ASCENDIS PHARMA A/S American Depositary Shares Each Representing One Ordinary Share ATM EQUITY OFFERINGSM SALES AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
Execution Version
American Depositary Shares Each Representing
One Ordinary Share
ATM EQUITY OFFERINGSM SALES AGREEMENT
May 23, 2017
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx
Incorporated
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC
c/o | Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx |
Incorporated |
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
c/o | X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC |
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Ascendis Pharma A/S, a company organized under the laws of the Kingdom of Denmark (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell from time to time through Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated (“Xxxxxxx Xxxxx”) or X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC (“X.X. Xxxxxx”), as sales agents (each, an “Agent” and collectively, the “Agents”), shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s American Depositary Shares of the Company (the “ADSs”), each ADS representing one ordinary share of the Company, DKK 1 nominal value per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), having an aggregate gross sales price of not to exceed $100,000,000, on the terms set forth in this ATM Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement (the “Agreement”).
The Shares will, following sale by the Agents, be deposited pursuant to the deposit agreement dated January 27, 2015 (the “Deposit Agreement”) by and among the Company, The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary (the “Depositary”), and holders and beneficial holders from time to time of the American Depositary Receipts (the “ADRs”) issued by the Depositary and evidencing the ADSs. Each ADS will initially represent the right to receive one Ordinary Share deposited pursuant to the Deposit Agreement.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on Form F-3 (File No. 333-216882), covering the public offering and sale of certain securities of the Company, including the Shares, under the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which shelf registration statement has been declared effective by the Commission. The “Registration Statement”, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto at such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”); provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Shares, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of the Registration Statement with respect to the Shares within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B(f)(2)”), including the exhibits and schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. The base prospectus filed as part of such shelf registration statement, as amended in the form in which it has been filed most recently with the Commission in accordance with Section 3(b) or 3(c)
hereof, including the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act, is referred to herein as the “Base Prospectus”. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus supplement relating to the Shares in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). Such final prospectus supplement, as amended by the prospectus supplement filed most recently with the Commission in accordance with Section 3(b), 3(c) or 3(p) hereof, as the case may be, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act, is referred to herein as the “Prospectus Supplement”. The Base Prospectus, as amended by the Prospectus Supplement and any applicable pricing supplement thereto, in the form of the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and any such pricing supplement are first furnished to the Agents for use in connection with the offering and sale of Shares, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system) (“XXXXX”).
As used in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means, with respect to any offer and sale of Shares, the time immediately prior to the first contract of sale for such Shares, or such other time as agreed by the Company and the applicable Agent.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including, without limitation, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) relating to the Shares that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering thereof that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus approved by the Agents or, in the case of a specific offer and sale of Shares, the applicable Agent pursuant to Section 3(l) hereof that is furnished to the Agents or such Agents, as the case may be, for general distribution to investors, as evidenced by communications between the Company and the Agents or such Agents, as the case may be.
“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “made,” “stated” or “referred to” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the Applicable Time relating to the particular Shares; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”) incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the Applicable Time relating to the particular Shares.
Section 1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to the Agents at the date of this Agreement, each Registration Statement Amendment Date (as defined in Section 3(q) hereof), each Company Periodic Report Date (as defined in Section 3(p) hereof), each Company Earnings Report Date (as defined in Section 3(q) hereof), but only with respect to those Company Earnings Report Dates on which the Company has delivered instructions to the Agents to sell ADSs pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, each Request Date (as defined in
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Section 3(q) hereof), each Applicable Time and each Settlement Date (as defined in Section 2(h) hereof) , unless a representation or warranty is limited to a specific date or dates, in which case such representation or warranty will be deemed to speak solely of such date or dates (each, a “Representation Date”), and agrees with the Agents, as follows:
(i) Compliance of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Incorporated Documents. The conditions for use of Form F-3, set forth in the General Instructions thereto, have been satisfied. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and as of each deemed effective date with respect to the Agents pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each of any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and is identical to the electronically transmitted copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, when they were declared effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.
(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time or at any Settlement Date, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At each Applicable Time, no individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at any Settlement Date, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such documents incorporated by reference were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not, do not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section, the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Agents furnished to the Company in writing by the Agents, expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.
(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, including any document incorporated by reference therein, that has not been superseded or modified.
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(iv) Form F-6. A registration statement on Form F-6 (No. 333-201695), and any amendments thereto, in respect of the Shares has been filed with the Commission; such registration statement in the form heretofore delivered to the Agents has become effective under the 1933 Act; no other document with respect to such registration statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and, to the Company’s knowledge, no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, being hereinafter called the “ADS Registration Statement”); and the ADS Registration Statement when it became effective conformed, and any further amendments thereto will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act, and did not, as of the applicable effective date, 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.
(v) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, (B) at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Shares, (C) at the date of this Agreement and (D) at each Applicable Time, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
(vi) Emerging Growth Company Status. From the time of the initial filing of the Registration Statement to the Commission through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the 1933 Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
(vii) Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(viii) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, as applicable, and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except in the case of unaudited, interim financial statements, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the exclusion of certain footnotes as permitted by the applicable rules of the Commission. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with IFRS the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. Any pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. Except as included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.
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(ix) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its share capital.
(x) Corporate Existence of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the Kingdom of Denmark and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under, this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required (or such equivalent concept to the extent it exists under the laws of such jurisdiction) by reason of the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xi) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization (or such equivalent concept to the extent it exists under the laws of such jurisdiction), has the corporate or similar power and authority to own or lease its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required (or such equivalent concept to the extent it exists under the laws of such jurisdiction), whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of their properties or the conduct of their business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding share capital of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (A) the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement and (B) certain other subsidiaries which, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, do not constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s share capital or similar ownership interest, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(xii) Capitalization. The registered share capital of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit or equity incentive plans referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus). The registered share capital of the Company has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable. “Non-assessable” for purposes of this Agreement shall mean that the Company, in respect of a share, cannot require additional payment for such share from a shareholder. None of the registered share capital of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Company’s ADSs have been registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the 1934 Act and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the ADSs under the 1934 Act, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration.
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The Shares, when issued to the account designated by the Agents and delivered against payment therefor, may be freely deposited by the Agents with the Depositary against issuance of ADRs evidencing ADSs; the ADSs, when issued and delivered against payment therefor, will be freely transferable by the Company to or for the account of the Agents and (to the extent described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus) the initial purchasers thereof; and there are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of the Shares or the ADSs under the laws of Denmark or the United States except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Share Capital” and “Description of American Depositary Shares.”
(xiii) Authorization of this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(xiv) Authorization of the Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement was duly authorized and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles; upon issuance by the Depositary of ADRs evidencing ADSs and the deposit of Shares in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, such ADSs will be duly and validly issued and the persons in whose names the ADRs are registered will be entitled to the rights specified therein and in the Deposit Agreement; and the Deposit Agreement and the ADRs and ADSs conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(xv) Authorization and Description of Shares. The Shares to be sold by the Agents on behalf of the Company will be issued by the Company through valid authorization to the Company’s Board of Directors in the Company’s Articles of Association and will accordingly be duly authorized for delivery, issuance and sale on behalf of the Agents pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Shares conform, in all material respects, to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and such description conforms, in all material respects, to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.
(xvi) Registration Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement, other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and have been waived.
(xvii) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its Articles of Association or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or that would not reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or that would not reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including the
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issuance and sale of Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale thereof as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or that would not reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder), nor will such action result in any violation of (i) the provisions of the Articles of Association or similar organizational document of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity; in each case, except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or that would not reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(xviii) Listing of the ADSs. The ADSs have been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”), and the Company is not aware of any notice of delisting.
(xix) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, collaborators or contractors, which, in either case, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xx) Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect their respective properties or assets or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any such subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxi) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.
(xxii) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the deposit of the Shares being deposited with the Depositary against the issuance of ADRs evidencing ADSs to be delivered, performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and under the Deposit Agreement, in connection with the offering, issuance, sale or delivery of Shares hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of Nasdaq, state securities laws or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
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(xxiii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company’s executive officers have not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxiv) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good title to all properties owned by them (excluding for the purposes of this Section 1(xxiv), Intellectual Property (as defined below)), in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or (B) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease, except to the extent that any claim or adverse effect on the Company’s rights thereto would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxv) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and each of its subsidiaries own or possess, have licenses to, or can acquire licenses on reasonable terms to, adequate patents, patent rights, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names and other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them and, to the knowledge of the Company, as currently proposed to be conducted as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of (i) any infringement of or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property rights of others arising by the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ businesses as now operated by them or (ii) any facts or circumstances which would render invalid any issued patents within the Intellectual Property disclosed in the most recent preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus as owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company or any of its subsidiaries (the “Company Intellectual Property”), and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or finding of invalidity, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge: (i) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there are no third parties who have any ownership or license rights to any Company Intellectual Property, except for customary reversionary rights of third-party licensors with respect to the Intellectual Property that is disclosed in the most recent preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus as exclusively licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries; and (ii) there is no infringement by third parties of any Company Intellectual Property. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others: (A) challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Company Intellectual Property; (B) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Company Intellectual Property; or (C) asserting that the Company or any of its subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates, or would, upon the commercialization of any product or service described in the most recent Prospectus as under development, infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate, any Intellectual Property rights of others. The Company and its subsidiaries have complied in all material respects with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries, and, to the Company’s knowledge, all such agreements are in full force and effect. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no material defects in any of the patents or patent applications included in the Company Intellectual Property.
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(xxvi) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required for their operations under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigations or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no events or circumstances existing as of the date hereof that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
(xxvii) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rules 13-a15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls that are designed to be sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, as applicable to the Company, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.
(xxviii) Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any applicable provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(xxix) Payment of Taxes. All United States federal income tax returns of the Company and its subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been
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or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, all United States federal, state and local, and foreign income tax returns of the Company through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 have been settled to the Company’s knowledge and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, and has paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company and except where the failure to pay such taxes would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxx) Insurance. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither of the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
(xxxi) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated herein and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).
(xxxii) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to activities by the Agents, any action which is designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any Shares or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.
(xxxiii) No Unlawful Payments. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
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(xxxiv) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(xxxv) OFAC. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Crimea (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Shares, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other Person (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any Person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(xxxvi) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or any Agent for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(xxxvii) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(xxxviii) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(xxxix) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the 0000 Xxx) included or incorporated by reference in any of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(xl) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.
(xli) No Transaction or Other Taxes. No transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transaction, transfer or withholding taxes or duties are payable in the Kingdom of Denmark by or on behalf of the Agents to any Danish taxing authority in connection with (A) the deposit with the Depositary of the Shares by the Agents against the issuance of ADRs evidencing the ADSs, (B) the
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issuance and allotment of the Shares by the Company to or for the account of the Agents, (C) the acquisition from the Company and the sale by the Agents of the Shares to purchasers thereof, or (D) the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement.
(xlii) Validity of Choice of Law. The choice of the law of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Kingdom of Denmark and, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, will be honored by courts in the Kingdom of Denmark. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 16 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each United States federal court and New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan, in Xxx Xxxx xx Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, and the Company has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and authorized an agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Shares in any New York federal or state court.
(xliii) Passive Foreign Investment Company. Subject to the qualifications, limitations, exceptions and assumptions set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company does not believe that it was a passive foreign investment company, as defined in section 1297 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for its taxable year ended December 31, 2016.
(xliv) Dividends. The descriptions of dividends and taxation of dividends in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are correct.
(xlv) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with the Agents or any bank, lending or other affiliate of an Agent and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares to repay any outstanding debt owed to an Agent or any affiliate of an Agent.
(xlvi) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(xlvii) Regulatory Matters. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or may reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice of adverse filing, warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other relevant regulatory authorities, or any other court or arbitrator or federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authority, alleging or asserting material noncompliance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.) (the “FFDCA”), or similar state, federal or foreign law or regulation; (ii) the Company and any subsidiary, and to the Company’s knowledge, their respective directors, officers, employees or agents, are and since May 1, 2014 have been in compliance in all material respects with applicable health care laws, including without limitation, the FFDCA and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)), the Civil Monetary Penalties Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), the U.S. Civil False Claims Act (31 X.X.X. §0000 et seq.), 18 U.S.C. §§286 and 287, and the health care fraud criminal provisions under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.), the exclusion laws (42 U.S.C. §1320a-7), HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (42 U.S.C. §17921 et seq.), the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. Section 801 et seq.), each as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder; and all other comparable local, state, federal, national, supranational and foreign laws, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, (collectively, “Health Care Laws”); (iii) neither the Company nor any subsidiary received written notice of any ongoing claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any U.S. or non-U.S. federal, national, state, local or other governmental or regulatory authority, governmental or regulatory agency or body, court, arbitrator or self-regulatory organization (each, a “Governmental Authority”) or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any Health Care Laws or has any knowledge that any such Governmental Authority or third party is
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considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (iv) neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received written notice that any Governmental Authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any applicable Permit or has any knowledge that any such Governmental Authority is considering such action; (v) the Company and each subsidiary has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Health Care Laws and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete, correct and not misleading on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); (vi) neither the Company nor any subsidiary has, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted, or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any recall, market withdrawal or replacement, safety alert, post-sale warning, “dear doctor” letter, or other notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any product or any alleged product defect or violation and, to the Company’s knowledge, no third party has initiated or conducted any such notice or action; and (vii) neither the Company nor any subsidiary or any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents is or has been debarred, suspended or excluded, or has been convicted of any crime or engaged in any conduct that would result in a debarment, suspension or exclusion from any federal or state government health care program.
(xlviii) Clinical Matters. The preclinical studies and clinical trials conducted by or, to the knowledge of the Company, on behalf of the Company, since September 1, 2009 have been and, if still pending, are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures and controls pursuant to all Health Care Laws and applicable Governmental Licenses; the descriptions of the results of such preclinical studies and clinical trials contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly present the data derived from such preclinical studies and clinical trials; except to the extent disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any preclinical studies or clinical trials, the results of which the Company believes reasonably call into question the preclinical study and clinical trial results described or referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus when viewed in the context in which such results are described; and neither the Company nor any of the subsidiaries has received any written notices or correspondence from any Governmental Authority requiring the termination, suspension or material modification of any preclinical study or clinical trial conducted by or on behalf of the Company.
(xlix) No Commissions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries are a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than as contemplated by this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Agents for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of any Shares.
(l) Actively-Traded Security. As of each date on which a Sales Notice is given and each date during the period in which sales of Shares are requested to be made under a Sales Notice, the ADSs are or will be “actively-traded securities” exempted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the 1934 Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.
Any certificate signed by any officer or other authorized signatory of the Company addressed and delivered to the Agents or to counsel for the Agents shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agents as to the matters covered thereby.
Section 2. Sale and Delivery of Shares.
(a) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to issue and sell Shares through the applicable Agent acting as sales agent from time to time. Sales of the Shares, if any, through an Agent acting as sales agent will be made by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions on Nasdaq or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.
(b) The Shares are to be issued and sold to an Agent on an agented basis on any day (other than a day on which Nasdaq is scheduled to close prior to its regular weekday closing time and/or on a Danish public holiday on which Danish banks and/or government offices are scheduled to close prior to their regular weekday closing
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time) (each, a “Trading Day”) on which (i) the Company has instructed such Agent to make such sales and (ii) the Company has satisfied its covenants and conditions specified in Sections 4 and 5 hereof. On any Trading Day, the Company may issue and sell Shares through only one Agent, unless otherwise agreed to among the Company and the Agents, and, if it determines to do so, shall instruct the applicable Agent by telephone (confirmed promptly by telecopy or email, which confirmation will be promptly acknowledged by such Agent) (a “Sales Notice”) as to the maximum number of Shares (or the maximum aggregate gross sale price) to be sold on such Trading Day and the minimum price per Share at which such Shares may be sold. Subject to the terms and conditions specified herein (including, without limitation, the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations, contained herein and the satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 5 hereof), such Agent shall use its commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations, to sell all of the Shares so designated by the Company as sales agent in accordance with such instruction. On any Trading Day, the Company shall give at least one business day’s prior written notice by telecopy or email to the Agents as to any change of the Agent through whom sales of Shares as sales agent will be made. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing limitation shall not apply to sales solely to employees or security holders of the Company or its subsidiaries or to a trustee or other person acquiring Shares for the accounts of such persons in which either Xxxxxxx Xxxxx or X.X. Xxxxxx is acting for the Company in a capacity other than as an Agent under this Agreement. The Company and the Agents each acknowledge and agree that (A) there can be no assurance that any Agent will be successful in selling any Shares and (B) the Agents will not incur any liability or obligation to the Company if they fail to sell Shares for any reason other than a failure to use their respective commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations, to sell such Shares as required by this Agreement. The Company shall not instruct the Agents to sell any Shares on a Trading Day, which would require settlement on any day which is a Danish public holiday on which Danish banks and/or government offices are scheduled to close prior to their regular weekday closing time.
(c) The Company or the Agent through whom the sale of Shares are to be made as sales agent on any Trading Day may, upon notice to the other party hereto by telephone (confirmed promptly by telecopy or email, which confirmation will be promptly acknowledged by the receiving party), suspend the offering of Shares with respect to which such Agent is acting as sales agent for any reason and at any time; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold, or with respect to Shares that the Company has agreed to sell, hereunder prior to the giving of such notice.
(d) The gross sales price of any Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement by the applicable Agent acting as sales agent of the Company shall be equal to, in the discretion of such Agent but subject to the specific instructions of the Company, the market price prevailing at the time of sale for the Shares sold by such Agent on Nasdaq or otherwise, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. The compensation payable to an Agent for sales of Shares with respect to which such Agent acts as sales agent shall be equal to 3.0% of the gross sales price for such Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement. The remaining proceeds, after further deduction for any transaction fees, transfer taxes or similar taxes or fees imposed by any Governmental Entity or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales, shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such sales (the “Net Proceeds”). The applicable Agent shall notify the Company as promptly as practicable if any deduction referenced in the preceding sentence will be made.
(e) If acting as sales agent hereunder, the applicable Agent shall provide written confirmation delivered via email to the Company no later than 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the first Trading Day following the close of trading on Nasdaq on each Trading Day on which Shares are sold under this Agreement setting forth the number of Shares sold on such day, the aggregate gross sales proceeds of the Shares, the aggregate Net Proceeds to the Company and the aggregate compensation payable by the Company to such Agent with respect to such sales.
(f) Under no circumstances shall the aggregate gross sales price or number, as the case may be, of Shares offered or sold pursuant to this Agreement, or which are the subject of instructions to an Agent as sales agent pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, exceed the aggregate gross sales price or number, as the case may be, of Shares (i) referred to in the preamble paragraph of this Agreement, as reduced by prior sales of Shares under this Agreement, (ii) available for sale under the Registration Statement or (iii) duly authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Company, and, in the case referred to in clause (iii), notified to the Agents in writing. In addition, under no circumstances shall any Shares with respect to which the Agent acts as sales agent be
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offered or sold, or be the subject of instructions to an Agent as sales agent pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, at a price lower than the minimum price therefor duly authorized from time to time by the Company and notified to the Agents in writing. The Agents shall have no responsibility for maintaining records with respect to Shares available for sale under the Registration Statement or for determining the aggregate gross sales price, number or minimum price of Shares duly authorized by the Company.
(g) The Company shall notify the Agents if it becomes aware that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the 1934 Act are not satisfied with respect to the ADSs.
(h) Settlement for sales of Shares will occur on the third business day that is also a Trading Day following the trade date on which such sales are made, unless another date shall be agreed to in writing by the Company and the applicable Agents or as required by applicable law (each such day, a “Settlement Date”); provided, the applicable Agent has provided the notice in the form and substance required by Section 2(e) hereof. On each Settlement Date for the sale of Shares through an Agent as sales agent, such Shares shall be delivered by the Company to such Agent in book entry form to such Agent’s account at The Depository Trust Company against payment by such Agent of the Net Proceeds from the sale of such Shares in same day funds delivered to an account designated by the Company. Payment must be received by the Company no later than 10:00 a.m. CET on the Settlement Date. Once the Company has confirmed the receipt of the Net Proceeds, the Company shall (i) issue the Ordinary Shares underlying the ADSs, (ii) instruct the Company’s share registrar to transfer those Ordinary Shares to the Depositary and instruct the Depositary to deliver ADSs through the Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System of The Depository Trust Company or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto, which ADSs in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered ADSs in good deliverable form, and (iii) pay the issuance fee in respect of those ADSs to the Depositary. The Company agrees that if the Company, or the Depository, if applicable, shall default on its obligation to deliver Shares through an Agent as sales agent on any Settlement Date, the Company shall (i) indemnify and hold such Agent harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company and (ii) pay such Agent any commission to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default.
(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall not offer or sell, or instruct an Agent to offer or sell, any Shares through an Agent as sales agent (and, by notice to the Agents given by telephone (confirmed promptly by telecopy or email), shall cancel any instructions for any such offer or sale of any Shares prior to the commencement of the periods referenced below), and the Agents shall not be obligated to make any such offer or sale of Shares, (i) during any period in which the Company is, or could be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information or (ii) except as provided in Section 2(j) hereof, at any time during the period commencing on the 10th business day prior to the time the Company issues a press release containing, or shall otherwise publicly announce, its earnings, revenues or other operating results for a fiscal period or periods (each, an “Earnings Announcement”) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the time that the Company files a report on Form 6-K or an Annual Report on Form 20-F (a “Filing Time”) that includes consolidated financial statements as of and for the same fiscal period or periods, as the case may be, covered by such Earnings Announcement.
(j) Notwithstanding clause (ii) of Section 2(i) hereof, if the Company wishes to offer or sell Shares to an Agent as sales agent at any time during the period from and including an Earnings Announcement through and including the corresponding Filing Time, unless waived by an applicable Agent, the Company shall first (i) prepare and deliver to such Agent (with a copy to counsel for the Agents) a report on Form 6-K that includes substantially the same financial and related information (together with management’s discussion and analysis thereof) that was included in such Earnings Announcement (other than any earnings projections and similar forward-looking data and officers’ quotations) (each, an “Earnings 6-K”), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Agent, (ii) provide such Agent with the officers’ certificate, opinions and letters of counsel and accountants’ letter specified in Section 3(q), (r) and (s), respectively, hereof, (iii) afford such Agent the opportunity to conduct a due diligence review in accordance with Section 3(v) hereof prior to filing such Earnings 6-K and (iv) file such Earnings 6-K with the Commission. For purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that (A) the delivery of any officers’ certificate, opinion or letter of counsel or accountants’ letter pursuant to this Section 2(j) shall not relieve the Company from any of its obligations under this Agreement with respect to any Earnings 6-K or Annual Report on Form 20-F, as the case may be, including, without limitation, the obligation to deliver officers’ certificates, opinions and letters of counsel and accountants’ letters as provided in Section 3(q), (r) and (s), respectively, hereof, and (B) this Section 2(j) shall in no way affect or limit the operation of clause (i) of Section 2(i) hereof, which shall have independent application.
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(k) The Agents shall not have any obligation to purchase Shares as principal, whether from the Company or otherwise.
Section 3. Covenants. The Company agrees with the Agents that, during the term of this Agreement:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b) and 3(c) hereof, will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will notify the Agents promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when, excluding XXXXX filings, any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement relating to the Shares shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed (other than an amendment or supplement providing solely for the determination of the terms of an offering of securities unless related to an offering of Shares, as to which the Company will only be obligated to notify the applicable Agents), (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission that relate to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, or for additional information that relate to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of the issuance of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or of the suspension of the qualification of any Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with any offering of Shares. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention order or suspension order and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof promptly. In the event of any issuance of a notice of objection, by the Commission, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to permit offers and sales of Shares through the Agents, including, without limitation, amending the Registration Statement or filing a new shelf registration statement relating thereto. The Company has paid or shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares prior to the time the initial Prospectus Supplement is filed with the Commission or the time any subsequent Prospectus Supplement that increases gross offering price or number of Shares that may offered and sold under this Agreement from that referenced in the immediately preceding Prospectus Supplement filed with the Commission.
(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of sales of Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. If any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the reasonable judgment of the Company or counsel to the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus, as the case may be, including, without limitation, the filing of any document incorporated by reference therein, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Agents written notice of such event or condition, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Agents with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement and use its commercially reasonable efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement declared effective by the Commission as promptly as practicable; provided, however, that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Agents or counsel for the Agents shall reasonably object.
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(c) Filing or Use of Amendments and Supplements. The Company will give the Agents written notice of its intention to file or use (i) any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus (other than an amendment or supplement thereto relating solely to the offering of securities unless related to an offering of Shares), whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, or (ii) any new Prospectus Supplement that includes information in addition to the information referred to in Section 3(p) hereof, will furnish the Agents with copies of any such document a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Agents or counsel for the Agents shall reasonably object.
(d) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Agents and counsel for the Agents, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts. The signed copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Agents and counsel for the Agents will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Agents, without charge, upon execution of this Agreement and thereafter during the period in which a prospectus is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with any offer or sale of Shares, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as the Agents may reasonably request. The Company will also furnish, upon reasonable request of the Agents copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) to each exchange or market on which sales of Shares were made as may be required by the rules and regulations of such exchange or market. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished in accordance with this Section will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(f) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period in which a prospectus is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with any offer or sale of Shares, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods prescribed by, and meeting the requirements of, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of the net proceeds from the sale of any Shares if required under the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, including, if applicable, Rule 463 of the 1933 Act Regulations.
(g) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Agents, to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and non-U.S. jurisdictions as the Agents may, from time to time, designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the sale of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.
(h) Earnings Statement. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Agents the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”
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(j) Listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Shares on, and satisfy the requirements of, Nasdaq.
(k) Notice of Certain Actions. At any time that sales of the Shares have been made but not settled or at any time the Company has outstanding with an Agent any instructions to sell ADSs but such instructions have not been fulfilled or cancelled, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Agents, unless it gives the Agents at least two business days’ prior written notice, (i) directly or indirectly offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any ADSs or Ordinary Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ADSs or Ordinary Shares or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing (other than any registration on Form S-8 or on Form S-4 in connection with acquisitions of real property or real property companies) or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the ADSs or Ordinary Shares, whether any such swap, agreement or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of ADSs or Ordinary Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) any ADSs or Ordinary Shares issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion or exchange of a security outstanding on the first Trading Day prior to the delivery by the Company to the applicable Agent of such instructions to sell Shares hereunder the date hereof and referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (C) any ADSs or Ordinary Shares issued, or restricted stock units, shares of restricted stock, phantom shares, dividend equivalent rights or other equity-based awards, including options or warrants to purchase ADSs (or to subscribe for Ordinary Shares) or any other securities convertible into or exchangeable for ADSs or Ordinary Shares granted pursuant to existing or future employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (D) any rights to purchase ADSs or Ordinary Shares or any ADSs or Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to any non-employee director equity plan or dividend reinvestment plan referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (E) any ADSs or Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs issued in full or partial consideration in connection with future acquisitions or strategic investments or (F) ADSs, Ordinary Shares, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ADSs or Ordinary Shares issued in connection with a transaction with an third party that includes a bona fide commercial relationship with the Company (including any joint venture, marketing or distribution arrangement, strategic alliance, collaboration agreement or corporate partnering or intellectual property license agreement with the Company). Upon receipt of any written notice contemplated above, an Agent may suspend its activity under this Agreement for such period of time as deemed appropriate by such Agent.
(l) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the applicable Agent, it will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided, however, that such consent will be deemed to have been given in respect of any electronic road show. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to by the applicable Agent as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the applicable Agent and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(m) Emerging Growth Company Status; Foreign Private Issuer. The Company will promptly notify the Agents if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company or a Foreign Private Issuer at any time prior to the completion of the sale of the Shares.
(n) Deposit of Shares. The Company agrees to facilitate the Agents to deposit the Shares with the Depositary in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and otherwise to comply with the Deposit Agreement so that ADRs evidencing ADSs will be issued by the Depositary against receipt of such Shares and delivered to the Agents on a Settlement Date.
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(o) No Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company agrees that neither it nor any affiliate of the Company will take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any Shares or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.
(p) Update of Activity under this Agreement. To the extent required by applicable law and/or interpretations made publicly available by the Commission, the Company shall disclose (i) in each Annual Report on Form 20-F or report on Form 6-K filed by the Company in respect of any fiscal quarterly period (which, in the case of an Annual Report on Form 20-F, would mean the last quarterly period of the fiscal year) in which sales of Shares were made through an Agent under this Agreement (each date on which any such document or amendment thereto is filed, a “Company Periodic Report Date”), or (ii) in Prospectus Supplements for each such fiscal quarterly period, the number of Shares sold through the Agents under this Agreement during such fiscal quarterly period (if any) and the Net Proceeds received by the Company and the aggregate compensation paid by the Company to the Agents with respect to such sales (if any).
(q) Delivery of Future Officers’ Certificates. Upon commencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement, (A) promptly after each (i) date on which the Registration Statement shall be amended or a new registration statement relating to the Shares shall become effective or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than (1) by an amendment or supplement providing solely for the determination of the terms of securities, including the Shares, (2) in connection with the filing of a Prospectus Supplement that contains solely the information referred to in Section 3(p) hereof, or (3) in connection with the filing of any report on Form 6-K (other than an Earnings 6-K and any other report on Form 6-K which contains financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data, including any report on Form 6-K that is considered “filed” under the 0000 Xxx) (each such date, a “Registration Statement Amendment Date”), (ii) date on which an Earnings 6-K shall be filed with the Commission as contemplated by Section 2(j) hereof (a “Company Earnings Report Date”) and (iii) Company Periodic Report Date, and (C) promptly after each reasonable request by the Agents (each date of any such request by the Agents, a “Request Date”), the Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agents an officers’ certificate, dated such Settlement Date, such Registration Statement Amendment Date, such Company Earnings Report Date, such Company Periodic Report Date or such Request Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents to the effect that the statements contained in the officers’ certificate referred to in Section 5(h) hereof that was last furnished to the Agents are true and correct as of the date of such certificate as though made at and as of the date of such certificate (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented at the date of such certificate) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in Section 5(h) hereof that, but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented at the date of such certificate. As used in this Section 3(q), to the extent there shall be a sale of Shares on or following any Registration Statement Amendment Date, Company Earnings Report Date, Company Periodic Report Date or Request Date, “promptly” shall be deemed to be at or prior to the Applicable Time for such sale. The requirement to furnish or cause to be furnished a certificate under this Section 3(q) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Sales Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Sales Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent a certificate under this Section 3(q), then before the Company delivers the Sales Notice or the Agent sells any Shares, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent a certificate under this Section 3(q), dated the date of the Sales Notice.
(r) Delivery of Future Opinions and Letters of Counsel. Upon commencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement, promptly after each Registration Statement Amendment Date, Company Earnings Report Date, Company Periodic Report Date or Request Date, the Company will furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agents the written opinions and letters of each of counsel to the Company (who shall be reasonably acceptable to the Agents) and counsel to the Agents, dated such Settlement Date, such Registration Statement Amendment Date, such Company Earnings Report Date, such Company Periodic Report Date or such Request Date, as the case
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may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents of the same tenor as the respective opinions and letters referred to in Section 5(b), 5(c), 5(d), 5(e), 5(i) and 5(k), as applicable, hereof but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the date of such opinion and letter or, in lieu of any such opinion and letter, counsel last furnishing such opinion and letter to the Agents shall furnish the Agents with a letter substantially to the effect that the Agents may rely on such counsel’s last opinion and letter to the same extent as though each were dated the date of such letter authorizing reliance (except that statements in such last opinion and letter shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter authorizing reliance). As used in this Section 3(r), to the extent there shall be a sale of Shares on or following any Registration Statement Amendment Date, Company Earnings Report Date, Company Periodic Report Date or Request Date, “promptly” shall be deemed to be at or prior to the Applicable Time for such sale. The requirement to furnish or cause to be furnished any written opinions and letters of counsel under this Section 3(r) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Sales Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Sales Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent written opinions and letters of counsel under this Section 3(o), then before the Company delivers the Sales Notice or the Agent sells any Shares, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Agent written opinions and letters of counsel under this Section 3(o), dated the date of the Sales Notice.
(s) Delivery of Future Accountants’ Letters. Upon commencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement, promptly after each Registration Statement Amendment Date, Company Earnings Report Date, Company Periodic Report Date or Request Date, the Company will cause its independent accountants to furnish to the Agents a letter, dated such Settlement Date, such Registration Statement Amendment Date, such Company Earnings Report Date, such Company Periodic Report Date or such Request Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents of the same tenor as the letter referred to in Section 5(f) hereof but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter. As used in this paragraph, to the extent there shall be a sale of Shares on or following any Registration Statement Amendment Date, Company Earnings Report Date, Company Periodic Report Date or Request Date, “promptly” shall be deemed to be at or prior to the Applicable Time for such sale. The requirement to cause the independent accountant to furnish a letter to the Agent under this Section 3(s) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Sales Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Sales Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not cause the independent accountant to furnish the Agent with a letter from the independent accountant under this Section 3(p), then before the Company delivers the Sales Notice or the Agent sells any Shares, the Company shall cause the independent accountant to furnish the Agent with written a letter from the independent accountant under this Section 3(p), dated the date of the Sales Notice.
(t) Trading in the ADSs. Subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations, the Company consents to the Agents trading in the Company’s ADSs for their own account and for the account of their clients at the same time as sales of Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement.
(u) Non-Consummation Offer. If, to the knowledge of the Company, any filing required by Rule 424 in connection with an offering of Shares shall not have been made or the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall not be true and correct on the applicable Settlement Date, the Company will offer to any person who has agreed to purchase Shares through an Agent the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.
(v) Due Diligence Review. The Company will cooperate upon reasonable notice with any due diligence review reasonably requested by the Agents or counsel for the Agents, fully and in a timely manner, in connection with offers and sales of Shares from time to time, including, without limitation, and upon reasonable notice, providing information and making available documents and appropriate corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices.
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(w) Renewal Deadline. If, immediately prior to the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement (the “Renewal Deadline”), this Agreement is still in effect, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, (i) promptly notify the Agents, (ii) promptly file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Shares, in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, (iii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such new shelf registration statement to be declared effective within 60 days after the Renewal Deadline and (iv) promptly notify the Agents of such effectiveness. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to take all other actions necessary or appropriate to permit the offering and sale of the Shares to continue as contemplated in the expired Registration Statement. References herein to the “Registration Statement” shall include such new shelf registration statement.
Section 4. Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Agents of copies of any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto as reasonably requested by the Agents, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Shares (if any), including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to the Agents, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto not in excess of $5,000, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Shares, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Agents in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of sales of Shares not in excess of $20,000, (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Shares on Nasdaq, and (x) the reasonable fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel for the Agents in connection with this Agreement and the Registration Statement and ongoing services in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
Section 5. Conditions of Agents’ Obligations. The obligations of the Agents hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof at each Representation Date, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement and Filing of Prospectus. The Company shall have filed the Registration Statement with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof and the Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission. The Company shall have filed with the Commission the Prospectus on or prior to the date of this Agreement and any subsequent Base Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement prior to any Applicable Time and related Settlement Date, as applicable, in each case in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b), and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 433. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company shall have complied with any and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission to the reasonable satisfaction of the Agents. The Company has paid or shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares as specified in Section 3(a) hereof.
(b) Opinion of Counsel for the Agents. On the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received the favorable written opinion or opinions of Xxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Agents, dated such date, with respect to such matters as the Agents may reasonably request. In giving such opinion or opinions, such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the laws of the State of New York and the federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Agents. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other representatives of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
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(c) Opinion of Local Counsel for the Agents. On the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received the favorable written opinion or opinions of Kromann Reumert, local counsel for the Agents, dated such date, with respect to such matters as the Agents may reasonably request. In giving such opinion or opinions, such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the laws of the Kingdom of Denmark, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Agents. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other representatives of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(d) Opinion of Counsel to the Company. On the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received the opinion or opinions of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel to the Company, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Agents.
(e) Opinion of Local Counsel to the Company. On the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received the opinion or opinions of Xxxxxxx-Xxxxxxxx Korsø Xxxxxx, local counsel to the Company, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Agents.
(f) Accountants’ Letter. On the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received letters from Deloitte Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab, dated such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and other financial information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.
(g) Officer’s Certificate on Size of ATM Program. On the date of this Agreement, the Company shall have furnished to the Agents a certificate of an executive officer of the Company, dated such date, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Agents, stating the minimum gross sales price per share for sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement and the maximum number of Shares that may be issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement or, alternatively, the maximum gross proceeds from such sales, as duly authorized by the Company’s board of directors or a duly authorized committee thereof, and specify the number of Shares that have been approved for listing subject to official notice of issuance, on Nasdaq.
(h) Officers’ Certificate for the Company. On the date of this Agreement, there shall not have been, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, and the Agents shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and of the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, dated such date, to the effect that (A) there has been no such Material Adverse Effect, (B) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such date, (C) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied on or prior to such date and (D) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated.
(i) Opinion of In-House Intellectual Property Manager for Company. If requested by the Agents, on the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received the opinion of Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, in-house intellectual property manager for the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Agents, dated such date.
(j) Opinion from Counsel for Depositary. If requested by the Agents, on the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received the opinion of Xxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx, LLP, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Agents, dated such date.
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(k) Opinion of Intellectual Property Counsel for Company. On the date of this Agreement, the Agents shall have received the opinion, dated such date, of Zacco Denmark A/S, intellectual property counsel for the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Agents.
(l) Listing. The Shares shall have been approved for listing, subject to official notice of issuance, on Nasdaq.
(m) Additional Documents. On the date of this Agreement, counsel for the Agents shall have been furnished with such additional documents as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to render the opinions or make the statements requested by the Agents, in order to evidence the accuracy of any representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the covenants, obligations or conditions, contained herein; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated herein shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Agents and counsel for the Agents.
(n) Termination of this Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the applicable Agents by notice to the Company at any time, and any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except the provisions of Sections 1, 3(h), 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
Section 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of the Agents. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Agents, their respective affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (each, an “Affiliate”)), selling agents and each person, if any, who controls an Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of any offering of Shares (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or in any Marketing Materials of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;
(iii) against any and all reasonably documented expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of one counsel (in addition to local counsel) chosen by the Agents), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
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provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by the Agents in writing expressly for use therein.
(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Agent, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a) hereof, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the information furnished to the Company by such Agent in writing expressly for use therein.
(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Agents, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 6(a), such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) hereof effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
Section 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent, on the other hand, from the applicable offering of Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
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The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the applicable offering of Shares shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from such offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, bear to the total commissions received by the applicable Agent, on the other hand.
The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the applicable Agent and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the applicable Agents were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total commissions received by such Agent in connection with Shares placed by it for sale to the public.
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 0000 Xxx) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and an Agent’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Agents’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Shares placed by it in the applicable offering.
Section 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of an Agent or its Affiliates or selling agents or any person controlling such Agent, or the Company or its officers or directors, or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Shares.
Section 9. Termination.
(a) This Agreement may be terminated for any reason, at any time, by either the Company or an Agent, as to itself, upon the giving of three (3) days prior written notice to the other parties hereto.
(b) In the event of any termination under this Section 9, neither party will have any liability to the other party hereto, except that (i) the Agents shall be entitled to any commissions earned in accordance with Section 2(b) hereof, (ii) if at the time of termination an offer to purchase any Shares has been accepted by the Company but the Settlement Date has not occurred, the covenants set forth in Section 3 hereof shall remain in effect until such Shares are resold or so delivered, as the case may be, and (iii) the covenant set forth in Section 3(h) hereof, the provisions of Section 4 hereof, the indemnity and contribution agreements set forth in Sections 6 and 7 hereof, and the provisions of Sections 8, 12, 13, 14 and 15 hereof shall remain in effect.
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Section 10. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Agents shall be directed to the following addresses (or at such other address as the relevant recipient may designate pursuant to the provisions of this Section 10) Xxxxxxx Xxxxx at Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Department (facsimile: (000) 000-0000), with a copy to ECM Legal (facsimile: (000) 000-0000) or email: xxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx, or to X.X. Xxxxxx at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (fax: (000) 000-0000), Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx or email: xxxx.x.xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at:
c/o Ascendis Pharma, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel
Email: xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx and xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
and with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Fax: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx and Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Section 11. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) each purchase and sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the respective initial public offering prices of Shares, if any, and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the applicable Agent, on the other hand, (b) the Agents have not assumed and will not assume any advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or other affiliates with respect to any offering of Shares or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the applicable Agent has advised is currently advising the Company or any of its subsidiaries or other affiliates on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (c) the Agents and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (d) the Agents have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice to the Company or any other person or entity with respect to any offering of Shares and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
Section 12. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Agents and the Company and their respective successors. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon BofAML Securities, Inc. as an assignee to Xxxxxxx Xxxxx without prior written consent of any party. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Agents, their respective Affiliates and selling agents, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Agents, their respective Affiliates and selling agents, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Shares shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
Section 13. Trial by Jury. Each of the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates), and the Agents hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 14. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.
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Section 15. Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity. Each of the Company and the Agents agree that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any Specified Court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of the Specified Courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to a party’s address set forth in Section 11 hereof shall be effective service of process upon such party for any suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court. Each of the Company and the Agents irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any Specified Court that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company irrevocably appoints Ascendis Pharma, Inc. as its agent to receive service of process or other legal summons for purposes of any such suit, action or proceeding that may be instituted in any Specified Court. With respect to any Related Proceeding, each of the Company and the Agents irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction, service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and, with respect to any Related Judgment, each of the Company and the Agents waives any such immunity in the Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended.
Section 16. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
Section 17. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
Section 18. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
Section 19. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act, the Agents are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Agents to properly identify their respective clients.
Section 20. Entire Agreement. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Agents with respect to the subject matter hereof.
[Signature page follows]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Agents and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
By: | /s/ Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Name: |
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Title: |
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Accepted as of the first date written above: | ||
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |
Authorized Signatory | ||
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx | |
Authorized Signatory |
[Signature page to Ascendis Pharma A/S ATM Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement]