STANDBY EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

Exhibit 4.1

 

STANDBY EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

    THIS AGREEMENT dated as of the 24th day of November 2004 (the " Agreement ") between CORNELL CAPITAL PARTNERS, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the " Investor "), and SILVER STAR ENERGY, INC., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Nevada (the " Company ").

 

    WHEREAS, the parties desire that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained herein, the Company shall issue and sell to the Investor, from time to time as provided herein, and the Investor shall purchase from the Company up to Ten Million U.S. Dollars ($10,000,000) of the Company's common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the " Common Stock "); and

 

    WHEREAS, such investments will be made in reliance upon the provisions of Regulation D (" Regulation D ") of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder (the " Securities Act "), and or upon such other exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act as may be available with respect to any or all of the investments to be made hereunder.

 

    WHEREAS, the Company has engaged Monitor Capital Inc. (the " Placement Agent "), to act as the Company's exclusive placement agent in connection with the sale of the Company's Common Stock to the Investor hereunder pursuant to the Placement Agent Agreement dated the date hereof by and among the Company, the Placement Agent and the Investor (the " Placement Agent Agreement ").

 

    NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I.
Certain Definitions

 

    Section 1.1    " Advance " shall mean the portion of the Commitment Amount requested by the Company in the Advance Notice.

 

    Section 1.2.    " Advance Date " shall mean the date the David Gonzalez Attorney Trust Account is in receipt of the funds from the Investor and David Gonzalez, Esq., is in possession of free trading shares from the Company and therefore an Advance by the Investor to the Company can be made and David Gonzalez, Esq. can release the free trading shares to the Investor. The Advance Date shall be the first (1 ^st ) Trading Day after expiration of the applicable Pricing Period for each Advance.

 

    Section 1.3.    " Advance Notice " shall mean a written notice to the Investor setting forth the Advance amount that the Company requests from the Investor and the Advance Date.

 

    Section 1.4.    " Advance Notice Date " shall mean each date the Company delivers to the Investor an Advance Notice requiring the Investor to advance funds to the Company, subject to the terms of this Agreement. No Advance Notice Date shall be less than five (5) Trading Days after the prior Advance Notice Date.

 

     Section 1.5.    " Bid Price " shall mean, on any date, the closing bid price (as reported by Bloomberg L.P.) of the Common Stock on the Principal Market or if the Common Stock is not traded on a Principal Market, the highest reported bid price for the Common Stock, as furnished by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

 

      Section 1.6.    " Closing " shall mean one of the closings of a purchase and sale of Common Stock pursuant to Section 2.3.

 

      Section 1.7.    " Commitment Amount " shall mean the aggregate amount of up to Ten Million U.S. Dollars ($10,000,000) which the Investor has agreed to provide to the Company in order to purchase the Company's Common Stock pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

      Section 1.8.    " Commitment Period " shall mean the period commencing on the earlier to occur of (i) the Effective Date, or (ii) such earlier date as the Company and the Investor may mutually agree in writing, and expiring on the earliest to occur of (x) the date on which the Investor shall have made payment of Advances pursuant to this Agreement in the aggregate amount of Ten Million U.S. Dollars ($10,000,000), (y) the date this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 2.4, or (z) the date occurring twenty-four (24) months after the Effective Date.

   

    Section 1.9.    " Common Stock " shall mean the Company's common stock, par value $0.001 per share.

 

     Section 1.10.    " Condition Satisfaction Date " shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.2.

 

    Section 1.11.    " Damages " shall mean any loss, claim, damage, liability, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and disbursements and costs and expenses of expert witnesses and investigation).

 

    Section 1.12.    " Effective Date " shall mean the date on which the SEC first declares effective a Registration Statement registering the resale of the Registrable Securities as set forth in Section 7.2(a).

 

    Section 1.13.      " Escrow Agreement " shall mean the escrow agreement among the Company, the Investor, and David Gonzalez, Esq., dated the date hereof.

 

    Section 1.14.      " Exchange Act " shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

   Section 1.15.      " Material Adverse Effect " shall mean any condition, circumstance, or situation that would prohibit or otherwise materially interfere with the ability of the Company to enter into and perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or the Registration Rights Agreement in any material respect.

 

    Section 1.16.    " Market Price " shall mean the lowest VWAP of the Common Stock during the Pricing Period.

 

    Section 1.17.    " Maximum Advance Amount " shall be Two Hundred Fifty Thousand U.S. Dollars (US$250,000) per Advance Notice, provided that aggregate Advances in any thirty (30) day period shall not exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000).

 

    Section 1.18.    " NASD " shall mean the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

 

    Section 1.19.    " Person " shall mean an individual, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a trust or other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

    Section 1.20.     " Placement Agent " shall mean Monitor Capital, Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

 

    Section 1.21.    " Pricing Period " shall mean the five (5) consecutive Trading Days after the Advance Notice Date.

 

    Section 1.22.    " Principal Market " shall mean the Nasdaq National Market, the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, the American Stock Exchange, the OTC Bulletin Board or the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is at the time the principal trading exchange or market for the Common Stock.

 

    Section 1.23.    " Purchase Price " shall be set at ninety eight percent (98%) of the Market Price during the Pricing Period.

 

    Section 1.24.    " Registrable Securities " shall mean the shares of Common Stock to be issued hereunder (i) in respect of which the Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the SEC, (ii) which have not been sold under circumstances meeting all of the applicable conditions of Rule 144 (or any similar provision then in force) under the Securities Act (" Rule 144 ") or (iii) which have not been otherwise transferred to a holder who may trade such shares without restriction under the Securities Act, and the Company has delivered a new certificate or other evidence of ownership for such securities not bearing a restrictive legend.

 

    Section 125.    " Registration Rights Agreement " shall mean the Registration Rights Agreement dated the date hereof, regarding the filing of the Registration Statement for the resale of the Registrable Securities, entered into between the Company and the Investor.

 

    Section 1.26.    " Registration Statement " shall mean a registration statement on Form S-1 or SB-2 (if use of such form is then available to the Company pursuant to the rules of the SEC and, if not, on such other form promulgated by the SEC for which the Company then qualifies and which counsel for the Company shall deem appropriate, and which form shall be available for the resale of the Registrable Securities to be registered thereunder in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement, and in accordance with the intended method of distribution of such securities), for the registration of the resale by the Investor of the Registrable Securities under the Securities Act.

 

    Section 1.27.    " Regulation D " shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

 

    Section 1.28.    " SEC " shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

    Section 1.29.    " Securities Act " shall have the meaning set forth in the recitals of this Agreement.

 

    Section 1.30.    " SEC Documents " shall mean Annual Reports on Form 10-KSB, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-QSB, Current Reports on Form 8-K and Proxy Statements of the Company as supplemented to the date hereof, filed by the Company for a period of at least twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date hereof or the Advance Date, as the case may be, until such time as the Company no longer has an obligation to maintain the effectiveness of a Registration Statement as set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

    Section 1.31.    " Trading Day " shall mean any day during which the New York Stock Exchange shall be open for business.

 

    Section 1.31.    " VWAP " shall mean the volume weighted average price of the Company's Common Stock as quoted by Bloomberg, LP.

 

ARTICLE II.
Advances

 

Section 2.1.    Investments .

 

    (a)    Advances . Upon the terms and conditions set forth herein (including, without limitation, the provisions of Article VII hereof), on any Advance Notice Date the Company may request an Advance by the Investor by the delivery of an Advance Notice. The number of shares of Common Stock that the Investor shall receive for each Advance shall be determined by dividing the amount of the Advance by the Purchase Price. No fractional shares shall be issued. Fractional shares shall be rounded to the next higher whole number of shares. The aggregate maximum amount of all Advances that the Investor shall be obligated to make under this Agreement shall not exceed the Commitment Amount.

 

Section 2.2.    Mechanics .

 

    (a)            Advance Notice . At any time during the Commitment Period, the Company may deliver an Advance Notice to the Investor, subject to the conditions set forth in Section 7.2; provided, however, the amount for each Advance as designated by the Company in the applicable Advance Notice, shall not be more than the Maximum Advance Amount. The aggregate amount of the Advances pursuant to this Agreement shall not exceed the Commitment Amount. The Company acknowledges that the Investor may sell shares of the Company's Common Stock corresponding with a particular Advance Notice on the day the Advance Notice is received by the Investor. There shall be a minimum of five (5) Trading Days between each Advance Notice Date.

