REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Execution
Copy
This
Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made
and entered into as of October 19, 2009, between China Agritech, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each
of the several purchasers signatory hereto (each such purchaser, a “Purchaser” and,
collectively, the “Purchasers”).
This
Agreement is made pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of the
date hereof, by and among the Company and the Purchasers (the “Purchase
Agreement”).
The
Company and each Purchaser hereby agrees as follows:
1.
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Definitions
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Capitalized
terms used and not otherwise defined herein that are defined in the Purchase
Agreement shall have the meanings given such terms in the Purchase
Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have
the following meanings:
“Advice” shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).
“Effectiveness Date”
means, with respect to any Registration Statement required to be filed
hereunder, the 90th
calendar day following the initial Filing Date; provided, however if the
Registration Statement is subject to a “full review” by the Commission, the
120th
calendar day following the initial Filling Date, and, with respect to any
additional Registration Statement, the 75th
calendar day following the applicable Filing Date; provided, however, that in
the event the Company is notified by the Commission that a Registration
Statement will not be reviewed or is no longer subject to further review and
comments, the Effectiveness Date as to such Registration Statement shall be the
fifth Trading Day following the date on which the Company is so
notified.
“Effectiveness Period”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).
“Event” shall have the
meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Event Date” shall
have the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).
“Filing Date” means,
with respect to the initial Registration Statement required hereunder, the
earlier of (i) the 30th
calendar day following the completion by the Company of a Qualified Offering or
(ii) January 31, 2010 and, with respect to any additional Registration
Statements which may be required pursuant to Section 3(c), the earliest
practical date on which the Company is permitted by SEC Guidance to file such
additional Registration Statement related to the Registrable Securities; provided however, that if
such Filing Date is a Saturday, Sunday or such day that banks in the State of
New York are not open for business, the Filing Date shall be the next Trading
Day.
“Holder” or “Holders” means the
holder or holders, as the case may be, from time to time of Registrable
Securities that have not been sold to the public or pursuant to Rule 144
promulgated under the Securities Act.
“Indemnified Party”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Indemnifying Party”
shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5(c).
“Initial Registration
Statement” means the initial Registration Statement filed pursuant to
this Agreement.
“Losses” shall have
the meaning set forth in Section 5(a).
“Prospectus” means the
prospectus included in a Registration Statement (including, without limitation,
a prospectus that includes any information previously omitted from a prospectus
filed as part of an effective registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A
promulgated under the Securities Act), as amended or supplemented by any
prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion
of the Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement, and all other
amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including post-effective
amendments, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in such Prospectus.
“Registrable
Securities” means (i) all Shares (ii) all Warrant Shares (assuming on the
date of determination the Warrants are exercised in full without regard to any
exercise limitations therein), (iii) any securities issued or issuable upon any
stock split, dividend or other distribution, recapitalization or similar event
with respect to the foregoing; and (iv) shares of Common Stock of the Company
purchased by the Purchasers in a Qualified Offering pursuant to Section 4.15 of
the Purchase Agreement; excluding in all cases, however, any (x) Registrable
Securities sold to the public or sold pursuant to Rule 144, promulgated under
the Securities Act, (y) Shares issuable under Section 2.4 of the Purchase
Agreement unless and until such Shares are issued and (z) Warrant Shares
issuable upon exercise of the Warrants unless and until such Warrant Shares are
issued.
“Registration
Statement” means the registration statement required to be filed
hereunder and any additional registration statements contemplated by Section 3(c), including (in
each case) the Prospectus, amendments and supplements to such registration
statement or Prospectus, including pre- and post-effective amendments, all
exhibits thereto, and all material incorporated by reference or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in such registration statement.
“Rule 415” means Rule
415 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.
“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 Guidance” means
(i) any publicly-available written or oral guidance, comments, requirements or
requests of the Commission staff and (ii) the Securities Act.
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2.
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Shelf
Registration
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(a) On
or prior to each Filing Date, the Company shall prepare and file with the
Commission a Registration Statement covering the resale of all or such portion
of the Registrable Securities as permitted by SEC Guidance (provided that the Company
shall use diligent efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration
of all of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the SEC Guidance,
including without limitation, the Manual of Publicly Available Telephone
Interpretations D.29) that are not then registered on an effective Registration
Statement for an offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule
415. The Registration Statement shall be on Form S-3 (except if the
Company is not then eligible to register for resale the Registrable Securities
on Form S-3, in which case such registration shall be on another appropriate
form in accordance herewith) and shall contain (unless otherwise directed by at
least a majority in interest of the Holders) substantially the “Plan of Distribution”
attached hereto as Annex
A. Subject to the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall
use its best efforts to cause a Registration Statement to be declared effective
under the Securities Act as promptly as possible after the filing thereof, but
in any event prior to the applicable Effectiveness Date, and shall use its best
efforts to keep such Registration Statement continuously effective under the
Securities Act until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration
Statement have been sold, or may be sold without restriction pursuant to Rule
144, as determined by the counsel to the Company pursuant to a written opinion
letter to such effect, addressed and acceptable to the Company’s transfer agent
and the affected Holders (the “Effectiveness
Period”). Upon confirmation from the Commission (orally, or in
writing) that the Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or not be
subject to further review, the Company shall file an acceleration request in
writing with the SEC requesting effectiveness of a Registration Statement as of
5:00 p.m. New York City time on the second Trading Day after the filing of such
requests, or as soon as practicable thereafter. The Company
shall immediately notify the Holders via facsimile or by e-mail delivery of a
“.pdf” format data file of the effectiveness of a Registration Statement on the
same Trading Day that the Company telephonically confirms effectiveness with the
Commission, which shall be the date requested for effectiveness of a
Registration Statement. The Company shall, by 9:30 a.m. New York City
time on the Trading Day after the Effective Date, file a final Prospectus with
the Commission as required by Rule 424. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Agreement, if any SEC Guidance sets forth a limitation of the
number of Registrable Securities permitted to be registered on a particular
Registration Statement (and notwithstanding that the Company used diligent
efforts to advocate with the Commission for the registration of all or a greater
number of Registrable Securities), unless otherwise directed in writing by a
Holder as to its Registrable Securities, the number of Registrable Securities to
be registered on such Registration Statement will first be reduced by
Registrable Securities represented by Warrant Shares (applied, in the case that
some Warrant Shares may be registered, to the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the
total number of unregistered Warrant Shares held by such Holders), and second by
Registrable Securities represented by Shares (applied, in the case that some
Shares may be registered, to the Holders on a pro rata basis based on the
total number of unregistered Shares held by such Holders).
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(b) If:
(i) the Initial Registration Statement is not filed on or prior to its
Filing Date (if the Company files the Initial Registration Statement without
affording the Holders the opportunity to review and comment on the same as
required by Section 3(a) herein, the
Company shall be deemed to have not satisfied this clause (i)), or
(ii) the Company fails to file with the Commission a request for
acceleration of a Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 461 promulgated
under the Securities Act, within five Trading Days of the date that the Company
is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the Commission that
such Registration Statement will not be “reviewed” or not be subject to further
review, or (iii) prior to the Effectiveness Date of a Registration
Statement, the Company fails to file a pre-effective amendment and otherwise
respond in writing to comments made by the Commission in respect of such
Registration Statement within 10 Trading Days after the receipt of comments by
or notice from the Commission that such amendment is required in order for such
Registration Statement to be declared effective, or (iv) after the
Effectiveness Date of a Registration Statement, such Registration Statement
ceases for any reason to remain continuously effective as to all Registrable
Securities included in such Registration Statement, or the Holders are otherwise
not permitted to utilize the Prospectus therein to resell such Registrable
Securities, for more than 30 consecutive calendar days or more than an aggregate
of 45 calendar days during any 12-month period (which need not be consecutive
calendar days) (any such failure or breach being referred to as an “Event”, and
for purposes of clause (i) the date on which
such Event occurs, or for purposes of clause (ii) the date on
which such five Trading Day period is exceeded, or for purposes of clause (iii) the date which
such 10 calendar day period is exceeded, or for purposes of clause (iv) the date on
which such 30 or 45 calendar day period, as applicable, is exceeded being
referred to as “Event
Date”), then, in addition to any other rights the Holders may have
hereunder or under applicable law, on each such Event Date and on each monthly
anniversary of each such Event Date (if the applicable Event shall not have been
cured by such date) until the applicable Event is cured, the Company shall pay
to each Holder an amount in cash, as partial liquidated damages and not as a
penalty, equal to 1.5% of the aggregate purchase price paid by such Holder
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement for any unregistered Registrable Securities
then held by such Holder. The parties agree that (1) the Company
shall not be liable for liquidated damages under this Agreement with respect to
any Warrants or Warrant Shares or Registrable Securities that are not registered
as a result of limitations set by SEC Guidance and (2) the maximum aggregate
liquidated damages payable to a Holder under this Agreement shall be 4.5% of the
aggregate Subscription Amount paid by such Holder pursuant to the Purchase
Agreement. If the Company fails to pay any partial liquidated damages
pursuant to this Section in full within seven Trading Days after the date
payable, the Company will pay interest thereon at a rate of 18% per annum (or
such lesser maximum amount that is permitted to be paid by applicable law) to
the Holder, accruing daily from the date such partial liquidated damages are due
until such amounts, plus all such interest thereon, are paid in full. The
partial liquidated damages pursuant to the terms hereof shall apply on a daily
pro rata basis for any
portion of a month prior to the cure of an Event.
3.
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Registration
Procedures.
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In
connection with the Company’s registration obligations hereunder, the Company
shall:
(a) Not
less than five Trading Days prior to the filing of each Registration Statement
and not less than one Trading Day prior to the filing of any related Prospectus
or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any document that would be
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference), the Company
shall (i) furnish to each Holder copies of all such documents proposed to
be filed, which documents (other than those incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference) will be subject to the review of such Holders and
(ii) cause its officers and directors, counsel and independent certified
public accountants to respond to such inquiries as shall be necessary, in the
reasonable opinion of respective counsel to each Holder, to conduct a reasonable
investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act. The Company shall not
file a Registration Statement or any such Prospectus or any amendments or
supplements thereto to which the Holders of a majority of the Registrable
Securities shall reasonably object in good faith, provided that the Company is
notified of such objection in writing no later than five Trading Days after the
Holders have been so furnished copies of a Registration Statement or one Trading
Day after the Holders have been so furnished copies of any related Prospectus or
amendments or supplements thereto.
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(b) (i) Prepare
and file with the Commission such amendments, including post-effective
amendments, to a Registration Statement and the Prospectus used in connection
therewith as may be necessary to keep a Registration Statement continuously
effective as to the applicable Registrable Securities for the Effectiveness
Period and prepare and file with the Commission such additional Registration
Statements in order to register for resale under the Securities Act all of the
Registrable Securities; (ii) cause the related Prospectus to be amended or
supplemented by any required Prospectus supplement (subject to the terms of this
Agreement), and, as so supplemented or amended, to be filed pursuant to Rule
424; (iii) respond as promptly as reasonably possible to any comments
received from the Commission with respect to a Registration Statement or any
amendment thereto and provide as promptly as reasonably possible to the Holders
true and complete copies of all correspondence from and to the Commission
relating to a Registration Statement (provided that the Company may
excise any information contained therein which would constitute material
non-public information as to any Holder which has not executed a confidentiality
agreement with the Company); and (iv) comply in all material respects with
the provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act with respect to the
disposition of all Registrable Securities covered by a Registration Statement
during the applicable period in accordance (subject to the terms of this
Agreement) with the intended methods of disposition by the Holders thereof set
forth in such Registration Statement as so amended or in such Prospectus as so
supplemented.
(c) If
during the Effectiveness Period, the number of Registrable Securities at any
time exceeds 100% of the number of shares of Common Stock then registered in a
Registration Statement, then the Company shall file as soon as reasonably
practicable, but in any case prior to the applicable Filing Date, an additional
Registration Statement covering the resale by the Holders of not less than the
number of such Registrable Securities.
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(d) Notify
the Holders of Registrable Securities to be sold (which notice shall, pursuant
to clauses (iii) through (vi) hereof, be
accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the Prospectus until the
requisite changes have been made) as promptly as reasonably possible (and, in
the case of (i)(A) below, not less than one Trading Day prior to such filing)
and (if requested by any such Person) confirm such notice in writing no later
than one Trading Day following the day (i)(A) when a Prospectus or any
Prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to a Registration Statement is
proposed to be filed; (B) when the Commission notifies the Company whether there
will be a “review” of such Registration Statement and whenever the Commission
comments in writing on such Registration Statement; and (C) with respect to a
Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, when the same has become
effective; (ii) of any request by the Commission or any other federal or
state governmental authority for amendments or supplements to a Registration
Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; (iii) of the
issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority
of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement
covering any or all of the Registrable Securities or the initiation of any
Proceedings for that purpose; (iv) of the receipt by the Company of any
notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption
from qualification of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any
jurisdiction, or the initiation or threatening of any Proceeding for such
purpose; (v) of the occurrence of any event or passage of time that makes
the financial statements included in a Registration Statement ineligible for
inclusion therein or any statement made in a Registration Statement or
Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by
reference untrue in any material respect or that requires any revisions to a
Registration Statement, Prospectus or other documents so that, in the case of a
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, it 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,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
(vi) of the occurrence or existence of any pending corporate development
with respect to the Company that the Company believes may be material and that,
in the determination of the Company, makes it not in the best interest of the
Company to allow continued availability of a Registration Statement or
Prospectus, provided
that any and all of such information shall remain confidential to each
Holder until such information otherwise becomes public, unless disclosure by a
Holder is required by law; provided, further, that
notwithstanding each Holder’s agreement to keep such information confidential,
each such Holder makes no acknowledgement that any such information is material,
non-public information.
(e) Use
its best efforts to avoid the issuance of, or, if issued, obtain the withdrawal
of (i) any order stopping or suspending the effectiveness of a Registration
Statement, or (ii) any suspension of the qualification (or exemption from
qualification) of any of the Registrable Securities for sale in any
jurisdiction, at the earliest practicable moment.
(f) Furnish
to each Holder, without charge, at least one conformed copy of each such
Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, including financial
statements and schedules, all documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated therein by reference to the extent requested by such Person, and
all exhibits to the extent requested by such Person (including those previously
furnished or incorporated by reference) promptly after the filing of such
documents with the Commission; provided, that any such item
which is available on the XXXXX system need not be furnished in physical
form.
(g) Subject
to the terms of this Agreement, the Company hereby consents to the use of such
Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto by each of the selling
Holders in connection with the offering and sale of the Registrable Securities
covered by such Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, except after
the giving of any notice pursuant to Section 3(d).
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(h) Prior
to any resale of Registrable Securities by a Holder, use its commercially
reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the selling Holders
in connection with the registration or qualification (or exemption from the
Registration or qualification) of such Registrable Securities for the resale by
the Holder under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions within
the United States as any Holder reasonably requests in writing, to keep each
registration or qualification (or exemption therefrom) effective during the
Effectiveness Period and to do any and all other acts or things reasonably
necessary to enable the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Registrable
Securities covered by each Registration Statement; provided, that the Company
shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction
where it is not then so qualified, subject the Company to any material tax in
any such jurisdiction where it is not then so subject or file a general consent
to service of process in any such jurisdiction.
(i) If
requested by a Holder, cooperate with such Holders to facilitate the timely
preparation and delivery of certificates representing Registrable Securities to
be delivered to a transferee pursuant to a Registration Statement, which
certificates shall be free, to the extent permitted by the Purchase Agreement,
of all restrictive legends, and to enable such Registrable Securities to be in
such denominations and registered in such names as any such Holder may
request.
(j) Upon
the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 3(d), as promptly as
reasonably possible under the circumstances taking into account the Company’s
good faith assessment of any adverse consequences to the Company and its
shareholders of the premature disclosure of such event, prepare a supplement or
amendment, including a post-effective amendment, to a Registration Statement or
a supplement to the related Prospectus or any document incorporated or deemed to
be incorporated therein by reference, and file any other required document so
that, as thereafter delivered, neither a Registration Statement nor such
Prospectus will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made,
not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance
with clauses
(iii)
through (vi) of
Section 3(d) above to suspend
the use of any Prospectus until the requisite changes to such Prospectus have
been made, then the Holders shall suspend use of such Prospectus. The
Company will use its best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may
be resumed as promptly as is practicable. The Company shall be
entitled to exercise its right under this Section 3(j) to suspend the
availability of a Registration Statement and Prospectus, for a period not to
exceed 60 calendar days (which need not be consecutive days) in any 12-month
period subject to the payment of partial liquidated damages otherwise required
pursuant to Section 2(b), for any period
thereafter.
(k) Comply
with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.
(l) The
Company may require each selling Holder to furnish to the Company a certified
statement as to the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such
Holder and, if required by the Commission, the natural persons thereof that have
voting and dispositive control over the shares. If, as the result of any
Holder’s failure to furnish such information, the Company would be in violation
of this Agreement for failure to comply with any of its obligations hereunder,
the Company shall remove such Holder from the Registration Statement and file
such Registration Statement, and not be subject to any liquidated damages by any
Holder.
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4. Registration
Expenses. All fees and expenses incident to the performance of
or compliance with this Agreement by the Company shall be borne by the Company
whether or not any Registrable Securities are sold pursuant to a Registration
Statement. The fees and expenses referred to in the foregoing sentence shall
include, without limitation, (i) all registration and filing fees
(including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and
auditors) (A) with respect to filings made with the Commission,
(B) with respect to filings required to be made with any Trading Market on
which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted for trading, and (C) in
compliance with applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws reasonably agreed
to by the Company in writing (including, without limitation, fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Company in connection with Blue Sky
qualifications or exemptions of the Registrable Securities) (ii) printing
expenses (including, without limitation, expenses of printing certificates for
Registrable Securities), (iii) messenger, telephone and delivery expenses,
(iv) fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, (v) Securities
Act liability insurance, if the Company so desires such insurance, and
(vi) fees and expenses of all other Persons retained by the Company in
connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement. In addition, the Company shall be responsible for all of
its internal expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including, without limitation, all
salaries and expenses of its officers and employees performing legal or
accounting duties), the expense of any annual audit and the fees and expenses
incurred in connection with the listing or quotation of the Registrable
Securities on any securities exchange as required hereunder. In no
event shall the Company be responsible for any broker or similar commissions of
any Holder or, except to the extent provided for in the Transaction Documents,
any legal fees or other costs of the Holders.
5.
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Indemnification.
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(a) Indemnification by the
Company. The Company shall, notwithstanding any termination of
this Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the officers,
directors, members, partners, agents, brokers (including brokers who offer and
sell Registrable Securities as principal as a result of a pledge or any failure
to perform under a margin call of Common Stock), investment advisors and
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
each of them, each Person who controls any such Holder (within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act)
and the officers, directors, members, shareholders, partners, agents and
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
each such controlling Person, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law,
from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs
(including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses
(collectively, “Losses”), as
incurred, arising out of or relating to (1) any untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in a Registration Statement, any
Prospectus or any form of prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto
or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any omission
or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Prospectus or
supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made)
not misleading or (2) any violation or alleged violation by the Company of the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any state securities law, or any rule or
regulation thereunder, in connection with the performance of its obligations
under this Agreement, except to the extent, but only to the extent, that
(i) such untrue statements or omissions are based solely upon information
regarding such Holder furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder
expressly for use therein, or to the extent that such information relates to
such Holder or such Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable
Securities and was reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder
expressly for use in a Registration Statement, such Prospectus or in any
amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood that such Holder has
approved the Plan of Distribution attached hereto as Annex A hereto for
this purpose) or (ii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type
specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), the use by such
Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified
such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to
the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). The
Company shall notify the Holders promptly of the institution, threat or
assertion of any Proceeding arising from or in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement of which the Company is aware.
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(b) Indemnification by
Holders. Each Holder shall, severally and not jointly,
indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents and
employees, each Person who controls the Company (within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act),
and the directors, officers, agents or employees of such controlling Persons, to
the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from and against all Losses, as
incurred, to the extent arising out of or based solely upon: (x) such Holder’s
failure to comply with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities
Act or (y) any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained
in any Registration Statement, any Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement
thereto or in any preliminary prospectus, or arising out of or relating to any
omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (i) to the extent,
but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission is contained in
any information so furnished in writing by such Holder to the Company
specifically for inclusion in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or
(ii) to the extent that such information relates to such Holder or such
Holder’s proposed method of distribution of Registrable Securities and was
reviewed and expressly approved in writing by such Holder expressly for use in a
Registration Statement, such Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement
thereto (it being understood that such Holder has approved the Plan of
Distribution attached hereto as Annex A hereto for
this purpose) or (iii) in the case of an occurrence of an event of the type
specified in Section 3(d)(iii)-(vi), the use by such
Holder of an outdated or defective Prospectus after the Company has notified
such Holder in writing that the Prospectus is outdated or defective and prior to
the receipt by such Holder of the Advice contemplated in Section 6(d). In no event
shall the liability of any selling Holder hereunder be greater in amount than
the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder upon the sale of
the Registrable Securities giving rise to such indemnification
obligation.
(c) Conduct of Indemnification
Proceedings. If any Proceeding shall be brought or asserted
against any Person entitled to indemnity hereunder (an “Indemnified Party”),
such Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the Person from whom indemnity is
sought (the “Indemnifying Party”)
in writing, and the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to assume the
defense thereof, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to
the Indemnified Party and the payment of all fees and expenses incurred in
connection with the defense thereof; provided that the
Indemnifying Party admits in writing that the Indemnified Party is entitled to
indemnification hereunder in connection with such proceedings; provided, further that the
failure of any Indemnified Party to give such notice shall not relieve the
Indemnifying Party of its obligations or liabilities pursuant to this Agreement,
except (and only) to the extent that it shall be finally determined by a court
of competent jurisdiction (which determination is not subject to appeal or
further review) that such failure shall have materially prejudiced the
Indemnifying Party.
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An
Indemnified Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such
Proceeding and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses
of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Party or Parties
unless: (1) the Indemnifying Party has agreed in writing to pay such
fees and expenses; (2) the Indemnifying Party shall have failed promptly to
assume the defense of such Proceeding and to employ counsel reasonably
satisfactory to such Indemnified Party in any such Proceeding; or (3) the named
parties to any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both
such Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, and counsel to the
Indemnified Party shall reasonably believe that a material conflict of interest
is likely to exist if the same counsel were to represent such Indemnified Party
and the Indemnifying Party (in which case, if such Indemnified Party notifies
the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel at
the expense of the Indemnifying Party, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the
right to assume the defense thereof and the reasonable fees and expenses of no
more than one separate counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying
Party). The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement
of any such Proceeding effected without its written consent, which consent shall
not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No Indemnifying Party shall,
without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, effect any
settlement of any pending Proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party
is a party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such
Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of
such Proceeding.
Subject
to the terms of this Agreement, all reasonable fees and expenses of the
Indemnified Party (including reasonable fees and expenses to the extent incurred
in connection with investigating or preparing to defend such Proceeding in a
manner not inconsistent with this Section) shall be paid to the Indemnified
Party, as incurred, within ten Trading Days of written notice thereof to the
Indemnifying Party; provided,
that the Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse the Indemnifying
Party for that portion of such fees and expenses applicable to such actions for
which such Indemnified Party is judicially determined to be not entitled to
indemnification hereunder.
(d) Contribution. If
the indemnification under Section 5(a) or 5(b) is unavailable
to an Indemnified Party or insufficient to hold an Indemnified Party harmless
for any Losses, then each Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the amount paid
or payable by such Indemnified Party, in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party in
connection with the actions, statements or omissions that resulted in such
Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative
fault of such Indemnifying Party and Indemnified Party shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any
untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged
omission of a material fact, has been taken or made by, or relates to
information supplied by, such Indemnifying Party or Indemnified Party, and the
parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such action, statement or omission. The amount
paid or payable by a party as a result of any Losses shall be deemed to include,
subject to the limitations set forth in this Agreement, any reasonable
attorneys’ or other reasonable fees or expenses incurred by such party in
connection with any Proceeding to the extent such party would have been
indemnified for such fees or expenses if the indemnification provided for in
this Section was available to such party in accordance with its
terms.
10
The
parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution
pursuant to this Section 5(d) were determined
by pro rata allocation
or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the
equitable considerations referred to in the immediately preceding
paragraph. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5(d), no Holder shall
be required to contribute, in the aggregate, any amount in excess of the amount
by which the net proceeds actually received by such Holder from the sale of the
Registrable Securities subject to the Proceeding exceeds the amount of any
damages that such Holder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
The
indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section are in addition
to any liability that the Indemnifying Parties may have to the Indemnified
Parties.
6.
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Miscellaneous.
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(a) Remedies. In
the event of a breach by the Company or by a Holder of any of their respective
obligations under this Agreement, each Holder or the Company, as the case may
be, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law and
under this Agreement, including recovery of damages, shall be entitled to
specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. The Company
and each Holder agree that monetary damages would not provide adequate
compensation for any losses incurred by reason of a breach by it of any of the
provisions of this Agreement and hereby further agrees that, in the event of any
action for specific performance in respect of such breach, it shall not assert
or shall waive the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(b) No Piggyback on
Registrations. Neither the Company nor any of its security
holders (other than the Holders in such capacity pursuant hereto) may include
securities of the Company in any Registration Statements other than the
Registrable Securities, without the prior written consent of Holders of a
majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities.
(c) Compliance. Each
Holder covenants and agrees that it will comply with the prospectus delivery
requirements of the Securities Act as applicable to it in connection with sales
of Registrable Securities pursuant to a Registration Statement.
(d) Discontinued
Disposition. By its acquisition of Registrable Securities,
each Holder agrees that, upon receipt of a notice from the Company of the
occurrence of any event of the kind described in Section 3(d)(iii) through
(vi), such
Holder will forthwith discontinue disposition of such Registrable Securities
under a Registration Statement until it is advised in writing (the “Advice”) by the
Company that the use of the applicable Prospectus (as it may have been
supplemented or amended) may be resumed. The Company will use its
best efforts to ensure that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed as promptly
as it practicable. The Company agrees and acknowledges that any
periods during which the Holder is required to discontinue the disposition of
the Registrable Securities hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of Section 2(b).
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(e) Piggy-Back
Registrations. If at any time during the Effectiveness Period
there is not an effective Registration Statement covering all of the Registrable
Securities and the Company shall determine to prepare and file with the
Commission a registration statement relating to an offering for its own account
or the account of others under the Securities Act of any of its equity
securities, other than on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (each as promulgated under the
Securities Act) or their then equivalents relating to equity securities to be
issued solely in connection with any acquisition of any entity or business or
equity securities issuable in connection with the Company’s share option or
other employee benefit plans, then the Company shall send to each Holder a
written notice of such determination and, if within 15 days after the date of
such notice, any such Holder shall so request in writing, the Company shall
include in such registration statement all or any part of such Registrable
Securities such Holder requests to be registered; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be required to register any Registrable Securities pursuant to
this Section 6(e) that are
eligible for resale without restriction pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under
the Securities Act or that are the subject of a then effective Registration
Statement.
(f) Amendments and
Waivers. The provisions of this Agreement, including the
provisions of this sentence, may not be amended, modified or supplemented, and
waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may not be given,
unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the Company and the Holders of
a majority of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (including, for this
purpose any Registrable Securities issuable upon exercise or conversion of any
Security). If a Registration Statement does not register all of the
Registrable Securities pursuant to a waiver or amendment done in compliance with
the previous sentence, then the number of Registrable Securities to be
registered for each Holder shall be reduced pro rata among all Holders
and each Holder shall have the right to designate which of its Registrable
Securities shall be omitted from such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, a waiver or consent to depart from the provisions hereof with
respect to a matter that relates exclusively to the rights of some Holders and
that does not directly or indirectly affect the rights of other Holders may be
given by Holders of all of the Registrable Securities to which such waiver or
consent relates; provided,
however, that the provisions of this sentence may not be amended,
modified, or supplemented except in accordance with the provisions of the
first sentence of this Section 6(f).
(g) Notices. Any
and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to
be provided hereunder shall be delivered as set forth in the Purchase
Agreement.
(h) Successors and
Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties and
shall inure to the benefit of each Holder; provided, however, the rights
under this Agreement shall not be assignable if the Registrable Securities are
transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities
Act or Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The Company may not assign (except by
merger) its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of
all of the Holders of the then-outstanding Registrable Securities. Except as set
forth herein, each Holder may assign their respective rights hereunder in the
manner and to the Persons as permitted under the Purchase
Agreement.
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(i) No Inconsistent
Agreements. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries
has entered, as of the date hereof, nor shall the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, on or after the date of this Agreement, enter into any agreement
with respect to its securities, that would have the effect of impairing the
rights granted to the Holders in this Agreement or otherwise conflicts with the
provisions hereof. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
has previously entered into any agreement granting any registration rights with
respect to any of its securities to any Person that have not been satisfied in
full.
(j) Execution and
Counterparts. 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.
(k) Governing
Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity,
enforcement and interpretation of this Agreement shall be determined in
accordance with the provisions of the Purchase Agreement.
(l)
Cumulative
Remedies. The remedies provided herein are cumulative and not
exclusive of any other remedies provided by law.
(m) 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.
(n) Headings. The
headings in this Agreement are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of
the Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions
hereof.
(o) Independent Nature of
Holders’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each
Holder hereunder are several and not joint with the obligations of any other
Holder hereunder, and no Holder shall be responsible in any way for the
performance of the obligations of any other Holder hereunder. Nothing contained
herein or in any other agreement or document delivered at any closing, and no
action taken by any Holder pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to
constitute the Holders as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any
other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Holders are in any way
acting in concert with respect to such obligations or the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement. Each Holder shall be entitled to protect and
enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this
Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any other Holder to be joined as an
additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.
********************
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Registration Rights Agreement as
of the date first written above.
CHINA
AGRITECH, INC.
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By:
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/s/
Xx Xxxxx
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Name:
Xx Xxxxx
|
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Title:
Chief
Executive
Officer
|
[SIGNATURE
PAGE OF HOLDERS FOLLOWS]
14
[SIGNATURE
PAGE OF HOLDERS TO CHINA AGRITECH, INC.
HOLDER:
CARLYLE
ASIA GROWTH PARTNERS IV, L.P.
By: CAGP
General Partner, L.P., as its General Partner
By: CAGP
Ltd., as its General Partner
By:
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/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
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Name:
Xxxxxx
Xxxxx
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|
Title:
Director
|
[SIGNATURE
PAGES CONTINUE]
15
[SIGNATURE
PAGE OF HOLDERS TO CHINA AGRITECH, INC.
HOLDER:
CAGP
IV CO-INVESTMENT, L.P.
By: CAGP
General Partner, L.P., as its General Partner
By: CAGP
Ltd., as its General Partner
By:
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/s/
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
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Name:
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
|
|
Title:
Director
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16