Exhibit 4.3
ESCROW
AGREEMENT
THIS ESCROW
AGREEMENT (this " Agreement ") is made and entered into as
of November 24, 2004 by SILVER STAR ENERGY, INC., a
Nevada corporation (the " Company "); CORNELL CAPITAL
PARTNERS, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the " Investor
"); and DAVID GONZALEZ, ESQ. (the " Escrow Agent
").
BACKGROUND
WHEREAS, the Company and the
Investor have entered into a Standby Equity Distribution Agreement
(the " Standby Equity Distribution Agreement ") dated as of
the date hereof, pursuant to which the Investor will purchase the
Company's Common Stock, par value US$0.001 per share (the "
Common Stock "), at a price per share equal to the Purchase
Price, as that term is defined in the Standby Equity Distribution
Agreement, for an aggregate price of up to Ten Million U.S. Dollars
($10,000,000). The Standby Equity Distribution Agreement provides
that on each Advance Date the Investor, as that term is defined in
the Standby Equity Distribution Agreement, shall deposit the
Advance pursuant to the Advance Notice in a segregated escrow
account to be held by Escrow Agent and the Company shall deposit
shares of the Company's Common Stock, which shall be purchased by
the Investor as set forth in the Standby Equity Distribution
Agreement, with the Escrow Agent, in order to effectuate a
disbursement to the Company of the Advance by the Escrow Agent and
a disbursement to the Investor of the shares of the Company's
Common Stock by Escrow Agent at a closing to be held as set forth
in the Standby Equity Distribution Agreement (the "
Closing ").
WHEREAS, Escrow Agent has agreed
to accept, hold, and disburse the funds and the shares of the
Company's Common Stock deposited with it in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement.
WHEREAS, in order to establish
the escrow of funds and shares to effect the provisions of the
Standby Equity Distribution Agreement, the parties hereto have
entered into this Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration
of the foregoing, it is hereby agreed as follows:
1. Definitions . The following terms shall
have the following meanings when used herein:
a. " Escrow Funds " shall mean the Advance
funds deposited with the Escrow Agent pursuant to this
Agreement.
b. " Joint Written Direction " shall mean
a written direction executed by the Investor and the Company
directing Escrow Agent to disburse all or a portion of the Escrow
Funds or to take or refrain from taking any action pursuant to this
Agreement.
c. " Common Stock Joint Written Direction
" shall mean a written direction executed by the Investor and the
Company directing Investor's Counsel to disburse all or a portion
of the shares of the Company's Common Stock or to refrain from
taking any action pursuant to this Agreement.
2. Appointment of and Acceptance by Escrow
Agent .
a. The Investor and the Company hereby appoint
Escrow Agent to serve as Escrow Agent hereunder. Escrow Agent
hereby accepts such appointment and, upon receipt by wire transfer
of the Escrow Funds in accordance with Section 3 below, agrees to
hold, invest and disburse the Escrow Funds in accordance with this
Agreement.
b. The Investor and the Company hereby appoint
the Escrow Agent to serve as the holder of the shares of the
Company's Common Stock which shall be purchased by the Investor.
The Escrow Agent hereby accepts such appointment and, upon receipt
via D.W.A.C or the certificates representing of the shares of the
Company's Common Stock in accordance with Section 3 below, agrees
to hold and disburse the shares of the Company's Common Stock in
accordance with this Agreement.
c. The Company hereby acknowledges that the
Escrow Agent is general counsel to the Investor, a partner in the
general partner of the Investor and counsel to the Investor in
connection with the transactions contemplated and referenced herein
and will be acting as the escrow agent for shares of the Company's
Common Stock as outlined herein. The Company agrees that in the
event of any dispute arising in connection with this Escrow
Agreement or otherwise in connection with any transaction or
agreement contemplated and referenced herein, the Escrow Agent
shall be permitted to continue to represent the Investor and the
Company will not seek to disqualify such counsel.
3. Creation of Escrow Account/Common Stock
Account .
a. On or prior to the date of this Agreement the
Escrow Agent shall establish an escrow account for the deposit of
the Escrow Funds entitled as follows: Silver Star Energy,
Inc./Cornell Capital Partners, LP. The Investor will wire funds to
the account of the Escrow Agent as follows:
|
Bank:
|
Wachovia, N.A. of New
Jersey
|
|
Routing #:
|
031201467
|
|
Account #:
|
2000014931134
|
|
Name on Account:
|
David Gonzalez Attorney Trust
Account
|
|
Name on
Sub-Account:
|
Silver Star Energy, Inc./Cornell
Capital Partners, LP Escrow account
|
b. On or prior to the date of this Agreement the
Escrow Agent shall establish an account for the D.W.A.C. of the
shares of Common Stock. The Company will D.W.A.C. shares of the
Company's Common Stock to the account of the Escrow Agent as
follows:
|
Brokerage Firm:
|
Sloan Securities Corp.
|
|
Clearing House:
|
Fiserv
|
|
Account #:
|
56887298
|
|
DTC #:
|
0632
|
|
Name on Account:
|
David Gonzalez Escrow
Account
|
4. Deposits into the Escrow Account . The
Investor agrees that it shall promptly deliver all monies for the
payment of the Common Stock to the Escrow Agent for deposit in the
Escrow Account.
