SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
EXECUTION
VERSION
SECURITIES
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
(the
“Agreement”),
dated
as of February 1, 2008, by and among China Automotive Systems, Inc., a Delaware
corporation, with headquarters located at Xx. 0 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Yu Qiao
Development Zone, Shashi District, Xxxx Xxxx City, Hubei Province, People’s
Republic of China (the ”Company”),
and
the investors listed on the Schedule of Buyers attached hereto (individually,
a
“Buyer”
and
collectively, the “Buyers”).
WHEREAS:
A. The
Company and each Buyer is executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance
upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(2) of
the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933
Act”),
and
Rule 506 of Regulation D (“Regulation D”)
as
promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”)
under
the 1933 Act.
B. The
Company has authorized a new series of senior convertible notes of the Company,
which notes shall be convertible into shares (as converted, the “Note
Conversion Shares”)
of the
Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common
Stock”),
in
accordance with the terms of the Notes (as defined below).
C. The
Company has authorized the issuance of certain warrants of the Company, which
warrants shall be exercisable for the purchase of shares (as exercised, the
“Warrant
Conversion Shares”
and
together with the Note Conversion Shares, the “Conversion
Shares”)
of the
Common Stock in accordance with the terms of each Warrant (as defined
below).
D. Each
Buyer wishes to purchase, and the Company wishes to sell, upon the terms and
conditions stated in this Agreement, (i) that aggregate principal amount of
the
notes, in substantially the forms attached hereto as Exhibits
A-1
(the
“Closing
Note”),
Exhibit
A-2
(the
“Henglong
Note”)
and
Exhibit
A-3
(the
“Escrow
Note”
and
together with the Closing Note and the Henglong Note, collectively, the
“Notes”),
set
forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column (3) on the Schedule of Buyers
attached hereto (which aggregate amount for all Buyers shall be $35,000,000
(the
“Aggregate
Principal”))
and
(ii) warrants, in substantially the forms attached hereto as Exhibit
B-1
(the
“Closing
Warrant”)
and
Exhibit
B-2
(the
“Escrow
Warrant”
and,
together with the Closing Warrant, collectively, the “Warrants”),
to
buy up to an aggregate exercise amount of $11,666,666 worth of Common Stock,
such respective exercise amount set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in column
(4) on the Schedule of Buyers attached hereto.
E. On
the
Closing Date, the parties hereto will execute and deliver a Registration Rights
Agreement, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
C
(the
“Registration
Rights Agreement”),
pursuant to which the Company will agree to provide certain registration rights
with respect to the Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration
Rights Agreement) under the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder, and applicable state securities laws.
F. The
Notes, the Note Conversion Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Conversion
Shares, collectively, are referred to herein as the “Securities”.
G. The
Notes
will be senior, unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank pari
passu
in right
of payment to all existing and future indebtedness of the Company, other than
Permitted Senior Indebtedness (as defined in the Notes).
NOW,
THEREFORE,
the
Company and each Buyer hereby agree as follows:
1. PURCHASE
AND SALE OF THE NOTES AND THE WARRANTS.
(a) Purchase
of Notes and Warrants.
Subject
to the satisfaction (or waiver) of the conditions set forth in Sections
6
and
7
below,
the Company shall issue and sell to each Buyer, and each Buyer, severally,
but
not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company on the Closing Date (as defined
below), (i) a principal amount of each Note as is set forth opposite such
Buyer’s name in column (3) on the Schedule of Buyers, as applicable and (ii)
Warrants with an exercise amount as is set forth opposite such Buyer’s name in
column (4) on the Schedule of Buyers, as applicable, (the “Closing”).
(b) Closing.
The
date and time of the Closing (the “Closing
Date”)
shall
be 10:00 a.m., Hong Kong time, on February 13, 2008 (or such later date as
is
mutually agreed to by the Company and each Buyer) after notification of
satisfaction (or waiver) of the conditions to the Closing set forth in
Sections
6
and
7
below at
the offices of the legal representative of the Lead Buyer set forth on the
Schedule of Buyers. As used herein, “Business
Day”
means
any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks
in
the City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain
closed.
(c) Purchase
Price; Escrow.
The
aggregate purchase price for the Notes and the Warrants to be purchased by
each
such Buyer at the Closing (the “Purchase
Price”)
shall
be the amount set forth opposite each Buyer’s name in column (5) of the Schedule
of Buyers (such amount, the “Applicable
Purchase Price”).
Each
Buyer shall pay $100,000 for each $100,000 of principal amount of each Note
and
pro rata portion of the Warrants to be purchased by such Buyer at the Closing.
The Purchase Price shall be paid by the Buyers as follows:
(i) Payment
to Company.
At the
Closing, each Buyer shall pay to the Company, by wire transfer of immediately
available funds, an amount in cash equal to fifty percent (50%) of such Buyer’s
Applicable Purchase Price (the “Closing
Amount”).
Such
Closing Amount represents the portion of such Buyer’s Applicable Purchase Price
attributable to the Closing Note and the Henglong Note and the Closing
Warrant.
(ii) Payment
to Escrow Agent.
At the
Closing, each Buyer shall deposit into an escrow account (the “Escrow
Account”)
an
amount in cash equal to fifty percent (50%) of such Buyer’s Applicable Purchase
Price (the “Escrow
Amount”),
pursuant to an escrow agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
D
(the
“Escrow
Agreement”)
with
an escrow agent mutually acceptable to the Lead Buyer and the Company (the
“Escrow
Agent”).
Such
Escrow Amount represents the portion of such Buyer’s Applicable Purchase Price
attributable to the Escrow Note and the Escrow Warrant.
2
(iii) Escrow.
The
Buyers and the Company shall cause the Escrow Agent (by executing joint written
instructions, as applicable, pursuant to the Escrow Agreement) to disburse
the
Escrow Amount, plus any and all interest earned thereon (such interest, the
“Escrow
Interest”)
from
the Escrow Account as follows:
(A) At
any
time and from time to time prior to April 15, 2008 (the “Determination
Date”),
each
Buyer shall have the option, but not the obligation, to release all (but not
less than all) of such Buyer’s applicable Escrow Amount, plus any and all Escrow
Interest thereon to the Company. Upon any such release, such Buyer’s Henglong
Default Redemption Rights (as defined in each of the Henglong Note and the
Escrow Note) with respect to the Henglong Note and the Escrow Note shall expire
pursuant to the terms of the Henglong Note and the Escrow Note, as applicable.
(B) In
the
event the Escrow Amount has not previously been released and the Henglong
Transaction (as defined below) is consummated upon terms and conditions
satisfactory to the Lead Buyer on or prior to the Determination Date, the Escrow
Amount (plus any and all Escrow Interest thereon) shall be released to the
Company. Upon any such release, each Buyer’s Henglong Default Redemption Rights
with respect to the Henglong Note and the Escrow Note shall expire pursuant
to
the terms of the Henglong Note and the Escrow Note, as applicable.
(C) In
the
event the Henglong Transaction is not consummated upon terms and conditions
satisfactory to the Lead Buyer on or prior to the Determination Date, each
Buyer
shall have the option, but not the obligation, to either (1) release all of
such
Buyer’s Escrow Amount (plus any and all Escrow Interest thereon) to the Company
or (2) exercise such Buyer’s Henglong Default Redemption Rights with respect to
the Escrow Note held by such Buyer in accordance with Section 8 of the Escrow
Note; provided,
however,
that
such option shall be exercised by such Buyer on or prior to April 30, 2008.
In
the event such option is not exercised by a Buyer on or prior to April 30,
2008,
such Buyer shall be deemed to have elected the option set forth in clause (1)
above and such Buyer’s applicable Escrow Amount (plus any and all Escrow
Interest thereon) shall be released to the Company. If a Buyer elects (or is
deemed to elect) the option set forth in clause (1) above, such Buyer’s Henglong
Default Redemption Rights with respect to the Henglong Note and the Escrow
Note
shall expire pursuant to the terms of the Henglong Note and the Escrow Note,
as
applicable.
(D) In
the
event the Company redeems the Escrow Note held by a Buyer pursuant to Section
1(c)(iii)(c)(2) above, the Escrow Interest shall be deemed to be credited
against the accrued interest due and payable by the Company under the Escrow
Note (the “Escrow
Note Interest”)
and
the Company shall pay to such Buyer the excess amount, if any, of the Escrow
Note Interest over the Escrow Interest. For avoidance of doubt, if the Escrow
Interest is greater than the Escrow Note Interest, the Buyer shall be entitled
to retain the entire amount of the Escrow Interest.
(iv) Henglong
Transaction.
As used
herein, the “Henglong
Transaction”
shall
mean the Henglong transaction contemplated by Schedule
4(o).
For
avoidance of doubt, for all purposes of this Agreement (and the Notes and the
Warrants), the terms and conditions of the Henglong Transaction shall
conclusively be deemed to be satisfactory to the Lead Buyer, and the Henglong
Transaction shall conclusively be deemed to have been consummated, if either
(A)
the actual Henglong Transaction fully complies with the requirements specified
in Schedule
4(o),
or (B)
the Lead Buyer waives in writing, in its sole discretion, any noncompliance
with
such requirements.
3
(d) Form
of Payment on Closing Date.
On the
Closing Date, (i) each Buyer shall pay its Purchase Price to the Company for
the
Notes and Warrants to be issued and sold to such Buyer at the Closing by wire
transfer of immediately available funds in accordance with the Company’s and the
Escrow Agent’s written wire instructions and (ii) the Company shall deliver
to each Buyer the Notes (allocated in the principal amounts as such Buyer shall
request, subject to the requirement that the Notes shall be in denominations
of
$100,000 and integral multiples thereof) and Warrants which such Buyer is then
purchasing hereunder, duly executed on behalf of the Company and registered
in
the name of such Buyer or its designee.
2. BUYERS’
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. Each
Buyer, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants with respect to only
itself that:
(a) No
Public Sale or Distribution.
Such
Buyer is (i) acquiring the Notes and Warrants and (ii) upon conversion of the
Notes and Warrants will acquire the Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion
of the Notes and Warrants, for its own account and not with a view towards,
or
for resale in connection with, the public sale or distribution thereof, except
pursuant to sales registered or exempted under the 1933 Act; provided,
however,
that by
making the representations herein, such Buyer does not agree to hold any of
the
Securities for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to
dispose of the Securities at any time in accordance with or pursuant to a
registration statement or an exemption under the 1933 Act. Such Buyer is
acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.
Such
Buyer does not presently have any agreement or understanding, directly or
indirectly, with any Person to distribute any of the Securities.
(b) Accredited
Investor Status.
Such
Buyer is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of
Regulation D.
(c) Reliance
on Exemptions.
Such
Buyer understands that the Securities are being offered and sold to it in
reliance on specific exemptions from the registration requirements of federal
and state securities laws and that the Company is relying in part upon the
truth
and accuracy of, and such Buyer’s compliance with, the representations,
warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of such Buyer set
forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and
the
eligibility of such Buyer to acquire the Securities.
(d) Information.
Such
Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been afforded the opportunity to ask
questions of the Company. Such Buyer understands that its investment in the
Securities involves a high degree of risk. Such Buyer has sought such
accounting, legal and tax advice as it has considered necessary to make an
informed investment decision with respect to its acquisition of the
Securities.
(e) No
Governmental Review.
Such
Buyer understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other
government or governmental agency has passed on or made any recommendation
or
endorsement of the Securities or the fairness or suitability of the investment
in the Securities nor have such authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits
of the offering of the Securities.
4
(f) Transfer
or Resale.
Such
Buyer understands that except as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement:
(i) the Securities have not been and are not being registered under the 1933
Act
or any state securities laws, and may not be offered for sale, sold, assigned
or
transferred unless (A) subsequently registered thereunder, (B) such Buyer shall
have delivered to the Company an opinion of counsel, in a generally acceptable
form, to the effect that such Securities to be sold, assigned or transferred
may
be sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to an exemption from such
registration, or (C) such Buyer provides the Company with reasonable assurance
that such Securities can be sold, assigned or transferred pursuant to Rule
144
or Rule 144A promulgated under the 1933 Act, as amended, (or a successor rule
thereto) (collectively, “Rule
144”);
(ii)
any sale of the Securities made in reliance on Rule 144 may be made only in
accordance with the terms of Rule 144 and further, if Rule 144 is not
applicable, any resale of the Securities under circumstances in which the seller
(or the Person (as defined in Section
3(s))
through
whom the sale is made) may be deemed to be an underwriter (as that term is
defined in the 0000 Xxx) may require compliance with some other exemption under
the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder; and (iii)
neither the Company nor any other Person is under any obligation to register
the
Securities under the 1933 Act or any state securities laws or to comply with
the
terms and conditions of any exemption thereunder. The Securities may be pledged
in connection with a bona fide margin account or other loan or financing
arrangement secured by the Securities and such pledge of Securities shall not
be
deemed to be a transfer, sale or assignment of the Securities hereunder, and
no
Buyer effecting a pledge of Securities shall be required to provide the Company
with any notice thereof or otherwise make any delivery to the Company pursuant
to this Agreement or any other Transaction Document (as defined in Section
3(b)),
including, without limitation, this Section
2(f).
(g) Legends.
Such
Buyer understands that the certificates or other instruments representing the
Notes and the Warrants and the stock certificates representing the Conversion
Shares, except as set forth below, shall bear any legend as required by the
“blue sky” laws of any state and a restrictive legend in substantially the
following form (and a stop-transfer order may be placed against transfer of
such
stock certificates):
[NEITHER
THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE NOR
THE
SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE [CONVERTIBLE] [HAVE
BEEN][THE
SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN]
REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE
SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED
OR ASSIGNED (I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR
THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR (B) AN OPINION
OF COUNSEL, IN A GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE FORM, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED
UNDER SAID ACT OR (II) UNLESS SOLD PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR RULE 144A UNDER
SAID
ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION
WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED
BY THE SECURITIES.
5
The
legend set forth above shall be removed and the Company shall issue a
certificate without such legend to the holder of the Securities upon which
it is
stamped by electronic delivery at the applicable balance account at DTC (as
defined below), unless otherwise required by state securities laws, (i) when
such Securities are registered for resale under the 1933 Act, (ii) in connection
with a sale, assignment or other transfer, such holder provides the Company
with
an opinion of counsel, in a generally acceptable form, to the effect that such
sale, assignment or transfer of the Securities may be made without registration
under the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, or (iii) such holder provides
the Company with reasonable assurance that the Securities can be sold, assigned
or transferred pursuant to Rule 144 or Rule 144A. The Buyer expressly agrees
that any sale by the Buyer of Conversion Shares pursuant to the Registration
Statement shall be sold in a manner described under the caption “Plan of
Distribution” in such Registration Statement and the Buyer shall comply with the
prospectus delivery requirements in connection with such sale, in each case
in
compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act and Exchange Act
applicable to such sale. The Buyer agrees that the Conversion Shares will only
be sold or transferred while the Registration Statement is effective, unless
another exemption from registration is available. The Buyer further agrees
that
if it sells or transfers the Conversion Shares pursuant to an exemption from
registration which results in the transferee holding Conversion Shares that
are
“Restricted Securities” as defined in the 1933 Act rules, in connection with
such sale or transfer, the Buyer shall request that the Company issue the
Conversion Shares in the name of the transferee with a legend substantially
in
the form set forth above. The Buyer acknowledges that the removal of the
restrictive legends from certificates representing the Conversion Shares as
provided in this Section
2(g)
is
predicated upon the Company’s reliance on the Buyer’s compliance with its
covenants in this Section
2(g).
(h) Validity;
Enforcement.
This
Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement to which such Buyer is a party
have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered on behalf of
such
Buyer and shall constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of such
Buyer enforceable against such Buyer in accordance with their respective terms,
except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity
or
to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation
and other similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement
of
applicable creditors’ rights and remedies.
(i) No
Conflicts.
The
execution, delivery and performance by such Buyer of this Agreement and the
Registration Rights Agreement to which such Buyer is a party and the
consummation by such Buyer of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby
will not (i) result in a violation of the organizational documents of such
Buyer
or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a material breach or default (or an event
which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a material breach or
default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment,
acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to
which
such Buyer is a party, or (iii) result in a material violation of any law,
rule,
regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities
laws) applicable to such Buyer.
6
(j) Residency.
Such
Buyer is a resident of that jurisdiction specified below its address on the
Schedule of Buyers.
3. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.
The
Company hereby represents and warrants to each of the Buyers as of the date
hereof and as of the Closing Date as follows.
(a) Organization
and Qualification.
Each of
the Company and its “Subsidiaries”
(which
for purposes of this Agreement means any entity in which the Company, directly
or indirectly, owns any of the capital stock or holds an equity or similar
interest) are entities duly organized and validly existing in good standing
under the laws of the jurisdiction in which they are formed, and have the
requisite power and authorization to own their properties and to carry on their
business as now being conducted. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries is
duly qualified as a foreign entity to do business and is in good standing in
every jurisdiction in which its ownership of property or the nature of the
business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except to the
extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not
have
a Material Adverse Effect. As used in this Agreement, “Material
Adverse Effect”
means
any material adverse effect on the business, properties, assets, operations,
results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the
Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the transactions
contemplated hereby and the other Transaction Documents or by the agreements
and
instruments to be entered into in connection herewith or therewith, or on the
authority or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the
Transaction Documents. The Company has no Subsidiaries except as set forth
on
Schedule
3(a).
(b) Authorization;
Enforcement; Validity.
The
Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and
perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Notes, the Warrants, the
Registration Rights Agreement, the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions
(as
defined in Section
5(b))
and
each of the other agreements entered into by the parties hereto in connection
with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (collectively, the
“Transaction
Documents”)
and
under any applicable laws, including without limitation, the rules and
regulations of the Principal Market (as defined below) and to issue the
Securities in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof. The execution and
delivery of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by
the
Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including, without
limitation, the issuance of the Notes and the Warrants and the reservation
for
issuance and the issuance of the Conversion Shares issuable
upon conversion of the Notes and exercise of the Warrants have been duly
authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors and (other than the filing with
the SEC of one or more Registration Statements in accordance with the
requirements of the Registration Rights Agreement) no further filing, consent,
or authorization is required by the Company, its Board of Directors or its
stockholders. This Agreement has been, and the other Transaction Documents
will
be, duly executed and delivered by the Company, and constitute the legal, valid
and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be
limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or
affecting generally, the enforcement of applicable creditors’ rights and
remedies.
7
(c) Issuance
of Securities.
The
issuance of each of the Notes and the Warrants is duly authorized and is free
from all taxes, liens and charges with respect to the issue thereof. As of
the
Closing, the Company shall have reserved for the issuance of the shares of
Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes and the Warrants (without
taking into account any limitations on the conversion of the Notes or the
Warrants set forth in the Notes and the Warrants) from its duly authorized
capital stock not less than 120% of the maximum number of shares of Common
Stock
issuable upon conversion of the Notes and the Warrants (without taking into
account any limitations on the conversion of the Notes or the Warrants set
forth
in the Notes or the Warrants). Upon conversion or payment in accordance with
the
Notes, the Conversion Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable and free from all preemptive or similar rights, taxes, liens
and
charges with respect to the issue thereof, with the holders being entitled
to
all rights accorded to a holder of Common Stock. The offer and issuance by
the
Company of the Securities is exempt from registration under the 1933
Act.
(d) No
Conflicts.
The
execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company
and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby
and
thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Notes and the
Warrants and reservation for issuance and issuance of the Conversion Shares)
will not (i) result in a violation of any certificate of incorporation,
certificate of formation, any certificate of designations or other constituent
documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any capital stock of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or the bylaws of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event which
with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) in any respect
under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration
or
cancellation of, any contract, agreement, indenture or instrument to which
the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, or (iii) result in a violation
of
any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including foreign, federal
and state securities laws and regulations and the rules and regulations of
The
NASDAQ Capital Market (the “Principal
Market”))
applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which any property
or
asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or
affected.
(e) Consents.
Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is required to obtain any consent,
authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court,
governmental agency or any regulatory or self-regulatory agency or any other
Person, including without limitation, the Principal Market, in order for it
to
execute, deliver or perform any of its obligations under or contemplated by
the
Transaction Documents, in each case in accordance with the terms hereof or
thereof. All consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which
the Company is required to obtain pursuant to the preceding sentence have been
obtained or effected on or prior to the Closing Date, and the Company and its
Subsidiaries are unaware of any facts or circumstances which might prevent
the
Company from obtaining or effecting any of the registration, application or
filings pursuant to the preceding sentence. The Company is not and, after giving
effect to the transactions contemplated hereby, will not be in violation of
the
listing requirements of the Principal Market and has no knowledge of any facts
which would reasonably lead to delisting or suspension of the Common Stock
in
the foreseeable future.
(f) Acknowledgment
Regarding Buyer’s Purchase of Securities.
The
Company acknowledges and agrees that each Buyer is acting solely in the capacity
of arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and that, immediately prior to
the
transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, no Buyer is or, after
giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby, will be (i) an officer
or
director of the Company, (ii) an “affiliate” of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 144) or (iii) to the knowledge of the Company,
a “beneficial owner” of more than 10% of the shares of Common Stock (as defined
for purposes of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “1934
Act”)).
The
Company further acknowledges that no Buyer is acting as a financial advisor
or
fiduciary of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or in any similar capacity)
with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby, and any advice given by a Buyer or any of its
representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and
the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby is merely incidental to such
Buyer’s purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Buyer
that the Company’s decision to enter into the Transaction Documents has been
based solely on the independent evaluation by the Company and its
representatives.
8
(g) No
General Solicitation; Placement Agent’s Fees.
Neither
the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any Person acting
on
its or their behalf, has engaged in any form of general solicitation or general
advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in connection with the offer
or
sale of the Securities. The Company shall be responsible for the payment of
any
placement agent’s fees, financial advisory fees, or brokers’ commissions (other
than for persons engaged by any Buyer or its investment advisor) relating to
or
arising out of the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company shall pay,
and
hold each Buyer harmless against, any liability, loss or expense (including,
without limitation, attorney’s fees and out-of-pocket expenses) arising in
connection with any such claim. The Company has not engaged any placement agent
or other agent in connection with the sale of the Securities.
(h) No
Integrated Offering.
None of
the Company, its Subsidiaries, any of their affiliates, and any Person acting
on
their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made, or will prior to Closing make,
any offers or sales of any security or solicited, or will prior to Closing
solicit, any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would require
registration of any of the Securities under the 1933 Act or cause this offering
of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for
purposes of the 1933 Act or any applicable stockholder approval provisions,
including, without limitation, under the rules and regulations of any exchange
or automated quotation system on which any of the securities of the Company
are
listed or designated. None of the Company, its Subsidiaries, their affiliates
and any Person acting on their behalf will take any action or steps referred
to
in the preceding sentence that would require registration of any of the
Securities under the 1933 Act or cause the offering of the Securities to be
integrated with other offerings, including, for the avoidance of doubt, the
Follow-on Offering.
(i) Dilutive
Effect.
The
Company understands and acknowledges that the number of Conversion Shares
issuable upon conversion of the Notes and exercise of the Warrants will increase
in certain circumstances. The Company further acknowledges that its obligation
to issue Conversion Shares upon conversion of the Notes or the exercise of
Warrants in accordance with this Agreement and each Note is absolute and
unconditional regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have
on
the ownership interests of other stockholders of the Company.
9
(j) Application
of Takeover Protections; Rights Agreement.
The
Company and its board of directors have taken all necessary action, if any,
in
order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business
combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement)
or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Certificate of Incorporation
or the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation which is or could become
applicable to any Buyer as a result of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, including, without limitation, the Company’s issuance of the
Securities and any Buyer’s ownership of the Securities. The Company has not
adopted a stockholder rights plan or similar arrangement relating to
accumulations of beneficial ownership of Common Stock or a change in control
of
the Company.
(k) SEC
Documents; Financial Statements.
Except
as disclosed in Schedule
3(k),
during
the two (2) years prior to the date hereof, the Company has filed all reports,
schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it
with
the SEC pursuant to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act (all of the
foregoing filed prior to the date hereof and all exhibits included therein
and
financial statements, notes and schedules thereto and documents incorporated
by
reference therein being hereinafter referred to as the “SEC
Documents”).
The
Company has delivered to the Buyers or their respective representatives true,
correct and complete copies of the SEC Documents not available on the XXXXX
system. As of their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material
respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations
of
the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to the SEC Documents, and none of
the
SEC Documents, at the time they were filed with the SEC, contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to
be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. As of
their respective dates, the financial statements of the Company included in
the
SEC Documents complied as to form in all material respects with applicable
accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC
with
respect thereto. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance
with
generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, during the
periods involved (except (i) as may be otherwise indicated in such financial
statements or the notes thereto, or (ii) in the case of unaudited interim
statements, to the extent they may exclude footnotes or may be condensed or
summary statements) and fairly present in all material respects the financial
position of the Company as of the dates thereof and the results of its
operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case
of
unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments). No other
information provided by or on behalf of the Company to the Buyers which is
not
included in the SEC Documents, including, without limitation, information
referred to in Section
2(d)
of this
Agreement, contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state
any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstance under which they are or were made, not
misleading.
(l) Absence
of Certain Changes.
Except
as disclosed in Schedule
3(l),
since
September 30, 2007, there has been no material adverse change and no material
adverse development in the business, properties, operations, condition
(financial or otherwise), results of operations or prospectus of the Company
or
its Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in Schedule
3(l),
since
September 30, 2007, the Company has not (i) declared or paid any dividends,
(ii)
sold any assets, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $1,000,000
outside of the ordinary course of business or (iii) had capital expenditures,
individually or in the aggregate, in excess of $3,000,000. Neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any steps to seek protection pursuant
to
any bankruptcy law nor does the Company have any knowledge or reason to believe
that its creditors intend to initiate involuntary bankruptcy proceedings or
any
actual knowledge of any fact which would reasonably lead a creditor to do so.
The Company is not as of the date hereof, and after giving effect to the
transactions contemplated hereby to occur at the Closing, will not be Insolvent
(as defined below). For purposes of this Section
3(l),
“Insolvent”
means,
with respect to any Person (as defined in Section
3(s),
(i) the
present fair saleable value of such Person’s assets is less than the amount
required to pay such Person’s total Indebtedness (as defined in Section
3(s)),
(ii)
such Person is unable to pay its debts and liabilities, subordinated, contingent
or otherwise, as such debts and liabilities become absolute and matured, (iii)
the Company intends to incur or believes that it will incur debts that would
be
beyond its ability to pay as such debts mature or (iv) such Person has
unreasonably small capital with which to conduct the business in which it is
engaged as such business is now conducted and is proposed to be
conducted.
10
(m) Reserved.
(n) Conduct
of Business; Regulatory Permits.
Neither
the Company nor its Subsidiaries is in violation of any term of or in default
under any certificate of designations of any outstanding series of preferred
stock of the Company, its Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or their
organizational charter or certificate of incorporation or bylaws, respectively.
Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any judgment,
decree or order or any statute, ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to
the
Company or its Subsidiaries, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
will conduct its business in violation of any of the foregoing, except for
possible violations which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have
a
Material Adverse Effect. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
the
Company is not in violation of any of the rules, regulations or requirements
of
the Principal Market and has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which
would reasonably lead to delisting or suspension of the Common Stock by the
Principal Market in the foreseeable future. During the two (2) years prior
to
the date hereof, the Common Stock has been designated for quotation on the
Principal Market. During the two (2) years prior to the date hereof, (i) trading
in the Common Stock has not been suspended by the SEC or the Principal Market
and (ii) the Company has received no communication, written or oral, from the
SEC or the Principal Market regarding the suspension or delisting of the Common
Stock from the Principal Market. The Company and its Subsidiaries possess all
certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate regulatory
authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where
the
failure to possess such certificates, authorizations or permits would not have,
individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the
Company nor any such Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating
to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or
permit.
(o) Foreign
Corrupt Practices; Sanction Related Measures.
Neither
the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor, any director, officer, agent,
employee or other Person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful
contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to
political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any
foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii)
violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (iv) made any unlawful bribe, rebate,
payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any foreign
or
domestic government official or employee. Neither the Company nor any of its
Subsidiaries or controlled affiliates does business with the government of,
or
with any person located in any country in a manner that violates in any material
respect any of the economic sanctions programs or similar sanctions-related
measures of the United States as administered by the United States Treasury
Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control; and the net proceeds from the
offering contemplated by this Agreement will not be used to fund any operations
in, finance any investments in or make any payments to any country, or to make
any payments to any person, in a manner that violates any of the economic
sanctions of the United States administered by the United States Treasury
Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control;
11
(p) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx
Act.
The
Company is in compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the
Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any
and
all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder that
are
effective as of the date hereof.
(q) Transactions
With Affiliates.
Except
as disclosed in the SEC Documents or set forth on Schedule
3(q),
and
except for transactions after September 30, 2007 which were entered into in
the
ordinary course of business, were consistent with past practice and necessary
or
desirable for the prudent operation of the business of the Company or its
Subsidiaries, and involved fair consideration and terms no less favorable to
the
Company or its Subsidiaries than would be obtainable in a comparable
arms'-length transaction with an unaffiliated Person, none
of
the officers, directors or employees (“Related
Parties”)
of the
Company is presently a party to any material transaction with the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries (other than for ordinary course services as employees,
officers or directors), including any material contract, agreement or other
arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for
rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments
to or from any such officer, director or employee or, to the knowledge of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any corporation, partnership, trust or
other
entity in which any such Related Party has a substantial interest or is an
officer, director, trustee or partner. Schedule
3(q)
sets
forth all accounts receivable or other amounts due to the Company or any
Subsidiary from any Related Party in excess of $100,000 with a payment date
after March 31, 2008.
(r) Equity
Capitalization.
As of
the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of (i)
80,000,000 shares of Common Stock, of which as of the date hereof, 23,959,702
are issued and outstanding, 2,177,500 shares are reserved for issuance pursuant
to the Company’s stock option and purchase plans and 1,034,529 shares are
reserved for issuance pursuant to securities (other than the aforementioned
options, and the Notes or the Warrants) exercisable or exchangeable for, or
convertible into, shares of Common Stock and (ii) 20,000,000 shares of preferred
stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which as of the date hereof, none are
issued and outstanding. All of such outstanding shares have been, or upon
issuance will be, validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. Except
as
disclosed elsewhere in this Agreement or the Schedules hereto, in the SEC
Documents or in Schedule
3(r):
(i)
none of the Company’s capital stock is subject to preemptive rights or any other
similar rights or any liens or encumbrances suffered or permitted by the
Company; (ii) there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to
subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to,
or
securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for,
any
capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or contracts,
commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of
its
Subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional capital stock of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or options, warrants, scrip, rights to
subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to,
or
securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for,
any
capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (iii) there are no
outstanding debt securities, notes, credit agreements, credit facilities or
other agreements, documents or instruments evidencing Indebtedness of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is or may become bound; (iv) there are no financing statements
securing obligations in any material amounts, either singly or in the aggregate,
filed in connection with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (v) there
are
no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is obligated to register the sale of any of their securities under the 1933
Act
(except pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement); (vi) there are no
outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
which contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts,
commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of
its
Subsidiaries is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries; (vii) there are no securities or instruments containing
anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance
of
the Securities; (viii) the Company does not have any stock appreciation rights
or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement; and
(ix) the Company and its Subsidiaries have no liabilities or obligations
required to be disclosed in the SEC Documents but not so disclosed in the SEC
Documents, other than those incurred in the ordinary course of the Company’s or
its Subsidiaries’ respective businesses and which, individually or in the
aggregate, do not or would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company
has
furnished to the Buyers true, correct and complete copies of the Company’s
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof
(the “Certificate
of Incorporation”),
and
the Company’s Bylaws, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the
“Bylaws”),
and
the terms of all securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable
for, shares of Common Stock and the material rights of the holders thereof
in
respect thereto.
12
(s) Indebtedness
and Other Contracts.
Except
as disclosed in the SEC Documents or in Schedule
3(s),
neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has any outstanding Indebtedness
(as
defined below) in excess of $2,000,000, (ii) is a party to any contract,
agreement or instrument entered into outside the ordinary course of its
business, the violation of which, or default under which, by the other
party(ies) to such contract, agreement or instrument would reasonably be
expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (iii) is in violation of any
term of or in default under any contract, agreement or instrument relating
to
any Indebtedness, except where such violations and defaults would not result,
individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect, or (iv) is
a
party to any contract, agreement or instrument relating to any Indebtedness,
the
performance of which, in the judgment of the Company’s officers, has or is
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Schedule
3(s)
provides
a detailed description of the material terms of any such outstanding
Indebtedness. For purposes of this Agreement: (x) “Indebtedness”
of
any
Person means, without duplication (A) all indebtedness for borrowed money,
(B)
all obligations issued, undertaken or assumed as the deferred purchase price
of
property or services, including (without limitation) “capital leases” in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (other than trade
payables entered into in the ordinary course of business and notes payable
in
respect of trade payables entered into in the ordinary course of business),
(C)
all reimbursement or payment obligations with respect to letters of credit,
surety bonds and other similar instruments (provided, for avoidance of doubt,
that the Company’s support (prior to any actual payment by the Company to its
banks) of its banks’ guaranty of the trade payables does not constitute
Indebtedness), (D) all obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or
similar instruments, including obligations so evidenced incurred in connection
with the acquisition of property, assets or businesses, (E) all indebtedness
created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention
agreement, or incurred as financing, in either case with respect to any property
or assets acquired with the proceeds of such indebtedness (even though the
rights and remedies of the seller or bank under such agreement in the event
of
default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (F) all monetary
obligations under any leasing or similar arrangement which, in connection with
generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied for the periods
covered thereby, is classified as a capital lease, (G) all indebtedness referred
to in clauses (A) through (F) above secured by (or for which the holder of
such
Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured
by)
any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or other encumbrance
upon
or in any property or assets (including accounts and contract rights) owned
by
any Person, even though the Person which owns such assets or property has not
assumed or become liable for the payment of such indebtedness, and (H) all
Contingent Obligations in respect of indebtedness or obligations of others
of
the kinds referred to in clauses (A) through (G) above; (y) “Contingent
Obligation”
means,
as to any Person, any direct or indirect liability, contingent or otherwise,
of
that Person with respect to any indebtedness, lease, dividend or other
obligation of another Person if the primary purpose or intent of the Person
incurring such liability, or the primary effect thereof, is to provide assurance
to the obligee of such liability that such liability will be paid or discharged,
or that any agreements relating thereto will be complied with, or that the
holders of such liability will be protected (in whole or in part) against loss
with respect thereto; and (z) “Person”
means
an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture,
a
corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization and a government or any
department or agency thereof.
13
(t) Absence
of Litigation.
There
is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by the
Principal Market, any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory
organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened
against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the Common Stock
or
any of the Company’s Subsidiaries or any of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’
officers or directors in their capacities as such, except as set forth in
Schedule
3(t)
or that
could not reasonably be expected to result in a claim or cause a loss to the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries in excess of $25,000.
(u) Insurance.
The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized
financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts
as
management of the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses
in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company
nor
any such Subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied
for and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any reason to believe
that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when
such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as
may
be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material
Adverse Effect.
14
(v) Employee
Relations.
(i) The
Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relations with their employees
are good. No executive officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (as
defined in Rule 501(f) of the 0000 Xxx) has notified the Company or any such
Subsidiary that such officer intends to leave the Company or any such Subsidiary
or otherwise terminate such officer’s employment with the Company or any such
Subsidiary. No executive officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, to
the knowledge of the Company, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of
any
material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or
proprietary information agreement, non-competition agreement, or any other
contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant, and the continued employment
of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing
matters.
(ii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all federal, state, local
and foreign laws and regulations respecting labor, employment and employment
practices and benefits, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours,
except where failure to be in compliance would not, either individually or
in
the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(w) Title.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to
all
real property and good and valid title to all personal property owned by them
which is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each
case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as do
not
materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the
use
made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and any of its
Subsidiaries. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company
and any of its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere
with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by
the
Company and its Subsidiaries.
(x) Intellectual
Property.
(i) For
purposes of this Section
3(x),
the
following definitions shall apply.
(1) “Intellectual
Property”
means
any and all statutory or common law worldwide industrial and intellectual
property rights and all rights associated therewith, including all patents
and
applications therefor and all reissues, divisions, renewals, extensions,
provisionals, continuations and continuations-in-part thereof, all inventions
(whether patentable or not), invention disclosures, improvements, trade secrets,
proprietary information, know how, technology, technical data, proprietary
processes and formulae, algorithms, specifications, customer lists and supplier
lists, all industrial designs and any registrations and applications therefor,
all trademarks, trade names, trade dress, logos, and service names and marks
(in
each case whether or not registered) and registrations and applications
therefore and the right to file applications for the registration thereof,
Internet domain names, Internet and World Wide Web URLs or addresses, all
copyrights (whether or not registered), registrations and applications therefor
and the right to file applications for registration thereof, and all other
rights corresponding thereto, all computer software, including all source code,
object code, firmware, development tools, files, records, documentation, screen
displays, layouts, and data, test methodologies, emulation and simulation tools
and reports, all databases and data collections and all rights therein, all
publicity and privacy rights, and all moral and economic rights of authors
and
inventors, however denominated, and any similar or equivalent rights to any
of
the foregoing, arising under the laws of the United States of America, any
state
thereof, or any other country or province, and all tangible embodiments of
the
foregoing (in whatever form).
15
(2) “Company
IP Rights”
means
any and all Intellectual Property used in the conduct of the business of the
Company as currently conducted or as currently proposed to be conducted by
the
Company or its Subsidiaries, including, without limitation, Intellectual
Property currently under development by or for the Company or its Subsidiaries
(whether or not in collaboration with another Person).
(3) “Company-Owned
IP Rights”
means
Company IP Rights that are owned or are purportedly owned by or exclusively
licensed to the Company or its Subsidiaries, including, but not limited to,
Company Registered Intellectual Property.
(4) “Company
Registered Intellectual Property”
means
all United States, international and foreign: (A) patents and patent
applications (including provisional applications all reissues, divisions,
renewals, extensions, continuations and continuations-in-part thereof); (B)
registered trademarks and service marks, applications to register trademarks
and
service marks, intent-to-use applications, and other registrations and
applications related to trademarks or service marks; and (C) registered
copyrights and applications for copyright registration.
(ii) The
Company IP Rights are sufficient for the conduct of the business of the Company
and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted and as currently proposed to be
conducted by the Company or its Subsidiaries.
(iii) Reserved.
(iv) Neither
the execution and delivery or effectiveness of this Agreement nor the
performance of the Company’s obligations under this Agreement will cause the (A)
forfeiture or termination of, or give rise to a right of forfeiture or
termination of any Company-Owned IP Right, or impair the right of the Company
or
its Subsidiaries to use, possess, sell or license any Company-Owned IP Right
or
portion thereof or (B) breach of any contract governing any Company IP Rights
(the “Company
IP Rights Agreements”)
and
the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not
result in the modification, cancellation, termination, suspension of, or
acceleration of any payments with respect to the Company IP Rights Agreements,
or give any Person other than the Company or its Subsidiaries that is party
to
any Company IP Rights Agreement the right to do any of the
foregoing.
(v) Schedule
3(x)(v)
lists
all Company Registered Intellectual Property. Except as shown on Schedule
3(x)(v),
all
registration, maintenance and renewal fees currently due in connection with
such
Company Registered Intellectual Property have been paid and all documents,
recordations and certificates in connection with such Company Registered
Intellectual Property currently required to be filed have been filed with the
relevant jurisdiction or authority.
16
(vi) None
of
the Company IP Rights Agreements grants any third party exclusive rights to
or
under any Company IP Rights. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
has
brought any action, suit or proceeding for infringement or misappropriation
of
any Intellectual Property or breach of any Company IP Rights
Agreement.
(vii) Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been sued in any suit, action or
proceeding (or received any written notice or, to the knowledge of the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, threat) which involves a claim of infringement
or
misappropriation of any Intellectual Property right of any third party or which
contests the validity, ownership or right of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries to exercise any Intellectual Property Right and the Company and
its
Subsidiaries are unaware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise
to
any of the foregoing actions or proceedings.
(viii) The
Company and its Subsidiaries have taken all commercially reasonable steps to
protect and preserve the confidentiality of all confidential or nonpublic
information included in the Company IP Rights (“Confidential
Information”).
All
use, disclosure or appropriation of Confidential Information owned by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries to a third party has been pursuant to the
terms of a written contract between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
and
such third party. All use, disclosure or appropriation of Confidential
Information by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries not owned by the Company
has been pursuant to the terms of a written agreement between the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries and the owner of such Confidential Information, or is
otherwise lawful.
(ix) The
Company and its Subsidiaries has complied with all applicable laws and
regulations and their respective internal and public privacy policies relating
to the use, collection, storage, disclosure and transfer of any personally
identifiable information collected by the Company, its Subsidiaries or by third
parties having authorized access to the records of the Company and its
Subsidiaries. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement will
comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to privacy and with
the
Company’s privacy policies. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has
received a complaint regarding the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ collection,
use or disclosure of personally identifiable information.
(y) Environmental
Laws.
The
Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all
Environmental Laws (as hereinafter defined), (ii) have received all permits,
licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental
Laws
to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all
terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where, in each
of
the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply could be
reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material
Adverse Effect. The term “Environmental
Laws”
means
all federal, state, local or foreign laws relating to pollution or protection
of
human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air,
surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including,
without limitation, laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or
threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or
hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous
Materials”) into
the
environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution,
use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials,
as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands or demand letters,
injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits,
plans or regulations issued, entered, promulgated or approved
thereunder.
17
(z) Subsidiary
Rights.
Except
as set forth in Schedule
3(z),
the
Company or one of its Subsidiaries has the unrestricted right to vote, and
(subject to limitations imposed by applicable law) to receive dividends and
distributions on, all capital securities of its Subsidiaries as owned by the
Company or such Subsidiary.
(aa) Investment
Company Status.
The
Company is not, and upon consummation of the sale of the Securities will not
be,
an “investment company,” a company controlled by an “investment company” or an
“affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an
“investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended.
(bb) Tax
Status.
The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) has made or filed all foreign, federal
and state income and all other tax returns, reports and declarations required
by
any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other
governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or
determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those
being contested in good faith and (iii) has set aside on its books provision
reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for current tax periods ending
subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply.
There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing
authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company know of no basis
for any such claim. The Company is not a Passive Foreign Investment Company
(“PFIC”)
within
the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code and does not expect to become a PFIC
in
the future.
(cc) Internal
Accounting and Disclosure Controls.
The
Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting
controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are
executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations,
(ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial
statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and
to
maintain asset and liability accountability, (iii) access to assets or
incurrence of liabilities is permitted only in accordance with management’s
general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for
assets and liabilities is compared with the existing assets and liabilities
at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
difference. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such
term is defined in Rule 13a-14 under the 0000 Xxx) that are effective in
ensuring 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 rules and forms of the
SEC, including, without limitation, controls and procedures designed in to
ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports
that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is accumulated and communicated
to
the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers
and its principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely
decisions regarding required disclosure. During the twelve (12) months prior
to
the date hereof neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have received
any notice or correspondence from any accountant relating to any material
weakness in any part of the system of internal accounting controls of the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries
18
(dd) Off
Balance Sheet Arrangements.
There
is no transaction, arrangement, or other relationship between the Company or
any
of its Subsidiaries and an unconsolidated or other off balance sheet entity
that
is required to be disclosed by the Company in its 1934 Act filings and is not
so
disclosed or that otherwise would be reasonably likely to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(ee) Ranking
of Notes.
Except
as set forth on Schedule
3(ee),
no
Indebtedness of the Company is senior to the Notes in right of payment, whether
with respect to payment of redemptions, interest, damages or upon liquidation
or
dissolution or otherwise (other than with respect to purchase money security
interests on personal property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (e.g.,
equipment) in excess of $25,000 individually).
(ff) Form
S-1 or S-3 Eligibility.
The
Company is eligible to register the Conversion Shares for resale by the Buyers
using Form S-1 or Form S-3 promulgated under the 1933 Act.
(gg) Transfer
Taxes.
On the
Closing Date, all stock transfer or other taxes (other than income or similar
taxes) which are required to be paid in connection with the sale and transfer
of
the Securities to be sold to each Buyer hereunder will be, or will have been,
fully paid or provided for by the Company, and all laws imposing such taxes
will
be or will have been complied with.
(hh) Manipulation
of Price.
The
Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i)
taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in
the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to
facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for,
purchased, or paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the
Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for
soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company.
(ii) Acknowledgement
Regarding Buyers’ Trading Activity.
It is
understood and acknowledged by the Company that except as set forth in this
paragraph (i) none of the Buyers have been asked to agree, nor has any Buyer
agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities
of
the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the
Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) any Buyer, and
counter parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Buyer is a party,
directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common
Stock, and (iii) each Buyer shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with
or
control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The
Company further understands and acknowledges that one or more Buyers may engage
in hedging and/or trading activities at various times during the period that
the
Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods
that the value of the Conversion Shares are being determined and such hedging
and/or trading activities, if any, can reduce the value of the existing
stockholders’ equity interest in the Company both at and after the time the
hedging and/or trading activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges
that such aforementioned hedging and/or trading activities do not constitute
a
breach of this Agreement, the Notes, the Warrants or any of the documents
executed in connection herewith. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in
this
Section
3(ii)
shall be
deemed to allow or excuse any violation of the Buyers’ covenant in Section
4(q)
below.
19
(jj) U.S.
Real Property Holding Corporation.
The
Company is not, has never been, nor while any Securities are outstanding, will
ever become, a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of
Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company
shall so certify upon Buyer’s request.
(kk) Bank
Holding Company Act.
Neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to the Bank Holding Company
Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”)
and to
regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the
“Federal
Reserve”).
Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates owns or controls,
directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares
of
any class of voting securities or twenty-five (25%) or more of the total equity
of a bank or any equity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the
Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates
exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank
or
any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(ll) Disclosure.
All
disclosure provided to the Buyers regarding the Company, or any of its
Subsidiaries, their business and the transactions contemplated hereby, including
the Schedules to this Agreement, furnished by or on behalf of the Company is
true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
or
omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. Each press release issued by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
during the twelve (12) months preceding the date of this Agreement did not
at
the time of release contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they
were made, not misleading. No event or circumstance has occurred or information
is known by any of the Company’s officers to exist with respect to the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries or its or their business, properties, prospects,
operations or financial conditions, which, under applicable law, rule or
regulation, is legally required to have been publicly disclosed or announced
by
the Company but which has not been so publicly announced or disclosed.
4. COVENANTS.
(a) Best
Efforts.
Each
party shall use its reasonable best efforts timely to satisfy each of the
conditions to be satisfied by it as provided in Sections
6
and
7
of this
Agreement. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to
consummate the Henglong Transaction on or prior to the Determination
Date.
(b) Form
D
and Blue Sky.
The
Company agrees to file a Form D with respect to the Securities as required
under
Regulation D and to provide a copy thereof to each Buyer promptly after such
filing. The Company shall, on or before the Closing Date, take such action
as
the Company shall reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an
exemption for or to qualify the Securities for sale to the Buyers at the Closing
pursuant to this Agreement under applicable securities or “Blue Sky” laws of the
states of the United States (or to obtain an exemption from such qualification),
and shall provide evidence of any such action so taken to the Buyers on or
prior
to the Closing Date. The Company shall make all filings and reports relating
to
the offer and sale of the Securities required under applicable securities or
“Blue Sky” laws of the states of the United States following the Closing Date.
20
(c) Reporting
Status.
Until
the date on which the Investors (as defined in the Registration Rights
Agreement) shall have sold all the Conversion Shares and none of the Notes
or
Warrants is outstanding (the “Reporting
Period”),
the
Company shall timely file all reports required to be filed with the SEC pursuant
to the 1934 Act, and the Company shall not terminate its status as an issuer
required to file reports under the 1934 Act even if the 1934 Act or the rules
and regulations thereunder would permit such termination.
(d) Use
of
Proceeds.
The
Company will use the proceeds from the sale of the Notes and Warrants for
general corporate and for working capital purposes (including possible future
acquisitions) and does not currently intend to use such proceeds for (i) the
repayment of any outstanding Indebtedness of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, (ii) the redemption or repurchase of any of its or its
Subsidiaries’ equity securities (other than the Henglong Transaction) or (iii)
the settlement of any claims, actions or proceedings currently pending against
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(e) Financial
Information.
The
Company agrees to send the following to each Investor (as defined in the
Registration Rights Agreement) during the Reporting Period (i) unless the
following are filed with the SEC through XXXXX and are available to the public
through the XXXXX system, within one (1) Business Day after the filing thereof
with the SEC, a copy of its Annual Reports and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-K,
10-Q, any interim reports or any consolidated balance sheets, income statements,
stockholders’ equity statements and/or cash flow statements for any period other
than annual, any Current Reports on Form 8-K and any registration statements
(other than on Form S-8) or amendments filed pursuant to the 1933 Act, (ii)
on
the same day as the release thereof, facsimile or e-mailed copies of all press
releases issued by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and (iii) copies
of
any notices and other information made available or given to the stockholders
of
the Company generally, contemporaneously with the making available or giving
thereof to the stockholders.
(f) Listing.
The
Company shall promptly file the additional listing application and secure the
listing of all of the Registrable Securities (as defined in the Registration
Rights Agreement) upon each national securities exchange and automated quotation
system, if any, upon which the Common Stock is then listed (subject to official
notice of issuance) and shall maintain such listing of all Registrable
Securities from time to time issuable under the terms of the Transaction
Documents. The Company shall maintain the Common Stock’s authorization for
quotation on the Principal Market. Other than the properly authorized
acquisition of the Company by an unaffiliated Person, neither the Company nor
any of its Subsidiaries shall take any action which would be reasonably expected
to result in the delisting or suspension of the Common Stock on the Principal
Market. The Company shall pay all fees and expenses in connection with
satisfying its obligations under this Section
4(f).
21
(g) Fees.
Each
party to this Agreement shall bear its own expenses in connection with the
sale
of the Securities to the Buyers.
(h) Pledge
of Securities.
The
Company acknowledges and agrees that the Securities may be pledged by an
Investor in connection with a bona fide margin agreement or other loan or
financing arrangement that is secured by the Securities. The pledge of
Securities shall not be deemed to be a transfer, sale or assignment of the
Securities hereunder, and no Investor effecting a pledge of Securities shall
be
required to provide the Company with any notice thereof or otherwise make any
delivery to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or any other Transaction
Document, including, without limitation, Section
2(f)
hereof;
provided
that an
Investor and its pledgee shall be required to comply with the provisions of
Section
2(f)
hereof
in order to effect a sale, transfer or assignment of Securities to such pledgee.
The Company hereby agrees to execute and deliver such documentation as a pledgee
of the Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge of the
Securities to such pledgee by an Investor or such other documentation as may
be
reasonably requested by any Buyer effecting a pledge of securities in connection
with a bona fide margin account or other loan or financing agreement as
contemplated under Section
2(f)
or any
financial agent of such Buyer.
(i) Disclosure
of Transactions and Other Material Information.
On or
before the first Business Day following the Closing Date or a Termination Event,
the Company shall issue a press release and file a Current Report on Form 8-K
describing the terms of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction
Documents, including without limitation the terms of the Closing or a
Termination Event, as applicable, in the form required by the 1934 Act (the
“8-K
Filing”).
From
and after the filing of the 8-K Filing with the SEC, no Buyer shall be in
possession of any material, nonpublic information received from the Company,
any
of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, employees
or
agents, that is not disclosed in the 8-K Filing. The Company shall not, and
shall cause each of its Subsidiaries and its and each of their respective
officers, directors, employees and agents, not to, provide any Buyer with any
material, nonpublic information regarding the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
from and after the filing of the 8-K Filing with the SEC without the express
written consent of such Buyer. If a Buyer has, or believes it has, received
any
such material, nonpublic information regarding the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, it shall provide the Company with written notice thereof. The
Company shall, within two (2) Trading Days (as defined in the Notes) of receipt
of such notice, make public disclosure of such material, nonpublic information.
In the event of a breach of the foregoing covenant by the Company, any of its
Subsidiaries, or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees
and agents, in addition to any other remedy provided herein or in the
Transaction Documents, a Buyer shall have the right to make a public disclosure,
in the form of a press release, public advertisement or otherwise, of such
material, nonpublic information without the prior approval by the Company,
its
Subsidiaries, or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees
or agents. No Buyer shall have any liability to the Company, its Subsidiaries,
or any of its or their respective officers, directors, employees, stockholders
or agents for any such disclosure. Subject to the foregoing, neither the
Company, its Subsidiaries nor any Buyer shall issue any press releases or any
other public statements with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby;
provided,
however,
that
the Company shall be entitled, without the prior approval of any Buyer, to
make
any press release or other public disclosure with respect to such transactions
(i) in substantial conformity with the 8-K Filing and contemporaneously
therewith and (ii) as is required by applicable law and regulations
(provided
that in
the case of clause (i) each Buyer shall be consulted by the Company in
connection with any such press release or other public disclosure prior to
its
release). Without the prior written consent of any applicable Buyer, neither
the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates shall disclose the name of
such Buyer in any filing, announcement, release or otherwise.
22
(j) Restriction
on Redemption and Cash Dividends.
So long
as at least ten percent (10%) of the Aggregate Principal of the Notes are
outstanding, the Company shall not, directly or indirectly, redeem, or declare
or pay any cash dividend or distribution on, the Common Stock without the prior
express written consent of the holders of Notes representing not less than
a
majority of the aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding
Notes.
(k) Additional
Notes; Variable Securities; Dilutive Issuances.
So long
as at least ten percent (10%) of the Aggregate Principal of the Notes are
outstanding, the Company will not issue any Notes other than to the Buyers
as
contemplated hereby. The Company shall not issue any other securities that
would
cause a breach or default under the Notes. For so long as any Notes remain
outstanding, the Company shall not, in any manner, issue or sell any rights,
warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase Common Stock or directly or
indirectly convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock
at a
price which varies or may vary with the market price of the Common Stock,
including by way of one or more reset(s) to any fixed price unless the
conversion, exchange or exercise price of any such security cannot be less
than
the then applicable Conversion Price (as defined in the Notes) with respect
to
the Note Conversion Shares. For so long as any Notes remain outstanding, the
Company shall not, in any manner, enter into or affect any Dilutive Issuance
(as
defined in the Notes) if the effect of such Dilutive Issuance is to cause the
Company to be required to issue upon conversion of any Note any shares of Common
Stock in excess of that number of shares of Common Stock which the Company
may
issue upon conversion of the Notes without breaching the Company’s obligations
under the rules or regulations of the Principal Market (as defined in the
Registration Rights Agreement).
(l) Corporate
Existence.
So long
as any Buyer beneficially owns any Securities, the Company shall not be party
to
any Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Notes) unless the Company is
in
compliance with the applicable provisions governing Fundamental Transactions
set
forth in the Notes.
(m) Reservation
of Shares.
So long
as any Buyer owns any Securities, the Company shall take all action
necessary
to have
reserved from its duly authorized capital stock not less than 120% of the
maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes
(without taking into account any limitations on the conversion of the Notes
set
forth in the Notes) issued at the Closing.
(n) Conduct
of Business.
The
business of the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be conducted in violation
of any law, ordinance or regulation of any governmental entity, except where
such violations would not result, either individually or in the aggregate,
in a
Material Adverse Effect.
23
(o) Additional
Issuances of Securities.
(i) For
purposes of this Section
4(o),
the
following definitions shall apply.
(1) “Approved
Stock Plan”
means
any employee benefit plan which has been or is hereafter approved by the Board
of Directors of the Company, pursuant to which the Company’s securities may be
issued to any employee, officer or director or other service provider for
services provided to the Company.
(2) “Closing
Bid Price”
a
means, for any security as of any date, the last closing bid price and last
closing trade price, respectively, for such security on the Principal Market,
as
reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Principal Market begins to operate on an
extended hours basis and does not designate the closing bid price or the closing
trade price, as the case may be, then the last bid price or last trade price,
respectively, of such security prior to 4:00:00 p.m., New York Time, as reported
by Bloomberg, or, if the Principal Market is not the principal securities
exchange or trading market for such security, the last closing bid price or
last
trade price, respectively, of such security on the principal securities exchange
or trading market where such security is listed or traded as reported by
Bloomberg, or if the foregoing do not apply, the last closing bid price or
last
trade price, respectively, of such security in the over-the-counter market
on
the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, or,
if
no closing bid price or last trade price, respectively, is reported for such
security by Bloomberg, the average of the bid prices, or the ask prices,
respectively, of any market makers for such security as reported in the “pink
sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If
the Closing Bid Price or the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a
security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Bid
Price or the Closing Sale Price, as the case may be, of such security on such
date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and
the Holder. All such determinations to be appropriately adjusted for any stock
dividend, stock split, stock combination, reclassification or similar
transaction during the applicable calculation period.
(3) “Common
Stock Equivalents”
means,
collectively, Options and Convertible Securities.
(4) “Convertible
Securities”
means
any stock or securities (other than Options) convertible into or exercisable
or
exchangeable for Common Stock.
(5) “Excluded
Securities”
means:
(i) as a stock dividend to holders of Common Stock or upon any subdivision
or
combination of shares of Common Stock; (ii) in connection with any Approved
Stock Plan; (iii) any securities issued to the seller as consideration for
the
acquisition of another entity by the Company by merger or share exchange
(whereby the Company owns no less than 51% of the voting power of the surviving
entity) or purchase of substantially all of such entity’s stock or assets; (iv)
any securities issued in connection with a license, strategic partnership,
joint
venture or other similar agreement, provided
that the
purpose of such arrangement is not primarily the raising of capital; (v) upon
exercise of warrants issued as a part of the issuance of straight debt
securities (with no equity or equity-linked feature) issued to a financial
institution or lender in connection with a bank loan, credit, lease, or other
debt transaction with such financial institution or lender (where warrant
coverage is not greater than 5% of the Loan Amount); or (vi) upon conversion
of
any Options or Convertible Securities which are outstanding on the day
immediately preceding the Closing Date, provided
that the
terms of such Options or Convertible Securities are not amended, modified or
changed on or after the Closing Date.
24
(6) “Options”
means
any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase Common Stock or
Convertible Securities.
(7) “Trading
Day”
means
any day on which the Common Stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or,
if
the Nasdaq Capital Market is not the principal trading market for the Common
Stock, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which
the Common Stock is then traded; provided
that
“Trading Day” shall not include any day on which the Common Stock is scheduled
to trade on such exchange or market for less than 4.5 hours or any day that
the
Common Stock is suspended from trading during the final hour of trading on
such
exchange or market (or if such exchange or market does not designate in advance
the closing time of trading on such exchange or market, then during the hour
ending at 4:00 p.m., New York City Time).
(ii) Except
for the permitted issuances set forth on Schedule
4(o),
from
the date hereof until the date that is ninety (90) days after the Closing Date
(the “Trigger
Date”),
the
Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, grant any option to
purchase, or otherwise dispose of (or announce any offer, sale, grant or any
option to purchase or other disposition of) any of its or its Subsidiaries’
equity or equity equivalent securities, including without limitation any debt,
preferred stock or other instrument or security that is, at any time during
its
life and under any circumstances, convertible into or exchangeable or
exercisable for shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (any such
offer, sale, grant, disposition or announcement other than such permitted
issuances being referred to as a “Subsequent
Placement”).
For
avoidance of doubt, the Henglong Transaction described on Schedule
4(o)
shall
also be considered a carve-out to all applicable representations and warranties
of the Company hereunder.
(iii) From
the
Closing Date until the third anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company will
not, directly or indirectly, effect any Subsequent Placement unless the Company
shall have first complied with this Section
4(o)(iii).
(1) The
Company shall deliver to each Buyer an irrevocable written notice (the
“Offer
Notice”)
of any
proposed or intended issuance or sale or exchange for which a term sheet has
been signed or an equivalent understanding has been reached (the “Offer”)
of the
securities being offered (the “Offered
Securities”)
in a
Subsequent Placement, which Offer Notice shall (w) identify and describe the
Offered Securities, (x) describe the price and other terms upon which they
are
to be issued, sold or exchanged, and the number or amount of the Offered
Securities to be issued, sold or exchanged, (y) identify the persons or entities
(if known) to which or with which the Offered Securities are to be offered,
issued, sold or exchanged and (z) offer to issue and sell to or exchange with
such Buyers 30% of the Offered Securities, allocated among such Buyers (a)
based
on such Buyer’s pro rata portion of Notes purchased hereunder (the “Basic
Amount”),
and
(b) with respect to each Buyer that elects to purchase its Basic Amount, any
additional portion of the Offered Securities attributable to the Basic Amounts
of other Buyers as such Buyer shall indicate it will purchase or acquire from
any amount which may become available as a result of other Buyers subscribing
for less than their Basic Amounts (the “Undersubscription
Amount”).
25
(2) To
accept
an Offer, in whole or in part, such Buyer must deliver a written notice to
the
Company prior to the end of the fifteenth (15th)
Business Day after such Buyer’s receipt of the Offer Notice (the “Offer
Period”),
setting forth the portion of such Buyer’s Basic Amount that such Buyer elects to
purchase and, if such Buyer shall elect to purchase all of its Basic Amount,
the
Undersubscription Amount, if any, that such Buyer elects to purchase (in either
case, the “Notice
of Acceptance”).
If
the Basic Amounts subscribed for by all eligible Buyers are less than the total
of all of the Basic Amounts, then each Buyer who has set forth an
Undersubscription Amount in its Notice of Acceptance shall be entitled to
purchase, in addition to the Basic Amounts subscribed for, the Undersubscription
Amount it has subscribed for; provided,
however,
that if
the Undersubscription Amounts subscribed for exceed the difference between
the
total of all the Basic Amounts and the Basic Amounts subscribed for (the
“Available
Undersubscription Amount”),
each
Buyer who has subscribed for any Undersubscription Amount shall be entitled
to
purchase only that portion of the Available Undersubscription Amount as the
Basic Amount of such Buyer bears to the total Basic Amounts of all eligible
Buyers that have subscribed for Undersubscription Amounts, subject to rounding
by the Company to the extent its deems reasonably necessary.
(3) The
Company shall have thirty (30) business days from the expiration of the Offer
Period above to offer, issue, sell or exchange all or any part of such Offered
Securities as to which a Notice of Acceptance has not been given by the eligible
Buyers
(the
“Refused
Securities”),
but
only to the offerees described in the Offer Notice (if so described therein)
and
only upon terms and conditions (including, without limitation, unit prices
and
interest rates) that are not more favorable to the acquiring person or persons
or less favorable to the Company than those set forth in the Offer
Notice.
(4) In
the
event the Company shall propose to sell less than all the Refused Securities
(any such sale to be in the manner and on the terms specified in Section
4(o)(iii)(3)
above),
then each Buyer may, at its sole option and in its sole discretion but only
within 5 business days after receiving notice of the Company’s reduction, reduce
the number or amount of the Offered Securities specified in its Notice of
Acceptance to an amount that shall be not less than the number or amount of
the
Offered Securities that such Buyer
elected
to purchase pursuant to Section
4(o)(iii)(2)
above
multiplied by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which shall be the number or
amount of Offered Securities the Company actually proposes to issue, sell or
exchange (including Offered Securities to be issued or sold to Buyers
pursuant to Section
4(o)(iii)(3)
above
prior to such reduction) and (ii) the denominator of which shall be the original
amount of the Offered Securities. In the event that any Buyer
so
elects to reduce the number or amount of Offered Securities specified in its
Notice of Acceptance, the Company may not issue, sell or exchange more than
the
reduced number or amount of the Offered Securities unless and until such
securities have again been offered to the Buyers in accordance with Section
4(o)(iii)(1)
above.
(5) Upon
the
closing of the issuance, sale or exchange of all or less than all of the Refused
Securities, the Buyers
shall
promptly acquire from the Company, and the Company shall issue to the
Buyers,
the
number or amount of Offered Securities specified in the Notices of Acceptance,
as reduced pursuant to Section
4(o)(iii)(4)
above if
the Buyers
have so
elected, upon the terms and conditions specified in the Offer. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, even if the Company does
not consummate the closing of the issuance, sale or exchange of all or less
than
all of the Refused Securities within thirty (30) business days of the expiration
of the Offer Period, the Company shall issue to the Buyers
the
number or amount of Offered Securities specified in the Notices of Acceptance,
as reduced pursuant to Section
4(o)(iii)(4)
above if
the Buyers
have so
elected, upon the terms and conditions specified in the Offer. The purchase
by
the Buyers
of any
Offered Securities shall be on substantially the same terms, conditions and
documentation as applicable to the issuance, sale or exchange of the Refused
Securities, but if there has been no such issuance, sale or exchange of Refused
Securities then the purchase by the Buyers shall be subject in all cases to
the
preparation, execution and delivery by the Company and the Buyers
of a
purchase agreement relating to such Offered Securities reasonably satisfactory
in form and substance to the Buyers
and
their respective counsel.
26
(6) Any
Offered Securities not acquired by the Buyers
or
other persons in accordance with Section
4(o)(iii)(3)
above
may not be issued, sold or exchanged until they are again offered to the
eligible Buyers
under
the procedures specified in this Agreement.
(iv) The
restrictions contained in Sections
4(o)(ii)
and
4(o)(iii)
above
shall not apply in connection with the issuance of any Excluded Securities.
(v) Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Section
4(o),
in
connection with any Subsequent Placement involving a public primary offering,
the Company shall deliver the Offer Notice to the Buyers
on the
later of (i) five (5) business days prior to the proposed pricing of the
Subsequent Placement or (ii) the commencement of marketing of the Subsequent
Placement, but in no event less than one (1) business day prior to the proposed
pricing date of the Subsequent Placement, and the Offer Notice shall only be
required to provide the reasonably anticipated transaction terms (but not
pricing) and description of the Offered Securities.
(p) Stockholder
Approval.
If,
pursuant to the terms of the Notes, the Buyers reasonably believe that
conversion of the Notes could violate rules of the Principal Market absent
shareholder approval, upon the request of the Required Lenders (as defined
in
the Notes), the Company shall provide each stockholder entitled to vote at
a
special or annual meeting of stockholders of the Company (the “Stockholder
Meeting”),
a
proxy statement, substantially in the form which has been previously reviewed
by
the Buyers, soliciting each such stockholder’s affirmative vote at the
Stockholder Meeting for approval of resolutions (the “Resolutions”)
providing for the Company’s ability to issue share of Common Stock in connection
with the conversion of the Securities in excess of the limitations imposed
by
the Principal Market absent stockholder approval (such affirmative approval
being referred to herein as the “Stockholder
Approval”
and
the
date such approval is obtained, the “Stockholder
Approval Date”),
and
the Company shall cause the Board of Directors of the Company to recommend
to
its stockholders that they approve the Resolutions and use its best efforts
to
solicit the stockholders’ approval of the Resolutions. If, despite the Company’s
reasonable best efforts the Stockholder Approval is not promptly obtained,
the
Company shall cause an additional Stockholder Meeting to be held each six month
period thereafter until such Stockholder Approval is obtained.
27
(q) No
New
Shorting During Reset Measurement Period.
The
Buyers agree not to directly or indirectly open or create or increase a short
or
put equivalent position (or do anything which would reasonably be expected
to
induce a counterparty to open or create or increase a short or put equivalent
position) in any securities of the Company during or within the 25 Trading
Days
before the 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, 30-, 36-, 42-, 48-, 54-, or 60-month anniversary
of the Closing if any Notes remain outstanding during such 25-Trading-Day
period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this covenant shall apply only to the
Buyer designated as the “Lead
Buyer”
on
the
Schedule of Buyers attached hereto and not any other parts of the Lead Buyer’s
organization not otherwise controlled by Lead Buyer.
5. REGISTER;
TRANSFER AGENT INSTRUCTIONS.
(a) Register.
The
Company shall maintain at its principal executive offices (or such other office
or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice to each holder of
Securities), a register for the Notes and the Warrants in which the Company
shall record the name and address of the Person in whose name the Notes and
the
Warrants have been issued (including the name and address of each transferee),
the principal amount of Notes and the exercise amount of the Warrants held
by
such Person and the number of Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion of
the
Notes and the Warrants. The Company shall keep the register open and available
at all times during business hours for inspection of any Buyer or its legal
representatives.
(b) Transfer
Agent Instructions.
The
Company shall issue irrevocable instructions to its transfer agent, and any
subsequent transfer agent, to issue certificates or credit shares to the
applicable balance accounts at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”),
registered in the name of each Buyer or its respective nominee(s), for the
Conversion Shares upon conversion of the Notes in such amounts as specified
in
such amounts as specified from time to time by each Buyer to the Company upon
conversion of the Notes in the form of Exhibit
E
(the
“Irrevocable
Transfer Agent Instructions”).
The
Company warrants that no instruction other than the Irrevocable Transfer Agent
Instructions referred to in this Section
5(b),
and
stop transfer instructions to give effect to Section
2(g)
hereof,
will be given by the Company to its transfer agent, and that the Securities
shall otherwise be freely transferable on the books and records of the Company
as and to the extent provided in this Agreement and the other Transaction
Documents, subject to applicable law. If a Buyer effects a sale, assignment
or
transfer of the Securities in accordance with Section
2(f),
the
Company shall permit the transfer and shall promptly instruct its transfer
agent
to issue one or more certificates or credit shares to the applicable balance
accounts at DTC in such name and in such denominations as specified by such
Buyer to effect such sale, transfer or assignment. In the event that such sale,
assignment or transfer involves Conversion Shares sold, assigned or transferred
pursuant to an effective registration statement or pursuant to Rule 144, the
transfer agent shall issue such Securities to the Buyer, assignee or transferee,
as the case may be, without any restrictive legend. The Company acknowledges
that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm
to
a Buyer. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a
breach of its obligations under this Section
5(b)
will be
inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the
Company of the provisions of this Section
5(b),
that a
Buyer shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an
order and/or injunction restraining any breach and requiring immediate issuance
and transfer, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any
bond or other security being required.
28
6. CLOSING
CONDITIONS OF THE COMPANY.
The
obligation of the Company hereunder to issue and sell the Notes and the Warrants
to each Buyer at the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the
Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided
that
these conditions are for the Company’s sole benefit and may be waived by the
Company at any time in its sole discretion by providing each Buyer with prior
written notice thereof:
(i) Such
Buyer shall have executed each of the Transaction Documents to which it is
a
party and delivered the same to the Company.
(ii) Such
Buyer and each other Buyer shall have delivered to the Company and the Escrow
Agent, as applicable, the Purchase Price for the Notes and Warrants being
purchased by such Buyer at the Closing by wire transfer of immediately available
funds pursuant to the wire instructions provided by the Company and the Escrow
Agent, as applicable.
(iii) The
representations and warranties of such Buyer shall be true and correct in all
material respects as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date as though
made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as
of a
specific date), and such Buyer shall have performed, satisfied and complied
in
all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required
by
this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by such Buyer at
or
prior to the Closing Date.
(iv) Such
Buyer and each other Buyer and the Escrow Agent shall have duly executed and
delivered to the Company the Escrow Agreement in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit
D.
7. CLOSING
CONDITIONS OF THE BUYERS.
The
obligations of each Buyer under this Agreement are subject to the satisfaction,
at or before the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided
that
these conditions are for each Buyer’s sole benefit and may be waived by such
Buyer at any time in its sole discretion by providing the Company with prior
written notice thereof:
(i) The
Company shall have duly executed and delivered to such Buyer (A) each of the
Transaction Documents, (B) the Notes (in such principal amounts as such Buyer
shall request being issued to such Buyer at the Closing pursuant to this
Agreement), (C) the Warrants in such exercise amounts as such Buyer shall
request being issued to such Buyer at the Closing of this Agreement, and (D)
each of the Transaction Documents, the Notes and the Warrants shall continue
to
be in full force and effect.
(ii) Such
Buyer shall have received the opinion of (i) Xxxxxx Xxxxxx LLP, the Company’s
outside counsel and (ii) Hubei Today law firm, the Company’s outside PRC counsel
(or another mutually acceptable outside PRC counsel), satisfactory to such
Buyer
in its discretion, dated as of the Closing Date.
29
(iii) The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a copy of the Irrevocable Transfer
Agent Instructions, in the form of Exhibit E
attached
hereto, which instructions shall have been delivered to and acknowledged in
writing by the Company’s transfer agent.
(iv) The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate evidencing the
formation and good standing of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries in
such
entity’s jurisdiction of formation issued by the Secretary of State (or
comparable office) of such jurisdiction, as of a date within 15 days prior
to
the Closing Date.
(v) The
Company and the Escrow Agent shall have duly executed and delivered to such
Buyer the Escrow Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
D.
(vi) The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certified copy of the Certificate
of Incorporation as certified by the Secretary of State of the State (or
comparable office of) Delaware as of the date within 15 days prior to the
Closing Date.
(vii) The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a certificate, executed by the
Secretary or Chief Financial Officer of the Company and dated as of the Closing
Date, as to (i) the resolutions consistent with Section
3(b)
as
adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors in a form reasonably acceptable to
such Buyer, (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation and (iii) the Bylaws, each
as
in effect at the Closing, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F.
(viii) The
representations and warranties of the Company shall be true and correct in
all
material respects as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date as though
made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as
of a
specific date) and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied
in
all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required
by
the Transaction Documents to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the
Company at or prior to the Closing Date. Such Buyer shall have received a
certificate, executed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer
of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, to the foregoing effect and as
to
such other matters as may be reasonably requested by such Buyer in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit
G.
(ix) The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer a letter from the Company’s transfer
agent certifying the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of a date
within 15 days prior to the Closing Date.
(x) The
Common Stock (1) shall be designated for quotation or listed on the Principal
Market and (2) shall not have been suspended, as of the Closing Date, by the
SEC
or the Principal Market from trading on the Principal Market nor shall
suspension by the SEC or the Principal Market have been threatened, as of the
Closing Date, either (A) in writing by the SEC or the Principal Market or (B)
by
falling below the minimum listing maintenance requirements of the Principal
Market.
(xi) The
Company shall have obtained all governmental, regulatory or third party consents
and approvals, if any, necessary for the sale of the Securities.
30
(xii) The
Company shall have delivered to such Buyer such other usual and customary
documents, instruments and certificates as such Buyer or its counsel may
reasonably request.
8. MISCELLANEOUS;
TERMINATION.
(a) Governing
Law; Jurisdiction; Jury Trial.
All
questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation
of this Agreement shall be governed by the internal laws of the State of New
York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision
or
rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would
cause the application of the laws of any jurisdictions other than the State
of
New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction
of
the state and federal courts sitting in The City of New York, Borough of
Manhattan, for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection
herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and
hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or
proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction
of
any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is brought in an
inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is
improper. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process
and
consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by
mailing a copy thereof to such party at the address for such notices to it
under
this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient
service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed
to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law.
EACH
PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO
REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN
CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED
HEREBY.
(b) Counterparts.
This
Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of which
shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when
counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party;
provided
that a
facsimile signature shall be considered due execution and shall be binding
upon
the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were
an
original, not a facsimile signature.
(c) Headings.
The
headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference and shall not form
part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.
(d) Severability.
If any
provision of this Agreement shall be invalid or unenforceable in any
jurisdiction, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity
or enforceability of the remainder of this Agreement in that jurisdiction or
the
validity or enforceability of any provision of this Agreement in any other
jurisdiction.
(e) Entire
Agreement; Amendments.
This
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents supersede all other prior oral
or
written agreements between the Buyers, the Company, their affiliates and Persons
acting on their behalf with respect to the matters discussed herein, and this
Agreement, the other Transaction Documents and the schedules and instruments
referenced herein and therein contain the entire understanding of the parties
with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except as
specifically set forth herein or therein, neither the Company nor any Buyer
makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to
such
matters. The Company and each Buyer confirms that the non-disclosure agreement
between the Company and each such Buyer is not superseded. No provision of
this
Agreement may be amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the
Company and the holders of at least a majority of the aggregate number of
Registrable Securities issued and issuable hereunder and under the Notes and
its
Warrants, and any amendment to this Agreement made in conformity with the
provisions of this Section
9(e)
shall be
binding on all Buyers and holders of Securities, as applicable. No provision
hereof may be waived other than by an instrument in writing signed by the party
against whom enforcement is sought. No such amendment shall be effective to
the
extent that it applies to less than all of the holders of the applicable
Securities then outstanding. No consideration shall be offered or paid to any
Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of
any
of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration also is offered
to
all of the parties to the Transaction Documents or holders of Notes and
Warrants, as the case may be. The Company has not, directly or indirectly,
made
any agreements with any Buyers relating to the terms or conditions of the
transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents except as set forth
in
the Transaction Documents. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company confirms
that, except as set forth in this Agreement, the Lead Buyer has not made any
commitment or promise nor has any other obligation to provide any financing
to
the Company.
31
(f) Notices.
Any
notices, consents, waivers or other communications required or permitted to
be
given under the terms of this Agreement must be in writing and will be deemed
to
have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, when delivered personally; (ii) upon
receipt, when sent by facsimile (provided confirmation of transmission is
mechanically or electronically generated and kept on file by the sending party);
or (iii) one Business Day after deposit with an internationally recognized
courier service, in each case properly addressed to the party to receive the
same. The addresses and facsimile numbers for such communications shall
be:
If
to the
Company:
China
Automotive Systems, Inc.
Xx.
0
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xx
Xxxx
Development Zone
Shashi
District, Xxxx Xxxx City
Hubei
Province, People’s Republic of China
Facsimile:
(00)
00-0000-0000
Attention:
Xxxxxx
Xxxx
32
With
a
copy to:
Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx LLP
0000
Xx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxx
Xxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: (000)
000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxx
If
to the
Transfer Agent:
Securities
Transfer Corporation
0000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx #000
Xxxxxx,
XX 00000
Facsimile:
(000)
000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
If
to a
Buyer, to its address and facsimile number set forth on the Schedule of Buyers,
with copies to such Buyer’s representatives as set forth on the Schedule of
Buyers, or to such other address and/or facsimile number and/or to the attention
of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by written notice
given to each other party five (5) days prior to the effectiveness of such
change. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such
notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (B) mechanically or
electronically generated by the sender’s facsimile machine containing the time,
date, recipient facsimile number and an image of the first page of such
transmission or (C) provided by an internationally recognized courier service
shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service, receipt by facsimile or
receipt from an internationally recognized courier service in accordance with
clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, respectively.
(g) Successors
and Assigns.
This
Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and
their respective successors and assigns, including any purchasers of the Notes
or Warrants. The Company shall not assign this Agreement or any rights or
obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of a majority in
interest of the holders of Registrable Securities issued and issuable hereunder,
including by way of a Fundamental Transaction (unless the Company is in
compliance with the applicable provisions governing Fundamental Transactions
set
forth in the Notes). A Buyer may assign some or all of its rights hereunder
to
any accredited investor with the consent of the Company, such consent not to
be
unreasonably withheld or delayed.
(h) No
Third Party Beneficiaries.
This
Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any
provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person.
(i) Survival.
The
representations and warranties of the Company and the Buyers contained in
Sections
2
and
3,
and the
agreements and covenants set forth in Sections
4,
5
and
8
shall
survive the Closing. Each Buyer shall be responsible only for its own
representations, warranties, agreements and covenants hereunder.
33
(j) Further
Assurances.
Each
party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further
acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements,
certificates, instruments and documents, as any other party may reasonably
request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby.
(k) Indemnification.
In
consideration of each Buyer’s execution and delivery of the Transaction
Documents and acquiring the Securities thereunder and in addition to all of
the
Company’s other obligations under the Transaction Documents, the Company shall
defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless each Buyer and each other holder
of
the Securities and all of their stockholders, partners, members, officers,
directors, employees and direct or indirect investors and any of the foregoing
Persons’ agents or other representatives (including, without limitation, those
retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement)
(collectively, the “Indemnitees”)
from
and against any and all actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs,
penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and expenses in connection therewith
(irrespective of whether any such Indemnitee is a party to the action for which
indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys’ fees
and disbursements (the “Indemnified
Liabilities”),
incurred by any Indemnitee as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to
(i)
any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by the
Company in the Transaction Documents or any other certificate, instrument or
document contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) any breach of any covenant,
agreement or obligation of the Company contained in the Transaction Documents
or
any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby
or
(iii) any cause of action, suit or claim brought or made against such Indemnitee
by a third party (including for these purposes a derivative action brought
on
behalf of the Company) and arising out of or resulting from (1) the execution,
delivery, performance or enforcement against the Company of the Transaction
Documents or any other certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby
or thereby, (2) any transaction financed or to be financed in whole or in part,
directly or indirectly, with the proceeds of the issuance of the Securities,
(3)
any disclosure made by such Buyer pursuant to Section
4(i),
or (4)
the status of such Buyer or holder of the Securities as an investor in the
Company pursuant to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Company may be unenforceable
for any reason, the Company shall make the maximum contribution to the payment
and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities that is permissible
under applicable law. Except as otherwise set forth herein, the mechanics and
procedures with respect to the rights and obligations under this Section
9(k)
shall be
the same as those set forth in Section
6
of the
Registration Rights Agreement.
(l) No
Strict Construction.
The
language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by
the
parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction
will
be applied against any party.
(m) Remedies.
Each
Buyer and each holder of the Securities shall have all rights and remedies
set
forth in the Transaction Documents and all rights and remedies which such
holders have been granted at any time under any other agreement or contract
and
all of the rights which such holders have under any law. Any Person having
any
rights under any provision of this Agreement shall be entitled to enforce such
rights specifically (without posting a bond or other security), to recover
damages by reason of any breach of any provision of this Agreement and to
exercise all other rights granted by law. Furthermore, the Company recognizes
that in the event that it fails to perform, observe, or discharge any or all
of
its obligations under the Transaction Documents, any remedy at law may prove
to
be inadequate relief to the Buyers. The Company therefore agrees that the Buyers
shall be entitled to seek temporary and permanent injunctive relief in any
such
case without the necessity of proving actual damages and without posting a
bond
or other security.
34
(n) Rescission
and
Withdrawal Right.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting
any
similar provisions of) the Transaction Documents, whenever any Buyer exercises
a
right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company
does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein
provided, then such Buyer may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from
time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand
or
election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and
rights.
(o) Payment
Set Aside.
To the
extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to the Buyers hereunder
or
pursuant to any of the other Transaction Documents or the Buyers enforce or
exercise their rights hereunder or thereunder, and such payment or payments
or
the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are
subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside,
recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise
restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any
law
(including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, foreign, state or federal
law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such
restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied
shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment
had
not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
(p) Independent
Nature of Buyers’ Obligations and Rights.
The
obligations of each Buyer under any Transaction Document are several and not
joint with the obligations of any other Buyer, and no Buyer shall be responsible
in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other Buyer under
any
Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction
Document, and no action taken by any Buyer pursuant hereto or thereto, shall
be
deemed to constitute the Buyers as, and the Company acknowledges that the Buyers
do not so constitute, a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any
other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Buyers are in any way
acting in concert or as a group, and the Company will not assert any such claim
with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the
Transaction Documents and the Company acknowledges that the Buyers are not
acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the
transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Company acknowledges
and each Buyer confirms that it has independently participated in the
negotiation of the transaction contemplated hereby with the advice of its own
counsel and advisors. Each Buyer shall be entitled to independently protect
and
enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the rights arising out of
this Agreement or out of any other Transaction Documents, and it shall not
be
necessary for any other Buyer to be joined as an additional party in any
proceeding for such purpose.
35
(q) Termination.
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement to the contrary, in the
event the Closing does not occur prior to March 31, 2008 (the “Termination
Date”),
this
Agreement may be terminated by the Lead Buyer at any time on or after the
Termination Date. In the event the Lead Buyer terminates this Agreement pursuant
to this Section
8(q),
this
Agreement shall be of no further force and effect.
[SIGNATURE
PAGES FOLLOW]
36
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
each
Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this
Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written
above.
COMPANY: | ||
CHINA
AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, INC.
|
||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxx |
||
Title:
Chairman
|
[Securities
Purchase Agreement Signature Page]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF,
each
Buyer and the Company have caused their respective signature page to this
Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written
above.
BUYERS:
|
||
XXXXXX
BROTHERS COMMERCIAL
CORPORATION
ASIA LIMITED
|
||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxx |
||
Title:
Senior Vice President
|
YA GLOBAL INVESTMENTS, L.P. | ||
By: | /s/ Yorkville Advisors, LLC, | |
Investment Manager | ||
|
|
|
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxx Xxxxxx |
||
Title:
President and Portfolio
Manager
|
[Securities
Purchase Agreement Signature Page]
SCHEDULE
OF BUYERS
Buyer
|
Address
and
Facsimile
Number
|
Aggregate
Principal
Amount
of
Notes
|
Aggregate
Warrant Exercise Amount
|
Purchase
Price of Notes and Warrants
|
Legal
Representative’s Address and Facsimile Number
|
|||||
(1)
|
(2)
|
(3)
|
(4)
|
(5)
|
(6)
|
|||||
Xxxxxx
Brothers Commercial Corporation Asia Limited
(Lead
Buyer)
|
24F,
Two International Finance Xxxxxx
0,
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx,
Xxxx Xxxx
x000-0000-0000
Attn:
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Email:
xxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
|
$30,000,000
to
be allocated as follows:
$8,571,429
for the Closing Note;
$6,428,571
for the Henglong Note; and
$15,000,000
for the Escrow Note
|
$10,000,000
to
be allocated as follows:
$5,000,000
for the Closing Warrants; and
$5,000,000
for the Escrow Warrants
|
$30,000,000
|
Xxxxxxx
Procter LLP
Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxxxxx,
XX 00000
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
Attention:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx and
Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxxx
|
|||||
YA
Global Investments, L.P.
|
c/o
Yorkville Advisors, LLC
000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
0000
Xxxxxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
(201)
985-8266
Attn:
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Email:
xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
|
$5,000,000
to
be allocated as follows:
$1,428,571
for the Closing Note;
$1,071,429
for the Henglong Note; and
$2,500,000
for the Escrow Note
|
$1,666,666
to
be allocated as follows:
$833,333
for the Closing Warrants; and
$833,333
for the Escrow Warrants
|
$5,000,000
|
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, Esq.
000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
0000
Xxxxxx
Xxxx, XX 00000
Telephone:
(000) 000-0000
Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000
|
EXHIBITS
Exhibit
A-1
|
Form
of Closing Note
|
|
Exhibit
A-2
|
Form
of Henglong Note
|
|
Exhibit
A-3
|
Form
of Escrow Note
|
|
Exhibit
B-1
|
Form
of Closing Warrant
|
|
Exhibit
B-2
|
Form
of Escrow Warrant
|
|
Exhibit
C
|
Form
of Registration Rights Agreement
|
|
Exhibit
D
|
Form
of Escrow Agreement
|
|
Exhibit
E
|
Form
of Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions
|
|
Exhibit
F
|
Form
of Secretary’s Certificate
|
|
Exhibit
G
|
Form
of Officer’s Certificate
|
SCHEDULES
Schedule
3(a)
|
Subsidiaries
|
|
Schedule
3(k)
|
SEC
Documents
|
|
Schedule
3(l)
|
Absence
of Certain Changes
|
|
Schedule
3(q)
|
Transactions
with Affiliates
|
|
Schedule
3(r)
|
Equity
Capitalization
|
|
Schedule
3(s)
|
Indebtedness
and Other Contracts
|
|
Schedule
3(t)
|
Absence
of Litigation
|
|
Schedule
3(x)(v)
|
Company
Registered Intellectual Property
|
|
Schedule
3(z)
|
Subsidiary
Rights
|
|
Ranking
of Notes
|
||
Schedule
4(o)
|
Permitted
Issuances/Transactions
|