 

    (b)            Date of Delivery of Advance Notice . An Advance Notice shall be deemed delivered on (i) the Trading Day it is received by facsimile or otherwise by the Investor if such notice is received prior to 12:00 noon Eastern Time, or (ii) the immediately succeeding Trading Day if it is received by facsimile or otherwise after 12:00 noon Eastern Time on a Trading Day or at any time on a day which is not a Trading Day. No Advance Notice may be deemed delivered on a day that is not a Trading Day.

 

    (c)            Pre-Closing Share Credit . Within two (2) business days after the Advance Notice Date, the Company shall credit shares of the Company's Common Stock to the Investor's counsel's balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit Withdrawal At Custodian system, in an amount equal to the amount of the requested Advance divided by the closing Bid Price of the Company's Common Stock as of the Advance Notice Date multiplied by one point one (1.1). Any adjustments to the number of shares to be delivered to the Investor at the Closing as a result of fluctuations in the closing Bid Price of the Company's Common Stock shall be made as of the date of the Closing. Any excess shares shall be credited to the next Advance. In no event shall the number of shares issuable to the Investor pursuant to an Advance cause the Investor to own in excess of nine and 9/10 percent (9.9%) of the then outstanding Common Stock of the Company.

 

    (d)            Hardship . In the event the Investor sells the Company's Common Stock pursuant to subsection (c) above and the Company fails to perform its obligations as mandated in Section 2.5 and 2.2 (c), and specifically fails to provide the Investor with the shares of Common Stock for the applicable Advance, the Company acknowledges that the Investor shall suffer financial hardship and therefore shall be liable for any and all losses, commissions, fees, or financial hardship caused to the Investor.

 

Section 2.3.    Closings . On each Advance Date, which shall be the first (1 ^st ) Trading Day after expiration of the applicable Pricing Period for each Advance, (i) the Company shall deliver to the Investor's Counsel, as defined pursuant to the Escrow Agreement, shares of the Company's Common Stock, representing the amount of the Advance by the Investor pursuant to Section 2.1 herein, registered in the name of the Investor which shall be delivered to the Investor, or otherwise in accordance with the Escrow Agreement and (ii) the Investor shall deliver to David Gonzalez, Esq. (the " Escrow Agent ") the amount of the Advance specified in the Advance Notice by wire transfer of immediately available funds which shall be delivered to the Company, or otherwise in accordance with the Escrow Agreement. In addition, on or prior to the Advance Date, each of the Company and the Investor shall deliver to the other through the Investor's Counsel, all documents, instruments and writings required to be delivered by either of them pursuant to this Agreement in order to implement and effect the transactions contemplated herein. Payment of funds to the Company and delivery of the Company's Common Stock to the Investor shall occur in accordance with the conditions set forth above and those contained in the Escrow Agreement; provided , however , that to the extent the Company has not paid the fees, expenses, and disbursements of the Investor in accordance with Section 12.4, the amount of such fees, expenses, and disbursements may be deducted by the Investor (and shall be paid to the relevant party) from the amount of the Advance with no reduction in the amount of shares of the Company's Common Stock to be delivered on such Advance Date.

 

Section 2.4    Termination of Investment . The obligation of the Investor to make an Advance to the Company pursuant to this Agreement shall terminate permanently (including with respect to an Advance Date that has not yet occurred) in the event that (i) there shall occur any stop order or suspension of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement for an aggregate of fifty (50) Trading Days, other than due to the acts of the Investor, during the Commitment Period, and (ii) the Company shall at any time fail materially to comply with the requirements of Article VI and such failure is not cured within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice from the Investor, provided , however , that this termination provision shall not apply to any period commencing upon the filing of a post-effective amendment to such Registration Statement and ending upon the date on which such post effective amendment is declared effective by the SEC.

 

Section 2.5.    Agreement to Advance Funds .

 

    (a)    The Investor agrees to advance the amount specified in the Advance Notice to the Company after the completion of each of the following conditions and the other conditions set forth in this Agreement:

 

                (i)    the execution and delivery by the Company, and the Investor, of this Agreement and the Exhibits hereto;

 

                (ii)    Investor's Counsel shall have received the shares of Common Stock applicable to the Advance in accordance with Section 2.2(c) hereof;

 

               (iii)    the Company's Registration Statement with respect to the resale of the Registrable Securities in accordance with the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement shall have been declared effective by the SEC;

 

               (iv)    the Company shall have obtained all material permits and qualifications required by any applicable state for the offer and sale of the Registrable Securities, or shall have the availability of exemptions therefrom. The sale and issuance of the Registrable Securities shall be legally permitted by all laws and regulations to which the Company is subject;

 

               (v)    the Company shall have filed with the Commission in a timely manner all reports, notices and other documents required of a "reporting company" under the Exchange Act and applicable Commission regulations;

 

            (vi)    the fees as set forth in Section 12.4 below shall have been paid or can be withheld as provided in Section 2.3; and

 

                (vii)    the conditions set forth in Section 7.2 shall have been satisfied.

 

               (viii)    the Company shall have provided to the Investor an acknowledgement, from Dieterich & Associates as to its ability to provide all consents required in order to file a registration statement in connection with this transaction;

 

                (ix)    The Company's transfer agent shall be DWAC eligible.

 

Section 2.6.    Lock Up Period .

 

                (i)    During the Commitment Period, the Company shall not issue or sell (i) any Common Stock or Preferred Stock without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the Bid Price on the date of issuance or (ii) issue or sell any warrant, option, right, contract, call, or other security or instrument granting the holder thereof the right to acquire Common Stock without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the Bid Price on the date of issuance.

 

            (ii)    On the date hereof, the Company shall obtain from each officer and director a lock-up agreement, as defined below, in the form annexed hereto as Schedule 2.6 agreeing to only sell in compliance with the volume limitation of Rule 144.

 

ARTICLE III.
Representations and Warranties of Investor

 

    Investor hereby represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Company that the following are true and as of the date hereof and as of each Advance Date:

 

Section 3.1.    Organization and Authorization . The Investor is duly incorporated or organized and validly existing in the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has all requisite power and authority to purchase and hold the securities issuable hereunder. The decision to invest and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by such Investor, the performance by such Investor of its obligations hereunder and the consummation by such Investor of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized and requires no other proceedings on the part of the Investor. The undersigned has the right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and all other instruments (including, without limitations, the Registration Rights Agreement), on behalf of the Investor. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Investor and, assuming the execution and delivery hereof and acceptance thereof by the Company, will constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Investor, enforceable against the Investor in accordance with its terms.

 

Section 3.2.    Evaluation of Risks . The Investor has such knowledge and experience in financial tax and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of, and bearing the economic risks entailed by, an investment in the Company and of protecting its interests in connection with this transaction. It recognizes that its investment in the Company involves a high degree of risk.

 

Section 3.3.    No Legal Advice From the Company . The Investor acknowledges that it had the opportunity to review this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement with his or its own legal counsel and investment and tax advisors. The Investor is relying solely on such counsel and advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its representatives or agents for legal, tax or investment advice with respect to this investment, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the securities laws of any jurisdiction.

 

Section 3.4.    Investment Purpose. The securities are being purchased by the Investor for its own account, for investment and without any view to the distribution, assignment or resale to others or fractionalization in whole or in part. The Investor agrees not to assign or in any way transfer the Investor's rights to the securities or any interest therein and acknowledges that the Company will not recognize any purported assignment or transfer except in accordance with applicable Federal and state securities laws. No other person has or will have a direct or indirect beneficial interest in the securities. The Investor agrees not to sell, hypothecate or otherwise transfer the Investor's securities unless the securities are registered under Federal and applicable state securities laws or unless, in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Company, an exemption from such laws is available.

 

Section 3.5.    Accredited Investor . The Investor is an " Accredited Investor " as that term is defined in Rule 501(a)(3) of Regulation D of the Securities Act.

 

Section 3.6.    Information . The Investor and its advisors (and its counsel), if any, have been furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances and operations of the Company and information it deemed material to making an informed investment decision. The Investor and its advisors, if any, have been afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company and its management. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigations conducted by such Investor or its advisors, if any, or its representatives shall modify, amend or affect the Investor's right to rely on the Company's representations and warranties contained in this Agreement. The Investor understands that its investment involves a high degree of risk. The Investor is in a position regarding the Company, which, based upon employment, family relationship or economic bargaining power, enabled and enables such Investor to obtain information from the Company in order to evaluate the merits and risks of this investment. The Investor has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice, as it has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to this transaction.

 

Section 3.7.    Receipt of Documents . The Investor and its counsel have received and read in their entirety: (i) this Agreement and the Exhibits annexed hereto; (ii) all due diligence and other information necessary to verify the accuracy and completeness of such representations, warranties and covenants; (iii) the Company's Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2003 and Form 10-QSB for the period ended September 30, 2004; and (iv) answers to all questions the Investor submitted to the Company regarding an investment in the Company; and the Investor has relied on the information contained therein and has not been furnished any other documents, literature, memorandum or prospectus.

 

Section 3.8.    Registration Rights Agreement and Escrow Agreement . The parties have entered into the Registration Rights Agreement and the Escrow Agreement, each dated the date hereof.

 

Section 3.9.    No General Solicitation . Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf, has engaged in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D under the Securities Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the shares of Common Stock offered hereby.

 

Section 3.10.    Not an Affiliate . The Investor is not an officer, director or a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company or any " Affiliate " of the Company (as that term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act). Neither the Investor nor its Affiliates has an open short position in the Common Stock of the Company, and the Investor agrees that it will not, and that it will cause its Affiliates not to, engage in any short sales of or hedging transactions with respect to the Common Stock, provided that the Company acknowledges and agrees that upon receipt of an Advance Notice the Investor will sell the Shares to be issued to the Investor pursuant to the Advance Notice, even if the Shares have not been delivered to the Investor.

 

Section 3.11.    Trading Activities . The Investor's trading activities with respect to the Company's Common Stock shall be in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws, rules and regulations and the rules and regulations of the Principal Market on which the Company's Common Stock is listed or traded. Neither the Investor nor its affiliates has an open short position in the Common Stock of the Company and, except as set forth below, the Investor shall not and will cause its affiliates not to engage in any short sale as defined in any applicable SEC or National Association of Securities Dealers rules on any hedging transactions with respect to the Common Stock. Without limiting the foregoing, the Investor agrees not to engage in any naked short transactions in excess of the amount of shares owned (or an offsetting long position) during the Commitment Period. The Investor shall be entitled to sell Common Stock during the applicable Pricing Period.

 

ARTICLE IV.
Representations and Warranties of the Company

 

    Except as stated below, on the disclosure schedules attached hereto or in the SEC Documents (as defined herein), the Company hereby represents and warrants to, and covenants with, the Investor that the following are true and correct as of the date hereof:

 

Section 4.1.    Organization and Qualification . The Company is duly incorporated or organized and validly existing in the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has all requisite power and authority corporate power to own its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

 

Section 4.2.    Authorization, Enforcement, Compliance with Other Instruments . (i) The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Placement Agent Agreement and any related agreements, in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, (ii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Placement Agent Agreement and any related agreements by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, have been duly authorized by the Company's Board of Directors and no further consent or authorization is required by the Company, its Board of Directors or its stockholders, (iii) this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Placement Agent Agreement and any related agreements have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, (iv) this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Escrow Agreement, the Placement Agent Agreement and assuming the execution and delivery thereof and acceptance by the Investor and any related agreements constitute the valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of creditors' rights and remedies.

 

Section 4.3.    Capitalization . As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 300,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share and 5,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock of which 84,502,641 shares of Common Stock and no shares of Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding. All of such outstanding shares have been validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, no shares of Common Stock are subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights or any liens or encumbrances suffered or permitted by the Company. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, as of the date hereof, (i) there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) there are no outstanding debt securities (iii) there are no outstanding registration statements other than on Form S-8 and (iv) there are no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of their securities under the Securities Act (except pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement). There are no securities or instruments containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by this Agreement or any related agreement or the consummation of the transactions described herein or therein. The Company has furnished to the Investor true and correct copies of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the " Certificate of Incorporation "), and the Company's By-laws, as in effect on the date hereof (the " By-laws "), and the terms of all securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock and the material rights of the holders thereof in respect thereto.

 

Section 4.4.    No Conflict . The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby will not (i) result in a violation of the Certificate of Incorporation, any certificate of designations of any outstanding series of preferred stock of the Company or By-laws or (ii) conflict with or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party, or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws and regulations and the rules and regulations of the Principal Market on which the Common Stock is quoted) applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or by which any material property or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or affected and which would cause a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the SEC Documents, neither the Company nor its subsidiaries is in violation of any term o