5. Disbursements from the Escrow Account
.
a. At such time as Escrow Agent has collected and
deposited instruments of payment in the total amount of the Advance
and has received such Common Stock via D.W.A.C from the Company
which are to be issued to the Investor pursuant to the Standby
Equity Distribution Agreement, the Escrow Agent shall notify the
Company and the Investor. The Escrow Agent will continue to hold
such funds until the Investor and Company execute and deliver a
Joint Written Direction directing the Escrow Agent to disburse the
Escrow Funds pursuant to Joint Written Direction at which time the
Escrow Agent shall wire the Escrow Funds to the Company. In
disbursing such funds, Escrow Agent is authorized to rely upon such
Joint Written Direction from Company and may accept any signatory
from the Company listed on the signature page to this Agreement and
any signature from the Investor that Escrow Agent already has on
file. Simultaneous with delivery of the executed Joint Written
Direction to the Escrow Agent the Investor and Company shall
execute and deliver a Common Stock Joint Written Direction to the
Escrow Agent directing the Escrow Agent to release via D.W.A.C to
the Investor the shares of the Company's Common Stock. In releasing
such shares of Common Stock the Escrow Agent is authorized to rely
upon such Common Stock Joint Written Direction from Company and may
accept any signatory from the Company listed on the signature page
to this Agreement and any signature from the Escrow Agent has on
file.
In the event the Escrow Agent does not receive the amount of the
Advance from the Investor or the shares of Common Stock to be
purchased by the Investor from the Company, the Escrow Agent shall
notify the Company and the Investor.
In the event that the Escrow Agent has not received the Common
Stock to be purchased by the Investor from the Company, in no event
will the Escrow Funds be released to the Company until such shares
are received by the Escrow Agreement. For purposes of this
Agreement, the term "Common Stock certificates" shall mean Common
Stock certificates to be purchased pursuant to the respective
Advance Notice pursuant to the Standby Equity Distribution
Agreement.
6. Deposit of Funds . The Escrow Agent is
hereby authorized to deposit the wire transfer proceeds in the
Escrow Account.
7. Suspension of Performance: Disbursement
Into Court .
a. Escrow Agent . If at any time, there
shall exist any dispute between the Company and the Investor with
respect to holding or disposition of any portion of the Escrow
Funds or the Common Stock or any other obligations of Escrow Agent
hereunder, or if at any time Escrow Agent is unable to determine,
to Escrow Agent's sole satisfaction, the proper disposition of any
portion of the Escrow Funds or Escrow Agent's proper actions with
respect to its obligations hereunder, or if the parties have not
within thirty (30) days of the furnishing by Escrow Agent of a
notice of resignation pursuant to Section 9 hereof, appointed a
successor Escrow Agent to act hereunder, then Escrow Agent may, in
its sole discretion, take either or both of the following
actions:
i. Suspend the performance of any of its
obligations (including without limitation any disbursement
obligations) under this Escrow Agreement until such dispute or
uncertainty shall be resolved to the sole satisfaction of Escrow
Agent or until a successor Escrow Agent shall be appointed (as the
case may be); provided however, Escrow Agent shall continue to
invest the Escrow Funds in accordance with Section 8 hereof;
and/or
ii. Petition (by means of an interpleader action
or any other appropriate method) any court of competent
jurisdiction in any venue convenient to Escrow Agent, for
instructions with respect to such dispute or uncertainty, and to
the extent required by law, pay into such court, for holding and
disposition in accordance with the instructions of such court, all
funds held by it in the Escrow Funds, after deduction and payment
to Escrow Agent of all fees and expenses (including court costs and
attorneys' fees) payable to, incurred by, or expected to be
incurred by Escrow Agent in connection with performance of its
duties and the exercise of its rights hereunder.
iii. Escrow Agent shall have no liability to the
Company, the Investor, or any person with respect to any such
suspension of performance or disbursement into court, specifically
including any liability or claimed liability that may arise, or be
alleged to have arisen, out of or as a result of any delay in the
disbursement of funds held in the Escrow Funds or any delay in with
respect to any other action required or requested of Escrow
Agent.
8. Investment of Escrow Funds . The Escrow
Agent shall deposit the Escrow Funds in a non-interest bearing
money market account.
If Escrow Agent has not received a Joint Written Direction at any
time that an investment decision must be made, Escrow Agent may
retain the Escrow Fund, or such portion thereof, as to which no
Joint Written Direction has been received, in a non-interest
bearing money market account.
9. Resignation and Removal of Escrow Agent
. Escrow Agent may resign from the performance of its duties
hereunder at any time by giving thirty (30) days' prior written
notice to the parties or may be removed, with or without cause, by
the parties, acting jointly, by furnishing a Joint Written
Direction to Escrow Agent, at any time by the giving of ten (10)
days' prior written notice to Escrow Agent as provided herein
below. Upon any such notice of resignation or removal, the
representatives of the Investor and the Company identified in
Sections 13a.(iv) and 13b.(iv), below, jointly shall appoint a
successor Escrow Agent hereunder, which shall be a commercial bank,
trust company or other financial institution with a combined
capital and surplus in excess of US$10,000,000.00. Upon the
acceptance in writing of any appointment of Escrow Agent hereunder
by a successor Escrow Agent, such successor Escrow Agent shall
thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers,
privileges and duties of the retiring Escrow Agent, and the
retiring Escrow Agent shall be discharged f