PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
October __, 2023
VIA ELECTRONIC DELIVERY
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Chief Executive Officer
0000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 000, Xxxx’x Xxxxx
Surrey, British Columbia V3W 1N6, Canada
Dear Xx. Xxxxxxxxxxxx :
This letter (the “Agreement”) constitutes the agreement between Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim” or the “Placement Agent”) and Siyata Mobile Inc., a corporation existing under the law of British Columbia (the “Company”), that Maxim shall serve as the exclusive placement agent for the Company, on a “reasonable best efforts” basis, for the proposed placement of up to an aggregate of US$_________ of common shares, no par value per share (the “Common Shares”) of the Company, consisting of up to ______________ Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase Common Shares (“Pre-Funded Warrants”), consisting of up to ______________Pre-Funded Warrants directly to various investors (“Investors” or “Purchasers”). The Common Shares, the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”) shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Securities”. The documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Investors in connection with the Offering (as defined below), including, without limitation, a securities purchase agreement to be entered into by the Company and each Investor (in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company and the Placement Agent), shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” The purchase price to the Investors for each Common Share is US$_______ and the purchase price for each Pre-Funded Warrant is US$_______. The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected-dealers on its behalf in connection with the Offering.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that the Placement Agent determines that any of the terms provided for hereunder do not comply with a rule of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), including but not limited to FINRA Rule 5110, then the Company shall agree to amend this Agreement in writing upon the request of the Placement Agent to comply with any such rules; provided that any such amendments shall not provide for terms that are less favorable to the Company than the terms of this Agreement.
Section 1. Agreement to Act as Placement Agent.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall be the exclusive placement agent in connection with the offering and sale by the Company of the Securities pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form F-l (File No. 333-_________) (and including any registration statement prepared and filed by the Company in accordance with Rule 462(b) pursuant to the Securities Act (as defined below)) (the “Registration Statement”), with the terms of such offering (the “Offering”) to be subject to market conditions and negotiations between the Company, the Placement Agent and the prospective Investors. The Placement Agent will act on a reasonable best efforts basis and the Company agrees and acknowledges that there is no guarantee of the successful placement of the Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants, or any portion thereof, in the prospective Offering. Under no circumstances will the Placement Agent or any of its “Affiliates” (as defined below) be obligated to underwrite or purchase any of the Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants for its own account or otherwise provide any financing. The Placement Agent shall act solely as the Company’s agent and not as principal. The Placement Agent shall have no authority to bind the Company with respect to any prospective offer to purchase the Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants and the Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase the Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants and may reject any such offer, in whole or in part. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Securities shall be made at one or more closings (each a “Closing” and the date on which each Closing occurs, a “Closing Date”). The Closing shall occur via “Delivery Versus Payment”, i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Securities directly to the account designated by the Placement Agent and, upon receipt of such Securities, the Placement Agent shall electronically deliver such Securities to the applicable Investor and payment shall be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company. As compensation for services rendered, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent the fees and expenses set forth below:
| (i) | a cash fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Common Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants at the applicable Closing; |
| (ii) | the Company shall, at each Closing, grant to Maxim Partners LLC (or such other recipient as designated by Placement Agent) common shares purchase warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants”) in an amount equal to five percent (5.0%) of the total number of Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants being sold in the Placement. The form of the Placement Agent Warrants is set forth as Addendum B hereto. The Placement Agent Warrants will be non-exercisable for six (6) months after the date of the Closing and will be exercisable and expire five (5) years after the Closing. The Placement Agent Warrants will be exercisable at a price per share equal to 110% of the price of each Common Share paid by the Purchasers in connection with the Offering. The Placement Agent Warrants shall not be redeemable. The Placement Agent will be entitled to customary demand and “piggyback” rights pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110, which shall include one demand registration at the Company’s expense, an additional demand registration at the warrant holders’ expense and unlimited “piggyback” registration rights as set forth in the Placement Agent Warrants. The Placement Agent Warrants (and the underlying Common Shares) may not be transferred, assigned or hypothecated for a period of six (6) months. following the Closing, except that they may be assigned, in whole or in part, to any successor, officer or member of the Placement Agent (or to officers or partners of any such successor or member) pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(2). The Placement Agent Warrants may be exercised in whole or in part, shall provide for “cashless” exercise, and shall provide for customary antidilution and price protection; and |
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| (iii) | reimbursement of the Placement Agent’s accountable expenses, including the Placement Agent’s legal counsel’s legal fees, up to US$90,000. |
The Placement Agent reserves the right to reduce any item of compensation or adjust the terms thereof as specified herein in the event that a determination shall be made by FINRA to the effect that the Placement Agent’s aggregate compensation is in excess of FINRA Rules or that the terms thereof require adjustment.
