SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This
Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated
as of December 2, 2009, between RINO International Corporation, a Nevada
corporation (the “Company”), and each
purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its
successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and
collectively, the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS,
subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to
an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the “Securities
Act”), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each
Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company,
securities of the Company as more fully described in this
Agreement.
NOW,
THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement,
and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which
are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as
follows:
ARTICLE
I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In
addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of
this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section
1.1:
“Acquiring Person”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.4.
“Action” shall have
the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“Affiliate” means any
Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls
or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are
used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Board of Directors”
means the board of directors of the Company or any committee of such board of
directors duly authorized to act for it hereunder.
“Business Day” means
any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal
holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the
State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action
to close.
“Closing” means the
closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section
2.1.
“Closing Date” means
the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and
delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i)
the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the
Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been
satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the third Trading Day following
the date hereof.
“Commission” means the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means
the common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, and any other
class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or
changed.
“Common Stock
Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries
which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock,
including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options,
warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable
or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common
Stock.
“Company Counsel”
means Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx, Professional Corporation, with
offices located at 38F, Xxxx 00-00 00 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx
000000.
“Disclosure Schedules”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1.
“Exchange Act” means
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Exempt Issuance”
means the issuance of (a) the Shares, the Warrant Shares and the Warrants, (b)
shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the
Company pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a
majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of
the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such
purpose, (c) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any
Securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable
for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the
date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended
since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to
decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such
securities, (d) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic
transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the
Company, provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the
equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an
operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the
business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in
addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in
which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising
capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities, (e)
shares of Common Stock by reason of a stock split, combination or dividend, (f)
securities issued to banks, equipment lessors or other financial institutions in
connection with loans made to the Company, (g) securities issued to suppliers or
third party service providers in connection with the provision of goods and
services (the primary purpose of which is not to raise equity capital) or (h)
securities issued or issuable in connection with sponsored research,
collaboration, technology license, development, OEM, marketing or other similar
agreements or strategic partnerships approved by the board of directors of the
Company.
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“GAAP” shall have the
meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Indebtedness” shall
have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(aa).
“Intellectual Property
Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
3.1(o).
“Liens” means a lien,
charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right
or other restriction.
“Material Adverse
Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section
3.1(b).
“Material Permits”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).
“Per Share Purchase
Price” equals $30.75.
“Person” means an
individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated
association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company,
government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any
kind.
“Proceeding” means an
action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation,
an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether
commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the
final prospectus filed in connection with the Registration
Statement.
“Prospectus
Supplement” means the supplement to the Prospectus complying with Rule
424(b) of the Securities Act that is filed with the Commission and delivered by
the Company to each Purchaser at the Closing.
“Purchaser Party”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.7.
“Registration
Statement” means the effective registration statement of the Company with
Commission on Form S-3, file No. 333-162373, including the additional shares
included on the registration statement on Form S-3MEF under Rule 462(b) under the
Securities Act filed in connection therewith, with respect to the Shares,
the Warrants and the Warrant Shares.
“Required Approvals”
shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
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“Rule 424” means Rule
424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule
may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or
regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same
purpose and effect as such Rule.
“SEC Reports” shall
have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the
Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares.
“Securities Act” means
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Series A Warrants”
means, collectively, the Series A Common Stock Purchase Warrants delivered to
the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof,
which shall be exercisable commencing on the Closing Date and have a term of
exercise equal to six months from the Closing Date, in the form of Exhibit A attached
hereto.
“Series B Warrants”
means, collectively, the Series B Common Stock Purchase Warrants delivered to
the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which
shall be exercisable commencing on the six month one day anniversary of the
Closing Date and terminate one year and one day from the Closing Date, in the
form of Exhibit
A attached hereto.
“Shares” means the
shares of Common Stock issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this
Agreement.
“Short Sales” means
all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange
Act (but shall not be deemed to include the location and/or reservation of
borrowable shares of Common Stock).
“Subscription Amount”
means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Shares and
Warrants purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the
signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,”
in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Subsidiary” means
each “significant subsidiary” of the Company, as such term is defined by Item
1-02(w) of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act, as set forth on
Schedule 3.1(a)
and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of
the Company that is a “significant subsidiary” formed or acquired after the date
hereof.
“Trading Day” means a
day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means
any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or
quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE AMEX, the Nasdaq Capital
Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York
Stock Exchange or the OTC Bulletin Board (or any successors to any of the
foregoing).
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“Transaction Disclosure
Time” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
4.3.
“Transaction
Documents” means this Agreement, the Warrants, all exhibits and schedules
thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection
with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means
Securities Transfer Corporation, the current transfer agent of the Company, with
a mailing address of 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxx, XX00000 and a facsimile
number of (000) 000-0000, and any successor transfer agent of the
Company.
“Variable Rate
Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
4.10(b).
“Warrants” means the
Series A Warrants and the Series B Warrants.
“Warrant Shares” means
the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
“WS” means Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx LLP with offices located at 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000.
ARTICLE
II.
PURCHASE
AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On
the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein,
substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by
the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally
and not jointly, agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of
$100,000,000 of Shares along with Warrants to purchase Common Stock as provided
hereunder. Each Purchaser shall deliver to the Company via wire
transfer or a certified check of immediately available funds equal to such
Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto
executed by such Purchaser, and the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its
respective Shares and a Warrant, as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), and
the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in
Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the
covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall
occur at the offices of WS or such other location as the parties shall mutually
agree.
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On
or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered
to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this
Agreement duly executed by the Company;
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(ii) a
legal opinion of Company Counsel, substantially in the form of Exhibit B attached
hereto;
(iii) a
copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Company’s transfer agent instructing
the transfer agent to deliver via the Depository Trust Company Deposit
Withdrawal Agent Commission System (“DWAC”) Shares equal to such Purchaser’s
Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price, registered in the
name of such Purchaser;
(iv) a
Series A Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a
number of shares of Common Stock equal to 35% of the Shares issuable to
the Purchaser on the Closing Date, with an exercise price equal to $34.50;
(v) a
Series B Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a
number of shares of Common Stock equal to 35% of the Shares issuable to
the Purchaser on the Closing Date, with an exercise price equal to $34.50; and
(vi) the
Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement
(b) On
or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be
delivered to the Company the following:
(i) this
Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such
Purchaser’s Subscription Amount by wire transfer to the account as specified in
writing by the Company.
2.3 Closing
Conditions.
(a) The
obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject
to the following conditions being met:
(i) the
accuracy in all material respects on the Closing Date of the representations and
warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date
therein);
(ii) all
obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed
at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and
(iii) the
delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this
Agreement.
(b) The
respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the
Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
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(i) the
accuracy in all material respects when made and on the Closing Date of the
representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a
specific date therein);
(ii) all
obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at
or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;
(iii) the
delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this
Agreement;
(iv) there
shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the
date hereof; and
(v) from
the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have
been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal Trading Market
(except for any suspension of trading of limited duration agreed to by the
Company, which suspension shall be terminated prior to the Closing), and, at any
time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by
Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall
not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such
service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been
declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall
there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other
national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any
material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the
reasonable good faith judgment of each Purchaser, makes it impracticable or
inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Closing.
ARTICLE
III.
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and
Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports,
including the Registration Statement and Prospectus Supplement, or the
Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed part hereof and
shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein, the Company hereby
makes the following representations and warranties to each
Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. All
of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on Schedule
3.1(a). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the
capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any
Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each
Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of
preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase
securities. If the Company has no subsidiaries, all other references
to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be
disregarded.
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(b) Organization and
Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an
entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or
organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its
properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently
conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation or
default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of
incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter
documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified
to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other
entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or
property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the
failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, would not
have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on
the results of operations, assets, business or condition (financial or
otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (ii) a
material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material
respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (either
of (i) or(ii), a “Material Adverse
Effect”), provided that none of
the following alone shall be deemed to constitute a Material Adverse Effect: (a)
a change in the market price of the Common Stock or (b) changes in general
economic conditions or changes affecting the industry or region in which the
Company operates. To the Company’s knowledge, no Proceeding has been
instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking
to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or
qualification.
(c) Authorization;
Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and
authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by each
of the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations
hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of each of the
Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the
transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all
necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by
the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection
therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. Each
Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have
been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the
terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of
the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms,
except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general
application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as
limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive
relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and
contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No
Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the
Company of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities
and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby
to which it is a party do not and will not: (i) conflict with or violate any
provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of
incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, (ii)
conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of
time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien
upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give
to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation
(with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit
facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or
otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a
party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is
bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or
result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction,
decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the
Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws
and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a
Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and
(iii), such as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
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(e) Filings, Consents and
Approvals. Except as would not have or reasonably be expected
to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company is not required to obtain
any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any
filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other
governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other
than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.3 of this Agreement, (ii)
the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus Supplement, (iii)
application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the
Securities for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby and (iv)
such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws
(collectively, the “Required
Approvals”).
(f) Issuance of the Securities;
Registration. The Securities are duly authorized and, when
issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents,
will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of
all Liens imposed by the Company. The Warrant Shares, when issued in
accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid
and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the
Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital
stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this
Agreement and the Warrants. The Company has prepared and filed the Registration
Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which
became effective on November 25, 2009 (the “Effective Date”),
including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may
have been required to the date of this Agreement. The Registration
Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or
preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the
Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required
by the rules and regulations of the Commission, proposes to file the Prospectus,
with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the
Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the date
of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any
amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the
requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and
the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at time the Prospectus
or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date,
conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the
Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading.
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(g) Capitalization. The
Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic
report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee
stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of shares of
Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase
plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents
outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the
Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive
right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the
transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a
result of the purchase and sale of the Securities, there are no outstanding
options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any
character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any
right to subscribe for or acquire any shares of Common Stock, or contracts,
commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any
Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or
Common Stock Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Securities
will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other
securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not result in a
right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion,
exchange or reset price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding
shares of capital stock of the Company are validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state
securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of
any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase
securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder,
the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the
Securities. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements
or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which
the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any
of the Company’s stockholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial
Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules,
forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under
the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter
period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material)
(the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents
incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the
Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a
timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has
filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension; provided that the
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on November 16,
2009 shall be deemed to cure any defect in the timeliness of the Company’s SEC
Reports. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in
all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the
Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, 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; provided that the
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on November 16,
2009 shall be deemed to cure any defect in the accuracy of the Company’s SEC
Reports. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC
Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements
and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in
effect at the time of filing (or, if subsequently amended, restated or
supplemented, at the time of the filing of such amendment, restatement or
supplement). Such financial statements have been prepared in
accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied
on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may
be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and
except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes
required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial
position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the
dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then
ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial,
year-end audit adjustments.
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(i) Material Changes;
Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the
date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports,
except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the
date hereof: (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had
or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect,
(ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise)
other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary
course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not
required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP
or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not
altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any
dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or
purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of
its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to
any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock
option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission
any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the
issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement, no event, liability,
fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists, or is
reasonably expected to occur or exist, with respect to the Company or its
Subsidiaries or their respective business, properties, operations, assets or
financial condition, that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under
applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed
made that has not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the
date that this representation is made.
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(j) Litigation. There
is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the
Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any
court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority
(federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which (i)
materially and adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or
enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii)
could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any
Subsidiary, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any director or officer thereof, is
or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or
liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of
fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the
Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the
Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of
the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other
order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the
Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities
Act.
(k) Labor
Relations. No material labor dispute exists or, to the
knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of
the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a
member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company
or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a
party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries
believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To
the Company’s knowledge, no executive officer is, or is now expected to be, in
violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality,
disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or
any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any
third party, 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. The Company and its Subsidiaries are
in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and
regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and
conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in
compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected
to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and
no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of
time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under),
nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in
default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit
agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by
which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or
violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree, or
order of any court, arbitrator or governmental body or (iii) is or has been in
violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental
authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local
laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and
safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in
each case as would not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
12
(m) Regulatory
Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all
certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal,
state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their
respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure
to possess such permits would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”),
and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material
Permit.
(n) Title to
Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and
marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and
marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the
business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all
Liens, except for Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property
and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of
such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and Liens for the payment of
federal, state or other taxes, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor
subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under
lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid,
subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries
are in compliance.
(o) Patents and
Trademarks. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have
rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark
applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights,
licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights as described
in the SEC Reports as necessary or material for use in connection with their
respective businesses and which the failure to so have would have a Material
Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual
Properties”; and the right of use thereof, collectively, the “Intellectual Property
Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual
Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned. Except as
set forth in Schedule
3.1(o), none of the patents of the Company or the Subsidiaries is
expected to expire or terminate within two (2) years from the date of this
Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since
the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC
Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the
Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person,
except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge
of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there
is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual
Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken
reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value
of the Intellectual Properties, except where failure to do so would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
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(p) Transactions With Affiliates
and Employees. None of the officers or directors of the
Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the
Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any
Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors),
including any 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 officer,
director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in
which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or
is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000
other than for: (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered,
(ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii)
other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock
option plan of the Company.
(q) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx; Internal
Accounting Controls. 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 Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date
hereof and as of the Closing Date except where such noncompliance would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(r) Certain
Fees. No brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will
be payable by the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant,
finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to
the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(s) Investment Company.
The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of
payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment
company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that
it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(t) Registration
Rights. No Person has any right to cause the Company to effect
the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the
Company.
(u) Listing and Maintenance
Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to
Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action
designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of,
terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has
the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating
terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months
preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the
Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is
not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading
Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the
foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and
maintenance requirements.
14
(v) Application of Takeover
Protections. The Company and the 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 Company’s
certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its
state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a
result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or
exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without
limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the
Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.
(w) Disclosure. Except
with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents as set forth in Section 4.5 hereof,
the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf
has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any
information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material,
non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus
Supplement. The Company understands and confirms that the
Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions
in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or
on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company, its business
and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to
this Agreement, is true and correct in all material respects 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 light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company
acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations
or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than
those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(x) No Integrated
Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and
warranties set forth in Section 3.2, and the confirmation from Xxxxxx &
Xxxxxxx, LLC set forth in Schedule 3.1(x) and the confirmation from Xxxxxxxxxxx
& Co. Inc. set forth in Schedule 3.1(x)(2), neither the Company, nor any of
its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or
indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to
buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the
Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of
any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which
any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(y) Tax
Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary (i) has made or filed all United States
federal and state income and all foreign income and franchise 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 and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate
for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to
which such returns, reports or declarations apply. Except as would
not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, 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 or of any Subsidiary know of
no basis for any such claim.
15
(z) Foreign Corrupt
Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the
Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company, has: (i)
directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts,
entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic
political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic
government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political
parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any
contribution made by the Company (or made by any person acting on its behalf of
which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law or (iv) violated in any
material respect any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as
amended.
(aa) Acknowledgment Regarding
Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges
that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company
(or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the
transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any
of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction
Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the
Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further
represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the
independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company
and its representatives.
(bb) Acknowledgment Regarding
Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or
elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(e) and
4.13 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of
the Purchasers have been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser
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) past or future
open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including,
without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after
the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively
impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities, (iii) any
Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such
Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, may presently have a “short”
position in the Common Stock and (iv) each Purchaser 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 (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at
various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including,
without limitation, during the periods that the value of the Warrant Shares
deliverable with respect to Securities are being determined, and (z) such
hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders'
equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging
activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such
aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the
Transaction Documents.
16
(cc) Regulation M
Compliance. 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, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii),
compensation paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the
placement of the Securities.
(dd) Stock Option Plans.
Each stock option granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan
was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan
and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the
Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under
GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock
option plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly
granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly
grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of
stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material
information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results
or prospects.
(ee) Office of Foreign Assets
Control. Neither the Company nor, to the Company's knowledge,
any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is currently
subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets
Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).
(ff) Money
Laundering. The operations of the Company are and have been
conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping
and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting
Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable
rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering
Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or
governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company
with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened.
3.2 Representations and
Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and
for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and
as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date
therein):
(a) Organization;
Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity
duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its organization with full right, corporate or partnership power
and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and
thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and performance by such
Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have been duly
authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or
similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each
Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such
Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms
hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such
Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as
limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to
the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable
remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be
limited by applicable law.
17
(b) Understandings or
Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as
principal for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or
reselling such Securities or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act
or any applicable state securities law, has no present intention of distributing
any of such Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable
state securities law and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings
with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such
Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities
law (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to
sell the Securities in compliance with applicable federal and state securities
laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the
ordinary course of its business.
(c) Purchaser
Status. Such Purchaser is not registered or required to be
registered as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act
(d) Experience of Such
Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its
representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business
and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of
its investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of
such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of
an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a
complete loss of such investment.
(e) Certain Transactions and
Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions
contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not directly or indirectly, nor has
any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such
Purchaser, executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the
securities of the Company or any other derivative transactions that limit the
economic risk of ownership of any of the Securities during the period commencing
as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral)
as of the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the
material terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately
prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the
case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate
portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the
portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by
the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the
representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of
assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to
purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to
other Persons party to this Agreement, such Purchaser has maintained the
confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this
transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction) to the
extent that such actions comply with applicable federal and state securities
laws.
18
The
Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in Section
3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the
Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any
other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this
Agreement or the consummation of the transaction contemplated
hereby.
ARTICLE
IV.
OTHER
AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Warrant
Shares. If all or any portion of a Warrant is exercised at a
time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance or
resale of the Warrant Shares or if the Warrant is exercised via cashless
exercise at a time as permitted therein and the Warrant has been held for at
least six months, the Warrant Shares issued pursuant to any such exercise shall
be issued free of all legends. If at any time following the date
hereof the Registration Statement (or any subsequent registration statement
registering the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares) is not effective or is not
otherwise available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares, the Company
shall immediately notify the holders of the Warrants in writing that such
registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly
notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and
available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares (it being understood and
agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue,
or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Warrant Shares in compliance with
applicable federal and state securities laws). The Company shall use
best efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration
Statement) registering the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares effective
during the term of the Warrants.
4.2 Integration. The
Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise
negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities
Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for
purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would
require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction
unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent
transaction.
4.3 Securities Laws Disclosure;
Publicity. The Company shall, by 10:00 a.m. (New York City
time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof (the “Transaction Disclosure
Time”), issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the
transactions contemplated hereby and on or before the fourth Trading Day
following the date hereof file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Commission
containing such press release and including the Transaction Documents as
exhibits thereto. From and after the Transaction Disclosure Time, the
Company shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information
delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or
any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents in connection
with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents as set forth in
Section 4.4 hereof. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with
each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions
contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any
such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the
prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any
Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any
press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld
or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the
disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of
such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or
include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any
regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such
Purchaser, except: (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with
the filing of final Transaction Documents (including signature pages thereto)
with the Commission and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or
Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the
Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b);
provided that
in no event will such notice contain material, non-public information as set
forth in Section 4.5 hereof.
19
4.4 Shareholder Rights
Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or,
with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an
“Acquiring
Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison
pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar
anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company,
or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan
or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction
Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the
Purchasers.
4.5 Non-Public
Information. Except with respect to the material terms and
conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the
Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its
behalf, will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information
that the Company believes constitutes material non-public information, unless
prior thereto such Purchaser shall have executed a written agreement with the
Company regarding the confidentiality and use of such
information. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser
shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in
securities of the Company.
4.6 Use of
Proceeds. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.6 attached
hereto, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities
hereunder for working capital purposes and shall not use such proceeds for: (a)
the settlement of any outstanding litigation or (b) in violation of the FCPA or
OFAC regulations.
20
4.7 Indemnification of
Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section
4.7, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors,
officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other
Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles
notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who
controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act
and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders,
agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a
functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a
lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a
“Purchaser
Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations,
claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments,
amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and
costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a
result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations,
warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or (b)
any action instituted against a Purchaser in any capacity, or any of them or
their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an
Affiliate of such Purchaser, with respect to any of the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless in either case such action is
based upon a breach of such Purchaser’s representations, warranties or covenants
under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such
Purchaser may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such Purchaser
of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser which
constitutes fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or
malfeasance). If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser
Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement,
such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the
Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its
own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any
Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such
action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such
counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent
that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company
in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to
assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in
the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue
between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in
which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses
of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be
liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a
Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which
shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to
the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any
Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or
agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other
Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section
4.7 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course
of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred.
The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of
action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others,
and (y) any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to
law.
4.8 Reservation of Common
Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company
shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive
rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of
enabling the Company to issue Shares pursuant to this Agreement and Warrant
Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Warrants.
4.9 Listing of Common
Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use its commercially reasonable
efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading
Market on which it is currently listed, and within 5 calendar days following the
Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Shares and Warrant
Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the
Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if
the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market,
it will then include in such application all of the Shares and Warrant Shares,
and will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause all of the Shares and
Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly
as possible. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to
continue the listing or quotation and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading
Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and
other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market
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4.10 Subsequent Equity
Sales.
(a) From
the date hereof until thirty (30) days after the Closing Date, neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue, enter into any agreement to issue or
announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of Common Stock or
Common Stock Equivalents.
(b) From
the date hereof until the date that is twelve months following the execution
date of this Agreement, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or
entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents for cash consideration
(or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate
Transaction. “Variable Rate
Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells
any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or
exercisable for, or include the right to receive, additional shares of Common
Stock either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other
price that is based upon, and/or varies with, the trading prices of or
quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance
of such debt or equity securities or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange
price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial
issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or
contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company
or the market for the Common Stock or (ii) enters into any agreement, including,
but not limited to, an equity line of credit, whereby the Company may sell
securities at a future determined price. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the term “Variable Rate Transaction” shall not be deemed to include
any transaction relating to convertible securities of the Company effected
pursuant to a firm commitment by qualified independent underwriters or initial
purchasers to purchase such convertible securities sold by the Company on a
publicly registered basis or in a private placement meeting the requirements of
Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act, as the case may be, including
any equity derivative transaction entered into in connection with such purchase
and sale of the Company’s convertible securities. Any Purchaser shall
be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude an
issuance involving a Variable Rate Transaction, which remedy shall be in
addition to any right to collect damages.
(c) Notwithstanding
the foregoing, this Section 4.10shall not apply in respect of an Exempt
Issuance.
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4.11 Equal Treatment of
Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of
any Transaction Document) 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 is also offered to all of the parties to
the Transaction Documents. For clarification purposes, this provision
constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and
negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to
treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the
Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase,
disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.
4.12 Certain Transactions and
Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other
Purchasers, covenants that neither it, nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or
pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales,
including Short Sales, of any of the Company’s securities during the period
commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending on the Transaction
Disclosure Time. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other
Purchasers, covenants that until the Transaction Disclosure Time, such Purchaser
will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction
and the information included in the Transaction Documents and the Disclosure
Schedules. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything
contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges
and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant
hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of
the Company after the Transaction Disclosure Time, (ii) no Purchaser shall be
restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of
the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the
Transaction Disclosure Time and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of
confidentiality to the Company or its Subsidiaries after the Transaction
Disclosure Time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser
that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers
manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers
have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio
managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set
forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by
the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the
Securities covered by this Agreement to the extent such actions comply with
applicable federal and state securities laws.
ARTICLE
V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination.
This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s
obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations
between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other
parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before December 7, 2009;
provided, however, that such
termination will not affect the right of any party to xxx for any breach by the
other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees and
Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction
Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its
advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses
incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution,
delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all
Transfer Agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection
with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
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5.3 Entire
Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the
exhibits and schedules thereto, the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement,
contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject
matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or
written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been
merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.4 Notices. Any
and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to
be provided hereunder shall be made in accordance with Section 4.5 hereof and be
in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the
date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile
at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto prior
to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day
after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via
facsimile at the facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached
hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City
time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd)
Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized
overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such
notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and
communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached
hereto.
5.5 Amendments;
Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived,
modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the
case of an amendment, by the Company and the Purchasers holding at least 67% in
interest of the Shares then outstanding or, in the case of a waiver, by the
party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is
sought. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision,
condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing
waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any
other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or
omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the
exercise of any such right.
5.6 Headings. The
headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this
Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions
hereof.
5.7 Successors and
Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted
assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or
obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other
than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights
under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers
any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound,
with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction
Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”
5.8 No Third-Party
Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of
the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is
not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other
Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.7.
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5.9 Governing
Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity,
enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by
and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of
New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law
thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the
interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a
party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders,
employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal
courts sitting in the City 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 (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the
Transaction Documents), 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
improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. 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
via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of
delivery) to such party at the address in effect for 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 other manner
permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or
proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then in
addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.7, the prevailing
party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for
its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the
investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or
proceeding.
5.10 Survival. The
representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and
the delivery of the Securities.
5.11 Execution. This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken
together 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, it being understood that both parties need not sign the same
counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by
facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, such
signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or
on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if
such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If
any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a
court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable,
the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth
herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected,
impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially
reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same
or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision,
covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the
intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms,
provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be
hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
25
5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal
Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in
(and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction
Documents, whenever any Purchaser 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 Purchaser 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; provided, however, that in the
case of a rescission of an exercise of a Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall
be required to return any shares of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded
exercise notice concurrently with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate
exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such
Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Warrant
(including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such
restored right).
5.14 Remedies. In
addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by
law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will
be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction
Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be
adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of
obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and
not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the
defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.15 Payment Set
Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or
payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser
enforces or exercises its rights 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, 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.
5.16 Independent Nature of
Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each
Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the
obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any
way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other
Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or
in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant
thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an
association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a
presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group
with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the
Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to
independently protect and enforce its rights, including, without limitation, the
rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents,
and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an
additional party in any proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser
has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in their review and
negotiation of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of
administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have
chosen to communicate with the Company through WS. WS does not
represent any of the Purchasers and only represents Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx
LLC. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same
terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not
because it was required or requested to do so by any of the
Purchasers.
26
5.17 Saturdays, Sundays,
Holidays, etc. If the last or
appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right
required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be
taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business
Day.
5.18 Construction. The
parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel has reviewed and
had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the
normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be
resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation
of the Transaction Documents or any amendments hereto.
5.19 WAIVER OF
JURY TRIAL. IN ANY
ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY
OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST
EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY,
IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature
Pages Follow)
27
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto
have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their
respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated
above.
RINO
INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
|
Address for Notice:
|
By:__________________________________________
Name:
Title:
With
a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
|
Fax:
|
[REMAINDER
OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE
PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
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[PURCHASER
SIGNATURE PAGES TO RINO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement
to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date
first indicated above.
Name of
Purchaser: ________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of
Purchaser: __________________________________
Name of
Authorized Signatory:
____________________________________________________
Title of
Authorized Signatory:
_____________________________________________________
Email
Address of Authorized Signatory:
______________________________________________
Facsimile
Number of Authorized Signatory:
_____________________________________________
Address
for Notice of Purchaser:
Address
for Delivery of Securities for Purchaser (if not same as address for
notice):
Subscription
Amount: $_________________
Shares:
_________________
Warrant
Shares: __________________
[SIGNATURE
PAGES CONTINUE]
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