Exhibit 10.1
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this "Agreement") is dated as of
January 20, 2006 among Tidelands Oil & Gas Corporation, a Nevada corporation
(the "Company"), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto
(each, including its successors and assigns, a "Purchaser" and collectively the
"Purchasers").
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement
and pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act") and Rule 506 promulgated thereunder, the Company desires to
issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly,
desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully
described in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this
Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and
adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree
as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this
Agreement: (a) capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the
meanings given to such terms in the Debentures (as defined herein), and (b) the
following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1.1:
"Action" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
3.1(j).
"Affiliate" means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one
or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common
control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule
144 under the Securities Act. With respect to a Purchaser, any investment
fund or managed account that is managed on a discretionary basis by the
same investment manager as such Purchaser will be deemed to be an Affiliate
of such Purchaser.
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"Authorized Share Approval" means (i) the affirmative vote by
shareholders of the Company pursuant to the laws of the State of Nevada to
approve an amendment to the Company's certificate or articles of
incorporation that increases the number of authorized shares of Common
Stock of the Company from 100,000,000 to 250,000,000 (the "Amendment") and
(ii) the filing by the Company of the Amendment with the Secretary of State
of the State of Nevada and the acceptance, as effective, of the Amendment
by the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada.
"Authorized Share Approval Date" means the 90th day following the date
hereof.
"Closing" means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities
pursuant to Section 2.1.
"Closing Date" means the Trading Day when all of the Transaction
Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties
thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers' obligations to
pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company's obligations to deliver
the Securities have been satisfied or waived.
"Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"Common Stock" means the common stock of the Company, par value $.001
per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may
hereafter have been reclassified or changed into.
"Common Stock Equivalents" means any securities of the Company or the
Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time
Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock,
rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles
the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock. For purposes of clarity, any
securities of a Subsidiary issued in connection with the Mexican Project
Financing which shall not entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time
Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents shall not be deemed a Common Stock
Equivalent.
"Company Counsel" means Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Attorney at Law, with a
principal place of business at 00000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx 00000.
"Conversion Price" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the
Debentures.
"Debentures" means, the Original Issue Discount Convertible Debentures
due, subject to the terms therein, two years from their date of issuance,
issued by the Company to the Purchasers hereunder, in the form of Exhibit
A.
"Disclosure Schedules" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 3.1.
"Effective Date" means the date that the initial Registration
Statement filed by the Company following the Closing pursuant to the
Registration Rights Agreement is first declared effective by the
Commission.
"Escrow Agent" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the
Escrow Agreement.
"Escrow Agreement" shall mean the Escrow Agreement of event date
herewith among the Company, the Purchasers and the Escrow Agent.
"Evaluation Date" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 3.1(r).
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"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
"Exempt Issuance" means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or
options to employees, officers, directors, attorneys or consultants
(provided that such issuances to consultants shall not exceed 1,000,000
shares (subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits and the
like) in any 12 month period) of the Company pursuant to any employment or
consulting services agreement, stock grant or option plan or agreement duly
adopted by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors of the
Company or a majority of the members of a committee of directors
established for such purpose, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange
of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder and/or securities
exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock
issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such
securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to
increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise,
exchange or conversion price of any such securities, (c) securities
pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority
of the disinterested directors, provided that any such issuance shall only
be to a Person which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating
company in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and in
which the Company receives 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 and (d) up to 2,000,000
shares of Common Stock (subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock
splits and the like) payable in connection with the settlement of pending
litigation arising out of Xxxxxxx Litigation pursuant to a settlement
agreement (or similar agreement).
"FW" means Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx LLP with offices located at 000 Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000.
"GAAP" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
"Intellectual Property Rights" shall have the meaning ascribed to such
term in Section 3.1(o).
"Knowledge" means, with respect to any of the directors and executive
officers of the Company including, without limitation, those persons
signatory to the SEC Reports, (i) the actual knowledge, awareness or belief
possessed by such person or (ii) the knowledge, awareness or belief that
such person would have possessed by using reasonable care and diligence
under the circumstances.
"Legend Removal Date" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 4.1(c).
"Liens" means a lien, charge, security interest, encumbrance, right of
first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
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"Material Adverse Effect" shall have the meaning assigned to such term
in Section 3.1(b).
"Material Permits" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 3.1(m).
"Maximum Rate" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
5.17.
"Mexican Project Financing" means any debt financing or equity raising
transaction incurred by a Subsidiary of the Company in connection with
exploratory and development projects within the Republic of Mexico;
provided, however, that any such equity raising transaction shall include
equity only of the operating Subsidiary undertaking such exploratory and
development projects and shall not include any adjustment, whether debt or
equity, that entitles the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common
Stock or Common Stock Equivalents.
"Participation Maximum" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term
in Section 4.13.
"Person" means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust,
incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited
liability company, joint stock company, representative, agent, government
(or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
"Pre-Notice" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
4.13.
"Principal Amount" shall mean, as to each Purchaser, the amounts set
forth below such Purchaser's signature block on the signature pages hereto
and next to the heading "Principal Amount," in United States Dollars, which
shall equal such Purchaser's Subscription amount multiplied by 1.2175.
"Proceeding" means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding
(including, without limitation, an investigation or partial proceeding,
such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
"Purchaser Party" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 4.11.
"Registration Rights Agreement" means the Registration Rights
Agreement, dated the date hereof, among the Company and the Purchasers, in
the form of Exhibit B attached hereto.
"Registration Statement" means a registration statement meeting the
requirements set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement and covering
the resale of the Underlying Shares by each Purchaser as provided for in
the Registration Rights Agreement.
"Required Approvals" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 3.1(e).
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"Required Minimum" means, as of any date, the maximum aggregate number
of shares of Common Stock then issued or potentially issuable in the future
pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including any Underlying Shares
issuable upon exercise or conversion in full of all Warrants and Debentures
(including Underlying Shares issuable as payment of interest), ignoring any
conversion or exercise limits set forth therein, and assuming that the
Conversion Price is at all times on and after the date of determination 75%
of the then Conversion Price on the Trading Day immediately prior to the
date of determination.
"Rule 144" means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to
the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or any
similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having
substantially the same effect as such Rule.
"SEC Reports" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section
3.1(h).
"Securities" means the Debentures, the Warrants, the Warrant Shares
and the Underlying Shares.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
"Series A Warrants" means collectively the Common Stock purchase
warrants, in the form of Exhibit C delivered to the Purchasers at the
Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Warrants shall be
exercisable immediately and have a term of exercise equal to 3 years.
"Series B Warrants" means collectively the Common Stock purchase
warrants, in the form of Exhibit E delivered to the Purchasers at the
Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Warrants shall be
exercisable immediately after the Effective Date by the Company and 12
months from the date hereof by the Purchasers and shall have a term of
exercise equal to 13 months.
"Xxxxxxx Litigation" means the litigation of the Company as described
in Matter Number 1 under Legal Proceedings in the Company's Form 10-QSB for
the period ended September 30, 2005 filed with the Commission.
"Short Sales" shall include all "short sales" as defined in Rule 200
of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to
include the location and/or reservation of borrowable shares of Common
Stock).
"Subscription Amount" means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate
amount to be paid for Debentures and Warrants purchased hereunder as
specified below such Purchaser's name on the signature page of this
Agreement and next to the heading "Subscription Amount," in United States
Dollars and in immediately available funds.
"Subsequent Financing" shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Section 4.13.
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"Subsequent Financing Notice" shall have the meaning ascribed to such
term in Section 4.13.
"Subsidiary" means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth on
Schedule 3.1(a).
"Trading Day" means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a
Trading Market.
"Trading Market" means the following markets or exchanges on which the
Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the
Nasdaq Capital Market, the American Stock Exchange, the New York Stock
Exchange, the Nasdaq National Market or the OTC Bulletin Board.
"Transaction Documents" means this Agreement, the Debentures, the
Warrants, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Escrow Agreement and any
other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereunder.
"Underlying Shares" means the shares of Common Stock issued and
issuable upon conversion of the Debentures and upon exercise of the
Warrants.
"VWAP" means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the
following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or
quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the
Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading
Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by
Bloomberg Financial L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. Eastern
Time to 4:02 p.m. Eastern Time); (b) if the Common Stock is not then listed
or quoted on a Trading Market and if prices for the Common Stock are then
reported in the "Pink Sheets" published by the Pink Sheets, LLC (or a
similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting
prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so
reported; or (c) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of
Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good
faith by the Purchasers and reasonably acceptable to the Company.
"Warrants" means collectively the Series A and Series B Warrants.
"Warrant Shares" means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon
exercise of the Warrants.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth herein, concurrent with the execution and delivery of this
Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and each Purchaser
agrees to purchase in the aggregate, severally and not jointly, up to
$18,500,000 Principal Amount of the Debentures. Each Purchaser shall deliver to
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the Escrow Agent via wire transfer or a certified check immediately available
funds equal to their Subscription Amount and the Company shall deliver to each
Purchaser their respective Debenture and Warrants as determined pursuant to
Section 2.2(a) and the other items set forth in Section 2.2 issuable at the
Closing. Upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3,
the Closing shall occur at the offices of FW, or such other location as the
parties shall mutually agree.
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be
delivered to each Purchaser (except as noted) the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) a legal opinion of Company Counsel, in the form of Exhibit D
attached hereto;
(iii) a Debenture with a Principal Amount equal to such
Purchaser's Subscription Amount multiplied by 1.2175, registered in
the name of such Purchaser;
(iv) a Series A Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser
to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 33% of
such Purchaser's Principal Amount divided by $0.87, with an exercise
price equal to $0.935, subject to adjustment therein;
(v) a Series B Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser
to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 100% of
such Purchaser's Principal Amount divided by $0.87, with an exercise
price equal to $1.275, subject to adjustment therein;
(vi) the written agreement, in the form of Exhibit E attached
hereto, of the officers, directors and shareholders holding more than
10% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock on the date
hereof to vote all Common Stock over which such Persons have voting
control as of the record date for the meeting of shareholders of the
Company in favor of Authorized Share Approval, amounting to, in the
aggregate, at least 25% of the issued and outstanding Common Stock;
(vii) a warrant in the form of the Series A Warrant registered in
the name of HPC Capital Management or its designees, to purchase up to
10,000 shares of Common Stock per $1 million of Subscription Amounts
from Purchasers, and otherwise identical to the Series A Warrant;
(viii) the Escrow Agreement duly executed by the Company; and
(ix) the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by the
Company.
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(b) On the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be
delivered to the Company (except as noted) the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser;
(ii) such Purchaser's Subscription Amount by wire transfer to the
Escrow Agent;
(iii) the Escrow Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(iv) the Registration Rights Agreement duly executed by such
Purchaser.
2.3 Closing Conditions.
(a) The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the
Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects when made and on the
Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers
contained herein;
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Purchasers
required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have
been performed; and
(iii) the delivery by the Purchasers of the items set forth in
Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.
(b) The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in
connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being
met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects on the Closing Date of
the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein;
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company
required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have
been performed;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in
Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;
(iv) there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with
respect to the Company since the date hereof; and
(v) from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the
Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the
Company's principal Trading Market (except for any suspension of
trading of limited duration agreed to by the Company, which suspension
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shall be terminated prior to the Closing), and, at any time prior to
the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by
Bloomberg Financial L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or
minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose
trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor
shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United
States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any
material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or
international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any
material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case,
in the reasonable judgment of each Purchaser, makes it impracticable
or inadvisable to purchase the Debentures at the Closing.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth
under the corresponding section of the disclosure schedules delivered to the
Purchasers concurrently herewith (the "Disclosure Schedules") which Disclosure
Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof, the Company hereby makes the
representations and warranties set forth below to each Purchaser.
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the
Company are set forth on Schedule 3.1(a). The Company owns, directly or
indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each
Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all the issued and outstanding
shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully
paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe
for or purchase securities. If the Company has no subsidiaries, then
references in the Transaction Documents to the Subsidiaries will be
disregarded.
(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the
Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly
existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation or organization (as applicable), with the requisite power and
authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its
business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is
in violation or default of any of the provisions of its respective
certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or
charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly
qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign
corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the
business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification
necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing,
as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in
(i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability
of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results
of operations, assets, business or condition (financial or otherwise) of
the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material
adverse effect on the Company's ability to perform in any material respect
on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of
(i), (ii) or (iii), a "Material Adverse Effect") and no Proceeding has been
instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or
seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or
qualification.
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(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite
corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the
transactions contemplated by each of the Transaction Documents and
otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The
execution and delivery of each of the Transaction Documents by the Company
and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated thereby have
been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and
no further action is required by the Company, its board of directors or its
stockholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the
Required Approvals and Authorized Share Approval. Each Transaction Document
has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company
and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will
constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable
against the Company in accordance with its terms except (i) as limited by
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other
laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors' rights
generally and (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of
specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the
Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by the Company of
the other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not:
(i) subject to Authorized Share Approval, conflict with or violate any
provision of the Company's or any Subsidiary's certificate or articles of
incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii)
conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or
lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation
of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any
Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment,
acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or
both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument
(evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other
understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which
any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or
affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or
result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment,
injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental
authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including
federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any
property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected;
except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not
have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to
obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to,
or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state,
local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with
the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction
Documents, other than Authorized Share Approval and (i) filings required
pursuant to Section 4.6, (ii) the filing with the Commission of the
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Registration Statement, (iii) the notice and/or application(s) to each
applicable Trading Market for the issuance and sale of the Debentures and
Warrants and the listing of the Underlying Shares for trading thereon in
the time and manner required thereby and (iv) the filing of Form D with the
Commission and such filings as are required to be made under applicable
state securities laws (collectively, the "Required Approvals").
(f) Issuance of the Securities. The Securities are duly authorized
and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction
Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable,
free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company other than restrictions
on transfer provided for in the Transaction Documents. The Underlying
Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Transaction
Documents, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and
clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. Subject to Authorized Shares
Approval, the Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock a
number of shares of Common Stock for issuance of the Underlying Shares at
least equal to the Required Minimum on the date hereof.
(g) Authorized Shares. As of the Closing Date, the Company has
9,000,000 shares of Common Stock which are available to reserve and issue
pursuant to the Transaction Documents. In order to comply with the terms of
the Transaction Documents, the Company's Board of Directors will recommend
an increase in authorized share capital from 100,000,000 to 250,000,000
shares of Common Stock. The Company will promptly file with the Commission
all documentation required by the Exchange Act and will promptly call a
special meeting of the shareholders of the Company for the purpose of
obtaining shareholder approval of the Amendment. Upon receipt of
shareholder approval, the Company will promptly file the Amendment with the
Secretary of State of the State of Nevada.
(h) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as set forth
on Schedule 3.1(h). The Company has not issued any capital stock since its
most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than
pursuant to the exercise of employee stock grants and options under the
Company's employment and consulting services agreements, stock grant and
option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant
to the Company's employee stock purchase plan and pursuant to the
conversion or exercise of outstanding Common Stock Equivalents. No Person
has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation,
or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the
Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the
Securities and as set forth on Schedule 3.1(h), there are no outstanding
options, warrants, script rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of
any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person
any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock, or
contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company
or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of
Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the
Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or
other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers) and will not
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result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the
exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under such securities. All of
the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all
federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was
issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe
for or purchase securities. Other than Authorized Share Approval, no
further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of
Directors of the Company or others is required for the issuance and sale of
the Securities. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or
other similar agreements with respect to the Company's capital stock to
which the Company is a party or, to the Knowledge of the Company, between
or among any of the Company's stockholders.
(i) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. Except as set forth on Schedule
3.1(i), the Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and
other documents required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the
Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the
two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company
was required by law to file such material) (the foregoing materials,
including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference
therein, being collectively referred to herein as the "SEC Reports") on a
timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and
has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such
extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all
material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the
Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated
thereunder, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC
Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting
requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect
thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have
been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted
accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods
involved ("GAAP"), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial
statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial
statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly
present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and
its consolidated subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the
results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject,
in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit
adjustments.
(j) Material Changes. Since the date of the latest audited financial
statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically
disclosed in the SEC Reports, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or
development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in
a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any
liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and
accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent
with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the
Company's financial statements pursuant to GAAP or required to be disclosed
in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its
12
method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any
dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or
purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares
of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity
securities to any officer, director, Affiliate, attorney or consultant,
except pursuant to Company stock grant or option plans or employment and
consulting services agreements. The Company does not have pending before
the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information.
Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or
as set forth on Schedule 3.1(j), no event, liability or development has
occurred or exists with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their
respective business, properties, operations or financial condition, that
would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable
securities laws at the time this representation is made that has not been
publicly disclosed 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation
is made.
(k) Litigation. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(k), there is no
action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation
pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened against or
affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties
before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency
or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign)
(collectively, an "Action") which (i) adversely affects or challenges the
legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or
the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have
or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or
has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or
liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of
fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the Knowledge of the Company,
there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission
involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the
Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order
suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the
Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
None of the Company's or its Subsidiaries' employees is a member of a union
that relates to such employee's relationship with the Company, and neither
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective
bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that
their relationships with their employees are good. No executive officer, to
the Knowledge of the Company, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of
any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure
or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any
other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant, and the continued
employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the
foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with
all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to
employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and
wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
13
(l) Labor Relations. No material labor dispute exists or, to the
Knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees
of the Company which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(m) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary (i) is in
default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not
been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a
default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any
Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that
it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other
agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its
properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been
waived), (ii) is in violation of any order of any court, arbitrator or
governmental body, or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute,
rule or regulation of any governmental authority, including without
limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws applicable to its
business and all such laws that affect the environment, except in each case
as could not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all
certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal,
state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their
respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the
failure to possess such permits could not have or reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect ("Material Permits"), and neither the
Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating
to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit.
(o) Title to Assets. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(o), he
Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple
to all real property owned by them that is material to the business of the
Company and the Subsidiaries and good and marketable title in all personal
property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and
the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for
Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not
materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such
property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and Liens for the payment of
federal, state or other taxes, the payment of which is neither delinquent
nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease
by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid,
subsisting and enforceable leases of which the Company and the Subsidiaries
are in compliance.
(p) Patents and Trademarks. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or
have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark
applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions,
copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights similar rights
necessary or material for use in connection with their respective
businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have
could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the "Intellectual
Property Rights"). Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a
notice (written or otherwise) that the Intellectual Property Rights used by
the Company or any Subsidiary violates or infringes upon the rights of any
14
Person. To the Knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property
Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another
Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights of others. The Company
and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the
secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties,
except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) Insurance. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(q), the Company and
the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial
responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are
prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the
Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and
officers insurance coverage at least equal to the aggregate Subscription
Amount. To the best Knowledge of the Company, such insurance contracts and
policies are accurate and complete. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing
insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar
coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business
without a significant increase in cost.
(r) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in
the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company and, to
the Knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company is
presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary
(other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including
any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing
of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to
or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director
or such employee or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any entity in which
any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or
is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of
$60,000 other than (i) for payment of executive compensation, bonuses or
consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses
incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) for other employee benefits,
including employment, stock grant and option agreements under any plan of
the Company.
(s) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company is in
material compliance with all provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002
which are applicable to it as of the Closing Date. The Company and the
Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient
to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in
accordance with management's general or specific authorizations, (ii)
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial
statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability,
(iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's
general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for
assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and
appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company
has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange
Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and designed such
15
disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information
relating to the Company, including its Subsidiaries, is made known to the
certifying officers by others within those entities, particularly during
the period in which the Company's most recently filed periodic report under
the Exchange Act, as the case may be, is being prepared. The Company's
certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's
controls and procedures as of the date prior to the filing date of the most
recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the
"Evaluation Date"). The Company presented in its most recently filed
periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying
officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures
based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation
Date, there have been no significant changes in the Company's internal
controls (as such term is defined in Item 307(b) of Regulation S-K under
the Exchange Act) or, to the Knowledge of the Company, in other factors
that could significantly affect the Company's internal controls.
(t) Certain Fees. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(t), no brokerage
or finder's fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company to
any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent,
investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Purchasers shall have no
obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by
or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this
Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by
the Transaction Documents.
(u) Private Placement. Assuming the completeness and accuracy of the
Purchasers representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, no
registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of
the Securities by the Company to the Purchasers as contemplated hereby. The
issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder does not contravene the rules
and regulations of the Trading Market.
(v) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate
of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not
be or be an Affiliate of, an "investment company" within the meaning of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its
business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment
Company Act.
(w) Registration Rights. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(w) and
other than each of the Purchasers, no Person has any right to cause the
Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any
securities of the Company.
(x) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Company's Common Stock
is registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the
Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its Knowledge is
likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common
Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification
that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The
Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received
16
notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been
listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with
the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company
is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future
continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance
requirements.
(y) Application of Takeover Protections. Except as set forth on
Schedule 3.1(y), the Company and its Board of Directors have taken all
necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share
acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution
under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under
the Company's Certificate of Incorporation (or similar charter documents)
or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become
applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company
fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the
Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the
Company's issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers' ownership of the
Securities.
(z) Disclosure. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(z), the Company
confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has
provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any
information that constitutes or might constitute material, nonpublic
information. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will
rely on the foregoing representations and covenants in effecting
transactions in securities of the Company. All disclosure provided to the
Purchasers regarding the Company, its business and the transactions
contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement,
furnished by or on behalf of the Company with respect to the
representations and warranties made herein are true and correct with
respect to such representations and warranties and do not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company
acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any
representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated
hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(aa) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers'
representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the
Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their
behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any
security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances
that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with
prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act or any
applicable shareholder approval provisions, including, without limitation,
under the rules and regulations of any Trading Market on which any of the
securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(bb) Solvency. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(bb), based on the
financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date after giving
effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the
Securities hereunder, (i) the Company's fair saleable value of its assets
17
exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the
Company's existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent
liabilities) as they mature; (ii) the Company's assets do not constitute
unreasonably small capital to carry on its business for the current fiscal
year as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital
needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the
business conducted by the Company, and projected capital requirements and
capital availability thereof; and (iii) the current cash flow of the
Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to
liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses
of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its
debt when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend
to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking
into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect
of its debt). The Company has no Knowledge of any facts or circumstances
which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or
liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction
within one year from the Closing Date. The SEC Reports set forth as of the
dates thereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the
Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has
commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, "Indebtedness" shall mean
(a) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000
(other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of
business), (b) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent
obligations in respect of Indebtedness of others, whether or not the same
are or should be reflected in the Company's balance sheet (or the notes
thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for
deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of
business; and (c) the present value of any lease payments in excess of
$50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with
GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to
any Indebtedness.
(cc) Form SB-2 Eligibility. The Company is eligible to register the
resale of the Underlying Shares for resale by the Purchaser on Form SB-2
promulgated under the Securities Act.
(dd) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in
the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect, the Company and each Subsidiary has filed all necessary
federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has paid or
accrued all taxes shown as due thereon, and the Company has no Knowledge of
a tax deficiency which has been asserted or threatened against the Company
or any Subsidiary.
(ee) No General Solicitation. Neither the Company nor any person
acting on behalf of the Company has offered or sold any of the Securities
by any form of general solicitation or general advertising. The Company has
offered the Securities for sale only to the Purchasers and certain other
"accredited investors" within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities
Act.
18
(ff) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the
Knowledge of the Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the
Company, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful
contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to
foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to
foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or
domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed
to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company (or made by any
person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in
violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of
the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
(gg) Accountants. The Company's accountants are set forth on Schedule
3.1(gg) of the Disclosure Schedule. To the Knowledge of the Company, such
accountants, who the Company expects will express their opinion with
respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company's Annual
Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2005 are a registered
public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act.
(hh) Seniority. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(hh), as of the
Closing Date, no indebtedness or other equity of the Company is senior to
the Debentures in right of payment, whether with respect to interest or
upon liquidation or dissolution, or otherwise, other than indebtedness
secured by purchase money security interests (which is senior only as to
underlying assets covered thereby) and capital lease obligations (which is
senior only as to the property covered thereby).
(ii) No Disagreements with Accountants and Lawyers. There are no
disagreements of any kind presently existing, or reasonably anticipated by
the Company to arise, between the accountants and lawyers formerly or
presently employed by the Company and the Company is current with respect
to any fees owed to its accountants and lawyers.
(jj) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers' Purchase of Securities. The
Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting
solely in the capacity of an arm's length purchaser with respect to the
Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company
further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or
fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to this
Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and any advice given by
any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in
connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby is
merely incidental to the Purchasers' purchase of the Securities. The
Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company's decision to
enter into this Agreement has been based solely on the independent
evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its
representatives.
(kk) Acknowledgement Regarding Purchasers' Trading Activity. Anything
in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding
(except for Section 4.16 hereof), it is understood and agreed by the
Company (i) that none of the Purchasers have been asked to agree, nor has
19
any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or
short, securities of the Company, or "derivative" securities based on
securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any
specified term; (ii) that past or future open market or other transactions
by any Purchaser, including Short Sales, and specifically including,
without limitation, Short Sales or "derivative" transactions, before or
after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may
negatively impact the market price of the Company's publicly-traded
securities; (iii) that any Purchaser, and counter parties in "derivative"
transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or
indirectly, presently may have a "short" position in the Common Stock, and
(iv) that each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with
or control over any arm's length counter-party in any "derivative"
transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (a) one
or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at various times during
the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without
limitation, during the periods that the value of the Underlying Shares
deliverable with respect to Securities are being determined and (b) such
hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing
stockholders' equity interests in the Company at and after the time that
the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that
such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of
the Transaction Documents.
(ll) Manipulation of Price. The Company has not, and to its Knowledge
no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any
action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation
of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or
resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid
any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities (other
than for the placement agent's placement of the Securities), or (iii) paid
or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to
purchase any other securities of the Company.
3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser
hereby, for itself and for no other Purchaser, represents and warrants as of the
date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows:
(a) Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is an entity duly
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its organization with full right, corporate or partnership
power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its
obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution, delivery and
performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or similar
action on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it
is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by
such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the
valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against
it in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable
principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of
20
creditors' rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the
availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable
remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions
may be limited by applicable law.
(b) Own Account. Such Purchaser understands that the Securities are
"restricted securities" and have not been registered under the Securities
Act or any applicable state securities law and is acquiring the Securities
as principal for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing
or reselling such Securities or any part thereof in violation of the
Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, has no present
intention of distributing any of such Securities in violation of the
Securities Act or any applicable state securities law and has no
arrangement or understanding with any other persons regarding the
distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not
limiting such Purchaser's right to sell the Securities pursuant to the
Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal
and state securities laws) in violation of the Securities Act or any
applicable state securities law. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities
hereunder in the ordinary course of its business. Such Purchaser does not
have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any
Person to distribute any of the Securities.
(c) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the
Securities, it was, and at the date hereof it is, and on each date on which
it exercises any Warrants or converts any Debentures it will be either: (i)
an "accredited investor" as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3),
(a)(7) or (a)(8) under the Securities Act or (ii) a "qualified
institutional buyer" as defined in Rule 144A(a) under the Securities Act.
Such Purchaser is not required to be registered as a broker-dealer under
Section 15 of the Exchange Act.
(d) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or
together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and
experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of
evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the
Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment.
Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the
Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of
such investment.
(e) General Solicitation. Such Purchaser is not purchasing the
Securities as a result of any advertisement, article, notice or other
communication regarding the Securities published in any newspaper, magazine
or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or presented at any
seminar or any other general solicitation or general advertisement.
(f) Information. Such Purchasers has been furnished all materials
relating to the business, finance and operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries and materials relating to the offer and sale of the
Securities, as set forth on Schedule 3.2(f), which have been requested by
such Purchaser. Such Purchaser has been afforded the opportunity to ask
questions of the Company and has received what such Purchaser believes to
be satisfactory answers to any such inquiries. Such Purchaser understands
that its investment in the Securities involves a high degree of risk.
21
Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted
by such Purchaser or its counsel or any of its representatives shall
modify, amend or affect such Purchaser's right to rely on the Company's
representations and warranties as set forth in Section 3.1 hereof or
elsewhere in the Transaction Documents.
(g) Short Sales and Confidentiality Prior To The Date Hereof. Other
than the transaction contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not
directly or indirectly, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant
to any understanding with such Purchaser, executed any disposition,
including Short Sales, in the securities of the Company during the period
commencing from the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet
from the Company or any other Person setting forth the material terms of
the transactions contemplated hereunder until the date hereof ("Discussion
Time"). [Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is
a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers
manage separate portions of such Purchaser's assets and the portfolio
managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the
portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser's assets, the
representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion
of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment
decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than
to other Persons party to this Agreement, such Purchaser has maintained the
confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this
transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction).]
The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Purchaser does not make
or has not made any representations or warranties with respect to the
transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in
this Section 3.2.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Transfer Restrictions.
(a) The Securities may only be disposed of in compliance with state
and federal securities laws. In connection with any transfer of Securities
other than pursuant to an effective registration statement or Rule 144, to
the Company or to an affiliate of a Purchaser or in connection with a
pledge as contemplated in Section 4.1(b), the Company may require the
transferor thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected
by the transferor and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the form and
substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company,
to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of such
transferred Securities under the Securities Act. As a condition of
transfer, any such transferee shall agree in writing to be bound by the
terms of this Agreement and shall have the rights of a Purchaser under this
Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.
(b) The Purchasers agree to the imprinting, so long as is required by
this Section 4.1(b), of a legend on any of the Securities in the following
form:
22
[NEITHER] THESE SECURITIES [NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES
ARE [EXERCISABLE] [CONVERTIBLE]] HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN
RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF
1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE
OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN
A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE
SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS
EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT,
THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY. THESE
SECURITIES AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON [EXERCISE] [CONVERSION] OF
THESE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN
ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that a Purchaser may from time to
time pledge pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement with a registered
broker-dealer or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities
to a financial institution that is an "accredited investor" as defined in
Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act and who agrees to be bound by the
provisions of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement and, if
required under the terms of such arrangement, such Purchaser may transfer
pledged or secured Securities to the pledgees or secured parties. Such a
pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval of the Company and no
legal opinion of legal counsel of the pledgee, secured party or pledgor
shall be required in connection therewith. Further, no notice shall be
required of such pledge. At the appropriate Purchaser's expense, the
Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee
or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a
pledge or transfer of the Securities, including, if the Securities are
subject to registration pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the
preparation and filing of any required prospectus supplement under Rule
424(b)(3) under the Securities Act or other applicable provision of the
Securities Act to appropriately amend the list of Selling Stockholders
thereunder. If the pledgee forecloses on the Securities, the pledgee will
assume in writing all of the obligations of the Purchaser under all of the
relevant Transaction Documents.
(c) Certificates evidencing the Underlying Shares shall not contain
any legend (including the legend set forth in Section 4.1(b) hereof): (i)
while a registration statement (including the Registration Statement)
covering the resale of such security is effective under the Securities Act,
or (ii) following any sale of such Underlying Shares pursuant to Rule 144,
or (iii) if such Underlying Shares are eligible for sale under Rule 144(k),
or (iv) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the
Securities Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements
issued by the staff of the Commission). The Company shall cause its counsel
23
to issue a legal opinion to the Company's transfer agent promptly after the
Effective Date if required by the Company's transfer agent to effect the
removal of the legend hereunder. If all or any portion of a Debenture or
Warrant is converted or exercised (as applicable) at a time when there is
an effective registration statement to cover the resale of the Underlying
Shares, or if such Underlying Shares may be sold under Rule 144(k) or if
such legend is not otherwise required under applicable requirements of the
Securities Act (including judicial interpretations thereof) then such
Underlying Shares shall be issued free of all legends. The Company agrees
that following the Effective Date or at such time as such legend is no
longer required under this Section 4.1(c), it will, no later than three
Trading Days following the delivery by a Purchaser to the Company or the
Company's transfer agent of a certificate representing Underlying Shares,
as applicable, issued with a restrictive legend (such third Trading Day,
the "Legend Removal Date"), deliver or cause to be delivered to such
Purchaser a certificate representing such shares that is free from all
restrictive and other legends. The Company may not make any notation on its
records or give instructions to any transfer agent of the Company that
enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section.
Certificates for Securities subject to legend removal hereunder shall be
transmitted by the transfer agent of the Company to the Purchasers by
crediting the account of the Purchaser's prime broker with the Depository
Trust Company System, if the transfer agent participates in the Depository
Trust Company System.
(d) In addition to such Purchaser's other available remedies, the
Company shall pay to a Purchaser, in cash, as partial liquidated damages
and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Underlying Shares (based on the
VWAP of the Common Stock on the date such Securities are submitted to the
Company's transfer agent) delivered for removal of the restrictive legend
and subject to Section 4.1(c), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per
Trading Day 5 Trading Days after such damages have begun to accrue) for
each Trading Day after the Legend Removal Date until such certificate is
delivered without a legend. Nothing herein shall limit such Purchaser's
right to pursue actual damages for the Company's failure to deliver
certificates representing any Securities as required by the Transaction
Documents, and such Purchaser shall have the right to pursue all remedies
available to it at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree
of specific performance and/or injunctive relief.
(e) Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other
Purchasers, agrees that the removal of the restrictive legend from
certificates representing Securities as set forth in this Section 4.1 is
predicated upon the Company's reliance that the Purchaser will sell any
Securities pursuant to either the registration requirements of the
Securities Act, including any applicable prospectus delivery requirements,
or an exemption therefrom.
(f) Until the one year anniversary of the Effective Date, the Company
shall not undertake a reverse or forward stock split or reclassification of
the Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Purchasers
holding a majority in principal amount outstanding of the Debentures.
4.2 Acknowledgment of Dilution. The Company acknowledges that the issuance
of the Securities may result in dilution of the outstanding shares of Common
Stock, which dilution may be substantial under certain market conditions. The
24
Company further acknowledges that its obligations under the Transaction
Documents, including without limitation its obligation to issue the Underlying
Shares pursuant to the Transaction Documents, are unconditional and absolute and
not subject to any right of set off, counterclaim, delay or reduction,
regardless of the effect of any such dilution or any claim the Company may have
against any Purchaser and regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance
may have on the ownership of the other stockholders of the Company.
4.3 Furnishing of Information. As long as any Purchaser owns Securities,
the Company covenants to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof
and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by
the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act. As long as any
Purchaser owns Securities, if the Company is not required to file reports
pursuant to the Exchange Act, it will prepare and furnish to the Purchasers and
make publicly available in accordance with Rule 144(c) such information as is
required for the Purchasers to sell the Securities under Rule 144. The Company
further covenants that it will take such further action as any holder of
Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time
to enable such Person to sell such Securities without registration under the
Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144.
4.4 Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit
offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in
Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale
of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the
Securities Act of the sale of the Securities to the Purchasers or that would be
integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules
and regulations of any Trading Market.
4.5 Conversion and Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise
included in the Warrants and the form of Notice of Conversion included in the
Debentures set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers
in order to exercise the Warrants or convert the Debentures. No additional legal
opinion or other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers
to exercise their Warrants or convert their Debentures. The Company shall honor
exercises of the Warrants and conversions of the Debentures and shall deliver
Underlying Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set
forth in the Transaction Documents.
4.6 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall, by 8:30 a.m.
Eastern time on the Trading Day following the date hereof, issue a Current
Report on Form 8-K, reasonably acceptable to each Purchaser disclosing the
material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and shall attach the
Transaction Documents thereto. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with
each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions
contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any
such press release or otherwise make any such public statement without the prior
consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or
without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release
of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, except if such
disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly
25
provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or
communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly
disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any
filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without
the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (i) as required on the Form
8-K filed pursuant to this Section 4.6, (ii) as required by federal securities
law in connection with the future SEC Reports of the Company and (iii) to the
extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in
which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such
disclosure permitted under subclause (i) or (ii).
4.7 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the
Company or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any other Person that any Purchaser
is an "Acquiring Person" under any shareholder rights plan or similar plan or
arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser
could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by
virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any
other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers. The Company shall
conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the
Investment Company Act.
4.8 Non-Public Information. The Company covenants and agrees that neither
it nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its
agents or counsel with any information that the Company believes constitutes
material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have
executed a written agreement regarding the confidentiality and use of such
information. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be
relying on the foregoing representations in effecting transactions in securities
of the Company.
4.9 Use of Proceeds. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.9 attached hereto,
the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder
for working capital purposes and not for the satisfaction of any portion of the
Company's debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of
the Company's business and prior practices), to redeem any Common Stock or
Common Stock Equivalents or to settle any outstanding litigation.
4.10 Reimbursement. If any Purchaser becomes involved in any capacity in
any Proceeding by or against any Person who is a stockholder of the Company
(except as a result of sales, pledges, margin sales and similar transactions by
such Purchaser to or with any current stockholder), solely as a result of such
Purchaser's acquisition of the Securities under this Agreement, the Company will
reimburse such Purchaser for its reasonable legal and other expenses (including
the cost of any investigation preparation and travel in connection therewith)
incurred in connection therewith, as such expenses are incurred. The
reimbursement obligations of the Company under this paragraph shall be in
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have, shall extend
upon the same terms and conditions to any Affiliates of the Purchasers who are
actually named in such action, proceeding or investigation, and partners,
directors, agents, employees and controlling persons (if any), as the case may
be, of the Purchasers and any such Affiliate, and shall be binding upon and
inure to the benefit of any successors, assigns, heirs and personal
representatives of the Company, the Purchasers and any such Affiliate and any
26
such Person. The Company also agrees that neither the Purchasers nor any such
Affiliates, partners, directors, agents, employees or controlling persons shall
have any liability to the Company or any Person asserting claims on behalf of or
in right of the Company solely as a result of acquiring the Securities under
this Agreement.
4.11 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this
Section 4.11, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its
directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and
any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such
titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who
controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act
and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, agents,
members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally
equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such
title or any other title) of such controlling person (each, a "Purchaser Party")
harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims,
contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts
paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs of
investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of
or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties,
covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other
Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against a Purchaser, or any
of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is
not an Affiliate of such Purchaser, with respect to any of the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is based upon a
breach of such Purchaser's representations, warranties or covenants under the
Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser may
have with any such stockholder or any violations by the Purchaser of state or
federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser which constitutes
fraud, gross negligence, willful misconduct or malfeasance). If any action shall
be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be
sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify
the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the
defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing. Any Purchaser Party shall have
the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the
defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the
expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment
thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the
Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and
to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of
such separate counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the
position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party. The Company
will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (i) for any
settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company's prior written
consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed or (ii) to the
extent, but only to the extent, that a loss, claim, damage or liability is
attributable to any Purchaser Party's breach of any of the representations,
warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Purchasers in this Agreement or
in the other Transaction Documents.
4.12 Reservation and Listing of Securities.
(a) On or before the Authorized Share Approval Date, the Company shall
maintain a reserve from its duly authorized shares of Common Stock for
issuance pursuant to the Transaction Documents of at least 9,000,000 shares
of Common Stock (subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits
and the like).
27
(b) If, on any date after the Authorized Share Approval Date (or the
90th calendar day in the event the Commission reviews the proxy statement
under which the Company seeks shareholder approval for the Amendment), the
number of authorized but unissued (and otherwise unreserved) shares of
Common Stock is less than 130% of (i) the Required Minimum on such date,
minus (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock previously issued pursuant
to the Transactions Documents, then, as soon as possible and in any event
no later than the 60th calendar day after such date, the Board of Directors
of the Company shall use best efforts to amend the Company's certificate or
articles of incorporation to increase the number of authorized but unissued
shares of Common Stock such that at least 130% of the Required Minimum at
such time (minus the number of shares of Common Stock previously issued
pursuant to the Transaction Documents) is reserved from the Company's duly
authorized shares of Common Stock, provided that the Company will not be
required at any time to authorize a number of shares of Common Stock
greater than 130% of the maximum remaining number of shares of Common Stock
that could possibly be issued after such time pursuant to the Transaction
Documents.
(c) The Company shall, if applicable: (i) in the time and manner
required by the Trading Market, prepare and file with such Trading Market
an additional shares listing application covering a number of shares of
Common Stock at least equal to the Required Minimum on the date of such
application, (ii) take all steps necessary to cause such shares of Common
Stock to be approved for listing on the Trading Market as soon as possible
thereafter, (iii) provide to the Purchasers evidence of such listing, and
(iv) maintain the listing of such Common Stock on any date at least equal
to the Required Minimum on such date on such Trading Market or another
Trading Market. In addition, the Company shall hold a special meeting of
shareholders (which may also be at the annual meeting of shareholders) on
or before the Authorized Share Approval Date (or the 90th calendar day in
the event the Commission reviews the proxy statement under which the
Company seeks shareholder approval for the Amendment) for the purpose of
obtaining Authorized Share Approval, with the recommendation of the
Company's Board of Directors that such proposal be approved, and the
Company shall solicit proxies from its shareholders in connection therewith
in the same manner as all other management proposals in such proxy
statement and all management-appointed proxyholders shall vote their
proxies in favor of such proposal. If the Company does not obtain
Authorized Share Approval at the first meeting, the Company shall call a
meeting every four months thereafter to seek Authorized Share Approval
until the earlier of the date Authorized Share Approval is obtained or the
Debentures are no longer outstanding.
4.13 Participation in Future Financing.
(a) From the date hereof until the date that is the six month
anniversary of the Effective Date, upon any financing by the Company or any
of its Subsidiaries of debt, Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (a
"Subsequent Financing"), each Purchaser shall have the right to participate
in up to an amount of the Subsequent Financing equal to 100% of the
Subsequent Financing (the "Participation Maximum").
28
(b) At least 10 Trading Days prior to the closing of the Subsequent
Financing, the Company shall deliver to each Purchaser a written notice of
its intention to effect a Subsequent Financing ("Pre-Notice"), which
Pre-Notice shall ask such Purchaser if it wants to review the details of
such financing (such additional notice, a "Subsequent Financing Notice").
Upon the request of a Purchaser, and only upon a request by such Purchaser,
for a Subsequent Financing Notice, the Company shall promptly, but no later
than 1 Trading Day after such request, deliver a Subsequent Financing
Notice to such Purchaser. The Subsequent Financing Notice shall describe in
reasonable detail the proposed terms of such Subsequent Financing, the
amount of proceeds intended to be raised thereunder, the Person with whom
such Subsequent Financing is proposed to be effected, and attached to which
shall be a term sheet or similar document relating thereto.
(c) Any Purchaser desiring to participate in such Subsequent Financing
must provide written notice to the Company by not later than 5:30 p.m. (New
York City time) on the 10th Trading Day after all of the Purchasers have
received the Pre-Notice that the Purchaser is willing to participate in the
Subsequent Financing, the amount of the Purchaser's participation, and that
the Purchaser has such funds ready, willing, and available for investment
on the terms set forth in the Subsequent Financing Notice. If the Company
receives no notice from a Purchaser as of such 10th Trading Day, such
Purchaser shall be deemed to have notified the Company that it does not
elect to participate.
(d) If by 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the 10th Trading Day after
all of the Purchasers have received the Pre-Notice, notifications by the
Purchasers of their willingness to participate in the Subsequent Financing
(or to cause their designees to participate) is, in the aggregate, less
than the total amount of the Subsequent Financing, then the Company may
effect the remaining portion of such Subsequent Financing on the terms and
to the Persons set forth in the Subsequent Financing Notice.
(e) If by 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the 10th Trading Day after
all of the Purchasers have received the Pre-Notice, the Company receives
responses to a Subsequent Financing Notice from Purchasers seeking to
purchase more than the aggregate amount of the Participation Maximum, each
such Purchaser shall have the right to purchase the greater of (a) their
Pro Rata Portion (as defined below) of the Participation Maximum and (b)
the difference between the Participation Maximum and the aggregate amount
of participation by all other Purchasers. "Pro Rata Portion" is the ratio
of (x) the Subscription Amount of Securities purchased on the Closing Date
by a Purchaser participating under this Section 4.13 and (y) the sum of the
aggregate Subscription Amounts of Securities purchased on the Closing Date
by all Purchasers participating under this Section 4.13.
(f) The Company must provide the Purchasers with a second Subsequent
Financing Notice, and the Purchasers will again have the right of
participation set forth above in this Section 4.13, if the Subsequent
29
Financing subject to the initial Subsequent Financing Notice is not
consummated for any reason on the terms set forth in such Subsequent
Financing Notice within 60 Trading Days after the date of the initial
Subsequent Financing Notice.
(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.13 shall not apply in
respect of (i) an Exempt Issuance, (ii) an underwritten public offering
of the Company's securities with a nationally recognized and reputable
underwriter or (iii) the Mexican Project Financing.
4.14 Subsequent Equity Sales.
(a) From the date hereof until 90 days after the Effective Date,
neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue shares of Common Stock
or Common Stock Equivalents; provided, however, the 90 day period set forth
in this Section 4.14 shall be extended for the number of Trading Days
during such period in which (i) trading in the Common Stock is suspended by
any Trading Market, or (ii) following the Effective Date, the Registration
Statement is not effective or the prospectus included in the Registration
Statement may not be used by the Purchasers for the resale of the
Underlying Shares.
(b) From the date hereof until such time as no Debentures or Warrants
are outstanding, the Company and each Subsidiary shall be prohibited from
(i) selling or granting any option to purchase, (ii) selling or granting
any right to reprice its securities or (iii) issuing or disposing of (or
announcing any sale, grant or option to purchase or other disposition)
Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents which entitles any Person to
acquire shares of Common Stock at an effective price per share that is
lower than the lesser of the then Conversion Price (subject to adjustment
therein) or the then Exercise Price (subject to adjustment therein). If the
holder of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents so issued shall at any
time, whether by operation of purchase price adjustments, reset provisions,
floating conversion, exercise or exchange prices or otherwise, or due to
warrants, options or rights per share which are issued in connection with
such issuance, be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock at an
effective price per share which is lower than the lesser of the then
Conversion Price (subject to adjustment therein) or the then Exercise Price
(subject to adjustment therein), such issuance shall be deemed to have
occurred for less than such Conversion Price or then Exercise Price. If
there are no outstanding Debentures, such prohibition shall apply to such
issuances at an effective price per share that is lower than the then
Exercise Price (subject to adjustment therein). If there are no outstanding
Warrants, such prohibition shall apply to such issuances at an effective
price per share that is lower than the then Conversion Price (subject to
adjustment therein).
(c) From the date hereof until such time as no Purchaser holds any of
the Debentures, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering
into an agreement to effect any Subsequent Financing involving a "Variable
Rate Transaction". The term "Variable Rate Transaction" shall mean a
transaction in which the Company issues or sells (i) any debt or equity
securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or
include the right to receive additional shares of Common Stock either (A)
at a conversion, exercise or exchange rate or other price that is based
30
upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the shares
of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or
equity securities, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price
that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial
issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of
specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the
business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock or (ii) enters
into any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of
credit, whereby the Company may sell securities at a future determined
price.
(d) Any Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief
against the Company to stay any issuances in violation of this Section
4.14, which remedy shall be in addition to other remedies including,
without limitation, the acceleration of the Debentures pursuant to an Event
of Default.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.14 shall not apply
in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction
shall be an Exempt Issuance.
4.15 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration shall be offered or
paid to any person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any
provision of any of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is
also offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents. Further, the
Company shall not make any payment of principal on the Debentures in amounts
which are disproportionate to the respective principal amounts outstanding on
the Debentures at any applicable time. For clarification purposes, this
provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company
and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to
treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the
Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase,
disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.
4.16 Short Sales and Confidentiality After The Date Hereof. Each Purchaser
severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers covenants that neither it
nor any Affiliates acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it
will execute any Short Sales during the period after the Discussion Time and
ending at the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are
first publicly announced as described in Section 4.6. Each Purchaser, severally
and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the
Company as described in Section 4.6, such Purchaser will maintain, the
confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this
transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Each
Purchaser understands and acknowledges, severally and not jointly with any other
Purchaser, that the Commission currently takes the position that coverage of
short sales of shares of the Common Stock "against the box" prior to the
Effective Date of the Registration Statement with the Securities is a violation
of Section 5 of the Securities Act, as set forth in Item 65, Section 5 under
Section A, of the Manual of Publicly Available Telephone Interpretations, dated
July 1997, compiled by the Office of Chief Counsel, Division of Corporation
Finance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Purchaser makes any representation,
warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in Short Sales in the
securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by
31
this Agreement are first publicly announced as described in Section 4.6.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a
multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage
separate portions of such Purchaser's assets and the portfolio managers have no
direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers
managing other portions of such Purchaser's assets, the covenant set forth above
shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio
manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by
this Agreement.
4.17 Form D; Blue Sky Filings. The Company agrees to timely file a Form D
with respect to the Securities as required under Regulation D and to provide a
copy thereof, promptly upon request of any Purchaser. The Company shall, on or
before or after the Closing Date, take such action as the Company shall
reasonably determine is necessary in order to obtain an exemption for, or to
qualify the Securities for, sale to the Purchasers at the Closing under
applicable securities or "Blue Sky" laws of the states of the United States, and
shall provide evidence of such actions promptly upon request of any Purchaser.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to
such Purchaser's obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on
the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice
to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before
January 27, 2006; provided, however, that no such termination will affect the
right of any party to xxx for any breach by the other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees and Expenses. At the Closing, the Company has agreed to reimburse
HPC Capital Management ("HPC") the non-accountable sum of $20,000, for its
actual, reasonable, out-of-pocket legal fees and expenses, $5,000 which shall
have been paid prior to the Closing. Except as expressly set forth in the
Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and
expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and
all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation,
preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company
shall pay all transfer agent fees, stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied
in connection with the delivery of any Securities.
5.3 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits
and schedules thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with
respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and
understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties
acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.4 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries
required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be
deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if
such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number
set forth on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York
City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of
32
transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the
facsimile number set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that
is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading
Day, (c) the 2nd Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S.
nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by
the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such
notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached
hereto.
5.5 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived,
modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the
case of an amendment, by the Company and each Purchaser or, in the case of a
waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waiver is sought. No
waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of
this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a
waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition
or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of either party to
exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such
right.
5.6 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not
constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect
any of the provisions hereof. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed
to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no
rules of strict construction will be applied against any party.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure
to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The
Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder
without the prior written consent of each Purchaser. Any Purchaser may assign
any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such
Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided such transferee agrees
in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the
provisions hereof that apply to the "Purchasers".
5.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted
assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced
by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.11.
5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity,
enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by
and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of
New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each
party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations,
enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and
any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its
respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents)
shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the
City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive
jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York,
Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in
connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed
herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction
Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit,
33
action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the
jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper
or inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives
personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such
suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified
mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the
address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such
service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice
thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right
to serve process in any manner permitted by law. The parties hereby waive all
rights to a trial by jury. If either party shall commence an action or
proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then the
prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other
party for its attorneys' fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the
investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
5.10 Survival. The representations, warranties, covenants and other
agreements contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery, exercise
and/or conversion of the Securities, as applicable for the applicable statue of
limitations.
5.11 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts,
all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement
and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and
delivered to the other party, it being understood that both parties need not
sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by
facsimile transmission, 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 signature page
were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid
or unenforceable in any respect, the validity and enforceability of the
remaining terms and provisions of this Agreement shall not in any way be
affected or impaired thereby and the parties will attempt to agree upon a valid
and enforceable provision that is a reasonable substitute therefor, and upon so
agreeing, shall incorporate such substitute provision in this Agreement.
5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) the
Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election,
demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely
perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such
Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon
written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole
or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided,
however, in the case of a rescission of a conversion of a Debenture or exercise
of a Warrant, the Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common
Stock subject to any such rescinded conversion or exercise notice.
5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing
any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue
or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation
34
thereof, or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or
instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the
Company of such loss, theft or destruction and customary and reasonable
indemnity, if requested. The applicants for a new certificate or instrument
under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs
associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights
provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the
Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the
Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be
adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of
obligations described in the foregoing sentence and hereby agrees to waive in
any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a
remedy at law would be adequate.
5.16 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or
payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser
enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the
proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently
invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered
from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored
to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other person under any law
(including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common
law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration
the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be
revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been
made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.17 Usury. To the extent it may lawfully do so, the Company hereby agrees
not to insist upon or plead or in any manner whatsoever claim, and will resist
any and all efforts to be compelled to take the benefit or advantage of, usury
laws wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, in connection with
any claim, action or proceeding that may be brought by any Purchaser in order to
enforce any right or remedy under any Transaction Document. Notwithstanding any
provision to the contrary contained in any Transaction Document, it is expressly
agreed and provided that the total liability of the Company under the
Transaction Documents for payments in the nature of interest shall not exceed
the maximum lawful rate authorized under applicable law (the "Maximum Rate"),
and, without limiting the foregoing, in no event shall any rate of interest or
default interest, or both of them, when aggregated with any other sums in the
nature of interest that the Company may be obligated to pay under the
Transaction Documents exceed such Maximum Rate. It is agreed that if the maximum
contract rate of interest allowed by law and applicable to the Transaction
Documents is increased or decreased by statute or any official governmental
action subsequent to the date hereof, the new maximum contract rate of interest
allowed by law will be the Maximum Rate applicable to the Transaction Documents
from the effective date forward, unless such application is precluded by
applicable law. If under any circumstances whatsoever, interest in excess of the
Maximum Rate is paid by the Company to any Purchaser with respect to
indebtedness evidenced by the Transaction Documents, such excess shall be
applied by such Purchaser to the unpaid principal balance of any such
indebtedness or be refunded to the Company, the manner of handling such excess
to be at such Purchaser's election.
35
5.18 Independent Nature of Purchasers' Obligations and Rights. The
obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not
joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be
responsible in any way for the performance of the obligations of any other
Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any
Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant thereto,
shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a
joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the
Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such
obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each
Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights,
including without limitation the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of
the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other
Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such
purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel
in their review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of
administrative convenience only, Purchasers and their respective counsel have
chosen to communicate with the Company through FW. FW does not represent any of
the Purchasers but only HPC, the placement agent for the transaction. The
Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and
Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was
required or requested to do so by the Purchasers.
5.19 Liquidated Damages. The Company's obligations to pay any partial
liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a
continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid
partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the
fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated
damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.
5.20 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their
respective counsel has reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction
Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any
ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed
in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments hereto.
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase
Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of
the date first indicated above.
TIDELANDS OIL & GAS CORPORATION Address for Notice:
-------------------
By:____________________________
Name:
Title:
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
37
[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO TIDE SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities
Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized
signatories as of the date first indicated above.
Name of Purchaser: _____________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser: ________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: __________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: _________________________________________________
Email Address of Purchaser:_____________________________________________________
Jurisdiction of Residence of Purchaser: ________________________________________
Address for Notice of Purchaser:
Address for Delivery of Securities for Purchaser (if not same as above):
Subscription Amount:
Principal Amount (Subscription Amount x 1.2175)
Series A Warrant Shares:
Series B Warrant Shares:
EIN Number: [PROVIDE THIS UNDER SEPARATE COVER]
[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]
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