Warrants Owned: 6,250,000 | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxx | ||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxx | ||
Address: | 000 00xx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000 | ||
Email: | xxxxx_xxxx@xxxxx.xxx | ||
Founder Shares Owned: 25,000 GHV Warrants Owned: 0 | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx | ||
Address: | 00 Xxxxxxxxxx Xx Xxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, XX 00000-0000 | ||
Email: | xxxxxxxxxx00@xxxxxx.xxx | ||
Founder Shares Owned: 25,000 GHV Warrants Owned: 0 | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxx | ||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxx | ||
Address: | XX Xxx 0000 Xxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000 | ||
Email: | xxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx | ||
Founder Shares Owned: 25,000 GHV Warrants Owned: 0 |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement]
GORES PIPE, LLC | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxx | ||
By: | AEG Holdings, LLC | ||
Its: | Managing Member | ||
Name: | Xxxx Xxxxx | ||
Title: | Chairman | ||
Address: | 0000 Xxxxxxx Xx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000 | ||
Email: | xxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx | ||
Founder Shares Owned: 1,320,000 GHV Warrants Owned: 0 |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.
ARDAGH GROUP S.A. | |||
By: | /s/ Hermanus Troskie | ||
Name: | Hermanus Troskie | ||
Title: | Director |
[Signature Page to Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement]