EX-10.1
AVANTAIR, INC.
INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT
OCTOBER 2, 2006
<PAGE>
AVANTAIR, INC.
INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Investor Rights
Agreement (this
"AGREEMENT") is made
and entered
into as of October 2, 2006 (the "EFFECTIVE DATE") by and among
Avantair, Inc., a
Nevada corporation
(the "COMPANY") and the holders of Class A Common Stock (the
"SERIES A STOCK")
as set forth on Exhibit A hereto (the "HOLDERS" or the
"INVESTORS").
RECITALS
A. The
Company and the Investors are parties to a Series A Common
Stock Purchase Agreement of even date herewith (the "SERIES A
AGREEMENT").
B. In order
to induce the Investors to enter into the Series A
Agreement and invest funds in the Company pursuant thereto, the
Company desires
to enter into this Agreement with the Series A Holders.
Therefore, the parties agree as follows:
1.
DEFINITIONS.
1.1
"ARDENT CLOSING" means, the closing of the transactions
contemplated by the Stock Purchase Agreement by and among the
stockholders of
the Company and Ardent Acquisition Corp.
1.2
"AFFILIATE" means, with respect to any specified
individual or entity, any other individual or entity who or that,
directly or
indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control
with such
specified individual or entity, including without limitation any
partner,
officer, director, manager or employee of such entity and any
venture capital
fund now or hereafter existing that is controlled by or under
common control
with one or more general partners or managing members of, or shares
the same
management company with, such individual or entity.
1.3
"COMMON STOCK" means the Class A Common Stock, $0.01 PAR
VALUE,of the Company.
1.4
"EQUITY SECURITIES" means (i) Common Stock, rights,
options or warrants to purchase Common Stock, (ii) any security
other than
Common Stock having voting rights in the election of the Board of
Directors or
(iii) any security convertible into or exchangeable for any of the
foregoing.
1.5
"EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended.
1.6
"FORM S-3" means such form under the Securities Act as
is in effect on the date hereof or any successor registration form
under the
Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC (as defined below)
which permits
inclusion or incorporation of substantial
<PAGE>
information by reference to other documents filed by the Company
with the SEC
(as defined below).
1.7
"HOLDER" means any Investor that holds Registrable
Securities or securities convertible into Registrable Securities or
any assignee
of record of such Registrable Securities to whom rights under
Section 2 have
been duly assigned in accordance with Section 0 hereof.
1.8
"REGISTER," "REGISTERED" and "REGISTRATION" refer to a
registration effected by the preparation and filing of a
registration statement
in compliance with the Securities Act, and the declaration or
ordering of
effectiveness of such registration statement.
1.9
"REGISTRABLE SECURITIES" means: (a) if the Ardent
Closing does occur (i) any and all shares of common stock of Ardent
Acquisition
Corp. issued to Holder in connection with the Ardent Closing and
(ii) any shares
of common stock of Ardent Acquisition Corp. issued as (or issuable
upon the
conversion or exercise of any warrant, right or other security
which is issued
as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, in exchange
for, or in
replacement of, such shares of common stock described in clause (i)
and (iii)
any warrants issued to Holders pursuant to Section 2.1(a)(ii)
herein and any
shares of common stock of Ardent Acquisition Corp. issued or
issuable upon the
exercise of any such warrants; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that particular
shares of any
of the foregoing shall cease to be Registrable Securities once they
have been
sold to in any public offering or transferred by the Holder in a
transaction in
which its rights under this Agreement are not assigned in
accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement and (b) if the Ardent Closing does not
occur (i)
any and all shares of Series A Stock or any common stock of the
Company issued
or issuable upon conversion of the shares of Series A Stock and
(ii) any shares
of common stock issued as (or issuable upon the conversion or
exercise of any
warrant, right or other security which is issued as) a dividend or
other
distribution with respect to, in exchange for, or in replacement
of, such shares
of common stock described in clause (i); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that
particular
shares of any of the foregoing shall cease to be Registrable
Securities once
they have been sold to in any public offering or transferred by the
Holder in a
transaction in which its rights under this Agreement are not
assigned in
accordance with the provisions of this Agreement
1.9
"REGISTRABLE SECURITIES THEN OUTSTANDING" means the
number of Registrable Securities which (i) are then issued and
outstanding or
(ii) are then issuable pursuant to the exercise or conversion of
options,
warrants or convertible securities.
1.10 "SEC"
means the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission.
1.11
"SECURITIES ACT" means the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
2.
REGISTRATION RIGHTS.
2.1
MANDATORY SHELF REGISTRATION.
(a)
MANDATORY SHELF REGISTRATION IN EVENT OF THE
ARDENT CLOSING. (i) The Company agrees to file with the Commission
as soon as
reasonably practicable, but in no event later than sixty (60) days
following the
Ardent Closing, a shelf Registration Statement on
<PAGE>
Form S-3 or such other form under the Securities Act then available
to the
Company providing for the resale pursuant to Rule 415 from time to
time by the
Holders of any and all Registrable Shares (including the
prospectus, amendments
and supplements to such registration statement or prospectus,
including pre- and
post-effective amendments, all exhibits thereto and all material
incorporated by
reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference, if any, in
such
registration statement, the "Mandatory Shelf Registration
Statement"). The
Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such
Mandatory
Shelf Registration Statement to be declared effective by the
Commission as soon
as reasonably practicable following such filing and to keep it
current and
effective until no longer necessary pursuant to Section 2.9 hereof.
Any
Mandatory Shelf Registration Statement shall provide for the resale
from time to
time, and pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally
available
(including, without limitation, a direct sale to purchasers, a sale
through
brokers or agents, or a sale over the internet) by the Holders of
any and all
Registrable Shares. The Company agrees to follow identical
registration and
penalty procedures as set forth in this Section 2.1 with respect to
any equity
securities of Ardent Acquisition Corp. issued to Holders, or their
transferees,
pursuant to Sections 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8 of the Agreement referred to
in Section
1.1 herein; provided, however, that the relevant 60 day period will
start from
the date of issuance of any equity securities pursuant to such
Sections 1.6, 1.7
and 1.8.
(ii) In
the event that the Mandatory Shelf
Registration Statement is not filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission
within 60 days after the date of the Ardent Closing , the Company
shall cause
Ardent Acquisition Corp. to promptly issue to each Holder warrants
to purchase a
number of shares of Ardent Acquisition Corp. common stock , which
warrants shall
have an exercise price of $5.00 per share and shall be identical to
Ardent
Acquisition Corp.'s currently publicly traded warrants, calculated
by (x)
multiplying (a) the aggregate amount invested by such Holder
pursuant to the
Series A Agreement by (b) 0.02, and (y) dividing such amount by 5.
Each Holder
shall be entitled to such warrants for each consecutive thirty (30)
day period
for which the Mandatory Shelf Registration Statement remains not
filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission by Ardent Acquisition Corp. For
example , if
a Holder invests $100,000 under the Series A Agreement, such Holder
would be
entitled to receive warrants to purchase 400 shares of Ardent
Acquisition Corp.
common stock at an exercise price of $5.00 per share on the 60 day
anniversary
of the Ardent Closing and on each consecutive 30 day anniversary
thereafter
until Ardent Acquisition Corp. files the Mandatory Shelf
Registration
Statement..
(b)
REGISTRATION RIGHTS IF ARDENT CLOSING DOES NOT OCCUR.
(i)
Request by Holders. If the Company shall receive at any
time after the date hereof, a written request from the Holders of
at least fifty
percent (50%) of the then outstanding Registrable Securities (the
"INITIATING
HOLDERS") that the Company file a registration statement under the
Securities
Act covering the registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to
this Section
2.1(b) with an anticipated aggregate offering price of at least
$2,500,000 (net
of underwriting discounts and commissions), then the Company shall,
within
twenty (20) days after the receipt of such written request, give
written notice
of such request (the "REQUEST NOTICE") to all Holders, and use all
reasonable
efforts to effect, as soon as practicable, the registration under
the Securities
Act of all Registrable Securities which Holders request to be
registered and
<PAGE>
included in such registration by written notice given by such
Holders to the
Company within twenty (20) days after receipt of the Request
Notice, subject
only to the limitations of this Section 2. The Company may, if
permitted by law,
effect any registration pursuant to this Section 2.1(b) by the
filing of a
registration statement on Form S-3.
(ii)
Underwriting. If the Initiating Holders intend to
distribute the Registrable Securities covered by their request by
means of an
underwriting, then they shall so advise the Company as a part of
their request
made pursuant to this Section 2.1(b) and the Company shall include
such
information in the written notice referred to in subsection Section
2.1(b). In
such event, the right of any Holder to include his, her, or its
Registrable
Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such
Holder's
participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such
Holder's
Registrable Securities in the underwriting (unless otherwise
mutually agreed by
a majority in interest of the Initiating Holders and such Holder)
to the extent
provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute their
securities through
such underwriting shall enter into an underwriting agreement in
customary form
with the managing underwriter or underwriters selected for such
underwriting by
the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section
2.1(b), if the
underwriter(s) advise(s) the Company in writing that marketing
factors require a
limitation of the number of securities to be underwritten then the
Company shall
so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities that would
otherwise be
registered and underwritten pursuant hereto, and the number of
Registrable
Securities that may be included in the underwriting shall be
reduced as required
by the underwriter(s) and allocated among the Holders of
Registrable Securities
on a pro rata basis according to the number of Registrable
Securities then
outstanding held by each Holder requesting registration (including
the
Initiating Holders); provided, however, that the number of shares
of Registrable
Securities to be included in such underwriting and registration
shall not be
reduced unless all other securities of the Company are first
entirely excluded
from the underwriting and registration. Any Registrable Securities
excluded and
withdrawn from such underwriting shall be withdrawn from the
registration.
(iii) Maximum
Number of Demand Registrations. The Company is
obligated to effect only two such registration pursuant to Section
2.1(b)(ii).
(iv)
Deferral. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company
shall furnish to Holders requesting the filing of a registration
statement
pursuant to this Section 2.1(b), a certificate signed by the
President or Chief
Executive Officer of the Company stating that in the good faith
judgment of the
Board of Directors of the Company, it would be detrimental to the
Company and
its shareholders for such registration statement to be filed and it
is therefore
essential to defer the filing of such registration statement, then
the Company
shall have the right to defer such filing for a period of not more
than ninety
(90) days after receipt of the request of the Initiating Holders;
provided,
however, that the Company may not utilize this right more than once
in any
twelve (12) month period.
(vi)
PIGGYBACK REGISTRATIONS. The Company shall notify all
Holders of Registrable Securities in writing at least thirty (30)
days prior to
filing any registration statement under the Securities Act for
purposes of
effecting a public offering of securities of the Company
(including, but not
limited to, registration statements relating to secondary offerings
of
securities of the Company, but excluding registration statements
relating to any
employee benefit plan or a corporate reorganization or other
transaction covered
by Rule 145 promulgated under
<PAGE>
the Securities Act, or a registration on any registration form
which does not
permit secondary sales or does not include substantially the same
information as
would be required to be included in a registration statement
covering the sale
of Registrable Securities) and will afford each such Holder an
opportunity to
include in such registration statement all or any part of the
Registrable
Securities then held by such Holder. Each Holder desiring to
include in any such
registration statement all or any part of the Registrable
Securities held by
such Holder shall, within twenty (20) days after receipt of the
above-described
notice from the Company, so notify the Company in writing, and in
such notice
shall inform the Company of the number of Registrable Securities
such Holder
wishes to include in such registration statement. If a Holder
decides not to
include all of its Registrable Securities in any registration
statement
thereafter filed by the Company, such Holder shall nevertheless
continue to have
the right to include any Registrable Securities in any subsequent
registration
statement or registration statements as may be filed by the Company
with respect
to offerings of its securities, all upon the terms and conditions
set forth
herein.
(vii)
Underwriting. If a registration statement under which
the Company gives notice under this Section 2.1 is for an
underwritten offering,
then the Company shall so advise the Holders of Registrable
Securities. In such
event, the right of any such Holder's Registrable Securities to be
included in a
registration pursuant to this Section 2.1 shall be conditioned upon
such
Holder's participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of
such Holder's
Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided
herein. All
Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities
through such
underwriting shall enter into an underwriting agreement in
customary form with
the managing underwriter or underwriter(s) selected for such
underwriting.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if the
managing
underwriter determine(s) in good faith that marketing factors
require a
limitation of the number of shares to be underwritten, then the
managing
underwriter(s) may exclude shares (including Registrable
Securities) from the
registration and the underwriting, and the number of shares that
may be included
in the registration and the underwriting shall be allocated, first,
to the
Company, and second to Holders requesting inclusion of their
Registrable
Securities in such registration statement on a pro rata basis based
on the
number of Registrable Securities each such Holder has requested to
be included
in the registration. If any Holder disapproves of the terms of any
such
underwriting, such Holder may elect to withdraw therefrom by
written notice to
the Company and the underwriter, delivered at least ten (10)
business days prior
to the effective date of the registration statement. Any
Registrable Securities
excluded or withdrawn from such underwriting shall be excluded and
withdrawn
from the registration. For any Holder that is a partnership or
corporation, the
partners, retired partners and shareholders of such Holder, or the
estates and
family members of any such partners and retired partners and any
trusts for the
benefit of any of the foregoing persons shall be deemed to be a
single "Holder,"
and any pro rata reduction with respect to such "Holder" shall be
based upon the
aggregate amount of shares carrying registration rights owned by
all entities
and individuals included in such "Holder," as defined in this
sentence.
(viii) Form S-3
Registration. In case the Company shall receive
from the Holders of at least twenty percent (20%) of the
Registrable Securities
a written request or requests that the Company effect a
registration on Form S-3
and any related qualification or compliance with respect to all or
a part of the
Registrable Securities owned by such Holder or Holders, the Company
shall:
<PAGE>
(a) promptly give written notice of the proposed
registration, and any related qualification or compliance, to all
other Holders;
and
(b) use its best efforts to effect, as soon as
practicable, such registration and all such qualifications and
compliances as
may be so requested and as would permit or facilitate the sale and
distribution
of all or such portion of such Holders' Registrable Securities as
are specified
in such request, together with all or such portion of the
Registrable Securities
of any other Holders joining in such request as are specified in a
written
request given within sixty (60) days after receipt of such written
notice from
the Company, provided, however, that the Company shall not be
obligated to
effect any such registration, qualification or compliance, pursuant
to this
Section 2.1(b)(viii):
(i)
if Form S-3 is not available for such offering by the
Holders;
(ii) if
the Holders, together with the holders of any other
securities of the Company entitled to inclusion in such
registration, propose to
sell Registrable Securities and such other securities (if any) at
an aggregate
price to the public (net of any underwriters' discounts or
commissions) of less
than $2,500,000;
(iii) if the
Company shall furnish to the Holders a
certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chairman of
the Board of
the Company stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board of
Directors of
the Company, it would be seriously detrimental to the Company and
its
stockholders for such Form S-3 Registration to be effected at such
time, in
which event the Company shall have the right to defer the filing of
the Form S-3
registration statement for a period of not more than forty five
(45) days after
receipt of the request of the Holder or Holders under this Section
2.1(b)(viii);
provided, however, that the Company shall not utilize this right
more than once
in any twelve month period;
(iv) in
any particular jurisdiction in which the Company
would be required to qualify to do business or to execute a general
consent to
service of process in effecting such registration, qualification or
compliance.
(c)
Subject to the foregoing, the Company shall file
a registration statement covering the Registrable Securities and
other
securities so requested to be registered as soon as practicable
after receipt of
the request or requests of the Holders.
(ix)
Expenses. All expenses incurred
in connection with a registration pursuant to this Section 2.1,
including
without limitation all registration and qualification fees,
printers' and
accounting fees, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company
(but
excluding underwriters' discounts and commissions) shall be borne
by the
Company. Each Holder participating in a registration pursuant to
this Section
2.1 shall bear such Holder's proportionate share (based on the
number of shares
sold by such Holder over the total number of shares included in
such
registration at the time it goes effective) of all discounts,
commissions or
other amounts payable to underwriters or brokers in connection with
such
offering.
<PAGE>
2.2
OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY. Whenever required under this
Section 2 to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities,
the Company
shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:
(a)
prepare and file with the SEC such amendments
and supplements to such registration statement and the prospectus
used in
connection with such registration statement as may be necessary to
comply with
the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the
disposition of all
securities covered by such registration statement;
(b)
furnish to the selling Holders 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
they may
reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the
Registrable
Securities owned by them that are included in such
registration;
(c)
use its commercially reasonable efforts to
register and qualify the securities covered by such registration
statement under
such other securities or blue sky laws of such states or other
jurisdictions as
shall be reasonably requested by the selling Holders, PROVIDED that
the Company
shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition
thereto to
qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of
process in any
such states or jurisdictions;
(d)
notify each Holder of Registrable Securities
covered by such registration statement at any time when a
prospectus relating
thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act of the
happening of
any event as a result of which the prospectus included in such
registration
statement, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a
material fact or
omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the
circumstances
then existing;
(e)
use commercially reasonable efforts to cause all
such Registrable Securities registered pursuant hereunder to be
listed on a
national securities exchange or trading system and ach securities
exchange and
trading system (if any) on which similar securities issued by the
Company are
then listed;
(f)
provide a transfer agent and registrar for all
Registrable Securities registered pursuant to such registration
statement and a
CUSIP number for all such Registrable Securities, in each case not
later than
the effective date of such registration; and
(g)
promptly make available for inspection by the
selling Holders, any attorney or accountant or other agent retained
by any such
underwriter or selected by the selling Holders, all financial and
other records,
pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company and
cause the
Company's officers, directors, employees and independent
accountants to supply
all information reasonably requested by any such seller,
underwriter, attorney,
accountant or agent in connection with any such registration
statement.
2.3 FURNISH INFORMATION.
It shall be a condition precedent
to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to
Section 2.1
hereof that the selling Holders shall furnish to the Company such
information
regarding themselves, the Registrable Securities held
<PAGE>
by them and the intended method of disposition of such securities
as shall be
required to timely effect the registration of their Registrable
Securities.
2.4
EXPENSES. All expenses (other than underwriting
discounts and commissions) incurred in connection with a
registration pursuant
to Section 2, including, without limitation, registration, filing
and
qualification fees, printers' and accounting fees, fees and
disbursements of
counsel for the Company, fees and disbursements of one counsel
acting on behalf
of the Holders, shall be borne by the Company.
2.5
DELAY OF REGISTRATION. No Holder shall have any right to
obtain or seek an injunction restraining or otherwise delaying any
such
registration as the result of any controversy that might arise with
respect to
the interpretation or implementation of this Section 2.
2.6
INDEMNIFICATION. In the event any Registrable Securities
are included in a registration statement under Section 2
hereof:
(a)
BY THE COMPANY. To the extent permitted by law,
the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, the
partners,
members, officers and directors of each Holder, legal counsel and
accountants
for each Holder, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act)
for such
Holder and each person, if any, who controls such Holder or
underwriter within
the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any
expenses,
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (joint or several) to which
they may
become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other
federal or
state law, insofar as such expenses, losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any of
the following
statements, omissions or violations (each a "VIOLATION"):
(i)
any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in such registration
statement, including
any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or
any
amendments or supplements thereto;
(ii) the
omission or alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein, or
necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading; or
(iii) any
violation or alleged violation by
the Company of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any federal or
state
securities law or any rule or regulation promulgated under the
Securities Act,
the Exchange Act or any federal or state securities law in
connection with the
offering covered by such registration statement;
and the Company shall reimburse each such Holder, partner,
officer or
director,
underwriter or
controlling person for
any legal or other
expenses
reasonably
incurred by them, as incurred, in connection with investigating or
defending any
such loss, claim,
damage liability or action; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the
indemnity agreement
contained in this Section 2.6(a) shall not apply to amounts
paid in settlement of any such expense, loss, claim, damage,
liability or action
if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company
(which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld), nor shall the Company be
liable in any such
case for any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action to the
extent that it
arises out of or is based upon actions or omissions made in
reliance upon and in
conformity with
written information furnished by or on
<PAGE>
behalf of any such Holder, partner, officer or director,
underwriter or
controlling person expressly for use in connection with such
registration by
such Holder, partner, officer, director, underwriter or controlling
person.
(b)
BY SELLING HOLDERS. To
the extent permitted by
law, each selling Holder shall indemnify and hold harmless the
Company, each of
its directors, each of its officers who have signed the
registration statement,
each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of
the
Securities Act, legal counsel and accountants for the Company, any
underwriter
and any other Holder selling securities under such registration
statement or any
of such other Holder's partners, directors or officers or any
person who
controls such Holder within the meaning of the Securities Act or
the Exchange
Act, against any expenses, losses, claims, damages or liabilities
(joint or
several) to which any of the foregoing persons may become subject
under the
Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state law,
insofar as such
expenses, losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereto)
arise out of or are based upon any Violation, in each case to the
extent (and
only to the extent) that such Violation arises out of or is based
on actions or
omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information
furnished by such Holder expressly for use in connection with such
registration;
and each such Holder shall reimburse the Company and such other
persons for any
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection
with
investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability
or action;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the indemnity agreement contained in
this