(b) The Placement Agent’s engagement hereunder shall become effective on the date hereof and shall continue until the earlier of (i) the final Closing Date of the Placement and (ii) the date a party terminates the engagement according to the terms of the next sentence (such date, the “Termination Date”) and the period of time during which this Agreement remains in effect is referred to herein as the “Term”). After an initial period of 180 days from the date hereof, the engagement may be terminated at any time by either party upon ten (10) days’ written notice to the other party, effective upon receipt of written notice to that effect by the other party. The Agreement may not be earlier terminated other than for Cause (defined hereinafter). If there is a Closing of the Offering, or if the Termination Date occurs prior to Closing of the Offering (other than for Cause), then if within twelve (12) months following such time, the Company completes any financing of equity, equity-linked, convertible or debt or other capital raising activity with, or receives any proceeds from, any of the Investors contacted or introduced to the Company by the Placement Agent during the term of this Agreement, then the Company will pay the Placement Agent upon the closing of such financing or receipt of such proceeds the compensation set forth in Section 1 herein. “Cause,” for the purpose of this Agreement, shall mean, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, Placement Agent’s gross negligence, willful misconduct, or a material breach of this Agreement, after being notified in writing of such conduct, and not curing such alleged conduct within ten (10) business days of notification of such alleged wrongful conduct. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification, contribution, future rights and the Company’s obligations to pay fees and reimburse expenses pursuant to Section 1 herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the Indemnification Provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated prior to the completion of the Offering, all fees due to the Placement Agent shall be paid by the Company to the Placement Agent on or before the Termination Date (in the event such fees are earned or owed as of the Termination Date pursuant to the terms of Section 1 hereof). The Placement Agent agrees not to use any confidential information concerning the Company provided to the Placement Agent by the Company for any purposes other than those contemplated under this Agreement.
(c) Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit the ability of the Placement Agent or its Affiliates to pursue, investigate, analyze, invest in, or engage in investment banking, financial advisory or any other business relationship with Persons (as defined below) other than the Company. As used herein (i) “Persons” 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, and (ii) “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 of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
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Section 2. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Placement Agent as of the date hereof, and as of each Closing Date, unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies a different date or time, as follows:
(a) Securities Law Filings. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) the Registration Statement under the Securities Act, which was filed on October __, 2023 and declared effective on October __, 2023 for the registration of the Securities, the Placement Agent Warrants and the shares of Common Stock underlying the Placement Agent Warrants under the Securities Act. Following the determination of pricing among the Company and the prospective Investors introduced to the Company by Placement Agent, the Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and 424(b) under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a final prospectus relating to the placement of the Securities, and the plan of distribution thereof and will advise the Placement Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein. Such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness, is hereinafter called the “Preliminary Prospectus” and the final prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and/or 424(b) (including the Preliminary Prospectus as it may be amended or supplemented) is hereinafter called the “Final Prospectus.” The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is hereinafter called the “Original Registration Statement.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”), if any, which were or are filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), at any given time, as the case may be; and any reference in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the date of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be. As used in this paragraph and elsewhere in this Agreement, “Time of Sale Disclosure Package” means the Preliminary Prospectus, the Transaction Documents, the final terms of the Offering provided to the Investors in writing, and any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 of the Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package. The term “any Prospectus” shall mean, as the context requires, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and any supplement to either thereof. The Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or intends to commence a proceeding for any such purpose.
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(b) Each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) made to the Purchasers in that certain Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of October __, 2023, between the Company and each Purchaser, is hereby incorporated herein by reference (as though fully restated herein) and is hereby made to, and in favor of, Maxim.
Section 3. Delivery and Payment. Each Closing shall occur at the offices of Loeb & Loeb LLP, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (“Placement Agent Counsel”) (or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Placement Agent and the Company). Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, at each Closing, payment of the purchase price for the Securities sold on such Closing Date shall be made by Federal Funds wire transfer, against delivery of such Securities, and such Securities shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such denominations, as the Placement Agent may request at least one business day before the Closing Date. Deliveries of the documents with respect to the purchase of the Securities, if any, shall be made at the offices of Placement Agent Counsel. All actions taken at a Closing shall be deemed to have occurred simultaneously.
Section 4. Covenants and Agreements of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Placement Agent as follows:
(a) Registration Statement Matters. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly after it receives notice thereof of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Final Prospectus has been filed and will furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof or advise where such filings may be obtained on XXXXX. The Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of any Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the Offering. The Company will advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof (i) of any request by the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement any Prospectus or for additional information, and (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any order directed at any Incorporated Document, if any, or any amendment or supplement thereto or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or any prospectus supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the institution or threatened institution of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or a Prospectus or for additional information. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or order or notice of prevention or suspension at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment, or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 430C, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder, and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) are received in a timely manner by the Commission.
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(b) [Intentionally Omitted].
(c) Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus and Other Matters. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with the distribution of Securities contemplated by the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of the Placement Agent or counsel for the Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any Incorporated Document to comply with any law, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own expense to the Placement Agent and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus that is necessary in order to make the statements in the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, will comply with law. Before amending the Registration Statement or supplementing the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in connection with the Offering, the Company will furnish the Placement Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agent reasonably objects.
(d) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus. The Company will furnish the Placement Agent, without charge, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the last Closing Date of the Offering, as many copies of any Prospectus or prospectus supplement and any amendments and supplements thereto, as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.
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(e) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company covenants that it will not, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act. In the event that the Placement Agent expressly consents in writing to any such free writing prospectus (a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”), the Company covenants that it shall (i) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) comply with the requirements of Rule 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(f) Transfer Agent. The Company will maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Shares for at least three years after the final Closing Date.
(g) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable and in accordance with applicable requirements under the Securities Act, but in any event not later than 18 months after the last Closing Date, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Placement Agent an earnings statement, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the last Closing Date, that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.
(h) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will duly file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the market or exchange on which the Common Shares are listed or quoted for trading (the “Trading Market”) all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act within the time periods and in the manner required by the Exchange Act.
(i) Additional Documents. The Company will enter into any subscription, purchase or other customary agreements as the Placement Agent or the Investors deem reasonably necessary or appropriate to consummate the Offering, all of which will be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Company, the Placement Agent and the Investors. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent may rely upon, and is a third party beneficiary of, the representations and warranties, and applicable covenants, set forth in any such purchase, subscription or other agreement with Investors in the Offering.
(j) No Manipulation of Price. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
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(k) Acknowledgment. The Company acknowledges that any advice given by the Placement Agent to the Company is solely for the benefit and use of the Board of Directors of the Company and may not be used, reproduced, disseminated, quoted or referred to, without the Placement Agent’s prior written consent.
(l) Publicity. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent may, subsequent to the Closing, make public its involvement with the Offering. The Company agrees that, until 45 days after the final Closing Date, it will not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without Placement Agent’s prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company’s business. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Company be prohibited from issuing any press releases or engaging in any other publicity required by law, the Rules and Regulations or the rules of the trading markets upon which the Common Shares trade (“Trading Market”), except that including the name of the Placement Agent therein shall require the prior written consent of the Placement Agent which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.
(m) Reliance on Others. The Company confirms that it will rely on its own counsel and accountants for legal and accounting advice.
(n) Research Matters. By entering into this Agreement, the Placement Agent does not provide any promise, either explicitly or implicitly, of favorable or continued research coverage of the Company and the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent’s selection as a placement agent for the Offering was in no way conditioned, explicitly or implicitly, on the Placement Agent providing favorable or any research coverage of the Company. In accordance with the FINRA Rules, the parties acknowledge and agree that the Placement Agent has not directly or indirectly offered favorable research, a specific rating or a specific price target, or threatened to change research, a rating or a price target, to the Company or inducement for the receipt of business or compensation.
(o) Trading Market. The Company will meet the criteria necessary for inclusion of the Common Shares on the Trading Market and use its best efforts to maintain such listing for a period of at least three years after the final Closing Date.
(p) Engagement of Professionals. The Company will retain a PCAOB registered firm of independent certified public accountants reasonably acceptable to Maxim for a period of at least three years after the final Closing Date. The Placement Agent agrees that Xxxxxxx and Co, CPAs is acceptable. The Company will retain a financial public relations firm reasonably acceptable to Maxim for a period of two years after the final Closing Date. The Placement Agent agrees that Xxxxxx IR is acceptable. The Company will retain a financial printer reasonably acceptable to Maxim to handle the printing and related aspects of the Offering.
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Section 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Placement Agent. The obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof, in each case as of the date hereof and as of each Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by each of the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder on and as of such dates, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. At the first closing (the “Initial Closing”), the Placement Agent shall have received, and the Company shall have caused to be delivered to the Placement Agent, a letter from Xxxxxxx and Co., addressed to the Placement Agent, dated as of the Initial Closing, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent. The letter shall not disclose any change in the condition (financial or other), earnings, operations, business or prospects of the Company from that set forth in the Incorporated Documents or the applicable Prospectus or prospectus supplement, which, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering of the Securities as contemplated by such Prospectus.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements: No Stop Order; No Objection from the FINRA. Each Prospectus shall have been duly filed with the Commission, as appropriate; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order preventing or suspending the use of any Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company shall have been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange; all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with; and, prior to the Initial Closing, FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the placement terms and arrangements.
(c) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Statement and each Prospectus, and the registration, sale and delivery of the Securities, the Placement Agent Warrant and the Common Shares underlying the Placement Agent Warrant, shall have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent Counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as it may reasonably have requested to enable such counsel to pass upon the matters referred to in this Section 5.
(d) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to each Closing Date, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment after consultation with the Company, there shall not have occurred any material adverse change or development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus (“Material Adverse Change”).
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(e) Opinions of Counsel for the Company. The Placement Agent shall have received on each Closing Date the opinion of: (i) Xxxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx Carmel LLP, U.S. legal counsel to the Company and (ii) CC Corporate Counsel Professional Corporation, Canadian legal counsel to the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
(f) Officers’ Certificate. The Placement Agent shall have received on each Closing Date a certificate of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that, and the Placement Agent shall be satisfied that, the signers of such certificate have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents, the Final Prospectus, the Transaction Documents and this Agreement and to the further effect that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct, as if made on and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Final Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened under the Securities Act; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company has been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States;
(iii) When the Registration Statement became effective, at the time of sale, and at all times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, when such documents became effective or were filed with the Commission, and any Prospectus, contained all material information required to be included therein by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, and any Prospectus, did not and do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided, however, that the preceding representations and warranties contained in this paragraph (iii) shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein) and, since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required by the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder to be set forth in the Incorporated Documents which has not been so set forth; and
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(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents and the Final Prospectus, there has not been: (a) any Material Adverse Change; (b) any transaction that is material to the Company taken as a whole, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business; (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company taken as a whole, incurred by the Company, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; (d) any material change in the capital stock (except changes thereto resulting from the exercise of outstanding stock options or warrants) or outstanding indebtedness of the Company; (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company; or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company which has been sustained or will have been sustained which would be deemed a Material Adverse Change.
(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On each Closing Date after the Initial Closing, the Placement Agent shall have received from Barzily and Co., the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, a letter dated as of such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the applicable letter furnished pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than two business days prior to such Closing Date.
(h) Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Shares shall be registered under the Exchange Act and shall be listed on the Trading Market, and the Company shall not have taken any action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of terminating, the registration of the Common Shares under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Shares from the Trading Market, nor shall the Company have received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing except as disclosed in any Prospectus.
(i) Lock-Up Agreements. At the Initial Closing, the Placement Agent shall have received the executed lock-up agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. from each of the directors, officers, and the holders of 5% or more of the Company’s outstanding Common Shares.
(j) Additional Documents. On or before each Closing Date, the Placement Agent and Placement Agent Counsel shall have received such information and documents, as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
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If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Placement Agent by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to a Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Sections 1(a), 7 and 8 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 6. Further Agreements.
(a) Other Activities. The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent has been, and may in the future be, engaged to provide services as an underwriter, placement agent, finder, advisor or investment banker to other companies in the industry in which the Company is involved. The Company acknowledges and agrees that nothing contained in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of the Placement Agent or of any member, manager, officer, employee, agent or representative of the Placement Agent, to be a member, manager, partner, officer, director, employee, agent or representative of, investor in, or to engage in, any other business, whether or not of a similar nature to the Company’s business, nor to limit or restrict the right of the Placement Agent to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association; provided that the Placement Agent and any of its members, managers, officers, employees, agents or representatives shall not use the Information to the detriment of the Company.
(b) Right of First Refusal. For a period of 12 months from the final Closing Date, the Company grants Maxim the right of first refusal to act as sole managing underwriter and sole book runner, sole placement agent, or sole sales agent, for any and all future public or private equity, equity-linked or debt (excluding commercial bank debt) offerings for which the Company retains the service of an underwriter, agent, advisor, finder or other person or entity in connection with such offering during such twelve (12) month period of the Company, or any successor to or any subsidiary of the Company. The Company shall not offer to retain any entity or person in connection with any such offering on terms more favorable than terms on which it offers to retain Maxim. Such offer shall be made in writing in order to be effective. Xxxxx shall notify the Company within ten (10) business days of its receipt of the written offer contemplated above as to whether or not it agrees to accept such retention. If Maxim should decline such retention, the Company shall have no further obligations to Maxim with respect to the offering for which it has offered to retain Maxim, except as otherwise provided for herein.
(c) [Intentionally Omitted].
(d) Subsequent Equity Sales. From the final Closing Date until ninety (90) days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Common Shares or Common Share Equivalents or (ii) file any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than the Prospectus or filing a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with any employee benefit plan. From the date hereof until ninety (90) days after the Closing Date, 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 Shares or Common Shares Equivalents (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 Common Shares 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 Common Shares 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 Shares or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit or an “at-the-market offering”, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price. Any Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 6(d) shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.
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Section 7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each person controlling the Placement Agent (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and employees of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each such controlling person (the Placement Agent, and each such entity or person, an “Indemnified Person”) from and against any losses, claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all fees and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Persons, except as otherwise expressly provided herein) (collectively, the “Expenses”) as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any Action, whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto, (i) caused by, or arising out of or in connection with, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Incorporated Document, or any Prospectus or by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (other than untrue statements or alleged untrue statements in, or omissions or alleged omissions from, information relating to an Indemnified Person furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Prospectus or any Incorporated Documents) or (ii) otherwise arising out of or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions; provided, however, that, in the case of clause (ii) only, the Company shall not be responsible for any Liabilities or Expenses of any Indemnified Person that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person’s (x) gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any of the advice, actions, inactions or services referred to above or (y) use of any offering materials or information concerning the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities in the Offering which were not authorized for such use by the Company and which use constitutes gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company also agrees to reimburse each Indemnified Person for all Expenses as they are incurred in connection with enforcing such Indemnified Person’s rights under this Agreement.
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(b) Upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an Action against such Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may be sought under this Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing; provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have on account of this indemnity or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent the Company shall have been prejudiced by such failure. The Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, assume the defense of any such Action including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, which counsel may also be counsel to the Company. Any Indemnified Person 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 Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such Action (including any impeded parties) include such Indemnified Person and the Company, and such Indemnified Person shall have been advised in the reasonable opinion of counsel that there is an actual conflict of interest that prevents the counsel selected by the Company from representing both the Company (or another client of such counsel) and any Indemnified Person; provided that the Company shall not in such event be responsible hereunder for the fees and expenses of more than one firm of separate counsel for all Indemnified Persons in connection with any Action or related Actions, in addition to any local counsel. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any Action effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened Action in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Person from all Liabilities arising out of such Action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder. The indemnification required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred and is due and payable.
(c) In the event that the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to an Indemnified Person other than in accordance with this Agreement, the Company shall contribute to the Liabilities and Expenses paid or payable by such Indemnified Person in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by the immediately preceding clause is not permitted by applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided that in no event shall the Company contribute less than the amount necessary to ensure that all Indemnified Persons, in the aggregate, are not liable for any Liabilities and Expenses in excess of the amount of fees actually received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement. For purposes of this paragraph, the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (a) the total value paid or contemplated to be paid to or received or contemplated to be received by the Company in the transaction or transactions that are within the scope of this Agreement, whether or not any such transaction is consummated, bears to (b) the fees paid to the Placement Agent under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act, as amended, shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.
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(d) The Company also agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions except for Liabilities (and related Expenses) of the Company that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any such advice, actions, inactions or services.
(e) The reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations of the Company set forth herein shall apply to any modification of this Agreement and shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Indemnified Person’s services under or in connection with, this Agreement.
Section 8. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or any person controlling the Company, of its officers, and of the Placement Agent set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement. A successor to a Placement Agent, or to the Company, its directors or officers or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Agreement.
Section 9. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered, e-mailed or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Placement Agent:
Maxim Group LLC
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxx, General Counsel
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx
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With a copy to:
Loeb & Loeb LLP
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
New York, NY 10154
Attention: Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Esq.
Email: xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx
If to the Company:
Siyata Mobile Inc.
Chief Executive Officer
0000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 000, Xxxx’x Xxxxx
Surrey, British Columbia V3W 1N6, Canada
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Email: xxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
With a copy to:
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx Carmel LLP
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx, 00xx floor
New York, NY 10036
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxx, Esq.
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
Section 10. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and to their respective successors, and personal representative, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
Section 11. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
Section 12. Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been made and delivered in New York City and both this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed as to validity, interpretation, construction, effect and in all other respects by the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted exclusively in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) waives any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon the Placement Agent mailed by certified mail to the Placement Agent’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service process upon the Placement Agent, in any such suit, action or proceeding. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor its affiliates, and the respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each other person, if any, controlling the Placement Agent or any of its affiliates, shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with the engagement and transaction described herein except for any such liability for losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred by the Placement Agent that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of such individuals or entities. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provision of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
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Section 13. General Provisions.
(a) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Engagement Agreement, dated May 11, 2023 (the “Engagement Agreement”), between the Company and Maxim Group, LLC shall continue to be effective and the terms therein shall continue to survive and be enforceable by the Placement Agent in accordance with its terms, provided that, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the Engagement Agreement and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Placement Agent has acted at arm’s length, owe no fiduciary duties to the Company or any other person, (ii) the Placement Agent owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and (iii) the Placement Agent may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Placement Agent arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.
Section 14. 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:
“Action” means any 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, provincial, county, local or foreign), including any proceeding before any governmental authority in Canada.
“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; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York are generally open for use by customers on such day.
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“Common Share Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Shares, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Shares.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) Common Shares, options, restricted stock units or other equity-based awards to employees, officers or directors of the Company or its subsidiaries pursuant to any compensation 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 for services rendered to the Company, (b) Common Shares upon the exercise or conversion of securities exercisable for or convertible into Common Shares that are issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement and disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, 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 or conversion price of such securities or to extend the term of such securities, and (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions (including, without limitation, joint venture, co-marketing, co-development or other collaboration agreements) approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the period of 90 days after the Initial Closing date, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equity holders 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.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth in the SEC Reports, and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign below whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| MAXIM GROUP LLC | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | |
| Title: | Co-President | |
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first written above.
| SIYATA MOBILE, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
[Signature Page to Placement Agency Agreement]
Exhibit A
LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
October [*], 2023
0000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx., Xxxxx 000, Xxxx’x Xxxxx
Surrey, British Columbia V3W 1N6, Canada
| Re: | Offering of Securities of Siyata Mobile, Inc. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, as a holder of common shares, no par value (“Common Shares”), or rights to acquire Common Shares, of Siyata Mobile Inc. (the “Company”), or in the undersigned’s capacity as a director or officer of the Company, understands that the Company proposes to enter into an agreement (the “Placement Agency Agreement”) with Maxim Group LLC (the “Placement Agent”), providing for the public offering (the “Offering”) of registered Common Shares and/or Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase Common Shares (collectively, the “Securities”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Placement Agency Agreement.
In recognition of the benefit that the Offering of the Securities will confer upon the undersigned as a shareholder of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees for the benefit of the Company and the Placement Agent that, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, the undersigned will not, for a period commencing on the date hereof and ending 90 days from the Initial Closing date of the offering (as defined in the Placement Agency Agreement) (the “Lock-Up Period”), directly or indirectly, unless otherwise provided herein, (a) offer, sell, agree to offer or sell, solicit offers to purchase, grant any call option or purchase any put option with respect to, pledge, encumber, assign, borrow or otherwise dispose (each a “Transfer”) of any Relevant Security (as defined below) or otherwise publicly disclose the intention to do so, or (b) establish or increase any “put equivalent position” or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” with respect to any Relevant Security (in each case within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”)), or otherwise enter into any swap, derivative or other transaction or arrangement that Transfers to another, in whole or in part, any economic consequence of ownership of a Relevant Security, whether or not such transaction is to be settled by delivery of Relevant Securities, other securities, cash or other consideration, or otherwise publicly disclose the intention to do so. As used herein, the term “Relevant Security” means any Common Shares, warrant to purchase Common Shares or other security of the Company or any other entity that is convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or equity securities of the Company, in each case that are owned by the undersigned on the date of the Initial Closing or acquired by the undersigned during the Lock-Up Period.
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In addition, the undersigned further agrees that, except for the registration statement filed or to be filed in connection with the Offering, during the Lock-Up Period the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent: (a) file or participate in the filing with the Commission of any registration statement or circulate or participate in the circulation of any preliminary or final prospectus or other disclosure document, in each case with respect to any proposed offering or sale of a Relevant Security, or (b) exercise any rights the undersigned may have to require registration with the Commission of any proposed offering or sale of a Relevant Security. The restrictions in this paragraph shall not apply to any exercise (including (x) a cashless exercise or (y) any broker-assisted exercise and payment of tax obligations occurring during the Lock Up Period) of options or warrants to purchase Common Shares; provided that any Common Shares received upon such exercise, conversion or exchange will be subject to this Lock-Up Agreement.
In furtherance of the undersigned’s obligations hereunder, the undersigned hereby authorizes the Company during the Lock-Up Period to cause any transfer agent for the Relevant Securities to decline to transfer, and to note stop transfer restrictions on the share register and other records relating to, the Relevant Securities for which the undersigned is the record owner and the transfer of which would be a violation of this Lock-Up Agreement and, in the case of Relevant Securities for which the undersigned is the beneficial but not the record owner, agrees that during the Lock-Up Period it will cause the record owner to cause the relevant transfer agent to decline to transfer, and to note stop transfer restrictions on the share register and other records relating to, such Relevant Securities to the extent such transfer would be a violation of this Lock-Up Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the undersigned’s Relevant Securities:
| (i) | as a bona fide gift or gifts, |
| (ii) | to any trust, partnership, limited liability company or other legal entity commonly used for estate planning purposes which is established for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or a member of members of the immediate family of the undersigned, |
| (iii) | if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity (1) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is a direct or indirect affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned, (2) to limited partners, limited liability company members or stockholders of the undersigned, or (3) in connection with a sale, merger or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the undersigned or any other change of control of the undersigned, not undertaken for the purpose of avoiding the restrictions imposed by this Lock-Up Agreement, |
| (iv) | if the undersigned is a trust, to the beneficiary of such trust, |
| (v) | by testate or intestate succession, |
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| (vi) | by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement, |
| (vii) | pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by our board of directors, |
| (viii) | acquired in open market transactions during Lock-Up Period, and |
| (ix) | pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement, |
provided, in the case of clauses (i)-(vii), that (A) such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (B) the transferee agrees in writing with the Company to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement, and (C) such transfer would not require any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and no such filing is voluntarily made and provided further, that, in the case of clause (viii), no such transfer shall occur until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.
Furthermore, the undersigned may establish a trading plan under Rule 10b5-l under the Exchange Act during the Lock-Up Period provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement and that this Lock-Up Agreement has been duly authorized (if the undersigned is not a natural person) and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the undersigned, enforceable in accordance with its terms. Upon request, the undersigned will execute any additional documents reasonably necessary in connection with the enforcement hereof. Any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors and assigns of the undersigned from the date of this Lock-Up Agreement.
The undersigned understands that the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement if (i) the Company notifies the Placement Agent that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering or (ii) the Placement Agency Agreement does not become effective, or if the Placement Agency Agreement shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Shares to be sold thereunder.
In the event that the undersigned’s signature to this Lock-Up Agreement is delivered by electronic 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.
This Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflicts of laws principles that would result in the application of any law other than the law of the State of New York.
[Signature page follows]
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| Very truly yours, | ||
| [NAME OF XXXXXX] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title | ||
[Signature page to Lock-Up Agreement]
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