INVESTORS? RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

 

(g)           The term “Registrable Securities” means (i) any common stock (“Common Stock”) of the Company held or hereafter acquired by a Holder and (ii) any capital stock held or hereafter acquired by a Holder which capital stock is convertible into Common Stock, excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a person in a transaction in which his rights under Section 2 are not assigned.

 

(h)           The number of shares of “Registrable Securities then outstanding” shall be determined by the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding which are Registrable Securities.

 

(i)            The term “SEC” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

2.             Registration Rights. The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

 

2.1           Request for Registration.

 

(a)           If the Company shall receive at any time at least three (3) months after the effective date of the first registration statement for a public offering of securities of the Company (other than a registration statement relating either to the sale of securities to employees of the Company pursuant to a stock option, stock purchase or similar plan or a SEC Rule 145 transaction), a written request from the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a registration statement under the Act covering the registration of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding (or a lesser percent if the anticipated aggregate offering price, net of underwriting discounts and commissions, would exceed $7,500,000), then the Company shall:

 

(i)            within ten (10) days of the receipt thereof, give written notice of such request to all Holders; and

 

(ii)           effect as soon as practicable, and in any event within sixty (60) days of the receipt of such request, the registration under the Act of all Registrable Securities which the Holders request to be registered, subject to the limitations of subsection 2.1(b), within twenty (20) days of the mailing of such notice by the Company in accordance with Section 5.7.

 

(b)           If the Holders initiating the registration request hereunder (“Initiating Holders”) intend to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by their request by means of an underwriting, they shall so advise the Company as a part of their request made pursuant to subsection 2.1(a) and the Company shall include such information in the written notice referred to in subsection 2.l(a). The underwriter will be selected by the Company and shall be reasonably acceptable to a majority in interest of the Initiating Holders. In such event, the right of any Holder to include 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

 

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Initiating Holders and such Holder) to the extent provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwriting shall (together with the Company as provided in subsection 2.3(e)) enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such underwriting. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 2.1, if the underwriter advises the Initiating Holders in writing that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of shares to be underwritten, then the Initiating Holders shall so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities which would otherwise be underwritten pursuant hereto, and the number of shares of Registrable Securities that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated among all Holders thereof, including the Initiating Holders, in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the amount of Registrable Securities of the Company owned by each Holder; provided, however, that the number of shares of Registrable Securities to be included in such underwriting shall not be reduced unless all other securities are first entirely excluded from the underwriting.

 

(c)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company shall furnish to Holders requesting a registration statement pursuant to this Section 2.1, a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer 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 shareholders for such registration statement to be filed and it is therefore essential to defer the filing of such registration statement, the Company shall have the right to defer taking action with respect to such filing for a period of not more than 120 days after receipt of the request of the Initiating Holders.

 

(d)           In addition, the Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to this Section 2.1:

 

(i)            After the Company has effected two (2) registrations pursuant to this Section 2.1 and such registrations have been declared or ordered effective;

 

(ii)           During the period starting with the date sixty (60) days prior to the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of, a registration subject to Section 2.2 hereof; provided that the Company is actively employing in good faith all reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; or

 

(iii)          If the Initiating Holders propose to dispose of shares of Registrable Securities that may be immediately registered on Form S-3 pursuant to a request made pursuant to Section 2.11 below.

 

2.2           Company Registration. If (but without any obligation to do so) the Company proposes to register (including for this purpose a registration effected by the Company for shareholders other than the Holders) any of its stock or other securities under the Act in connection with the public offering of such securities solely for cash (other than a registration relating solely to the sale of securities to participants in a Company stock plan, a registration on any form which does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be

 

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included in a registration statement covering the sale of the Registrable Securities, or a registration in which the only Common Stock being registered is Common Stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities which are also being registered), the Company shall, at such time, promptly give each Holder written notice of such registration. Upon the written request of each Holder given within twenty (20) days after mailing of such notice by the Company in accordance with Section 8.7, the Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 2.7, cause to be registered under the Act all of the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be registered.

 

2.3           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 a registration statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective, and, upon the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities registered thereunder, keep such registration statement effective for a period of up to one hundred twenty (120) days or until the distribution contemplated in the Registration Statement has been completed; provided, however, that (i) such 120-day period shall be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holder refrains from selling any securities included in such registration at the request of an underwriter of Common Stock (or other securities) of the Company; and (ii) in the case of any registration of Registrable Securities on Form S-3 which are intended to be offered on a continuous or delayed basis, such 120-day period shall be extended, if necessary, to keep the registration statement effective until all such Registrable Securities are sold, provided that Rule 415, or any successor rule under the Act, permits an offering on a continuous or delayed basis, and provided further that applicable rules under the Act governing the obligation to file a post-effective amendment permit, in lieu of filing a post-effective amendment which (I) includes any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Act or (II) reflects facts or events representing a material or fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement, the incorporation by reference of information required to be included in (I) and (II) above to be contained in periodic reports filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act in the registration statement.

 

(b)           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 Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement.

 

(c)           Furnish to the Holders such numbers of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, in conformity with the requirements of the Act, and such other documents as they may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of Registrable Securities owned by them.

 

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(d)           Use its best efforts to register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the 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.

 

(e)           In the event of any underwritten public offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing underwriter of such offering. Each Holder participating in such underwriting shall also enter into and perform its obligations under such an agreement.

 

(f)            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 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.

 

(g)           Cause all such Registrable Securities registered pursuant hereunder to be listed on each securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed.

 

(h)           Provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities registered pursuant hereunder and a CUSIP number for all such Registrable Securities, in each case not later than the effective date of such registration.

 

2.4           Furnish Information.

 

(a)           It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to this Section 2 with respect to the Registrable Securities of any selling Holder that such Holder shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as shall be required to effect the registration of such Holder’s Registrable Securities.

 

(b)           The Company shall have no obligation with respect to any registration requested pursuant to Section 2.1 or Section 2.11 if, due to the operation of subsection 2.4(a), the number of shares or the anticipated aggregate offering price of the Registrable Securities to be included in the registration does not equal or exceed the number of shares or the anticipated aggregate offering price required to originally trigger the Company’s obligation to initiate such registration as specified in subsection 2.1(a) or subsection 2.11(b)(2), whichever is applicable.

 

2.5           Expenses of Demand Registration. All expenses other than underwriting discounts and commissions incurred in connection with registrations, filings or qualifications pursuant to Section 2.1, including (without limitation) all registration, filing and qualification fees, printers’ and accounting fees, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company

 

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(including fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in its capacity as counsel to the selling Holders hereunder; if Company counsel does not make itself available for this purpose, the Company will pay the reasonable fees and disbursements of one counsel for the selling Holders) shall be borne by the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any registration proceeding begun pursuant to Section 2.1 if the registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be registered (in which case all Participating Holders shall bear such expenses), unless the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities agree to forfeit their right to one demand registration pursuant to Section 2.1.

 

2.6           Expenses of Company Registration. The Company shall bear and pay all expenses incurred in connection with any registration, filing or qualification of Registrable Securities with respect to the registrations pursuant to Section 2.2 for each Holder (which right may be assigned as provided in Section 8.2), including (without limitation) all registration, filing, and qualification fees, printers and accounting fees relating or apportionable thereto and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company in its capacity as counsel to the selling Holders hereunder; if Company counsel does not make itself available for this purpose, the Company will pay the reasonable fees and disbursements of one counsel for the selling Holders selected by them, but excluding underwriting discounts and commissions relating to Registrable Securities.

 

2.7           Underwriting Requirements. In connection with any offering involving an underwriting of shares of the Company’s capital stock, the Company shall not be required under Section 2.2 to include any of the Holders’ securities in such underwriting unless they accept the terms of the underwriting as agreed upon between the Company and the underwriters selected by it (or by other persons entitled to select the underwriters), and then only in such quantity as the underwriters determine in their sole discretion will not jeopardize the success of the offering by the Company. If the total amount of securities, including Registrable Securities, requested by shareholders to be included in such offering exceeds the amount of securities sold other than by the Company that the underwriters determine in their sole discretion is compatible with the success of the offering, then the Company shall be required to include in the offering only that number of such securities, including Registrable Securities, which the underwriters determine in their sole discretion will not jeopardize the success of the offering (the securities so included to be apportioned pro rata among the selling shareholders according to the total amount of securities entitled to be included therein owned by each selling shareholder or in such other proportions as shall mutually be agreed to by such selling shareholders) but in no event shall (i) the amount of securities of the selling shareholders included in the offering be reduced below twenty percent (20%) of the total amount of securities included in such offering, unless such offering is the initial public offering of the Company’s securities in which case the selling shareholders may be excluded if the underwriters make the determination described above and no other shareholder’s securities are included or (ii) notwithstanding (i) above, any shares being sold by a shareholder exercising a demand registration right similar to that granted in Section 2.1 be excluded from such offering. For purposes of the preceding parenthetical concerning apportionment, for any selling shareholder which is a holder of Registrable Securities and which is a partnership or corporation, the partners, retired partners and shareholders of such Holder,

 

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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 “selling shareholder”, and any pro-rata reduction with respect to such “selling shareholder” shall be based upon the aggregate amount of shares carrying registration rights owned by all entities and individuals included in such “selling shareholder”, as defined in this sentence.

 

2.8           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 1.

 

2.9           Indemnification. In the event any Registrable Securities are included in a registration statement under this Section 2:

 

(a)           To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Holder, any underwriter (as defined in the Act) for such Holder and each person, if any, who controls such Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Act or the 1934 Act, against any losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (joint or several) to which they may become subject under the Act, the 1934 Act or other federal or state law, insofar as such 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 (collectively 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 Act, the 1934 Act, any state securities law or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Act, the 1934 Act or any state securities law; and the Company will pay to each such Holder, underwriter or controlling person, as incurred, 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 subsection 2.9(a) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such 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 a Violation which occurs in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished expressly for use in connection with such registration by any such Holder, underwriter or controlling person.

 

(b)           To the extent permitted by law, each selling Holder will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who has signed the registration statement, each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act, any underwriter, any other Holder selling securities in such registration statement and any controlling person of any such underwriter or other Holder, against any losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (joint or several) to which any of the foregoing persons may become subject, under the Act, the 1934 Act or other federal or state law, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, or

 

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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 occurs 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 will pay, as incurred, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any person intended to be indemnified pursuant to this subsection 2.9(b), in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, or action; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this subsection 2.9(b) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Holder, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; provided, that, in no event shall any indemnity under this subsection 2.9(b) exceed the gross proceeds from the offering received by such Holder.

 

(c)           Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 2.9 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action), such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 2.9, deliver to the indemnifying party a written notice of the commencement thereof and the indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in, and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly noticed, to assume the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the parties; provided, however, that an indemnified party (together with all other indemnified parties which may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain one separate counsel, with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such proceeding. The failure to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action, if prejudicial to its ability to defend such action, shall relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under this Section 2.9, but the omission so to deliver written notice to the indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 2.9.

 

(d)           If the indemnification provided for in this Section 2.9 is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unavailable to an indemnified party with respect to any loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense referred to therein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party hereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party on the one hand and of the indemnified party on the other in connection will the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, liability, claim, damage, or expense as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

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(e)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the provisions on indemnification and contribution contained in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering are in conflict with the foregoing provisions, the provisions in the underwriting agreement shall control.

 

(f)            The obligations of the Company and Holders under this Section 2.9 shall survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a registration statement under this Section 2, and otherwise.

 

2.10         Reports Under Securities Exchange Act of 1934. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of Rule 144 promulgated under the Act and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a Holder to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration or pursuant to a registration on Form S-3, the Company agrees to:

 

(a)           make and keep public information available, as those terms are understood and defined in SEC Rule 144, at all times after ninety (90) days after the effective date of the first registration statement filed by the Company for the offering of its securities to the general public;

 

(b)           file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Act and the 1934 Act; and

 

(c)           furnish to any Holder, so long as the Holder owns any Registrable Securities, forthwith upon request (i) a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of SEC Rule 144 (at any time after ninety (90) days after the effective date of the first registration statement filed by the Company), the Act and the 1934 Act (at any time after it has become subject to such reporting requirements), or that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may be resold pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after it so qualifies), (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by the Company, and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested in availing any Holder of any rule or regulation of the SEC which permits the selling of any such securities without registration or pursuant to such form.

 

2.11     &