Exhibit
10.16
REGISTRATION RIGHTS
AGREEMENT
THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this
"Registration Rights Agreement") is made as of November l, 2003,
among OMNIMMUNE CORP., a Texas corporation (the "Company"), and
PHILLIP B. COSTA, JR., an individual (the "Holder").
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of that certain
Agreement for Consulting Services dated as of November l, 2003,
between the Company and the Holder (the "Consulting Agreement"),
the Holder acquired from the Company a Warrant (the "Initial
Warrant") to purchase shares of the common stock, par value $0.01
per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock"), which may be
exercised to acquire up to an aggregate of 120,000 shares of Common
Stock ("120,000 Shares"), subject to adjustment;
WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of the Consulting
Agreement, the Holder may require the Company to issue to the
Holder additional warrants ("Additional Warrants," together with
the Initial Warrant, the "Warrants"), with each Additional Warrant
being convertible into 15,000 shares of Common Stock, subject to
adjustment (the "Additional Shares," together with the 120,000
Shares, the "Shares"); and
WHEREAS, the Company wishes to grant the Holder
certain registration rights in respect of the Shares issuable upon
the exercise of any of the Warrants described above, as set forth
herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual
promises and covenants set forth herein, the parties hereby agree
as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
As used in this Registration Rights Agreement,
the following terms shall have the meanings set forth
below:
1.1 "
Commission " shall mean the Securities and Exchange
Commission or any other federal agency at the time administering
the Securities Act.
1.2 "
Holder " shall mean Phillip B. Costa, Jr. and any permitted
successor or transferee.
1.3 "
Registrable Securities " shall mean the Shares, which
includes any Common Stock or other capital stock of the Company
issued or issuable at any time or from time to time in respect of
the Warrants or the Shares or upon a stock split, stock dividend,
recombination, exchange, recapitalization or other similar event
involving the Company’s Shares or other securities. Shares of
Common Stock that are Registrable Securities shall cease to be
Registrable Securities upon their distribution to the public
pursuant to a registration statement covering all such securities
that has been declared effective under the Securities Act or when
the exemption from registration under Rule 144(k) (or successor
Rule) under the Securities Act is available with respect to the
Shares.
1.4 The
terms " register ," " registered ," and "
registration " refer to a registration "effected by
preparing and filing a registration statement in compliance with
the Securities Act, and the declaration or ordering by the
Commission of the effectiveness of such registration
statement.
1.5 "
Registration Expenses " shall mean all expenses, other than
Selling Expenses (as defined below), incurred by the Company in
complying with this Registration Rights Agreement, including,
without limitation, all registration, qualification and filing
fees, exchange listing fees, printing expenses, escrow fees, fees
and disbursements of counsel for the Company, blue sky fees and
expenses, the expense of any special audits incident to or required
by any such registration (but excluding the compensation of regular
employees of the Company which shall be paid in any event by the
Company).
1.6 "
Securities Act " shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, or any similar federal statute and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder, all as the same shall be
in effect at the time.
1.7 "
Selling Expenses " shall mean all underwriting discounts,
selling commissions and stock transfer taxes applicable to the
securities registered by the Holder and, except as set
forth above,
all fees and disbursements of counsel for the Holder.
1.8 "
Underwritten Public Offering " shall mean a public offering
in which the Common Stock is offered and sold on a firm commitment
basis through one or more underwriters, all pursuant to (i) an
effective registration statement under the Securities Act and (ii)
an underwriting agreement between the Company and such
underwriters.
ARTICLE II
REGISTRATION
RIGHTS
2.1
Piggyback Registration.
2.1.1 Subject to the terms hereof if at any time
or from time to time the Company proposes to register any of its
equity securities (except for registration statements on Forms S-8
or S-4 or otherwise relating to employee benefit plans), either for
its own account or the account of a security holder or the holders
of the Registrable Securities, the Company will promptly give to
the holders of the Registrable Securities written notice thereof no
less than 20 days prior to the filing of such registration
statement; and include in such registration (and any related
qualification under blue sky laws or other compliance), and in the
underwriting involved therein, if any, such Registrable Securities
as the holders of Registrable Securities may request in a writing
delivered to the Company within 10 days after such holder's receipt
of Company's written notice.
2.1.2 The holders of the Registrable Securities
may participate in any number of registrations until all of the
Registrable Securities held by such holder have been distributed
pursuant to a registration.
2.1.3 lf any registration statement registers an
offering that is an Underwritten Public Offering, the right of the
holders of Registrable Securities to registration pursuant to this
Section 2.2 shall be conditioned upon such holders' participation
in such reasonable underwriting arrangements as the Company shall
make regarding the offering, and the inclusion of Registrable
Securities in the underwriting shall be limited to the extent
provided herein. The holders of the Registrable Securities and all
other shareholders proposing to distribute their securities through
such underwriting shall (together with the Company and the other
holders distributing their securities through such underwriting)
enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the
managing underwriter selected for such underwriting by the Company.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.2, if the
managing underwriter concludes in its reasonable judgment that the
number of shares to be registered for selling shareholders
(including the holders of the Registrable Securities) would
materially adversely affect such offering, the number of Shares to
be registered, together with the number of shares of Common Stock
or other securities held by other shareholders proposed to be
registered in such offering, shall be reduced on a pro rata basis
based on the number of Shares proposed to be sold by the holders of
Registrable Securities as compared to the number of shares proposed
to be sold by all stockholders. If the holders of Registrable
Securities disapprove of the terms of any such underwriting, it may
elect to withdraw therefrom by written notice to the Company and
the managing underwriter, delivered not less than ten days before
the effective date. The Registrable Securities excluded by the
managing underwriter or withdrawn from such underwriting shall be
withdrawn from such registration, and shall not be transferred in a
public distribution prior to 120 days after the effective date of
the registration statement relating thereto, or such
other
shorter period
of time as the underwriters may require.
2.1.4 The Company shall have the right to
terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this
Section prior to the effectiveness of such registration whether or
not the holders of Registrable Securities have elected to include
securities in such registration.
2.2 Expenses
of Registration.
All Registration Expenses shall be borne by the
Company. Unless otherwise stated herein, all Selling Expenses
relating to securities registered on behalf of the holders of
Registrable Securities shall be borne by such holders.
2.3 Best
Registration Rights.
If on or after the date of this Registration
Rights Agreement, the Company grants to any person with respect to
any security issued by the Company or any of its subsidiaries
registration rights that provide for terms that are in any manner
more favorable to the holder of such registration rights than the
terms granted to the holders of Registrable Securities (or if the
Company amends or waives any provision of any Agreement providing
registration rights of others or takes any other action whatsoever
to provide for terms that are more favorable to other holders than
the terms provided to the holders of Registrable Securities) then
this Registration Rights Agreement shall immediately be deemed
amended to provide the holders of Registrable Securities with any
(or all) of such more favorable terms as such holders shall elect
to include herein.
2.4
Registration Procedures.
In the case of each registration, qualification
or compliance effected by the Company pursuant to this Registration
Rights Agreement, the Company will keep the holders of the
Registrable Securities advised in writing as to the initiation of
each registration, qualification and compliance and as to the
completion thereof. At its expense, the Company will:
2.4.1 prepare and file with the Commission a
registration statement which includes the Registrable Securities
and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such
registration statement to become and remain effective
2.4.2 prepare and file with the Commission such
amendments and post-effective amendments to a registration
statement as may be necessary to keep the registration statement
effective for a period of not less than six months (or such shorter
period which will terminate when all Registrable Securities covered
by such registration statement have been sold or withdrawn, but not
prior to the expiration of the 90-day period referred to in Section
4(3) of the Securities Act and Rule 174 thereunder, if applicable);
cause the prospectus to be supplemented by any required prospectus
supplement, and as so supplemented to be filed pursuant to Rule 424
under the Securities Act; and comply with the provisions of the
Securities Act applicable to it with respect to the disposition of
all securities covered by such registration statement during the
applicable period in accordance with the intended methods of
disposition by the sellers thereof set forth in such registration
statement or supplement to the prospectus;
2.4.3 provide the holders of the Registrable
Securities with a reasonable opportunity to review the registration
statement before the filing of the registration statement with the
Commission,
2.4.4 with respect to an Underwritten Public
Offering, furnish to each underwriter such number of copies of a
prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, in conformity with
the requirements of the Securities Act, and such other documents as
such underwriter may reasonably request in order to facilitate the
public sale of the shares by such underwriter and promptly furnish
to each underwriter and the holders of Registrable Securities
notice of any stop-order or similar notice issued by the Commission
or any state agency charged with the regulation of securities, and
notice of Nasdaq or securities exchange listing;
2.4.5 furnish, without charge, to each seller of
Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement, such
number of conformed copies of such registration statement, each
amendment and supplement thereto, the prospectus included in such
registration statement (including each preliminary prospectus and,
in each case, including all exhibits thereto and documents
incorporated by reference therein) and such other documents as such
seller may reasonably request in order to facilitate the
disposition of the Registrable Securities or other shares of Common
Stock owned by such seller;
2.4.6 promptly furnish to each underwriter, if
any, and the holders of Registrable Securities notice of any
stop·order or similar notice issued by the Commission or any
state agency charged with the regulation of securities and take all
reasonable actions required to prevent the entry of such stop order
or to remove it if entered;
2.4.7 use its reasonable best efforts to
register or qualify the Registrable Securities or other shares of
Common Stock covered by such registration statement under such
other securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the
holders of the Registrable Securities shall reasonably request, to
keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as
such registration statement remains in effect and to do any and all
other acts and things which may be reasonably necessary or
advisable to, enable the holders of the Registrable Securities to
consummate the disposition in such jurisdictions of any such
Registrable Securities or other shares of Common Stock owned by the
holders of the Registrable Securities; provided, however, that the
Company shall not be required to (i) qualify generally to do
business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be
required to qualify but for this Section 2.5.6, (ii) subject itself
to taxation in any such jurisdiction or (iii) consent to general
service of process in any such
2.4.8 notify each holder of Registrable
Securities, at a time when a prospectus relating to such
Registrable Securities is required to be delivered under the
Securities Act, of the occurrence of any event known to the Company
as a result of which the prospectus included in such registration
statement, as then in effect, contains an untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state any fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading